How big is big enough?

Question

Okay get your minds out of the gutter. I'm wondering about diamonds!

I'll be purchasing an engagement ring here soon and I'm dreading it. It's not because I don't want to get married, it's just that the price of diamonds seems so grossly overexaggerated.

Anyhow, I would like to get a colorless of near colorless very good to ideal cut ston that's VS2 or better. Considering that this would be a fairly high quality diamond what size is a good size? Is under a carat too small for an engagement ring?

I want to make sure that I get my soon to be fiance something she will be proud of and happy with for years to come, but I want to make sure that I can still cover my mortgage and all of the bills.

Answer 1

In this case size doesnt matter!

I chose my own ring and though i liked many more expensive rings i chose within our budget. I love my ring and will be proud to wear it for the rest of my life.

It doesnt come with a price tag, no one else knows how much it cost unless i choose to tel them. Its not like the latest trainers/car that everyone knows how much it was to purchase.

Plus bear in mind all the expense you've still got to come! weddings are not cheap!!!!!

We're paying for our own with very little financial help from our parents so its a matter of shopping around to get vaule for money.

Good luck and congratulations!

Answer 2

I have a half carat, and thats more than enough for me!

my boyfriend went with a certified stone, so its a little more pricey, but worth it if you are looking for good quality.

he got an ideal cut, F colour grade, VS1, 0.48 ct,

pay special attention to how the stone is cut. the quality of the cut will really make it sparkle.

some cutters will try to drive up the carat weight of the diamond by having a thick girdle (the area between the top and bottom part of the diamond, or make it appear bigger by cutting a wider but shallower diamond, but this will reduce the light refraction.

I always recommend bluenile, because for any diamond they have, you can look at the proportions, and the cut grade..more than you could ever want to know (and if you look on "zales" for example, they don't tell you anything about the cut grade)

I don't buy into this diamond as "penis size" for girls thing, so size doesn't matter for me....

Answer 3

One carat is big enough and pretty much standard on the east coast and on a professional enviroment. If you are a financially sucessful person, I suggest that you invest on a piece a jewelry for your special lady that is worth showing off.

Lets face it, women sometimes can be catty and you do not want to embarass your soon -to- be fiancee with something that she'll be embarrased about. A small engagement ring will be talk of the the block.

You can get a decent one carat ring of a decent quality for around 2-3k. Do not get any clusters (yikes!) or heart shaped diamonds, those are for teenagers and are tacky. My suggestion would be a princess cut one carat solitaire diamond on white gold.

Check out this sites where you can build our own ring online, compare prices and get a general idea of styles and what you can afford on your budget.

www.ice.com
www.bluenile.com
www.zales.com
www.amazon.com

Good luck and congratulations

Answer 4

First it depends on how big a stone your gf wants...has she ever mentioned to you or showed you what she likes? If she likes bigger sized diamonds, then yes, it will be more expensive. Maybe you dont need to get such a great color...(obviously dont get a yellow-ish diamond), but it doesnt have to be no C or D color. If she likes things a bit more simple and small, you can definetely get a smaller diamond higher in quality. I suggest going to a ring store and comparing the qualities of diamonds - most diamonds to the naked eye you wouldnt not be able to notice much difference - in that case, i would suggest getting the bigger stone with less quality. Any girl who says they would rather have a smaller ring is lying! C'mon now! :)
But really, it depends on how much you can really afford and WANT to spend on her!

Good Luck!

Answer 5

my fiance bought be a ring for x-mas and I havent gotten it yet but I will tell you that a HUGE diamond is something I actually dread!! You should get a ring that is in proportion to your fiancees hand, so unless she has enormous hands, dont get anything big!! Go for sparkle and dazzle, not something she will drown with if she goes swimming :) many rings have several diamonds in them. Also, you can consider getting a metal other than gold. white gold is lovely, very shiny and I think makes the diamond sparkle even more. I think for most girls a great ring has a LOT of sparkle. So, no under 1 carat is just fine. Like I said, if you are worried, get a few diamonds in it, it will make it seem like one bigger chunk for a smaller price. Im sure that your bride to be would pass out if she found out that you had to refinace the house to buy her ring! Good luck and remember, make sure it sparkles!!!

Answer 6

OK OK OK - lets get something very important out in the open here.

One of the most important things a couple must have is open communication. This means discussing sensitive issues like finances (and faith and children and and) in an open, honest way.

I strongly urge you to discuss rings with your fiance - how much you have to spend and what she truly wants in an engagement ring - and how you are going to afford whatever it is she wants. If she's a worthy girl she'll be all too pleased with the discussion - moreso than the ring itself.

That said, have you considered taking your intended WITH you to pick out the ring?

Seriously - go ahead of time to your local jeweler and pick out some rings you think she'll like - that are within your budget, of course. Choose some that are single solitaires, some that are multi-stoned - just make sure your jeweler knows how much you can spend.

then take her out for dinner - and just happen to walk by the jeweler - who just happens to be working late - and is delighted to let you come in to "browse."

Then you let her pick out the ring - and you buy it on the spot.

May not be as romantic - but you will have bought a ring your intended is happy with - and kept within your budget.

Answer 7

yes, colorless is good. unless the diamond is huge, you can go with a slightly worse clarity. Mine is a SI1, and it's fine, you can't even tell. pay more attention to how it looks, does it sparkle? as long as it sparkles, it's great!!! under a carat is fine, try to stay above .4 though for a solitaire.

you can get a nice, simple, solitaire for $1500, or maybe even less.

Answer 8

It would depend on the girl. Some girls prefer a larger ring while some would prefer a smaller one. Under a carat is not too small - especially if she is a smaller framed women. Don't go broke on the ring! You can always get an engagement ring with a smaller center stone and upgrade it later for an anniversary. Most chain jewelers will give you 80% of the value for a trade up. Remember if she isn't happy without a huge ring she's probably more in it for the money than the love.

Answer 9

Here's my 2 pennies worth
Get what you can afford.
Call your jeweler ahead of time, have him pull all the rings in that price range & let your gal have a field day choosing the ring she will treasure for eternity. This way, she gets what she wants & you don't end up in the poorhouse trying to afford something you really can't in order to not look like a cheapskate. Think of all those who can't even afford a ring.
Educate yourself a bit about diamonds so you know what you're getting

Congratulations!

http://www.diamond.info/

http://images.amazon.com/media/i3d/01/actual-diamond-size.pdf

Answer 10

I've heard that you can get color treated diamonds that are not as expensive. You may be able to get one bigger and save money this way. Ask the jeweler. Don't worry about the size so much. .6 and .7's look pretty big, you know. Different settings can make diamonds look bigger, too. Have a setting that sits the rock up high. You can always upgrade to a bigger diamond later, too.

Answer 11

It seems as if you are afraid that ur fiance to be will think that her ring is too small. I love big gaudy dimands but my fiance could not afford that. I have a ring that was his grandmothers and its not even 1/4 of a carrot and I absolutely LOVE it. It what you choose that you can afford. She will love it, be proud of it, and show it off no matter what because its from you and its what you chose.