Post # 1
Member
15 posts
Newbee
Hello Ladies,
My boyfriend and I are looking to get engaged. I really love the Tiffany Soleste ring. I like how the inner halo looks part of the center diamond so the diamond seems bigger. And the other halo is very delicate. I really like it. I didn’t really care about engagement rings until one day I went to Tiffany store just to browse and fell in love with the soleste. I did montha research and am well aware that you can get a bigger diamond from online vendors and I tried to get a ring. I had a ring custom made to look like the Tiffany soleste but I didn’t like it in the end. Thr inner halo was too large and it didn’t seem like part of the diamond. So I returned it. Another vendor I called a few times and it has been over a month and no call back. I read online reviews and once said that the setting was too loose or the setting was too heavy or something was wrong.
So my bf and I decided to go to Tiffany. My bf said he doesn’t want any more problems with engagement ring and he feels safe with Tiffany. He likes that we can go to any Tiffany and get my ring cleaned and polished.We both lile that we can go to the store and actually see exactly what we are buying. My question is I am not sure the size and clarity I want. One day I want a F color VS1 stone and a 0.8 .- 0.9 center cushion. Next day I want a 0.4 – 0.7 center cushion F color VVS2- VVS1. Should we get a bigger center stone now or a smaller center stone less quality? I know about upgrading but I am a sentimental person and wouldn’t be able to part with my ring. 0.4 F VS2 cost around $5,600, a 0.7 F VVS2 cost around $13,000 and. 0.9 F VVS2 cost around $18,000.
Post # 2
Member
21 posts
Newbee
That’s a tough question! What is your budget and can you afford to buy the most expensive one without impacting your finances going forward? That’s what I would ask myself. If you have your heart set on a Tiffany then know their diamonds are always eye clean so you don’t necessarily have to pay for the highest clarity. It will be beautiful even at a lower clarity. It will also be very well cut and a high colour grade so again you could go lower on clarity if you’d prefer a larger stone. I assume you haven’t looked at lower colour grades too? If I had 18k to spend on a ring with no impact on my finances I would be buying one hell of a sparkler and it would be much bigger than a 0.9 but that’s my taste. What is your finger size? Finger coverage might help you decide too.
For a bit of perspective. I have a 1ct old European, g colour, beautifully cut (so sparkles like a dream) solitaire and if I had it appraised it might come back quite low because there is a tiny visible inclusion in certain lights. People think we spent a fortune on it because of how big it looks (and I have a 7.5 finger!) and how sparkly and white it is. We spent less than the 0.4ct you have referred to.
Post # 3
Member
567 posts
Busy bee
I would go with the bigger if you can afford it!! Anything from Tiffany’s is going to look white and sparkly 🙂 They have great standards for their diamonds, so even if you go to the lowest colour and clarity they offer you’ll still be in great shape! We browsed engagement rings at Tiffany’s as well, I was super interested in the yellow diamond soleste, and the sales lady told us their lowest quality diamonds I VS2 I believe go fastest because they are the best value!
Good luck, and anythign will be stunning!!
Post # 4
Member
723 posts
Busy bee
I’d let your fiancé pick. You’ll know that you’re getting your dream setting, but he’d get to have a part of the picking process and he’ll be able to pick one in a price range he’s comfortable with. My husband picked my diamond and I picked my setting, and honestly I ended up with a much nicer stone than I would have picked, because the quality was important to him. He loves to tell people he picked my ring on his own, and it means even more because it’s from him.
Post # 5
Member
1694 posts
Bumble bee
dxnyc : kll3 : Similar, if I were in your position and had 18k to throw at a ring I’d go with something like this and add a 2 carat G/VS2 cushion cut diamond.
https://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/duet-halo-diamond-engagement-ring-18k-white-gold_33606
Post # 6
Member
1694 posts
Bumble bee
dxnyc : Or something like this from James Allen:
Post # 7
Member
185 posts
Blushing bee
- Wedding: July 2018 - Mount Princeton hot springs
I’d go big but that’s just me. Any of those clarities should look great, especially from Tiffany!
Post # 8
Member
21 posts
Newbee
https://www.jewelsbygrace.com/2-53ctw-old-european-cut-diamond-french-cutside-stones-ring-by-single-stone
Look what you can get for a budget of 18k! I wouldn’t go for Tiffany because the markup of the brand doesn’t justify the cost (for me) and I love old diamonds! But this is just an example!
Post # 9
Member
15 posts
Newbee
Thank you. I’m allergic to nickel. So white gold might have nickel.
Thank you very much ladies. My bf told me to pick out 3 rings and have them brought to the store that we would go to. He wants me to try them on and pick one. I can’t decide what I want. I am set on color being D-F. For clarity one day I am fine with si1 and VS2 as long as its eye clean. Tiffany does carry si1 diamonds but they not a lot.
Next day I want VVS2 or VVS1 clarity to make my stone a bit more rarer. I walked into Tiffany Wall Street and tried on a .40 soleste and it seemed like a good size. I also tried a 0.9 carat and it seemed big to me. It didnt seem practical to wear everyday. A week later I went to Tiffany 5th Ave store and on display they had a 0.5, 1 carat and 2 carats and when I tried on the 0.5 it seemed so small even thought it was the best color and clarity (D IF). Tiffany 5th Ave also had a 0.79 F VS1 and I tried both the 0.5 D IF ans 0.79 F VS1 and they seemed exactly the same size.
I don’t understand how one day a 0.4 carat seems like a good size and a few days later a 0.79 carat seems small to me. I also tried a 1.02 carat and it also seemed sort of small to me. I am confused how in one store a 0.4 carat seemed good and in another store a 1.02 seemed small to me. I don’t know what to do.
Post # 10
Member
41 posts
Newbee
- Wedding: April 2020 - City, State
dxnyc : My last post somehow dissapeard! to answer your question bee, cut has a lot to do with how big the diamond will look! A lot of jewelers do no ttell you that carat size does not mean size. The cut dictates how big the face of the diamond will look. An EXCELLENT cut diamond will be cut perfectly so that the width and length are equal to 1. It may weigh less in carat size, but look bigger than a ring that is poorly cut of higher carat value. Poorly cut diamonds tend to weight more (higher carat) but are only bigger in terms of their length and NOT their width. The width is what you see in terms of size when you look down at your diamond. My bf and I found this site helpful while shopping:
https://beyond4cs.com/truth-about-gia-triple-excellent-diamonds/
Post # 10
Member
1426 posts
Bumble bee
dxnyc : What’s your budget?
Maybe let your boyfriend pick?
Post # 11
Member
15 posts
Newbee
I always thought that my ring size is 5.5. I have a couple of rings that are 5.5. Tiffany sales associate measured me and she said I am a size 5. So I guess I am size 5 in Tiffany. I never said I have $18,000. I wish I did. I was just telling you the price of the ring that I tried on. I have about $15,000 at most. The sales associate looked on her computer and she said I can get a 0.82 F VS2 for $15,000.
Post # 12
Member
21 posts
Newbee
£15k is a great budget. In all honesty you sound a bit all over the place on what size you want. I think on a size 5 finger a .82 would look lovely (and big). Again, if you want a Tiffany and have the money, get the biggest you can for your budget. Look at the boards on here to see other similar size diamonds on similar hands to give you an idea. I would highly recommend going to another store and trying on lower spec diamonds to be sure you want to spend that much on a 0.82ct. For that size you don’t really need to go that high spec unless that is more important to you than size of stone. This sort of thing is really down to personal preference.
Post # 13
Member
15 posts
Newbee
I can’t let my bf pick alone. He doesn’t care about rings. He doesn’t understand anything about diamonds. If I let him pick he will get me a small 0.3-0.4 soleste. He thinks the cheaper the diamond is the better since its a symbol of love and shouldnt be about size or money. I have to wear it everyday and I would like something nice.
Plus I am excied to go to Tiffany and pick it out with him.
I actually looked at the James Allen setting that looks like soleste but when I read reviews from other woman it said the setting scratches really easily. Some women complicated about diamonds fell out after a few months or after 1 year. So I am worried about it. I decided to be safe and go with Tiffanys.
Post # 14
Member
15 posts
Newbee
Sorry for all the typos. I am typing this on my phone and my phone has 3 black spots on my screen because it fell last month. Its hard to type because I can’t see half if what I’m typing. Lol.
I’m puzzled how a. 0.5 D IF looked identical to 0 79 F VS1. I would think 0.79 would be a little bigger.
