MMM
Brilliant_Rock
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2006
- Messages
- 526
So, I am in the process of having my custom cushion halo created with Engagement Rings Direct and have been posting a little about it here and there on other peoples threads. However I had a request (by dianne) to keep a running thread of my own about the process, so that’s what this will be.
I began helping my boyfriend (now fiancé) look for the perfect stone a few months ago back in October or November and I had my heart set on a cushion. Through Pricescope I came across Mark Turnowski who post after post was listed as THE guy for cushions.
It took a LOOOOOT of convincing to get my boyfriend (and his mother) to trust a NY online vendor! They first rejected the idea, they claimed all NYC diamond dealers were shady and con artists, and insisted on going with a jeweler out of Miami (we are from Tampa) who one of their family friends had worked with multiple times and highly recommended. To make a long story short he was HORRIBLE. He was very deceptive and a down right swine! He told my boyfriend there was just no no no no way he would ever find a 1.5-2ct cushion for 10,000 and proceeded to try to sell him uncertified diamonds while lying about the clarity and color, etc.
So, after much convincing I finally got Mark back in the running! My boyfriend called Mark and told him what we were looking for (a 1.5-2.0 cushion, eye clean, color h or better a premium cut, a square – or almost square – ratio, chunky facets not “crushed ice” etc.) Mark got back to us within the week with 3 options and emailed over the GIA reports. We looked over the reports and they all looked awesome, so we chose our favorite and called mark about it. He assured us it was a great, great cut and very sparkly and lively. We thought it sounded good and asked him to send it down to make sure it was in fact the stone for us. It was PERFECT! I still can’t believe that we got such a great stone. And, did I mention it was about 1,000 UNDER the budget we gave mark?!?! I think that speaks to his character that we told him our max budget and he stayed significantly under price and still got as an amazing diamond.
Also, the diamond was being sent down just because we wanted to make sure we liked it before proceeding with the setting but my boyfriend had mark place it in a temporary setting just for insurance purposes. Well, as soon as my boyfriend saw the most perfect diamond AND it was conveniently already set, he just couldn’t wait. So, he proposed in December while we were on a ski vacation.
So, now I’ve been wearing the ring in its temp. setting for almost 2 months and am itching to get it set in its final setting. We are now trading emails and phone calls with mark discussing the setting.
I L-O-V-E the Winnie setting (search Winnie on PS) that many here have had replicated, however I have just a few tweaks I would like done. Basically, I want my wedding band to sit flush and I would like to incorporate a cathedral band. I would also like the stone to sit as low as possible to give the ring a low profile.
I have taken some pictures off of PS and the internet to try to describe these changes with Mark and will be talking to him either tonight or tomorrow to see what he thinks of my proposed changes.
I will let you know what he thinks!
Sorry this is so long, it’s really just for whoever cares to read it. I know its probably pretty boring to most.
Also, here is the link to pictures of my stone in its temporary setting as well as the stats:
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/engaged-my-lovely-cushion.56060/
I began helping my boyfriend (now fiancé) look for the perfect stone a few months ago back in October or November and I had my heart set on a cushion. Through Pricescope I came across Mark Turnowski who post after post was listed as THE guy for cushions.
It took a LOOOOOT of convincing to get my boyfriend (and his mother) to trust a NY online vendor! They first rejected the idea, they claimed all NYC diamond dealers were shady and con artists, and insisted on going with a jeweler out of Miami (we are from Tampa) who one of their family friends had worked with multiple times and highly recommended. To make a long story short he was HORRIBLE. He was very deceptive and a down right swine! He told my boyfriend there was just no no no no way he would ever find a 1.5-2ct cushion for 10,000 and proceeded to try to sell him uncertified diamonds while lying about the clarity and color, etc.
So, after much convincing I finally got Mark back in the running! My boyfriend called Mark and told him what we were looking for (a 1.5-2.0 cushion, eye clean, color h or better a premium cut, a square – or almost square – ratio, chunky facets not “crushed ice” etc.) Mark got back to us within the week with 3 options and emailed over the GIA reports. We looked over the reports and they all looked awesome, so we chose our favorite and called mark about it. He assured us it was a great, great cut and very sparkly and lively. We thought it sounded good and asked him to send it down to make sure it was in fact the stone for us. It was PERFECT! I still can’t believe that we got such a great stone. And, did I mention it was about 1,000 UNDER the budget we gave mark?!?! I think that speaks to his character that we told him our max budget and he stayed significantly under price and still got as an amazing diamond.
Also, the diamond was being sent down just because we wanted to make sure we liked it before proceeding with the setting but my boyfriend had mark place it in a temporary setting just for insurance purposes. Well, as soon as my boyfriend saw the most perfect diamond AND it was conveniently already set, he just couldn’t wait. So, he proposed in December while we were on a ski vacation.
So, now I’ve been wearing the ring in its temp. setting for almost 2 months and am itching to get it set in its final setting. We are now trading emails and phone calls with mark discussing the setting.
I L-O-V-E the Winnie setting (search Winnie on PS) that many here have had replicated, however I have just a few tweaks I would like done. Basically, I want my wedding band to sit flush and I would like to incorporate a cathedral band. I would also like the stone to sit as low as possible to give the ring a low profile.
I have taken some pictures off of PS and the internet to try to describe these changes with Mark and will be talking to him either tonight or tomorrow to see what he thinks of my proposed changes.
I will let you know what he thinks!
Sorry this is so long, it’s really just for whoever cares to read it. I know its probably pretty boring to most.
Also, here is the link to pictures of my stone in its temporary setting as well as the stats:
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/engaged-my-lovely-cushion.56060/