I Need Help! What can we get for our budget?

[angel03]

Hi, I''m new here. Will be getting engaged in a few months and am just starting the research. Any help at all is appreciated. We live in Los Angeles and the budget is $7000 - $9000. My ring size is very small (size 4) and I''m pretty sure I want white gold. I found this ring on the Robbins Bros website, but I''m not sure how I feel about that company.

http://www.robbinsbros.com/productsearch/productDetail.asp?prod_id=27398&pType=ring&intIsJewelry=0&set_shape=1012

Would it be possible to purchase a loose stone and have a jeweler make something similar? Where in the diamond district in LA are the best places to go and what should I be looking for. I would like at least one carat for the center stone. So, what color, cut and clarity are within my budget. I definitely want something eyeclean and I feel that the cut is very imporatant as well.

Thanks in advance for your help (I love this site).

 

[cascadejim]

Hi Angel03,

My experience on this site tells me that opinions will vary on a lot of different aspects, but one thing is a constant, CUT. Cut is critical so get the best cut you can. $7-$9k should get you a very, very nice 1ct diamond without much problem. I am currently purchasing a diamond through WhiteFlash.com and so far so good, although I am waiting for my check to clear and I haven''t actually recieved the stone yet.

My advice is to learn what components make a great cut, a nice starting block for me was this info (for a round diamond) depth of 60-62 and table 53-57 leads you to an ideal cut, but there are many more factors. I''m sure others will chime in. If you search via the pricescope search (top of this page) it will let you enter the search parameters and will give you a good idea of the price range you will be looking at.

Good luck!

 

[Cath]

Is your budget for the diamond + setting, or the diamond only? If it''s for both, do you know how much that setting costs?

The setting you like is a Tacori, so if you don''t like Robbins Brothers there will be other stores in LA that will carry it. Here''s the Tacori store locator - http://findlocation.com/Tacori/default.htm

 

[codex57]

Not sure if I posted before, but in the LA Jewelry District, I like Oscar''s Design Jewelry.

 

[angel03]

Wow! Thanks for all the great info, guys! The budget is for the diamond and the setting. I don''t know the cost of that setting (I might go look this weekend). How tricky is buying stones online?

 

[GETanEDGE]

Hey Angel,

I''ll give you my two cents...for what it''s worth.
I very recently purchased my fiance-to-be''s engagement ring at Robbin''s Bros. Naturally I went into the store just thinking I was going to look at different settings and five hours later I walked out with a ring. I would compare my shopping experience to purchasing a car. The salespeople are very helpful and they will show you everythign you want to see, but don''t be fooled by their canned presentations. They give you the "dummies" version of how to buy a diamond and practically skip over any details about cut. Do your research ahead of time and ask the sales people questions. Also, don''t let pressure sell you. If you aren''t ready to make a purchase, don''t do it. The one bad thing about shopping here is that the prices are rediculously inflated. Automatically take 1,500 or more off the sticker price. If you can bring on-line quotes from venders with similar diamonds I have heard that they will do their best to price match. Bottom line, you''ll pay a slight premium shopping here but they have added incentives that compensate for this (free inspections, free cleaning, warranty on diamonds....etc). Also, if you want to get an idea of different types of settings this store seriously has one of the largest selections I''ve ever seen. Like the Best Buy of engagement rings.

As far as shopping in LA, It can be a good experience, but definitley do your research ahead of time. I''ve heard horror stories. I went with a good friend of mine and he bought his ring through this company http://www.goldenstatejewelry.com. I trust the store owner there, don''t remember his name. This is where I would have gone had I not purchased through Robbin''s Bros. He can pretty much custom make any ring you want, he CAD designs them and has all the wax molds etc. As long as you know what you''re looking for I don''t think it''d be a problem. I probably could have saved 500-1000 shopping here, but I wound up getting a designer Ritani setting at Robbin''s Bros. Unfortunatley you pay more for the name brand.

There''s my two cents, hope it helps.

Good luck and keep us posted with how it goes.

 

[allycat0303]

Hey Angel,

Did you do a search of the forum on Robbin''s Bros? There''s a lot of interesting info on this company. I love the Tacori setting you picked out, it''s beautiful! I think it can be tricky to buy online, but a lot of people on this site have had great experiences with whiteflash. (I want my ring to come from there when it is time). As for the Tacori setting, you can go to Tacori.com, and fnd a dealer near you. Of course you can get something similar custom made if you would like, but I love that setting, and I would personally buy it if it was in my budget. It all depends on what size stone you want for your budget! Good luck!

 

[angel03]

I''m hoping for at least a carat. Would it be possible to get an Ideal Cut (or H&A) and lesser quality color (maybe an I or J with some blue fluorescence) with this particular setting and stay within my budget? Also, what kind of clarity should I be looking for (I certainly want it eyeclean)? This ring will never be sold or upgraded - I will wear it the rest of my life - and it will seldom (if ever) be compared side by side to other jewelry pieces. What kind of wedding band would go best with this ring?

 

[Cath]

Date: 1/25/2005 1:38

8 PM
Author: angel03
I''m hoping for at least a carat. Would it be possible to get an Ideal Cut (or H&A) and lesser quality color (maybe an I or J with some blue fluorescence) with this particular setting and stay within my budget? Also, what kind of clarity should I be looking for (I certainly want it eyeclean)? This ring will never be sold or upgraded - I will wear it the rest of my life - and it will seldom (if ever) be compared side by side to other jewelry pieces. What kind of wedding band would go best with this ring?

It will really depend on how much the setting is, but since it sounds like you''re willing to go down to J for color, I don''t think you should have a problem. For clarity I think SI1 or SI2 will be fine -- you can certainly find eye-clean SI diamonds in your size but it will take extra work and if you buy online, ask the vendor to give their opinion about whether the diamond is eye-clean or not.

You can use the search at top of the page or on the Pricescope homepage to see how much the diamonds will cost. For example, here''s a 1.083ct H SI2 H&A from Whiteflash for $5,445, which at the top end of your budget would leave you with about $3.5K for the setting -- http://www.whiteflash.com/diamonds/diamond_Details.aspx?itemcode=AGS-5026707#

Also, it sounds like you might be thinking about buying the stone and the setting from different vendors? If so, make sure you figure out beforehand who will set the stone into the setting for you. Recent posts have pointed out that some vendors won''t do it unless they sell you both the diamond and the setting, due to liability issues.

Let us know once you find out how much the setting costs.

 

[GETanEDGE]

Hey Angel,

I don''t forsee getting a complete ring within your 7-9k budget being much of a problem.
Have you thought at all about going just under a carat .90 - .99 range? This can be a good way of saving money on your stone, just watch out on the cut of these stones because sometimes they can be under or over cut. You can buy separates at Robbin''s Bros, but they won''t let you out of there without a fight and you won''t get as good a deal on the ring. For comparison purposes, I bought a .91ct rb, F-color, SI2, Very Good Cut, set in a Ritani setting with .60ct tw channel set sidestones, for under 6k. I had to give up on clarity, but my stone only had a small feathered inclusion on the very edge of the stone which was completely covered by the prong. You can''t even tell which prong its under when you look at it under a loupe.

My advice would be to go in there, pick out the ring you want, pick out the diamond you want and see what kind of deal they can do for you. I wasn''t happy with the first diamond I picked out after they had set it, and I was able to go back and have them change it out for one I liked better. If they can''t give you a price within your range then walk out. At least this way you''ll get to examine some diamonds up close and see what kind of characteristics are most important to you. Then you can try and find a diamond with those characteristics from an online vender if you want. Remember to keep in mind that Robbin''s Bros is a B&M and has to pay overhead costs and comissions to it''s sales people so chances are you will pay a premium over an online vendor. You just have to decide which shopping experience is more usefull for you. It it worth paying more money to get a hands on experience? I''m biased with the B&M''s because I like to see and touch stuff up close before I buy them.

Hope that helps.