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Just Said Yes January 2022

Engagement ring advice: Should i go for size or quality?

Ashleigh, on October 19, 2021 at 3:40 AM Posted in Community Conversations 0 19
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Hi everyone, I’m in a bit of a dilemma and need some advice.

My bf and I have been looking at engagement rings - We decided early on that we would be getting a 1ct ring and so far all the shops we have been to meets our budget for a 1ct diamond with decent specs.
However, we recently decided to pay a visit to a more “premium” brand because we just wanted to see what’s the difference between their diamonds and the other shops we have been to. I also figured that we should at least see what “the best” looks like so we know whether we are getting a good quality stone from the other shops.
So long story short - my bf and I were pretty blown away by the quality of the stone at the premium shop. The difference was really night and day! Their diamonds were full of fire and brilliance because the diamonds were cut to the exact proportions of a super ideal cut diamond. It sparkled like mad with lots of rainbow flashes whereas the stones at the other shops we went to kinda looks very dull now in comparison. The thing is 1ct at this premium place costs double the price which makes it wayyyyyyy out of budget.
At this premium place we are only able to afford up to 0.7ct.......my bf is really keen on this better quality stone as he says what’s the point of having a big dull looking stone when you can have a smaller one which sparkles better?
My question to you ladies is, would you rather downsize and get a better quality stone or just get the bigger one (although it looks more dull)? To be honest 1 carat does sound a lot better than 0.7ct and I know this is a shallow reason but a lot of my friends around me have 1 ct and above so part of me is willing to sacrifice a bit on the quality and have a larger stone.......
What would you ladies do? Hope to hear from some of you! Thank you! Smiley smile
P/S: Both the 1 ct diamonds at the cheaper shop and the premium shop have the same specs in terms of colour and clarity - just that the premium one is a super ideal cut whereas the cheaper one is just an ordinary triple excellent cut hence the huge price difference.

19 Comments

Latest activity by Brittani, on October 1, 2023 at 8:40 AM
  • A
    Savvy August 2022
    A S ·
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    My fiancée made this exact decision and got me a smaller diamond ring from a big brand because he just said after seeing the difference he couldn’t buy anything else. Even in this one store he was trying to choose between a ring with a smaller center stone (my ring is 3 stone) or a larger one and ended up going smaller because he preferred how it looked. I really wouldn’t get caught up in carat sizes. Look at the rings on your finger and how they look in proportion, decide what you think looks and works best for you and go from there. I will say that many of my friends have rings from independent jewelers and the only time we ever notice a difference is when mine is clean because it sparkles like crazy, but if I don’t keep it clean you really can’t tell the difference. So go with whichever ring you fall in love with the look and feel of rather than carat or cut.
    I hope this helps!
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  • A
    Savvy August 2022
    A S ·
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    Just to add that I love my ring and wouldn’t change it for anything, including a bigger one because it’s perfect for me. I think the middle stone is somewhere between 0.5-0.7? I can’t remember.
    • Reply
  • Ginny
    Beginner October 2021
    Ginny ·
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    It’ll be hard to tell the difference between a 0.7 and 1.0 carat stone. But like you said, it’s easy to tell quality differences. Personally I’d pick quality.
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  • Cece
    Rockstar October 2023
    Cece ·
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    I am definitely team quality. Especially now that you have compared the quality of the rings and could easily see the difference, I think you would always look at a lesser quality ring now and be unhappy. Another thing to consider is whether or not you plan to have children. Are you going to pass the ring down as an heirloom? If so, it would definitely be more beneficial to pass down some thing of better quality.
    • Reply
  • H
    Master July 2019
    Hannah ·
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    The size difference between .7 and 1ct is actually negligible, and stones slightly smaller than 1ct cost a lot less. My mom is in jewelery wholesale (as in, they sell to the jewelry stores), and my ring is .75ct. Unless you're a trained professional you literally cannot tell. Also, people don't go around asking how big your stone is, so it's not like you'll have to really say in conversation "oh, my ring is .7ct." Go with the better quality. If you want compliments, you're more likely to get then from the sparkle than the teeny tiny different in size.
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  • Samantha
    Super August 2022
    Samantha ·
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    So for me personally, I have pretty large hands and the proportions of the stone to my hand were more important to me than all the ratings on the stone. As a compromise we ended up going with moissanite so I could have the size we felt looked best on my hand, but still something that sparkles like nothing I've ever seen before. I think it's honestly about what's more important to you two, and it sounds like the quality of the stone is what's most important! Like Ginny said, it'll be almost impossible to tell the difference, especially for normal people.

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  • Shannon
    Super July 2022
    Shannon ·
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    I would choose quality.
    Have you considered lab created diamonds? They are ethical and conflict free because they are not mined. They are much lower priced and you can’t tell the difference between the two.
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  • T
    Super April 2021
    Tiger Bride ·
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    Hmmm...I would think you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between two stones if specs were the same (especially cut and clarity). Whether you go to a "premium" place (I'm guessing Tiffany?) shouldn't make a difference. Where did you look at the first rings?


    Keep in mind that lighting can also make a difference. Take a look at Blue Nile or James Allen as well.
    • Reply
  • C
    Super July 2020
    Cool ·
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    I would go with quality.
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  • Kim
    Savvy September 2022
    Kim ·
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    I chose quality. I wanted a colorless diamond and got a round brilliant 0.8 carat E color natural diamond. I have small fingers so it really looks like a carat on my finger and I still would’ve prioritized quality over size regardless of my ring size. I also really wanted a natural diamond!
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  • W
    VIP September 2020
    Willow ·
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    I would stick with independent jewelers and lab diamonds. Also quality over size
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  • Allison
    Devoted May 2022
    Allison ·
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    Definitely quality!

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  • A
    Savvy May 2023
    Alexandra ·
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    I vote quality! My significant other went through the same thing and I am so glad he went for quality!
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  • Elizabeth
    Dedicated August 2021
    Elizabeth ·
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    I would go for quality over size. My husband did. He had a certain cut, color and clarity in mind. You will get more compliments on quality over size. Nobody will really know it's not a carat unless you tell them.
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  • Cyndy
    Master May 2019
    Cyndy ·
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    Definitely quality for me.
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  • Taylor
    VIP October 2022
    Taylor ·
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    I don’t know if y’all bought the ring already but just to put my two cents in. My fiancé went for a smaller Diamond that’s better quality. He really wanted something that sparkles. We have a family friend that’s a jeweler so he bought “unaltered” diamonds. A lot of places like Zales and Kay will laser out the imperfections which affects the sparkle but only someone who’s a jeweler with the right magnifying equipment would be able to tell. The average person cannot. They’re also more expensive though so he couldn’t afford quite as big as he would’ve liked but I really like my ring
    • Reply
  • Jacks
    Rockstar November 2054
    Jacks ·
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    View Quoted Comment

    This.

    Be careful of fancy lighting in some of the premium stores, like Tiffany.

    In general, I would go for quality over size but bearing in mind what Tiger Bride said.

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  • D
    Just Said Yes September 2022
    Danika ·
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    Quality over quantity, though size between the two isn't much, especially to the naked eye. Try lab grown for more bang for your buck (fiancé did, at a fraction of what a real diamond would've cost). Think about what will make you happy, the shine or the bigger rock.

    And, if you're in a position to down the line, you can always upgrade the smaller/quality diamond to a larger rock.

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  • Brittani
    Savvy December 2023
    Brittani ·
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    Quality. If the thought of a “smaller” stone freaks you out, you could still get it with a halo setting. They make even small stones look massive!
    • Reply

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