Hi there,
So my boyfriend wants to propose but he didn’t want to buy just a ring. He wanted me to say which one. We have been at Tiffany’s, Cartier and Chopard just to see which rings they have.
I know I want a yellow gold classic ring solitaire. Minimum one carat. VS1+ clarity. I don’t know which setting is the best? 4 or 6 prong? At Tiffany’s they made an offer but it is I think too expensive.
So the budget is $10 to $12,000. We live in Europe. How is it for the shipping here? How fast is the delivery? How does it work with the service later to have the ring polished or whatever is necessary. And also I can’t imagine the ring on my hand. And I think over 1.1carat might be too big? I want to wear the ring everyday. Do I need to take the ring off when doing sports?
I really hope you can help me and answer my questions?
1) The setting is a matter of personal taste and style. If you like 4-prong better, then go with it. 6-prong might be slightly more secure, but also, the more metal around the stone, the less light goes through it.
2) Our European readers have had great experiences with Blue Nile. Blue Nile have an office in Dublin so you wouldn’t pay any import fees and taxes. They have great conditions (lifetime warranty, excellent return policy,…). Regarding the shipping, delivery and maintenance, ask their customer service directly, they are better suited for that than us.
3) Most people take the ring off when doing sports (depending on what sports you do and how much you’re using your hands). I’m sure you’ll figure it out once you start to wear the ring every day and see what feels comfortable. Unfortunately, I can’t help you with the question about size as it’s completely subjective. Different people have different opinions on what’s “too big” or “too small”.
4) I found this beautiful 1ct option that would look amazing in a yellow gold solitaire setting:
Blue Nile LD14035085
It has a gorgeous cut and would be incredibly bright and brilliant.
So the diamond you showed me looks fine. For the yellow gold ring: is an color I ok?
I was also looking on James Allen website.
Can you please show me a 1.5 carat diamond you would recommend? I would like to compare.
The diamond I recommended was a fantastic option. I color would be absolutely colorless in a solitaire setting of any kind.
Here’s a beautiful 1.5ct stone:
Blue Nile LD14099027
James Allen charges tax on European purchases so take that into consideration.
Today We have been at Tiffany’s and I tried on a 1.06 carat ring. I think up to 1.1 carat is totally enough. Maybe from 1.05 to 1.10 because bigger doesn’t look classy on my hand anymore. At least this is how I think of it.
Do you have now another diamond you can recommend, because the first one from BN is not available anymore.
As for the diamond’s size, the difference between a 1.00ct and a 1.05 (or 1.1ct respectively) is usually negligible (it depends how each diamond is cut), but the difference in price can be huge. Aso, keep in mind that the carat weight is, well, the weight of the diamond, not its size. Carat weight is not a good indicator of how large the diamond appears.
Here’s a couple of new diamond options:
Blue Nile LD14035055
Blue Nile LD13991071
Coincidentally, they both are over 1.ct.
We decided to go with the first one.
Thank you for your help!
You’re very welcome.
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. James Allen will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free International Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisals
- One free resizing within 60 days of purchase
- Free ring inscriptions
- Best-in-class high quality imagery of all diamonds in stock
- 24/7 Customer Service
- Best-in-class packaging
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. Blue Nile will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisal
- One free resizing within the first year of purchase
- High quality images of about half of their diamonds
- 24/7 Customer Service
- 100% credit towards future upgrades (must be at least double in value)
- Best in class fulfillment
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