Ring question...

[CrookedRock]

Ok so I designed my ring back in March of last year. I love it! It''s so unique and totally me!

There is a whole long story about the jeweler and the diamond guy which I will save for another time...

Anyway... The other night my BF told me that he had been working on getting this thing made for the past 3 months! (Like I said...long story about the jeweler and diamond guy...) So he told me that he had been looking at F VS1 diamonds. (Radiant) Fantastic!!! Thats a great diamond! But then I told him that he should look at G SI1 diamonds and he might be able to find something for a better price or possibly even a little larger. He suggested that he show me the list of diamonds that he already had, and get another selection that was in the range I gave, and let me pick out exactly what I want to see and have the diamonds sent brought to us. He said if the roles were reversed he would want to pick it all out.
So my dilemma is... I had originally thought that I would let him pick out the center stone and let that be my surprise. Now I am wondering if he has a point about letting me pick it all out and having it be Perfect!

Any suggestions? Anyone been in a similar position?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[KimberlyH]

I would suggest you pick it out and get his stamp of approval. It sounds like you have a very clear idea of what you want and he seems perfectly fine with you being in charge of this project so I'd take the ball and run with it. That way you know you'll be happy with what you recieve and not wondering "could I my stone be bigger and lower in color?" or any other combination.

ETA: My husband and I picked out my setting and center stone together, but I had the final say. I wish I had done a bit more research and thinking about what I wanted before we made the choice, but I do love my set very much. Essentially, I wish I had taken more control.

 

[CrookedRock]

Thanks Kimberly! I do like to micro-manage, as he says. So I guess picking it out would probably be best for me. Maybe I could pickout 3 or 4 stones that I really like and let him have the final say so that I am somewhat surprised when he gives it to me...

Anyone have any thoughts on the color/clarity thing? Do you think going down is a bad call? Just trying to get him the most bang for his buck!

 

[bee*]

I''d help him out too just to make sure that you get one that you love. I think that you''re right going down a bit provided that you don''t notice the colour yourself and that the diamond is eyeclean. Our ring is an I and it''s so white. I''m delighted that we went down to the I. Granted it''s VVS2 as they didn''t have anything lower in the size that we were looking for.

 

[rubybeth]

CrookedRock, I'm in a very similar situation, and I just picked everything out. This has given me a lot of peace of mind, at least about the 'ring' aspect of the proposal/other wedding planning. If you're well-educated on what you want, then you're the best person to pick it out. And if you're comfortable with SI1 and maybe FF is less so, then you also probably know what kind of inclusions are acceptable, and where on the stone, etc. At first, I was going through stones on JamesAllen and Whiteflash and forwarding small handfuls to my boyfriend. I think that was helpful but overwhelming. Finally, when I picked out *just one* and sent it to him with the subject line "This one!!", he took the bait. Good luck! Can't wait to see your finished product!!

P.S. I don't think you picking out the stone will ruin any surprise, especially if, once the ring is done being created, you don't see it until he proposes. I think it would ease any concerns you might have about your FF choosing wisely.

Oh, and about the 'lower' color/clarity thing, I think you'll be very happy with the results. A while back, I did a search of lower-colored stones than I was originally looking at, and went "WOW!!" for the H-J colors. Plus, I've seen some in stores, and they meet my requirements. Maybe you could do a little bit more shopping?

Also, like a lot of PSers say in regards to inclusions, why pay for something you can't see? If the diamond is "eyeclean," then that's all that matters.

 

[lucy.lucy.80]

My FI and I had the same situation. He was looking for months, then I decided to jump in and help him and I am so glad I did because I got the ring and stone I really liked

Regarding going to a G SI1 I think that is no problem and you wont notice it. My stone is a ideal cut G SI2 and a lot of people come up to me and wonder if it is a real stone because it sparkles so much. Just a couple things to keep in mind
- If getting an SI1, make sure its eye clean and inclusions will not compromise the durability of the stone or brilliance(ie- feathers at the edge or clouds on the table)
- Sometimes, people dont focus on the cut of the stone but thats what really gives it its brilliance.... a poor cut stone will have bad light leakage.
- We bought my ring from Whiteflash and on their website they actually pick out well cut stones (ACA & Expert selection) which takes some of the work away from looking through 100''s of diamonds. It made our decision so much easier!

Hope Ive helped!

 

[CrookedRock]

Thanks all for your replies!

As for the color & clarity, I don''t mind going down a bit but not too far. From what I can tell Radiants tend to show more color. I have also gathered that cut really doesn''t apply to Radiants... true? I think it is also true that the larger the stone the more color you can see... It''s funny bc the original stone I loved was a VS2 J. I thought it was to die for and I could not see any yellow in it. But I bet if it was put next to a F I would be able to see the difference, so maybe BF has a point.

I would like the peace of mind that it is being made to my specfications. I also respect the research that he has done (I know he browses here, and has read everything that I have forwarded to him.)

Bc Radiants are something that really have to be seen in order to be judged, I think maybe I will let him pick out a few stones from the list and have the guy bring them to me in person so that I can make the final decision. I agree that it is great that Whiteflash (they have gorgeous stones!) does the Expert Selection thing. If I didn''t have my diamond guy I would def be buying from them, but the prices don''t even compare... I will for sure in the future use Whiteflash for other pieces though!

 

[lucy.lucy.80]

Hi Crooked Rock,

Maybe below photo will help in your decision (found it in the rocky talk forum).

 

[sandia_rose]

Date: 1/16/2008 1:30:38 PM
Author: lucy.lucy.80

- If getting an SI1, make sure its eye clean and inclusions will not compromise the durability of the stone or brilliance(ie- feathers at the edge or clouds on the table)

I'm not currently engaged (hoping, though), but when I was married, my engagement stone was a champagne diamond. It was an SI2 and almost 2cts. What made the stone an SI2 was a nick in the girdle. That was it - a teeny chip. The table and other viewable areas were clean and clear. So, the jeweler set the stone into the setting with a prong right over the chip. After that was done, it was not visible to the eye at all. And my ex bought the stone for almost $5K LESS than what it would have gone for, had it not been graded SI2!

Bridget in Connecticut.

 

[sandia_rose]

Oh, and one more thing I thought of, relative to color.....

I wanted a champagne diamond for a few reasons. One, because I''m kind of a hippie chick and am very environmentally/socially conscious. I specifically wanted a stone that would not be tied to any of the human rights violations that (unfortunately) are sometimes tied to clear stones. Champagne diamonds are Australian and are mined mostly for industrial use and according to very strict rules as to the labor used. And since there is not as large of a demand for them (they are technically considered "fancies" but are not as popular as the canaries and blues) they are often much less expensive than clear stones.

As to color, a lot of people are adamant that they want a "clear" stone. But champagnes come in shades ranging from pale peach to sherry-brown. My stone was a very pale peach - almost no color, but not "muddy" from the color. It sparkled incredibly and in some light, had this cool tangerine-like cast. And as another poster pointed out, the difference in the color of clear stones is often very, very slight. A slightly yellow stone can be as attractive as a blinding white one. Also, many vintage diamonds (the OECs and miners) are yellower than today''s consumer might consider....but when mounted in a vintage or the original setting, they can be stunning.

When I get engaged again, I want either another champagne diamond or a white or yellow sapphire.

Bridget in Connecticut.

 

[CrookedRock]

Lucy... Thanks so much for the pic. I remember seeing that one too. I also remember that someone else was asking about color sensitivity recently and a PS''er posted a great link that showed color and fluoresence in depth. Do you remember that one?

Sandia_rose... Thanks for the replies! I completely agree with you that going to an SI, so long as it''s eye clean, gets you the most bang for your buck. I''m gla to hear how much you loved yours. I also love champange diamonds too, but bc the ring will be pave I an going to stick with a white, but champagne diamonds are def on the list!

I should say that he has pretty much put this project in my hands, and it''s crunch time, so I am getting kinda nervous. This is a lot harder than I ever imagined it would be. Hopefully all the effort will equal a stunning ring!