I must say, this site is great! I stumbled across it about a month ago while searching the net for information on diamonds in anticipation of purchasing a loose stone to upgrade my wife’s ring for our 10th anniversary. I’m glad I did! Not only did this site educate me on stones, particularly cut (up until a month ago, I thought cut meant round!!), but it also led me to Mark at Engagement Rings Direct. He was great! I just completed the purchase today and I’m thrilled!
I originally planned on purchasing a stone from a jeweler I had dealt with in the past, but then steered towards another local jeweler who deals exclusively with GIA certified stones. After visiting them, I went online to do some research and that is when I came across this site. I first started reviewing the knowledge base, thankfully so, and realized just how important cut is. Then I noticed the dealer space and began to do some searches based upon a set criteria, influenced by cut, size, color and, of course, budget! The great thing about it is, I was able to expand my criteria slightly, due to the great pricing offered on this site.
Those searches led me to Mark at Engagement Rings Direct, and he was great. We talked about some stones and what I was looking for. He then told me about a stone he had which I did not see on PS. It seemed to be everything I was looking for. However, given the amount of the purchase, I was hesitant to pull the trigger as I had never made such a large purchase over the ‘net or phone. We then agreed that he would send it to an appraiser in my area who also happened to be listed on PS (this all seemed too good to be true!) The ring arrived earlier this week and I met with the appraiser and reviewed the stone. To this novice eye, it was a stunner! We went through it in detail, verifying it against the GIA cert, including measurements, weight, laser inscription, inclusions, etc. That all put my mind at ease. Looked at it though an H&A viewer, and, while not perfect, it was darn close, which was a nice bonus as I wasn’t looking for an H&A stone given size and color requirements, offset by budget restraints. So, I took the plunge. As luck would have it, Mark was going to be traveling down to my neck of the woods (FLA), and I actually met him in person to finalize the sale. Meeting him in person really made it all come together. Everything seemed to fall right in to place. Now I just need to go back and pick up the stone and I’m done!
Some of the particulars on my stone:
1.07 ct Round Brilliant
H
VS2
6.57-6.61 X 4.05
61.5% Depth
58% Table
No Culet
Polish VG
Symm VG
The thing really sparkles. It’s so much nicer than anything I looked at in the stores in the same price range. I’m not against B&M jewelers at all. Just thrilled with what I found via PS. Now comes the hard part, my anniversary isn’t for another two months. I’m so excited I have no Idea how I’m going to be able to wait!
A GREAT BIG THANKYOU to PS and Mark!! I highly recommend both!
I originally planned on purchasing a stone from a jeweler I had dealt with in the past, but then steered towards another local jeweler who deals exclusively with GIA certified stones. After visiting them, I went online to do some research and that is when I came across this site. I first started reviewing the knowledge base, thankfully so, and realized just how important cut is. Then I noticed the dealer space and began to do some searches based upon a set criteria, influenced by cut, size, color and, of course, budget! The great thing about it is, I was able to expand my criteria slightly, due to the great pricing offered on this site.
Those searches led me to Mark at Engagement Rings Direct, and he was great. We talked about some stones and what I was looking for. He then told me about a stone he had which I did not see on PS. It seemed to be everything I was looking for. However, given the amount of the purchase, I was hesitant to pull the trigger as I had never made such a large purchase over the ‘net or phone. We then agreed that he would send it to an appraiser in my area who also happened to be listed on PS (this all seemed too good to be true!) The ring arrived earlier this week and I met with the appraiser and reviewed the stone. To this novice eye, it was a stunner! We went through it in detail, verifying it against the GIA cert, including measurements, weight, laser inscription, inclusions, etc. That all put my mind at ease. Looked at it though an H&A viewer, and, while not perfect, it was darn close, which was a nice bonus as I wasn’t looking for an H&A stone given size and color requirements, offset by budget restraints. So, I took the plunge. As luck would have it, Mark was going to be traveling down to my neck of the woods (FLA), and I actually met him in person to finalize the sale. Meeting him in person really made it all come together. Everything seemed to fall right in to place. Now I just need to go back and pick up the stone and I’m done!
Some of the particulars on my stone:
1.07 ct Round Brilliant
H
VS2
6.57-6.61 X 4.05
61.5% Depth
58% Table
No Culet
Polish VG
Symm VG
The thing really sparkles. It’s so much nicer than anything I looked at in the stores in the same price range. I’m not against B&M jewelers at all. Just thrilled with what I found via PS. Now comes the hard part, my anniversary isn’t for another two months. I’m so excited I have no Idea how I’m going to be able to wait!
A GREAT BIG THANKYOU to PS and Mark!! I highly recommend both!
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