Are all cathedralettings created equal? Have to choose soon-

[teacherk]

I looked at the princess Leo at Kays (1ct) and really liked the cathedral setting. I don''t have my heart set on a Leo but love the way that ring looked on. I found a Kay''s Leo ring identical to the one I tried on being sold by someone who is getting a divorce. I can get it for a little less than half the retail including all the paperwork. The retail at Kay''s is $6500, which I would never in a million years pay for that ring. The second hand ring would be around $2800. I found a ring on Blue Nile that looks the same to me for about $3500 with a slightly better qualtiy diamond. The Kay ring has an SI1, I 1.01. the setting is 14k with platunum prongs. I found several diamonds on BlueNile that were better than that on color and clarity and the setting I like is the cathedral, mainly because I am assuming it would be similar or the same as the Kay ring. Am I way off thinking this? I am more picky about the way the setting looks than the diamond (as long as the diamond is eye clean and sparkles I''ll be happy). So what do I do? Should I stick with the Kay ring and negotiate a price with the seller or should I go for brand new? Maybe someone on the forum is familiar with the setting of the Kay and can tell me what would compare??? I am getting this ring as a 20th anniversary gift and have waited a long time to have what I want. I want it to be something I will get excited over every time I look at my finger. I''d love any thoughts you all have

I will probably have to make a decision on the Kay Leo in the next week or so. Thanks guys!

 

[KtIceRN]

I am not too familiar with Kays rings but I will tell you this. You want the best diamond possible in a setting that you love. Now I know you were told the stone is 1.01ct but depending on the cut is could actually appear to be smaller. It is really hard to tell without the numbers. I''ve never seen a princess quite like an AGS princess. To me the Leos I have seen don''t even come close.
I would suggest to look at some of the vendors around here with AGS000 Princess stones. I am sure you can find a cathedral setting you would love at one of these vendors. Remember the color and clarity of an AGS stone will be alot stricter than that of the Leo. So don''t be afraid to go lower and smaller.

I don''t know what your total budget is but this is a nice stone 1.01 J $3853PS price and have them set it in this setting $695.

Good luck!!

 

[teacherk]

Thanks for the ring links! That diamond and setting look really nice! And the prices are not bad at all. I am still a bit scared of buying sight unseen. I bought a ring once a long time ago and was in love with the picture of it, but whenI got it I didn''t like the way it looked on at all. that has me gun shy I guess. I''ll have to look at the return policy and see what would happen if I didn''t like it for some reason. thanks again for checking that out for me! Are all the pricescope sellers generally good to deal with? Is BlueNile ok or are they the net version of a mall store only with cheaper prices?

 

[KtIceRN]

All vendors are not created equal in my mind. I wanted someone with a good inspection period, return policy and upgradeability. Trust me I was afraid when I bought my first online purchase from WF as well. But now I wouldn''t buy anywhere else but online. I like WF cause I have worked with them alot, so I feel comfortable recommending them. Just make sure you know what is important to you and go with a vendor that is going to be able to provide those things.

 

[kcoursolle]

I would probably stay away from Kay''s. Do a search for them and other chain stores and you will read some very bad experiences.

I understand that you are scared to buy a diamond that you haven''t seen, but honestly you can buy a better quality diamond for a reasonable price from a trusted online vendor. Bluenile is a great place to buy from in that they have excellent selection and reasonable prices, but you don''t get an upgrade policy like other online vendors. You might want to also check out whiteflash.com, jamesallen.com, and goodoldgold.com. The provide quite a bit of information about the stones that they are selling that B&M''s usually don''t provide. They also have return policies in case you don''t like it, but you probably won''t ever have to use it.

 

[krisvrn]

As mentioned already, I''d stay away from Kay''s, diamond quality is not good but I do believe i know the setting you are talking about. It''s cathedral setting, thicker band, sort of flat or what they call pipe cut. I do like their band but i am sure you can get that sort of setting somewhere else.

Good luck.

 

[teacherk]

Thank you all for the wonderful advice! The more I read the more I think it might be best to buy some other ring(other than the Kay''s ring). After all, it is reallly the setting that I am sold on and not so much the exact diamond. Here is my latest thought. What if I buy the loose diamond from one of the online vendors and take it to a local jeweler (not a chain or mall store)to have it set? That way I could see the setting in person, which is my main concern. I don''t think the setting I''m after is very hard to find. I just am picky about some of the subltle differences, like not wanting the edges too rounded or too square on the band. Is the setting quality going to be compromised if I don''t buy both from the same place? Are there things I will need to know about the dimensions of the diamond to be sure it can be set in the type of setting I would like? Is there a thread on the board regarding ideal specs for a princess cut? I get lost quickly when I start to look at table, depth, girdle, etc. And I have no clue if flourescence is something I''m ok with or not. This diamond shopping thing is fun, but a bit stressful. This forum has been so helpful!! One more thought. If I buy the diamond and have it set later I might be able to do a bit more grand since we won''t be coming up with the whole amount at once. Any drawbacks to doing it this way? Thanks again! You guys are gems

 

[ButterBean]

Yes. The diamond is likely to be much more expensive than the setting. What would happen if you bought your stone today from one of the trusted PS vendors. Then, a year from now, you take it to your local mall store where you saw a setting you like. You ask that they set it and agree to pay the setting fee. You go home happy and wait a week. Then, they call and ask you to come to the store. You''re excited and think the ring is done, but find when you get there that the girdle has chipped in the process of setting. They tell you the diamond had a weak spot and would have chipped no matter who set it. You want them to replace the stone, which they won''t do. NIGHTMARE time.....

I originally thought about doing the same thing, but realized that it just isn''t worth the risk. I have been to all the local stores to check out color and quality differences so I know what colors and inclusion levels I am ok with. I tried on more settings than I can possibly count. I am now armed with information I learned about my stone preferences. I am still narrowing down on the setting. I will soon drive 3 hours to try on several settings that look gorgeous but I cannot find locally. Then, we will buy the stone and have that vendor obtain the setting of my choice and set it. They will make sure the mounting is of high quality BEFORE setting my stone into it. Nightmare eliminated.

Hope this helps you,
butterbean

 

[Dreamer_D]

teacher, how exciting that you get the buy a 20 yr anniversary present! Woo hoo!

I have not personally purchased from an online store, but aafter spending a few months and WAAAAY too many hours on PS (it''s so addictive) I am not totally comfortable with buying online from a number of people: as mentioned, www.whiteflash.com, www.jamesallen.com, www.goodoldgold.com (this site has some AMAZING dimaond tutorials with pictures that I totally recommend you look through before buying) and www.engagementringsdirect.com . All of these vendors have been used by tonnes of PS people and all have gotten really great reviews. All of them have 100% refund policies (though read up first), 100% UPGRADE policies, and wonderful quality stones. Best of all, from whatI have perused, their prices are about half or less what you pay for a "similar" quality stone at a local jeweler! (I say "similar" because many local jewelers, I have found, do not have the GIA or other certs on their diamonds, and especially don''t have enough information on cut, so you cannot really claim similar quality).

I think when you said you didn''t care much about the diamond, you meant that color and clarity weren''t too important, as long as it is eye-clean, but you really want sparkle, right? That means you want an excellently CUT diamond, so I totally second KtIceRN''s suggestion that you stick with AGS000 Princess stones. Can''t go wrong! It''ll knock your friends off their feet with the sparkle and fire! And I also second butterbean''s comment that you have the company you buy the stone from make the setting and set the stone, since princess stones are notorious for chipping on their pointy little corners. If you love the Kay setting, why not give the picture to your dimaond vendor and aks them to make one JUST LIKE IT! Do a search on whiteflash custom settings, there''s a whole thread of them, and you will see that they do very good work. I''ve also see nand read great things about enaggement rings direct for custom settings too. If the changes are subtle differences from their own stock cathedral setting, they should be able to easily modify their stock setting to make it exactly the way you want. You will be able to see waxs and computer mock ups so you know exactly what you are getting, they''ll show you lots of close up pictures that you can look at, and if you receive it and aren''t happy, they will fix it! If I were in your shoes, this is the route I would take.

Good luck and keep us posted!

DD

 

[teacherk]

Thanks Butterbean and DD! I hadn't even thought about the nighmare issue with not having the diamond set by the vendor I buy from. That really could be a terrible situation! If the vendor nicks up the stone or something happens, they would be responsible to make it right. Great point! I also like the idea of the 100% return and trade up policies. I wonder if I contact some of the vendors mentioned here and told them I like the style of the Kay setting if they would be familiar enough to know what I was talking about.
I think I will contact some of the vendors you guys have recommended and see if they can match the setting I like (from the Kay site). I am a little frustrated that Kay doesn't list many specifics of their jewelry- so I don't know the exact width of the band, but someone who makes jewelry for a living could probably tell right off the bat. I am getting excited just thinking about it! I think the door has closed on the Kay ring anyway, which is probably for the best. I made the lady an offer ahile back and never heard back from her. She didn't seem too impressed. I offered her $2800 but I think she was hoping for about a thousand more. She just paid $6500 for that ring at Kay's five months ago so I can understand her wanting to get more out of it, but I don't want to overpay just because she did. If I can get a better quality ring for the same money or just a bit more I think that seems like the way to go. The only other thing that the Kay ring has is the diamond gurarantee, but from what I understand my home owner's policy could help with that if anything happens to the ring. I still have a lot of learning to do, but I really appreciate all the wonderful advice to steer me in the right direction. Anyone know if there are good vendors in the Tampa area where I could go and look in person, or are they all online only? I will be in Tampa (my hometown) at the end of the month and might go shopping around if I get a chance. They have a Jewelery Exchange there but I don't know much about them other than they do custom work and made a very nice high end ring for my dad's friend at a great price. In the meantime I think I will try contacting some of the recommended vendors to ask some q's about matching that setting for me. What's that???? I think I smell dimaonds-lol! MMMM!

I must be getting close!

 

[teacherk]

I looked at GOG, WF, ED, and some others I saw recommended on the forum here, but I found the setting I like best at Blue Nile. The only thing I see as a negative is that they don't have a trade up feature but that is not that imortant to me. I'm thinking since I won't be paying retail, if i wanted something bigger or just different down the road I could sell it outiright and buy something else if it came to that , but I really plan for this ring to be the one I wear from now on. I haven't seen much negative about BN other than the lack of the trade in thing. I sent them an email with some questions about their cathedral setting ( I emailed at midnight on Saturday night) I heard back within hours. Of course, they are pushing heavy for their Ideal Signature cut line for the diamond, which is pricier than we were hoping to go. But at least I think I have the setting decided on. We are hoping to stay under $4000 if possible. I attached a link for the ring I like at Kay's (I feel shudders from the forum every time I say that-lol! I just went to Kay's because they were handy and I could try on styles to see what I liked). I will try to also post the BN ring to show how close they are. I would love some input on how to pick the dimond. I have looked at the forum thread on princess cuts until my eyes are crossing but I still don't really know how that traslates into the real world and how they actually look.

Thanks again for all the great advice and links!!! I really appreciate it!

 

[teacherk]

Here is the Blue Nile ring I like. Looks SOOO much like the Kay ring that I like ( in the picture above). I think this is "the one". Now to choose the right diamond....

 

[KtIceRN]

Teacherk

I think that the Kays setting is really just like this one from WF that I posted for you earlier (see pic attached). I know it''s kinda hard to imagine in yellow gold rather than white but I really think it is the same ring. If you went with them you would get the upgrade policy that you say is not that important to you now..... but if you hang around here long enough DSS will set in and you might be kickin yourself in the butt for not having it!!

What''s your budget for the stone? We would love to help you pick out one!

 

[teacherk]

KT, I think you are right! I looked at that link you posted earlier and ruled it out because I thought the band looked too rounded and maybe tapered around the top, but when I look at a different angle it does look like a close match. I will have to put that back on my list of possiblities I do wisht hey had a picture of it in the yellow gold. That would help a lot. I think you may be right about the trade policy too, although right now I can''t imagine wanting to have anything else. Something to consider for sure. Thank you for your help! As far as budget we would like to stay under $4000 total for the ring and setting. The main things that are important to me are that my 1ct faces up like a 1ct and doesn''t look like a smaller stone. I also want it eye clean. I would consider an SI1 if I knew for sure it was totally eye clean even when viewed VERY close( I know I will be looking close and it will drive me nuts if I can see anything there I don''t like). I''m thinking I or better for color. I''m a mom of two very active preschool aged kiddos too so this ring needs to be ready for every day wear. I''m wondering if this will have something to do wtih the girdle thickness??? Does a thicker girdle mean the diamond will be a bit sturdier and less likely to chip? I would sacrifice a bit in the way of sparkle for a thicker girdle if this is true. As far as depth, table,fluorescence, etc.I really have no clue.

Thanks so much to everyone for all the great help and encouragement! Such a better feeling than a hungry, underpaid sales clerk in a jewelry store tyring to high pressure sell an overpriced ring! I love the support I have found in this forum!

 

[KtIceRN]

No problem Teacherk!

You can call WF and ask them about this stone 1.018 I SI1 . They will be able to tell you if it is eye clean, if not they may have another recommendation. I would bet that this stone will look alot larger and sparkle much more than any of the Kays stones you see!

ETA the total would be 695 for the setting and 3593 for the stone 4288 so just a tad over budget.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Teacherk, I think that whiteflash with their trade-up policy and inhouse stones might trump Bluenile in my book. By that I mean that whiteflash has a huge number of perfectly cut princess stone IN HAND so they can look at them, take pictures of the two stones to show you, and totally confrim that the stones are "eyeclean" with no visible inclusions. As far as I understand, blue nile does not have the stones listed on their website actually in hand, which might make buying from them a little harder and they cannot look though to pick the best one. Also, like the stone Kt pointed out, whiteflash carries A Cut Above princesses, which are "no brainer" buys as far a cut goes! Those stones are AGS-0 stones, which means they pass the strictest tests for cut. So if you can select a stone from whiteflashes a cut above princess line, you dont have to worry at all about cut. It will be KILLER!!! More sparkly than anything you have ever seen!

Also, try contacting whiteflash and asking if they have any pictures of that setting in yellow gold? I think it is IDENTICAL to the Kay's one, it really is a classic setting, and if it ws just a matter of making the endges sharper/less rounded, whitflash can do that I am sure.

ETA: I noticed you said that you wanted it to "look like a 1ct stone"... you know that princesses face up really small right? If you get a whiteflash ACA stone it will totally look exactly like a 1ct princess should look: about 5.5mm in diameter. But just so you know, that is about the same diameter as a .60ct round brilliant. Princesses need to be cut really deep, that's just the nature of the cut, so they don't show their size like rounds. So if you compare your 1ct princess to a friend's round brilliant stone, it will always look "small"... just something I thought I'd point out so you don't feel disappointed! But your ACA princess will always sparkle more!

DD

 

[teacherk]

Thanks DD! I agree. I think that WF may have some better selling points and the prices are comparable to BN for the same or better quality. I wish they had a longer inspeciton period, but more than likely I will know if I like it as soon as I pull it out of the box. It looks to me too like they have better member discounts for PS members than BN. Good point about the stone looking like a 1ct. I was just a bit concerned about loosing some of the look if the cut was too deep. I have tried on a couple of 1 ct. princess mall rings so I think I know what to expect for size. I didn''t compare them with the rounds but as long as it sparkles nicely and is the setting I am hoping for I don''t think I will be disappointed. From what I am hearing on this forum, if I was impressed with the way the ring at Kay''s looked, I will be blown away by a ring from WF or other comparable vendor here. I am going to e-mail WF to see if they have any pics of that setting in yellow gold as well as some other angles. It does give me some peace of mind to have you and KT say that the setting looks the same to you. My husband and I looked at it too but it is hard to tell from a picture sometimes. I am hoping they have some stock pics of that ring in yellow gold with a princess. Thanks again you guys!!!

Any thoughts on the girdle thickness related to the strength of the stone? Will a thin girdle chip or break more easily? Should I look at stones with a med. to thicker girdle for strength? This ring will be worn every day so I want it to hold up. From what I understand the thin girde is better for sparkle and fire, but if I have to scarifice a little there to get a sturdier stone I would be ok with that.

I am so glad now that offer I made on the Kay ring fell through! I think I will end up with a better ring this way! I fully expect though that now I have decided to go a different route, Kay ring lady will be calling me. That''s the way it goes isn''t it?

K

 

[teacherk]

Any thoughts on this diamond?

http://www.whiteflash.com/princess/Princess-cut-diamond-595683.htm

K

 

[teacherk]

Celina from Whiteflash has been really attentive! She found some other pictures of the cathedral setting for me that show it all different angles. She couldn''t find any with the princess or in yellow gold, but now that I can see the setting at all these angles I have a better idea of what it will look like with my choices. I think I''m falling in love!

I can see why everyone around here raves about WF!

 

[KtIceRN]

I agree,Celina is great!! I like the setting alot! Looks just like what you were thinking.

Did you pick a stone yet? If it were me and I could find one within my budget and size I wanted I would go with an ACA princess. Something about those ACA princesses....they are stunning! And to me totally mind clean.

 

[EricaR]

I just got a cathedral setting from WF and I can't even tell you how much I love it! Mine is the flush-fit with side stones, found here: Linky Link

I know this isn't the exact setting you were looking at but I thought I'd throw my opinion in. The setting is made extremely well. It looks delicate but feels sturdy on my hand. I posted a bunch of photos of my ring that shows the profile, here in Show Me The Ring.

I hope this helps!

My stone is .587 so it is a bit smaller than what you were looking at, but also keep in mind that my budget was just half of what yours is.

 

[teacherk]

Beautiful ring, Erica! I loved reading your proposal story too! Congratulations!!!! Thanks for passing your story along as well as letting me know about your experience with Whiteflash. It makes me feel much more confident about WF the more positive things I hear from other members. So far I have heard nothing but positive about them. Celina, from WF, just e-mailed me a link of a setting similar to yours today (flush fit cathedral only without the side stones)

Nice! I am planning to go with the one I originally looked at since I have had one just like it on my finger in the jewelry store and loved the way it looked on. I''m too scared to buy a style I haven''t had the chance to try on, and my husband and I both went oooo and ahhh when I tried on the cathedral ring like the one I plan to order. Since he is buying it for me I want him to have some oooo and ahh too and it is rare for us to both be taken by something equally like that-lol! On matters of taste we usually just agree to disagree, so when I saw the ring at Kay''s and we both flipped over the style, it seemed like a match made in heaven.

KT, I still haven''t selected a diamond. I agree that the ACA seem to be a great way to go, but from what I saw when I pulled up prices for the 1carats, I think that would put us overbudget by quite a bit, although the link you sent me earlier was pretty close. We are really trying to stay under $4000 total. Celina sent me some links for some ACAs today but they were all .78 carats or less. My heart is set on a 1ct. I know it''s not a huge difference but it is just one of those things I have in my head that I have always wanted. After waiting so long for it I hate to settle now. If it meant waiting another 6months or a year to get my ring I would wait if I couldn''t have the 1ct in budget, but I really would love to find something now. Is that possible? I''m wondering if I could find a nice quality diamond that is not an ACA to keep us in the budget range. Getting a $4000 ring is already a stretch for us since we are right in the midst of raising two little ones. I am already struggling to wrap my mind around the idea of spending up to $4000 on a ring when there are always things the kids need, or things we need to do to the house etc. But then again, life is like that and that won''t change any time soon so... on with the shopping. All that to say though, the budget is pretty important for me to have peace of mind about buying a ring.

Celina from WF is planning to call me tomorrow to "chat" and get a better idea of what I am looking for. She is really on the ball! I am feeling so much better about WF now! BN did contact me when I emailed with questions but they didn''t get the details right and that made me a bit nervous. Their setting was nice and a bit lower in price but the diamonds were higher and from what I understand, they don''t have the diamonds there on the premisis to look at. Thanks everyone who has recommended WF! I am starting to see why they are so highly thought of around here!

K

 

[teacherk]

Here is one of the diamonds Celina recommended we put on the possiblities list.

http://www.whiteflash.com/diamonds/Diamond_Details.aspx?idno=658876

It is not ACA but it is in my price range and qualifies for the trade up option too since it has a GIA report. Interestingly (just as I predicted) the Kay ring lady just e-mailed me with a counter offer on her ring. $3800. Now that I have seen what else is out there I am glad I didn''t buy her ring before and I don''t plan to now. I think I can have a much nicer ring for the same money from WF. The Kay ring is an SI1(or2) color I, 1 carat. That is all the info she has on it. The chain stores don''t really give you much information do they? I guess they know most people will just be looking at the four c''s. I think I''m past that now. I''m an official PS junky. I have been on the site every night for two weeks! I still don''t know what all the numbers mean but I love the idea of making the most informed purchase possible.

I''m going out of town so the shopping will be on hold for couple weeks, but I plan to do some research while I am away. I want to see if I can tell the difference between an I and J color diamond in person and I also want to see a diamond with flourescence to see what that looks like. Anything else I need to see in person to help me make a good choice?

Thanks again you guys! Your help has been priceless!

(too bad for the Kay ring lady though)

 

[Dreamer_D]

Yeah Teacher

, you sound so much more confident! Amazing what a little learning can do, eh?? But you must know that better than anyone! (You know, being a teacher and all

)

I think you made a great choice, and if you want a 1ct and don'' get an ACA, I bet (sorry PS don''t throw tomatos!) you won''t be able to tell the difference between super sparkly and extra super sparkly... AND I can''t wait to hear what you say about the I vs. J... I BET you won''t be able to tell! I couldn''t tell a G form a J, maybe barely. The color grades are so close it makes me realize that grading must be really subjective (within a grade up or down. There is definitely a noticable difference between E and J).

DD

 

[teacherk]

EricaR, do you mind if I ask if your diamond is ACA? The ACA look great but are probably going to be out of our budget. I am wondering how the princesses from WF that aren''t ACA look in person. Thanks so much for sharing your ring pictures! It reallly is beautiful!

 

[teacherk]

Thanks DD! You are right! I do feel more confident about this whole thing now.(and about the teacher thing too-lol! I can''t help myself. I get sucked into a knowledge quest pretty easily!) A little over a week ago I was checking my email every ten minutes waiting to hear back from the Kay ring lady and would have bought that ring in a second had she responded to my offer. Now I am not really tempted to look at that ring any more. I just noticed too that the grading came from IGI. From what I have read their grading could vary a lot from the GIA or AGS gradings. I was not planning to buy less than an SI1 with an I color but that ring could be lower than that no matter what the paperwork says. I''m so excited about my WF now!!!!! the personal service there has been great already. Celina has called me twice and sent extra pictures and links for me to look at. The extra hand holding is wonderful! This is a big purchase and that extra help goes a long way!Thank you for helping to steer me in the right direction!

K