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$5,000 Budget for Engagement Ring

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mgpatsfan

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 27, 2010
Messages
23
I am totally new to buying a diamond and certainly to buying an engagement ring.

I have about $5,000 to spend and have a few questions but let me tell you what I do know.

She would like

1 Carat
Round Stone
Platinum Classic Setting

My questions are as follows

1. Should I spend the most on Cut, Color or Clarity
2. Is buying online via some of the sites on here totally safe?
3. Do I need a GIA Certificate?
4. Any recommendations on what stones specifically that you could post would be great, I am a newbie.
5. I know I want something that will be brilliant and sparkle (right?)
6. What about buying at a wholesale club like Costco?
7. How does warranty work with online retailers work?
8. Which online sites are best?

Any guidance you could all provide would be greatly appreciated, I plan on doing this once (getting engaged) I really would like a special decent quality ring for a good price. I know that there is a wealth of knowledge on this site, My mind is a sponge!

Thanks to all in advance

Mike
 
Does she happen to like 3 stone halos?


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http://jewelsbyericagrace.smugmug.com/Jewelry/Modern-and-Estate-Pieces/3-Stone-Modern-RB-Ring/11028655_fCQZU/1/771412798_2GEfx#779851743_Zaprq

was just drooling over this and thought i'd post it for your consideration!

price: $4,100
 
I personally love Costco jewelry. If you can find a ring you love within your budget, it is not a bad option. However, I would pay attention to the GIA report and return a ring that was not in the minimum
very good cut grade. Excellent would be preferable. It is a hunt to find the right one. Sometimes, you can find a setting you love for the right price.

Before I bought and engagement ring there, I would learn every thing I could here, and research what settings vendors had. There are a lot of good options and you will get a better stone. Most vendors will work
within your budget, and many have upgrade policies that you won''t get at Costco. That could mean a lot to you in the upcoming years if you can''t quite get your girls ''dream'' setting within your budget.
You could get a slightly smaller stone with and excellent cut and upgrade policy and for a later anniversary upgrade over a set carat point. It just takes a bit of time, but there are so many experts here to help
you, it is way worth your time investment.
 
Thanks very much for the thought but she likes single round, i am pretty sure...

Thanks again
 
WOW, waterlily that is some finger covering bling for that price. Looks way bigger.

Sorry to thread steal.
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Date: 4/27/2010 9:45:22 PM
Author:mgpatsfan
I am totally new to buying a diamond and certainly to buying an engagement ring.


I have about $5,000 to spend and have a few questions but let me tell you what I do know.


She would like


1 Carat

Round Stone

Platinum Classic Setting


My questions are as follows


1. Should I spend the most on Cut, Color or Clarity

definitely cut, this will affect how the ring sparkles the most

2. Is buying online via some of the sites on here totally safe?

I have not bought online but many people on PS have and will tell you it is "totally safe"

3. Do I need a GIA Certificate?

GIA or AGS is recommended

4. Any recommendations on what stones specifically that you could post would be great, I am a newbie.

5. I know I want something that will be brilliant and sparkle (right?)

yes :)

6. What about buying at a wholesale club like Costco?

7. How does warranty work with online retailers work?

8. Which online sites are best?

whiteflash and brian gavin are highly recommended
also james allen, good old gold


Any guidance you could all provide would be greatly appreciated, I plan on doing this once (getting engaged) I really would like a special decent quality ring for a good price. I know that there is a wealth of knowledge on this site, My mind is a sponge!


Thanks to all in advance


Mike
Click to expand...
 
Date: 4/27/2010 9:45:22 PM
Author:mgpatsfan
I am totally new to buying a diamond and certainly to buying an engagement ring.


I have about $5,000 to spend and have a few questions but let me tell you what I do know.


She would like


1 Carat

Round Stone

Platinum Classic Setting


My questions are as follows


1. Should I spend the most on Cut, Color or Clarity

2. Is buying online via some of the sites on here totally safe?

3. Do I need a GIA Certificate?

4. Any recommendations on what stones specifically that you could post would be great, I am a newbie.

5. I know I want something that will be brilliant and sparkle (right?)

6. What about buying at a wholesale club like Costco?

7. How does warranty work with online retailers work?

8. Which online sites are best?


Any guidance you could all provide would be greatly appreciated, I plan on doing this once (getting engaged) I really would like a special decent quality ring for a good price. I know that there is a wealth of knowledge on this site, My mind is a sponge!


Thanks to all in advance


Mike
Click to expand...

Hard to say exactly, but I think my preference would be:

cut
clarity
carat
color

you want to get the best cut diamond in your budget. you can go down in clarity level and still get a very very nice stone, you can also save by going down in color.

the online vendors here are absolutely trustworthy and you will get top notch service - with great trade up policies for the future.

I think buying from a vendor here is better than costco only because you can get a really good look at the stone through the vendor - something you would have to do on your own if you bought from costco....

do you know what size fingers she has?
 
Try Brian Gavin Diamonds, Whiteflash, James Allen,

Look for a AGS report or GIA

You will get excellent service from the vendors here. My favorite vendor is Brian-I have bought from him and would trust him completely.

Pricescope vendors stand behind their work because they are trustworthy, but also there are a lot of folks who read this forum and no one wants a bunch of negative publicity.
Each vendor has their own policies though and you NEED TO READ THEIR POLICIES!

I think I hit most of your points this time. If you go with a well cut stone, you can go down in color a bit and the cut will mask it. I have an I VS2 and I love it. Brian will tell you how white a stone faces up and you
can trust what he says. If you don''t want to do a lot of research, Brian is who I would go to. I am a little biased though, I admit. They are great people and the only one I have worked with.
 
I don''t know the size yet, but I will soon
 
Date: 4/27/2010 9:59:39 PM
Author: mgpatsfan
Thanks very much for the thought but she likes single round, i am pretty sure...


Thanks again
Click to expand...

I would go to Whiteflash''s website and start looking at stones.

Also try good old gold, james allen, brian gavin...

start checking out what is available and when you find a handful of stones that you like you can post them here to be scrutinized by the amazing folks that know a heck of a lot more than I do!
 
You know what she may like the three ring halo! Where did you find that?
 
Date: 4/27/2010 9:45:22 PM
Author:mgpatsfan
I am totally new to buying a diamond and certainly to buying an engagement ring.

I have about $5,000 to spend and have a few questions but let me tell you what I do know.

She would like

1 Carat
Round Stone
Platinum Classic Setting

My questions are as follows

1. Should I spend the most on Cut, Color or Clarity
2. Is buying online via some of the sites on here totally safe?
3. Do I need a GIA Certificate?
4. Any recommendations on what stones specifically that you could post would be great, I am a newbie.
5. I know I want something that will be brilliant and sparkle (right?)
6. What about buying at a wholesale club like Costco?
7. How does warranty work with online retailers work?
8. Which online sites are best?

Any guidance you could all provide would be greatly appreciated, I plan on doing this once (getting engaged) I really would like a special decent quality ring for a good price. I know that there is a wealth of knowledge on this site, My mind is a sponge!
Thanks to all in advance
Click to expand...

1. Cut most important for sparkle factor. Color is a personal preference thing, some like colorless some prefer tinted. Clarity, as long as it is eye-clean and has no effect on the cut performance, an SI1 is as good as an IF for all practical purpose.
2. Safe on all the usual vendors on PS.
3. GIA or AGS. Other labs are known to be soft on grading and you will not get what you think you are buying.

7. Generally just get it insured with a policy. Warranty are generally useless and an insurance policy will cover theft or loss.
8. Depends, vendor policy. For your budget, I will be looking at JamesAllen but they have a stricter upgrade policy compare with some other vendors.
 
Perhaps you could try Good Old Gold (the ring in my avatar) or Whiteflash. Both have excellent customer service.

Since you will have to compromise a bit on color and clarity to get your total ring into price range, you need to figure out your limits. Do you need it to be eye clean? If so, from how far away? If inclusions aren''t a big deal, something like this would be nice. The inclusions aren''t under the table and there probably aren''t any stability issues. This August Vintage round is the one I have. I <3 it. My color is M and I enjoy the faint warmth, but a lot of people I know would compromise on clarity before color. The I should be a good color for you. Generally, you can go to J with a well cut stone before most people see color, but it depends on how color sensitive she is. Has she given you any indication? It would be very difficult to get something with a great cut and have both relatively high color and clarity over a carat in your price range, so keep that in mind. An ideal cut, carat-plus G VS2, for example, is probably out of the picture. But whatever you do, I would not compromise on cut. My priorities are cut, clarity, color, carat.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/6731/


I looked on Whiteflash under ACA and Expert Selection (both very well cut), but there isn''t anything over a carat that''s less than about $4900.
 
Thanks to all, getting great stuff. KEEP IT COMING!!
 
For what it''s worth, I just purchased a 1ct ring from Brian Gavin. You should go to their website and either give them a call or shoot them an email. Leslie was super helpful and friendly. I was brand new and she took her time answering all the questions I had. And to make you feel even better, you can arrange a time to talk to Brian.

I would definitely go with his signature cut before any of the other "C''s".

And to help with your $5K budget, you should consider an 18K white gold ring. Do a search on here, there is a lot of debate on which is better. Leslie said they sell about half platinum, half white gold. I like the look and the shine of the white gold so I went with that. And you can go with the white gold ring and upgrade the diamond cage to platinum for the strength for a little more money.

Just some options to consider. Do some research and post the diamond reports on here for the forum experts to look at and make sure you are getting a good stone. This is especially important when not going with dealers like Brian Gavin, Good for Gold, White Flash, etc....
 
Here's a listing for a .74ct VS2 G color Tiffany & Co. classic platinum solitaire engagement ring. Comes with all paperwork, certificates & even the Tiffany box. Listed for $4800.

http://portero.com/tiffany-co-diamond-solitaire-platinum-engagement-ring.html#details
 
Date: 4/27/2010 10:11:55 PM
Author: waterlilly
http://www.jewelsbyericagrace.com/modern_and_estate_rings


scan down a bit and you will see it!


I don't know anything about the vendor personally, but I do know a lot of folks on here have purchased from there.
Click to expand...

that is an awesome suggestion waterlily - it looks like a real bargain, nice setting and all.

I haven't purchased from them, but can confirm erica and grace are completely kind and trustworthy people to deal with.
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Date: 4/27/2010 10:10:21 PM
Author: mgpatsfan
You know what she may like the three ring halo! Where did you find that?
Click to expand...

Waterlilly - I hate you.. Not really, but now you have me obsessing over that ring! I''ve seen rings like that before and thought they were GORGEOUS, but that price makes it RIDICULOUS!
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If I actually had a job (I''m a poor grad student) that ring would be mine right now!

Mgpatsfan - If your gf would like that ring, I would seriously consider it. It''s definitely a very unique style, so I wouldn''t get it if it''s not her thing.. but WOW.. what a steal.
 
Date: 4/28/2010 5:11:27 AM
Author: PavePrincess
Date: 4/27/2010 10:10:21 PM

Author: mgpatsfan

You know what she may like the three ring halo! Where did you find that?
Click to expand...


Waterlilly - I hate you.. Not really, but now you have me obsessing over that ring! I''ve seen rings like that before and thought they were GORGEOUS, but that price makes it RIDICULOUS!
30.gif
30.gif
30.gif
If I actually had a job (I''m a poor grad student) that ring would be mine right now!


Mgpatsfan - If your gf would like that ring, I would seriously consider it. It''s definitely a very unique style, so I wouldn''t get it if it''s not her thing.. but WOW.. what a steal.
Click to expand...


I know! It''s still there too....I look at it everyday
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I recommend going to Brian Gavin Diamond and buying the biggest signature stone for your money (after deducting for the setting). Anything he cuts will be FABULOUS!
 
ditto all the other suggestions! :) how exciting for you mgpatsfan :) - have you checked out some of the stones offered by Whiteflash, James Allen and Brian Gavin diamonds? come back and update us
 
Hi there!

I would definitely agree with many of the others on here that cut is MOST important, its what gives the most "sparkle". Clarity is pretty important because it can also affect the sparkle and you don't want to see any clouds or black spots in your diamond. I personally wouldn't go any lower than SI grade for clarity, since your budget should allow for decent clarity. Also, you can get lower grade in clarity if the imperfections are in the "right" places, for example if they can be covered by the prongs. Color is a matter of preference but I wouldn't go any lower than I (mine is an E and it is sparkly white!).

I would say the order of the C's would be cut, clarity and color are tied (depending on personal preference), and then carat. I say carat lastly because I wouldn't compromise quality for a bigger diamond.

One tip of advice is to purchase slightly less than 1 ct and you may find it will save you quite a bit. And the difference in size will be very negligible (just compare the size specs for each).

Some good vendors are James Allen (where my fiance bought mine), Whiteflash, Blue Nile, and Brian Gavin. I know there are others that are highly mentioned on this site, so definitely take time to check out some of the forums on here. And check out each vendors policies to make sure they meet your needs (for example, they may have differing upgrade policies, so decide if this might be important to your future bride).

As an example, here is a nice diamond option for $3790 (pricescope member price
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): 0.98 ct, Ideal Cut, G color, SI2 clarity, polish and symmetry are very good:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1251628.asp

This one has slightly better specs for a similar price, with a slight compromise on the size: 0.90 ct, Ideal Cut, F color, SI1 clarity, very good polish and excellent symmetry:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1279253.asp

I'm not sure how much a platinum band would add to the cost, but it looks like $5000 is a good budget for a beautiful ring around the size that she wants :) Just make sure to shop around and compare. And also, for additional help, be sure to check out the diamond education sections on many of the sites that are mentioned. They will be most helpful. Good luck!
 
I''m not sure if your girl likes the Tiffany setting, but brian gavin diamonds makes a very similar setting that is just gorgeous. wsblue430 originally had this setting and then switched to the grace setting which is also soooo beautiful, but a little more expensive. here is the link to her ring in the tiffany setting(I hope that she doesn''t mind)
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-brian-gavin-2-398-h-a-engagement-ring-pics.132275/

BDG tiffany knife edge in 18K white gold is 750$ (1250 in platinum) http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/home/ring-details/?product_id=5336
This beautiful BDG signature diamond is just over 4K (0.9 carats, I, VS2): http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-1040397620052
 
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