Anyone need help with their tractor?

[marymm]

Wow,
A lot of great suggestions.
Yes a little overwhelming.
The ones I like the best are this one that was first suggested by marymm and endorsed by others
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.926-i-vs2-round-diamond-ags-104064191014
But I also liked the one suggested by luvmysparklies. Partly for the price, partly because he was convincing in his suggesting it and if the truth be known because we both live in geezervill and can't see the difference with our wrinkled, er, naked eyes anyway.
http://www.highperformancediamonds.com/index.php?page=view-id-diamond-default&id=26
Another twist to add to this is I asked the jewler if she could build the ring from the specs given at the Brian Gavin link.
She looked at it and said she could find me a comparable stone if I let her have a chance.
I reminded her about the 7% sales tax I'd have to pay and she said she'd keep that in mind.
A couple of hours later she said she could get one with a white occlusion instead of a black one which she didn't like in marymm's link for about $5700 with tax.
So I told her to ship it in but that I was making no promises.
It should be here tomorrow.
That's where it stands at this point.
So the question I have for you all is if that stone has a GIA number on it could you people look it up and tell me if the stone is comparable?
Or would you actually have to see it?
I know for a fact that the jeweler is in it to make a living and believe me, I don't fault anyone for that.
But I don't know if you people are doing this because you just like these pretty stones and your motives are altruistic or if there is a profit motive here too.
Any thoughts on that?

I am not clear on why your local jeweler believes the BGD I-VS2 has a black inclusion? Looking at the macro images I do not see anything black but it may be I just missed it? The AGL report does list a crystal but that could be clear, or white, or dark. And keep in mind just because an inclusion is white in color does not mean it is eyeclean. Unless she has seen the stone already that she is calling in, or trusts the eye of the vendor who is providing it to her, I am also not clear on how or why she knows that inclusion is white in color.

If you can provide the GIA report number and the carat weight of the stone being called in, we can take a look at the cut specifications (table, depth, crown and pavilion angles/percentages, star and lower girdle facet numbers) and give you objective opinions as to its cut quality, etc.

As others have stated, we PS members are passionate and informed about diamonds, for our own purchases, and to assist other consumers with their diamond purchases based on their individual priorities. There is no monetary or other payback - we make recommendations on the basis of what the consumer is looking for as well as our own and other PS members' experiences with various diamond vendors.

 

[hawk25]

Wow,
But I don't know if you people are doing this because you just like these pretty stones and your motives are altruistic or if there is a profit motive here too.
Any thoughts on that?

Its understandable why you suspect something, but we really don't have any stake in whatever, or whoever you choose to purchase from. Some vendors post on PS, but they cannot promote their own stones and must identify themselves clearly as a trade member. Many of us were in your position, who received help from other PSers and want to pay it forward. For example, if you look through my post history, I was clueless back in February and asked PS for help. I ended up with a gorgeous stone and paid half of what I would have if I went in a store. So now I'm happy to contribute whenever I can, and enjoy learning new things along the way.

As for the stone your jeweler is getting, a GIA report can only tell us so much. We would ideally need an idealscope or ASET picture to judge light performance and determine if there's any light leakage, especially with GIA, since their Excellent cut grade is relatively quite broad compared to AGS ideal cut grades. But if you post the info or give us the GIA number we can certainly give an objective opinion.

It's a little bit more hassle, but is it possible to purchase either the BGD or HPD diamond, then bring it to the jewelers and compare the two for yourself? If the jeweler's stone is comparable, then you can return the BGD/HPD diamond for a full refund. I'm also curious on why your jeweler said it was a black inclusion, like marymm said I can't really see one. I suggest contacting BGD and ask them to take another look at the stone, ask about eye cleanliness to your specifications and answer any other questions you have

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I help here because jewelry is my hobby and I can't afford to buy a new diamond every week! So helping others is entertaining for me!

The BG stone is lovely but I just wouldn't even consider clarity of I1 for an engagement ring. I would rather have a smaller Vs or SI1 stone.

The stone being called in will not be the cut quality of the Brian Gavin stone which is a super ideal cut. We can look at the GIA report and tell you whether the new diamond is worth considering (and that would have been good to look at before she even ordered). But we cannot judge cut quality without magnified images of the diamond and an idealscope image like you see below BG and other ideal cut stones that have been posted for you. But if we can tell that it has potential and you like it in person, it could be fine.

 

[AprilBaby]

A lot of us help because we love to see people get what they paid for! So many times the diamond they originally picked is way overpriced for the quality! Do you have a motive to help people with tractors?
If I had one I sure would ask you because you seem full of knowledge and experience, just like us!

 

[WinkHPD]

You guys are awesome.
I know this doesn't matter but for what it's worth; I just turned 60 and this will be my first time getting hitched.
She's 57, was married for many years but was widowed.
I've known her for 25 years and all she ever had was a simple gold band.
I'm hoping to make up for some of that. Nothing too showy but a little bit of pizzaz.

I just turned 66 and 1/2 and will have been married for 40 years in August. You do realize that you are going to go through about a 20 year training period, but after that it gets real fun!

Wink

 

[WinkHPD]

<SNIP> I think he's wearing a yellow shirt in the video -- an I color diamond is not yellow. He's a great guy who is of "grandfather age" and while I don't believe he owns a tractor, he is an avid outdoorsman.

Thank you for the kind words Lula. I do not have a tractor, but I have a John Deer 5 wheeler that we have used for more than 30 years to take decoys out to the duck blind and cart us old guys around. Actually, when we got it it was for me to carry the old guys around in and to carry their decoys. Now I am one of the old guys. Dang, time can be cruel.

The yellow green that you saw was actually a reflection of the unlit light diodes that surround the lens of my close up camera. They are too
bright to turn on and make a horrible color in the direct reflections. You are absolutely correct that the I color does not look like that at all. A week after taking that video I discovered how to block them out so that will NOT be a problem in the future.

Wink

 

[WinkHPD]

Wow,
A lot of great suggestions.
Yes a little overwhelming.
The ones I like the best are this one that was first suggested by marymm and endorsed by others
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.926-i-vs2-round-diamond-ags-104064191014
But I also liked the one suggested by luvmysparklies. Partly for the price, partly because he was convincing in his suggesting it and if the truth be known because we both live in geezervill and can't see the difference with our wrinkled, er, naked eyes anyway.
http://www.highperformancediamonds.com/index.php?page=view-id-diamond-default&id=26
Another twist to add to this is I asked the jewler if she could build the ring from the specs given at the Brian Gavin link.
She looked at it and said she could find me a comparable stone if I let her have a chance.
I reminded her about the 7% sales tax I'd have to pay and she said she'd keep that in mind.
A couple of hours later she said she could get one with a white occlusion instead of a black one which she didn't like in marymm's link for about $5700 with tax.
So I told her to ship it in but that I was making no promises.
It should be here tomorrow.
That's where it stands at this point.
So the question I have for you all is if that stone has a GIA number on it could you people look it up and tell me if the stone is comparable?
Or would you actually have to see it?
I know for a fact that the jeweler is in it to make a living and believe me, I don't fault anyone for that.
But I don't know if you people are doing this because you just like these pretty stones and your motives are altruistic or if there is a profit motive here too.
Any thoughts on that?

If I may make a suggestion. Call in one of the stones that you like and take it with you when you look at the diamond at the jewelers. If you can, have her put both stones on a slotted tray and not tell you which is which. (Make sure that both stones are scrupulously clean, if one is dirty when you examine it you need to find a new jeweler.)

Your eye will then pick the one that they like best and you can then find out which one it is and know that you bought the one that you liked.

Sometimes that will cost you money, and sometimes it will save you money, but always it will end up with you buying the diamond that YOUR eyes like.

Wink

 

[WinkHPD]

P.S. You might also want to learn to use a loupe before going in to the jewelers so that you feel comfortable looking at things. You should expect most jewelers to have a microscope which will make it even easier for you to see things up close and personal.

Wink

 

[UltradogMN]

I help here because jewelry is my hobby and I can't afford to buy a new diamond every week! So helping others is entertaining for me!

Thank you DS and thank you all.
I knew I came to the right place and the right people.
Your comparison to tractors is very apt.
A couple of posts from the main forum I hang out on are below.
I am a "Tractor Guru" there with over 12,000 posts.
It is verboten to advertise or sell things there though there is a bit of off site horse trading that goes on amongst us regulars.
But most of the time we put in - answering questions, helping others, or giving a bit of encouragement, is because we just like the darned things, have an affinity for understanding them and enjoy yakking about them.
And as you implied, the next best thing to buying a tractor, or diamond, yourself is helping someone else get a good one.
It's just fun.
I want you all to know I don't take your wisdom and kindness for granted and I'm very grateful for your help.
On the other hand I have been "paying it forward" in my own way for a long time now.
One of the great things about the internet is communities like this one and that one.
There are forums for every concievable kind of hobby.
It's just great.

http://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=nboard&th=891293
http://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=nboard&th=891344
http://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=ford&th=550566

 

[UltradogMN]

On my way to the bank to do a wire transfer.
Will give an update in a couple of hours.
AArrggh
Got butterflies...

 

[Smith1942]

I haven't read the entire thread, but if Jerry hasn't been told about Blue Nile yet, then I'd like to chime in. Jerry, Blue Nile is a huge, solid online vendor who is extremely well-known, very reputable, and sells more engagement rings each year than Tiffany, according to Forbes magazine. The reason BN should interest you is that they are generally less expensive than the other vendors here, and sometimes considerably so. That's because they are a drop-shipper. This means that they have a huge online inventory, but the stones are located all over the U.S. Blue Nile ships the stone directly from the wholesaler, after having their gemologist check the stone over, check that it's eyeclean.

So, Blue Nile has way too many diamonds in their inventory to take all those photos that you get with BGD, Whiteflash, etc. As a budget-conscious person, be aware that you don't "need" all those photos and that you will more than likely pay a premium for dealing with a small company, excellent personal service, and lots of diamond photos. While all those things are nice to have, you don't need to pay for them if you don't want to.

I am very experienced with Blue Nile, having bought a number of diamonds from them and at least forty other items. I've returned, exchanged - everything - and they are professional to an amazing degree. In my experience, they never make a mistake, they are unfailingly polite, and their return process is smooth as silk. I can't speak highly enough of them. I was buying diamonds for a stud earring upgrade recently, and they actually encouraged me to buy the smaller, much cheaper diamonds because they told me that the larger pair was not eyeclean. I find them to be very honest. Buying from them is not the risk that some will make it out to be, because their return process is no-questions-asked, 30-day I believe.

So, their inventory is huge, over 100,000 diamonds. It's great fun to dig around in it. The prices vary. There are some expensive ones, but if you dig around you can frequently find a diamond of the same specs and quality of the BGD and the WFs for much less money.

I always stick up for them on PS because no one ever mentions them. It's BGD and WF, James Allen etc. all the way. I also have nine pieces from those vendors, and they are certainly very good, honest vendors who sell top-notch products. But BN is just as top-notch, and may be a better budget-conscious choice.

Just saw your concerns above about who is gaining. Basically, we're just a group of people who are absolutely nuts about jewellery. If you were to look through my posts you'd see that I'm a book editor based in Boston and that I like to photograph my collection of jewellery for Pricescope and post it in the SMTB section.

I feel particularly sorry for Blue Nile since people sometimes come on here and post a diamond that they've found on BN and people always talk them into getting a diamond from one of the smaller vendors. But even so, Blue Nile kindly sent a door prize for the recent PS Get-Together in Las Vegas, even though PS does them no good in business whatsoever! Classy outfit.

I'm going to do a Blue Nile diamond hunt for you.

I'll be back........

 

[Smith1942]

Here are two very similar diamonds. They are both 1.20 carats, so quite a lot larger than the others posted, but they are within budget, they have GIA-rated "excellent cuts" and both score under 2 on the HCA. This is what I'd call value for money.

1.20
J
Si1
Excellent cut
$6,046 but bank wire price of $5,956.

The cut scores 1.8 on the Holloway Cut Adviser (HCA). Jerry, that HCA is a tool used to weed out the dud diamonds. I have bought Blue Nile diamonds scoring 1.8 from Blue Nile and they sparkle like you wouldn't believe. There is no difference between a diamond scoring 1 or 0.8 and one scoring 1.8 or 1.9 - as log as the diamond is under 2, you've weeded out duds.

http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD01972659




And the next:

1.20
J
SI1
Excellent cut
$5,694 but bank wire price of $5,609. This diamond has an HCA score of 1.9

http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD03439014

 

[UltradogMN]

Well.
I did it.
It's really not a lot of money when you think about it. Not in the grand scheme of things.
I've bought and sold a dozen houses in my life and as you all know, those checks and commitments dwarf this.
Bought pickups and tractors and kitchens that were more too.
Heck, a new central air and furnace can be more expensive.
Dunno why it was a bit unsettling.
Such a small intangible thing (to me) to buy perhaps.
Anyway,
Here's the stone:
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.926-i-vs2-round-diamond-ags-104064191014

And as per the suggestions here about just getting it done at BG I bought the setting there too.

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/classic-tiffany-style-half-round-18k-yellow-gold-5478y18

10 days to two weeks before it gets here.
BG sent me an email with all the account and routing numbers on it so I just went in the the credit union and got the email on her computer.
The young gal there asked what I was buying so I showed her the two items.
She kinda squealed and told her coworkers, hey Barb, Joanie look at this.
So they had to look and ooh, aah and chatter till there were 5 of the bank ladies there.
I kind of felt bad for the other folks who were trying to get their banking done...
It's still a wonder the excitement people get from these things.
I do have an inkling of it from having a bit of an appreciation for art.
On the other hand if I really wanted some glitter I 'd go to a disco.
Or do they still have those anymore?
I'm kidding I hope you know
Thank you all so much.
I really was feeling overwhelmed by this escapade. Far more than the dollar amount really warranted.
Sometimes you just have to trust your instincts. And my instincts say that you all are a great bunch of people who have an uncanny love and appreciation for these things
For sure I'll post some photos in the bling section when it gets here.
For now, I'd better get back to my tractor boards. There are folks who need help over there.
My thanks and blessings to you all.
Jerry

 

[E B]

Oh, Jerry, you picked a winning combination. It is going to be STUNNING. Congratulations!

 

[Lula]

Congratulations, Jerry! Please update us when you get the ring! A few photos would be nice, too.

 

[Spesh2011]

This might be one of my favorite threads.

Your ring is going to be gorgeous. I can't wait for pics!

 

[arkieb1]

Thats a great stone, nice size and a classic classy setting. You picked a winner. The 5 girl harem at the bank helping you are testament to that as well, they were ogling for a reason.... Well done!!!!

 

[Niel]

Good gracious this is going to be just about the most classic ring in the history of ps. One carat, H&A cut, yellow gold, Tiffany repro. Truly spectacularly classic. Can't wait to see. I can't imagine anyone of any age not being in awe of this.

And this whole thread is adorable.

 

[CrazyBirdLady]

This has been a lovely thread to read and you have picked a wonderful ring and diamond. Brian and Lesley always deliver and I can't wait to see the finished ring. Congrats

 

[Rosebloom]

Brilliant choice. I can't wait to see it.

(And this thread makes me proud to be a PSer!)