HELP! No GIA cert's for ETERNITY BANDS, so how to assess?

[sjw]

Hi, we would really appreciate your advice -
Our jeweler is located in another country, but we won't be able to go there again before the wedding so we're thinking of having our wedding bands made locally. The concern is that we don't know any local jewelers. When it comes to eternity bands, my understanding is there are no GIA certifications involved, so how do we know exactly what we're getting? Is it based on visual inspection and trust, normally? Or an independent appraisal? Thank you.

 

[OECsareforLovers]

Re: HELP! No GIA cert's for ETERNITY BANDS, so how to assess

Hi SJW
You are correct that you won't get a GIA cert for an eternity band. The individual stones are not worth enough to warrant to grading fees. An independent appraisal (the Resources tab has a list of independent appraisers) is a great idea. You could also let us know where you are located and I'm sure someone could recommend a local jeweler. Your other option is to purchase from a well respected online jeweler.

 

[SB621]

Re: HELP! No GIA cert's for ETERNITY BANDS, so how to assess

Hi SJW
You are correct that you won't get a GIA cert for an eternity band. The individual stones are not worth enough to warrant to grading fees. An independent appraisal (the Resources tab has a list of independent appraisers) is a great idea. You could also let us know where you are located and I'm sure someone could recommend a local jeweler. Your other option is to purchase from a well respected online jeweler.

^^^ Exactly this. Pending what ctw you get would also make my decision. I have a 5ctw ring that I had appraised for insurance purposes by an independent appraiser. However my other bands that are under 1.5cts I have never bothered with. Just not worth if for me. You could always just take the eternity to another jewelry store and have them verify it.

 

[starryeyed]

Re: HELP! No GIA cert's for ETERNITY BANDS, so how to assess

Hi, we would really appreciate your advice -
Our jeweler is located in another country, but we won't be able to go there again before the wedding so we're thinking of having our wedding bands made locally. The concern is that we don't know any local jewelers. When it comes to eternity bands, my understanding is there are no GIA certifications involved, so how do we know exactly what we're getting? Is it based on visual inspection and trust, normally? Or an independent appraisal? Thank you.

I would agree that it's important to choose the vendor carefully. Go with someone you can trust. The other thing to consider is the setting style - U-prong, shared prong, channel-set, etc.

My wedding band is from Memoire's Purity Collection. I liked the simplicity of the design. Here's a link. I could specify the diamond quality I wanted. I don't remember if it was "minimum" or "average", but I went with an upgrade and it was well worth it.

http://memoire.com/catalog/collections.aspx?products=2158

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: HELP! No GIA cert's for ETERNITY BANDS, so how to assess

I have also had a band from Memoire, and I had the option of upgrading the diamonds to VS clarity and I did. I would also highly recommend a vendor such as WhiteFlash to make eternity bands, because they only use ideal cut stones, F-G color, and VS clarity. In addtition, Victor Canera, Steven Kirsch, and Caysie van Bebber will make you bands with the quality of stones you prefer and you can absolutely trust them. I would never use a local jeweler for custom work, personally. I need to know for sure the quality I would get, and I have seen it from these jewelers. I also recommend Tiffany for bands, as they are beautifully made and are set low, which is important for a band, but they do carry the brand premium.