Should I buy this Engagement Ring

[TheRussiansAreComing]

I need the advise of MN please. Looking to ask my partner to marry me and would like to know if I’m on the right track with what I am thinking of choosing. I’m thinking of a white gold or platinum pave band with a 3 carat Emerald cut lab grown diamond.
Is a lab grown diamond ok, or is this cheap?
Will 3 carat look too big to be believable?
is Pave popular?

She has recently started to wear her late DM’s wedding ring which is a plain ish gold band.
Will it matter if it’s next to white gold / platinum.
OH is over 50, with a younger contemporary taste.
If she didn’t already have a gold band, I think white gold would be her preference.
I think she would prefer a solitaire over a cluster.
Does anyone have experience of purchasing from 77 Diamonds?

Personally, I think it's much nicer to go and choose the ring together (as we did). You can propose without a ring - lots of people do. And it doesn't set a good tone for a marriage if a man is effectively telling his future wife what she has to wear for the rest of her life!

I like emerald cut but it might not be to everyone's taste. Also consider that it might not fit a wedding band up against it. 3ct is big, it's possible such a big stone might swivel round on her finger. Also not ideal if she likes dainty jewellery. Best thing is to looks at the kind of thing she usually wears.
Metal colour, apart from the gold band she wears what colour jewellery does she go for? If you go for a white metal then I would choose platinum over white gold as it won't need re-plating like white gold does.
Coloured gemstones are in fashion, would that be something she might like over a lab diamond?
As others have mentioned, I wouldn't want lots of little stones in a band you wear every day for fear of damage or losing one. Also it makes adjusting the ring in future difficult.

@TheRussiansAreComing my rings are from 77 diamonds. Can't fault them.

If she enjoys wearing the gold antique band, I’d be tempted to edge towards a gold-based diamond ring. Perhaps antique/vintage and certainly no more than 2 carat - any bigger and I’d worry about unwanted attention and looking a bit tacky.

What sort of size is she?
I am just under average height and that would be massive on me
I think you need a larger woman to carry it off otherwise it may be a bit garish.

I have a lab diamond and love it, much more ethical which was important to me. I’d suggest shopping together-I personally think that ring is awful but it’s a very personal think.

Plain band defo - even putting hand cream on with this would be a nightmare

Good luck :-)

That is a stunning ring. Good luck!

Just want to say- I have a Emerald cut ring, I love it and it is super sparkly!! Would definitely agree with getting a plain band though- I didnt want smaller diamonds detracting from my big diamond 😀and also chose plain wedding ring for that reason!. Dh chose my engagement ring and it is perfect so i think getting the ring first is fine if you know her taste in jewellery. Good luck

Have you considered mixed metals? My now DH nailed it with mine. I wear more gold jewellery but love diamonds against silver tone so he got a silver pace band and the solitaire is mounted in gold. That way her gold band would match too.
If she's younger at heart and contemporary, maybe think more out of the box, especially if it's a second marriage.
Perhaps something like this

www.annasheffield.com/products/hazeline-solitaire-ring-white-gold-old-euro-cut-white-diamond-50ct

Seriously let her choose, dh would’ve chosen emerald and I chose round brilliant.

Theres nothing wrong with lab grown either.

My engagement ring and wedding rings are both from 77 diamonds, not lab grown. We had great service when we went there ☺️

Platinum is a diamonds best friend, nephews fiancée wears yellow gold but her ring is platinum & suits her perfectly.

it’s such a personal decesion so you can’t really get an accurate answer from random people on mn.

Another 'over 50 with contemporary taste' here, and that ring would absolutely not float my boat.

You seem determined to ignore the over-riding suggestions to let her choose her own ring, which is your prerogative, but I hope you do at least tell her and fully support that she has the option of changing it if it's not for her.

That isn’t a ring that I would choose, and a nearly £3k budget is great - but it’s a lot of money to spend on something she won’t love and will feel obligated to wear… I’m also going to give voice to the ‘let her choose’ camp.

I’d want to pick my own and not a fan of lab diamonds or any other gems. Definitely ask the lady. Maybe buy a very cheap ring as a stand in to propose? Then go shopping?

The thrill is in choosing your own ring. It’s such a lovely bonding experience.
Listen to what MN’ s are suggesting.
I thiught I wanted a cluster but it just didn’t look right on me. I ended up with a triple diamond on platinum. Love it. Perfect for my finger/hand size.

I think that you are running a real risk of buying a ring she doesn't like but has to pretend she loves. Honestly, picking the ring together is just as lovely and romantic as being surprised by a proposal with a ring. I chose my engagement ring. An emerald cut will never sparkle as much as a brilliant cut diamond. It is just a function of the way light reflects and the way the facets are cut. Emerald cuts are lovely in their own way of course but I do think they have to be a bit larger than a brilliant cut diamond to look good but not three carats! I am over fifty and I don't like that ring at all. I would absolutely go for a plain band. But really, I think you should pick it together.

Our rings are from 77 diamonds they're fine.
We did buy something else that had a fault but we got it sorted out

This.

She's not an impressionable 18 year old, she's a grown woman who knows her own mind. What's your motive for wanting to choose the ring? You've asked for advice and the majority have advised to let her choose.

You've said that you can't afford perfect, but you can absolutely ensure she has a ring that is perfect for her, rather than an expensive mistake of your choosing.

It’s beautiful.

I’d marry you 🤣

I think it’s much more romantic and traditional this way.

Round brilliant cuts are the sparkliest. It's just to do with the number of facets and the angles they make with each other, that allows them to bounce light around inside the gem.

A diamond cutter did a PhD where he worked out all the angles/reflections/transmissions mathematically to work out which cut (and come up with new cuts) gave the best sparkle.

But that isn't quite as romantic as saying "I chose that because I knew she'd like it and it would look beautiful on her."

Emerald cuts are really beautiful; spec wise, E and VS1 is perfect.
The cut can be tricky because they show colour and they show imperfections but anything VS should be completely eye clean!
I am a jewellery hoarder and love antique shops as well as auctions. Unless your partner really wants you to choose, it really is such a personal choice.
Old cut (antique) diamonds throw out pastel colours, whilst asscher and emerald cut have more of a ‘flash’.
With round diamonds; you can definitely get away with a slightly warmer colour and SI clarity - certainly if she would prefer a yellow gold setting.

IF you know she would really want you to choose, James Allen, Ritani, Ingle and Rhode etc usually have a 30 day return policy and you can get a temporary setting from Amazon.

Unless you have a clear idea of what she would like, I’d be inclined to at least float the idea with her.

Good luck!