boy, do i need help

[alisoncat]

Well, my love of 3.5 years and I are getting engaged and I get to pick out my own ring. I live in Seattle and initially looked at Zales rings, but I heard they aren''t the best quality. Is this true? I was considering getting a 1 ct. solitaire with an enhancer, but then I realized that since it just gives it a three stone appearance, I might as well get a three stone. Which would you choose? I''m looking for something that has an old hollywood three stone look to it.

I am looking into estate sales, but I discovered Blue Nile through this website and found that they are reputable. Does anyone want to help me out by finding the most recommended ring for the price of 4k? I''m prefer a round cut, 14-18k white gold, and of course, the best my dollar can offer me.

Any help? Is 4k reasonable for this request? Thanks in advance. <3.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Hi!
First, congrats on your impending engagement. And second, while "maul" stores like the one you mentioned have their place in the marketplace they''re not often recommended by this forum because many people feel that their grading system is off and their prices are inflated. BlueNile isn''t a bad vendor, however I personally think you can do better on price. There are several vendors mentioned regularly here on PS as being great places for getting good quality and size for reasonable (or appropriate) prices. A few of them are (a full list can be found under the Resources drop down list at the top of the screen) Whiteflash, Good Old Gold, James Allen, and Perlman''s. I think you''ll be able to find a nice ring within your budget.

Do you have any additional specs in mind such as clarity or color? I see you''re interested in a RB (round brilliant) three-stone ring in white gold, what''s your priority though, size (willing to go lower in color and clarity to get a bigger stone), perfection (must be perfect clarity/and low color), or a combination? Have you looked at stones/rings in person?

 

[alisoncat]

thank you so much for your reply. this is a very exciting time for us both, so there's a lot of pressure to make sure we get the right ring (so it doesn't take away from the experience of the actual reason behind it).

to be honest, i don't know much about rings. as far as color goes, as close to colorless as possible, but i would sacrifice that first as i really am more about the size. i don't like anything much over or under a carat for the middle stone, so around there would be ideal. side stones can be whatever is in my price range.

i have looked at stones in person, but i went to zales. i'm hoping the internet will afford us a better deal. additionally, although i am certainly excited about the ring, my hope is to get this problem solved soon so we can get to the engagement. i've been warned it will be by the end of the month!

any links or ideas?

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Well you''re off to a good start.The internet vendors are great because you don''t pay the markup like you would at a retail store. If you have a "good"store ( i.e., NOT a jewelry store like Kay, Zales, Jared''s) to go to, please go there and look at stones. Tell them you want to learn about the differences in color and you want to be able to see the differences with your own eyes. Color is totally subjective. I have an H which is pretty white looking to me. However, to someone else, my H might seem a little "warm" to them ( I can actually see the warmth in pictures, but not in real-life). It all depends on the person looking at the stone and the cut of the stone. Here''s a good tutorial on color http://www.goodoldgold.com/4Cs/Color/ .

Better cut stones look whiter but unfortunately stores like Kay and Zales as a rule do not sell well cut stones.

Similarly, clarity, while not subjective, is up to the individual. Some people want to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that they have a perfect flawless stone. Others don''t want to pay for what they can''t see, so they''re willing to settle for an eye clean stone. Eye clean is a term we use for a stone that has inclusions, but only ones you can see under magnification. My stone is an SI2. It has an inclusion and technically is not eye clean, but the one inclusion (a feather) is at 11 o''clock on my stone and is underneath a prong. So my ring looks like a VS1, but in reality it''s an SI 2 and my FI paid SI2 prices for it. Bottom line is I can''t see it and out of sight, out of mind.

Also, if you''re planning on having side stones, you might want to consider getting a center stone that''s smaller than 1ct. 3-stone rings look quite large, and if you don''t like the look of a stone larger than a 1 ct on your hand then it might be too big for you.

Go to www.whiteflash.com and play around with their ring builder. You''ll get an idea of how much the settings cost vs. the stones. I''ve also heard that their customer service group is fabulous. If you have questions that you can get answered here, you might want to give them a call.

 

[elmo]

At Blue Nile, a three-stone platinum ring H-VS AGSL ideals with 0.66ct center 1.20cttw:

http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?pid=LD01212223
http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?pid=LD00292453
http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?pid=LD01014164
http://www.bluenile.com/product_details.asp?oid=5922

Price is $4297 but there are $150 promos going on now. Also lower for a bank wire.

If you add $1000 and drop to H-I SI you can get the center stone size up into the 90s.

There's a three-stone ring builder there that makes this pretty easy.

 

[Sparkalicious]

Hi Alisoncat!! Welcome!

Congrats on your soon to be engagement ...

I am so happy to see that you are from Seattle too! Over the past couple months I have been seriously looking for an engagement ring as well with my bf. We started out with EERobbins and their customer service was top notch, however, since most of their stones are EGL graded and their store locations have high overhead so their pricing is not the best, we decided to take our business elsewhere.

We found Gemological Trading Corp -- They are phenomenal! Great service and since they are not a standard retail location but more of a diamond broker, their prices are really competitive, even to online pricing. Additionally, the quality of the stones they have are excellent as well - primarily GIA & AGS graded stones, unless otherwise requested. They have a graduate gemologist & master appraiser on staff and also have a jeweler who can make just about anything. Truly beautiful pieces. ... They are also listed in the Pricescope list of jewelers!

If you are looking for some help on your ring search, I would suggest making an appointment with them, just to check them out and see if they are comparable, in your eyes to online vendors. This will give you an opportunity to check out stones and see them in person and gauge what some settings in your preferred style look like, in person.

Just my 2 cents. I hope you find what you are looking for! Please, please do keep us updated.

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 12/6/2007 2:23:48 PM
Author: alisoncat
thank you so much for your reply. this is a very exciting time for us both, so there's a lot of pressure to make sure we get the right ring (so it doesn't take away from the experience of the actual reason behind it).

to be honest, i don't know much about rings. as far as color goes, as close to colorless as possible, but i would sacrifice that first as i really am more about the size. i don't like anything much over or under a carat for the middle stone, so around there would be ideal. side stones can be whatever is in my price range.

Ok, a few things:

1. Your budget won't get you a 3-stone ring with a well-cut 1 ct. center. BUT, you can likely get close.

2. A decent basic 3-stone setting in white gold is going to run around $1K - here's an example: http://www.whiteflash.com/Engagement-Rings/Styles/3Stone/3-Stone-Diamond-Ring_661.htm
That's going to leave you about $3k for the diamonds.

3. A 1-ct stone in Zales is usually cut really deep, so it typically only measures around 6.2 or 6.25 mm. I'm assuming that's the 'size' you have in mind. Further, that stone isn't going to LOOK very big visually because it leaks light all over the place.

A WELL-cut .75 stone measures close to it....and will look visually bigger due to superior light performance. If you go with a .75ish center stone and two 20-pointers on the sides (or perhaps up to .25s on the sides, if budget allows), you could do it.

Here's a .74 J, SI1 stone for about $2100 that would fit the bill:
http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-540893.htm.

Tons of folks on here have huge J stones set in white metals, and they look colorless face-up, so no worries there.

If you're really stuck on higher color, here's a .72 G stone that would still fit in budget at $2173 Pricescope price: http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-471576.htm - looks plenty eyeclean from the pictures, but a phone call could confirm that

Pick out two I-colored side stones (about .20-.25 each) and you'll have a phenominal 3-stone ring that will blow away anything you could get at Zales.

 

[E B]

Hi Alison, welcome to Pricescope!

Knox Jewelers has an antique-style setting with side stones that you might be interested in (be sure to look at all the views):

Diamonds and Lace $1,190

With the remaining ~3,000 budget, you could put a nice, near-colorless (G, H, I, J) .75-.80 ct stone in the middle.

Another couple of settings you might like:

Bonita

Forever

 

[samii]

Just a thought - if you can afford to take a day trip it may be worth having a look in Portland. My boyfriend and I were just there and I found quite a few jewellers with gorgeous selections (including Judith Arnell where we got mine).

The best part is that there is no sales tax in Oregon

 

[alisoncat]

thank you so much to all who replied. whiteflash is a great site. i think i may have to go with them if i don''t find anything in store.

what does everyone think of this sort of ring?
http://whiteflash.com/Engagement-Rings/Styles/3Stone/3-Stone--W-Prong--by-WF_944.htm#

i''m looking to find something similar to that, albeit somewhat less expensive.

upon consideration, i would like to find something g-i and either vs1 or vs2. re: seattle poster, what other stores do you recommend? same question to the pdx poster. i think we may drive down on sunday if i-5 shapes up. i''m looking into the rings at gilt, an estate shop.

anyone else who has any recommendations, i''ll love you forever.

thanks again for all your help thus far. you''ve all made this much easier on me already.

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 12/6/2007 11:57:49 PM
Author: alisoncat
thank you so much to all who replied. whiteflash is a great site. i think i may have to go with them if i don''t find anything in store.

what does everyone think of this sort of ring?
http://whiteflash.com/Engagement-Rings/Styles/3Stone/3-Stone--W-Prong--by-WF_944.htm#

i''m looking to find something similar to that, albeit somewhat less expensive.

upon consideration, i would like to find something g-i and either vs1 or vs2. re: seattle poster, what other stores do you recommend? same question to the pdx poster. i think we may drive down on sunday if i-5 shapes up. i''m looking into the rings at gilt, an estate shop.

anyone else who has any recommendations, i''ll love you forever.

thanks again for all your help thus far. you''ve all made this much easier on me already.

That style ring you linked to at Whiteflash is positively GORGEOUS; I''ve seen it in person. But, it''s WAY outside your previously stated budget.

Has your budget moved up from $4k somehow? Because your now-desired parameters (1 ct, g-i, vs1-2) would make even the center stone more than your budget.....with no sides and no ring.

This is about the best you could do in your budget -

$2300 PS price for this .70, H, VS1......http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-898586.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131 OR
$2080 PS price for this .72 I, VS1....http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-937131.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131

I personally think it''s a mistake to eliminate SI stones from consideration; most are fairly eye-clean, and they''d help you stretch your budget oh-so-much further.

Can I make a suggestion? I think you might do better to just get a solitaire now and put all your money into the center stone. This will get you into the range you want (or close) for the center stone. You can also either add the enhancer after the fact, or you can always have the diamond reset into a 3-stone setting when you save additional funds for it.

Here''s a great stone within your budget: .93, G, VS2 for $4130 PS price
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Premium-Cut-Round-Diamond-1067937.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131



Believe me.....you can get a cheaper 3-stone at the chain stores, but it will be as lacking in sparkle as a dead christmas tree light. It''s not worth it. Spend your budget on a WOW stone instead.

 

[Sparkalicious]

Date: 12/6/2007 11:57:49 PM
Author: alisoncat
re: seattle poster, what other stores do you recommend?

Alisoncat - to answer your question, I''m not sure who I would wholeheartedly, without reservation "recommend" other than Gemological Trading Corp. Their website is not fancy and just doesn''t do them justice but the quality product they offer, their service and their competitive prices are top notch. They are willing to go the extra mile to see that your concerns or needs/wants are addressed. Believe me, I have been more than challenging at times throughout this whole process.

Although EERobbins is more expensive, understandably, due to high overhead and advertising, they have fantastic customer service and do an excellent job of "selling" the experience. They make you feel great! If you can find an ideal quality, good looking stone there, and find one elsewhere, that is comparable, at a better price, they may be willing to negotiate. They were with me, however, they were not offering as high quality a stone that I could get at Gemological, and I was seeking quality so I chose to take my business to Gemological instead.

After all of the research I have done and the experiences I have endured, other than these 2 places, I honestly would not "recommend" anywhere else. The various other jewelry stores we went to approached us with the hard sell without the goods to back it up. I wouldn''t want you to experience that.

I think that you would be safe to have a positive experience and find something you were interested in or possibly even love at either of the places mentioned.

If you do check them out, please let us know how it works out for you.

 

[alisoncat]

aljdewey- since i read that a 1ct. center stone might be too big for me, i was considering going smaller. i will absolutely go to a SI, though. do you think an enhancer would be tacky? do you have any recommendations on enhancers anywhere? the one i found on zales is here: http://www.zales.com/sm-1-4-ct-tw-diamond-solitaire-enhancer-in-14k-white--pi-2087519.html but i'm hoping to find better. similar style, but better.

i'm hoping to find anything that will give the ring an old hollywood style to it, so i'm flexible.

my price range is somewhat flexible, too. i think i'd rather have the style i want than sacrifice for a solitaire (unless the enhancement makes it just as pretty).

sparkalicious, i heard bad things about ee robins from others, sadly, but i will absolutely check out the other.

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 12/7/2007 3:03:01 AM
Author: alisoncat
aljdewey- since i read that a 1ct. center stone might be too big for me, i was considering going smaller. i will absolutely go to a SI, though. do you think an enhancer would be tacky? do you have any recommendations on enhancers anywhere? the one i found on zales is here: http://www.zales.com/sm-1-4-ct-tw-diamond-solitaire-enhancer-in-14k-white--pi-2087519.html but i''m hoping to find better. similar style, but better.

i''m hoping to find anything that will give the ring an old hollywood style to it, so i''m flexible.

my price range is somewhat flexible, too. i think i''d rather have the style i want than sacrifice for a solitaire (unless the enhancement makes it just as pretty).

sparkalicious, i heard bad things about ee robins from others, sadly, but i will absolutely check out the other.

Where did you read that a 1 ct. center might be too big? There are some people who think a 2 ct stone is too big, and others LOVE them and would go even *bigger* if they could.

No one else should tell you what you should like; that''s up to you. Size is completely personal preference and budget-dependent.

I don''t think an enhancer would be tacky, per se. Two things to be aware of with an enhancer; the rings are likely to rub against each other when you hand moves, and it''s also unlikely to sit perfectly in position. Both of these potential problems can be overcome if you solder the rings together.

I considered a wrap/enhancer, too, but after my jeweler pointed these things out, I elected to just go with a 3-stone.

I don''t think there''s a lot I can say to help you if you''re determined to shop within the chains (which is seems you are). The chains offer what they offer....which is typically overpriced, average-cut stones that really don''t perform well.

If you really want to buy local, please find a decent jeweler who can help you learn about well-cut stones.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I mentioned that with her statement in her early post about single stones larger than a 1 ct looking too big on her small hands, a 3 stone ring with a 1ct center might also look too big for her tastes (due to the overall spread of the 3 stones).

"Also, if you're planning on having side stones, you might want to consider getting a center stone that's smaller than 1ct. 3-stone rings look quite large, and if you don't like the look of a stone larger than a 1 ct on your hand then it might be too big for you."

 

[Sparkalicious]

Date: 12/7/2007 3:03:01 AM
Author: alisoncat
sparkalicious, i heard bad things about ee robins from others, sadly, but i will absolutely check out the other.

Good for you, Alisoncat. I''m certain that you will not be disappointed with Gemological.
I understand about EERobbins b/c there are a lot of people who don''t like them, marketing overkill etc, and tons of people who swear by them. My personal experience, customer service wise was positive, thus I thought I would share that, however, I do have to concur that once you become educated about diamonds, EERobbin''s just doesn''t cut it anymore. The stones they have to offer just aren''t good enough.

Good luck with Gemological. Please, please let me know how it goes - either way. If they are not good to you, I''m gonna get em.

 

[alisoncat]

sorry, i think there was a misunderstanding. i am not going to shop at the chains. i am looking at anywhere that will have the ring that isn''t zales or the like.

for now, it''s either at an antique store, the gemological society, an indepedent dealer in portland, or the internet. i''m hoping by asking here, i''ll have my internet side covered.

thanks again.

 

[Sparkalicious]

Date: 12/7/2007 2:16:04 PM
Author: SanDiegoLady

Date: 12/6/2007 2:39:24 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk

Better cut stones look whiter but unfortunately stores like Kay and Zales as a rule do not sell well cut stones.

EVER. High prices, low quality. I worked for them both.

San Diego Lady - You are not kidding!
I once went to Zales and they were actually proudly displaying a 2 carat diamond that looked as though it was covered in a thin layer of mud. It had a huge crack in it that appeared as though a mad scientist had attempted to treat it. All in all it was entirely awful!
We asked them about it and they said that they would sell that stone no problem because some people value size over quality. Granted that that may be true, if you are a reputable vendor, don''t you set some type of standard for what you display as an example of your goods?
That sealed the deal for me and my bf. We will never be lured into a "maul" jewelry store again.

 

[Sparkalicious]

Hi Alisoncat - Just checking in for an update. How did it go this weekend? Did you do anymore shopping and find anything else fantastic?

Funny story -- I actually felt like a bit of a psycho.

I had an appt at Gemological Trading Corp this weekend - just a brief visit to drool over my diamond and check in to make sure everything is in order.

This couple was heading in at the same time as me and they didn''t have an appt. Since they were new there, I thought that maybe it was you ... I couldn''t remember your name so I asked the girl if she was from Pricescope. She looked at me crazy and said "no" and, thankfully, didn''t run away

. Hey, it was worth a shot to ask. It would have been a neat coincidence if it was you.

Anyways, I thought I would share my little bit of crazy story with you for a laugh.

I hope you are closer to finding what you are looking for...

 

[NeverEndingUpgrade]

alisoncat, I just bought a diamond online with goodoldgold.com. I worked with Jonathan and got a beautiful H/SI1 diamond. You can search his site by price, and see what he has for 4K and under. Have you considered a fancy shape as they are a little less pricey than rounds? Good Old Gold also features beautiful settings. Marie is the one who does that end of it.

The whole Good Old Gold crew is very patient and helpful. And they provide all kinds of reports on the diamonds they are selling so you can see before you buy. And they only sell well-cut diamonds, which is the difference between them and Zales-type stores.

Hope that helps!

 

[alisoncat]

we found a ring! we ended up going to portland for it. it is now being custom made by an independent jeweler. i am not sure of the exact specs but i do know it is a tressel three stone, ideal cut, g-h, vsi, and has a 1.7 (!!!) carat weight.

!!!!

how exciting is that???

what do you think, did we go above and beyond or what??

thanks for everyone's help. because of you, i had one lady at the second place we went to speechless. she had to go ask her manager information because i stumped her.

ps. that is hilarious about gemological!

 

[alisoncat]

by the way, i meant trellis not tressel.

 

[Sparkalicious]

Date: 12/11/2007 2:03:44 AM
Author: alisoncat
we found a ring! we ended up going to portland for it. it is now being custom made by an independent jeweler. i am not sure of the exact specs but i do know it is a tressel three stone, ideal cut, g-h, vsi, and has a 1.7 (!!!) carat weight.

!!!!

how exciting is that???

what do you think, did we go above and beyond or what??

thanks for everyone''s help. because of you, i had one lady at the second place we went to speechless. she had to go ask her manager information because i stumped her.

ps. that is hilarious about gemological!

Alisoncat - This is FANTASTIC news!

It IS exciting!!

I''m happy for you and can''t wait to see your ring! Good on you for stumpting the lady ... Didn''t it feel great knowing that you were going to make an informed purchase ...

 

[alisoncat]

i''m engaged! here''s my ring:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-three-stone-trellis-engagement-ring.75333/

thanks for all your help!