Grad Student - Completely Lost

[CharmyPoo]

I know you are looking at rounds but your girlfriend mentioned she liked squares. Instead of going to a princess, you might want to take a look at cushions - many of my friends said they wanted a square and ended up with a princess .. then they see a cushion and much prefer it. Most people don''t know what cushions are but they are gaining popularity in the main stream especially with the Tiffany Novo and the Harry Winston micropave ring.

I think a 0.7 to 0.9 ct square modern 8 main cushion in a plain pave band will look delightful - I wouldn''t recommend the premium of a branded August Vintage given your budget. I found a number of pretty ones in this range on my search - Mark at ERD will be able to source this for you. Good old gold can also help.

However, I still think a round brillant is gorgeous! You can''t go wrong. Check out the following options:
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/brian-gavin-hearts-and-arrows/?dia_page=1&order_by=sell&order_sort=ASChttp://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-1040381680059

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 2/1/2010 10:12:19 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie

This is my favourite! http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/round-ideal-cut-cut-diamond-17677.htm#

Given your budget, this one is my favourite by far and it would not look one bit smaller than a .75ct.

I am not a princess fan, but the heart wants what it wants. I do wonder though, even if she says she wanted a princess, would she still want it if she knew that it would be smaller than the RB you could get her?

As for buying online, there are vendors who are recommended on PS who are excellent. They have stellar reputations for customer service, when things go well *and* when things go wrong. All of the vendors recommended to you in this thread are excellent. They can indeed tell you if it is eye clean, as well as lots of other things too. Good old gold will even make a video of the diamonds you consider, perhaps a round next to a princess. They have 100% refund policies that allow ample time for returns if you are unhappy, and time for an appraisal if you want to have one done. You save a lot of money shopping online, and if you use PS as a resource you do not have to worry about being screwed. Try a search on the vendors you are considering and you will see many threads about them. You can make up your own mind from there.

 

[totally_lost]

I don''t mean to appear that I''m ignoring her wishes. She just mentioned once that when she was little and her and her friends picked out rings she picked a "square one with tear drops on the sides" so I don''t know how serious of a preference she actually has. Dreamer-I was wondering what she would say if she knew I could get her a larger round one, too.

Are any of these worth the extra money in anyone''s opinion? (I don''t think it says ideal anywhere for the 1st two)

More: http://www.whiteflash.com/round/round-cut-diamond-2212827.htm
Even More: http://www.whiteflash.com/round/round-cut-diamond-2182229.htm
Most: http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-1040381680048

Thanks

 

[Laila619]

I think most women would still love and appreciate a round, even if they like square stones.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Unless she''s deadset on a square shape (and it doesn''t sound like she is), I would go for the shape that maximizes spread - i.e. a RB.

 

[jrob529]

I was in the same boat a few years back and was lucky enough to find this site. I ended up buying a RB online from whiteflash. I ended up picking a diamond out online that was I color. I was really nervous about the color but was reassured by whiteflash that it was a beautiful diamond. The advice I give to anyone buying a diamond after reading this forum is cut is the most important "C" of the four "Cs". Don't be afraid to buy online from one of pricescope's vendors.

I've bought a pair of earings since my initial purchase and am in the process of upgrading my original diamond. Most pricescope vendors have an upgrade policy and its well worth looking into.

Good luck. I'm sure your girlfriend will love what you pick out.

 

[totally_lost]

Thanks again everyone. I think I have some semi-finalists:

Rounds (in order of price):
http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/round-ideal-cut-cut-diamond-17677.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/round/round-cut-diamond-2182229.htm

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-1040381680048

Princess:
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/6955/

I''m thinking of setting whichever I decide on in a simple 4-prong solitaire. Do I have a lot of choices to make in this area? I''ve looked into settings the least thus far. There weren''t many simple options on the Brian Gavin site.

The 2nd round doesn''t say "ideal" and the 3rd one is at the upper end of my price range but looks pretty nice and I think I like it a lot (though I know very, very little so who knows).

I''d really appreciate any [more] honest opinions.

Thanks a lot

 

[stone-cold11]

2nd stone is a virtual stone, meaning it is hold by another vendor which WF can call in the stone from but no information is available on the cut at the moment, so I would leave that out.

The other 2 looks good but I would like to ask WF about the history of the 1st stone. Report is a bit old, if it is a trade in stone, I would prefer to have it regraded again by GIA.

 

[totally_lost]

Thanks Stone Cold. I didn''t notice the date on the first round and I didn''t even know there was such a thing as a virtual stone so thank you for your input. Do you think the larger (3rd link) is worth the extra money? A local jeweler said a ~.8 ct would look decently large on my girlfriends small finger (4 1/2).

 

[Dreamer_D]

I didn't notice the older cert on the WF one. I am not crazy about that. I think I would drop it from contention. ETA I take it back, the price is really good and the options in your price range and desired size are a little limited. Ask them for the history of the stone and also ask them whether it qualifies for the lifetime trade-in/buyback policies.

I also don't like seeing you go over budget on the BGD diamond, but that is my choise of those options. This one looks like a GREAT SI2 from the picture and the cert. G color is awesome

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-1040381680059

 

[totally_lost]

I like that one, too. How noticeable is an increase from ~0.7 ct to ~0.8 ct? In the back of my mind I figured I would probably go over $2000 so if it''s worth it I think I''d seriously consider spending a little extra.

I think I should go back to a jewelry store and compare sizes and colors more thoroughly. Also, what does it mean on the report when it says "Additional clouds and surface graining are not shown"? Thanks

 

[stone-cold11]

Size wise difference, check the diameter.

Additional clouds/graining not shown means that there more inclusions of those kind but of smaller level, that are not plotted. Usually not a problem. Only if the comment is something along the line of Grade Setting cloud not shown, in the SI1 and worse level that you should be worried about.

 

[totally_lost]

Thanks Stone Cold, that''s good to know.

The .794 ct has a diameter of 5.95 mm, the .69 ct is 5.67 mm, and the .718 ct is 5.74 mm. Is a 3.6-5% difference in diameter noticeable? I think I''m going to try to sneak out to a jewelry store tonight to do some field work. Thanks again