Question on

[jaqx]

I''m very new to diamond shopping..... I''m hoping someone can set me straight on a few things.

My girlfriend and I recently happened into a Zales outlet/factory store and began looking at engagement rings. After much time spent examining various rings she found a 3 stone ring that was very beautiful. The sales person told us it was a "pie cut." I looked closely at the stones and saw that they were very shallow and almost a rounded rectangular shape. One of the things my girlfriend liked about the ring was the way it sparkled yet the stones still sat low on the ring. They look like they won''t catch on things as easily as a higher setting. The salesperson put a very moderate pressure on us to buy the ring but then backed off. A month or so later we went into another Zales outlet/factory store and found the same styling; again we examined it and asked more questions. This salesperson said the ring was a "composite" ring, that is to say the three individual stones were built from multiple smaller stones fitted together using a method described as "tongue and groove." This salesperson said Zales had been carrying this ring in their factory stores for a few years and that the earlier rings had some problems including the "composite" stones coming apart in a short time but said these problems were in the past and the recent rings were of very good quality.

The ring I''m describing has a 14kt white gold band and is priced as an "exceptional value" at $1,795.00. We like the idea of having a fairly inexpensive ring and really like the look better than rings costing 8-10K. I''m just worried that this is some kind of gimmick and we''re going to get severly burned.

This ring doesn''t appear to be in the regular Zales stores or be on their website.

I am aware that there are likely those who will say that anything that is not a traditional stone that it must be junk. I''m not too concerned about resale value or impressing anyone with technical bravado. We just don''t want to make a mistake.

Thanks in advance..........

 

[pqcollectibles]

The tongue and groove description sounds a bit like an Invisible Set. The diamonds are fit together and held in place by pressure creating a very sparkly look. If one diamond in the group gets damaged or displaced the set can loose pressure and the remaining diamonds can fall out. While very beautiful, Invisible Sets are easily damaged and expensive to repair.

Lots of stores/shops count on the WOW factor of Total Carat Weight. With diamonds, lots of little pieces does not equal one bigger piece. Hence the price difference you noted.

 

[Sunni79]

What is your budget? $1,800? You could buy a diamond with a nice color and clarity at a local jeweler and you will get a better deal there too. When my husband bought my first engagement ring, it was 5/8 carat, E in color, SI1 in clarity. The price was $1800. A white or yellow gold setting shouldn''t cost more than $200 and it could be a low as $80. The problem with mall stores is that you get charged a lot of money for a poorer color and clarity stone. For example I went to gordon jewelers (mall) and looked at a 2ct. total weight ring. It was emerald cut and sparkled like crazy under their lights. I looked at the specs and the color was I-J and the clarity I-1. The center diamond was only 3/4 ct. the price was $5000. The cut and clarity is extremely poor for an emerald cut diamond. The sales person made it sound like it was the most beautiful anf high end ring out there. Now my local jeweler would have charged my $5000 for a three stone emerald cut ring with 1 ct in center and .50 on each side. The color was G and the clarity SI1. See the difference here. Even if you are on a budget (what normal person isn''t?) you can find a quality ring.
Good Luck!

 

[denverappraiser]

It sounds like what is commonly called invisible setting to me as well. PQ’s description of the technique isn’t entirely right but the gestalt is there. There is a small groove cut into the pavilion side of the stone that rests on a rail underneath. The result is basically a channel setting with an extremely small channel that is completely hidden under the girdle of the stone.

They do tend to be fragile and they are fairly difficult to repair. For starters, diamonds with points tend to be fragile and these designs normally have LOTS of points. What appears at first blush to be minor damage to either the rail or the stones can cause a stone to fall out. The quality of craftsmanship is usually very difficult to determine because so many important elements are completely hidden. In the end, you are putting faith in the manufacturer to make it properly and to stand behind their work. The bright side is that many manufacturers of this style have extended and excellent warranties. Make sure to ask about it and read the fine print. It’s often a violation to have anyone other than them do any work on the piece, including sizing, setting additional stones, etc. The designs do give a big look for a reasonable price but don’t go with the cheapest brand or you’ll regret it. Part of what you are buying is a relationship with the designer (in addition to one with the dealer) and you should pay attention to who it is and how they handle their business.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Independent Appraisals in Denver

 

[valeria101]

Date: 3/1/2005 10:50:6 PM
Author:jaqx

The sales person told us it was a 'pie cut.'

Was the "pie" anything like these ?

At least this one doesn not have corners - the round bezels needed to set these stones should be quite sturdy as much as I can imagine.

There are other composite cuts as well - branded or not. The pictures above come from the list of fancy cuts at Am-diamonds.com.

Also, a model of composite "emerald cut" is made by GNN and not listed there.

You can definitely track down brand names and alternative suppliers for these...