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Buying setting at Jared and diamond online or a jeweler?

N

nicknamehere

Rough_Rock
Joined
May 30, 2011
Messages
34
Hey guys.. the girl found a setting she really loved at Jared, but I am not really sold on buying a diamond from them too. I was thinking of maybe getting the setting at Jared, and buying the diamond online, and having either Jared or another jeweler set the stone on the setting. The other choice would be to get the stone from another jeweler instead of online. Any thoughts on this? Would jewelers mount stones on a setting when they didn't sell you either of them? Or would it be better to have a Jeweler copy the setting and make it from scratch and buy the diamond from them as well? Sorry for all the questions here.. just not sure how to approach this to get the best deal. Thanks.
 
do you have a picture of the setting or a link to it?

You can definitely get the setting at Jared and a diamond online or from another jeweler but there will be an outside setting fee and you would want to ensure that the stone is covered during the setting process. I would investigate this because even with the setting fee you could still save $$...just check on what Jared is offering vs online/other jewelers
 
There are very few totally original settings. It is best when you can find a similar setting at a place that specializes in excellent diamonds. So if you show us the setting, we can see who has a similar one.
 
Well, we can find a ring with diamonds on the shank like that, but it won't look like that one from the side. I do need to tell you, though, that that ring won't do well with a wedding ring next to it because those diamonds on the side are going to scratch up a wedding band. That ring is priced pretty high to be 14k at $2100, in my opinion. I'd want 18k white gold or platinum for fine jewelry.

But here are some similar rings (18k) as far as the shank goes, and you can see they are about half the price of the Jared's ring:

http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/diamond-settings/cathedral-pave-diamond-engagement-ring-1421.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/diamond-settings/bead-set-cathedral-diamond-engagement-ring-1029.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/diamond-settings/tiffany-style-bead-set-diamond-engagement-ring-1006.htm

(The one slg posted will not cause a problem with a wedding band because the diamonds are not on the part that will touch the wedding band)
 
James Allen has a couple with diamonds on all 3 sides of the shank. These two are both similar, but missing the rounded part on the profile (not sure what you'd call it) so you'd want to see if she really likes that component. Also, the Jared setting mixes channel set princess cuts on the top down view, with rounds on the sides, which might be hard to find.

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/18k-White-Gold-Bar-Set-and-3-Sided-Ring.html
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/3-Sided-Pave-Set-Diamond-Engagement-Ring.html

Brian Gavin also has a few that aren't quite as close as the James Allen pieces, but you can do custom or semi-custom and ask for what you want:

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/side-stones/?page=all

I will add that your girlfriend might want to think about what type of wedding band she wants, or if she wants one at all. With diamonds on all sides, that can be tricky since a plain band could rub and the band can get chewed up, and a band with diamonds could cause scratching on both pieces (bad news). Something like this would give her the channel set princess cuts with side details, and then she would have a variety of band options:

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/channelset-rings/Engraved-Princess-Cut-Ring.html
 
Thanks for those similar ones. The lady was pretty specific on what she liked though - after a good 6 hours of looking at hundreds of settings in 5 different stores and a few days of looking online, she kept coming back to that one I posted. I didn't even really think that deviating from that setting was an option in my mind. We talked about it a month or two ago so I didn't want to take the surprise out of it by continually asking about different ones. Maybe I'll send her a few of these to gauge her on.
 
rubybeth|1306797540|2934023 said:
I will add that your girlfriend might want to think about what type of wedding band she wants, or if she wants one at all. With diamonds on all sides, that can be tricky since a plain band could rub and the band can get chewed up, and a band with diamonds could cause scratching on both pieces (bad news). Something like this would give her the channel set princess cuts with side details, and then she would have a variety of band options:

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/channelset-rings/Engraved-Princess-Cut-Ring.html
Click to expand...

Do you really think the side stones will chew up a metal wedding band or scratch diamonds on the band? I never even considered this..
 
Having worked with Jared to set a stone I bought from a PS vendor I don't recommend them at all. I had orginally gone to one store to pick up a scott kay setting but since the store was further from my house then another location they told me to go to the closer location instead. Yeah, they didn't carry the scott kay line. By this time I had my loose stone for over a month and just wanted it set so I picked their simplest WG setting which was 250.00. By the time I walked out of there (and after they tried to get me to spend an extra 400.00 for a platinum head) I had a ring I was unhappy with (not to mention the attitude towards my stone which was better quality then most theirs and cost half the price) and for them to set and do everything it was close to 500.00 out the door. That being said going in and checking out settings/stones in person they were a wonderful tool to have. For the price (and quality) of that setting you can get one custom made for about the same price (which I highly recommend instead of buying it from Jared bc the setting quality can be hit or miss). Also don't let them talk you into the lifetime warranty on their setting bc the extra money you pay for it and the check-ups etc make it not worth while in the long run. If a stone falls out of the setting you'll probably still end up paying out of pocket for the repairs.

Here are a couple of rings that I thought were similar (designer, so really expensive but good for inspiration). One thing that I personally don't care for in the Jared setting is the 4 prong head sticking out of the nice pretty U shape they've got going on. The U shape should be whats holding the stone IMO.
http://www.ritani.com/diamond_engagement_rings/item/524/in_category/1

http://www.ritani.com/diamond_engagement_rings/item/526/in_category/1

Good luck and I can't wait to see what you get :) No matter what your gf is going to be thrilled ::)
 
The ring she picked out is very pretty. If that is the ring she has her heart set on getting I would get her the one she wants. You'll have to pay for their warranty on top of the price but that gets you free ring sizing for life and general maintenance such as retipping, tightening loose stones and replacement if any of the diamonds fall out. It's comforting to have those things taken care of free for life especially on an engagement ring. They will charge you about $3 per point of carat to mount a stone not purchased from them plus about $100 for the head. They mounted a tsavorite for me a few months ago in one of their rings and they said my fees included replacement of the stone if it was damaged in mounting. Definitely check with them on that if you bring in a diamond for them to mount. They do have AGS0 and GIA EX diamonds but you will pay more for them than the same quality of diamond online. If you purchase the diamond from them they won't charge you a setting fee but I think they still charge you for the head.

I have about 10 pieces of jewelry from Kays and Jared's with their warranties and I haven't had a lick of trouble with them fixing or replacing things.

Have fun shopping.
 
if after lots of searching and looking that is the setting she fell in love with and loves- then I think you should get it. Who are we to tell you that isn't a good setting, or it's impractical, or it's overpriced. If it is what will make her happy, then I think you whould get that setting.

Just keep in mind - the potential scratching- you may need to invest ina thin 1mm spacer band to wear between the ERing and the wedding band...

And the insurance/setting fee to have the stone set in that setting.

Good Luck! :appl:
 
I think a channel set band would go well with that ring and with the side diamonds being high profile they wouldn't be scratching the band. The metal bands rubbing on each other do scratch each other. I've been wearing a solitaire ring and a channel set band together for about 7 months now and they aren't beating each other up too bad. You can have the rings put together and that will help prevent that.
 
nicknamehere|1306803086|2934112 said:
vintagelover229|1306800399|2934064 said:
http://www.ritani.com/diamond_engagement_rings/item/524/in_category/1
Click to expand...

This one looks pretty cool. The pictures of the one I posted before sort of hides the side baguettes that are on that ring, which this one is missing but I think this one still looks pretty nice.
Click to expand...

This Ritani is probably a much higher quality ring, but you can see that it costs more as well. The key would be to find someone who discounts Ritani. But I'd 1000 times rather have this Ritani than the ring from Jareds. You might want to contact Pearlman's and ask their price on that particular Ritani model # and tell them you found them on PS. They may give you a discount.

We'd be glad to help you find the diamond as well.
 
diamondseeker2006|1306803632|2934124 said:
nicknamehere|1306803086|2934112 said:
vintagelover229|1306800399|2934064 said:
http://www.ritani.com/diamond_engagement_rings/item/524/in_category/1
Click to expand...

This one looks pretty cool. The pictures of the one I posted before sort of hides the side baguettes that are on that ring, which this one is missing but I think this one still looks pretty nice.
Click to expand...

This Ritani is probably a much higher quality ring, but you can see that it costs more as well. The key would be to find someone who discounts Ritani. But I'd 1000 times rather have this Ritani than the ring from Jareds. You might want to contact Pearlman's and ask their price on that particular Ritani model # and tell them you found them on PS. They may give you a discount.

We'd be glad to help you find the diamond as well.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with DS with all of the above. Ritani also designs their rings for the wedding band so this is an added plus IMO.
 
I really like the setting slg47 posted from WF, it is 10X better quality than you are going to get from Jared :appl:
 
So I just spoke to my girl and showed her some of the suggestions here. Here's what she said:

This is what I like about the engagement ring that we looked at:
- The diamonds going around the band on both the outside and inside
- The two rectangular diamonds on either side of the big diamond. And they are a good size so they are seen but don't overshadow the main show
- I like the U of diamonds but it's not a necessity especially if you think it will cause problems
- http://design.jared-diamonds.com/engagement-rings/settings-with-sidestones/ring/item_58-5896.asp

- I like number 2. If the little stones on the side could be rectangle that would be better, but the cluster of circle diamonds is cute too
- http://www.whiteflash.com/engagemen.../the-imperial-diamond-engagement-ring-107.htm

- Number 4 James Allen is really nice too
- http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/18k-White-Gold-Bar-Set-and-3-Sided-Ring.html

- Number 5 is nice
- http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/3-Sided-Pave-Set-Diamond-Engagement-Ring.html

- I like number 7 but would like it more if it had diamonds on the inside as well. I like the little diamond cluster around the setting
- http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/home/ring-details/?product_id=5439


Guess I have a lot of info here to work with.. this is not easy..

The other thing to add in to this is the type of stone she likes. She likes a square radiant or a square cushion, or even a princess. I guess best bang for the buck is what I'm after. Looking in the 1.5-2.0ct range.
 
what is your budget?
 
If I were you I'd custom make the ring. I'd contact Jonathan at GOG and look at his cushion or square hearts and arrows (he has tons of videos so you can see what square shape she likes best) and then incoorporate all the elements you want into a ring setting.

May I ask what your budget is? I'd source the stone and then worry about the setting. With the elements she likes it's going to be one beautiful ring!
 
slg47|1306808290|2934196 said:
what is your budget?
Click to expand...

Would like to be 15k or less but can give or take a few K for the right one. Been looking at 2.0ct H or better si1 or better radiants - some of those sometimes fall within that number but looks hard to do. I see radically different prices online when I look and its hard to search l/w ratios (need something close to 1) on some sites so its not easy.
 
vintagelover229|1306808542|2934199 said:
If I were you I'd custom make the ring. I'd contact Jonathan at GOG and look at his cushion or square hearts and arrows (he has tons of videos so you can see what square shape she likes best) and then incoorporate all the elements you want into a ring setting.

May I ask what your budget is? I'd source the stone and then worry about the setting. With the elements she likes it's going to be one beautiful ring!
Click to expand...

15k or so. Custom might be the way to go.. but might be a lot of work to get it right. man I just want to buy something already, haha.
 
If she still really wants the one at Jared's then maybe check with them and think if they can make it to fit a radiant. I don't really see a reason to go custom if there is something she loves as is. I'd check and see if they can make it in platinum or 18K white gold though.
 
Just my opinion, but I am going to guess that she would be just as thrilled and happy to receive something very similar to the setting she picked out that is a better quality. So, I'd go with the ritani or whiteflash one. GOG carries ritani and they have some radiants on their site. Do you think she would be happy with a princess or must it be a radiant? It's much easier to find a good quality princess online as there are more vendors who carry them and AGS grades that cut as well.
 
Good Old Gold has a lot of square stones that are better than a radiant, in my opinion. Take a look at Jubilee, Princess of Hearts, etc.

I need to look but I think Brian Gavin is cutting some cut-corner squares, too.

If this ring was for me, I'd be getting a cushion or Jubilee/PoH from Good Old Gold set in that Ritani setting.

(You'd have to have the WF setting done semi-custom to make it work with the kind of stone you want.)

Don't see any jubilees, but here is a PoH:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8128/

oohhh, a pretty radiant that is much larger!

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4366/

I have to tell you, though, most girls do not realize how much smaller the squarish stones face up compared to rounds. A round 1 ct. has a diameter of about 6.5mm and a 1.7 ct. has about a 7.7mm diameter.
 
Do you have any other local jewelry stores other than Jareds? I would take her someplace else if possible to see if she can tell the difference in quality between the jareds ring and a Ritani ring for example. Pearlmans will ship out a ring on memo if there is a setting on their site she might like to see but doesn't have a local retailer to go too.

Has she asked for a radiant specifically?
 
I think that after speaking to her and showing her some of these designs suggested here (see her responses above) that she is open to a different setting. She said she liked the square radiant the best but if I could find a square cushion (less round i guess?) or a princess, that would be fine too. I think she (and me) cares more about a larger diamond for the money than a specific cut, as long as its square. I never really heard of a Jubilee or PoH diamond, I'll look in to those. I'm liking the one at WF but I guess it can get annoying to try to have that modified to fit a larger square diamond instead of a 1.25 or below round.

Keep throwing suggestions at me, you have all been very helpful already.
 
nicknamehere|1306875411|2934710 said:
I think that after speaking to her and showing her some of these designs suggested here (see her responses above) that she is open to a different setting. She said she liked the square radiant the best but if I could find a square cushion (less round i guess?) or a princess, that would be fine too. I think she (and me) cares more about a larger diamond for the money than a specific cut, as long as its square. I never really heard of a Jubilee or PoH diamond, I'll look in to those. I'm liking the one at WF but I guess it can get annoying to try to have that modified to fit a larger square diamond instead of a 1.25 or below round.

Keep throwing suggestions at me, you have all been very helpful already.
Click to expand...

Princess, square H&A and cushette and aug. vintage cushion comparison (I've owned the cushette and AVC and I prefer the AVC but the cushette was nice and beautiful too)
http://www.vimeo.com/11539863

Another
http://www.vimeo.com/5328024

Here is a video with the princess of hearts and the jublilee
http://www.vimeo.com/22749605

Here is a radiant comparison next to a new cut they just introduced
http://www.vimeo.com/19766698

That same new (Lucere cut) next to an aug. vintage cushion
http://www.vimeo.com/18546636

More radiant comparison videos
http://www.vimeo.com/17243176

In regards to making modification to settings and it being a "hassle" I wouldn't worry about that. The vendors on PS go above and beyond to make their clients happy and considering many PSer are SUPER picky (nothing wrong with that) they know how to produce what your going for. It's their job to make you what you want and hopefully they'll earn a client for life.

ETA: Also if you are unhappy with something almost every "issue" has been dealt with no matter what. Even if it wasn't the vendors fault (no specific examples come to mind but when you've been on PS a while its some times clear that the client is very difficult or just down right impossible to please...unusual but it does happen) they go above and beyond to make it right.



I hope these videos help. Good luck!
 
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