Buying a ring. Need alot of help!!!

[Oradev]

Hello all, my name is AJ and I''m looking to buy an engagement ring for my girlfriend in the next few months.

Here''s some of my questions:
1.) I have around 8k to spend (diamond and setting), should I shop online or B&M? I live in the DC Area.
She likes the tacori settings (HT 2257 A, HT 2306), But a little thinner and the diamonds half way around.
Below is a link to one of them.

http://tacori.com/collections/koala/koala_c-d.html

2.) I know she wants a round diamond and I want to get her at least a carat. Do I buy a better cut, clarity, etc?
3.) If I choose B&M, should I go to the mall (Bailey Banks and B) or to an independent?

If there is anything I''m missing, please let me know. She''s a big fan of the antique finish which is why i''m looking more into the Tacori rings. Do you guys think I''ll be able to get her something similar to the above ring in my price range? Thanks for helping me out. I''m still a rookie at this stuff.

AJ

 

[devientdrow]

Well if you feel comfy buying online then do it. You''ll get more and most likely better for your money. I know if you stick with Tacori your going to pay a lot of your setting (I was in Smyth today and LOVED them but they were all in platinum. I have a plat wedding set and love it but I wasn''t going to pay for plat to reset my old diamond. BTW Smyth is in Hunt Valley www.albertsmyth.com and is a VERY reputable independent store here in MD. Your going to pay a little more than you would online but if you feel as if your not comfortable buying online I would reccomend Smyth) You could probably find settings that are very close to that style. Is your heart set on platinum? White gold is a way to save cash and some girl actually prefer it over platinum. I think you can definatly accomplish what you want in your budget online....some vendors to look into:

www.jamesallen.com - This is where we got my diamond from and I love it! I don''t have in a doubt in my mind about this place and I don''t think Jim would ever sell anyone anything that didn''t look great!

www.whiteflash.com and www.goodoldgold.com These are two vendors that also come highly reccomended on here.

I haven''t heard much about BBB although I know they are the higher end of mall stores....

 

[devientdrow]

Oh also GO FOR CUT!!!! You can sacrifice color and clarity to save cash and if it''s an Ideal cut diamond it will shine and sparkle like mad! Color G, H and I stones are great for saving money. My G stone looks as colorless as an E to me! Also getting an SI1 or SI2 in clarity is a way to save cash. My stone is a G in color and and SI2 in clarity but it''s what they call "eye clean" and thats VERY important. It means when I look at my diamond under 10x magnification I can see the little inclusion, but to the naked eye you can see nothing at all. And really thats perfect to me....am I gonna walk around with a microscope on my ring?? No. And it will help save cash. However I think your budget is good enough that you could get a great stone without sacrificing too much. I would definatly say if your going for a round diamond get an Ideal cut. Everytime I''m in a jewelry store the sales ladies compliment my stone on how great it is. Honestly I think thier good cut makes them look bigger too. I went into Jareds and was very pleased to note that my .83 carat diamond looked the same size as thier 1 carat.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I knew I wanted a Tacori since highschool. There is just something about their designs that speak to me. Tacori settings are $$$ but I was willing to get a smaller diamond because for me the ring was all about the setting. Luckily for me my FI went above and beyond and I didn''t have to sacrifice anything. If you go to a jeweler that carries Tacori (you can look at www.tacori.com) they have a book of settings. Mine for example is more uncommon and they didn''t have a physical sample of it. If you do go with Tacori it will have to be plat. They do have some with 18 K yellow gold. My side diamonds are G/VS so they are very clear and bright. You can have a custom ring made to look like Tacori but I am not sure how much money you will save. If she has hinted she wants a Tacori that is what I suggest. Even if you spent $3,000 on a setting you would still have $5,000 on a very nice diamond. Also just for your information. Each Tacori is made to order so you have to buy your center stone first. It takes 4-6 weeks to create the ring. You can customize the ring (I know Punch''NPie had Tacori use larger stones in her design). You can PM me if you have any more questions. There is a "show me your Tacori" thread somewhere on here also. Good luck!

 

[Regular Guy]

AJ,

Not sure how much Tacori rings cost, but I'll bet you can get one, and still have enough left over for something like this.

Local resources (I'm in Silver Spring) include:

Charleston Alexander, in Bethesda (a new big showroom) and Northern VA, which probably carries Tacori
(edited to add) "Capital Bill" is at I think Ice Mine, and can bring in some options for you
James Alexander who's in Frederick, met with Devientrow, and who sometimes sees customers (and I bought from him).
Good Old Gold who, while in Long Island, given your time frame, sounds like a place you should make your way to one day.

If you search on "DC," upper right, you'll see a number of posts/ideas. Here's a favorite.

Read the link below my signature for shopping ideas, poke around this forum for education, and enjoy yourself.

 

[LewisJewelersA2]

When buying designer platinum rings like Tacori, Jeff Cooper and Scott Kay...you are receiving rings that have gone through top of the line quality control in the casting and setting process. So are they worth the money? Confidence is worth every penny.
David Lewis
www.Lewisjewelers.com

 

[Rod]

You also might want to check out Quest in Virginia (search on them using the search tool). There are many on this forum who have had them make custom pieces for them and from their posts they seem very happy with them.

Your budget should get you a very nice ring. Always remember that cut is simply the most important aspect. Many will tell you that you can go down in color and clarity if the cut is really good.

Good luck........

 

[ChooChoo]

Call the ladies at www.sistersjewelry.com. They give the best Tacori prices we found. That''s where I got my ring.