Diamond Guru Needed (Please and Thank you!!)

[tblanke]

I'm going to keep this short and sweet i'm looking for a Radiant Diamond from Blue Nile to match this setting for the fiance to be (hopefully .

Diamonds:
http://www.bluenile.com/build-your-...DIAMONDCOMPARISON_STEP#DIAMONDCOMPARISON_STEP

Things i'm looking for:

Shape: Radiant
Color: >G
Clarity: >VS2
Cut: VG
Carat: .70-1.10
Depth: 58-69%
Table: 59-68%
Girdle: Very thin to thick (0.4%-5.5%)
Pol/Sym: Good or Fair
Crown height: 11-16%
Square range over rectangular. (.95-1.05)

Setting:
http://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-diamond-ring?forceStep=STYLE_STEP&offer_id=17374

I know Blue Nile offers the 1.5% Wire Discount, but is there any discount from purchasing from PriceScope?

I greatly appreciate you guys for taking your time to help people like me and I can't thank you enough.

God Bless,
Travis

 

[Niel]

Is there a specific reason you need to go with bluenile? I wouldn't want to buy a radiant without pics and ASETS, so I would probably suggest buying elsewhere. Good old gold sells a very similar setting and can find you a nice stone. What's the budget.

 

[tblanke]

Is there a specific reason you need to go with bluenile? I wouldn't want to buy a radiant without pics and ASETS, so I would probably suggest buying elsewhere. Good old gold sells a very similar setting and can find you a nice stone. What's the budget.

The main reason for going with Blue Nile was because this particular setting was her favorite out of all the brick and mortar and online retailers we have looked at. And just to make life simpler I was hoping to get the diamond and setting from the same seller.

The finger it is going on is a size 3.5 and it is sensitive to certain metals so I need to purchase a platinum setting, so my budget for the setting is about $1,700 and my max for the stone is $2,800.

I'm not having any luck finding the similar setting you had mentioned on Good Old Gold, if you don't mind posting it for me I would love to take a look and if you have some stone suggestions I would be forever grateful.

Thank you for taking the time to help me!

 

[Christina...]

Yeah, I agree with Neil. It's impossible to purchase fancy cut stones by the numbers only. There are just so many poorly cut radiants out there that I wouldn't feel comfortable purchasing one without both magnified images and ASET, or at the very least working with a vendor who is very knowledgeable of this particular cut and can be your 'eyes' during the selection process. Blue Nile almost never sees the stones it sells, with the exception of it's signature line, they simply call the dealer holding the stone and ask that they ship it to you. Unless you are quite confident in your ability to assess the stone with your own eyes I would never suggest this route.

I'd suggest contacting either Good Old Gold as was already mentioned or Diamonds by Lauren, both have the experience necessary to assist you in finding a beautiful radiant that you can be thrilled with!

 

[Christina...]

I believe that Neil may have been referencing a setting from Gabriel & Co. which is a company that GOG deals with.

here is the link to their website
http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/styles?category=ER

 

[tblanke]

Yeah, I agree with Neil. It's impossible to purchase fancy cut stones by the numbers only. There are just so many poorly cut radiants out there that I wouldn't feel comfortable purchasing one without both magnified images and ASET, or at the very least working with a vendor who is very knowledgeable of this particular cut and can be your 'eyes' during the selection process. Blue Nile almost never sees the stones it sells, with the exception of it's signature line, they simply call the dealer holding the stone and ask that they ship it to you. Unless you are quite confident in your ability to assess the stone with your own eyes I would never suggest this route.

I'd suggest contacting either Good Old Gold as was already mentioned or Diamonds by Lauren, both have the experience necessary to assist you in finding a beautiful radiant that you can be thrilled with!

I guess I understand what you are both saying about needing to see the ASET and images, but I just feel like the websites you provided are way out of my budget I have no ability to assess the stone with my own eyes, but know people that can.

I just did a search on GOG with the same criteria I used for BN and the lowest priced diamond was $5,314, which was almost $1K more than I was looking to spend for both the stone and setting (and I understand we are comparing apples to oranges). Also the only Radiant's that returned in my search where in the rectangular range and i'm looking for square.

Diamonds by Lauren has these two available:
http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/ind...iamond-84ct-radiant-cut-n-vs1-great-cut-r3972
http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/ind...-vvs2-radiant-cut-gia-beautiful-bargain-r4959

In your opinion would it be better to go with one of these or take my chances with one of the Blue Nile offerings? I understand my budget is far less than most people spend on just the diamond alone, but we both agreed on the budget we have (she actually wants to spend less) and I'm just trying to get the best I can afford because she deserves it.

Thank you for all of your time and help!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I think at some point you have to decide whether to put all the money into the stone for now and get a simple setting that can be changed later. Or if you go with an expensive setting now, you are really compromising the diamond. I certainly would not get an M or N radiant unless you were wanting a yellowish stone to set in a halo. You kind of get what you pay for, so if you go with a sight unseen stone from a vendor that doesn't provide pics, you have a high likelihood of getting a crappy stone. GOG really isn't that much more than anyone else. You have a thousand times better chance of getting a good stone that way, though.

Gabriel does have similar styles of settings:

http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/styles?category=ER&style=Straight&collection=Victorian

I am not sure about a radiant in an antique style setting, though.

 

[Niel]

good old gold wont have many of what youre look for in house


What they do is you tell them your budget and what youre trying to get (similar to what you posted up top in the OP) and they search their inventory to find a good one. Its like, they have access to all the stones BN does, but they search and find you a good one before they sell it to you.

those Gabriel and co setting was exactly what i was talking about. And on their site they are more expensive than GOG would sell them.

something like this i was thinking (again its cheaper though GOG but i dont know how much

http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER6634PT4JJ


but, now that i think about it, i really think the best idea would be to contact ID jewelry. They are great with people on a budget (which i say just because you have to put a lot into the setting, so that takes away a lot of your budget just for that) ive honestly seen them work wonders, and if you tell them you need a pricescope quality radiant i think they could find you something.

BUT i would reduce your clarity to just "eye clean" the type of cut your looking for hides inclusions really well, so you could easily get a completely eye clean si1 and maybe even si2... thatll save you money

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Good advice from Niel, too!

 

[Niel]

and i forgot to mention, ID jewelry sells that Gabriel and Co settings too

 

[Niel]

I am not sure about a radiant in an antique style setting, though.

i agree, im not sure about the juxtaposition of a modern radiant and a vintage setting. But if she likes it then get the lady what she likes. she wouldnt be open to other square side stones like a asscher or emerald cut? or maybe a different brilliant cut (the same type of pinpoint flashes) like an oval?

 

[tblanke]

Sorry I haven't been able to get back with you guys sooner, was out in the country memorial day week visiting friends and family where connection to the outside world is non existent.

I went with your recommendations and emailed Good Old Gold for assistance and got a very timely response, which I will share below:

My inquiry

I was seeking help from the forum members over at Price Scope and your company came highly recommended.

Shape: Radiant
Carat: .70-.89
Color: G-D
Clarity: VS2-FL

Max Budget: $5,000 for setting and stone ($3,000 stone and $2,000 setting)
However I would be much more comfortable @ $4,000 which is 2 months salary for me

I understand my budget is far less than most people spend on just the diamond alone, but we both agreed on the budget we have (she actually wants to spend less) and I'm just trying to get the best I can afford because she deserves it. The finger it is going on is a size 3.5 and it is sensitive to certain metals so I need to purchase a platinum setting, which doesn't help my budget.

Cut: Very Good-Excellent
Depth: 59-69%
Table: 58-69%
Girdle: Very thin to Slightly thick (0.4%-4.5%)
Crown height: 11-16%
Square range over rectangular. (.95-1.05)

I was originally looking at Blue Nile, but many members said that your company is the one to deal with, especially for people on a tight budget like myself. Here are the settings that she likes ranked in order. They also mentioned that the prices on this website are higher than what you guys sell them for which would be awesome.

1) http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER8634PT4JJ
2) http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER7981PT4JJ
3) http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER8595PT4JJ

I hope that this was the right place to send this email and if there is any more information you need from me please let me know. I greatly appreciate your help in this special moment of my life!

Thank you so much!
Travis

Response:

Hello Travis, thanks for contacting us.

I understand the tight budget and I believe with it, it will still be possible to accomplish your goal. One thing I would like to ask which would greatly help this search, are you comfortable with a eye clean SI1?

Ie, a .8x (on the higher end closer to .90) F SI1 for $2,826

Alongside a .80 E VS1 for $2,833

If you wanted to stick closer to 4k total, I do see a .7x E VS2 for $2,390.

Just so you are aware, these diamonds are located at our suppliers that we would source for you and run them through our lab to see how well they perform (we focus very strongly on the cut of a diamond) If you are interested in any of the diamonds I mentioned above I will send you a template of how we proceed from here. For the settings part of this, I am including my co worker Marie on this email as she can better answer those questions.

I would be very happy to work with you guys on this very important yet fun moment in life

Kind Regards
David

So I really don't know where to go from here. The settings on Gabriel & Co range from $1800-$1950 on their website so even if I went with the highest diamond and setting i'd still be under my 5K budget. Thanks for your understanding and patience with me in this matter, I feel like I've already come along way from where I started and just hope i'll be able to get to the finish line.

I can't thank y'all enough,
Travis

 

[tblanke]

I am not sure about a radiant in an antique style setting, though.

i agree, im not sure about the juxtaposition of a modern radiant and a vintage setting. But if she likes it then get the lady what she likes. she wouldnt be open to other square side stones like a asscher or emerald cut? or maybe a different brilliant cut (the same type of pinpoint flashes) like an oval?

Wow, we have never really thought of any of that! She had wanted something unique so that ruled out the round from the start. We originally started out looking at the Princess, but after seeing them in person she didn't care for how pointy they appeared, which led us to the Radiant cut. For her it was the best of both worlds, it had the square look with the rounded corners and she knew that was the one. It had never occurred to either of us that a modern stone in a vintage setting may look odd.

After deciding to switch from Blue Nile to Gabriel and wanting to keep the engagement ring purchase with the same company, we looked most of their Engagement ring catalog and came up with a top 3:

1) http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER8634PT4JJ
2) http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER8595PT4JJ
3) http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER7981PT4JJ

And for references sake here was the Blue Nile Hand Engraged w/ Radiant:
http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-engagement-ring-platinum_17374

Which looked fine to us, but thinks have a way of looking different online and in person lol

Thanks again for all of your time and help!

 

[tblanke]

I believe that Neil may have been referencing a setting from Gabriel & Co. which is a company that GOG deals with.

here is the link to their website
http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/styles?category=ER

Thank you so much for sharing this, me and my significant other spent a great deal of time browsing the selection and even more time narrowing down the ones we liked! Found quite a few sets we like more than the one we had originally picked out

 

[tblanke]

***UPDATE***

So I decided to go ahead and listen to everyone's advice and proceed with Good Old Gold and have received nothing short of amazing in the customer service department!

I actually just received a YouTube on my Radiant's and thought I would share with you all and hopefully get some feedback. Now I understand the importance of actually being able to see the diamonds opposed wishing you get a good cut sight unseen. They are working on the web pages for the analysis on each of them and will be completed in a couple hours.

Here is the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXpKihMXPfk

And this is the setting we will be pairing one of these 3 stones with:
http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER8634PT4JJ

Thank you Niel, Christina, and diamondseeker2006 for taking your time to help me in this very fun and important time in my life!

 

[JulieN]

The G is nice.

 

[Niel]

The g looks really nice but I also like the shape of the last. Is the g and your setting in budget?

 

[heididdl]

tblanke you were in the right hands. GOG is so amazing and able to help any budget I just got so excited for you to see the stones on the utube video I love the G Vs2 stones. I hope your GF loves what you select

 

[tblanke]

The G is nice.

It is, but I am afraid the 1st and 2nd one are too rectangular and she prefers the box radiant's...which leaves me with just the third one. I will be uploading the web pages with all the information as soon as I get them back. And hopefully with this forum's help I will have made a decision!

Thanks Julie

 

[tblanke]

The g looks really nice but I also like the shape of the last. Is the g and your setting in budget?

Still waiting on the prices for each of the stones but they are all supposed to be in the 2-3K range and I got quoted $1,560 for the setting so I am hoping the stones are around $2.5K to stay within my $4K budget!

I agree even though the first stone is probably the best value, the shape is most likely going to be the deciding factor. As I mentioned above she prefers the square over rectangle and i'm afraid she'll say no if it's not boxy enough! lol

Thanks again for your help Neil and I hope you and others will be around when I get the web pages back!

 

[tblanke]

tblanke you were in the right hands. GOG is so amazing and able to help any budget I just got so excited for you to see the stones on the utube video I love the G Vs2 stones. I hope your GF loves what you select

Thanks Heididdl for another vote for GOG, each one helps me reassure myself I am doing the right thing. I buy just about everything online and get nervous whenever I have to go into stores, but never did I think i'd be purchasing my engagement ring like this lol. This YouTube video, this website, and all of the great members on here just go to show how technology is reshaping the way so many thinks used to be.

I'm just a Louisiana country boy who loves tech and is getting help from diamond experts and enthusiasts all around the world and about to make my purchase from a great company located in New York. That just blows my mind.

Thanks again and I am looking forward to everyone's feedback when the pages are up!

 

[Sparklelu]

GOG is the way to go! They got me my pear which is also in a Gabriel setting( which they sourced at below MSRP!!) as well as the matching wedding band!
You will love them, each person I dealt with has been fabulous!

 

[tblanke]

I just got the results and am anxious to see what everyone thinks! To help save time and space I am just going to go ahead and eliminate the crushed ice watery one, but will share below in case it will help anyone else!

Diamond #1:
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10926

Diamond #2:
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10927

Diamond #3:
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10928

Again this is all Greek to me, but if someone could give me the pro's and con's between #1 and #3 I would be forever grateful! Again I think #3 is the only one close to the square range and am actually a little worried that it isn't square enough and I may be out my deposit. :/

Look forward to everyone's feedback and can't thank y'all enough for sharing your time with me!

Thank you thank you thank you!

 

[Niel]

Yeah I say go with the g

Just wondering. What if you set the stone e/w meaning the long way goes side to side not up and down her finger? Might make it look more square

 

[JulieN]

I don't think the E is good enough. The G is better, but it is rectangular. What is it that she likes about a radiant, would she consider a princess or cushion? Is your budget 4K or 5K?

I think this has a lot of potential if you like the radiant look, but it has soft curves instead of the cut corners.
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.71-carat-f-color-vs1-clarity-sku-164946

 

[tblanke]

GOG is the way to go! They got me my pear which is also in a Gabriel setting( which they sourced at below MSRP!!) as well as the matching wedding band!
You will love them, each person I dealt with has been fabulous!

That is beautiful and I was ecstatic when Ms. Marie told me how much the Gabriel setting would cost (also below MSRP!

And yes both Ms. Marie and David have been great to work with and now it's time for me to make the final decision!

 

[tblanke]

Yeah I say go with the g

Just wondering. What if you set the stone e/w meaning the long way goes side to side not up and down her finger? Might make it look more square

After David finished reading my mind, we decided to order another batch to see if we could find the perfect diamond for me. The G diamond in the first batch was beautiful, but my significant other had her heart set on a radiant in the square range.

 

[tblanke]

I don't think the E is good enough. The G is better, but it is rectangular. What is it that she likes about a radiant, would she consider a princess or cushion? Is your budget 4K or 5K?

I think this has a lot of potential if you like the radiant look, but it has soft curves instead of the cut corners.
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.71-carat-f-color-vs1-clarity-sku-164946

The E was my favorite out of the three, but that was due more to the shape and not having that crushed water ice look. For the shape she absolutely loved the Princess diamonds when we began our search, but that all changed when she discovered the square radiant's. And I think the cushions we had looked at didn't have the same fire and looked more rounded than square. And my budget was trying to stick as close to 4K as possible!

 

[tblanke]

***Another Update***

Sorry to keep bothering everyone on here, but I promise this will be my last update until I come back to thank every one again!

Here is my new YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MRDQ4Yq9f6Y
From left to right - .80 G VVS2 - .80 E VS2 - .80 F SI1

And their webpages:
.80 G VVS2: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10958
.80 F SI1: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10959

So with price not being a factor (both work with my budget) out of these two diamonds which one would you choose and if you don't mind sharing please tell me why!

This truly is one of the most exciting moments in my life and I can't imagine doing it without the help of the members of this community and David who is going on 2 weeks with me and has gone above and beyond in assisting me in the wonderful moment of my life!

 

[JulieN]

The F is nicer than the other three, IMO.

I feel like you will be better served by an ideal cut princess that GOG gives a lifetime guarantee to. No trade-in policy for stones with limited guarantees. The F is not any bigger than many ideal cut .7 ct princess, and the princess will look better.