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Engagement Diamond/Band Buying Advice: $5000-6000 Budget

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sinofmercy

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 7, 2012
Messages
12
I've been peeking around this site lately since it seems more and more likely that I'm going to end up buying a diamond and subsequent band online. I've done some research and used a few of the guides I've seen on here to narrow down what I find to be an acceptable and passable diamond (in my head, at least). So far this is what I have:

Carat: .5-.75
Color: H or better
Clarity: VS2 or Better
Cut: Ideal (Round)

Preferred AGSL
HCA- .75-1.5
excellent/ideal: polish and symmetry
53% to 58% Table
59.5 to 62.5% Depth

In terms of what my lady prefers, she says the size isn't nearly as important as the sparkle. So due to that, I've been willing to get a diamond lower in carat for a better cut/clarity, with an acceptable color. I think I found a few good ones in terms of diamonds, I just wanted to see your guys opinion since I'm new at this (I've only been looking at diamonds for about 5 months). The thing that concerns me the most is that while it looks good online, it might not once it arrives. These are a few I picked out that follow the above criterion:

diamond_aset.jpg

Now the thing is, I'm perfectly willing to try a different online diamond site, especially since its a little more difficult to find AGS diamonds on bluenile, but her taste in what she likes in a band seems atypical. She prefers the twisting type, floral look with tiny accenting diamonds found in these bands:

http://www.bluenile.com/monique-lhuillier-floral-twist-engagement-ring-platinum_35415
http://www.bluenile.com/monique-lhuillier-twist-diamond-engagement-ring-platinum_35410
http://www.bluenile.com/pave-diamond-engagement-ring-18k-white-gold_19851 (this last one is sort of iffy, but she still likes it)

With the Monique Lhuillier bands, they look nice, but she doesn't necessarily need platinum (she is ok with white gold) plus I'd end up spending as much for the band as I would the actual diamond, which seems...wrong. So I guess, do you guys have any suggestions? Do the images of the ones I've posted look alright, does one look better than the others? Should I just buy the diamond and get it set at a different place (I've heard this is a bad idea)? Any other websites to recommend? I was looking at James Allen, Brian Gavin, and Zoara as well. I appreciate and thank you for any suggestions, and thanks for reading my long post.
 
Those are the designs that I'm looking for, I really wasn't sure about the actual name of the designed ring. The thing is, it looks like each band has an engraving on it? I think there might be a thing with Jewish custom with not having engravings on the ring (I didn't even remember about it, but I guess I'll have to sneakily ask about it sometime). But if not, that is the type of ring I've been having trouble finding.
 
I don't think there's any engraving on them; I think you may be seeing the curves in the metal from the pave cuts. I would agree the price on them seems kind of high. I'd really give the Garbiel and Co braided bands a good look through. They'll be more like the last one you posted.
 
I have to correct you on one thing before I read the rest of your post and click the links. :))

You do not use the HCA at all with AGS Ideal cut stones. AGS evaluates light perfomance so you do not need the HCA. We use the HCA to narrow down the wide GIA Excellent category. But even in that case, you wouldn't choose .75-1.5 HCA score. Lower is not better. Any score of 2 or below is worth investigating, and many stones between 2 and 2.5 or so are excellent as well.
 
Okay, I vastly prefer the Gabriel and Co rings over the ones from BN. Those ASET images you posted must have been the computer generated ones from the AGS cert which isn't the same as actual ASET images that some other vendors provide. If you decide to go with Gabriel and Co for the setting, I would suggest a diamond from Good Old Gold since they provide more info on the diamonds than BN and they carry Gabriel and Co.

Diamond suggestions:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8194/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8410/

And they can get other H VS2 stones in for you to look at if you think these are too high. If you stick with a setting around $1700 (http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER7805W44JJ or http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER8039W44JJ), that leaves you $4300 for the diamond.
 
Thank you for the suggestions. The Good Old Gold website does provide a lot more information, which lets me look at a lot more things in detail that eases my concerns, and the Gabriel and Co settings are fantastic. I don't know what the steps are for getting something set into a stone, I just assumed it would be best to buy the ring and stone together so I'll have to research that. I'm located close to DC, so the closest Gabriel and Co would be a drive up to NJ (not too bad though, for a ring). Time to poke around some more with these new websites as well to see what I can find. Any other opinions or ideas are welcome too, thank you again everyone.
 
Only the wedding ring is supposed to be plain, I believe, in Jewish custom.
 
Yeah you're right, its the wedding band not the engagement ring, that has to be plain. Makes my job slightly easier, haha.
 
sinofmercy|1354944511|3326048 said:
Thank you for the suggestions. The Good Old Gold website does provide a lot more information, which lets me look at a lot more things in detail that eases my concerns, and the Gabriel and Co settings are fantastic. I don't know what the steps are for getting something set into a stone, I just assumed it would be best to buy the ring and stone together so I'll have to research that. I'm located close to DC, so the closest Gabriel and Co would be a drive up to NJ (not too bad though, for a ring). Time to poke around some more with these new websites as well to see what I can find. Any other opinions or ideas are welcome too, thank you again everyone.
Click to expand...

Yes, it is always best if the diamond seller can have the stone set on the rare chance that the stone could be damaged during setting. Once you choose the stone and setting, they order the setting based on the measurements if your diamond and in her ring size. So the ring is made to order. Some ring designers set the center stone themselves and some send the setting to the jeweler to set. I am not sure which way Gabriel does it, but that is why I suggested GOG since they have a lot of info on the diamonds and also sell Gabriel and Co settings.
 
JulieN|1354924692|3325866 said:
I think the settings are overpriced for the quality, but maybe those pictures are not the best. Would any of these work? http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/styles?style=Criss+Cross
Click to expand...

That was exactly what I thought too... the quality of those settings just doesn't look very good at all.

Re:engraving - I think you are seeing the maker's mark in the ring. IMO that doesn't count as engraving. I'm not Jewish but I've always heard that having something engraved inside the ring is bad luck as you should have nothing between you and your commitment (the ring). But since rings are always stamped with the metal purity and the makers mark, and have been for eons, I doubt those count as engraving. But I have also heard the interpretation that engraving on the engagement ring is okay, it's just the wedding band that it's bad luck on.
 
From what I've been reading from the comments, I think I'm not going with the blue nile route after all, given the settings seem to be of not the best quality and there are other options (like the Gabriel stores) to consider.

As for the engagement ring, any engraving on it actually doesn't make a difference at all. You guys are right, it is just on the wedding band (with the "I am my beloved's" only, no gems etc).
 
diamondseeker2006|1354938554|3326004 said:
Diamond suggestions:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8194/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8410/
Click to expand...

The first diamond seems to be in the range I'm looking for, thanks. I've been browsing the goodoldgold website for diamonds, and its a good site, to use especially knowing they use the setting type I'm looking for. I just have to find the right one, but I wish there were a little more selection in the range I'm looking for (I feel like I got spoiled looking through all those blue nile diamonds with ideal/ideal symmetry and polish). Are there other websites that also use the Gabriel & Co settings? Oh and also, how much should I pay attention to fluorescence? I know the lower (or none) the fluorescence the better rated/more expensive the diamond is, but that's about it.
 
So this diamond seems to be a good one for the price range I'm looking for and the specs I listed:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8194/

I have another question, should I get a less expensive diamond with a platinum setting? Or should I get a 14/18k white gold instead and save some money? I keep on reading/hearing about how white gold is plated with rhodium and has to be reapplied every so often, but how noticeable is the difference? I know no matter what at some point some sort of upkeep is going to be needed, and platinum is more expensive for that as well.
 
Gold is so expensive right now that I recommend platinum if the price difference is not too much.

ID Jewelry also carries Gabriel.
 
JulieN|1355276233|3329031 said:
Gold is so expensive right now that I recommend platinum if the price difference is not too much.

ID Jewelry also carries Gabriel.
Click to expand...

The difference is about $1000-1500, which would push me down from a slightly higher carat size (.6-.7 to closer to .5) to compensate for the platinum ring. Thanks for the ID Jewelry website. It looks like it carries a good stock of diamonds, but it makes me concerned that I can't see any visuals on the diamond and I can only go by the specs.
 
Go with gold, then!
 
You priced a Gabriel and Co setting in white gold and platinum and the same setting was $1000 more??? If so, that is nuts! In that case I guess I would go with white gold!
 
diamondseeker2006|1355370499|3329988 said:
You priced a Gabriel and Co setting in white gold and platinum and the same setting was $1000 more??? If so, that is nuts! In that case I guess I would go with white gold!
Click to expand...

Yeah the same style rings between 14k white gold and platinum are about a 1k difference. I've been sort of bouncing back and forth deciding if its worth the extra cost or not.
 
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