Proposal!!! What is a big diamond?

[boobsboobsboobs]

My (soon to be) brother in law has asked for my help picking a ring for my sister for a post lock down proposal!

Obviously, we can only look online at the moment but it seems that some sites like blue nile offer quite good value and we hope to visit Hatton Garden when we can.

I know that she wants a big solitaire on a platinum band... but what is big?!

One carat? Two carats? Somewhere in between? Just looking for a general consensus.

I don't want to bring up rings now as it would be so out of the blue over the phone / FaceTime and I don't want to alert her

He has a decent budget so it would be balancing the size and the quality!

Antique? www.google.co.uk/search?q=antique+diamond+solitaire+ring&safe=strict&client=safari&hl=en-gb&prmd=sinv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiBgJX93J3pAhXdTBUIHbowDYwQ_AUoAXoECAwQAQ&biw=320&bih=454&dpr=2#imgrc=kJitZ6tDdFnj5M

@tally79 lovely ring, looks very similar to mine. I'm only a size H (smaller now I think) so my diamond takes up the whole width like yours.

Have a look at some of the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter designer's pages - you can choose all of the 4 Cs and see what it would look like. Considering how close they are, they are cheaper than Hatton Garden, so you get more value for money.

Brandyb...those rings are to die for 😍

Bluntness100

**Op, the only bit of advice I would give is get her the ring she wants, not what some random on here would like.

She wants a solitaire on a platinum band. Get her that. No quibbles. It’s her ring. If she wants a big diamond Ie bling, then see what he can get within budget that’s as big as possible. She’s not going to give a shit about clarity that you need to magnify to see.**

Yep 👍 all this talk of clarity kf2 etc means nothing really. No one looks that close. Catch most diamond rings in the light and it will sparkle. What she will notice us the size of it if she wants a big one and for £10k I bet you can get an almighty clanger!!

@Bluntness100 is right

Remember to check out Costco in store too - really good quality vs price.

www.costco.co.uk/Jewellery-Apparel-Gifts/Jewellery/Rings/100ct-Princess-Cut-Diamond-Solitaire-Ring-Platinum/p/807492

Sushiroller
I didnt know Costco did jewellery! Looks so weird to have a 1ct diamond ring on same page as a multi pack of bog roll!!

It’s cut, clarity and colour that makes a diamond. I have 1c solitaire set and a platinum band. I have quite small hands and it looks big on me, but I think what is most eye catching about it is the excellent quality of my diamond. It literally distracts you

Forgot to add, I agree with previous comments about platinum, it fills and requires polishing

Fills? I meant dulls

Brandyb I was looking for a jeweller to commission a piece and you’ve just given me an option, thank you!

My engagement ring was platinum and diamond and was well over 100 years old and wasn't dull - it was a beautiful ring (XH great grandmother's engagement ring)

Also, I know of a really good jewellery designer who specialises in bespoke engagement rings if that might be of interest, so she has something completely individual and special - roseannacroftjewellery.com

@RainbowMum11 did you give it back when you split?

Another vote for letting her choose, she's got to wear it. I would have hated to have been presented with one and not having any say in it.

Thank you so much for so many useful posts! Much more to think about than I realised but it's nice to know something lovely will happen soon!

My favourite thing about getting engaged was choosing my own ring. Just saying

Could he use a costume ring for the proposal?

No bristol because he went off with my (married) good friend. I have kept it to give to our daughter when she is older.

Check out londondimondsoffical on instagram - they custom make rings and dont have the overheads of retail space. They could mock you up a few designs seriously cheaper and they show how much other should retail their stock for.

I would recommend getting a fake ring & then buying one after - I had mine made from The Diamond Company in Hatton Garden - they were really good and then made our wedding rings as well - they will go through cut/colour/clarity with you and lots of different styles of diamonds. I think having it made it really special - definitely platinum!

I think it's lovely that he's choosing the ring guided carefully by you, who knows what she wants! It's not like he's randomly buying something.

And she's clear she wants a solitaire on a platinum band, so could people maybe just recommend a place to buy one instead of all their own opinions as go what she should have.

Sadly, I have no expertise, but it all sounds lovely to me.

I think it’s utterly ridiculous to spend the equivalent of a house deposit without consulting the person who’s going to be wearing it.

Didn’t you post about this earlier in the year OP? What happened to that proposal?

It is better to go for 1 CT diamond on platinum band that is as close to flawless as you can afford than to go for larger stone with more flaws. That is what I got, 1.14 CT The value has almost trebled over 15 years. The more flaws a diamond has the less it goes up in value. Clarity and colour are important. My ring was custom made. I chose ring setting and jeweller bought in stone to DH specification, as most jeweller s won't stock rings with top quality diamond stones.

@gingersausage no I haven't posted about this before - he's only just mentioned it to me in the last few weeks.

Different people have different budgets - they live in London so that definitely wouldn't be a house deposit there. Plus they already own and have no kids and good savings /salaries - it's not my place to berate his budget, I just want to help and be excited for them!