Novice looking for some help getting started!

[mas]

Hi all -- my boyfriend and I went to look for diamond engagement rings for the first time this weekend. I''m a bit overwhelmed now and am looking for some advice for a beginner. We got the 4Cs explained to us, but I''d love some additional help. Some specific questions I have:

1) I like square cuts and liked the cushion, radiant, Lucida at Tiffany''s and the princess -- any advice on these types of cuts? And has anyone heard of the Flanders cut?
2) Any downside to platinum settings I should be aware of?
3) Where are the best places to shop for diamonds? How can I be sure we are getting a good price?
4) Is it best to buy a loose stone and have it set?
5) Any advice on types of settings that look best with square cuts?

Any other helpful advice is appreciated!

 

[Hamster]

Hi Mas!

We just bought a princess cut diamond and it was one of the new AGS 0 "Ideal" cut princesses. If you are really interested in a princess, I would recommend taking a look at one - you will see that it is WAY different in quality than the average quality princesses that are kicking around a lot of the B&M stores. In fact, a lot of them don''t even know that they are available!
You will pay a premium for such high quality, but I think it is worth it to sacrifice a bit on the size or even the color.

I was also partial to the square type cuts when we began our search. In the end, I felt that if I was going to go square, I might as well REALLY make it a square and not one of the cut types with cut corners. To my eye, the cut corner ones tend to look more round once they are set and you lose some of the square look. That''s just my opinion though and what my tastes dictate.

Some people cite the "scratchability" of platinum as a downside because it is more difficult to polish than gold (although it is stronger). It is also much heavier, which can be a plus or minus, depending on your personal preference.

I can only speak from my personal experience, but I did not find the majority of your typical mall/chain stores to be of any help to me at all and a lot of the time the salespeople were extremely uninformed. There are a lot of great vendors hanging around on PS that operate Internet businesses and they will let you view the stone (at an appraiser) before purchasing to see if it is something you like. To the best of my knowledge, bigger e-tailers like Mondera and Blue Nile don''t offer this, although they do have a liberal return policy that gives you 30 days. We just bought our princess cut from Bill Scherlag at Icemine.com - his website is currently undergoing renovations so there is not much there, but you can give him a call. Also check around on the forums to see what other people have said about retailers they have dealt with.

I think the best way to make sure you get a good price is to make sure you are informed! After all, you wouldn''t expect to get your car at a decent price without doing your homework and this could likely be a purchase just as expensive. One book that I found really helpful as a starting point was Diamonds: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide. I bought it at Borders, so its probably a widely circulated title. Also, don''t buy "emotionally" or impulsively, as this will set you up for disaster. A lot of salespeople would show us two or three diamonds and then act like we absolutely had to choose one of those or my boyfriend was being a commitment-phobe. Give yourself at least a few months for this process and be patient - it will pay off in the end

 

[Hamster]

I just noticed you are in Chicago, just like me .

From a Chi-town perspective, I would be really careful about a lot of the establishments on Wabash and the ones that claim to be "wholesalers". I don''t want to get into a laundry list of places I dealt with, but if you send me a private message, I''d be happy to share.

 

[Regular Guy]

Mas,

Welcome to Pricescope. Just noting a couple of your questions...

Re #3

a) do a search here, at the top left, on Chicago, and see what comes up
b) check out my shopping suggestion on the link below my signature.

Re #4

I think, yes, and frequently it''s advantageous to have the same place you buy the stone, also set it. It can be helpful to have it appraised before the setting takes place, and then again, after it''s set. Partly, it depends on how either compulsive or thorough you want to be.

Regards,

 

[Lorelei]

Hi Mas and welcome!

The best advice I can give you is not to sacrifice on cut quality, do bear in mind that it is the craftmanship in cutting the diamond to the best proportions will release it''s beauty, so get the best possible cut or make you can - very important! This way you will get the best looking sparkliest diamond you can enjoy forever! Make the search for your diamond a major project, there is a lot to learn and don''t rush into anything. Good Old Gold has info on the Flanders, look in the PS vendors at the top right of the page.

Check out the online sites to see what is out there for your budget. Don''t forget to compare " apples to apples!" Decide that cut or make will be your top priority, then consider the rest of the 4 c''s carefully. What carat weight do you want? Does the diamond have to be as white as possible, or is that not important? G and H can be a good choice, maybe slightly lower depending on your requirements, bear in mind that fancy shapes can show more colour than rounds. How about clarity? Do you want a very high clarity - VVS, or good clarity VS or would you rather put your money into size and cut and get a good SI1 / 2 clarity? Many of these grades can be eye clean and a bargain, however some of the square shapes can show inclusions more that the rounds so check with the vendor regardless. It is all about compromise with diamonds, unless you have an unlimited budget

which few of us do

This way you can get a stunning diamond you love without wasting money on things that aren''t important to you. For example buying a new BMW with a huge engine, where slightly smaller will be fine!

I think it is preferable to have the stone set by the vendor you purchase from. Also the settings are a matter of personal taste, there are many lovely settings in the eyecandy folder and show me the ring, found at the top of the page. The only way to be sure you are getting a good price is to do your homework and remember that things like colour and clarity variations and carat weights can make a big difference! Finally, when you find some contenders, post the specs on here and the experts will give their opinions, bear in mind that they often teach that fancy shapes are more tricky to assess than rounds so in the end it comes down to your eyes! Hope this helps and good luck!

 

[freaknyea]

Hey... It is difficult to tell what you want... What do you want in a stone. Do you want the best cut.... Or the best clarity. Are there things that don''t matter to you that you would be willing to sacrafice on to get another. (I ended up doing that). I did a lot of research on Princess cut stones but I don''t know as much as the experts. I am absolutly amatuer or below. Although I believe I have probably contacted every vendor on the internet OR if you don''t know anything at all about Diamonds or metals than I believe we can help you get started. Let us know exactly what knowledge is. Chris