German guy needs help - engagement ring

[BensonLoe]

Alright guys so I give an update:

Stones:

1) 0.402 ct G SI1 A CUT ABOVE - recommendation from @Kim N
2) 0.405 ct H VS1 A CUT ABOVE - recommendation from @Kim N
3) 0.404 ct F SI1 A CUT ABOVE - recommendation from WF

Ring:

@Kim N send me this ring 14k Yellow Gold Classic 4 Prong Solitaire but it has a width of 2.3mm which I think is too big for the finger of my girlfriend.

WF send me an update this morning that they have a new ring available which has a width of 1.9mm and I think fits better 14k Yellow Gold Valoria Petite Four Prong Solitaire (they also send me pictures of the ring, see the attachements).

My questions:

1) Which diamond? WF told me, that diamond 3) should shine a bit brighter that diamond 1) - I mean they are all good, any recommendations here?

2) I think I would go for the WF ring because for me it is too complicated to handle the loose diamond in Germany so I will go for a complete setting. My personal opinion would be the Valoria Petite 4 Prong ring.

I am not sure whether to buy a whie gold ring or a yellow gold ring? My girlfriend is wearing both, silver and gold and I am pretty sure she will like both...I attached you guys some picture maybe someone has experience which metal would look better on her (black hair and a bit brown skin).

So far thanks so much guys

 

[Kim N]

Alright guys so I give an update:

Stones:

1) 0.402 ct G SI1 A CUT ABOVE - recommendation from @Kim N
2) 0.405 ct H VS1 A CUT ABOVE - recommendation from @Kim N
3) 0.404 ct F SI1 A CUT ABOVE - recommendation from WF

Ring:

@Kim N send me this ring 14k Yellow Gold Classic 4 Prong Solitaire but it has a width of 2.3mm which I think is too big for the finger of my girlfriend.

WF send me an update this morning that they have a new ring available which has a width of 1.9mm and I think fits better 14k Yellow Gold Valoria Petite Four Prong Solitaire (they also send me pictures of the ring, see the attachements).

My questions:

1) Which diamond? WF told me, that diamond 3) should shine a bit brighter that diamond 1) - I mean they are all good, any recommendations here?

2) I think I would go for the WF ring because for me it is too complicated to handle the loose diamond in Germany so I will go for a complete setting. My personal opinion would be the Valoria Petite 4 Prong ring.

I am not sure whether to buy a whie gold ring or a yellow gold ring? My girlfriend is wearing both, silver and gold and I am pretty sure she will like both...I attached you guys some picture maybe someone has experience which metal would look better on her (black hair and a bit brown skin).

So far thanks so much guys

Did WF tell you why they think diamond 3 would be brighter? Is it just based on the color? The inclusions in diamond 3 seem a lot more prominent than on the other two. I like the G best since it looks cleaner than the F and whiter than the H.

The Valoria is a beautiful choice! One thing I'll point out is that the prongs on the yellow gold Valoria are also yellow gold, while the prongs on the yellow gold 2.3mm setting are white gold. I often think diamonds are showcased better in white prongs, so I'd recommend the white gold Valoria over the yellow gold.

 

[Kim N]

You could also ask for a side-by-side video of the 3 and choose the one that speaks to you the most. But be sure to have them on hold in the meantime so someone else doesn't snatch them.

 

[purplesilk]

Hi @BensonLoe !
I'm European too and here's my honest opinion:

• white gold setting;
• increase your budget and get your girlfriend half a carat diamond: she'll be estactic and won't get caught in the DSS spiral.

Best to you,
purplesilk

 

[purplesilk]

If you can't/ don't want to stretch your budget, you can consider a Cartier Trinity ring or a Cartier Love ring...from the pictures you posted, your girlfriend seems to be brand oriented, so I think she would be glad to get a Cartier ring...again, just in my opinion!

 

[BarbBe]

Alright guys so I give an update:

Stones:

1) 0.402 ct G SI1 A CUT ABOVE - recommendation from @Kim N
2) 0.405 ct H VS1 A CUT ABOVE - recommendation from @Kim N
3) 0.404 ct F SI1 A CUT ABOVE - recommendation from WF

Ring:

@Kim N send me this ring 14k Yellow Gold Classic 4 Prong Solitaire but it has a width of 2.3mm which I think is too big for the finger of my girlfriend.

WF send me an update this morning that they have a new ring available which has a width of 1.9mm and I think fits better 14k Yellow Gold Valoria Petite Four Prong Solitaire (they also send me pictures of the ring, see the attachements).

My questions:

1) Which diamond? WF told me, that diamond 3) should shine a bit brighter that diamond 1) - I mean they are all good, any recommendations here?

2) I think I would go for the WF ring because for me it is too complicated to handle the loose diamond in Germany so I will go for a complete setting. My personal opinion would be the Valoria Petite 4 Prong ring.

I am not sure whether to buy a whie gold ring or a yellow gold ring? My girlfriend is wearing both, silver and gold and I am pretty sure she will like both...I attached you guys some picture maybe someone has experience which metal would look better on her (black hair and a bit brown skin).

So far thanks so much guys

Hi BensonLoe,

Of your three choices, I like diamond number 1 best.

As far as settings go, should you choose yellow gold, you could ask if the prongs can be done in white gold.

The Valoria petit is a gorgeous setting - she will be thrilled for sure.

Good luck with your next steps!

 

[emmy12]

I am not sure whether to buy a whie gold ring or a yellow gold ring? My girlfriend is wearing both, silver and gold and I am pretty sure she will like both...I attached you guys some picture maybe someone has experience which metal would look better on her (black hair and a bit brown skin).

So far thanks so much guys

She looks like she has an average finger length so I don't think the difference in 1.9 vs 2.3mm width of the shank would overwhelm her finger. It is a very subtle difference that isn't that noticeable (shown below from diamdb.com with a 0.4ct = 4.8mm round).


For colour, I will be different and recommend gold because she appears to have a warmer olive skin tones, and the silver-toned watch she's wearing in the mirror picture looks stark against her skin.

If you want to go with the yellow, I agree with asking about doing the prongs in white (will add $). If they cannot (or is it off budget) and you're set on the <2mm band, then I would go with the Valoria in white gold.

 

[BensonLoe]

Thanks guys - I asked WF if they can change prongs - you are right that the prongs in white gold look better! If they can not change I will check again whether I go with the white gold or more width.

@Kim N - I asked for a live view of the stones - the first one has now a reservation by another customer - I asked the to put a reservation on the other two and if they can recommend a third one and bring it to the live view.

Have busy days at work at the moment otherwise I could have decided earlier :/.

Thanks guys, you lead me to the right direction .

@purplesilk I know that she likes some LV stuff etc. but she is not keen on having a big stone actually - I know that cause she told me from other rings from her friends

 

[purplesilk]

@BensonLoe : I'm glad you know your gf's taste!
Best to you,
purplesilk

 

[MissGotRocks]

I would definitely want white prongs for the diamond so if they can’t change them on the yellow gold ring, I vote all white gold. Will be interested to see the side by side comparison of the diamonds. You are sure to end up with a beautiful ring though!!

 

[Kim N]

Thanks guys - I asked WF if they can change prongs - you are right that the prongs in white gold look better! If they can not change I will check again whether I go with the white gold or more width.

@Kim N - I asked for a live view of the stones - the first one has now a reservation by another customer - I asked the to put a reservation on the other two and if they can recommend a third one and bring it to the live view.

Have busy days at work at the moment otherwise I could have decided earlier :/.

Thanks guys, you lead me to the right direction .

@purplesilk I know that she likes some LV stuff etc. but she is not keen on having a big stone actually - I know that cause she told me from other rings from her friends

I'm glad you've put the other two on hold.

This is a beautiful one that could be added to the live view if it's not too late.

Diamond | 0.433 ct G VS1 Expert Selection Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4389113

This fabulous 0.433 carat Round Ideal cut diamond has a clarity grade of VS1 and color grade of G.It is an excellent choice for engagement rings. | 4389113

www.whiteflash.com

 

[mayaINaU]

Can’t wait to see what you choose! You can’t go wrong with any of these.

 

[BensonLoe]

Ok guys - I will get today an answer on if they can change the prongs. They will send me a live video of the 4 diamonds.

Phew.. for me as a newbie this is hard to decide - in the end I will see if something is different on a video, if I can't see a difference I would probably go with the 1.3K or the 1.2K because they "seem" a bit nicer to me...but yeah difficult .

 

[emmy12]

Ok guys - I will get today an answer on if they can change the prongs. They will send me a live video of the 4 diamonds.

Phew.. for me as a newbie this is hard to decide - in the end I will see if something is different on a video, if I can't see a difference I would probably go with the 1.3K or the 1.2K because they "seem" a bit nicer to me...but yeah difficult .

As my SO would say to me "You're in the land of diminishing returns, just pick one" . A few days ago you were just hoping to pass the class, and now we're niggling over 97.5% or 98% perfection. I like both of your choices and both will be stunning!

 

[BensonLoe]

So they can do the silver prongs for me (not returnable) - I have a reservation on 2 diamonds and they send me a video…hope to get it done today or tomorrow

@emmy12 - yes right

 

[emmy12]

So they can do the silver prongs for me (not returnable) - I have a reservation on 2 diamonds and they send me a video…hope to get it done today or tomorrow

@emmy12 - yes right

You won't need to return that beauty. It'll be a stunner!

 

[BensonLoe]

Hey there,

This will be my last post before the decision, here is the video, any thoughts? For me left or right …

 

[BarbBe]

Hi BensonLoe,

I really like the G / VS1!
Glad that they can do the white prongs.
She will be thrilled and it will sparkle more than all the rings she has seen on her friends.
Most important is that you feel comfortable with your choice and it’s even better that you have involved your girlfriend in the process.

 

[BensonLoe]

@BarbBe - yes me too - let’s do it - the right one looks a bit bigger and really shiny - but they all look good so I feel fine with all of them.

 

[Lookinagain]

I would pick the G VS1 too. You get both a nice color and clarity and a little bit more size.

 

[jewels4life]

The g vs1 stood out to me as well. I think it’s a winner!

 

[Kim N]

Great that they can do white gold prongs on the Valoria.

I vote for the G VS1 as well! It's a bit bigger, with terrific clarity and a happy medium for color.

 

[emmy12]

I will be the Devil's advocate for the H VS1 (but I believe that the G VS1 is also gorgeous):

In the first half of the video (this lighting is meant to show brightness and contrast I think?) both the H VS1 (ACA) and the G VS1 (Expert Selection) look very similar to me.

In the second half of the video (spotlighting) I think the left one (ACA, H VS1) shows slightly more scintillation (colourful flashes) under the table. I love these flashes, so the H VS1 would be my personal choice.

A weight difference of 0.40ct to 0.43ct IMHO in my mind is fairly insignificant (increasing the diameter ~0.1mm and increasing the face-up area by 5%, per Diamdb.com), and G /H color is not that significant of a different to me (I'm not colour sensitive at all!) so I would go with the one whose appearance appealed to me more and in this case it was the H VS1.

Not to make your life harder or anything

 

[mayaINaU]

No comments from me; they are all beautiful. I only wanted to note for you that when you are ready to order the setting, you can specify the prong style you want. This is from the Whiteflash website. I think petite claw would look nice on this carat size.

The Ultimate Guide to Prong Settings | Whiteflash

The popular prong setting continues to be a first choice for engagement rings. Learn everything you need to know about the timeless style in our ultimate guide.

www.whiteflash.com

 

[RunningwithScissors]

I like the G VS1. I am color sensitive and I can see a tiny bit more warmth in the H (which I don't care for.)

 

[Lookinagain]

Echoing @RunningwithScissors, people who are color sensitive (I am not) tend to see tint in an H stone. Less likely in a G. So I think a G stone is safer if you don't know her sensitivity. Also, although the size differential is minimal, I believe you did notice that the G VS1 was slightly larger in the comparison video. I did as well. So I still think for those reasons, I'd stick with the G VS1.

 

[emmy12]

How did we miss this 0.405 D VS2 for only $50 more than that 0.433 G VS1?

Diamond | 0.404 ct D VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4494045

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 0.404 carat D color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4494045

www.whiteflash.com

 

[RunningwithScissors]

While I personally would prefer the D colored diamond (for my own collection) I would not recommend it to the original poster for his ring project. The reason is that once you start with a D, then it makes it more difficult to pair other pre-made jewelry pieces with it (and makes the custom ones much more expensive to create.) An off-the-shelf tennis bracelet for instance, even from WF, has F/G melee, (and WF has much higher color melee than most vendors). I've tried on WF's F/G bracelet and other companies' lower colored (H/I) bracelets, bangles, bands, etc next to my own D engagement ring, and the difference is noticeable, even to the people around me (husband, sales associates, etc) who have much less color sensitivity than I do.

So if you go down the D/E rabbit hole...it makes future purchases more complicated! So honestly, I'd stick with the G VS1, it will make life much easier in the long run!

 

[BensonLoe]

Wow so much feedback that is so cool! I am overwhelmed.. thank you for every single comment, it really feels good to be not alone with my decision - big hug for everyone

 

[MissGotRocks]

I like the G VS1 as well. Good color, clarity and a smidge larger. Let us know what you decide - can’t wait to see the ring!!