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Engagement Rings

$3000 for 1 carat is going to get you a pretty crappy stone. Downsize and step up on the other Cs.
 
What kind of setting does she like? Just in what I've seen on other girls' hands, you can cheat the size of the stone a little bit (in favor of a nicer measure on all the other C's) and have something that looks "impressive" by doing a halo setting... Personally I'm not a fan, but if your girl likes that look that may be an option to keep the first-glance wow factor.
 
If you can bump your budget you can get a decent stone that's 1 carat. Or get a nicer stone around 3/4 carat.
 
SmooveDeac said:
SO glad I found this thread! I'm currently shopping for my GF. Size is #1 for her (insert joke here; she works in sales and deals with insanely rich people, so they're going to ask questions), but we both feel very strongly that we shouldn't take on any debt for this, especially since we're paying for the wedding on our own. Trying to stay around 3K.

A good friend of mine said that whatever I get has to be at least a carat. I know you should buy what you're comfortable with, etc....but is that really a thing?
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Shop around and find a good local jeweler that will be patient with you so you can ask a lot of questions. The difference between a carat and 0.9 a carat is essentially indistinguishable, FWIW. So you'll get the benefit of size but not the price premium. (All 1-carat diamonds are priced higher than scale just because they're 1 carat.) And nobody is going to call you or her out about the size if you just say it's a carat.

Another thing to consider is the setting -- certain settings make the stones look bigger or smaller. My wife's setting is a solitaire with six prongs, which really makes it stand out. I was really taken aback when I picked it up at the jeweler.

Of all the ways to grade a diamond, if you're going to pay a premium for one, I'd go with cut. That's where I paid extra, and random people will stop my wife to comment how much her ring sparkles.

Anyhow, again, just talk to a bunch of jewelers and find someone who seems trustworthy and patient and go from there.
 
If size is her biggest concern, you'll need to compromise on every other characteristic of the stone, including the shape. A round 1+ carat stone will cost a lot more than an oval 1+ carat stone, for instance.

Also, as soon as the stones hit that 1.00 decimal, the price goes up too. You can probably find a 0.98 carat stone for surprisingly less money than a 1.02 carat stone.
 
I read an article on the increasing price if diamonds and a large factor was that the engagement ring "tradition" is growing in China.
 
Yeah, the halo is a cop-out, but it is a cheap way to make it look more impressive. I went through a local wholesaler for a 1.55 carat oval solitaire on a 4-prong setting, and she gets compliments on that thing everywhere.
 
Also, I think it's better to look at the diamonds in person vs. buying online. I looked at a lot of loose stones when I went through the process, and I really could tell a difference among them. In some cases the diamond grades weren't really enough to distinguish among the diamonds. You definitely pay more that way versus online, but I think it's worth it to see the stones in person and work with customer service.


And yeah, China is totally dicking with the price of diamonds. Get used to it.
 
smallbigtall said:
Yeah, the halo is a cop-out, but it is a cheap way to make it look more impressive. I went through a local wholesaler for a 1.55 carat oval solitaire on a 4-prong setting, and she gets compliments on that thing everywhere.
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on this note, i've heard that "fancy" shape stones (like ovals or pears) tend to look bigger than they actually are. my cousin has a pear shape and it looks GIGANTIC even though it's only around a carat. I'd want an oval shaped diamond for the same reason.
 
Lowest priced 1 carat diamonds on bluenile by cut:

Round - 3800
Princess - 2792
Emerald - 2100
Asscher - 2672
Marquise - 2696
Oval - 2332
Cushion - 2513

These are all lousy stones for the other factors (J color, SI2 clarity) and you'll have to buy the ring itself too. $3k is going to be tough for a "big" rock.
 
Yeah, knock it down by 0.1 carat and the prices drop considerably. Just tell everyone it's a carat and move on. Unless she demands to see the certificate or something, but then you need to reevaluate some life choices.
 
Billy Mitchell said:
Lowest priced 1 carat diamonds on bluenile by cut:

Round - 3800
Princess - 2792
Emerald - 2100
Asscher - 2672
Marquise - 2696
Oval - 2332
Cushion - 2513

These are all lousy stones for the other factors (J color, SI2 clarity) and you'll have to buy the ring itself too. $3k is going to be tough for a "big" rock.
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Yep, here ya go. do a 1ct Oval, bump up the specs, and put it on a solitaire white gold setting for $200ish. Good to go.
 
dashionista said:
on this note, i've heard that "fancy" shape stones (like ovals or pears) tend to look bigger than they actually are. my cousin has a pear shape and it looks GIGANTIC even though it's only around a carat. I'd want an oval shaped diamond for the same reason.
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dash want dat BIG ROCK, kickball.
 
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