Too early to seriously start looking for e-ring?

[stubee77]

Hello!
Finally thought I would post on the board that I seem to be perusing weekly for over a year now! Greetings to you all, and a big thankyou for providing a resourceful and friendly place on the web for a complete diamond newb like moi!

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So – the time has come for me to get serious with “the ring”. Although I’m an Aussie, I’ve been experiencing the wet & windy winters of Ireland for a few years now and have craftily got everything organised for a surprise “proposal” trip to Nyc in early December – well, everything except for the ring!!

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Due to the plan of us heading over to the States, I’ll probably be looking to make the purchase from a Pricescope (or other, reputable) online vendor.

Which brings me to the point in my subject; Do you consider 2 1/2 months a little too early to start approaching diamond vendors with info and requests about diamonds, settings, etc???

As far as the setting goes, I’m thankful for the webslacking I’ve managed so far

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" src="http://www.pricescope.com/idealbb/images/smilies/21.gif" width="15 border=0">, because I have this fairly well narrowed down to the platinum Tiffany solitaire, ala the knife-edge styles from vendors such SuperCert/Excel, Whiteflash & NiceIce. As these aren’t wholly custom pieces, they shouldn’t have huge leadtimes, or do they???

The rock, of course is a different proposition. The time spent researching has led me to have a rough idea of my budget, shape & the 4c''s. Would one advocate supplying a number of vendors with my specs and see what they dig up, or is it better to select the better looking choices from the various online inventories and go on from their?????

Apologies for such a long-winded first post, and thanks for your replies!

S

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Not at all! If anything you may be behind.

My e-ring took 6 weeks to be made. My FI spend at least three weeks to find the center diamond. He had my ring for a month before he proposed. I think now is a good amount of time because this is a huge decision with lots of money involved. There are certain shapes and sizes that are hard to get your hands on so the diamond selection would take a month at least. I think it is better to start early than to rush to buy something you aren''t in love with because you ran out of time. Good luck!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Also because of christmas it might take longer to make and set your ring than usual.

 

[stubee77]

Hi Tacori - thanks for the reply!

Well - i did start "window shopping" a year ago, does this count??

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" src="http://www.pricescope.com/idealbb/images/smilies/2.gif" width="15 border=0"> But seriously, I don''t want to get caught short when christmas is coming up so fast! And, taking into account my plan, I''ll only have a window of 1 week to collect the ring and pop the question...

I''m looking at Ideal rounds, somewhere between .75-1Ct''s. A size which should compliment her style & work (Med) great, but way less than some of the 3+ Carat stonkers i see here on PS!!

This has got to be perfect, so I definitely don''t want to be pushed in a certain direction because of time constraints!

S

 

[atroop711]

Start now....Mine took about a month to be finished once we finally found the stone....never too early...we dealt with Whiteflash....A++++++

 

[JohnQuixote]

You're wise to have the lead time.

The most important part of the process is deciding what you (and the recipient) like and narrowing it as specifically as possible. For instance, you seem to know the weight range (.75 - 1.0ct). What about the labs you are comfortable with (grading), and the precise color and clarity range? Since you've been reading PS for a while you know cut will be the most important factor. Do you want ideal (old proportions)? Ideal (new light performance)? A combo thereof? Certain proportion ranges you have heard of or seen? Optical symmetry, such as H&A? A certain brand or vendor favorite?

Once you know these things - as specifically as possible without having seen everything live - you can begin looking in earnest for a diamond that matches all of your specifications.

If you're going to be seeking an F - I, VS1 - VS2, ideal round between .75 and 1ct you can be a little more patient than if you're seeking a G, SI1 eye-clean 'Iceblaster H&A' with 40.8 PA, 34.6 CA, 55 Table, medium fluorescence and an ideal-scope image that looks like it is smiling... In that case you will need to be a lot more focused and look at any candidate that seems to fit.

There is no need to panic, but it's a good idea to move asap if you are being VERY exacting: Diamonds are not 'stamped out' on an assembly line (I can't call to the back of the shop and ask Brian to punch out a 1.35 G VS2 with med. fluorescence - and a smiley - please

), so if you have a specific bullseye that's small it's never too soon to call on the one(s) that fit your paradigms.

Time for custom work varies but it's usually not more than 10-14 days.

Best wishes,

 

[ame]

I would DEFINITELY recommend ordering it now, with the holidays coming up, having it done before Thanksgiving would be ideal. You know you have it and you don''t have to sweat deadlines if they get backed up since Christmas and New Years are big proposal times.

 

[stubee77]

Hi guys - thanks for all your replies and suggestions. The first step can be a touch daunting for the nervous groom to be!

Oh yes! Being in Europe, I forgot about thanksgiving... The last thing I want is to be bustling with all the xmas shoppers!!!

John; Thanks for offering some great advice as to the number of different approaches to this whole diamond malarky!

Time to hit the web..

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[fire&ice]

I would guess within the next month or so jewelers would ratchet up their inventory for the holiday season; so, your selection may be best around now or in a couple of weeks.

 

[belle]

f&i is right, vendors may start to increase their stock soon. however, don''t wait too long...prices will increase too