REVscene - Vancouver Automotive Forum

Hondaracer · 06-13-2018, 11:08 AM

damnnnn twennn! baller!

I appreciate people, like myself, who take the time to learn as much as you have before a purchase like this. I guarantee to get a similar rock locally you'd probably pay 2X if not more the price.

I completely agree about the fire though, my wifes is no where near as large as yours but she has only occasionally wiped it down and never had it professionally cleaned since i gave it to her just over 1.5 years ago, it's luminensce and sparkle are amazing, it is always catching the light and shimmering

that is one beautiful rock

roastpuff · 05-02-2019, 04:55 PM

I finally got off my ass and did something! Her fingers are tiny, size 4.25/4.5. The ring is actually a hand-me-down from my grandmother, age unknown as she passed away in 2006.

According to the jeweler that I brought it to for resizing, cleaning and polishing (The Perfect Gift, Martin Smith, who was excellent), it's a good stone. From a non-exhaustive examination (didn't get it formally appraised as he would have to dismount the stone etc.):
- Center stone is roughly 0.3ct, VVS1-VVS2 and F-G colour.

We will probably have it formally appraised in a bit in order to have it fall under homeowners insurance.

Gh0st · 05-03-2019, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gh0st

Pic Below: My stone that arrived. Now working on a custom micro pave setting. Will update with pictures when ring is complete.

I realized that I never came back for an update. She said yes

and here's a recent pic from my phone.

For anyone wondering it's sitting on a platinum band, held up by 4 prongs.

stewie · 05-10-2021, 12:18 PM

This thread has been dead for a few years I see.

It's getting to be that time where I intend to start looking into this and there's many questions that I can think of.

I know a custom jeweler who I used to work with. He turned his side job into a full time career so that part is covered. The stone is where I'm stuck on. He can get the stone at quite the steep price or I can supply him with one. From searching around it's significantly cheaper to go online wholesale than big name box store. I've browsed many sites and used a same size/color/clarity etc and seen there's quite the gap between site to site. Curious to see if there's a reason why that would be. I've compared diamonds from Bluenile, James Allen, Israeldiamonds, adiamor, brilliance, and fergus james. Hunted down reviews for all of them but they all basically come up with the same result "greatest place with the best price".

Size wise - She's asian, 5'3, slim. What would be a good size without it taking up half her hand lol. I've 1 boss saying nothing less than 1.5 (easy to say when you make 120k+) while another boss says don't be materialistic and anything over .5 she'll like. I def. won't be going that low, but she is very non materialistic so she will end up being happy with whatever it is.

If any of you guys happen to have a wife that short would you mind saying the size of the diamond she has and how it sticks out? I'm trying to get an image of it in my head but a picture on google can only go so far.

320icar · 05-10-2021, 12:23 PM

Size isn’t everything, it’s all about the design, and what she actually likes. Some girls like classic or antique styles, some like the makeup gun style of a thousand .01 karat, others like the big ol’ single stone. Can’t answer that one.

Look at her other jewelry and try to find a theme

SSM_DC5 · 05-10-2021, 12:39 PM

1 full carat minimum.
Does she even want a diamond? You'll save tons of she's into different stones.

stewie · 05-10-2021, 12:42 PM

I know the design style she likes and I know the type she hates - any ring that has multiple tiny stones around the band or around a main stone. She'd make me watch say yes to the dress on weekend mornings and would give commentaries on their choice of rings and dresses which is what set me in the right path to know what she does/doesn't like.

I'm probably overthinking a lot more than I need to. I guess my main focus right now is where to purchase it from. Size can be made on the spot when deciding on a purchase.

It's hard to check her jewelry because she rarely wears any. she has a ring on one finger that she's had for years because of its unique design. this morning when I was leaving for work the earrings she had in were these

little NES controller studs. My aunt bought her diamond earrings last year but she doesn't wear them unless she's going out somewhere "fancy" lol.

roastpuff · 05-10-2021, 02:14 PM

Honestly, it's more about the thought than the carat count. Is she the type to wear the ring day to day? Does she want to show it off to her friends as a "look how big of a stone my guy bought me!" or just as a "we got engaged" type of thing? Don't get too hung up on other people's advice, focus more on the design, and don't get in a carat race.

My wife and I barely wear our wedding bands as is, especially now with COVID - we wash our hands/sanitize them so often when going out we feel bad scratching the wedding bands, and the engagement ring which was an antique with a 0.75 carat stone stays in the jewelry box at night.

6793026 · 05-10-2021, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roastpuff

Honestly, it's more about the thought than the carat count. Is she the type to wear the ring day to day? Does she want to show it off to her friends as a "look how big of a stone my guy bought me!" or just as a "we got engaged" type of thing? Don't get too hung up on other people's advice, focus more on the design, and don't get in a carat race.

My wife and I barely wear our wedding bands as is, especially now with COVID - we wash our hands/sanitize them so often when going out we feel bad scratching the wedding bands, and the engagement ring which was an antique with a 0.75 carat stone stays in the jewelry box at night.

2 things funny about this.
It's all about the thought.. UNTIL the gf / fiancee talks to their friends and ask OH WOW, let me seee.. HOW BIG IS IT..... then you'll be fooked when one of the bitch ass friend says.. woah.. so small is it even 1 carat...

blah blah blah all you want, there is always that ONE bff...

90% of the girls barely wears the bands; that's a moot point. We all have heard the sign. other saying they will wear the 6 inch heels all day and everyday and 1 yr down the road.. they never wear them everrrr....
Yet the "I told you so" on any future purchase never gets thru her head.... (We boys are the same... the cars we hoard and say we will use as upgrade....still sits....)

Still with ur budget and get within it (buying online).

bcrdukes · 05-10-2021, 05:16 PM

If you boss is suggesting you to get something minimum 1.5 carat, you may as well negotiate a penis enhancement procedure as part of your year end bonus and permission to bang his wife on demand.

As I recently went through this myself, the sweet spot is 0.7 to 0.90 carat. You'll see a big price jump when you move up to 1.0 carat and it climbs from there. Nobody in their right mind carries around a loupe to measure and judge ones diamond.

whitev70r · 05-10-2021, 05:44 PM

Bring up how unethical the diamond trade is, how many people have been killed over this, and hopefully, the social conscious side of said fiance will make a stand on her conviction.

stewie · 05-10-2021, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whitev70r

Bring up how unethical the diamond trade is, how many people have been killed over this, and hopefully, the social conscious side of said fiance will make a stand on her conviction.

When we first met we were using our fucked up sense of humor and talking about prom night dumpster babies and if we have children in the future and they're assholes they have until the age of 8 to behave or we'll leave them at the doorstep of a fireball.

I'm liking what you're saying bcrdukes. The instant price jump for the 1 carat is just stupid. Trying to find pics of .7 - .9 on small hands.
Dont have to worry about her friends judging. They're either single and complaining or in relationships over 10+ years and patiently wwiting for the boyfriend to pop the question. All my friends are married with kids. We have a group chat with everyone in it and yesterday when all tge happy mothers day messages were going on she realized she's the only one in the group that isn't married with kids lol

Bonka · 05-10-2021, 07:32 PM

My wife is 5' with non-asian but proportionate to body size fingers. 1.5ct looked so stupid on her. Instead of subtlety it was basically shouting at everyone (women) to look at her finger.

I agree with Dukes too with the size range especially if it's proportionate to her finger girth but I do value quality over size. I'd be more than willing to spend money if it's an heirloom piece to pass down. All our friends with well over 1ct diamonds look lousy even brand new. If bigger is better the quality needs to be commensurate. Women's version of penis measuring egoism I guess.

Mikoyan · 05-10-2021, 09:28 PM

Wife is 5'2" asian, petite. I got a 1 carat.
Site reviews only tell you so much. Each diamond is pretty unique in its cut. Depending on the stone, the same size could be wider/flatter/taller depending on the cut.
I was lucky to have a family friend who did jewelry on the side to help me source the stone. No matter what size you get, you'll want a great cut that reflects/refracts the most light. I ended up with a round ideal/very good cut. Pricing was 12 years ago, but the difference between a slightly deep cut vs ideal was about $2k ($7 - $9 k)

ssjGoku69 · 05-10-2021, 09:42 PM

If I could do it again, I would probably buy a lab-diamond. The ethical side of a lab-diamond combined with some money savings is a plus. My fiancee isn't materialistic and doesn't have toxic friends who would diss the ring though. She definitely dgaf about the stone's specs especially during covid and WFH everyday.

Just cared about what it symbolizes and oooh shiny.

Ch28 · 05-10-2021, 09:44 PM

If there's one thing I can add is to make sure you spend money on quality (cut & clarity) over quantity (size).

I've seen some friend's rings where they're 1-1.5 carats but the quality is garbage. You can tell they just want a big rock on their finger to show off. Things like lack of sparkle or being able to visually see the inclusions on the diamond are a big yikes for me.

snowball · 05-10-2021, 10:56 PM

Depends on the finger size, she could be 5'3 but has a ring size of 3.5 or 7... Get something proportional to it. I got a .95 canadian diamond with a halo and it looks amazing and she loves it. Luckily, small ring size so the .95 + halo looks huge

bcrdukes · 05-11-2021, 05:35 AM

Canadian diamond.

G · 05-11-2021, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ch28

If there's one thing I can add is to make sure you spend money on quality (cut & clarity) over quantity (size).

I've seen some friend's rings where they're 1-1.5 carats but the quality is garbage. You can tell they just want a big rock on their finger to show off. Things like lack of sparkle or being able to visually see the inclusions on the diamond are a big yikes for me.

This^

Take the extra time to watch a couple Youtube videos to learn about Cut/Clarity/etc

Also, walk into a couple stores (not sure if some are even open) and just ask to look at some rings and gauge sizing and learn more about it. I think it's always best to see it in person and see what your throwing thousands at...

Hondaracer · 05-11-2021, 12:06 PM

In my hours and hours of research regarding diamonds I came across numerous forums etc. That had discussion on rings and rocks

Ironically the people who could seemingly afford 1/2/3 carat rings almost all seemed to come to the consensus that anything over 1 becomes tacky. And these were guys on watch forums, rennlist, etc.

And I’d say I’d agree. If you’re buying some 1.5 carat ring for $6000 when a high quality .7 is the same price, I think you’re getting away from the point of the rock.

bcrdukes · 05-11-2021, 12:49 PM

Some 0.7 carat diamonds can get very expensive but they are really nice and visually appealing, checking off all the boxes on the Four Cs. Depending on the shape and the setting too, it will look better than some POS 1.5 carat diamond.

If you ever get a chance in the future, head over to Royal de Versaille in Toronto. There are a lot of 2.0+ carat diamond rings sitting in their showroom floor due to divorces or marriages that never materialized where the client chose the ring and spent a tonne of money only to hide the imperfections and ugliness of the diamond. They're a very professional shop but their clients have some tacky ass rich people with too much money taste (I wish I were one of them.)

stewie · 05-11-2021, 01:28 PM

I've a close friend who works a few blocks away from me and we're part of the same friend circle so we email back and forth throughout the day. I asked for her female input on it all and she sent me a few pics of her ring that's .75
she's roughly same height and slim build and that size looks quite good for someone that size. we're going to meet up with another friend and have a beer at a brewery this weekend so while there I'll get a better chance to inspect and get a good visualization of everything and can then focus on the quality.
Like bcrdukes mentioned, nobody carries a loupe around with them and I doubt anyone would even care. 99.9% of people will see it and go yaaay.

Big thanks to everyone in here for helping me out so far! Still in the beginning stages so maybe in a few months I'll give an update.

Hondaracer · 05-11-2021, 02:51 PM

My wife’s was a .79 or somthing. No one has ever said anything about the size but dozens of people have remarked how shiny it is

Dat research doe.

Btw if this necer came up before, on BlueNile on top of the GIA cert they also give you a breakdown on the physical dimensions of the diamond. When you understand how the portions of the table vs pavilion effect light flow you can compare Diamonds with similar characteristics and then put stock in one thing or the next. I feel like I gambled a little bit taking a bit larger table but with the trade off being the total size of the depth. However, I looked for a cut snd clarity I thought would work well given the dimensions and the gamble definitely paid off. The fire in her diamond is beautiful even when it’s dirty.

Obviously I’m still a complete noob at any sort of ratings or those dimensions really but I definitely did my homework

freakshow · 05-12-2021, 08:30 AM

You need to go in and see them in person. When you're doing ring shopping/research, you can spend hours getting into the specs and numbers like you're comparing engine horsepower.

Go into a jeweller, and have them show you different carat sizes, different colors, what inclusions of varying sizes look like under and not under a loupe.
Once you see it it person, you'll get a better idea of the difference. Often times you can really only tell the difference between, for example, a F and a G if they're side by side.

FWIW, my wife is 5'5, ring size 6. I got her a 1.14ct round (10 years ago), and IMO it doesn't look too big at all. It's just about the right size. She could go to 1.5 and I still think it wouldn't look ridiculous.

Liquid_o2 · 05-12-2021, 10:11 AM

My wife's engagement ring is 0.75 lab-grown diamond. My wife told me that nobody has ever asked what type of diamond it is. Her friends just wanted to see it when she first got it and were jealous because she was one of the first in her group to get engaged. Now that it has been four years, it doesn't even matter anymore.

I agree with Ch28 completely. Smaller diamond but high quality. Best to get something that has limited inclusions with excellent cut, colour and clarity.