Daniel O Asks: Gem Therapist, for a timeless engagement right, what setting and cut would you recommend? Also, when choosing the stone better to sacrifice color and clarity for size?
Timeless a word that many substitute for classic and some might even say boring. Others might say timeless is evocative of Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, twinsets and pearls. I say it’s a matter of taste. Because while I may be partial to a glittering asscher cut surrounded by a sparkling halo of round brilliants set in warm rose gold, you may prefer the elegance of a cool platinum oval solitaire. So I say forget timeless. Buy what you love. Get something that you can’t take your eyes off. Much like a spouse this is the ring you’ll wake up and see every day. I have no specific cut or settting I recommend. What I recommend for timeless is quality and craftsmanship.
A well set ring, with a properly cut diamond is paramount. Poorly cut diamonds have low light return and won’t refract properly, amounting to a dull diamond. Nobody wants a debbie downer on their finger. I also don’t like to use the word sacrifice when it comes to one of the most important jewelry purchases a couple will make. Choose what aspects are important to you and put your money there. Set a budget and then figure out what you can afford in that range that makes you smile. Some people could care less if their stone is a little yellow, as long as it’s huge, others would rather a high clarity, high color stone even if means getting a .90 pointer. In jewelry, much like in love, let your heart guide you.