Need advice on engagement ring w/ tension setting

~~~Life is a dance, paint the floor~~~

Hi Xymox -

Generally you should be able to choose the diamond separately from the setting, it's just that the tension settings require a decent clarity for stability purposes.

In the world of tension settings it seems there are three manufacturers who are reputable - Kretchmer, Gelin-Abaci and Neissing.

Kretchmer and Gelin-Abaci have similar styles, but Kretchmer is a little heavier and a little more expensive. Either way the setting can be pricey (but worth it, IMHO). The price given for the ring generally does not include a center diamond. Generally for the price they quote it comes with a center CZ - which you can have changed out for a diamond that either you buy through them or bring in from somewhere else.

You can do a search online for Kretchmer retailers - I am going to be purchasing a Gelin-Abaci ring and I am going through MickeyRoof.com for it. I am working on the diamond purchase, but that is from a different vendor.

Online purchases of this type are pretty safe if you do the homework - do a search on this board for the name of the jeweler that you are considering going through, see if anything negative comes up. You could also check Pricescope's list of vendors, I think Pricescope is somewhat discriminating when it comes to who they list.

And, while it's good to look at local jewelers, do a search here at pricescope for the diamond and see if they compare to the price/quality you saw at your local store.

I hope some of this helps!

----------------

~~~Life is a dance, paint the floor~~~

Adrienne,

My friend just told me the store where he got his engagement ring from. I'm go to check and compare the damond prices.
I'll put the other diamond on hold as long as I could. I need to get some confidence on my decision.

Thanks and good luck on completing your ring!

----------------
On 5/26/2003 4:30:35 PM Adrienne wrote:

Xymox -

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do...

But before you buy their diamond you might want to consider comparing what diamonds you can get there vs. what you can get online.

It doesn't hurt anything, and it may help you decide. The jeweler you are looking at may very well provide the perfect diamond for you at a reasonable price... but you won't know that unless you look.

I'm thrilled because doing my diamond purchase and my setting purchase separately has allowed me to essentially handpick my ring. I have been able to choose a diamond from among all the diamond vendors, finally choosing the one that "spoke" to me, which will then be set into the tension setting I have found.

And trust me - after I get my diamond we will be visiting a couple local stores just to compare.

Anyway - if you feel confident in this jeweler then go forward and be happy... but if you have a couple minutes do a comparison, it might make you feel more confident in this decision regarding quality and price.

----------------

~~~Life is a dance, paint the floor~~~

~~~Life is a dance, paint the floor~~~

D Riley

Hi,

I bought my Steven Kretchmer Tension ring complete with the center diamond from Belenky Brothers in Soho. After carefully exploring all the choices I felt that this was the best decision.  I liked the idea of actually seeing and touching the exact diamond that I was going to purchase.  I also liked being able to walk through the diamond selection process with a trained gemologist by my side to answer all my questions and show me the difference between each of the stones. I was amazed how different 2 stones with similar specs can appear.  It is also nice to have a real live person to deal with face to face.  The entire experience was not only informative, but also highly enjoyable. I love the new ring and I  really like the peace of mind I have knowing that my ring came from a well-established firm.

 Good luck to all

Allie

(*•.¸(`*•.¸¸.•*´)¸.•*)
¨`•.¸ *belle*¸.• ´¨
(¸.•*(¸.•*´ `*•.¸)*•.¸)