Am I In the Right Ballpark for Getting What She Wants?

[rftimely]

So it''s time to go shopping and I''ve spent a good amount of time on this board and some others to get an idea of what I''m doing. However I am far from the experts on here so I figured I''d post what I''m thinking and you tell me if I''m reasonable or if there is something glaring I''m missing. I have a major hookup at a B&M store so I''m confident that I won''t get screwed, but it''s good to have an idea of what I''m doing. My g/f''s preferences are single stone set in white gold (or platinum), and she loves the stones that reflect tons of light and look like rainbows from across the room. Here''s what I''m thinking I can get within my budget:

Cut: Ideal+
Clarity: VS2 (should i be looking higher here?)
Color: G-H
Size: 1+

Budget: 8k all in including, setting, tax, etc

Thoughts? Am I in the right ballpark? Thanks in advance for any and all feedback.

 

[stone-cold11]

Assuming you are looking at round brilliant? Should be workable depending on how markup the B&M is.

Cut, you will have to get into the numbers instead of just relying on what the B&M says it is or just buy your own idealscope/ASET(for fancy) and learn how to use it.

VS2, G/H is fine, assuming it is graded by AGS/GIA. Probably can even drop to SI1 as you will be able to judge personally if it is eye-clean or not to your satisfaction.

 

[oldminer]

You can do it with either an H or a G with the vendors here so long as you don''t get too carried away with the mounting cost. At the top end of the diamond cost range, you may need to use white gold to stick to the 8K budget, but you can get a super stone with a normal platinum mounting within your range, I''d suspect. Now, will the B&M store be willing and able to do this for you within your budget? You will find out pretty soon.

I suggest you print out a partial list of possible diamonds from Pricescope and look closely at those you can afford. Then, let the B&M store help you and after you see the direction it is heading in, you might share with them some of the potential stones (and their highly competitive costs) which you could buy on your own. Make some direct comparisons. Buying at a store where you have a relationship is worth some extra cost. How much is up to you. It is a relationship thing or like leaving a big tip after a great meal with excellent service. There should be no guilt involved in spending more for fine service, but they need to earn the extra cost, not just demand it.

 

[cara]

Shape? Round, princess, etc.
Single-stone setting is clear, but what style? Wider band or thinner, how does the head attach. There will be a substantial price difference between white gold and platinum, just something to consider. And big price differences between the absolute cheapest, generic setting and a custom-made or designer setting (and usually one will look better than the othe too.)

Read up on the 4Cs under the knowledge tab above. In particular, look at *cut* as that is usually the fuzziest, least consistently described characteristic and has the biggest impact on sparkliness.

Oh, and having a 'major hookup' at a B&M is no guarantee of getting an awesome deal or getting a quality diamond. B&Ms usually have larger markups, so just because they mark something down a lot doesn't mean that you actually are going to get it below their cost or cheaper than you could get it elsewhere. Do some price comparisons online to know what the competition is selling things for.

 

[AprilBaby]

Unfortunately a major hookup doesn''t usually mean a good deal. Do your homework first and check the numbers and images like everyone else says. Then check back here. Let''s hope you really DO get a deal!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 12/11/2009 12:31:20 PM
Author: oldminer
You can do it with either an H or a G with the vendors here so long as you don't get too carried away with the mounting cost. At the top end of the diamond cost range, you may need to use white gold to stick to the 8K budget, but you can get a super stone with a normal platinum mounting within your range, I'd suspect. Now, will the B&M store be willing and able to do this for you within your budget? You will find out pretty soon.

I suggest you print out a partial list of possible diamonds from Pricescope and look closely at those you can afford. Then, let the B&M store help you and after you see the direction it is heading in, you might share with them some of the potential stones (and their highly competitive costs) which you could buy on your own. Make some direct comparisons. Buying at a store where you have a relationship is worth some extra cost. How much is up to you. It is a relationship thing or like leaving a big tip after a great meal with excellent service. There should be no guilt involved in spending more for fine service, but they need to earn the extra cost, not just demand it.

Ditto David. And as long as you find a well cut diamond your GF will have a pretty stone which shows a good display of fire, brilliance and scintillation and give the performance you desire.

Best thing to do, once you find some diamonds you like, either post the report number so we can look up the info needed or post the following you will find on the report;

depth%
table%
crown and pavilion angles
girdle thickness
diameter in MM
star and lower girdle facet percentages
fluorescence if applicable

Then we can help you determine how well each diamond is cut. Also you could order your own Idealscope, they are easy to use and the results straightforward to interpret with a little study.

 

[rftimely]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I forgot to mention it will most likely be a round brilliant stone. As far as type of band/setting she has not really specified anything. It''s hard to say but I think when I see it I will know. I''m planning on sticking with white gold for cost reasons and because I can''t find any real reason to go to platinum. As far as the hookup at the B&M goes, it will definitley equate into some savings and an all around good deal. I can''t get too specific but let''s just say I have some influence on the entire store''s reputation and they would never do anything to jeapordize that. From everything I can find cut will definitely be my #1 priority. I do plan on printing out some Bluenile type stones that are close to what i''m thinking. Here''s an idea of what I''m thinking:

http://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-diamond-ring?pid=LD01570168&forceStep=DIAMONDS_STEP


Thanks again.

 

[swingirl]

The one from BlueNile gets a 2.1 on the Holloway Cut Adviser. You might want to aim for 2 or less. HCA is located under the TOOLS tab.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 12/11/2009 12:40:21 PM
Author: AprilBaby
Unfortunately a major hookup doesn''t usually mean a good deal. Do your homework first and check the numbers and images like everyone else says. Then check back here. Let''s hope you really DO get a deal!

Yes, this has been my experience too!