clueless boyfriend

[roadpupp]

Hello all
Someone suggested I repost this from a different folder. Sorry for the confusion.

I have been researching rings for my girlfriend and welcome any advice anyone wants to give.

The story:
She left a torn out page showing a platinum Verragio ring with "V" settings in a three stone round configuration.

http://www.weddingband.com/ver0207.html

The setting I looked at was a Verragio like the one above but with ROUND BRILLIANT stones.We are going away in 6 weeks on a romantic vacation where I plan to pop the question.

I found a local Brick and Mortor place that has them and a nice selection of platinum Verragio and other settings in stock. The ring has (2) .25 side stones (un certfied).

They said the setting is about $1500. We talked price and they came up with two options.

1) the above setting with a GIA certified .87 G-SI2 "Premium" cut for $4300 (before tax)
2) same with a GIA certified .91 H-SI2 "Ideal" cut for $4800 (before tax)

I have now learned that Ideal and Premium are arbitrary terms the jewler puts on them. Should I trust them or get into the nuts and bolts of dimensions?

Part of the big unknown is the setting cost. They might give me a good stone price, then overcharge for the setting. Veraggio is well known but the listed internet prices are higher than $1500.

I wanted to do this for about $5000 and to get her the platinum setting and style that I think she wants. These gems are almost a carat and have good cut and color which seems to be the most important part.

Anyone want to chime in on the price and if this seems reasonable? I like the way I was treated and have confidence in them so don't mind spending a little bit more of my smallish budget for "walk in the door" service over an internet vendor.

I really want it to be a surprise and if I get it wrong, we can go together to get the perfect one.
I am pretty sure she will love it. I am making some big assumptions based on a single image. They have assured me that as long as I don't have it sized, that they will give me a full refund, or help us to find what she wants in the store.

This is a big decision, and I really appreciate any advice you might give me.

Thanks in advance, this board is a big help.
Chad

 

[denverappraiser]

Chad,

Welcome to Pricescope.

The ring in your picture is for princess cut stones. Is the one you want going to be a Verragio product or something similar made by someone else? It's hard go give an opinion on the pricing unless we really know what you're looking at.

Depending on what they mean by Ideal, 0.91 H-SI2 for $3300 is a pretty good deal. Yeah, get into the nuts & bolts of dimensions. I would also ask about who did the grading also because some labs hold more credibility than others. Compare the various stones to each other in an assortment of lighting conditions like under the case lights and in some poorly lit corner of the store. the best stones are still beautiful in terrible light. This will tell you if you're willing to pay the premium for idealness (ok, that's not a word but you know what I mean

). That setting style can accomodate a pretty big range of stones so you should be able to choose any stone you like that fits your budget. Read through the diamond tutorial and play with the pricing matrix on the front page of pricescope to learn the lingo and how the various attributes relate to one another.

It sounds to me like you are almost to the end and you've made a lovely selection.

Neil Beaty, GG ISA
Independent Appraisals in Denver

 

[roadpupp]

Neil

To have a reply from an industry insider about my particular situation is wonderful! This board is great.

The setting was indeed a Verragio platinum setting just like you see in the link, but with round stones.

Do you know of any reputable jewelry stores I should consider in NYC? 47th street is Scary, though the people at Shenoa and Co were very nice. (I know they have an Ebay site that deals in crap, but the B&M appears to be the most real place on 47th)

The diamonds were all GIA , but I guess the "ideal" rating would have to come from another lab. I guess I will go back and ask for the hard numbers (table, depth etc) and take them home to crunch them before going back.


Thanks!
Chad

 

[andrewk]

Chad,
I'm going through the same process as you. Compared to the diamond experts here, I'm pretty green, but here's one newbie's advice to another:

1. Go back to the jeweler and ask if they could call in to the supplier (whoever they got the stones from) and ask for the specs on the diamond, such as a Sarin report. I'm like you and I don't mind paying a little extra for good service, which it sounds like you're getting. So if you think you would like to buy from this jeweler, then let him/her know that getting the specs is important for you and will greatly influence your decision to buy from him/her. If you butter them up a little, they will be happy to help you out. My jeweler was very receptive to my requests.

2. If #1 is not possible, ask to see some AGS-certified stones, or to have the jeweler source some AGS-certified stones for you. Again, if you make it clear to the jeweler that you're really interested in buying from him/her (like it sounds you are) then they will work with you. My jeweler had six stones sent in for me to look at, no questions asked.

3. Invest the $25 in an Ideal Scope. This is probably one of the BEST buys you can make (note, I am not affiliated in any way with Ideal Scope). It will certainly help you a lot, especially with the GIA stones. The ideal scope does not lie. I could see a clear difference between well and poorly cut stones and I'm as green around the gills as they come.

4. Ask your jeweler to show you a less-well cut stone, such as a "fine" cut or a "good" cut and compare them side-by-side with "ideal" cut stones. Use the Ideal Scope to prove to you what your eyes will already be able to distinguish.

5. If you can get the diamond dimensions, run them by the Holloway Cut Adviser or gemappraiser.com just to double check that the stone is indeed well cut, but do not live and die by the absolute numbers (although saying this might offend some PS readers!). In the end, trust your eyes. Your eyes will know a well cut stone when they see one. They are more brilliant, sparkle more, etc.

Good luck,
andrew

 

[denverappraiser]

Chad,

I'm not a big fan of the whole 47th street experience either but some people seem to thrive on it. I guess that explains why I live in Colorado. It's not necessary to play that game to get a good deal. It actually sounds like you've already found a first rate store and are just looking for confirmation that they are telling you the truth and that what you want is another Verragio dealer in your area. Verragio has a store locator on their website that should help you find alternative dealers.

One of the nice things about being in NYC is that it will be easy for your dealer to get Sarin data if he doesn't already have it. Tell them what you want and they should be able to have it within a day or two, if they don't already have it.

Neil Beaty, GG ISA
Independent Appraisals in Denver

 

[quaeritur]

One other thing... if you want to get a sense of price for well-cut stones, you can go here and play with color, clarity and size parameters. Keep in mind that internet prices might be a little lower than what a local jewelry store can manage, but they should at least be in the ballpark.

 

[roadpupp]

Thanks to all, esp. Denver and Quaeritur (could that BE any harder to spell?) Andrew, I took your advice and ordered an Ideal scope.

I will be going to the B&M place next week with my scope and will get the hard numbers out of them to run through the calculators.

Thanks for all the tips and I'll keep you posted.

-Chad

 

[roadpupp]

Thanks to all that have helped me out on this board!!

I went in and made the deal today. They came down on price a little and are shipping it to my parent's house in Connecticut (i'm in NYC). This will save me $500 in tax!!

They charged me the same as the other diamond I was looking at that only scored a 2.3 on the cut advisor. This new one scored .7!!! Assuming the cut advisor knows what it is talking about, I have gotten a much nicer stone for the same money.


Special thanks to Quaertitur. She said the crown angle was a little steep for the pavillion. When I saw the Sarin on the second stone and saw that the crown angle was better and the pavillion the same I figured it would score well on the cut advisor and I was right! The AGS rates them pretty much the same. WOO HOO.

Mostly I am just glad to have it all squared away.

Now to insure it and pick it up.

Thanks again.

-Chad

 

[Gale]

Seems like you excited about this ring! Will you be able to post pics? When are you going away, and where (if you don't mind spilling the beans)?

 

[roadpupp]

Gale

I am excited to give it to her and have the special moment. I did sort of enjoy learning about diamonds, but in reality, jewelery is not my passion and I am ready to have this part over!

I can't wait to see her face and the inevitable tears when I propose.

We are going to Secrets all inclusive resort in Punta Cana. DR. It is supposed to be muy romantic and no kids allowed!

I will get the ring in a week or so, I may try to take some pics myself, but I am very excited about how high the stone scored on the cut advisor and that I was able to get a stone that looks almost as big as a one carat with such a great cut in the platinum setting, all within the budget I started with.

Thanks for the good wishes.
Chad

 

[Gale]

All of that sounds very nice indeed. These days must be terribly exciting for you. I hope the vacation and proposal are everything you and your girl dream of.

 

[Diamond Angel]

this is so sweet! all the best!!