I have quite a few questions/concerns to bring up, so hopefully everyone can bear with me. I am currently stationed in the Middle East and will be coming back home in February or March. I am looking to propose upon my return when I visit my girlfriend in San Diego. However, I am going to have to do all of my buying online and out of country, as I won’t have the time to go through stores once I am back in the states. Here are some of the issues I am going over, and any help would be great:
1. I wasn’t able to get a “confirmed” ring size, but I know it is somewhere around 7-7.5. As for ordering a custom ring, what is the best way to go about ordering? If it is the wrong size, is it easy to make small size changes? How about larger ones?
2. I am still a bit weary about buying something like this online, but this site has alleviated quite a bit of my fears. I have looked at a few of the links and am starting to feel pretty comfortable. Any suggestions on the best place to look for a diamond? I have spent a lot of time looking at www.goodoldgold.com.
3. I have some pictures of settings that I like, but they are custom, and the person doing the work is not taking any more orders at this time. What is the etiquette for getting help from a custom jeweler? Is it okay to send pictures of completed rings, and saying this is pretty much what you want?
4. Is it possible to get a custom ring made while I am 5000 miles away from the maker? How do I assure the quality and aesthetics?
5. Furthermore, how would this work? Do I buy the diamond and then send the diamond to the setting maker that has the design I like?
Any help I can get is much appreciated.
Mark