Quote:
Originally Posted by Gumby
I have not looked at engagement rings in a while, but for $2.5-3.5k I am not sure you will be able to get a good quality diamond in the 0.75-1 carat range.
Any others with more recent experience care to comment?
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Unlikely you'd be able to get any legitimate diamond of that size for less than $3500. I could be wrong on that but my ring search suggested that prices rise dramatically for decent quality diamonds above ~0.6-0.7ct.
Having now looked at many diamonds of all sizes, I think half a carat is plenty. My fiancee loves her ring (the one pictured earlier in this thread in my update post) and isn't bothered by the size of the diamond, but it would still look great at half the size.
Also -- and for God's sake, don't tell my fiancee this -- but despite the fact I ended up buying a high-quality diamond, I personally don't think the colour and cut are that important as long as any imperfections are invisible (or nearly so) to the naked eye. Who really cares if a jeweller with a 30x microscope can see imperfections? As long as you, your future fiancee, and the general public can't tell the difference, then it's all good, IMO. (Maybe it own't fetch as much at a pawn shop but I'm guessing that's not in your plans.)
Re: platinum vs. gold.... I personally think you'd be wise to pick the band based on how much of your budget is left over after choosing a diamond. Platinum may be more durable, but it's more expensive, and looks the same as white gold. You can always buy her a new platinum band in 5 years when you've got the money... that would allow you to use more of your budget for the diamond now, without anyone knowing the difference.
Good luck... and congrats in advance.
