Cartier solitaire. Please help me choose a rock. Can one tell the diff between .25 - .29 carats?

[rockysalamander]

Regardless of the brand or value of the piece, I think we do posters a disservice if we were to not look at the actual cut of the diamond to determine which is the best in terms of light return. (heck, we do this on super-ideals and we all know thats splitting hairs). I'd go further than @bmfang and say I still want to evaluate the same angles we do on every other diamond (Crown Angle, Pavillion Angle, Table%, Depth%, LowerGirdleFacets) as well as the "type" of inclusion to provide education about how to choose among a huge number of stones with the same GIA color and clarity. GIA "excellent" is simply not narrow enough. Cartier is no longer hand-screening stones with expert gemologist against strict internal criteria. Every Cartier I've been in for the last decade has "sales associates" not gemologist on staff and I've heard them say some of wrong and ridiculous things you hear at big-box stores. That means the buyer should come armed with knowledge on how to make a choice. It's always caveat emptor out there.

I also think it totally valid for PS, as an educational resource, to make sure posters understand the range of options available to them. Many people go to these large posh brands because they assume that will mean a "perfect" "best" diamond. I've been around these posh brands for going on 30+ years and in that time, they have had to change along with the entire diamond industry as it relates to sourcing and screening of diamonds.

We need all perspectives here at PS and I think that is a strength to provide a range of opinions and balance. I appreciate @Miki Moto and others that are on the side of post brands. I say, keep the debate alive because therein we offer a more balanced resource.

 

[bmfang]

@rockysalamander , the nerdy consumer in me wants the same as you: looking at the specs of the stones before making a suggestion to the OP on which is the best stone to pick for that Love solitaire.

But if all a Cartier sales associate is going to tell the OP is the cut grade (assuming they do that) rather than the full Monty of specs, that’s where I am coming from. Excellent is usually better than Very Good (though as we have seen here on PS, sometimes, some GIA Very Good stones score highly on HCA on the rare occasion).

I have been inside a couple of Cartier boutiques looking at watches primarily but listening in on what the sales associates have been saying about diamonds to potential customers (and here in Oz, a lot of those potential customers are the nouveau riche mainland Chinese tourists and immigrants seeking to buy Cartier pieces without the massive import tariffs that are slapped on them in China).

At times, they have been worse than the Tiffany sales associates I have spoken to and heck, even some of the mall chain store sales associates have given better advice to me than what the Cartier sales staff have said to these potential customers. The only thing that registers in my head when I hear their sales pitch is “someone is wanting to earn their commission today”.

While they say they will select GIA Good to Excellent stones for their inventory, I do wonder if the grading is done in-house (ala Tiffany) or the stones are actually sent to GIA.

Edit: On a completely different note, this thread reminding me of threads on watch forums where someone insists that their e.g. Tag Heuer Carrera Calibre 16 is more superior to say a Hamilton Jazzmaster Auto Chronograph.

The thing that makes me laugh is that both watches have the exact same automatic chronograph movement in them (an ETA 7753) in the exact same spec (elabore). The difference? One is more expensive than the other (Tag $ RRP > Hamilton $ RRP). And one may have been adjusted and regulated by the watchmaker at the factory better than the other. If they compared it to say classic Rolex Daytona (using a Zenith “El Primero” chronograph movement), then we have something real to talk about (and argue over).

 

[luv2sparkle]

@cherryblossombling, I am guessing since they only offer a certain size range of stone for that ring that it is the perfect size for the width of the band. Choose the one with the best cut, but you love the ring, so go with what pleases your eye the most. It's beautiful and iconic, so I think you can't really make a bad choice here. Please come back and post lots of pics. I look forward to seeing it on your hand!

 

[Octo2005]

@cherryblossombling - I am sorry if my comments came across disparaging of the Cartier brand, that was not my intent. I only wanted to be sure that you considered all avenues before making a decision. As others have already stated, I believe any size difference will not be noticeable and you should choose the ring that appeals to you most in-person.


@Miki Moto - I love Cartier and I do own a 10 diamond Love bracelet from my pre-pricescope days, I have many other branded pieces on my wishlist, but I wish that I had know about the forums before my purchase and that someone had said "Hey, wait minute before you make your purchase, did you know that you could instead get x,y or z for your budget" I don't find it to be bashing the original option only making sure that they have all of the information necessary to make an informed decision. I think it's easy to get caught up in the romance surrounding some of these iconic pieces and it gives us blinders to other options.

 

[bmfang]

@cherryblossombling, I am guessing since they only offer a certain size range of stone for that ring that it is the perfect size for the width of the band. Choose the one with the best cut, but you love the ring, so go with what pleases your eye the most. It's beautiful and iconic, so I think you can't really make a bad choice here. Please come back and post lots of pics. I look forward to seeing it on your hand!

Sounds like that is the case for the rose gold bands rather than the white gold version.

 

[Acinom]

You are getting excellent advice here.
The Love band has a beautiful design and any of the given carat weights will work with the band. Select the ones recommanded here and narrow it down to the one that pleases your eye best

 

[Lorelei]

All great points folks and Miki makes good ones too and I like her point of view because it is helpful in assisting consumers who are perhaps wanting to go in a different way.

It's an excellent thread, and yes, due diligence to point out that the poster could get a bigger stone for the budget if she shopped online, then she'll know her options.

But she wants Cartier, so the bottom line if the OP wants to go that far, is for her to post all the proportions and details she can get for the stone in each ring here. We can then crunch the numbers, let her know which ones look best on paper, then armed with that knowledge, she can choose from there bearing that info in mind and see which stone speaks to her. Interestingly, it might not be the best on paper she chooses in the end!

Or she can just choose with her eyes. The main thing is she'll have the Cartier ring she wanted, whichever way works for her.

 

[Lorelei]

@rockysalamander , the nerdy consumer in me wants the same as you: looking at the specs of the stones before making a suggestion to the OP on which is the best stone to pick for that Love solitaire.

But if all a Cartier sales associate is going to tell the OP is the cut grade (assuming they do that) rather than the full Monty of specs, that’s where I am coming from. Excellent is usually better than Very Good (though as we have seen here on PS, sometimes, some GIA Very Good stones score highly on HCA on the rare occasion).

I have been inside a couple of Cartier boutiques looking at watches primarily but listening in on what the sales associates have been saying about diamonds to potential customers (and here in Oz, a lot of those potential customers are the nouveau riche mainland Chinese tourists and immigrants seeking to buy Cartier pieces without the massive import tariffs that are slapped on them in China).

At times, they have been worse than the Tiffany sales associates I have spoken to and heck, even some of the mall chain store sales associates have given better advice to me than what the Cartier sales staff have said to these potential customers. The only thing that registers in my head when I hear their sales pitch is “someone is wanting to earn their commission today”.

While they say they will select GIA Good to Excellent stones for their inventory, I do wonder if the grading is done in-house (ala Tiffany) or the stones are actually sent to GIA.

Edit: On a completely different note, this thread reminding me of threads on watch forums where someone insists that their e.g. Tag Heuer Carrera Calibre 16 is more superior to say a Hamilton Jazzmaster Auto Chronograph.

The thing that makes me laugh is that both watches have the exact same automatic chronograph movement in them (an ETA 7753) in the exact same spec (elabore). The difference? One is more expensive than the other (Tag $ RRP > Hamilton $ RRP). And one may have been adjusted and regulated by the watchmaker at the factory better than the other. If they compared it to say classic Rolex Daytona (using a Zenith “El Primero” chronograph movement), then we have something real to talk about (and argue over).

You might want to watch out for DancingFire there bm, he's the resident watch geek and them might be fightin' words.....

 

[motownmama]

Cool ring! Good luck choosing and come back and show us!

 

[LLJsmom]

I am disappointed so many people are bashing the diamond. This is not about the diamond. This is about the Cartier design so you are missing this key point here if you continue to recommend online vendors for a diamond.

Cartier is an iconic brand. The Cartier Love Bangle is iconic. It comes in a WG diamond version and it is beautiful. Trust me, those who love Cartier are buying the design and brand. They are not going to zoom in on a small diamond and demand for it to be a super ideal.

I have no idea why this forum continues to bash anything that is not an online vendor superideal diamond. Clearly this is not about a loose diamond. This is about a design.

The OP has stated she likes this ring, she already has Cartier pieces, she is not buying a loose diamond so please PSers, please respectful and stop bashing the stone or the brand. Either help choose the ring or don’t participate.

Cartier is a prestige brand and those who don’t get this will not understand other brands like Van Cleef or Tiffany. They make some very iconic jewelry design pieces and many have diamonds in them with VCA known for their pave. VCA pave is stunning and no, you are not going to get a stone by stone evaluation of each diamond.

@cherryblossombling
I think the ring is lovely and will go great with your other Cartier pieces. Of all the options you posted, I would choose one that is IF. Why? I buy jewelry for me, and for me, I would love to mentally know I have a Cartier IF stone. The pricing is not that different, so in your list, to narrow it down, I would zoom in on IF clarity. For color, it's hard for me to differentiate D/E/F/G. I can see the difference after H, but every eye is different.

So if it were me, I would ask to bring in three IF rings of different color grades, then compare the diamond sparkle as that will be different with each stone. I also like the 3-diamond Love but not so much the plain one as you already have the plain Love. I think a little diamond sparkle will add a nice touch.

I am sure the ring will be gorgeous and go great with you Love bangle. Great idea!

I am disappointed so many people are bashing the diamond. This is not about the diamond. This is about the Cartier design so you are missing this key point here if you continue to recommend online vendors for a diamond.

Cartier is an iconic brand. The Cartier Love Bangle is iconic. It comes in a WG diamond version and it is beautiful. Trust me, those who love Cartier are buying the design and brand. They are not going to zoom in on a small diamond and demand for it to be a super ideal.

I have no idea why this forum continues to bash anything that is not an online vendor superideal diamond. Clearly this is not about a loose diamond. This is about a design.

The OP has stated she likes this ring, she already has Cartier pieces, she is not buying a loose diamond so please PSers, please respectful and stop bashing the stone or the brand. Either help choose the ring or don’t participate.

Cartier is a prestige brand and those who don’t get this will not understand other brands like Van Cleef or Tiffany. They make some very iconic jewelry design pieces and many have diamonds in them with VCA known for their pave. VCA pave is stunning and no, you are not going to get a stone by stone evaluation of each diamond.

@cherryblossombling
I think the ring is lovely and will go great with your other Cartier pieces. Of all the options you posted, I would choose one that is IF. Why? I buy jewelry for me, and for me, I would love to mentally know I have a Cartier IF stone. The pricing is not that different, so in your list, to narrow it down, I would zoom in on IF clarity. For color, it's hard for me to differentiate D/E/F/G. I can see the difference after H, but every eye is different.

So if it were me, I would ask to bring in three IF rings of different color grades, then compare the diamond sparkle as that will be different with each stone. I also like the 3-diamond Love but not so much the plain one as you already have the plain Love. I think a little diamond sparkle will add a nice touch.

I am sure the ring will be gorgeous and go great with you Love bangle. Great idea!

@Miki Moto please remember that she posted in a “diamond” forum and is asking about a “diamond”. There are many diamond enthusiasts and experts here and you are telling them to keep quiet about what they know to be true about diamonds. Not gonna happen. As another poster said we would be doing a disservice not to speak up about what we know about diamonds. It’s not personal. It’s what Cartier says per their website as @bmfang pointed out. If the poster does not want more info, then she can shut her mind to the knowledge shared. This is also a public forum after all and if nothing else people will share their opinions, as you have. And it’s not about bashing specific brands. I have a Love myself and VCA pieces with diamonds which I dread to place an ideal scope to. It’s about the diamond. And it just so happens these are sold by Cartier.

To answer the OPs original question I would examine each stone in person to determine which is the most sparkly. Make sure you look at it all over the store, by the window and in a dark corner, not just under the professional lighting. Also ask about their upgrade program. I saw this guy in Harry Winston ask about it. He bought the original ring there. They were gonna help him out. Just sayin.

 

[Octo2005]

@Miki Moto

Also ask about their upgrade program. I saw this guy in Harry Winston ask about it. He bought the original ring there. They were gonna help him out. Just sayin.

I didn't know they have an upgrade policy! I would love to trade-up to the pave love bracelet

 

[LLJsmom]

I didn't know they have an upgrade policy! I would love to trade-up to the pave love bracelet

I doubt Cartier has an upgrade policy for bracelets. I am just saying ask them about their solitaires. If Harry Winston has one maybe Cartier has one too. I don’t know if Cartier has an upgrade policy. I’m just suggesting that she ask.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

This isn't an engagement ring. It's a jewelry piece from the Love Collection. It's not going to be upgradable, in my opinion, unless they let people bring in Love bracelets to upgrade, which I seriously doubt.

I'd choose #6. I think it's the best value as it is second largest but you don't have to pay $700 for the IF.

I am all about cut. But in a .27ct stone, an excellent cut in a setting like this is just fine. I have a pendant with a stone close to that size, and I bought the piece as a total piece of jewelry and the diamond didn't need to be superideal. All of the diamonds should be fine.

 

[junebug17]

This isn't an engagement ring. It's a jewelry piece from the Love Collection. It's not going to be upgradable, in my opinion, unless they let people bring in Love bracelets to upgrade, which I seriously doubt.

I'd choose #6. I think it's the best value as it is second largest but you don't have to pay $700 for the IF.

I am all about cut. But in a .27ct stone, an excellent cut in a setting like this is just fine. I have a pendant with a stone close to that size, and I bought the piece as a total piece of jewelry and the diamond didn't need to be superideal. All of the diamonds should be fine.

Ah the voice of reason, thank you DS. ITA.

 

[Yimmers]

This isn't an engagement ring. It's a jewelry piece from the Love Collection. It's not going to be upgradable, in my opinion, unless they let people bring in Love bracelets to upgrade, which I seriously doubt.

I'd choose #6. I think it's the best value as it is second largest but you don't have to pay $700 for the IF.

I am all about cut. But in a .27ct stone, an excellent cut in a setting like this is just fine. I have a pendant with a stone close to that size, and I bought the piece as a total piece of jewelry and the diamond didn't need to be superideal. All of the diamonds should be fine.

Yup, this sums up my feelings - go to a store and choose the one that speaks the most to you (sparkle, etc). If you order online, I'd just make sure you can exchange it for another Love ring with a diamond that you like better. BTW, please come back with pictures - I really want to see it!

 

[bmfang]

You might want to watch out for DancingFire there bm, he's the resident watch geek and them might be fightin' words.....

@Lorelei I think @Dancing Fire and I would get along well watch wise. The watch he has as his avatar is one that I love. And from a German brand whose quality of workmanship and craftsmanship is second to none (on par, if not exceeding, the work from upper echelon of Swiss watchmakers). It’s a grail watch for me and one that I would be unlikely to ever own.

 

[OoohShiny]

@Lorelei I think @Dancing Fire and I would get along well watch wise. The watch he has as his avatar is one that I love. And from a German brand whose quality of workmanship and craftsmanship is second to none (on par, if not exceeding, the work from upper echelon of Swiss watchmakers). It’s a grail watch for me and one that I would be unlikely to ever own.

Are PP German? I never knew that.

 

[bmfang]

Are PP German? I never knew that.

DF’s avatar is an A. Lange & Sohne (part of the Richemont group, coincidentally the owners of Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels) watch, based out of Glashutte in Germany. They along with Glashutte Original (a Swatch Group brand) and NOMOS Glashutte (one of the last few independent German watchmakers) are three of my favourite German watchmakers (from aesthetic and technical viewpoints).

PP still remains Geneva based and is the last family owned independent Swiss watchmaker to my knowledge.

 

[Polished]

Diamonds aside, there is a fair amount of metal in this setting and I do love the tone of the rose gold that Cartier uses. June Rose had a gorgeous rose gold three stone ring and here she shows the tone of the Cartier rose gold with her BGD ring:

https://www.pricescope.com/communit...-gold-trellis-three-stone-reset.181886/page-4

 

[cherryblossombling]

@cherryblossombling - I am sorry if my comments came across disparaging of the Cartier brand, that was not my intent. I only wanted to be sure that you considered all avenues before making a decision. As others have already stated, I believe any size difference will not be noticeable and you should choose the ring that appeals to you most in-person.

Not at all! Thank you very much for your input. I plan on going in person tomorrow to see which one stands out for me.

All great points folks and Miki makes good ones too and I like her point of view because it is helpful in assisting consumers who are perhaps wanting to go in a different way.

It's an excellent thread, and yes, due diligence to point out that the poster could get a bigger stone for the budget if she shopped online, then she'll know her options.

But she wants Cartier, so the bottom line if the OP wants to go that far, is for her to post all the proportions and details she can get for the stone in each ring here. We can then crunch the numbers, let her know which ones look best on paper, then armed with that knowledge, she can choose from there bearing that info in mind and see which stone speaks to her. Interestingly, it might not be the best on paper she chooses in the end!

Or she can just choose with her eyes. The main thing is she'll have the Cartier ring she wanted, whichever way works for her.

Thank you very much!

Cool ring! Good luck choosing and come back and show us!

I'll definitely post pictures once I choose and receive it!

@Miki Moto please remember that she posted in a “diamond” forum and is asking about a “diamond”. There are many diamond enthusiasts and experts here and you are telling them to keep quiet about what they know to be true about diamonds. Not gonna happen. As another poster said we would be doing a disservice not to speak up about what we know about diamonds. It’s not personal. It’s what Cartier says per their website as @bmfang pointed out. If the poster does not want more info, then she can shut her mind to the knowledge shared. This is also a public forum after all and if nothing else people will share their opinions, as you have. And it’s not about bashing specific brands. I have a Love myself and VCA pieces with diamonds which I dread to place an ideal scope to. It’s about the diamond. And it just so happens these are sold by Cartier.

To answer the OPs original question I would examine each stone in person to determine which is the most sparkly. Make sure you look at it all over the store, by the window and in a dark corner, not just under the professional lighting. Also ask about their upgrade program. I saw this guy in Harry Winston ask about it. He bought the original ring there. They were gonna help him out. Just sayin.

Great advice. I normally look at their jewelry while I sit at the desk under the store lighting, and everything looks so sparkly and wonderful, ha! It would help to walk to an area lit differently so I don't have those store lighting goggles on.

This isn't an engagement ring. It's a jewelry piece from the Love Collection. It's not going to be upgradable, in my opinion, unless they let people bring in Love bracelets to upgrade, which I seriously doubt.

I'd choose #6. I think it's the best value as it is second largest but you don't have to pay $700 for the IF.

I am all about cut. But in a .27ct stone, an excellent cut in a setting like this is just fine. I have a pendant with a stone close to that size, and I bought the piece as a total piece of jewelry and the diamond didn't need to be superideal. All of the diamonds should be fine.

Awesome to hear. Thank you!

Yup, this sums up my feelings - go to a store and choose the one that speaks the most to you (sparkle, etc). If you order online, I'd just make sure you can exchange it for another Love ring with a diamond that you like better. BTW, please come back with pictures - I really want to see it!

Will definitely post!

@cherryblossombling Hi! Below is a link to a site called PurseForum. It started out as a forum for handbags (e.g. Hermes, Chanel), but it has since expanded to forums on luxury brand jewelry. There is a forum specifically for Cartier (also Tiffany and VCA). In the Cartier forum there are threads on the Love and many other great topics. You will also find threads with people specifically asking about the Love ring (3-stone, plain...).

I think you will enjoy this forum much more as there are people who truly love luxury pieces such as Cartier and are very helpful: https://forum.purseblog.com/forums/cartier.301/

Good luck to you... whichever ring you choose, it will go great with your Love bracelet!

Thanks so much, @Miki Moto. Really appreciate your time and insight!

I'm super excited about going in tomorrow and checking out the specs. I'll ask about the cut grade and try on what they've ordered. The specs, combined with what my eyes like the most, plus all that I've learned in this thread, will all help inform my decision.

Thanks again!

 

[bmfang]

Diamonds aside, there is a fair amount of metal in this setting and I do love the tone of the rose gold that Cartier uses. June Rose had a gorgeous rose gold three stone ring and here she shows the tone of the Cartier rose gold with her BGD ring:

https://www.pricescope.com/communit...-gold-trellis-three-stone-reset.181886/page-4

The tone of the Cartier rose gold certainly is gorgeous.

 

[bmfang]

@cherryblossombling , all the best with your selection of the right stone for that ring. It is one of the iconic Cartier ring designs and I hope the argy-bargy in this thread has not dissuaded you from your purchase.

We are a bunch of passionate diamond nuts on here who want each person on here to get the most brilliant and sparkly stone for whatever their budget is (and irrespective of brand).

Please come back with hand shots once you’ve got the completed ring!

 

[yssie]

@Miki Moto you have violated PS terms of agreement on posting links to other jewellery fora a few times now. Here is the forum policy page for your reference:
https://www.pricescope.com/content/forum-policies

Do not post links or references to any other jewelry information or affiliate websites, forums, videos, blogs, or podcasts.

I have reported the post in this thread.

 

[yssie]

If you object to the policies that you agreed to when you made your PriceScope account then by all means take it up with the moderators. We are free to follow their rules and play in their sandbox - or find other sandboxes with policies more to our tastes.

You have likely noticed that many of us own and enjoy pieces from houses/brands/vendors other than those most commonly recommended on here on PS - there is certainly room within forum policy for these sorts of discussions.

 

[SandyinAnaheim]

...I know you have reported me which I find very petty as the intent was to help another PSer. It is narrow minded we are not allowed to help others and share information that is outside the discussion of online super-ideal vendors.

YOUR comments have been petty, argumentative and antagonizing on this thread when other posters' "intent was to help another PSer" too. The OP was simply being given advice so that she doesn't waste her money buying an item that will be devalued by 70% or more the moment she walks out of the store - take a look at eBay. If she still likes it and wants it after having been given other options to think about, that's fine. One can lead a horse to water.....

But the OP would be MUCH better off heeding the advice of people who have been here for a very long time and know what they're talking about, as opposed to someone who just got here 5 minutes ago and doesn't comprehend why those with more experience might have a different viewpoint on buying average quality and overpriced melee, just because it's sold by Cartier.

 

[Ella]

Folks we do not allow links because in the past there have been “fights” between forums and members. Hence the rule. Please respect it.

 

[mrs-b]

She didn’t ask for opinions on clarity options either, but you’re suggesting the IF for $600/14% more than the ones she inquired about. For all we know, the .29’s cut could be only ‘good’ and it’s measurements could be identical or possibly smaller than the .25, and if she buys it without inquiring, she’s just paid more money for TWO things she can’t see.

Not looking to bicker here, and I won’t - just pointing out that there are a lot more things to consider - even when ‘brand’-shopping - than just the name and ‘bragging rights’.

There sure are! This comment just reminded me of Jean Schlumberger's line for Tiffany. Never seen such a polarizing line of jewelry. You either love it or you hate it, and if you're one of the people that hate it, the brand name won't help one little bit.

You have to love the piece - regardless of who made it. So quality will always be important, because a whole range of issues can move a piece from "LOVE!" to "meh..."

 

[GolfingGreen]

Folks we do not allow links because in the past there have been “fights” between forums and members. Hence the rule. Please respect it.

It’s unfortunate PS rules do not allow it because the other forum is how I found out about PS. There is often reference in the other forum to PS, the online vendors, and where people purchased their jewelry. I hope PS would reconsider allowing links to public forums share to expand knowledge as both forums do not compete, but rather they compliment.

 

[GolfingGreen]

@SandyinAnaheim hi! To answer your question, this was about choosing a Cartier ring, not about finding a loose diamond. Some people want a specific piece of jewelry, a Cartier.

The OP is going to choose her Cartier ring. I am happy for her and hope she enjoys her happy moment and comes back to model her new ring.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

We have a small subset of people on this forum who enjoy branded pieces such as Cartier, Van Cleef, Tiffany, etc. You might want to join this discussion thread for help from people who are like-minded.

https://www.pricescope.com/communit...nd-all-other-fans.213919/page-28#post-4332101