Blue Nile eye clean, G, ideal SI2 - worth the risk?

[jahmed83]

I bought my e-ring retail today at Shane Co today and got a .90 carat round brilliant diamond that visually I liked all around (I, SI2, good cut) and I paid $4,350. I like the pave setting (14K white gold with 12 I color diamonds at .4 carats) and I will keep it. I feel like I can get a much better deal on the diamond at Blue Nile, though, and can maximize the size, color and cut for same price. I am nervous about buying an SI2 unseen, although I have 30 day return full refund options at both Shane and Blue Nile. Going SI1 seems to increase the price a lot.

1. What would you do to stay in the same range? Stick with SI2 and wait and see? Or go SI1 and sacrifice elsewhere?
2. Is there anything else I should consider like fluorescence, dimensions ratio, matching the setting diamonds?

Here are the Blue Nile specs: .96 carats, G, SI2, "eye-clean" (6-8 inches), ideal cut, $4326
http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD03131601


Thanks!

 

[Dancing Fire]

I bought my e-ring retail today at Shane Co today and got a .90 carat round brilliant diamond that visually I liked all around (I, SI2, good cut) and I paid $4,350. I like the pave setting (14K white gold with 12 I color diamonds at .4 carats) and I will keep it. I feel like I can get a much better deal on the diamond at Blue Nile, though, and can maximize the size, color and cut for same price. I am nervous about buying an SI2 unseen, although I have 30 day return full refund options at both Shane and Blue Nile. Going SI1 seems to increase the price a lot.

1. What would you do to stay in the same range? Stick with SI2 and wait and see? Or go SI1 and sacrifice elsewhere?
2. Is there anything else I should consider like fluorescence, dimensions ratio, matching the setting diamonds?

Here are the Blue Nile specs: .96 carats, G, SI2, "eye-clean" (6-8 inches), ideal cut, $4326
http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD03131601


Thanks!

Is the Shane Co. stone GIA graded?

 

[jahmed83]

Yes, both are GIA graded.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Yes, both are GIA graded.

but you can buy a better cut and higher color stone (I vs G color) online for the same $$$.

 

[jahmed83]

Yup - my concern is buying SI2 unseen but I guess since there is a 30 day return policy that shouldn't matter. And I am also wondering if moving up to SI1 is worth the price jump and what I should sacrifice is I want to minimize that price jump.

 

[OCgirl]

Good old gold has a 0.90 ct I SI1 for $4,500
They provide pictures and this one definitely looks eye clean but you can always ask them.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10865/

 

[LaraOnline]

I've never bought a diamond from blue nile, but if you can return, and you do have your heart set on that diamond, it would be interesting to make an appointment with an INDEPENDANT appraiser that you trust, to reassure you if you are keen to close the sale.

I wonder if you can reach the blue Nile gemmologist on the phone, and have them discuss the diamond while they are looking at it?
You might want to ask questions such as does the inclusion have any colour, where it is positioned of course, and whether it is highly visible from the side view (if that is a factor to be considered with your setting).
In the SI range, each diamond must be assessed on its individual merits.
But eye clean, assessed by looking into the stone's 'face' of the diamond, is not uncommon.

good luck with your search!

 

[Christina...]

I'm guessing that if you currently own a GIA GOOD cut SI2, and the stone appears clean to you, that if you move into a GIA EX cut, then likely an SI2 will appear clean to you as well. An excellent cut stone hides inclusions and color much better than a more poorly cut stone. And, well...a GIA Good cut, is a poorly cut stone. I think this is a move I would make even if there was a small visible inclusion, so long as it wasn't a durability issue or was a cloud that caused transparency issues. I've never worked with BN either, and unless you are purchasing from their signature line, the reps never see the stone, it's my understanding though that they will contact the dealer holding the stone and ask them to evaluate it to determine whether it is eye clean or not.

 

[LaraOnline]

I didn't have the time to look at your cert before posting earlier, OP, but riffing off Christina said, I would definitely go for the best cut I could possibly afford, before considering the other stats. I wouldn't settle for a 'Good' cut, if patience was an option I would go for the best cut possible.

 

[LaraOnline]

I've just had time to come back and look at your cert, and it's graded 'Ideal' by blue Nile.
That will teach me to check out PS while I'm trying to cook the kids' dinner!

oops and now I see it on the title, I'm sorry.

I will be interested to hear what you decide.

 

[Smith1942]

I've bought about forty items from Blue Nile, returned, swapped, etc and always been happy.

I recently upgraded my Blue Nile studs, too. I got eyeclean SI2s, and the procedure is that you call Blue Nile and ask if they are eyeclean. They get in touch with the vault and they let you know. It takes about 24 hours. In my experience, they are truthful about this because I liked a larger, more expensive pair of SI2s. They came back as "not eyeclean" so I got the cheaper pair. Although they are SI2 they are indeed eyeclean. I do trust Blue Nile, and I also think that you can get great prices from there, if you dig around in their inventory a bit.

 

[diamond-enthusiast]

If the price is right and you can return a stone for free, why not?

 

[Christina...]

I've bought about forty items from Blue Nile, returned, swapped, etc and always been happy.

I recently upgraded my Blue Nile studs, too. I got eyeclean SI2s, and the procedure is that you call Blue Nile and ask if they are eyeclean. They get in touch with the vault and they let you know. It takes about 24 hours. In my experience, they are truthful about this because I liked a larger, more expensive pair of SI2s. They came back as "not eyeclean" so I got the cheaper pair. Although they are SI2 they are indeed eyeclean. I do trust Blue Nile, and I also think that you can get great prices from there, if you dig around in their inventory a bit.

I think that you have a fabulous and beautiful jewelry collection and I find myself lusting after much of it! I'm also very happy that you've had such wonderful experiences with BN. As I said I've never purchased from them, but that isn't to say that I wouldn't or wouldn't recommend that others consider them. As you know I find them a risky venture when shopping for diamonds though. I certainly know that you have found some wonderful stones through them, but I feel that it involved a certain amount of 'risk' on your part. I also believe that dealers are often honest in their assessment of the stones eye cleanliness. However since there is no industry standard of what 'eye clean' is (and again, most consumers don't know this), a person should be very careful explaining exactly what eye clean is the THEM. This of course isn't exclusive to BN, but to ALL vendors. My problem is that BN gives it's clients the impression that all of their stones are sitting in a vault somewhere, and that they can simply call 'the vault' and ask the gemologist on duty to confirm whether or not the stone is eye clean. This isn't the case. BN has a huge online inventory, those stones (with the exception of their signature line) are sitting with many different dealers all over the world, not in a single mysterious vault. They ask whomever is holding that particular stone whether or not they believe the stone to by eye clean without offering any actual images of the stone to help support their opinion. Obviously you have the knowledge necessary to ask the appropriate questions and get satisfactory answers, I don't however, believe that the average consumer does. Many don't realize that a cloud, though not obvious to the naked eye can cause transparency issues, or that a prongable feather could be a durability risk, a surface breaking cavity can lend to dirt and oil build up hindering it's performance.


BN also doesn't offer any additional info in regards to the stones performance. Most PSers know what the information on the report means and how it impacts the stone, but most consumers don't. I'm sure that you've read many many threads on here where a poster assumes that all GIA EX are the same, or that VG is well, very good. Heck, many don't even know that CUT refers to anything other than the shape of the stone.

I guess I'm just saying that in MY mind, BN isn't very different than your average BM store, they offer about as much information and can't answer many of your questions. If a person has as much knowledge and experience as you do, then I think that BN can be a great value, however if you are an average consumer on the hunt for a fantastic stone but with limited knowledge as to how to find it....there are better options than BN.

I just wanted to clear up why I feel as I do about BN. I know that we have disagreed on this is the past and I didn't want you to think that I was completely opposed to BN for all shoppers for all purchases. Or that I felt that they offered an inferior product, because I don't, I just think you have to have more knowledge and experience than many in order to reduce the risks involved in purchasing a diamond from them.

 

[Smith1942]

All very good points well made, Christina.

To answer your point about me being more educated than most consumers, I got my diamond education by reading PS and using HCA. Anyone who's interested in spending their money wisely can do it.

Yeah, I know it isn't a real vault - sounds very Harry Potteresque, doesn't it - but a collection of worldwide dealers.

In terms of clarity, I feel the risk factor is minimal. The diamonds that I buy from BN are SI1 or SI2 graded by GIA or AGS - reputable labs, in other words - so I don't feel the chances are very high of the inclusions being catastrophic, such as breaking the surface or posing a durability risk. I think I'd have to be really unlucky, and you can always send it back. It's almost as if I expect the plane to stay up so it stays up! I admit that I'm not a Clarity Queen; my engagement ring actually has a black carbon mark on the table which is visible with a x20 loupe, although invisible otherwise. (It's graded SI1 by AGS but was not bought from Blue Nile as my husband and I were not aware of them back then.) And I don't care about the inclusion; I don't have endless money so I really, really do not want to pay extra for something which is completely invisible, which is why an eyeclean SI2 is my fave.

In terms of light performance, when I was getting my BN stud upgrade, I wanted to explore whether I could get Signature-level sparkle without paying the Sig premium. I wanted to see if enough digging in the inventory and running numbers and asking PS experts could achieve that. I posted extensive questions, and our regular experts here all told me that the numbers looked very good and that if there was any difference in light performance between the particular pair that I picked, and a Signature pair, the difference would likely not be visible to the naked eye.

Between the GIA certificates, by not going lower than SI2, and using tools like the HCA and PS - and also getting SOME kind of confirmation from the dealer re. clarity, I do feel that the risks are minimized a lot, and I'm comfortable with the residual risk. Buying with BN has indeed left me more money over than if I'd gone with a smaller PS vendor. With that money, I've been able to get some more beauties such as my $450 Cartier preloved Entrelaces ring. Had I bought all my stuff from BGD or WF, I'd have less stuff!

The likes of JA, BGD, WF do offer much more info - ASETS, Idealscopes, etc. but you pay for that service and for their time in taking all those photos. That's why, generally speaking, they tend to be more expensive than an equivalent from BN. So you have ultimate reassurance with all that visual hand-holding, you buy your WF diamond, and on a pair of 1.12 studs you're out perhaps $600 over what a BN equivalent pair would have cost - which in all likelihood would have been just fine anyway. That's my thought process on the matter in a nutshell, really. I WAS nervous over that BN stud upgrade, and it just turned out so well. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy just to think of it...And they did save me from the non-eyeclean pair, which were more expensive.

I think it comes down to, how much reassurance do you really need? I, personally, don't feel I need to throw good money away to remove every last bit of risk from the purchase - I can return it, after all. And there is risk involved in most choices we make. To eliminate risk often involves extra costs and sacrifices. Fortune favours the brave! But it's returnable, so no real risk. And I don't think you could get a pair of S12 eyeclean GIA D-colour 1.12ctw ideal HCA-sub-2 studs for $2,856 at the smaller PS vendors - nothing like, in fact.

I just checked Brian's inventory. In the equivalent category, they have nothing of that size in D - the nearest is a combined weight of 1.80. That's another good thing about BN - massive inventory, and it's such fun to dig around in it. I also find BN's website the easiest to use, by far.

I think that the PS vendors have made rods for their own backs in providing many images of the diamonds. It's educated consumers to expect that level of reassurance and it means the companies can only grow to a certain point. There comes a tipping point when it's impracticable to take a series of photos of thousands of diamonds - the wages for the number of employees required and the time taken and the multiple pieces of technology required (each of those extra employees needs a computer and a camera, for example) would start to eat into profits. And since wholesale prices and all the other costs of running a business grow endlessly, if you can only grow to a certain point yet your costs keep rising....long-term that's not good.

Instead of educating consumers to expect all that visual reassurance, it probably would have been cheaper, less time-consuming and less limiting if vendors had offered total reassurance in the form of fast, free, no-questions-asked, fully-insured, ready-labeled returns. A free return label in each box, insured for the full value. Those labels exist; JA sent me one once. How much easier is it to print a label than take all those photos? And the label might well never be used, whereas each diamond requires the photo set.

If you're extremely nervous about the purchase and you haven't done diamond research at all, then a newbie would love all those images. However, I've gone a different route and have found that, with care and common sense and education, you can avoid paying the premium for that service and still get a diamond you love, with more money left over in your pocket.

I only post my own experiences with BN; obviously I can't personally vouch for all their diamonds but can only say what I myself have experienced. We're supposed to be independent but people here are always encouraged towards a small group of vendors. I feel my positive personal experiences with BN have contributed to a sense of balance.

But I'm also a customer of BGD and WF, and JA. I bought nine pieces by them - four each from WF and BGD and one from JA. I liked WF best. Brian's got the most restrictive return policy, and I didn't like the bezels in my earrings or solitaire bracelet, although the ones in my necklace and DBTY bracelet were fine. They took the earrings back, after a huge amount of hassle. They were just ordinary bezel studs, but I had a real tussle returning them. I also think BGD is too expensive. But I love their Signature melee, it's just beautiful. If you weren't very price-sensitive, you could get a blinding large solitaire diamond from him, I'm sure. Trouble is, I AM price-sensitive. (I got the most stunning diamond ever from JA for a knock-down price, but they messed up the setting and I ended up getting it set locally.)

So, since I'm a customer of BGD, JA, WF and BN, I feel qualified to comment on them all, and I think BN is a more solid, professional outfit. I think the other vendors went the wrong way offering all those photos. If a hotel re-decorates a suite for a pop star, they'll have to do that every time. Now the vendors are stuck photographing all angles of every diamond they ever sell because people expect it. I think BN was far-seeing in not going down that route, and I respect them more for it.

I suppose, really, I consider BGD/WF etc to be unaffordable, although obviously that's a bit silly since I clearly do buy jewellery. I consider that they are for people with deeper pockets than mine, which is possibly a false feeling.

Lots of consumer psychology going on here, what with the reassurance/risk issue as well!

ETA: This isn't the only issue on which I differ from many PSers. Lots of people here buy diamonds in the lower colour ranges, which personally I don't like at all. I wear an I-colour ring every day (not my choice) so I KNOW I don't like them, even with it being a Hearts on Fire so great cut, faces up white, but it's still a dirty lemon! I try to stay above G now. I also don't like the idea of antique cuts - now, let me hastily add that I'm not sure I've seen one, so I'm also willing to entertain the idea that I might LOVE them. But cutting techniques weren't advanced back then, and so today's MRBs must have more brilliance, right? And I buy diamonds for their brilliance. When I go round the many antique jewellery shops in my English hometown's jewellery quarter, I guess I do see antique cuts, and they just don't look very sparkly to me, compared with today's offerings. And thirdly, I'm not on the PS designer-pave bandwagon. I'm sure it's lovely but by God, it's expensive. I'd probably be happy with BN's pave settings. I think that makes me a heathen round here.

So I'm all about the icy diamonds, the MRBs, and the inexpensive settings - and Blue Nile. Please don't burn me at the PS stake!

OP - I'm SO sorry about the massive threadjack! Probably more than you ever wanted to know, but, um, have we answered your question as to whether BN is worth the risk?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

As size goes up eye clean goes down in SI2.
At 1ct eye clean nice SI2 = big mark near the girdle that can be covered by a prong.
most other 'eye clean larger sized SI2's have a problem. Cloudy or risk of breakage.

 

[pomellina]

...

Just to say that I was happy to "take the risk" with Blue Nile too. I'm awaiting the arrival of my purchase and cannot comment on it specifically but I found their customer service representatives - those I spoke to on their live chat function, by e-mail, and on the telephone to order - to be very helpful. I understand that there are limitations in the amount of information they are able to provide but I feel as Smith1942 does; if you've researched your purchase, found out as much information as you can, and aren't in a particular hurry, it's worth ordering and knowing that you can return your purchase if it does not live up to your expectations. I am happy to cover the cost of returning my ring if I'm not pleased with it (although I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm going to adore it but that's another story!) as it's minimal in the grand scheme of things. I can foresee myself being a repeat customer.

I should note that I am in the UK and Blue Nile are very accommodating for overseas buyers like myself. If I had bought from James Allen (which I considered doing) or BGD, it would have been more difficult to return my ring if it didn't fit or I wasn't pleased with it. This was a factor in my purchasing decision. BN have a UK-based telephone number I can dial 24/7 with any queries; none of the other retailers have anything similar.

For my own peace of mind I chose from their Signature range as I was ordering unseen but this was largely down to the fact the price was right and the diamond was right for me. I also felt reassured in knowing that all SI stones in their Signature range are eye-clean. Knowing all of this helped me to minimise any risks I felt in ordering and if I'm not happy on Thursday, I'll just try again. Assuming you're not working to some kind of 'proposal deadline', I don't see the harm in "taking the chance" if you like the look of this diamond. It might work out for you or it might not but you won't know unless you buy it!

Best of luck!

 

[Smith1942]

Pomellina, I can't wait to hear about your ring when you receive it, and to see pictures! So exciting that it's a Signature. Those babies really flash!

Whereabouts in the UK are you? I'm from Brighton. I don't know if you've ever been there, but the Lanes are to die for with the many, many jewellery shops. I just bought this in Brighton: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/diamond-fan-pendant-with-aquamarine-drop.190060/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/diamond-fan-pendant-with-aquamarine-drop.190060/[/URL]

ETA: I do think that Christina made some good points above, also - i.e. that most consumers don't realize that BN doesn't see the diamond unless it's a Signature, and that they don't know BN is a drop-shipper or even what a drop-shipper is. I also think that Christina is better educated about diamonds than I am - for example, I can't read an Idealscope image or an ASET, I guess because I've always bought from Blue Nile. I'm just an educated consumer, but if you know enough to make sense of all those images then I guess you'd be pretty happy to have them, and then you wouldn't want to buy from BN. To each their own, I'm just REALLY price-sensitive and determined to get as much bling for my money as humanly possible! So far, it's worked out. If I had the money to get my dream 2-carat D ideal stone, would I get it from Blue Nile, or would I want the images? I really don't know. Depends on the price difference between a BN stone and another vendor, I guess. See, I'm all about the price!

 

[pomellina]

Beautiful pendant! Never been to Brighton but I'd like to. Aquamarine is my birthstone - think I might have to put something like your pendant on my birthday wish list! I live near York at the minute but I'm moving to Cardiff shortly with work.

I really enjoyed reading your comments on your diamond shopping experiences. I'm looking forward to being able to buy more but we've got to sort out some other things first - like a wedding and a house! I'm all about the price too. I like value for money and at this point in my life don't have the luxury of being able to be too picky. In a few years though, who knows!

 

[yssie]

Oh, y'know, people vary!!

I bought the largest pair of sidestones from BN.
I bought the middle pair of sidestones from JA.
WF sourced the center.

I won't buy from BN or JA again - not because I had bad experiences, I just prefer to work with WF because I'm much more comfortable knowing that my SA knows more about diamonds than I do! I'm confident that she'll catch the stuff I miss and look out for things I don't think to.

Exhibit A:
One of the largest pair of sidestones has "faint" fluor by the GIA, the other has "none".
Both of the middle pair of sidestones from JA have "none" per the GIAs.
Both vendors assured me that the stones were perfect matches in every way.




Do I care? Not enough to do anything about it, certainly!
But I'm completely confident that those pairs wouldn't have passed WF's inspection. Or BGD's, or GOG's, or HPD's... and now that I've realised that that sort of thoroughness matters to me, I'm willing to pay more for it.

 

[Smith1942]

It's hard to match which stones in the pic relate to what, but if I'm correct, the two stones nearest the large stone are BN with GIA-graded "faint" fluorescence? It seems as if the JA sidestones have one with fluoro and one without? Well, at least the BN stones match! (ETA: I've realized that you mean one of the BN stones has fluoro when the GIA cert says none.)

So, I have no experience with fluorescence as I don't like it, so I keep well away. Does GIA-faint fluorescence glow in black light like this? Or should it not? If not, that's GIA's mistake. (ETA: If GIA graded a fluoro stone as none, their error.) The stones have been graded in good faith by one of the world's most reputable labs and you can't really expect a vendor to go double-checking all GIA's results on each stone.

On the other hand, I guess the smaller PS vendors can do that for their customers, and if people would prefer to pay for that level of perfection, then great. It's all about the mind-cleanliness.

I wouldn't pay for it myself because I don't need it to be quite so perfect (I'm an eyeclean SI2 kinda gal, although D is my fave colour). And like I said above, I'm very price-sensitive!

On a slightly different tack, I just got out my stud upgrade earrings. They're GIA eyeclean Ideal-cut SI2, D, 1.12, HCA 1.4 and 1.7, with assurances from the PS community that the numbers looked great. They cost $3,081 including setting. I've just given them a good clean, and ohhh, they're so beautiful and sparkle so well. Since they're bezeled, if I told someone that they were 1.20, IF, D, Signature Ideal, they'd know no better. I think they look like 12k earrings, not 3k. I am so in love....

 

[Smith1942]

But I'm completely confident that those pairs wouldn't have passed WF's inspection. Or BGD's, or GOG's, or HPD's... and now that I've realised that that sort of thoroughness matters to me, I'm willing to pay more for it.

Question: If you buy a stone from those vendors with GIA-graded faint fluoro, do they test them in black light without being asked specifically to do so by the customer? Especially if the GIA cert says none. I'd be surprised.

Since it looks as if there are errors with the GIA certs, I think I would have sent them back or something. GIA says faint or none and it doesn't look to be the case...

 

[yssie]

But I'm completely confident that those pairs wouldn't have passed WF's inspection. Or BGD's, or GOG's, or HPD's... and now that I've realised that that sort of thoroughness matters to me, I'm willing to pay more for it.

Question: If you buy a stone from those vendors with GIA-graded faint fluoro, do they test them in black light without being asked specifically to do so by the customer? Especially if the GIA cert says none. I'd be surprised.

Since it looks as if there are errors with the GIA certs, I think I would have sent them back or something. GIA says faint or none and it doesn't look to be the case...

I'm laughing out loud - there was a point to that post beyond being contrary for the sake of it, I promise! Smith, you have been putting together an enviable collection, and while I have different tastes I can most certainly respect the fact that you've taken the time and effort to figure out what your priorities are and pursue them unwaveringly. And I'm not about to stand between you and BN, JA, or any other vendor

Not the best example, perhaps, as Mike did call GIA's fluor grading chronically dodgy. I can't see GOG and HPD *not* checking though - Wink is such a perfectionist, and GOG prides itself on telling you absolutely everything there is to know about your stone(s)... but you are correct, I couldn't be sure. I know BGD will check stones on customer request but again, you are correct, I couldn't be sure of what they do as a matter of course. The one thing I'm sure of is that knowing me as she does Sheerah at WF would throw a flag


ETA: knowing they're uneven annoys me, but not enough to do anything about it - I don't see any effects IRL. VC gave me an endstone w/ what must have been VSB that visibly changed colour in sunlight and that did bother me.

 

[Roxy]

But I'm completely confident that those pairs wouldn't have passed WF's inspection. Or BGD's, or GOG's, or HPD's... and now that I've realised that that sort of thoroughness matters to me, I'm willing to pay more for it.

Question: If you buy a stone from those vendors with GIA-graded faint fluoro, do they test them in black light without being asked specifically to do so by the customer? Especially if the GIA cert says none. I'd be surprised.

Since it looks as if there are errors with the GIA certs, I think I would have sent them back or something. GIA says faint or none and it doesn't look to be the case...

I'm laughing out loud - there was a point to that post beyond being contrary for the sake of it, I promise! Smith, you have been putting together an enviable collection, and while I have different tastes I can most certainly respect the fact that you've taken the time and effort to figure out what your priorities are and pursue them unwaveringly. And I'm not about to stand between you and BN, JA, or any other vendor

Not the best example, perhaps, as Mike did call GIA's fluor grading chronically dodgy. I can't see GOG and HPD *not* checking though - Wink is such a perfectionist, and GOG prides itself on telling you absolutely everything there is to know about your stone(s)... but you are correct, I couldn't be sure. I know BGD will check stones on customer request but again, you are correct, I couldn't be sure of what they do as a matter of course. The one thing I'm sure of is that knowing me as she does Sheerah at WF would throw a flag


ETA: knowing they're uneven annoys me, but not enough to do anything about it - I don't see any effects IRL. VC gave me an endstone w/ what must have been VSB that visibly changed colour in sunlight and that did bother me.

Thanks to both of you for your detailed and informative posts!!!! This is such a breath of fresh air ... to read a variety of opinions and learn WHY you feel the way that you do without uncomfortable attacks on personal taste, etc. I first came to PS for this very reason, and I love seeing a mix of opinions from numerous posters (even if some of those opinions aren't considered "popular" at the time). So sincere thanks for taking the time (and courage? ) to share your experiences with us!!

 

[Smith1942]

Yssie - I had no idea that GIA's fluoro grading is considered "chronically dodgy" by some! That IS worrying! I mean, they're GIA, they're supposed to be perfect in what they do! Thanks for your kind remarks about the Smith Jewels! You have some amazing pieces, too.

Roxy - glad you enjoyed the discussion!

 

[Smith1942]

I went to York for a daytrip once. I was only a kid but I thought it was absolutely beautiful. We went to the Jorvich museum.

Good luck in Cardiff! I've never set foot in Wales, despite living in the UK for the first 32 years of my life. Isn't that dreadful. It's supposed to be a great city so I'm sure you'll like it.

 

[Smith1942]

Pomellina.....big day today! Isn't your Signature diamond due to arrive?

 

[pomellina]

Pomellina.....big day today! Isn't your Signature diamond due to arrive?

Just to say it's arrived but I've not peeked in the box yet! I've contented myself with looking at the certificates instead, as I promised I wouldn't look at the ring. After all, you can only see it for the first time once and while we've got a good idea of what it should look like, there's still that really exciting element of surprise! Just got to wait to be given it now, which will hopefully be this weekend but we might have to hang on a bit longer. Long story short is that my fiancé is very busy with work and although we're already engaged now, it happened in a lovely, low-key way and we've not told our friends and family yet. We're obviously delighted to be engaged - over the moon, really! - but I don't think it happened in quite the traditional way he'd envisaged with the ring, getting down on one knee and all that so I'm just waiting for him to do it his way now (however that is - I don't mind!). He's got a plan but no time (and I mean absolutely no time - the hours he's putting in at work are ridiculous at the minute ) to execute it. We'll have to see if he's got a day off this weekend to sort out whatever it is he needs to sort out for his plan to work.

Whatever happens, I'm going to try it on tonight (!!!) although perhaps with my eyes closed so I know it fits. He'll at least be able to
look at it to see if he's happy with it. Fingers crossed!

 

[Smith1942]

I'm not sure I can bear the wait!!

 

[pomellina]

I'm not sure I can bear the wait!!

It came at 8 this morning and now it's gone 5 and I haven't peeked once. I'm so impressed with myself.

 

[Smith1942]

I'm impressed with you, too! Not sure I could co-exist in the same house as a Signature diamond without the two of us being together!