Buying a ring - Online or B&M?

[waterproof]

Okay, the end product needs to be a whole ring. I read through a few posts and it looks like buying the diamond online is the way to go, but how about the whole ring with setting?

Any thoughts? any recommended sites to look?

Thanks!

All help is appreciated

 

[E B]

Welcome, Waterproof!

Most likely, you'll save money buying online. You can pick settings and online retailers will set your diamond into the setting of your choice. It's easier to go with a setting from the same retailer you bought your diamond from, but you don't necessarily have to. Some good places to look online are www.whiteflash.com, www.goodoldgold.com, www.jamesallen.com and www.diamondsbylauren.com. Of course, there are others, but these get great reviews from the members of pricescope. I, personally, have had great success with Whiteflash.

What exactly are you looking for? I can help!

 

[waterproof]

Thanks EBree!

Right now, I''m looking for a Radiant cut diamond, over 1 caret, and with a clarity of VS2. (flaws invisible to the naked eye, right?)

I do have a few questions:
Are the differences in color very noticeable? The difference between J and G for instance... or H and G
How about the difference in cut? Is it worth getting a "Very Good" cut over just a "Good" cut?

I also want a platinum band with diamond inlays...

All of this is from Blue Nile. I have been swamped with work lately and haven''t really got a chance to shop yet. But I will this weekend. Thanks for the links!

I''m pretty much still open and looking...

 

[Lorelei]

A VS2 should be eyeclean, check with the vendor. You might be able to see the difference from a G to a J colour, especially in fancies as they can show more colour, but a G or H not so much if any, unless comparing side by side. Get the best cut you possibly can, don't go so much by good or very good cuts, read up on the best proportions for radiants and take advantage of the radiant lovers and experts input here as these cuts can be tricky to evaluate. You can use the numbers as a guide but ultimately see what looks good to YOUR eyes. It is best to go for the best cut you can find as this will bring out the beauty of the diamond, also do a search for radiants and look at the different types and see what you like. This will give you a place to start - also whether you want a squarish radiant or more rectangular. David at Diamonds by Lauren have some gorgeous radiants and David is a mine of info so check out his site. www.diamondsbylauren.com We also have Stan Grossbard on board, radiant cutter and the son of the radiant cut inventor, he too will give you lots of great advice.

 

[coda72]

Date: 12/7/2005 11:41:08 AM
Author: waterproof

I do have a few questions:
Are the differences in color very noticeable? The difference between J and G for instance... or H and G
How about the difference in cut? Is it worth getting a ''Very Good'' cut over just a ''Good'' cut?

In radiants, I think the difference between G and J would be pretty noticeable, but not so much the difference between a G and an H. I don''t know if I''ve seen a G in person, but I compared my F to an H, and the color difference was quite noticeable. I personally wouldn''t buy anything lower than a G. But everyone perceives color differently, and an H may not have any noticeable color to you.

As far as cut goes, I wouldn''t trust anything any vendor said about the cut. You don''t know what standards they are using to call something a good cut or very good cut or even an ideal cut. Radiants are pretty hard to judge unless you see them, but I use the AGA chart as a guideline. It doesn''t guarantee that you will get a beautiful diamond, but it does help rule out diamonds. I''m constantly told that you can''t use a chart to judge diamonds, but most of us don''t have access to thousands of diamonds. The only way to eliminate certain ones if you''re buying online is to use a chart. For example, if you didn''t put any numbers in for table and depth percentages in the pricescope search and just used the default numbers, you would come up with many diamonds, too many to look at. How are you going to eliminate any so you know which ones you should have the vendor call in to look at? Well, I use the AGA chart to eliminate any diamonds that look like they wouldn''t be good based on the numbers.

Sorry for the long-winded response, but hope this helped a bit.

 

[Brighter_Suns]

I am just curious as to why a radiant? is that just a personal preference?

 

[Gonzodogg]

Date: 12/7/2005 11:41:08 AM
Author: waterproof

Thanks EBree!

Right now, I''m looking for a Radiant cut diamond, over 1 caret, and with a clarity of VS2. (flaws invisible to the naked eye, right?)

I do have a few questions:
Are the differences in color very noticeable? The difference between J and G for instance... or H and G
How about the difference in cut? Is it worth getting a ''Very Good'' cut over just a ''Good'' cut?

I also want a platinum band with diamond inlays...

All of this is from Blue Nile. I have been swamped with work lately and haven''t really got a chance to shop yet. But I will this weekend. Thanks for the links!

I''m pretty much still open and looking...

You can play with the color and clarity but don''t settle for anything less than a very good or ideal cut. A well cut stone will face up whiter and hide inclusions better.
That being said - many B&M stores (especially the mall stores) have no concept of cut. (They will give you the VG/VG answer which is polish/symmetry and has nothhing to do with cut.)
Go with an online vendor - better price and FAR more knowledgable.

 

[waterproof]

Great response!

Thanks for all your help pricescope!

I found the AGA chart and am now using it, and I''ll only buy a VG or Ideal cut online after calling the vendor to make sure that my VS2 (or better) is eye clean.

I''m going for a radiant cut because I had my girlfriend send me several ring ideas that she liked. 4 out of the 5 (done over a few months period) are radiant cut, so I figure it''s a safe bet.

I''ll be starting a new thead for my other questions.

Thanks again for all your help.