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Buying a loose stone/ring

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ConsumerWithQuestions

Rough_Rock
Joined
Nov 27, 2012
Messages
19
Hi all,

Some of you may remember that I posted a thread early last week, which was incredibly useful. Now that I'm a bit farther along, I figured that I'd post an update and ask some follow-up questions. Any information/advice at all will be much appreciated.

Update - As I mentioned last week, I'm not interested in looping my girlfriend into the process, and she's hinted that her sister knows her tastes. I spent a day with her sister over the weekend speaking with salespeople at a few retail shops in NYC so that I could get a better idea. I am definitely going to go with a round solitaire. Some sort a traditional, Tiffany-like setting. Per this forum's recommendation, I will be making appointments with Mark at Engagement Rings Direct and Yekutiel at ID Jewelery this week in order to get a better idea about the process.

What I'm looking for - I'm looking to spend $15k on the stone. I'd like 1.75c, H or better, eye-clean SI1 or better (preferably VS2), excellent/ideal cut.

Questions

(1) Clarity/color - In the event that I buy the stone online from a website with a virtual inventory, do you guys think that SI1 is too risky? As I said, it is important to me that the stone be eye-clean. Should I play it safe and limit my search to VS2, or will SI1 give me better value and allow me to buy a larger stone?

(2) Fluorescence - I've tried reading previous threads about this, but I still don't have a very good understanding. It seems like slight to medium blue fluorescence shouldn't impact a stone of this size, but am I safer sticking with none?

(3) Cut - Since I'm sticking with ideal/excellent, how much thought do I need to put into table, girdle, etc.? Does the fact that the cut is excellent mean that these proportions are all accounted for, or is there some barometer I should be using here?

(4) The process - As I've said, I will be making appointments to meet with people over the course of the next week to try and get the process under way. That being said, assuming that I can get better value online (which seems to be true), would you guys recommend that I have the diamond set by the company from which I'm purchasing the stone? Are all the settings they use prefabricated, or are they handmade? In the event that I wanted to have the ring set locally (something I'm strongly considering, since I think that my fiancée-to-be would like a brick-and-mortar location to go back to), aside from insuring the stone pre-setting, is there anything I should be aware of? Is it better to have a setting made in person? And does anyone have any good recommendations for jewelers in NYC who can do this? **This is probably the thing I know the least - and am most concerned - about.

(5) b2cjewels.com - As I mentioned this in my previous post, they seem to have great value and an excellent reputation. If anyone has experience dealing with this company thoughts that may be useful, I'd be very grateful.

Anyway, thanks in advance for all the help - this thread has been unbelievably helpful. I know that I've asked tons of questions, so I sincerely appreciate any guidance this community may be able to provide.
 
Thanks very much for the response. I'm familiar with the page you sent over, and the questions I've asked concern the few remaining things I'd like to try and get some first-hand advice about. Any additional thoughts would be much appreciated!
 
Sorry to bump this, but does anyone else out there have any thoughts? Especially with respect to points 4 and 5? Thanks!
 
Answers in bold.

ConsumerWithQuestions|1354547987|3321278 said:
Hi all,

Questions

(1) Clarity/color - In the event that I buy the stone online from a website with a virtual inventory, do you guys think that SI1 is too risky? As I said, it is important to me that the stone be eye-clean. Should I play it safe and limit my search to VS2, or will SI1 give me better value and allow me to buy a larger stone?

If you want to buy it sight unseen (i.e no vendor checking it for you to see if it is eye clean), VS1 might be your safest bet, there are VS2 diamonds out there where it is not eye clean.

(2) Fluorescence - I've tried reading previous threads about this, but I still don't have a very good understanding. It seems like slight to medium blue fluorescence shouldn't impact a stone of this size, but am I safer sticking with none?

Fluorescence shouldn't impact a stone much, for lower color grades strong blue flo might even help it face up whiter, depending on the diamond. I think it will be safe with slight to med blue fluorescence, however your best bet is to get a vendor to check it out for you, or send it to an independent appraisal if it worries you.

(3) Cut - Since I'm sticking with ideal/excellent, how much thought do I need to put into table, girdle, etc.? Does the fact that the cut is excellent mean that these proportions are all accounted for, or is there some barometer I should be using here?

I am assuming the above is done on your own, without any vendor's help. The HCA tool would be useful in eliminating any non performers. Not an expert on cut so others might be of greater assistance to you.

(4) The process - As I've said, I will be making appointments to meet with people over the course of the next week to try and get the process under way. That being said, assuming that I can get better value online (which seems to be true), would you guys recommend that I have the diamond set by the company from which I'm purchasing the stone? Are all the settings they use prefabricated, or are they handmade? In the event that I wanted to have the ring set locally (something I'm strongly considering, since I think that my fiancée-to-be would like a brick-and-mortar location to go back to), aside from insuring the stone pre-setting, is there anything I should be aware of? Is it better to have a setting made in person? And does anyone have any good recommendations for jewelers in NYC who can do this? **This is probably the thing I know the least - and am most concerned - about.

Mark and Yekutiel can both bring in stones from the virtual inventory for you to see in person, and from what I know of IDJ, they price match as well (and I am sure you can ask Mark about it), so you are not just getting bang for your buck but also a set of trusted eyes to screen diamonds for you. Mark has some beautiful handforged works, and both Mark and Yekutiel can do cast items as well. There has been quite a few posts about this, you can do a search from PS.

(5) b2cjewels.com - As I mentioned this in my previous post, they seem to have great value and an excellent reputation. If anyone has experience dealing with this company thoughts that may be useful, I'd be very grateful.

Anyway, thanks in advance for all the help - this thread has been unbelievably helpful. I know that I've asked tons of questions, so I sincerely appreciate any guidance this community may be able to provide.
Click to expand...

You seem to really want to work with B2C jewels based on your previous posts. However both Mark and Yekutiel can screen the stones for you, alleviate any concerns you have about the stone being eye clean/florescence issues, it's performance, and very possibly price match as well. I don't understand the preference to work with another vendor who may not be able to match all the services Mark and Yekutiel can offer, at a similar price.
 
1. If you don't get a picture of the stone or the stone examined by a reliable gemologist who understands YOUR definition of eye clean, yes, get VS2.

2. You're always SAFER sticking with none, but in this instance the amount safer is so slim, I wouldn't worry about fluorescence,

3. Use the HCA to weed out likely poor performers, and then get an idealscope or ASET of the remaining contenders. If you want absolute perfection. For many people, GIA XXX or AGS 000 is good enough.

4. would you guys recommend that I have the diamond set by the company from which I'm purchasing the stone?
Usually we do but if you are insistent on a stone from one place and a setting from another, that's a fine way to go. Occasionally when you bring an internet diamond into a brick and mortar store though they will be jerks about it, so usually just neglect to say you got it from an internet retailer and things will go smoother.

Are all the settings they use prefabricated, or are they handmade?
Depends on who you buy from and what you buy, and it depends on what you mean by handmade. There are hand-forged settings, which are most expensive. Then there are cast settings, which come in all sorts of levels of quality. There are custom cast settings that have much finished by hand, as in this thread: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/custom-pendant-by-engagement-rings-direct.182007/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/custom-pendant-by-engagement-rings-direct.182007/[/URL] and there are custom cast settings that have some of those details already cast in (as in the chinese settings vendors and often many cheaper custom jewelry from local shops). Most of the designer brands that you hear about on here are cast but have much of the stuff finished by hand. Then there are premade stock settings (like those by Stuller) which come in standard sizes for calibrated stones - these are the cheapest option. None is uniformly "better" than another, in my opinion - they're all good for different things and different reasons. I think a custom or semi-custom cast setting is just fine for the vast majority of people, even Pricescopers as long as the quality is good. The rings offered at most PS-approved vendor sites will basically be custom cast to the dimensions of your stone but on an existing design. Not at B2C, though, I'd imagine theirs are all premade stock settings,

In the event that I wanted to have the ring set locally (something I'm strongly considering, since I think that my fiancée-to-be would like a brick-and-mortar location to go back to), aside from insuring the stone pre-setting, is there anything I should be aware of?
The bias against internet jewelers, as mentioned above. Higher setting costs and additional fees for setting outside stones. Remembering that most brick and mortar jewelers are happy to check and clean rings that haven't been bought from them, so you don't really need to go back to the place you bought it for basic services (it may void your warranty to have it repaired somewhere else but checking/cleaning don't count I would think).

Is it better to have a setting made in person?
I don't know what you mean by this.

And does anyone have any good recommendations for jewelers in NYC who can do this?
ID Jewelry, Engagement Rings Direct, Good Old Gold

5. There have been some people on here who've bought from them and liked them, but as far as I'm aware, no forum regulars who would be likely to reply to this post. I'd use the search tool to look for threads about them. I believe they have a good return policy, but to upgrade you may need to spend twice the purchase price. And a recent thread by mickytinni makes it seem that they now can provide magnified images of the diamond, idealscope, and ASET, and if so they'll be perfectly fine to buy from.
 
Some searching and reading of old threads will yield you a lot of the information you seek. Here are some threads I suggest starting with.

Question 3:

http://goodoldgold.com/Articles/GIAExConsumersBeAware/
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-gia-excellent-cut-vs-hca.177583/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-gia-excellent-cut-vs-hca.177583/[/URL]
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/do-i-need-an-idealscope-with-a-gia-triple-ex.156730/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/do-i-need-an-idealscope-with-a-gia-triple-ex.156730/[/URL]


ERD and IDJ will get close to the prices on BC if you ask them to, and can show that the same stone is listed on that site for less... and if you really do take the time to go there, and if you do want to have a local jeweler to visit, you will probably find that these will be great places for your purchase as a whole, providing you with great service and value. If you do buy the stone and the setting separate you will have to immediately get insurance for the stone as it will not be covered by the setting jeweler (insuring a 17k stone for a 2k setting purchase just doesn't make business sense). If you shop for it all in one place, the jeweler will of course cover any issues to the whole.

As for settings. ERD does a lot of custom made to order. And IDJ has the ability to do custom, but also has great selection of stock settings.

I love this setting at ERD (adore!): http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/fleurette-6-prong-bouquet-inspired-solitaire-engagement-ring-bpid-70-18.html
 
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