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

[cherryblossombling]

Hi!

I'm new to the forum!

My next purchase is this Cartier Love solitaire (http://www.cartier.com/en-us/collec.../love/love-rings/n4250100-love-solitaire.html).

The range of available carats is from .25 to .29.

I'm interested in these options a store sent me.

1.) .25, Clarity VS1, E, $3,600.
2.) .25, Clarity VS1, F, $3,400.
3.) .25, Clarity VVS2, F, $3,450.
4.) .25, Clarity VVS1, F, $3,550.
5.) .26 Clarity VVVS1, F, $3,650.
6.) .27, Clarity VS1, F, $3,550.
7.) .29, Clarity IF, F, $4,250.

I haven't visited a store to see them in person, but would there be a visible difference in size between the .25 and .29? If I want the best bang for my buck (one that'll be the flashiest on my hand), which of the above would be my best bet? Would it be a waste to go higher than a .25? If the difference is negligible by me/the average person, I'd rather go the more economic route and go with #2 or #3 on the list. The band is also thin, and my fingers are on the long and thin side, so I'd like something that stands out the most.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Octo2005]

I love the Cartier Love line, but I would recommend that you go and try a few of these rings on in person. Not sure of the look you are going for, but to me this ring reads more as a ring with a diamond than a traditional solitaire ring

Also, just food for thought - You will get a lot more bang for your buck in a solitaire diamond that is from one of the recommended vendors on the forum and for you budget you should be able to get a much larger stone, maybe even close to 1ct.

 

[hathalove]

I agree. If you give us your budget PSers will be able to make suggestions for stones that are much larger. You could have an amazing solitaire and then purchase the Love wedding band as your wedding ring if you still want Cartier love in the set. I also love Cartier’s plain bands and trinity styles too.

 

[OoohShiny]

Also, just food for thought - You will get a lot more bang for your buck in a solitaire diamond that is from one of the recommended vendors on the forum and for you budget you should be able to get a much larger stone, maybe even close to 1ct.

These are wise words.

You will pay a LOT for 'label' products, much of which is sheer profiteering because over-pricing means 'the common people' cannot sul!y carefully constructed (and entirely vacuous) 'brand values'.

If you want and can afford such products, that is perfectly fine, but buy in the awareness that you are mostly making shareholders and senior management rich, rather than getting increased quality compared to other options.

We could find you a considerably larger stone that was cut even better for that sort of money!

 

[GolfingGreen]

Hi! You asked about a Cartier and this forum will tend to push you to online dealers which does not answer your question.

I like Cartier also and it is a great brand. To answer your question, I would go with #7. Two reasons, it will be slightly bigger and it’s a IF stone. Looking at your selection of stones, you prefer high clarity and color so assuming that, I would go for #7. Price wise it is not that much more expensive and mentally, you have a IF Stone which I think is a mentally cool factor. Part of buying jewelry is emotional so if you gave me the choice above, I would spend a little extra to know for me I have a IF Cartier.

My second choice would be #6.

I would also suggest you ask Cartier to bring in your top 3 choices and see which one you prefer. Diamonds are all unique and each sparkles a bit differently.

Good luck to you! Cartier is a great brand.

 

[Bron357]

I love Cartier and Tiffany but you are paying a handsome premium for the “name”.
But in answer to your question, the difference in size between a .25 and .29 is too tiny to see with the eye. Also on a small diamond, you can’t pick the ever so slight difference in colour grading or clarity to the naked eye.
So, I’d go for number 2 as the extra money for size, colour and clarity (all minuscule differences) isn’t worth the extra $$$ in my opinion.

 

[sledge]

I'm sure there is that "one person" that will say they can see the difference. In reality, it's probably more about bragging rights. What I might be more concerned about is the fact that jewelers will sometimes cut diamonds poorly to reach a certain weight.

It's more common in larger stones, where a less than awesome cut stone may weigh in exactly at 1 or 2 carats instead of a more well cut stone that registers as a .92 or 1.92 carat stone.

I mention it because I could see someone trying to reach 1/4 carat exactly.

Also, I will echo the others about the diamond. I am personally looking at a 0.90 carat G, VS2, round diamond right now and it's priced at $5,040. This is from James Allen. I'd have a hard time paying the prices you listed for that size of stone.

Just my 2 cents. Good luck w/ the search!

 

[AprilBaby]

It’s a beautiful ring and any one of them would look great! I don’t think I could see the difference in size.

 

[bludiva]

I would also suggest you ask Cartier to bring in your top 3 choices and see which one you prefer. Diamonds are all unique and each sparkles a bit differently.

agree with this, is it possible to have them bring in 2, 6, 7 (or whatever your top contenders are) so your eyes can decide? if you're open to a pre-loved ring that's another way to stretch the bang for the buck, seems like this would not be too hard to find pre-owned.

 

[bmfang]

There are certain things from Cartier that I’d consider buying (watches and designer jewellery items maybe). A solitaire, maybe not from a value perspective knowing what I know now about diamonds.

Having said that, if you are willing to pay for it, try to find as much info about those stones in your preferred setting they have mentioned to you and come back to us with specs. Last thing you want is the setting being beautiful but the stones being utter dogs in terms of beauty and performance (even at those carat weights).

Given the sizes and retail markup, I’d expect Cartier to have at least sent the stones for grading somewhere but if they haven’t that would be very disappointing given the $$$’s you would be forking out.

FWIW, #2 or #3 would be my choice for similar reasons as what @Bron357 has mentioned but if culturally, high clarity stones are required (and I’m guessing they are going by your user name OP), then #7 it will be then.

I am curious as to whether the clarity grade for #5 they sent you is a typo unless Cartier have decided to create a new clarity grade for even tinier pinpoints than are found on VVS clarity stones

 

[luv2sparkle]

That is a fantastic ring! Is that the only selections the store has? If I were you, I would consider going up in size and maybe down a little in clarity. Maybe to a .35-40 G VS2. I personally think that a wide band ring will have more balance with a stone closer to it's diameter. Too small and it looks dwarfed, too big and it is all about the stone. That setting is about it being Cartier so you need to find the right balance. I would suggest you find a store and see what looks best to your eye in person. Things can some times be out of proportion when looking at a computer screen.

 

[nala]

Nope! You can’t see the difference but make sure to compare the diameter not the weight.

 

[bmfang]

That is a fantastic ring! Is that the only selections the store has? If I were you, I would consider going up in size and maybe down a little in clarity. Maybe to a .35-40 G VS2. I personally think that a wide band ring will have more balance with a stone closer to it's diameter. Too small and it looks dwarfed, too big and it is all about the stone. That setting is about it being Cartier so you need to find the right balance. I would suggest you find a store and see what looks best to your eye in person. Things can some times be out of proportion when looking at a computer screen.

Looks like rose gold is only available in those carat weights (0.23-0.29cts). White gold there is more flexibility (0.23-1.15cts)

 

[luv2sparkle]

Hmmm, that is interesting. I agree with Nala-check the diameter of the stone. It will be beautiful no matter what you pick.

 

[cherryblossombling]

Wow! Thank you so much, everyone, for your advice and responses. Each one is helpful. I’m very appreciative, and I’m glad I found this forum. Lots to learn here!

I’m not married, nor engaged, so I’d be wearing this as an everyday ring as I just love the look of it. I purchased the plain Love bracelet a few months ago, so I am looking for a Love ring that would pair nicely with it. I’m also open to the three-diamond or plain Love ring if I am not in love with the specific solitaires I try on when I go to the boutique.

@Miki Moto Great advice! I’ll ask them to bring in my top three so I can compare and contrast and see which one “speaks” to me the most.

@bmfang Good catch! Yes. It’s a typo. I meant VVS1.

@luv2sparkle The store sent me more options than the above. I just thought it’d be overwhelming to post all of them, but I’ll attach them so all the options can be seen.

I’ll be sure to ask about the diameter of the stone. Is this a spec they’d have on hand at the boutique?

Thanks!

 

[Yimmers]

That's a very pretty ring! One thing I might point out - if the bands are all the same width, the diamonds are likely very close in diameter to fit the setting. Thus, any difference will be minimal.

Thus, it may be more down to which diamonds "speaks" to you more, as you pointed out. good luck!

 

[PintoBean]

My main concern is that the ring can't be resized if your finger size changes. The best time to verify your finger size is to try the rings on in the summer when your finger is most likely to swell.

Then, take a look at what's available preloved in your size and whether the cost saving is worth going preloved for a love ring.

 

[bmfang]

For any of the stones in those rings in the “Set For You” range, I would be asking them to specify what cut grade they are. Cartier has an extremely wide cut grade range for stones that make it into their inventory.

From their website about their cut quality for their stones:

GIA Excellent to Good (which in my mind is very mediocre for a brand with the cachet of Cartier). I would not be surprised if the stones in lower carat sizes have Very Good to Good cut grades. I note that is one thing they do not mention on the inventory screenshots they have given to you.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

For any of the stones in those rings in the “Set For You” range, I would be asking them to specify what cut grade they are. Cartier has an extremely wide cut grade range for stones that make it into their inventory.

From their website about their cut quality for their stones:

GIA Excellent to Good (which in my mind is very mediocre for a brand with the cachet of Cartier). I would not be surprised if the stones in lower carat sizes have Very Good to Good cut grades. I note that is one thing they do not mention on the inventory screenshots they have given to you.

Thanks for this information @bmfang .
Wow. Speechless. This is a bummer. I love cartier for certain designs and assumed they use top notch diamonds given their pricing.

 

[Snowdrop13]

Yeah, the mark up is quite incredible, here’s a superideal for comparison, $852!

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3952913.htm

 

[bmfang]

Thanks for this information @bmfang .
Wow. Speechless. This is a bummer. I love cartier for certain designs and assumed they use top notch diamonds given their pricing.

Statements like that on their website devalue their brand cachet in my eyes. Their diamond supply chain appears to be no better than James Allen if that is what their in-house diamond experts are selecting for their inventory.

For another hobby horse of mine, watches, Cartier has made some iconic watch designs in the past (like the Tank and Santos). A lot of people who buy them assume that Cartier manufactures their watch movements. News flash: they don’t for a lot of their low end stuff.

They have only recently invested in the last 10 years In in-house manufacturing capabilities but that is only for extremely high end movements (and finished watches) that the average person can’t afford. Most of their entry level quartz watches use the same Swiss (don’t even get me started on the matter of full Swiss provenance of the parts) movement’s manufactured by ETA and Ronda AG which you can find in many other brands. Maybe even Soprod.

What do you end up paying for? Design. That’s about it.

 

[Lorelei]

Really at this size, they're going to look pretty similar, compare as many as you can to see which diamond appeals to you the most. Try to check if the stone lights up well and choose the one you like best.

Yes, you could get a bigger stone but obviously the brand and the style is what appeals to you, nothing wrong with that.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Statements like that on their website devalue their brand cachet in my eyes

Yup, totally!!!!!




Just to be very clear, @cherryblossombling , I like Cartier's love line very much and would happily wear many of the designs.

As @Mikimoto pointed out, you came for specific advice and before bmfang's post I'd have only said, that the size difference is pretty negligible and I assumed that you are well aware of any markups etc. Nothing wrong with paying for a brand name. This is a classic piece and if YOU love it, than it's all that matters!!
However, now that I know what bmfang posted, I'd insist on cut specs for this piece.

If the diamonds are lacking in this category, I'd personally consider getting the wider plain love band and stack with a gorgeous yg aca or cbi soli.Jmho, of course, but I wanted to throw this out there, since I'd be personally extremely unhappy with a GIA POOR diamond and frankly still pretty unhappy with a mediocre stone (generic GIA excellent) at this price point.

 

[GolfingGreen]

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!

 

[the_mother_thing]

@Miki Moto she actually DID ask specifically about the diamond, and that is what people are commenting on ... along with a little ‘surprise’ that such a well-reputed brand would use ‘good’ quality diamonds (vs only top/XXX quality) at that price point. I think that is a fair thing to point out when someone is considering shelling out $4k for a ‘brand’, and asked what would be the best bang for her buck.

I haven't visited a store to see them in person, but would there be a visible difference in size between the .25 and .29? If I want the best bang for my buck (one that'll be the flashiest on my hand), which of the above would be my best bet? Would it be a waste to go higher than a .25? If the difference is negligible by me/the average person, I'd rather go the more economic route and go with #2 or #3 on the list. The band is also thin, and my fingers are on the long and thin side, so I'd like something that stands out the most.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[bmfang]

@Miki Moto , the ring is one aspect. And I do agree with you, it’s a beautiful, classic design. Cartier makes much of the diamond in this solitaire ring however.

If the diamond that the OP ends up choosing to be set in this ring happens to be at the low end of Cartier’s diamond selection policy, to be honest, in my mind, that detracts from the overall beauty of the ring, not to mention value.

The two screw motifs on either side are supposed to focus the viewer’s eyes on the centre diamond. One would hope that the quality of the central diamond befits the beauty of the ring it is supposed to be set in.

Tiffany and Co wouldn’t allow their corporate reputation to be sullied with a GIA-like good or very good cut grade diamond in one of their rings. I am sad for Cartier that they can’t do better and haven’t been upfront with the OP about the quality of cut the centre diamond will have.

I am truly hoping that every single stone in that inventory list that the OP was sent by the Cartier sales associate has an excellent cut grade. Especially for the price that they are willing to pay.

 

[GolfingGreen]

@Miki Moto she actually DID ask specifically about the diamond, and that is what people are commenting on ... along with a little ‘surprise’ that such a well-reputed brand would use ‘good’ quality diamonds (vs only top/XXX quality) at that price point. I think that is a fair thing to point out when someone is considering shelling out $4k for a ‘brand’, and asked what would be the best bang for her buck.

She is asking of the two Cartier diamond stones (#2, #3) what is the bang for the buck. She is NOT asking what other loose diamond she can buy.

 

[GolfingGreen]

@bmfang The OP has already stated she will look at several rings and pick the best one that pleases her eye.

 

[bmfang]

She is asking of the two Cartier diamond stones (#2, #3) what is the bang for the buck. She is NOT asking what other loose diamond she can buy.

That is precisely what I am getting at. I know she isn’t wanting to buy from another online vendor.

At least if we know the cut grade of both of those stones, I’d be more than happy to put my opinion forth. If one of the two is a very good and the other an excellent, I’d be suggesting the excellent is the one to go for. Why? Because that stone WILL (or at least is much more likely to) have more fire and brilliance than a very good cut grade stone. If that isn’t bang for her (mega) bucks, I don’t know what you would call it.

 

[the_mother_thing]

She is asking of the two Cartier diamond stones (#2, #3) what is the bang for the buck. She is NOT asking what other loose diamond she can buy.

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’.