Emerald Cut Diamond Ring?
Q.Finally! My brother is getting ready to buy an engagement ring for his girlfriend, who is a great person. He's not loaded. I've started researching diamonds for him and think the classic, round set in platinum or white gold is the way to go. I prize quality above quantity in a diamond--color, clarity and cut above carat. But--honestly, AFers--what's TOO small? He can swing a high-quality 1/2 carat. Would that be better than a 3/4 or so of slightly lesser quality?
A.the prongs are always platinum. that is standard bcs it is stronger. i made the mistake of getting the setting in platinum which cost me $1700 more. For my wedding ring i chose white gold to save money and honestly the only diference is the white gold is shinier and smoother. platinum scratches easily too. i'd tell him to first figure out if it's a diamond his gf really wants or likes. 8^) there are some lovely colored stones out there that are beauteous in and of themselves. people *think* diamonds when it comes to engagement rings but both diamonds and white wedding dresses are a recent phenomena in society. for example, my SIL (sister-in-law) did get a diamond as the central stone in her engagement ring but it's mixed with emeralds. her wedding band has little diamonds and emeralds on it. it looks perfect for her, literally and symbolically, and it's one of the nicest "traditional" sets i've seen in a long time. the color added just really sets the whole thing off. if there are any gem shows that your brother can go to i suggest checking them out. you can get a nice stone at a lesser price (not always but it's not uncommon. do encourage him to shop around.) which can be put into setting of choice. also, consider a custom setting. these days, there's not a lot of difference in price to a prefabbed one (the settings in prefabs have improved in variety but not a whole lot in cost). actually, in the neck of the woods i'm from i know of an excellent and reputable jewelrymaker and his custom work beats the prefabbed stuff hands down. last but not least i think what would look good on her hand is pretty important. it's more important than just about anything else. does she prefer yellow gold? white gold? rose gold? platinum? silver? does she have short, thick fingers or delicate ones? does something ornate fit her or will a simple design go over best? as a receiver of such an item i know i'd be more impressed and awed by something that looked perfect for me than in what the best bang for the buck my love could get. i'd go with the slightly larger diamond with some inclusions and good color. it will look just as pretty, be bigger, cost the same as a smaller, more perfect diamond, and from experience selling the blasted things, i've learned that people prefer the larger look. and rarely notice the inclusions. it's resale value will never be more than 1/4 of what he paid for it, so don't get all twisted up in that "value" thing. go for the look. am i jaded?
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