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begtets

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 9, 2004
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hats off to you guys for sharing your knowlegdge. it''s nice to see there is still goodwill in the world and not everything comes at a price.

Anyway, i am looking to buy a triology of diamonds one 2 ct and two 1 cts. i am looking at vs1 , d/e/f and the best cut that i can afford. bottom line is i want a real dazzling diamond . is a better cut more important than going up a colour grade ?

i am looking to spend £15,000 ($27,500) - my entire savings -so i want it to be fantastic .
i am thinking of buying through the US internet. Is it really safe for me to spend this much money with internet . seems scary but the prices are great.

any advice would be appreciated.

thks,

B.
 
I totally understand you wanting a great ring, but any more details on who it's for? Is it a she? is it an e-ring? What is their taste, shape preferneces, etc?

Entire savings...? On a ring? Wow. Does that mean there won't be anything left in savings? Ow.
 
You'll be able to get lots of advice from here. First off, yes, if you do it right it is completely safe to buy off the internet. The second thing everyone will tell you here is that cut makes the biggest visual difference, color is second, and clarity in the IF - VS2 and sometimes SI1 is all about something you can't see at all. Yet, you pay big time for clarity, so go with the lowest "eye-clean" clarity that you can and put your $$ either into the other aspects of the stone, or save a little of your life savings for all those other upcoming expenses!

good luck!
 
it's for an engagement ring. i get the impression you think i'm nuts spending all my savings but i'm young and you don't get a second chance to buy an engagement ring! i was worried about going below VS2 even if it is easier on the finances. it's not going to be as precious if i do, or do you think this is not an issue.

also i was toying with the idea of getting small really expensive diamonds like a vvs1 D. do you think the ladies would appreciate this more or should i stick to a good size ring that makes more of an impression.

thks,

B.
 
Has she said she wants a $27,500 or a 3 or 4 carat?

I personally would not spend my life savings on a ring?
Why not spend say $10,000 and take the other $17,500 and
invest it in a down payment on a house or yes even in a mutual fund
or ROTH IRA? You can always upgrade later...


A diamond is not an investment...but hey to each his own.
 
I concur that it would be better to spend less so you have money left over for a house or the wedding. Either way, though, it is very sweet that you want to get the best for your GF.

Most women would prefer a larger diamond rather than a D, IF that's small. Your GF may be different, but obviously we can't help you figure that out.
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The D, IF will not be visible to the eye, but the larger size sure will be! The most important thing, though, is the cut. That's what makes a diamond sparkle and shine.
 
I like your idea about a ring (a 2 carater and two ones... or actually say 0.8s both for balance and budget sake, since there would be a nice price jump for the extra weight up to 1ct). I think a 1.6 center and 0.8 sides would optimize cost, given that diamond prices do not vary smoothly with size, but "jump" around certain weights (usually full halves of carat). This has no real meaning - it is purely a psychological reaction and your good old marketing hype. No need to get caught in, I guess.

As a rule of thumb, top cut does "excuse" about one color grade - or so people say around here. I guess G is just about as white as F anyway, if you want to get there.

For such an important purchase, I suspect you may want to spend 30 min reading about diamond grading and buying choices. There are few one-stop info centers as nice as the tutorial here and on the GoodOldGold site. I strongly suggest you take a look.

Oh, and one more thing... I hope your girl does not know you want to blow all your current money on a jewel.
eek.gif
This sounds reasonable if you expect to get 100 times richer in three years, but it would still not sound too great for many women. Of course, I do not know YOUR girl - just the average on one or two continents
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ok. i'll think i will ease off on the budget but i am definetely spending £10,000 ($18,000) no matter what common sense says
loopy.gif
anyway since i have already put a down payment on an house a few years ago if i didn't spend the money on this i would just end up spending the money on fast cars and booze and waste the rest
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as i read more and get increasingly confused if cut is important should i look into hearts and arrows cuts, etc.
 
thanks phoenixgirl.

can you or anyone suggest any reputable and good value sites that i should be looking to buy from. is there a site that has won internet dealer awards or something like that.
 
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On 2/9/2004 8:00:41 PM begtets wrote:

ok. i'll think i will ease off on the budget but i am definetely spending £10,000 ($18,000) no matter what common sense says
as i read more and get increasingly confused if cut is important should i look into hearts and arrows cuts, etc.----------------
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Hi,

If 18K was my budget, I'd ONLY look at H&A. I couldn't imagine spending this much and not getting the best cut diamond(s) possible. I second Valeria's suggestion that you read goodoldgold's tutorial before doing anything else.

Michelle
 
Just a thought....

It may be a good idea to actually drop an e-mail with your request to two or three of these sources and see what the seller can offer. Mondera may be too big a business for getting such personal treatment: Whiteflash, GOG, Niceice (and some others, of course, this is just the trio that first came to mind) would more likely pay enough attention to such a purchase to some up with a great trio from their inventory. All three places cater for seekers of ideal cut diamonds... it should work, and this may be the least hear-ache prone approach. Matching three diamonds means matching color, clarity and CUT (diameters, tables but also the overall face-up appearance depending on the others parameters of the cut). Since all three stones are going to be rather big, the precision of the match makes the difference between a sloppy job and a great jewel. This looks like something Brian would best advice for. I would personally prefer to address such an inquiry to a cutter (or a diamond seller working with one) - given the importance of matching the cut of the stones.

Just a thought, of course...
 
thanks valeria. that is what i shall do.
 
I love a big spender! That said, can her finger size actually handle a three stone ring in that size? I have a 1.90 carat flanked by 2 .30ct stones, with some baguettes going down the sides vertically. My finger size is 4.5, so I only see the top three stones from the top. The side rounds are pretty much tilted as well, so that it all fits on my finger okay. I would make sure that your dimensions are even possible - you could save a bunch of money, or just go for one larger stone.
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Are you in the UK?

Don't forget that you'll have to pay VAT/customs etc on your purchase if you want to insure it fully (you'd be mad not to) so you'll need to figure that into your calculations too.

Having said that, I don't think you'll get a better or cheaper diamond in the UK for anywhere what you'll find online and from the States.

Do your homework on colour, clarity but most importantly cut and 'Good Luck'- you sound like a fella in a million.
 
Welcome to the Forum, Begtets!
wavey.gif


Just in case you didn't know, the folks that posted underlined stuff gave you links to websites.

Looks like you are getting a good start already. It is safe to purchase online if you buy from a reputable Vendor. Take a few and search past Forum threads to read about other people's buying experiences with various Price Scope Vendors. There is a list of Vendor names you can access by clicking the link at the top of the page. Just enter a Vendor's name in the Search Box, upper right hand side, and you can read thru past threads.

You can use the Search by Known HCA Score Search Engine to look thru some of the best cut diamonds available. The Holloway Cut Adviser (HCA) is a Cut screening tool you can use to look for diamonds with potential to be the best performers.

As you find diamonds you're interested in, feel free to post the specs and folks will be more than glad to help you.
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On 2/10/2004 7:50:21 PM Bagpuss wrote:

Are you in the UK?

Don't forget that you'll have to pay VAT/customs etc on your purchase if you want to insure it fully (you'd be mad not to) so you'll need to figure that into your calculations too.
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If you don't want to pay VAT/customs etc on your purchase, you could find a superideal cut in Europe (what I did), for example here.

Regards,
 
aaaaaagghhhh.

i have to pay tax and custom duty ????
i thought one of the perks of being in the UK (where we get ripped off) was that i would not have to pay the taxes
wink2.gif


this changes things a lot.
if i go to new york for w/e then i can bring the ring back with me incognito. can't i ??
taxes and duty appear to add about 1/3 onto the price
nono.gif


if i flew out we'd get a 'free' holiday and still save.

why can't i insure it without paying the tax and duty??

don't know about the ethics of this but don't really care.
taxes on e-rings, so sad.

B.

suggestions on size noted - may go for three 1 cts.
 
Sorry, but if you import via the mail into the UK then you have to pay duty etc. If you don't declare how much the goods are worth on the package, you can't insure and that would be crazy when you're talking about this amount of money! Diamonds have and do go missing so you must be insured. Bummer, I know, but there it is.

You could go on holiday and bring it back yourself and not declare it. I couldn't possibly comment
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Or you could get it from a supplier in Europe and not have to pay the duty.

The choice is yours. Good luck with the purchase anyway.
wavey.gif
 
thanks bagpuss
so any idea who and where should i go to.

stephan.
thanks for the link. liitle info though on this site. how do i get around taxes there - i will have to pay local tax ??
 
Here's what you do . . . you bring a nice looking CZ along with you when you look at stones. Then you pull the old switcheroo, and that way you can avoid paying anything at all!

I'm just kidding. It's true that in the U.S. there isn't state sales tax if you buy from out of state, so the internet becomes even more of a deal then. Still, you want to be able to insure your ring. It is a luxury item, and they are often taxed more heavily. I don't think you're going to get out of paying any tax or duty at all.
 
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On 2/12/2004 5:29:06 PM begtets wrote:

thanks bagpuss
so any idea who and where should i go to.

stephan.
thanks for the link. liitle info though on this site. how do i get around taxes there - i will have to pay local tax ??>
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Hi Begtets!
Just email to him, he will explain you everything better than I.

Regards,
 
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