Help me find a gorgeous e-ring please!

[busines4u]

Can I just toss out a perspective on things we "pin" or 'favorite'? I happen to pin a LOT of styles, but not so much because I like or love THAT ring, but maybe an element of it ... could be the engraving, could be the basket, you get my drift. OP's intended might really just love that ring and everything about it, but I know if my SO we're to ever look at my Pinterest bling folder, he would be lost, or might actually wind up buying something I didn't love, but only liked one element of that piece. In situations like this, if it were me, I would prefer being proposed to with the diamond he picked out set in a very simple solitaire/temp setting so we could pick out the "forever" setting together. But that's just me ...

I think you are spot on. I feel like she also would like this setting now, but in 5-10 years not like it anymore. I think I am going to go for something a little more timeless and that is more open/traditional in the setting.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[JDDN]

I did ask the rep to ask the gemologist about the crystal. Below is what I sent via e-mail:

Are you able to ask the gemologist if this diamond has a white or black feather in the table? Can you also ask him to inspect the diamond to be sure it is “completely eye-clean”? What I mean by this is that I want him to inspect the diamond as close as he possibly can from his/her naked eye to see if any inclusions can be seen from top/bottom/side without the use of the scope (even if this means that he looks at the diamond an inch away from his/her face). Does this diamond have any visible dark crystals present, from the video it appears to have one in the table causing it to reflect throughout the diamond.

Below is the response I received:

Thank you for your prompt response. Our gemologist has inspected the entirety of the diamond. He has inspected as close as possible in order to provide you accurate information towards the diamonds appearance. Per his words, this diamond is eye clean. The feather we are referring to is transparent and not visible by the untrained eye. As our gemologist stated it was very difficult to find the feather with his trained eye.

A diamonds eye cleanliness is measured and inspected by holding the diamond 6 inches from your eyes. This diamond those not have any visible crystals present that would be of concern. Any inclusion that affects the diamonds appearance and compromises the diamonds eye cleanliness would have been stated and documented by our gemologist. Diamond 29443 was our gemologist top choice as he feels that this diamond will perform much better than the other. Let us know if we can answer any further questions or concerns. Hope this information helped you in your choice.

It is odd to me that there is never a mention of the dark crystal in the table, only the transparent feather. I feel like there is something fishy about this diamond, almost like it is too good to be true based on the cut/size/color/price of the stone. Also his response seems a bit contradicting since he states the gemologist looked as he close as possible and states that it is eye clean, then goes on to describe the definition of eye clean being 6 inches away.. Perhaps I am just thinking about this too much and over analyzing!

When are you planning on proposing? If you're not in a time crunch, order the diamond and buy a cheap loupe on Amazon. Inspect the diamond with your naked eyes and see if you can see anything or if what you see is a detriment to the stone's beauty. Then take your loupe and inspect it further. If it passes your test, then you got a fantastic diamond. If not, return it.

 

[busines4u]

I was able to stop by Jared's to see what setting she picked out in order to find something similar on JA, but I don't see anything that is even close to what she picked out at Jared's, which kind of puts me in a pickle. Of course Jared's tried selling me a diamond which is linked below. Everything looked surprisingly good from my naked eye, but the GIA had me a bit scared with all of the twinning wisps that were listed. Of course this diamond is marked up quite a bit (take a guess). Let me know your thoughts on it as I am curious to get someone else's opinion on this that is more educated than me.

Setting:




GIA report of diamond pictured above:

http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?rep...ename=GIA/Dispatcher&c=Page&cid=1355954554547

 

[JDDN]

Is that the setting your GF picked out? I'm a little surprised as it will likely be catching on things with those side arms, especially since it looks like there's one arm that isn't anchored to a prong. It really does seem like she is gravitating toward the swoopy shank that wraps around the center stone.

Well....do you think she'll only be happy with that setting? Or do you think she'd still love something similar?

As far as the stone, it looks a bit hazy under the table, especially in the first photo. Did you notice that or is it just the photography?

Was it totally eye clean to you? You'd want to inspect it in different lighting than the store lights.

I guess you have to decide if you want to sacrifice on the clarity. As far as those angles, here's a really good way to look at it from one of the experts on PS. Someone else asked about a GIA ex cut that had the same CA and PA. See Rhino's response.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/pass-the-mother-in-law-test-how-about-its-light-performance.214960/#post-3907305#p3907305']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/pass-the-mother-in-law-test-how-about-its-light-performance.214960/#post-3907305#p3907305[/URL]

On a very quick search I found this one. Won't catch, but not sure if your GF would likey.

I'm sure the others on this site could find something very similar. You may try looking at Gabriel and Co.

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/dee-18k-white-gold-5964w18

 

[UrsTx]

I have a lot of experience with Jared - I bought two diamonds from them in my pre-PS days. After finding PS, I now think Jared is overpriced as it relates to loose diamonds. However, I like their maintenance/service and it's an easy place to get your jewelry cleaned since they clean all of your jewelry for free even if you're not a customer.

This is what I'd recommend:
***Buy your stone (only) from a PS vendor who fits your budget and specs.
***Take it to Jared and tell them it's a family diamond that you'd like to have set. Yes, they know you're looking for a ring bc you've already met with them but "I told my mother I'm looking for a ring and she wanted me to have this diamond - so I only need a setting now." Or tell them you bought it online. Doesn't really matter to them.
***Buy the setting from Jared and get their maintenance warranty too if it's white gold (free rhodium re-plating and covers if any of those small stones fall out - WILL NOT cover the center stone obviously).
***have Jared set the stone. Their setting work will have a six month warranty in case it comes loose.
***buy insurance for the ring.

Plus I'm kinda iffy on the GIA mapping in the Jared stone. Lots of activity under the table.

 

[busines4u]

Yes that is the setting my girlfriend picked out. She picked out another one that was nearly identical to the one pictured. The side diamonds were just of lower quality and it really stood out for me, which is why I chose this one. I agree that this would catch on things much more than other rings. I took my mother with me and we were both in disbelief that she picked this type of setting out for multiple reasons. We had to actually confirm they pulled the right slip with her information on it!

She would have to be happy with that setting since the two she picked out were just that kind of style. I think she would be happy to find something similar but since she really threw a curve ball at my mother and I, I'm scared to try and pick something different out.

I agree in the first photo it does look a bit hazy. That very well could be from the photo I took though as I had it cropped before uploading. I can e-mail you the actual photo from my phone if you would like to see. I've been reading up on "Twinning Wisps" and being that it is an SI2 there is a chance that these can cause the hazy look that we see. Based on the GIA report there are several right in the table, which could be impacting the performance of it??

We did take the diamond outside in the sunlight to inspect it and it did look nice, but it wasn't anything that really set me back and say WOW that is a beautiful diamond! From my naked eye I could not notice anything wrong with the diamond. under the scope of course I was able to tell though.

The more I think about it, I don't have too good of a feeling about the diamond and the deal they offered me on it. For $8400 of an SI2 G color diamond I can do better, much better. I told them that they could do better on the price and they said that they will be happy to price match if I can show them something of similar specs but of better price.

 

[UrsTx]

Will they price match an online price? A few years ago they wouldn't but maybe their policy changed.

How about using the PS Diamonds Search feature under Resources and put in the Jared stone specs to see what the PS vendors prices are? Then you'll know if you're on par with Jared's prices. That'll give you a little bit of comfort level either way (buying from them or buying elsewhere).

 

[busines4u]

I have a lot of experience with Jared - I bought two diamonds from them in my pre-PS days. After finding PS, I now think Jared is overpriced as it relates to loose diamonds. However, I like their maintenance/service and it's an easy place to get your jewelry cleaned since they clean all of your jewelry for free even if you're not a customer.

This is what I'd recommend:
***Buy your stone (only) from a PS vendor who fits your budget and specs.
***Take it to Jared and tell them it's a family diamond that you'd like to have set. Yes, they know you're looking for a ring bc you've already met with them but "I told my mother I'm looking for a ring and she wanted me to have this diamond - so I only need a setting now." Or tell them you bought it online. Doesn't really matter to them.
***Buy the setting from Jared and get their maintenance warranty too if it's white gold (free rhodium re-plating and covers if any of those small stones fall out - WILL NOT cover the center stone obviously).
***have Jared set the stone. Their setting work will have a six month warranty in case it comes loose.
***buy insurance for the ring.

Plus I'm kinda iffy on the GIA mapping in the Jared stone. Lots of activity under the table.

Thank you so much for sharing. This answered a lot of questions I was just getting ready to post. I too am iffy on the GIA mapping, it looks pretty beat up and I feel like all the inclusions on the table would HAVE to impact performance. The report even states that some of them are not shown, so how many of them are there truly? I just called them up and told them that the price was not right and that I was looking at dunkindiamonds.com (local store near me) and their prices blew them out of the water, by a couple grand. I could get a 1.5ct G SI2 from them and still spend less that what Jared was asking. They are going to do some research now and get back to me.

 

[busines4u]

Will they price match an online price? A few years ago they wouldn't but maybe their policy changed.

How about using the PS Diamonds Search feature under Resources and put in the Jared stone specs to see what the PS vendors prices are? Then you'll know if you're on par with Jared's prices. That'll give you a little bit of comfort level either way (buying from them or buying elsewhere).

I asked them and they will not price match online. They will only do something from a store that I could get in writing. I have no problem purchasing this stone separate and having them set it for me and paying for insurance over time. This is a large chunk of money and I will be certain that I get the most beautiful sparlky fiery diamond that I possibly can.

Thanks everyone for their help thus far! I really enjoy the prompt response that I receive!

 

[tyty333]

This ring has a little bit of the feel that your GF picked out...
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/14k-white-gold-modern-bypass-micropave-diamond-engagement-ring-item-50669

This also
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/14k-white-gold-twisted-pave-shank-contemporary-solitaire-item-6859

But I think buying the stone elsewhere and taking it to jareds is your best option.

 

[JDDN]

I have a lot of experience with Jared - I bought two diamonds from them in my pre-PS days. After finding PS, I now think Jared is overpriced as it relates to loose diamonds. However, I like their maintenance/service and it's an easy place to get your jewelry cleaned since they clean all of your jewelry for free even if you're not a customer.

This is what I'd recommend:
***Buy your stone (only) from a PS vendor who fits your budget and specs.
***Take it to Jared and tell them it's a family diamond that you'd like to have set. Yes, they know you're looking for a ring bc you've already met with them but "I told my mother I'm looking for a ring and she wanted me to have this diamond - so I only need a setting now." Or tell them you bought it online. Doesn't really matter to them.
***Buy the setting from Jared and get their maintenance warranty too if it's white gold (free rhodium re-plating and covers if any of those small stones fall out - WILL NOT cover the center stone obviously).
***have Jared set the stone. Their setting work will have a six month warranty in case it comes loose.
***buy insurance for the ring.

Plus I'm kinda iffy on the GIA mapping in the Jared stone. Lots of activity under the table.

I think this is a great idea. Buy the ubber sparkly stone online and have Jared set it in the setting she likes. Just make sure you insure the stone prior to having them set it in case they accidentally damage the stone during the setting process. This is pretty standard too for those of us who have re-set our diamonds. Get a 3rd party insurance policy like Jewelers Mutual or Chubb.

It's possible that after some time she will decide that the style isn't practical for what she does and she may want to change the setting. If this happens, you still have the really sparkly beautiful center diamond and then she can pick something else out.

 

[busines4u]

I have a lot of experience with Jared - I bought two diamonds from them in my pre-PS days. After finding PS, I now think Jared is overpriced as it relates to loose diamonds. However, I like their maintenance/service and it's an easy place to get your jewelry cleaned since they clean all of your jewelry for free even if you're not a customer.

This is what I'd recommend:
***Buy your stone (only) from a PS vendor who fits your budget and specs.
***Take it to Jared and tell them it's a family diamond that you'd like to have set. Yes, they know you're looking for a ring bc you've already met with them but "I told my mother I'm looking for a ring and she wanted me to have this diamond - so I only need a setting now." Or tell them you bought it online. Doesn't really matter to them.
***Buy the setting from Jared and get their maintenance warranty too if it's white gold (free rhodium re-plating and covers if any of those small stones fall out - WILL NOT cover the center stone obviously).
***have Jared set the stone. Their setting work will have a six month warranty in case it comes loose.
***buy insurance for the ring.

Plus I'm kinda iffy on the GIA mapping in the Jared stone. Lots of activity under the table.

I think this is a great idea. Buy the ubber sparkly stone online and have Jared set it in the setting she likes. Just make sure you insure the stone prior to having them set it in case they accidentally damage the stone during the setting process. This is pretty standard too for those of us who have re-set our diamonds. Get a 3rd party insurance policy like Jewelers Mutual or Chubb.

It's possible that after some time she will decide that the style isn't practical for what she does and she may want to change the setting. If this happens, you still have the really sparkly beautiful center diamond and then she can pick something else out.

I agree. I really wanted to get it all at one place, but its not going to happen which I am fine with. I see her wearing this ring for awhile and getting sick of it because it just screams "CATCH ME"

 

[busines4u]

I was referred to a "diamond guy" today from a friend/close coworker and I was able to get a hold of him. He is an independent jeweler and he makes all of his settings himself. He is doing a road show right now in Nashville and then to Vegas setting up his booth. I told him my story and he seems very interested in helping me out. He said once he gets back he would like to sit down with me and show me a few stones and that he would make me a ring/setting from scratch. I sent him the pictures of the setting my GF picked out and he said he would be able to replicate that without a problem.

He asked me where I was looking at before and I told him(Jared's, Rogers, Kay's etc.) and he chuckled and said that those stores markup too much. He told me that Roger's doesn't even count as a place that I looked at. He also told me that he sells settings and rings to Jared, which I am kind of skeptical of but who knows?!?!

Anyways... What are your thoughts on this? Should I be leery of going this route? I figured I might as well check it out as I have nothing to lose and I feel pretty confident now in what to look for thanks to this wonderful website. But I think if he truly has sold rings and diamonds to Jared's and I can go directly to him then perhaps I could get a solid deal and more bang for my buck?

As always, I appreciate any advice/feedback and look forward to hear what everyone has to say.

 

[JDDN]

Well I wouldn't be leery, but I would definitely be cautious. It won't hurt to see this guy since you know what setting she wants. Does he have a website or portfolio of the work he's done? You want to make sure that the quality and workmanship is really good, preferably excellent. The many favorite jewelers people have used on PS have been well vetted as there are a LOT of examples of their work and testaments to the quality so you know you can trust the person. You'd want to try and get a sense of all of that from this guy. Also if you had him make the ring from Jared's, what kind of warranty or how does he back up his work? Will he service it for free or for how much? Or how much would he charge if one of the small diamonds falls out (which if she works with her hands, then this is likely to happen at some point).

As far as him showing you diamonds, if you see anything you like, get the GIA report number and post it here with the price. You can also do a search at home with the specs and/or the GIA report number and see how competitive his pricing is. I think you just wouldn't want a crazy mark up if you can get the same diamond or one very similar for a significant amount less.

And, maybe you don't want to spend a huge amount on a setting that may not be practical (I'm not trying to be cynical!)? I'm saying, let her choose the setting she likes, but many of us have changed settings due to similar reasons. Do a price comparison for the setting at Jared's and his setting. And lastly, does your GF know that a wedding band will not sit flush or even close to flush with the ring she picked out? Maybe she doesn't care which is completely fine. But maybe she hasn't thought about that. They do make wedding bands that essentially follow the outline of the e-ring, but it looks a bit funny when worn on it's own. Here's an example.

http://www.mccaul.com/2013/04/wave-wedding-engagement-ring-set/

 

[VRBeauty]

Another setting option from JA:

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/14k-white-gold-pave-twist-engagement-ring-item-8120

And ditto JDDN's comments re a traditional band not sitting flush with a setting like this one. That would bother some people, but not others. My experience with bands that are contoured to fit with a style like this is that they often shift when you wear them... which is why some people end up getting the e-ring and wedding band soldered together.

 

[lovemybling]

OH VRBeauty that last ring you posted is very pretty. And would be much less catchy

 

[busines4u]

Well I wouldn't be leery, but I would definitely be cautious. It won't hurt to see this guy since you know what setting she wants. Does he have a website or portfolio of the work he's done? You want to make sure that the quality and workmanship is really good, preferably excellent. The many favorite jewelers people have used on PS have been well vetted as there are a LOT of examples of their work and testaments to the quality so you know you can trust the person. You'd want to try and get a sense of all of that from this guy. Also if you had him make the ring from Jared's, what kind of warranty or how does he back up his work? Will he service it for free or for how much? Or how much would he charge if one of the small diamonds falls out (which if she works with her hands, then this is likely to happen at some point).

As far as him showing you diamonds, if you see anything you like, get the GIA report number and post it here with the price. You can also do a search at home with the specs and/or the GIA report number and see how competitive his pricing is. I think you just wouldn't want a crazy mark up if you can get the same diamond or one very similar for a significant amount less.

And, maybe you don't want to spend a huge amount on a setting that may not be practical (I'm not trying to be cynical!)? I'm saying, let her choose the setting she likes, but many of us have changed settings due to similar reasons. Do a price comparison for the setting at Jared's and his setting. And lastly, does your GF know that a wedding band will not sit flush or even close to flush with the ring she picked out? Maybe she doesn't care which is completely fine. But maybe she hasn't thought about that. They do make wedding bands that essentially follow the outline of the e-ring, but it looks a bit funny when worn on it's own. Here's an example.

http://www.mccaul.com/2013/04/wave-wedding-engagement-ring-set/

I tried doing a search for him online and had some troubles since his name is Steve Nash, but I did stumble across this website that has his name and phone number listed on the website under Marketing>Contact. He is listed under the U.S. Sales section.
http://www.almerjewelry.com/alex/semimounts
I need to hash out these details with him in regards to how he would back up his work and what he would charge me to make something like this from scratch. We did not have a lot of time to chat as he was setting up his booth for the show. I'll be compiling a list of questions for him to make sure I feel 100% confident/safe.

He knows that I am looking for a GIA/AGS certified diamond. I had to lookup the diamond at Jared's since they did not have the GIA report on hand so I am familiar with that. One thing I will fall short on is trying to gauge how competitive his price will be for a diamond. It would have to be something I would have to look up after checking them out and grabbing the specs.

You raise a good point about spending a ton of money on this setting that has the potential of being replaced should it turn out to be a hassle to wear while working. I was thinking of having Steve build this ring but connecting those floating prongs to help minimize the potential of getting it caught on everything. She does know that the wedding band will have to be custom made in order to sit flush against the engagement ring, I recall her mentioning that when she was telling me about the 3 she picked out. I feel like her selection goes against her philosophy of getting something timeless. As everyone has mentioned she may like it now but not in the future. Makes me wonder should I just play it safe and pick a solitaire setting to minimize cost and a potential waste of money should it be replaced in the near future

 

[busines4u]

Another setting option from JA:

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/14k-white-gold-pave-twist-engagement-ring-item-8120

And ditto JDDN's comments re a traditional band not sitting flush with a setting like this one. That would bother some people, but not others. My experience with bands that are contoured to fit with a style like this is that they often shift when you wear them... which is why some people end up getting the e-ring and wedding band soldered together.

Good point and I agree I do like that setting a lot. This looks like it would also have to have a custom band made to sit flush?

 

[VRBeauty]

Another setting option from JA:

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/14k-white-gold-pave-twist-engagement-ring-item-8120

And ditto JDDN's comments re a traditional band not sitting flush with a setting like this one. That would bother some people, but not others. My experience with bands that are contoured to fit with a style like this is that they often shift when you wear them... which is why some people end up getting the e-ring and wedding band soldered together.

Good point and I agree I do like that setting a lot. This looks like it would also have to have a custom band made to sit flush?

Not custom per se, but it is a unique band. http://www.jamesallen.com/wedding-rings/matching-bands/pave-twist-wedding-ring-item-49398 It would be actually be wearable (and quite pretty) alone, even though it's obviously meant to be worn as part of a set.

 

[VRBeauty]

By the way, JA also has a tension-set ring that's similar to your gf's original inspiration ring:

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagemen...d-spiral-tension-set-engagement-ring-item-197

That can be paired with this stunning wedding ring:

http://www.jamesallen.com/wedding-r...d-open-twist-pave-set-wedding-ring-item-18518

Or this slightly more traditional one:

http://www.jamesallen.com/wedding-r...e-gold-lightning-pave-wedding-ring-item-18526

And JA also has this this modified tension set ring:

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagemen...ld-spiral-solitaire-engagement-ring-item-1880

 

[D_]

It is odd to me that there is never a mention of the dark crystal in the table, only the transparent feather. I feel like there is something fishy about this diamond, almost like it is too good to be true based on the cut/size/color/price of the stone. Also his response seems a bit contradicting since he states the gemologist looked as he close as possible and states that it is eye clean, then goes on to describe the definition of eye clean being 6 inches away.. Perhaps I am just thinking about this too much and over analyzing!

His response may not necessary be contradicting. It's easy to get carried away with the magnified images of the diamond, but try looking at anything closer than 6 inches, our eyes won't even be able to focus on it.
The bad thing about magnified image is it affects our perception mind-clean wise. Once we know it's there then even if our physical eyes can't see it our mind can lead us to believe we can actually see it.

 

[JDDN]

Well I wouldn't be leery, but I would definitely be cautious. It won't hurt to see this guy since you know what setting she wants. Does he have a website or portfolio of the work he's done? You want to make sure that the quality and workmanship is really good, preferably excellent. The many favorite jewelers people have used on PS have been well vetted as there are a LOT of examples of their work and testaments to the quality so you know you can trust the person. You'd want to try and get a sense of all of that from this guy. Also if you had him make the ring from Jared's, what kind of warranty or how does he back up his work? Will he service it for free or for how much? Or how much would he charge if one of the small diamonds falls out (which if she works with her hands, then this is likely to happen at some point).

As far as him showing you diamonds, if you see anything you like, get the GIA report number and post it here with the price. You can also do a search at home with the specs and/or the GIA report number and see how competitive his pricing is. I think you just wouldn't want a crazy mark up if you can get the same diamond or one very similar for a significant amount less.

And, maybe you don't want to spend a huge amount on a setting that may not be practical (I'm not trying to be cynical!)? I'm saying, let her choose the setting she likes, but many of us have changed settings due to similar reasons. Do a price comparison for the setting at Jared's and his setting. And lastly, does your GF know that a wedding band will not sit flush or even close to flush with the ring she picked out? Maybe she doesn't care which is completely fine. But maybe she hasn't thought about that. They do make wedding bands that essentially follow the outline of the e-ring, but it looks a bit funny when worn on it's own. Here's an example.

http://www.mccaul.com/2013/04/wave-wedding-engagement-ring-set/

I tried doing a search for him online and had some troubles since his name is Steve Nash, but I did stumble across this website that has his name and phone number listed on the website under Marketing>Contact. He is listed under the U.S. Sales section.
http://www.almerjewelry.com/alex/semimounts
I need to hash out these details with him in regards to how he would back up his work and what he would charge me to make something like this from scratch. We did not have a lot of time to chat as he was setting up his booth for the show. I'll be compiling a list of questions for him to make sure I feel 100% confident/safe.

He knows that I am looking for a GIA/AGS certified diamond. I had to lookup the diamond at Jared's since they did not have the GIA report on hand so I am familiar with that. One thing I will fall short on is trying to gauge how competitive his price will be for a diamond. It would have to be something I would have to look up after checking them out and grabbing the specs.

You raise a good point about spending a ton of money on this setting that has the potential of being replaced should it turn out to be a hassle to wear while working. I was thinking of having Steve build this ring but connecting those floating prongs to help minimize the potential of getting it caught on everything. She does know that the wedding band will have to be custom made in order to sit flush against the engagement ring, I recall her mentioning that when she was telling me about the 3 she picked out. I feel like her selection goes against her philosophy of getting something timeless. As everyone has mentioned she may like it now but not in the future. Makes me wonder should I just play it safe and pick a solitaire setting to minimize cost and a potential waste of money should it be replaced in the near future

It's a tough call. Since she's been choosing and gravitating towards these very stylistic swoopy settings, she may not be happy with a simple classic solitaire. As a woman who has changed her mind many times (lol), I would say she probably needs to discover that the setting doesn't work with her lifestyle on her own. Otherwise, she will always wish for the setting she's picked out. And maybe she will love it and she'll make it work because she likes it so much. Who knows .

You can either get the setting she picked out or have it made (which ever is less $?) and let her figure out what's what. Hopefully it isn't super expensive. Or, you can put the diamond in a simple classic solitaire and tell her if she wants to change the setting, she can pick one she likes. As an example, many vendors have a basic 4 or 6 prong solitaire white gold setting to be used for the proposal. Then you swap out the setting for one that the fiance chooses and the amount of the temporary setting gets credited towards the new setting. JA has a 4 and 6 prong 14 carat white gold setting for something like $180. So even if she will only be happy with the setting at Jared's, you're really not out much money. I believe WF will swap out any setting within 30 days of purchase. Just something to think about if you really can't decide.

 

[busines4u]

Well I ran into some personal issues that pulled me away from my diamond search. Things have finally calmed down and I am able to continue. Jared's have been pestering me about their diamonds and I told them that their diamonds are over priced and not very good quality. I provided them with a few examples of what I was talking about and they asked for some time to do some research. They brought in a diamond of SI2 which I turned down and told them I was done doing business with them. I brought in my slips to get my deposit back and they wanted one last chance, which I decided to give them.

I just got back from them and found a pretty darn good diamond (I think/hope). They upped the size, cut, clarity, color and lowered the price. I checked out the Hearts & Arrows through their scope and I have them included to gather your opinions on (I used my cell phone camera so the quality may not be the best). I also have included a link below to the AGS Cert.

I think that this may be the diamond and setting that I go with! They said the diamond cost around 12K and that after my "reward points" and discount the best they could do for me was give me the diamond for $7800, which is slightly less than the SI2 they showed me previously.

Please let me know what everyone thinks and let me know if I can answer any questions.

Diamond Info
AGS 104080272006 - SI1 G 1.302ct Ideal 000
http://www.agslab.com/pdf_sync_reports/104080272006-PDQDFK.PDF

 

[solgen]

That's not a true H&A diamond. The star and lower girdle facets are not the proper sizes. It's probably still a great diamond and worth consideration. That price is also quite good though you may have to factor in sales tax. Is it eye clean?

 

[JDDN]

Definitely not a Hearts and Arrows diamond. But that doesn't mean it can't be great.

It's really hard to tell by your photo as it looks cloudy. On the report it does say "clouds not shown."

Did you think it was spectacular? What are your thoughts?


I saw this post tonight and I thought of the ring your GF likes at Jareds. It's similar in design but what struck me is that it's a semi-bezel around the center stone, so no prongs and instead of pronged melee it's channel set so again, no prongs which is much less fussy from a functional stand point (and from a person who works with her hands stand point).



[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/can-i-put-larger-stone-in-my-ring.215333/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/can-i-put-larger-stone-in-my-ring.215333/[/URL]

 

[busines4u]

That's not a true H&A diamond. The star and lower girdle facets are not the proper sizes. It's probably still a great diamond and worth consideration. That price is also quite good though you may have to factor in sales tax. Is it eye clean?

I am able to swap out this diamond with the one they previously had picked for me with no extra cost to me. The previous diamond was an SI2 G color 1.2 carat "Excellent" Cut. I believe I have the link to the GIA cert in a previous post.

From what I can tell this diamond is eye clean. I personally do not see anything wrong with it except for under a scope. I am asking a friend of mine to come in and check out the diamond as she has seen many many diamonds before and has an eye for this sort of thing.

 

[busines4u]

Definitely not a Hearts and Arrows diamond. But that doesn't mean it can't be great.

It's really hard to tell by your photo as it looks cloudy. On the report it does say "clouds not shown."

Did you think it was spectacular? What are your thoughts?


I saw this post tonight and I thought of the ring your GF likes at Jareds. It's similar in design but what struck me is that it's a semi-bezel around the center stone, so no prongs and instead of pronged melee it's channel set so again, no prongs which is much less fussy from a functional stand point (and from a person who works with her hands stand point).



[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/can-i-put-larger-stone-in-my-ring.215333/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/can-i-put-larger-stone-in-my-ring.215333/[/URL]

I don't think that my photo does the diamond justice. I had a difficult time getting my cell phone to focus on just the diamond. The same goes for the H&A images. I too am concerned with the report saying "clouds not shown". When I've seen that before they don't put them on the report because it would make the diamond look rather bad from all the red marking all over it. Perhaps I am wrong in that statement though?

I think this is by far the best diamond I have checked out in person from everywhere I have looked. I'm still not sold that it would be the best performer though. I ran it through HCA and it scored well. I would love to have a WF diamond to compare it next to in order to see if I can tell the difference in the two stones.

As I mentioned above I am having a friend of mine check out this stone to see what she thinks of the diamond. She has looked at many diamonds and has a better eye for telling if this is eye clean/cloudy. I'll also see if I can get a better H&A image as it was tough for me to get the diamond sitting just right. One thing I forgot to ask about was an IdealScope, so hopefully they have one so I can check out the light return.

 

[solgen]

I don't see much point in getting more H&A pics. Going off the proportions of the diamond it won't have the necessary hearts pattern. So it shouldn't be quantified as a H&A diamond. As mentioned it could still be a nice diamond though. Idealscope or ASET images would help. I've been told you can take a ping pong ball and cut it in half. Paint the inside red with a marker or whatever. Make a hole in the center the size of your camera lens and attach it. You now have a modified Idealscope.

 

[busines4u]

I don't see much point in getting more H&A pics. Going off the proportions of the diamond it won't have the necessary hearts pattern. So it shouldn't be quantified as a H&A diamond. As mentioned it could still be a nice diamond though. Idealscope or ASET images would help. I've been told you can take a ping pong ball and cut it in half. Paint the inside red with a marker or whatever. Make a hole in the center the size of your camera lens and attach it. You now have a modified Idealscope.

I stopped last night and the diamond had already been mounted. I agree that after doing some reading on here that getting these images would be pointless anyways since the diamond is not cut for a true Hearts & Arrows pattern. I don't believe Jared's have an IdealScope every time I asked for one they gave me the scope for the H&A. I guess I need to be more specific

One thing I discovered that this diamond is not laser inscribed, which I thought being Certified by AGS it would be. In order to get it inscribed I have to send it back for them to do and they will update the cert for me. The cost is $50 or $100 I can't remember. This leads me to the following questions:

--Should I get it inscribed?
--If I send it back to AGS, is it possible for them to provide me with a ASET like they do on other Certs I have looked at? Ideas on cost?
--Do they provide Ideal Scope Images?
--Would I have any luck in having one of the gemologist from AGS call me when they get the diamond so that I may ask for their opinion on it?[/list]

My friend was able to stop last night and she agreed the diamond was gorgeous and did not see anything wrong with the diamond from an eye clean perspective. This diamond is making her want to get a new one and she has a 2.0ct princess cut halo I color and we could easily tell the color difference. Face Up my diamond is beautiful. As others have said I would like to get an IdealScope and ASET of it to see how it performs from a light return perspective.

Finally when viewing the diamond from the side there seems to be something towards the bottom between the girdle and the culet. Almost looks like another table (or internal girdle?) but it is not straight. Any ideas on what this could be? I didn't see any feathers on the report, so i can't imagine it would be that. perhaps it is a cloud that falls under the "other clouds not shown" I'll try and snap a picture of it tonight, because my mother would like to check out the new diamond. I'll bring along the Nikon camera to hopefully be able to get a better picture.

Look forward to hearing what everyone has to say.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

I don't see much point in getting more H&A pics. Going off the proportions of the diamond it won't have the necessary hearts pattern. So it shouldn't be quantified as a H&A diamond. As mentioned it could still be a nice diamond though. Idealscope or ASET images would help. I've been told you can take a ping pong ball and cut it in half. Paint the inside red with a marker or whatever. Make a hole in the center the size of your camera lens and attach it. You now have a modified Idealscope.

I stopped last night and the diamond had already been mounted. I agree that after doing some reading on here that getting these images would be pointless anyways since the diamond is not cut for a true Hearts & Arrows pattern. I don't believe Jared's have an IdealScope every time I asked for one they gave me the scope for the H&A. I guess I need to be more specific

One thing I discovered that this diamond is not laser inscribed, which I thought being Certified by AGS it would be. In order to get it inscribed I have to send it back for them to do and they will update the cert for me. The cost is $50 or $100 I can't remember. This leads me to the following questions:

--Should I get it inscribed?
--If I send it back to AGS, is it possible for them to provide me with a ASET like they do on other Certs I have looked at? Ideas on cost?
--Do they provide Ideal Scope Images?
--Would I have any luck in having one of the gemologist from AGS call me when they get the diamond so that I may ask for their opinion on it?[/list]

My friend was able to stop last night and she agreed the diamond was gorgeous and did not see anything wrong with the diamond from an eye clean perspective. This diamond is making her want to get a new one and she has a 2.0ct princess cut halo I color and we could easily tell the color difference. Face Up my diamond is beautiful. As others have said I would like to get an IdealScope and ASET of it to see how it performs from a light return perspective.

Finally when viewing the diamond from the side there seems to be something towards the bottom between the girdle and the culet. Almost looks like another table (or internal girdle?) but it is not straight. Any ideas on what this could be? I didn't see any feathers on the report, so i can't imagine it would be that. perhaps it is a cloud that falls under the "other clouds not shown" I'll try and snap a picture of it tonight, because my mother would like to check out the new diamond. I'll bring along the Nikon camera to hopefully be able to get a better picture.

Look forward to hearing what everyone has to say.

Regarding AGS, you could potentially order a dual light map cert and you would get computer generated ASETs from top and bottom (bottom showing hearts). Inscription is a good benefit for being able to identify your stone pretty easily if you ever take it for servicing (or if it is lost or stolen it can aid in recovery). It is not done automatically on all diamonds sent to AGS- you have to request it. If you do, you are not limited to just inscribing the cert number, so keep that in mind if you want to personalize it. I believe you will have to have the jeweler submit it for you as AGSL does not take in diamonds directly from the public. I doubt that you will be able to get any direct consultation from them on your stone, over and above the services you order, but you can call them directly and they will gladly answer your questions. Regarding pricing, they may refer you back to the jeweler.