About to buy engagement ring... need help! Please!

[cryckman]

I''ve been looking for several weeks for engagement rings and have really fallen in love with one that I found from a jeweler on ebay called mdcdiamonds. He has a 100% feedback and has sold over 850 pieces. It is a 14K white gold setting and the center stone is 1.02 carats, princess cut, VS2, color H, depth 82.9%, table 77% and it''s measurements are 5.21 x 5.04 x 4.18 mm. There are 2 tapered baguette diamonds on each side each being .20 carats, VS, and color H. The total carat weight being 1.42 carats. He is going to sell it to me for $3,180. He says it appraises for $10,720.

The problem that I need help with, is that I just stumbled upon this site and read a post about mdcdiamonds that didn''t make me feel all that comfortable.

This is what was said:

"Be careful of the color and clarity they post, I see very few stones above a G and above a SI1. Knowing a little more about depth and table percentages that I learned here, some of their stones are a little deep too. Just know what you are looking at over there and then run a PS search over here to see what a similar diamond with a GIA certificate will run you here."

So I wanted to get some advice from someone because, I feel pretty confident about what I know about rings, but this posting made me realize that I know nothing about the depth, the table, or the measurements.

Can someone who does know a lot take a look at the entire description above (including the depth and table %) and let me know if I should back away from this ring and why? I feel like I trust him, and I feel like I''m getting a good deal, but I could be way off. He allows a 10 day money back guarantee, but I just want some advice before I send him the check!

Please help!

 

[Hest88]

The table''s larger than I''d like to see, and that depth is *way* too much, which means it''s likely to look smaller than it''s carat weight.

I don''t think the price is unreasonable, but assuming everything checks out you''ll be getting what you pay for, and not more than that. Perhaps if you post the ring?

 

[cryckman]

Sorry, I''m new to this... what do you mean "perhaps if you post the ring?"

 

[Aurora Borealis]

Post a link to the ring.

 

[reena]

with few exceptions, i don''t like ebay. you just never know what you''re getting.

this is an important purchase and a lot of cash. be careful and do your research.

 

[cryckman]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4936237257&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

 

[reena]

Date: 11/19/2004 11

6

8 AM
Author:cryckman
I''ve been looking for several weeks for engagement rings and have really fallen in love with one that I found from a jeweler on ebay called mdcdiamonds. He has a 100% feedback and has sold over 850 pieces. It is a 14K white gold setting and the center stone is 1.02 carats, princess cut, VS2, color H, depth 82.9%, table 77% and it''s measurements are 5.21 x 5.04 x 4.18 mm. There are 2 tapered baguette diamonds on each side each being .20 carats, VS, and color H. The total carat weight being 1.42 carats. He is going to sell it to me for $3,180. He says it appraises for $10,720.

WOAH BABY--82.9% depth!?!?!? nononononono.

 

[cruise182]

Be sure to buy through ebay rather then the dealer take it off ebay and sell to you. Just a little extra security i would suspect. I am not an expert at all infact i know very very little however it does look way to deep but then again the price reflects that. For that price you will not find an exellent 1ct
+ diamond. If you or anyone can let me know!!

 

[reena]

dude. do NOT buy that ring. seriously. the stone is going to look substantially smaller than a 1 carat stone. and nobody likes to see that.

 

[Diamondsbybree]

Scaaaarrrrrrrrressss me, and I am feerless....

Seriously, first thing you need to look at, that is not the actual ring you will be getting. If that were the case, the center diamond would not look that good. . . . .

Take everyones advice, shop around a little more. If you want to purchase off of ebay, I recommend www.diamondsbylauren.com or diamondboy. They have pretty good reputations on ebay.

 

[cryckman]

What kind of range in regard to depth and table should I be looking for on a 1 ct diaomond?

 

[cryckman]

Also, the reason I fell in love with this ring in the first place was mostly because of the setting of the ring itself. Does anyone know where I could possibly find a setting just like this one or have one made at a reasonable price???

again, here is a link to what it looks like:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4936237257&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

 

[reena]

i''ll let the princess experts chime in on that, but to get a rough idea you should check out the cut grading charts for princess cuts at www.gemappraisers.com. you do not want to be in the 80% range, that''s for sure. i would stay away from ebay shadesters and buy from someone you know is reputable (ie, a pricescope vendor, one of the ebay vendors DBB just recommended, or a trusted local jeweler). the setting you''ve chosen is simple; anyone should be able to replicate that for you.

remember: it really is true in the world of diamonds that you get what you pay for. if it seems to good to be true: IT IS.

 

[pearcrazy]

I almost purchased my diamond from them. It was going to be a 1.3 carat pear shaped H SI1 diamond for $2800. The deal fell through (whole story on that on another post) and I discovered Price Scope and did some research. I ended up with a gorgeous 1.12 I VS2 diamond from DCD. The diamonds measurements were almost identical to the 1.3 carat diamond from MDC. Why? because the diamond I purchased from DCD was cut to the proper depth proportion for a pear shaped stone and had less weight hidden in a girdle that wasn''t "thick to extremely thick" like the MDC diamond. The price for the ideal cut DCD diamond- $2950. For only $150 more I got a GIA graded diamond that was of better clarity and sparkles like crazy. DCD also had a 10 money back guarantee so I felt confident that I would have time to make sure I liked what I got.

I found this beauty in DCD''s signature series ideal cut line. Check out the dimensions and compare them to the MDC diamond. You''ll see it measures out bigger than the 1 carat princess even though it is 10 points smaller.

http://www.dirtcheapdiamonds.com/diamond_detail.cfm?did=7311725

 

[pearcrazy]

That tapered baguette setting is very common and can be found just about anywhere. I think this one is very similar:

http://www.dirtcheapdiamonds.com/engagement-detail.cfm?did=E5413

 

[pearcrazy]

H SI1, 1.02 carats, ideal cut, $3042 check out how much bigger it measures:

http://www.dirtcheapdiamonds.com/diamond_detail.cfm?did=3033772

 

[fortheloveofdiamonds]

You CAN do Waaaaaaaaay better than this. Granted, you may have to go smaller in size; however, with the depth of this diamond, it would look smaller than a not-so-deep diamond with the same carat weight. I''d pass on this one!

 

[Diamondsbybree]

Just about any jeweler has that setting. It is pretty common. The price will differ between the metal you choose and the ct. wt and clarity of the side stones.

 

[pearcrazy]

Just another comparason for you. Here''s the deepest cut princess diamond I could find on the DCD site. It''s as close in comparason to exact size, color, and clarity as the diamond you''ve picked out. DCD puts it in their "average" cut catagory. 1.01 H VS2 depth 75.6, table 82, 5.3x 5.32 at about $2900:

http://www.dirtcheapdiamonds.com/diamond_detail.cfm?did=3071648

 

[dietvanillacoke]

hi cryckman,

my bf actually just purchased a ring with that exact setting (but with a round stone) for me from uniondiamond.com. they are great. i haven''t seen the darn thing yet but the setting is VERY affordable!! be sure to talk to them a lot, they can work with you and help you to find the right stone for what you''re looking for. the lady (i think he rname is susan?) actually went into the vault and found a stone that had been GIA certified only 2 weeks before she picked it out for my bf. and it''s REALLY affordable. i have a feeling that you''re in the same kind of budget that my bf was in... he got a 1.2C VS2 J color (but has blue flourescence so faces up very very white) with that baguette setting in white gold for under 5k.

and if you keep reading on this forum you''ll see lots of diamond nuts who use places like whiteflash, good old gold, engagement rings direct... the list goes on.

GOOD LUCK!!

 

[cryckman]

I appreciate everyone''s advice... the more you post, the more I feel informed. I''m really glad I found this site and I appreciate all of you looking for comparisons and what not as well...

If you find other things you think I should consider or look at, please please keep posting them!