OMG- this is *way* too much pressure.

[Darla]

Hi, I''m desperate for help from any of you who have the time or grace to lend a hand. I have been working as a kind of social/personal secretary for about eight months and it''s amazing so far-- my job description sounds ridiculous to most people but I loooove it, and the money is great for what I''m doing.

The thing is, as I left today my boss told me he is going to propose to his girlfriend so I should take a week off to go overseas to get a ring. (Yeah, I know...) His girlfriend is to be kept "strictly in the dark" about this one, and given that two of her friends work at the Tiffany in Melbourne, he doesn''t want me shopping there.

I really don''t feel equipped to do something like this at all. I have a rudimentary knowledge of the four C''s but even if I became an expert by tomorrow (its 9.00pm here) that doesn''t take into account the fact that I don''t know what type of ring to get, what cuts she likes etc. I told but he was like "Oh don''t be silly, it''s just a ring. Go off and have some fun." Ummm okay. It sounds fun, but it is going to be such a huge deal to his girlfriend and him that the pressure is sucking all the fun out of it. Plus when I asked him whether he had any opinion on what type of ring he wanted me to get he was like "Nah, that''s girly talk. Just go get something nice." Sigh.

Can anyone give me any hints on how I go about this? I have a maximum AUD $500k budget so I''m pretty sure I''m supposed to be getting a D colour, F/IF etc etc diamond. (I was told "200k ideally but if it gets up to as much as $500, so be it.") Having been forbidden to ask her mother or sisters what she likes (they''re chatterboxes) and not having seen her ever wear rings (except the tiffany open heart one) I don''t know what to get. Do I just go with Tiffany engagement, or should I try and interpret her taste? Sidestones or no? Is there such a thing as the most popular ring?

What do I do when I go to the store? I have never *bought* jewelry before. I''ve picked her out earrings and necklaces but because they know my boss, but he''s rang ahead and essentially the shop people picked out four or five pieces and I''d choose knowing what colour her dress was etc. I have NO FRAME OF REFERENCE for an engagement ring. Do I make an appointment? If so, do I give them my name or my boss''s name? Are they going to take me seriously? (Because I wouldn''t! I''m 20 years old...) Really weird questions have been running through my mind the past hour like "is it better to go in the morning or afternoon?" LOL. The whole idea of this is so foreign and so overwhelming to me.

I''d be very grateful for any help.

 

[Stephan]

This man can help you:
http://www.preciousmetals.com.au/

 

[Imdanny]

What an unusual predicament. Do you just want me to guess what you should do?;

Round solitaire, Tiffany, gold (because it''s popular in Australia- someone??), F, E, not D-unless he said "get D", VVS2 or VVS1 (scrap IF- it''s going to make the stone small), choose a number somewhere between the base figure and the highest figure- ideally right in the middle- and then get the biggest diamond you can get.

 

[chrono]

Date: 5/6/2008 7:14:13 AM
Author: QueenMum
This man can help you:
http://www.preciousmetals.com.au/

I heartily second this suggestion. Garry knows all the ins and outs of diamonds and will lead you to the right stone and setting.

 

[arjunajane]

Oh My Gosh Darla!
You're right, that is a huge ask by your boss. But you know what, you have Sooo taken the best first step possible by posting here and asking for help.
The people here are incredibly friendly and overly helpful. More than that, the majority of the "regulars" have more knowledge about diamonds and fine jewelery than probably 80% of jewelers ...
So, firstly welcome to PS.

A question - by o/seas, does he mean the States? This will surely be your best bet. More specifically, New York. Now, this is just my opinion but if you can go to Long Island in NY, there is a Very reputable and Very well respected family business there called Good Old Gold. here is their site http://www.goodoldgold.com/
The resident diamond expert there is named Jonathan Weingarten, and not only is he very knowledeable in diamonds, but also a totally all round nice guy.
Please, don't take my word for it though - just do one quick search here on PS and you will find a ton of thread extolling all the virtues of GOG (good old gold).

Basically, if its possible, with the budget that this man is willing to spend you will need to deal only with people who REALLY know their stuff.
We can also give you suggestions for settings when the time comes, but in my opinon you should start with one thing at a time.
One suggestion I will make is a fellow name of Leon Mege - also in NY to keep things easier, if you were to ask many PS'ers here who their choice would be if they could have any budget or their "dream ring", Alot will say Leon. Here is his site http://www.artofplatinum.com/

I will leave it there as don't want to overwhelm you, and there ALOT of people around here who have tons more experience than me.

But those two vendors would be my first choice if I could have a huge budget and visit in person, Hands Down. (I also live in Australia - so envious of you getting to do this, even if its not for yourself!)

I hope this has helped a little, please keep asking questions and you're fellow PSers will help you through this! I think, with the right choices, you will have a fun and educational experience - rather than a daunting and stressful one.

Best of luck,'
xx AJ

ETA: sorry, am I missing something? Darla, am I correct that you said he wants you to go overseas to shop for the ring? Or will you be staying within Australia??

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/6/2008 7:14:13 AM
Author: QueenMum
This man can help you:
http://www.preciousmetals.com.au/

Excellent suggestion, contact Garry.

 

[Deelight]

Date: 5/6/2008 7:20:35 AM
Author: Chrono

Date: 5/6/2008 7:14:13 AM

Author: QueenMum

This man can help you:

http://www.preciousmetals.com.au/

I heartily second this suggestion. Garry knows all the ins and outs of diamonds and will lead you to the right stone and setting.

I agree or if you feel like traveling up to the Gold Coast for some sun and sunshine I recommend calleija if I had a 500k budget this is where I would be

 

[Independent Gal]

My guess is that his girlfriend is a name-brand girl. If so, and with your budget, I would go somewhere name-brand.

Is there a Graff in Australia? That would be my pick, for pure WOW factor.

I would go with a simple solitaire and a round stone. Always safest when no other info is available.

 

[honey22]

Surely you can't do this task by yourself! I CAN COME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously (unless you are considering letting me come

), book yourself a flight to Houston, give Lesley a call at Whiteflash, tell her to arrange a very long appointment with her and Brian, and get yourself a BIG KILLER ACA!!!!

OMG - I would so kill to have your job at the moment!!!!

With that kind of cash, don't even think about compromising - get a D!!!!

ETA - Sorry, head spinning with the possibilties. Second idea - call Gary Holloway at Precious Metals, arrange an appointment with him (not one of his staff, but him in person!) Stores in Brighton and Canterbury.

 

[honey22]

Hehehehehe! Found it - seach is over

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-72997.htm

 

[Cleo]

Date: 5/6/2008 8:04:47 AM
Author: honey22
Hehehehehe! Found it - seach is over

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-72997.htm

OMG.

You just couldn''t go wrong with that one...

x x x

 

[Darla]

Thank you soo much for the replies. I think I am going to be up all night wading through the sea of information here. WOW, I was in a bit of a panic when I first posted but there is such a wealth of articles and personal experiences on here, I feel like I can relax a tiny bit.

AJ, yeah, he said go overseas because his girlfriend''s friends work at Tiffany in Melbourne and he doesn''t want them or her family to find out I went there. The other places I considered are South Africa (where he is from, and his friend is a jeweler but not quite on this scale) or New York because apparently that''s the better place to go and plus I have family in Connecticut, so I could see them for a day or so. I don''t feel safe going to SA by myself.

Imdanny, yeah I thought round solitaire too just because it seems to popular and universal. I''m worried to veer off that.

Deelight...omg, that site is awesome. I *love* their jewelry. If only I could afford that. LOL. I think I am not going to try and be ''brave'' though and pick unique pieces-- I''m worried she''ll be like "who the heck thought I''d like this?" lol. At least if I get a more traditional ring I can kind of hide behind convention. lol.

I rang him before to ask whether he''d want me to call that Garry guy so many of you recommended. He goes "Nooo we don''t need to do that. Just go to the store, find something pretty and bring it home." LOL. It''s like he''s sending me to go and pick up some milk at the corner store. (Not that he doesn''t adore his gf or want her to have something nice... he just doesn''t get the burden of chocie that seems to come with engagement rings these days.)

 

[Independent Gal]

Holy Crud! That Whiteflash stone is AMAZING.

 

[Cravin My Emerald cut]

Date: 5/6/2008 7:59:14 AM
Author: Independent Gal
My guess is that his girlfriend is a name-brand girl. If so, and with your budget, I would go somewhere name-brand.

Is there a Graff in Australia? That would be my pick, for pure WOW factor.

I would go with a simple solitaire and a round stone. Always safest when no other info is available.

I completely agree. If she has friends that work at Tiffany''s and he''s dropping that much money I would go name branded. I would go Tiffany, Cartier, Harry Winston, etc. You can still get a large rock at those places for that amount of money. I also agree that you should go D/E/F and VVS or even VS1 to get a larger carat weight. I don''t think you can go wrong with a round, yet I love Tiffany Novo and Lucida and you absolutely cannot go wrong with a Harry Winston cushion

 

[Deelight]

If your off to NY go to Long Island and visit Jon and Sarah at Good Old Gold they will take care of you both really lovely people and then head off to Leon Mege for a beautiful custom setting

Did you have a timeline that you had to abide by?


ETA: There is no Graff, or HW in Australia at least that I am aware of .

 

[Darla]

LOL. I''ve never seen a picture of a 7.5 carat diamond on a hand so maybe this sounds dumb... but would that even fit? Sigh, I can''t imagine being able to afford a ring that nice. I would probably never wear it, just make a shrine to it in my living room. lol.

Honey, we *should* switch! I hate my job at the moment! Usually I love it!!! I work like crazy, but I don''t really do anything if ya kwim? lol. Best. job. ever.... Just not right now.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 5/6/2008 8:27:45 AM
Author: Deelight
If your off to NY go to Long Island and visit Jon and Sarah at Good Old Gold they will take care of you both really lovely people and then head off to Leon Mege for a beautiful custom setting

Did you have a timeline that you had to abide by?


ETA: There is no Graff, or HW in Australia at least that I am aware of .

This, is a winning combination. Stunning stone from Jon, set in the classic solitaire from Leon. Perfection.

http://www.artofplatinum.com/4images/details.php?image_id=350

 

[Deelight]

7.5cts will fit on a finger but in my opinion it is a little on the too large side (dare I say it )

I would so love to do your job right about now

 

[Stephan]

Date: 5/6/2008 8:32:39 AM
Author: Darla
LOL. I''ve never seen a picture of a 7.5 carat diamond on a hand so maybe this sounds dumb... but would that even fit?

I did hold this diamond in my hands, and the last thing I thought about was "would that even fit"? It is stunning, I can''t describe it!

 

[MonkeyPie]

Holy cow I want your job!

Since you mentioned she wears the Tiffany open-heart ring, I''d go with a white gold/platinum setting. She already wears that color, so the e-ring being silver too is pretty safe. And a big, sparkly round. I can''t wait to hear what you find for such a huge budget!

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 5/6/2008 8:36:17 AM
Author: Ellen

Date: 5/6/2008 8:27:45 AM
Author: Deelight
If your off to NY go to Long Island and visit Jon and Sarah at Good Old Gold they will take care of you both really lovely people and then head off to Leon Mege for a beautiful custom setting

Did you have a timeline that you had to abide by?


ETA: There is no Graff, or HW in Australia at least that I am aware of .

This, is a winning combination. Stunning stone from Jon, set in the classic solitaire from Leon. Perfection.

http://www.artofplatinum.com/4images/details.php?image_id=350

Hey! That was my suggestion!

....just kidding. I re inforce my advice, and say Darla you won''t be able to go wrong. Both of these great professionals will guide you right and make your boss proud and his GF love you! ha ha

 

[scarlet16]

Date: 5/6/2008 8:36:17 AM
Author: Ellen

Date: 5/6/2008 8:27:45 AM

Author: Deelight

If your off to NY go to Long Island and visit Jon and Sarah at Good Old Gold they will take care of you both really lovely people and then head off to Leon Mege for a beautiful custom setting


Did you have a timeline that you had to abide by?



ETA: There is no Graff, or HW in Australia at least that I am aware of .

This, is a winning combination. Stunning stone from Jon, set in the classic solitaire from Leon. Perfection.

You all know I love Leon...but it sounds like the boss it antsy and wants something ASAP, not custom. If you are going to be going overseas (say here in NY), I''d call up Tiffany''s, Cartier, Harry Winston before you come, and ask them to have several stones in several different setting ready.

PS-I saw an AMAZING 5+ct emerald cut D VVS1 at the Tiffany''s in NY the other week!
http://www.artofplatinum.com/4images/details.php?image_id=350

 

[Imdanny]

So how are you supposed to insure the ring in your possession/ how are you supposed to bring it through customs?

Oh hai- this is my bizillion dollar ring?

I''m sorry but that does sound stressful.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 5/6/2008 8:45:17 AM
Author: MonkeyPie
Since you mentioned she wears the Tiffany open-heart ring, I'd go with a white gold/platinum setting. She already wears that color, so the e-ring being silver too is pretty safe. And a big, sparkly round. I can't wait to hear what you find for such a huge budget!

DITTO. If her other jewelry is silver toned, she'd probably prefer platinum.

And I second going to GOG/Leon IF you are not necessarily supposed to come home with a ring. If you are supposed to come home with a ring in hand, then make it easy on yourself. Call HW, Tiffany, Cartier, Graff ahead of time, tell them your budget and have them pull stuff for you. You can sit and sip champagne while they tell you all about them, then just pick the prettiest one. That seems like the most low stress thing for you!!!

 

[scb970]

Oh my goodness!! Are you for real! This is amazing that he is letting you do this, and you get a holiday out of it!!

What a great boss!

Anyway, whilst i''m fairly new to the world of diamonds I can make a couple of suggestions. I was recently in NY and became engaged while visiting there (im from melbourne too btw)and I was thrilled because I had always heard NY was the best place to buy diamonds. Not being very familiar with jewelers such as Leon etc which are so highly regarded here on PS (and no doubt for a good reason), my fiance and I took to the streets of the ''diamond district''. After much research, we decided buying a diamond from any of these jewelers was not worth it..as you can not be sure what your getting. It was way to dodgy for me. So i would definitely not recommend attempting that for the amount you have to spend. You need an extremely reputable jeweler but i dont know if brand is the way to go unless that''s what you have been instructed to do. I know you have a whopping budget but i still believe you should get best value for money.

Im not familiar with many international jewelers other than the brand names, but I can suggest Glenn Bakker who is actually based in Melbourne. He is fantastic, definitely going to get custom, designer quality here. He is an internationally renowned De Beers award winner and has done work for many high profile celebs. Most of his clients fly in from all over the world for his pieces. Anyway, i have no hesitation in recommending him, mostly because he is so extremely helpful in experimenting with ideas. He knows diamonds like no one else i''ve dealt with.

Only draw back is you dont get to go on a holiday...

 

[scb970]

oh and considering the lack of direction you have been given in terms of the design, I would suggest a solitaire cushion (a huge one of course) set in platinum. It''s very classic but a little more unique than RB.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Since the man isn''t going to do this himself (grrr), then I''d just take this opportunity to fly yourself to NYC, spend a couple of days with your family and make this whole thing as fun as possible. And get something YOU love---besides, you''re the only one who''s actually going go see these rings.

If it were me, for this budget, I''d just walk in to Harry Winston and buy a large (4 - 5 carats?) cushion on a beautiful pave band. Huge round brilliants can look cartoonish and dare I say it...a little matronly? While round brilliants are very classic, I think a stylish younger woman who is looking at 4+ carat diamonds would probably steer away from a huge round brilliant solitaire. I think you should just book the trip, go to HW, Tiffany, Graff, Cartier, etc. in NYC and just see what you love!

 

[ursulawrite]

Without question, I would go to Harry Winston or Graff. Agree with the others--no lower than F colour, VVS clarity.

Scary situation to be in, but I''m sure it''ll be tremendous fun for you as well!

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 5/6/2008 8:55:08 AM
Author: Imdanny
So how are you supposed to insure the ring in your possession/ how are you supposed to bring it through customs?

Oh hai- this is my bizillion dollar ring?

I''m sorry but that does sound stressful.

Imdanny, I can''t comment on the insurance, but she will have to declare it to Austrlian customs and then pay GST - but to be honest, with the budget i don''t think thats a concern!

I''m sure Darla is a very responsible woman who can keep one very expensive ring safe while she flies back..

 

[iheartscience]

With your timeline (1 week only, right?) I would call the big names (Harry Winston, Tiffany, Cartier), ask them to pull rings in the $200-$300k range and go to NYC and choose. It seems like a no brainer that she would want a brand name ring since her friends work at Tiffany. All of the PS vendors are amazing, and in pretty much any other situation I''d recommend using one of them, but if you have 1 week to get a $200k engagement ring, I think your only option is to go with a designer vendor. Plus that takes a lot of pressure off of you to hunt down the right vendor and setting and pick the perfect diamond.

A round solitaire is a no brainer, but I think that sometimes round diamonds start to look crazy in super huge sizes. In my opinion, another classic is the Harry Winston cushion cut halo. If she''s a blingy girl, I''d go for that instead of a classic Tiffany solitaire. You could also go with the Tiffany Legacy or the Tiffany round brilliant in a halo if you think she''d only like Tiffany.

If you do go for a round brilliant, you can get all the information from the certificates and check the numbers against ideal cut numbers. For cushion cuts and other fancy shapes, you sort of have to go by your eyes more. You can check the numbers, but they''re not as strict as with round brilliants.

I would just relax, call Tiffany, Harry Winston and Cartier, fly there, and pick out the prettiest, biggest ring you can get for his budget!