|
|
|
|
| ||
Diamond Jewelry Forums
 Picture Gallery
 Video Gallery
 Journal
|
|||
|
|  Search
|  Posted Today
|  Most Active
|  Help
|
||
 »
Home
»  » Diamond Prices and Grading »
 » RockyTalky
»  » Big thumbs up to J Schultz and DirtCheapDiamonds
|
|
 |
Big thumbs up to J Schultz and DirtCheapDiamonds |
 |
| P: 6/2/2004 1:19:43 PM | |
Pair0Ducks Rough Rock Total Posts: 36 Last Post: 8/10/2004 Member Since: 4/23/2004 |
I've been mainly lurking on Pricescope since March after I decided to buy my wife a 3 stone ring for our 10 year anniversary. I gobbled up all the info I could, asking a question here and there, then started hunting for diamonds. I checked out most of the Pricescope vendors and found myself going back again and again to the DirtCheapDiamonds site. Their prices seemed competitive, I had seen a few good reports and no bad ones, and their search engine was easy to use. My budget was about $3500 and I knew there was to be no compromise on cut while I was realistic about color and clarity. I finally settled on this Signature Series diamond: Shape: RB Measurements: 5.98x6.02x3.70 Size: 0.805 ct Color: G Clarity: SI2 Fluor: neg Cut: AGS 0 Depth: 61.7% Table: 56% Crown: 34.7 deg Pav: 40.8 deg Girdle: 1.0-1.7% Sym: Ideal Polish: Ideal The stone scores a 1.4 on the HCA. Jim was very patient with me and pulled out 4 or 5 Signature stones to give me a personal accounting of each while looking under a loupe. This stone has a large feather outside the table and a very small inclusion dead center (hence the SI2). I was a little nervous about the feather, but Jim felt we could easily prong it and gave me lots of reassurance that it was a gorgeous stone. (He would compare one to the other among those I was looking for and felt this was among the best.) We picked a white gold setting from LeoIngwer with .25 ct sidestones and he said it would come in 2-3 weeks. After all was said and done I came in $50 under budget. Well, I was excited/nervous to get it and to my surprise it came in 5 days to my work. Now this is a 100% surprise for my wife. We are very practical when it comes to money and have a hard and fast rule that anniversaries and valentines present cannot cost more than $10. OK, so I cheated a little. Anyway, I had it sent to work so there would be no chance of it coming to her. I also used an old bank account we had left over from our last move. It's hard to hide that much money in a healthy 10 year old relationship (especially when she does the books), but I managed to do it with some on the side moonlighting. So I tear the box open, again a little nervous. I felt like I had done enough research that I knew what to expect, but there is always that little chance that you get a stone that doesn't meet expectation. Would that feather show? Would it not be brilliant? etc. Well, I was floored. It is gorgeous. Even the side stones are brilliant. (My cynical side figured that non-certed side stones would be two diamonds pulled from a bucket of .25 stones with little thought put into matching them to such an ideal cut. I needn't have worried.) Even with my ophthalmascope I cannot yet find that feather. It seems to perform best in direct sunlight where it is simply blinding (literally, you have to look away) with quite a bit of scintillation coming from the crown facets. However, it also looks excellent in indirect/indoor light, and even in candlelight it gives off warm sparks. My only problem now is that the ring is boring a hole in my brain. Our anniversary isn't until July 23rd and I will not give it to her before. I basically am a wreck because I'm so excited to let her have it. Currently it is hidden in the house up high because she's 5 feet nothing. I plan to give it to her at dinner. I'm going to slip it to the dessert chef and have them make up a presentation plate and serve it to her as dessert. I took some pictures, but my 3.0 digital isn't doing it justice. The files are also a little large so I had trouble uploading. I may try to post them later, but my photoshop is at home and I don't want to be caught working on it. Anyway, hats off to Jim.  He provided excellent service at an excellent price. Now I did know exactly what I want (a point Jim poked some friendly fun at since he pegged me as the engineer/physician anal retentive type), but I had no hints that Jim was trying to steer me wrong. He even provided me with all the firescope images I wanted. His sales rep Joshua was also very helpful. If I had any criticism it was that any stone I would pick off the database which was not signature would be not available. Joshua said it was just a matter of my good taste. In the end, I'm happy I went with a signature anyway because someone I could talk to could look the stone over in person and give me details.So I offer an unreserved recommendation for DirtCheapDiamonds. I had no problems and would shop there again if I ever get a girlfriend on the side. 
|
| Posted: 6/2/2004 1:19:43 PM | |
|
There are 12 replies to this message. There are 12 replies on this page. |
|
| P: 6/2/2004 1:41:47 PM | |
lop Ideal Rock Total Posts: 2,651 Last Post: 9/7/2009 Member Since: 6/14/2003 |
awwwww..... what a great story! Congrats on your purchase -- Jim is a good guy to deal with! Don't forget to post those pictures.
|
| Posted: 6/2/2004 1:41:47 PM | |
| P: 6/2/2004 4:44:02 PM | |
Patty Ideal Rock Total Posts: 4,031 Last Post: 6/4/2008 Member Since: 12/7/2003 |
You really put a lot of work into this. Your wife will be amazed, especially since she "does the books!" Way to go...I'm sure it's gorgeous!
|
| Posted: 6/2/2004 4:44:02 PM | |
| P: 6/2/2004 10:35:24 PM | |
|
MRHammar Rough Rock Total Posts: 14 Last Post: 6/6/2004 Member Since: 5/5/2004 |
I am so happy for you!
I also had a tremendous experience recently with Jim Schultz and the rest of the crew at DirtCheapDiamonds (which I recapped in more detail in a previous thread!). To summarize, I ended up with an Ideal cut 0.83 carat RB, AGS0, E, I1 which scored a 1.8 on the HCA that I, too, was absolutely stunned by when I received my (ok, her) diamond at my office (great minds think alike
 ) I ended up getting it mounted in a 950 platinum 6-prong Tiffany-style solitaire at a local B&M (Bloomfield Jewelry in Pittsburgh, PA) and never once did Jim make me feel as though he was disappointed I chose to have my future E-ring mounted elsewhere. I wish I had received Firescope reports from DCD and one of those nifty, lighted ring boxes they usually send out, but that is not really a big deal to me. They did a great job and I can recommend dealing with DCD without reservation, too.I am in the same boat as you since I am hiding the ring (in a Safe Deposit box at my office) until the proposal, and I seriously look at it at least 3 or 4 times a week. Nothing beats the temporary blindness caused by the reflection of the sun in our stones! I cannot wait to give it to my special lady, and I am sure you feel the same. Best wishes for all the happiness the future may hold!
-Matt
|
| Posted: 6/2/2004 10:35:24 PM | |
| P: 6/3/2004 12:57:00 PM | |
|
Pair0Ducks Rough Rock Total Posts: 36 Last Post: 8/10/2004 Member Since: 4/23/2004 |
Hey Hammar, I'm in Pittsburgh these days as well. If I see a gorgeous ring in the next few months, I'll assume it's your fiancee...
|
| Posted: 6/3/2004 12:57:00 PM | |
| P: 6/3/2004 1:02:32 PM | |
|
chialea Ideal Rock Total Posts: 520 Last Post: 9/3/2004 Member Since: 4/20/2004 |
is Bloomfield Jewlery good? My SO went to Orr's, and we both went to Henne and to a store in that big building full of jewelers on Liberty (downtown), but Orr's and Henne were far too expensive for what they were offering (my SO also told me that Orr's kept trying to convince him that I really wanted a > 1ct stone, even when he told them I really didn't, I wanted something smaller)... All three stores were pretty floored that we were looking for non-debeers stones (and couldn't really help us), but that's just our little quirk.
|
| Posted: 6/3/2004 1:02:32 PM | |
| P: 6/6/2004 1:45:31 PM | |
|
MRHammar Rough Rock Total Posts: 14 Last Post: 6/6/2004 Member Since: 5/5/2004 |
PairODucks: Haha, I would be honored if you made that assumption! Are u a native Pittsburgher?---------------- I think Bloomfield Jewelery does a great job. Karla and Rich (the gemologist) were excellent to deal with since they help you get what you want, not what they want to sell. Also, they will take as much time and answer all the questions you have. They don't have an in-house Sarin machine, so there's a drawback, I guess.... I have met the guy who usually gets their stones from Israel and he is a great character, too. IMHO, a quality operation. Feel free to PM if you want more info. -Matt Hammar
|
| Posted: 6/6/2004 1:45:31 PM | |
| P: 6/6/2004 2:04:09 PM | |
Colored Gemstone Nut Ideal Rock Total Posts: 2,267 Last Post: 10/1/2009 Member Since: 11/21/2002 |
This is a great story parofducks, but where's the pic's?
 Josh Rioux |
| Posted: 6/6/2004 2:04:09 PM | |
| P: 6/7/2004 9:49:38 AM | |
|
Pair0Ducks Rough Rock Total Posts: 36 Last Post: 8/10/2004 Member Since: 4/23/2004 |
I've got them, but they are too large. I'll try to sneak them onto photoshop tonight and post them tomorrow. Hammar: No, I'm just parked here for a while. One of the few people in Pittsburgh who isn't like third generation...
|
| Posted: 6/7/2004 9:49:38 AM | |
| P: 6/7/2004 9:51:24 AM | |
|
Pair0Ducks Rough Rock Total Posts: 36 Last Post: 8/10/2004 Member Since: 4/23/2004 |
I've got them, but they are too large. I'll try to sneak them onto photoshop tonight and post them tomorrow. Hammar: No, I'm just parked here for a while. One of the few people in Pittsburgh who isn't like third generation...
|
| Posted: 6/7/2004 9:51:24 AM | |
| P: 6/7/2004 6:01:48 PM | |
|
Pair0Ducks Rough Rock Total Posts: 36 Last Post: 8/10/2004 Member Since: 4/23/2004 |
OK, here we go. I snapped these and edited them while my wife was out getting a haircut. Here is a HCA 1.4 at work in direct sunlight... 
|
| Posted: 6/7/2004 6:01:48 PM | |
| P: 6/7/2004 6:02:49 PM | |
|
Pair0Ducks Rough Rock Total Posts: 36 Last Post: 8/10/2004 Member Since: 4/23/2004 |
And another one...
|
| Posted: 6/7/2004 6:02:49 PM | |
| P: 6/7/2004 6:38:10 PM | |
|
Patty Ideal Rock Total Posts: 4,031 Last Post: 6/4/2008 Member Since: 12/7/2003 |
PoD...Thanks for getting the pictures posted. It's gorgeous and you did a great job with the pictures. The "sparkle factor" is wonderful! You might want to post your pictures on the "Show Me the Ring" forum. Lots of people look over there for new pretties.
|
| Posted: 6/7/2004 6:38:10 PM | |
 Previous Page
|
Next Page 
|
Contact Us | Back Home | Privacy Statement | Forum Agreement | Forum Policies | |
| Ideal BB Version: 0.1.5.4.beta1 | Message forum software powered by the Ideal BB |
| |
Pricescope -
Knowledge -
Diamond Prices -
Tools -
Resources -
About
© 2000-2009 Pricescope. Terms of Use Privacy Policy Disclaimer
forum archives
