What is the average diamond size people purchase as proposal rings in Singapore?
0.5-0.7
What size should i get as a proposal ring? What should my budget be?
The common saying of "3x your salary". I don't believe in that, i believe you should get what you feel would look good on her or try to do some research and ask her friends or drop hints to figure out what she wants!
4 C's! What should my priority be?
1. Cut/Carat
2. Color
3. Clarity
Color and clarity is interchangeable. But definitely priority Cut. Cut benifits not only it's overall brilliance but the other C's as well. It helps a diamond appear whiter face up, mask up inclusions and avoid deep cut diamonds that makes it look much smaller than it's actual carat size.
Imagine 1 C benefiting 3 C's!
What design should I look for? I'm Clueless!
Will she be wearing it as a daily wear or occasional?
Daily Wear - Requires you to get a more durable setting, less fancy and strong on the prongs. As she will be constantly on the go with the ring, try to go for a simple classic setting that is lasting through wear and tear.
Occasional - You have much more room to play with. This is now entirely up to you whether you want to pave the ring with small diamonds or create a custom special design.
Super Ideal or Solasfera? I'm stuck!
Get both! Haha. It really depends on you.
JP Super Ideal Round: The most balanced hearts and arrows diamond, this is the safest and most classic choice that performs extremely well under any lighting environment.
Solasfera: 10 hearts and arrows, out of all the diamonds i've seen in the world, i would say under a spotlight environment, nothing comes close to it's performance. Under fluorescent lighting, it's light return does aid it's color to make it appear whiter than it seems(a F color looks closer to a E face up)
The only drawback you may ever consider is when purchasing a really small Solasfera like 0.3 it may look over contrasted. Then again, it looks even more scintillating when the diamond is so small.
Why do you like the Brellia so much?
Years back, people said it was impossible to cut a square or cushion shape diamond to achieve the same optical performance as the round hearts and arrows. The first time i saw this diamond, a 0.6 little cushion, i immediately fell in love with it. You just won't find any other diamond that looks this special.
What do you think about luxury brands like Tiffany / Cartier etc?
I think some of their stuff is really great! I really do hope that bigger brands emphasize more on their cut quality though. It's very possible to buy a diamond ring from a private jeweller at 1/3 the price and when you place the 2 rings together the diamond ring from the private jeweller look way better. It's hard to put a "price" on branded jewelry, it's not like branded handbags where their designs and logo's allow you to recognize it immediately.
However, some of the patented designs are really cool!
What do you think about local chain store diamonds?
Most of the local branded diamonds are actually re-branded diamonds. E.g: brilliant rose is aka the Leo Cut. I would say some of them are pretty alright, but some are priced so high that I honestly feel the international brands are more worth it. Can't really comment more haha.
How frequent should I return to do a prong check?
On the safe side, I would check every 7-12 months. Depending on how frequent the user is wearing the ring. It's always better to be safe than sorry! Last thing you want happening is to lose that diamond. We offer free prong checks and cleaning while we are at it. Feel free to drop by anything, we are more than willing to help!
I've worn my diamond for a month, and it looks duller and duller, what is happening?
Dirt and dust gets trapped/stuck easily onto your diamond and the prongs. This makes your diamond appear lack luster because the dirt is blocking light in and out. A good wash will return it back to the first time you got it!
What advice do you have for a diamond rookie or someone who is new to this and wants to get a ring to propose?
Research as much as possible. Read up online what makes a great diamond! Remember, you're spending each hard earned cent on every facet of that diamond, and i'm pretty sure you want it to look great on your partner's finger. Don't be fooled by strong halogen lights in various shops, always use diamond tools such as scopes to view the diamond first.
The thing is, even after so many years in this industry, I can't purchase a diamond just by looking at it. I still require scopes and loupes, so you should too! When i first started, i made some stupid purchases, diamonds with crooked arrows, unsymmetrical hearts, minor light leakages. While for the same price, i could get something perfect if I took the time to research more.
The diamond purchasing process is actually a really fun one, you will remember this process for the rest of your life!