Newbie help, pls, marquise or pear? so many questions, sorry!

[sushi]

Hi all,

I just had word from my better half to tell him what to look for in my engagement ring. Im a romantic at heart, so i dont want to actually choose the stone etc, but i need to be completely sure before i drop my massive hint!

I have small hands, but long fingers, (4.25, not sure if that is normal), so i cant have anthing too big or more important wide. I am quite tall, (5 foot 7), so i can get away with some size... I think our budget is about 40k, sorry to be crude, but i have no idea what that will buy.

I went to a shop today, and tried lots on, i think i am looking at about 2.5-3 stone, and the round looked too big on my hand. I dont like square, the best on my hand was marquise or pear. Emerald cut was ok, but i am weary of the lack of sparkle.

in the past i havent liked pear, but it looked quite nice, marquise looked best, as it is thin, and i want a good size stone, BUT i was worried that a marquise with a bigger carat looked smaller than a pear of lesser weight. I know that is psycological, but still, it makes a difference.

Also i was worried about the dark void i saw in the middle of the marquise. I was told that this is the ''boat'' and it is normal. I am a COMPLETE newbie, so i dont know anything else, but is this normal? the lady told me that you have the same in pears too.. She also told me that pears and marquise are cheaper than rounds of the same quality. IS this true?

ALso, for both pear and marquise, i was looking at the wedding band that sits firmly along side, they kept showing me v=shaped bands, which i dont like, i want the wedding band to sit flat with the engagement band, is this possible?


Im not set on a marquise or a pear, but i just want what looks best, if anyone can offer an opinion, or answer my questions i would be very grateful.

Many Thanks

Sushi

 

[AprilBaby]

I LOVE a pear on a long thin hand, so classic.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 9/10/2008 1:20:28 PM
Author:sushi
Hi all,

I just had word from my better half to tell him what to look for in my engagement ring. Im a romantic at heart, so i dont want to actually choose the stone etc, but i need to be completely sure before i drop my massive hint!

I have small hands, but long fingers, (4.25, not sure if that is normal), so i cant have anthing too big or more important wide. I am quite tall, (5 foot 7), so i can get away with some size... I think our budget is about 40k, sorry to be crude, but i have no idea what that will buy.

I went to a shop today, and tried lots on, i think i am looking at about 2.5-3 stone, and the round looked too big on my hand. I dont like square, the best on my hand was marquise or pear. Emerald cut was ok, but i am weary of the lack of sparkle.

in the past i havent liked pear, but it looked quite nice, marquise looked best, as it is thin, and i want a good size stone, BUT i was worried that a marquise with a bigger carat looked smaller than a pear of lesser weight. I know that is psycological, but still, it makes a difference.

Also i was worried about the dark void i saw in the middle of the marquise. I was told that this is the 'boat' and it is normal. I am a COMPLETE newbie, so i dont know anything else, but is this normal? the lady told me that you have the same in pears too.. She also told me that pears and marquise are cheaper than rounds of the same quality. IS this true?

ALso, for both pear and marquise, i was looking at the wedding band that sits firmly along side, they kept showing me v=shaped bands, which i dont like, i want the wedding band to sit flat with the engagement band, is this possible?


Im not set on a marquise or a pear, but i just want what looks best, if anyone can offer an opinion, or answer my questions i would be very grateful.

Many Thanks

Sushi

Hi Sushi and welcome!

The dark effect you saw is known as the bow tie effect, many fancy shape diamonds can show this. In some cases it can be minimized, but you need to evaluate each diamond carefully. Basically fancy shapes may come in a bit cheaper than rounds, as to what shape to pick have you considered an oval? This might give you the sparkle you want along with a good spread for the weight. Generally oval, pear and marquise can look large for their weight, however there can be varying factors whicn can affect this.

This page is very useful and explains about bow ties and other fancy shape tips.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/ShapeTutorials/ShapeTips1/

If you can, try again with comparing the shapes you like and try some ovals if you like the idea. Are you open to shopping online? The vendors here are experts and can source some beautifully cut diamonds if you are agreeable.

 

[sushi]

thanks for the advice lorelei, just looked at the page, v interesting. Im a bit bothered by the bow-tie, but i suppose i have to see the stone...

what about side stones for a pear or marquise?

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 9/10/2008 1:58:13 PM
Author: sushi
thanks for the advice lorelei, just looked at the page, v interesting. Im a bit bothered by the bow-tie, but i suppose i have to see the stone...

what about side stones for a pear or marquise?

You are most welcome! Sidestones can make for a lovely classic look, I rather like pear sides with a pear, baguettes for a marquise or even a pear come to that.

As for bow ties, you are right that you need to go by the actual diamond, some can show this effect more than others, so let whoever you intend to buy from know that you want to try to minimize this as far as possible.