ERD ring review/reveal - Neil Lane Inspiration

Here is a brief summary of my ring shopping experience at Engagement Rings Direct (ERD) and tips for others novice diamond shoppers. I chose ERD after bouncing around from Blue Nile, James Allen, and local shops. I preferred shopping online due to the simple fact that I could get more diamond for my money. I went with ERD as opposed to BN and JA because a) I liked the idea of customizing my own ring, and b) ERD provided a virtual personal shopping assistant in the form of their representative Chris Anadiotis. Like many other first time diamond shoppers I had spent hours researching diamond grading, ASETS, and specs, but in the end I think it was important to have a real expert go out and find good diamonds from which I could make a final decision. I started my conversation with Chris by inquiring about a diamond I had found myself which turned out to be not so great. Chris spent time explaining why I could do better, and after giving him my specifications and budget he found me a few new diamonds from which I could choose. The diamonds were from their special selection including “A Cut Beyond” and “X” factor cushions. I recognized immediately that these diamonds had been hand selected because of their high quality, and that it wasn’t just a marketing gimmick. Additionally, Chris was not pushy in trying to upsell me on more expensive diamonds and even helped prod me to stay within my budget. In the end I ended up with a wonderful 1.03 carat, VS2, H, “X” factor cushion for a very affordable price.

On to the ring…

The second area Chris helped me with was in designing the ring. I chose to do a CAD based design because again it allowed me to do some very cool personalization while staying within my budget. I told Chris I wanted a Tiffany Legacy type ring with some details based on a Neil Lane ring my fiancé had seen in the bachelor. The main components I wanted were a halo for the cushion and a floral type basket/bezel setting. The CAD process went very smoothly. I was amazed at how close the design was to my vision right from the start. The only thing I added post-CAD was hand engraving along the shank. I had told Chris upfront when I needed the ring, and the timeframe from diamond purchase to CAD design to ring shipment was perfect. I received the ring 2 weeks before the proposal.
The ring is everything I had hoped for. Most importantly my fiancé loves it! I would recommend ERD to anyone who is looking for a personal approach in creating both an affordable and magnificent ring!

Here is a link to the CAD and online images:
http://www.pricescope.com/forum/rockytalky/neil-lane-inspiration-t175226.html#p3191079

And here are the photos (big thanks to my brother-in-law Andrew for taking these great shots!):

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