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Why bother with Tiffany's? Don't they use diamonds mined by African slaves and war lords?
I was browsing and found a reputable company called Brilliant Earth. They have a BBB rating of A+ and make lab-made diamonds of the same quality, cut carat color clarity as one mined. They have platinum settings, too, if that's your choice and you can see a preview of what the diamond you select will look like on an actual hand before buying. They also come with free complimentary resizing just in case.
Regarding price, I made a 1.10 carat round cut diamond through Brilliant Earth, with a platinum 2mm comfort fit setting, and the price was under $6,000. I think the rule on price is maximum three months salary, so they're affordable, too.
And, as other posters have suggested, she may not prefer a diamond, she might want a sapphire or ruby. Maybe she wants meteorite, did you ever ponder that as a gem? Ask her. I know I would want to be asked what kind of ring I'd want, but guys want the surprise factor. If you want it to be a surprise, ask her close friends about her taste in engagement rings. Good luck!
I bought my fiance a ring from T&C and it's only .71 carats, but it's the best or second best in both color and clarity. She loves the size and thinks it fits perfectly on her hand, and other people have said that it is bigger than theirs and they have over a 1ct diamond.
The best part is after a year still, whenever she looks at it she gets the biggest smile. She loves being able to look at it and have it sparkle even if it hasn't been cleaned in a while.
When I was shopping for a ring this one person told me about a customer that came in and said they wanted a 3ct diamond but only had something like 15k to spend on it, so he ended up buying a pretty much yellow diamond with noticeable imperfections.
So which would your fiance rather have? Big and ugly or small and beautiful? I'll just echo what everyone else says, size isn't the only factor.
Also, since you are going to T&C, their 6 prong Tiffany setting (according to people my fiance has talked to) makes the diamonds look bigger.
It kind of depends. The thing about color and clarity is that differences are fairly difficult to tell apart with the naked eye. If you want a bigger cut, then you can probably sacrifice color/clarity. Then it becomes more cosmetic in nature. A smaller more pure diamond will look less impressive at first glance, but is something more to boast about.
If you're going for Tiffany, be prepared to do some shopping and being put on wait lists. I got my finace's engagement ring there as well, and I was waitlisted for two diamonds before I got one.
^^
And please, ignore any rules or formulas about price and salary.
Why bother with Tiffany's? Don't they use diamonds mined by African slaves and war lords?
I was browsing and found a reputable company called Brilliant Earth. They have a BBB rating of A+ and make lab-made diamonds of the same quality, cut carat color clarity as one mined. They have platinum settings, too, if that's your choice and you can see a preview of what the diamond you select will look like on an actual hand before buying. They also come with free complimentary resizing just in case.
Regarding price, I made a 1.10 carat round cut diamond through Brilliant Earth, with a platinum 2mm comfort fit setting, and the price was under $6,000. I think the rule on price is maximum three months salary, so they're affordable, too.
And, as other posters have suggested, she may not prefer a diamond, she might want a sapphire or ruby. Maybe she wants meteorite, did you ever ponder that as a gem? Ask her. I know I would want to be asked what kind of ring I'd want, but guys want the surprise factor. If you want it to be a surprise, ask her close friends about her taste in engagement rings. Good luck!
Actually, T&C own most of their mines. To ensure that their diamonds are conflict-free. The stones they purchase elsewhere must be from third parties that source conflict-free stones.
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If you are buying for your future wife and not for the benefit of society, why not just ask her what shape and size she wants? Her opinion is the only one (in jewelry matters, for one) that should ever be important to you.
I am a fan of Tiffany & Co. and think they have wonderful baubles but Blue Nile is also a very nice establishment to deal with.
Good luck!
What is "acceptable" depends on a lot of factors like culture, budget, social circle, her taste, etc.
I wouldn't bother with Tiffany & Company. What you're paying for is the brand. You can get better for much less elsewhere. I also wouldn't bother with B&M jewelry stores. I've studied gemology in the past. I became fascinated with it when I began researching my first and second upgrade during my first marriage. Pricescope is one of the best resources out there, and they have a fantastic community as well. I used to post on there.
Cut is king. Cut is how the diamond, its proportions, was cut. Super ideal or ideal cut diamonds are king. That is the first spec that should be top priority on your list. Ideal cut diamonds (per AGS guidelines) and super ideal cut (Hearts & Arrows) will appear larger, able to hide inclusions in the SI1&2 range and face up whiter. You get the most fire, brilliance and light return in super ideal and ideal cut diamonds. Now, this spec, super ideal and ideal is specific to round brilliants. Other shapes can have excellent cut proportions. Round brilliants are classic and the most common shape.
Carat, this is very budget dependent. The closer you get to.50, .75, and 1.00+ in .25 increments, the price jumps a lot, so if you want to maximize the size of your stone and save money, you can aim just under those carat weights. So, .70 or .90 or .95. If you choose an ideal (AGS) or excellent (GIA) cut stone, you can go "down" in color and not sacrifice quality. Like, for instance, many in the B&M retail business will encourage buyers to go for the GH colorless range, which can come with a steeper price tag. A lot of people can't afford DEF range (DE are rarely in stock, same for F and IF clarity), and these are quite expensive. The difference between a typical G/H or I/J can rarely be seen by an untrained eye. It is pretty minimal. Some people prefer a subtle warmth to their stones, and others prefer stark white.
Clarity is another spec. The majority of stones B&M jewelers carry are in the VS2, SI and I1-3 range, and poorly cut. What you'll get is a crap diamond, but most people don't know diamonds and can't discern the difference between an ideal cut diamond with proportionate specs and a standard, often poorly cut diamond that exhibits a lot of body color and inclusions. The lowest in color I'd go in a super ideal cut or ideal cut RB is J, and SI1 in clarity, but would consider a handpicked, carefully chosen SI2, if the inclusion is not noticeable to the naked eye or is covered by the setting. In antique cuts, like old european, old mine, and antique cushion, these cuts often come in warmer colors, so going lower in color, as long as cut is not sacrificed, is not an issue.
For my first upgrade, I used James Allen. I chose a 1.03 ideal cut round brilliant (AGS000 - ideal cut, polish and symmetry), J color and VS1 in clarity. The cost was around 5k. I also purchased two side stones that were .55 and .53, and they were I color and VS2. Those were about $1200 each. They were GIA EX/EX/EX (excellent cut, polish and symmetry). The 1 ct stone had strong fluorescence, which can make the diamond appear violet/blueish in direct sunlight. I received pictures, specs, ideal scope, aset image, and everything through e-mail. I also received a Pricescope discount since that is the site I used for my stone search. James Allen was fabulous to work with.
For my second upgrade, I turned my three stone into a five stone and changed my setting. I used Brian Gavin Diamonds for my custom upgrade, and they were absolutely phenomenal. My side stones, gorgeous they were, were .50 pointers, H&A, and they sent professional photos of the completed ring.
Well, thing is... if she wants Tiffany, then she will have to get a smaller stone from Tiffany.
My husband decided he wanted to buy me a Tiffany diamond. I would've been fine with a diamond of lower quality and price than the one I received, but that's what he decided he wanted to invest in, and I wasn't going to argue. I had to talk him out of a flawless diamond as it was.
Instead, we wound up with D, VVS1 in a square step cut (which most people refer to as Asscher cut, but not Tiffany, for name liability reasons). I love it. It's 1.48 carats and that's just big enough to really see the sparkle from the facets. We might trade it up, but I doubt I'd go bigger than 2.5 carats because I tried on a 3 carat and it was just huge on my hand. I have small fingers. I really do think 2 carat would be plenty if I traded up at all. I get attached to things so I might not.
__________________
When in doubt, check it out: FAQ
That was an incredibly informative and insightful post, Metaphysique. Thank you so much - now there's a whole new world of information I'll have to soak up and investigate.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Metaphysique
What is "acceptable" depends on a lot of factors like culture, budget, social circle, her taste, etc.
I wouldn't bother with Tiffany & Company. What you're paying for is the brand. You can get better for much less elsewhere. I also wouldn't bother with B&M jewelry stores. I've studied gemology in the past. I became fascinated with it when I began researching my first and second upgrade during my first marriage. Pricescope is one of the best resources out there, and they have a fantastic community as well. I used to post on there.
Cut is king. Cut is how the diamond, its proportions, was cut. Super ideal or ideal cut diamonds are king. That is the first spec that should be top priority on your list. Ideal cut diamonds (per AGS guidelines) and super ideal cut (Hearts & Arrows) will appear larger, able to hide inclusions in the SI1&2 range and face up whiter. You get the most fire, brilliance and light return in super ideal and ideal cut diamonds. Now, this spec, super ideal and ideal is specific to round brilliants. Other shapes can have excellent cut proportions. Round brilliants are classic and the most common shape.
Carat, this is very budget dependent. The closer you get to.50, .75, and 1.00+ in .25 increments, the price jumps a lot, so if you want to maximize the size of your stone and save money, you can aim just under those carat weights. So, .70 or .90 or .95. If you choose an ideal (AGS) or excellent (GIA) cut stone, you can go "down" in color and not sacrifice quality. Like, for instance, many in the B&M retail business will encourage buyers to go for the GH colorless range, which can come with a steeper price tag. A lot of people can't afford DEF range (DE are rarely in stock, same for F and IF clarity), and these are quite expensive. The difference between a typical G/H or I/J can rarely be seen by an untrained eye. It is pretty minimal. Some people prefer a subtle warmth to their stones, and others prefer stark white.
Clarity is another spec. The majority of stones B&M jewelers carry are in the VS2, SI and I1-3 range, and poorly cut. What you'll get is a crap diamond, but most people don't know diamonds and can't discern the difference between an ideal cut diamond with proportionate specs and a standard, often poorly cut diamond that exhibits a lot of body color and inclusions. The lowest in color I'd go in a super ideal cut or ideal cut RB is J, and SI1 in clarity, but would consider a handpicked, carefully chosen SI2, if the inclusion is not noticeable to the naked eye or is covered by the setting. In antique cuts, like old european, old mine, and antique cushion, these cuts often come in warmer colors, so going lower in color, as long as cut is not sacrificed, is not an issue.
For my first upgrade, I used James Allen. I chose a 1.03 ideal cut round brilliant (AGS000 - ideal cut, polish and symmetry), J color and VS1 in clarity. The cost was around 5k. I also purchased two side stones that were .55 and .53, and they were I color and VS2. Those were about $1200 each. They were GIA EX/EX/EX (excellent cut, polish and symmetry). The 1 ct stone had strong fluorescence, which can make the diamond appear violet/blueish in direct sunlight. I received pictures, specs, ideal scope, aset image, and everything through e-mail. I also received a Pricescope discount since that is the site I used for my stone search. James Allen was fabulous to work with.
For my second upgrade, I turned my three stone into a five stone and changed my setting. I used Brian Gavin Diamonds for my custom upgrade, and they were absolutely phenomenal. My side stones, gorgeous they were, were .50 pointers, H&A, and they sent professional photos of the completed ring.
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