EMERGENCY...NEED BUYING ADVICE QUICK!

[domer]

So don''t ask me why, but in a moment of lucidity this evening, I decided that my proposal is going to happen next week. I could let an opportunity for an amazing proposal pass me up, but I think I''ve got to do everything in my power to target Dec 17th or 18th for my proposal. As you can guess, this puts me in a precarious position. After everything you all have taught me after months of reading your posts and brushing up on sites like GOG, and a couple of days of posting myself, I am far too armed to even go NEAR a mall, and far too saavy to pay the Tiffany''s premium (a lot can change in a week, huh?). And so I find myself with less than a week to secure the perfect diamond (well, for me at least). My biggest problem is, I still want to go through the due diligence of having the stone appraised loose, and getting the OK from an independent appraiser before pulling the trigger, but I need to know if this is logistically feasible. I''m in the SF Bay Area, and am proposing in LA, but aside from IceStore, I don''t think any of the online jewelers that you all have mentioned (GOG, WhiteFlash, Superbcert, DirtCheap, NiceIce), have a B&M presence in California. So I have a few things I am grappling with here...

1) Is it possible for one of the aforementioned jewelers to turn a ring that quick, including allowing time for independent certification, as well as adequate time to set the stone in a simple platinum 6-prong solitaire setting?

2) If so, what is the process for doing so? Would I pick the stone and have them ship to an appraiser, and the appraiser ship to me? If that''s the case, when does the stone get set, and by who?

3) Is this a bad time to buy? I know with the holiday rush, the selection of great diamonds is probably low, but I still trying to find at least a AGS Triple Ideal (not necessarily a true AGS000, as defined on GOG...I can''t afford THAT), and preferably a true H&A, b/w 1.5-2.0ct. I''d like to see a solid HCA score in the range of 1.0-1.5 as well. Oh yeah, and I''m looking to spend b/w $10-$12K. Am I being to demanding, given the rush on diamonds around this time of year?

And just to throw a little extra something into it...

4) What about an Eightstar? I know this has been debated in length by most here, but is it really worth the price? I know I won''t be able to get near the same carat weight for my budget, but from what I hear, those who are believers say it doesn''t even matter...the diamond is worth it. And if it supposedly even looks bigger... Anyway, what could I even get away with in terms of an Eightstar for $10-$12K? Is what I get for the money that much more spectacular than the size increase I would see from an equally priced AGS Triple Ideal H&A? Not to mention that fact I''ll be hit with California''s hefty 8.25% sales tax... Well, I''m going in to see a local jeweler first thing tomorrow about Eightstars, but I wanted to know what everyone here thought.

Basically, I just need to know if this is feasible. I know it''s a busy time of the year for diamonds, and while I would love to hit the dates I''ve targeted, I refuse to compromise on the quality or the value of the stone I am looking for. I''m ready to buy, but not ready to be taken for a premium. If it looks like it''s not logistically feasible, or I won''t be able to get what I want, or I''m not being given a great deal on the diamond, then I have no qualms about letting the date slip. But if the stars can align and fate finds me with the ring of our dreams in my hands by Weds or Thurs, I will (hopefully) be engaged to the most incredible woman in the world by this time next week.

So what do you think...is it doable?

 

[strmrdr]

" I refuse to compromise on the quality or the value of the stone I am looking for."

Then wait...
It is way too tight of a time frame to meet that goal.
As far as eightstar goes yea they are very nice diamonds but are they worth the premium ... not to me they arent expecialy considering you can get the same performace for a lot less money.

 

[strmrdr]

Now a too what you are looking for is the 10-12k including the setting or just the diamond?

 

[domer]

I'm planning on going with a fairly standard 6-prong platinum setting. I want the proposal to be mostly about the diamond, and have her input into the setting after the fact. Then I'll let her get the setting of her choice. So I guess I'd have to say $10-$12k for only the diamond.

And I guess I was a little overly emphatic by saying I "refuse to compromise". Obviously, given the selection of diamonds available at any given moment, I'm not guaranteed to find EXACTLY what I'm looking for. That's why I'm not really tying myself to a size(1.5-2.0), color (G-H, maybe I), or clarity (VS1-VS2) too closely. However, it would be spend the time I have spent learning about diamonds and how important cut is, only to sacrifice on what I feel I would really like her to have for the rest of her life just because I was "in a pinch". I also meant that I'm not necessarily willing to pay more for a diamond that I would on any given day because I have an arbitrary timeline. Essentially, I'm not going make sure I can get roughly what I'm looking for, and I can get a modestly good deal. Otherwise, I'll just hold off. Really what I need to know is if the logistical obstacles are overcomeable on such a tight timeframe.

 

[strmrdr]

If you really want to give it a shot a quich search doesnt turn up a lot in your price range but this one looks like an awesome diamond priced at $11,044.60

click me

 

[strmrdr]

another possibility:
click

 

[strmrdr]

A little over your budget and vvs2 but look at the isee2 and bscope and lightscope readings.

click me

This one is sweet :}

 

[domer]

I like the numbers on the third one, though they are all great choices. It's not too far out of budget to be ridiculous. I guess the question would be whether we could turn the whole cycle in time with superbcert or GOG...

 

[strmrdr]

----------------
On 12/12/2003 2:53:29 AM domer wrote:

I like the numbers on the third one, though they are all great choices. It's not too far out of budget to be ridiculous. I guess the question would be whether we could turn the whole cycle in time with superbcert or GOG...----------------

Me 2 its an awesome diamond and to be honest Rhino is one person id consider skipping the unmounted appraisal on a diamond from him.
Id still have it done localy after mounting just to verify and to get an insurance appraisal.
He allready provides a ton of information on the diamond and is very trusted/respected around here imho rightly so.

 

[Mara]

Stay away from 8* on your budget. $10-12k in an 8* gets you something like a 1c most likely. Their markup is around 40% over regular H&A.




I'm in the Bayarea too. Joe Escobar in Campbell has some great stones and TONS of great settings, but their stones are more pricey than online though they do sell H&A. Maybe call up Eric Carlson (who frequents the forum sometimes) and see what he has in stock and what he can do for you on pricing.




That said, you can definitely turn around something with an online vendor within a week. Say you buy tomorrow...they can ship within 24 hours to the independent appraiser of your choice. I would have the appraiser set the stone for you if possible, or you can have the appraiser ship it back to the vendor if necessary. If the appraiser can turn the stone around for you in a day or so (find out first) and a day for the setting, you could have the stone in your grubby little hands maybe Tuesday of next week? If you could get all your ducks lined up. It would be stressful but I think you could swing it.




Or another option is to purchase the stone then have them send it to the appraiser...locally. I highly recommend Nancy Stacey in Walnut Creek, we used her, she is excellent. She doesn't have a Bscope, but she has an IdealScope and has years of appraisal experience under her belt, and you could go and see the stone in person and approve it after she does her appraisal. Then take it to a local jeweler to have it set (JE maybe--as I noted they have tons of settings and also do custom work), or send it back to the vendor to have it set but you have to allow shipping time for that--locally may be your best bet. Nancy may also be able to recommend a good setter in the area--setting it locally will save you time.




So you have some options. The first thing is to find the stone. You have a good budget (would stay at top range at $12k), I think a G/H SI eye clean stone H&A would be great in something like a 1.5-.1.7c...I like bigger stones personally and diamond shrinkage is a real thing after she gets used to wearing it for a while!!




Also, I have to say that because you do have some $$ buffer, do not get an 'I' colored stone. I recommend it hands down for those who can't make their budget stretch any further than by going to 'I'...but if you don't absolutely need to and you have a bit of leeway....I would pay the extra $1k or similar to stick with an H stone. My two cents. 'I' can be a personal thing and with your tight timeline, you don't have time to send a stone back if it looks too warm in person.




Anyway good luck, but your plan IS doable. Don't know why the decision to push the date up and make it extra stressful, but you can pull it off if you are diligent and line all your ducks up first.

Good luck!

 

[chris-uk04]

Dude, hold your horses!!! You've spent all this time learning and you are going to rush getting a stone? The process takes a while and you will want to see a lot of stones. This is a mad time to buy. You will certainly pay a premium for a rush job and for this time of year. You are caught up in the excitement of the process, but you need to sit down and be paitent. Valentine’s Day isn’t far off and it’ll give you some time to go at a normal pace. She’s not pregnant so there is no need to rush. Get a stone, setting, have it re-certified/appraised, and shipping, in a week is not realistically do-able. If you rush, you may kick yourself later because you may not get exactly the stone you want.

 

[Giangi]

Hiya!!

There are a few vendors which provied you with sooo much info that I would avoid getting the stone appraised loose. This might make the turnaround faster.

Just for fun, I did a little research for you, and found a few pretty stones:

2.014 I/SI 2 H&A

1.503 I/SI 1 H&A

And some A CUT ABOVE superideals H&A at whiteflash.com

1.506 I VS1 AGS Ideal H&A $10,500.00 View
1.527 H VS1 AGS Ideal H&A $12,499.00 View
1.540 I VS1 AGS Ideal H&A $11,320.00 View
1.550 H VS2 AGS Ideal H&A $12,206.00 View
1.565 H VS2 AGS Ideal H&A $12,285.00 View
1.575 H SI1 AGS Ideal H&A $11,374.00 View
1.587 I VS1 AGS Ideal H&A $11,613.00 View
1.596 H SI1 AGS Ideal H&A $11,520.00 View
2.274 J SI1 AGS Ideal H&A $12,995.00 View

So, as you see, in your budget range there are quite a few pretty stones... The first thing that get noticed is size so I would drop to SI clarity in order to get a slightly larger stone. With such great cuts, the stones will face up whiter than similarly graded non ideals and the sparkle will make the inclusions much much more difficult to see.

 

[sxn675]

Wow, you are moving quickly! We needed our (my) ring within a week and got it, thanks to Whiteflash and AGA. We ordered the setting and ring from Whiteflash and had it delivered to AGA directly. Chris appraised everything, talked it over with me and sent me pictures. I gave the go-ahead and then he set it and sent it out. I think any of the other Pricescope vendors could do the same. Mara gave some good advice about a local appraiser, which is good if you want to look at the stone. If you do it this way, you don't have to get the diamond and setting from the same place (esp. since this is a temporary setting for you, you might just want to go for the cheapest one). Good luck, and let us know what you decide!

 

[pqcollectibles]

That would be a bit rushed, but it's doable.

That absolute quickest would be to choose a diamond and simple set from one Vendor and have the Vendor mount it. Then the Vendor would ship to an appaiser. The diamond does not have to be loose for the appraiser to do their work. Unless..... you were going with a very included diamond where something would be hid under a prong.

AlJDewey just had her loose diamond and mount sent to Rich Sherwood. He did the appraisal, had a master smith mount the diamond, then shipped the completed ring to her. Because the diamond was going to Rich Sherwood (an approved appraiser), AL didn't even have to pay up front. If you go with a PS approved appraiser, the process might move more quickly. You'd have to contact both the appraiser you select and the Vendor to see if this can be accomplished in your time frame.

With this kind of time frame, I would definitely recommend a choosing your diamond from a Vendor that physically has possession of the stone. You can chat with them on the phone while they eyeball it for you. Once you pick the one you like, they can ship it out ASAP.

It can be done, but it's gonna be tight. And you still have to pick the diamond!

 

[fire&ice]

Wow guys. This is the busiest time of the year. An appraiser would have to drop whatever they are doing to fit you in. The jeweler may jump through some hoops for you as they have the most to gain. If an appraiser has a full boat, they need to service the people they have already made a commitment to. It's worth it to talk to a few; but, they may be booked already.

That said, if you really want to accelerate the process, you could have the stone & ring shipped directly to you. An appraiser may meet you to verify to specs. I would deal with the vendors who physically have to stone in their inventory. I would also deal w/ the vendor that can do a turn key for you - has the setting & the ability to set it.

This is an important purchase. Something she will wear the rest of her life. Think about it. It's certainly doable; but, is the rush worth it in the long run?

If you still want to proceed, then get cracking & good luck!

 

[strmrdr]

I would feel safer going with an I that is vs1 or so than a g si1 on a rush order.
That way you dont have to worry about it being eyeclean and an I like the third diamond above is going to be returning so much light and sparkle that imho the I is almost garenteed to look very white face up.
If I had more time then Id look for a larger h or I si1 and take the time to have it tripple looked at to make sure it is eyeclean.
vendor, appraiser loose, local appraiser mounted.
But with the time crunch,,,,,,

 

[DEVO]

you can probably get the diamond ASAP... as for getting it set... that's another issue. I'm on 3 weeks and holding. Should be in my hands next week. Vatche has my diamond & ring at the moment. GOG could have given me the diamond the next day so it's not GOG fault. It's just that a lot of people are buying diamonds around this time period.

 

[aljdewey]

----------------
On 12/12/2003 9:46:20 AM strmrdr wrote:





I would feel safer going with an I that is vs1 or so than a g si1 on a rush order.

----------------

Actually, my appraiser disagreed with this logic. I asked him about two stones, and he'd be more inclined to go with the better color as long as the vendor could eyeball it and confirm that it was eyeclean.

I'm totally with Mara on this one.....his budget is WAYYYYYYY strong enough to get a better color (G/H) stone.

As mentioned, I just bought a stone and a setting from Whiteflash last Thursday. I called the appraiser in advance to ask if his schedule would allow him to do my appraisal. Once getting that confirmation, the loose stone and the setting were shipped to him. He appraised it loose, took it to a master setter and had it set, and then he shipped it to me.

This minimized shipping charges (saved about $70-80 round trip) plus got the ring to me much quicker. I got it yesterday.....a week to the day after we said yes to purchasing it.

That said, a few other points. There is not, as someone else suggested, a premium attached to diamonds at this time of year with the level of vendors you have here.....these aren't maul stores that raise the prices and then have a "25% Christmas sale".

Also, I was in a fairly big rush to get our ring, too....we didn't want to tell anyone until we got it. Still, we didn't purchase until we were absolutely sure we found the stone for us, and I think that's the best thing I can tell you.

 

[longtimelurker]

Just commenting on how busy the appraiser is - I have a stone in transit to an appraiser. But it's not for an engagement ring, and I fully expect my stone to be bumped down the list after one for an e-ring for someone who's in a rush. Oh to be that in love again....

 

[domer]

I thinking pretty much the same thing as aljdewey...yes, I have a deadline, but if I can't find something I fall in love with and that's right for me, I'm not going to do it.

So here's a stone I've been thinking about all night. Only 1.5ct (a little smaller than I was originally looking for), and a little outta my budget ($13,709)...but it scores off the charts.

Thoughts?

http://www.goodoldgold.com/1_52ct_g_vs1__h%26a.htm

 

[Hest88]

This is one of the busiest times of the year for jewelers, so you've got to make sure someone can squeeze you in. That GOG stone looks gorgeous of course, and, depending on your timeframe, it may not be a bad idea to get one like that with so much of the eval done already. That way, you can feel much safer and, if you choose, not get the appraisal done immediately.

Also, since you're planning on setting the ring into a temp setting, I don't think the setting time will make much of a difference at all. You won't be waiting for something like Vatche to set a stone for you--you can just have it done at the same place you buy your stone.

 

[hoorray]

I love a good shopping challenge! I agree with the others. Go with one of the well known vendors who provides lots of info and have them set it for you. I'd consider getting the appraisel after the big day if you run out of time and buy from one of the vendors who provide lots of up front info.

That GOG stone looks great. Also, there are some superbcert stones in your range if you do a search here: (but they are lower color and higher clarity. I really like the G/VS1 combo of the GOG stone in your situation.) I would stick to vs2 as the lowerst you go since you are on a time crunch and don't want to be sending anything back.

http://superbcert.com/Search_and_Compare/Advanced_Diamond_Search_Results.cfm

Good luck! What are the big proposal plans?

 

[domer]

So I've decided to go with a rock from either GOG, WhiteFlash, or SuperbCert. Here are the 8 I'm deciding betweeen. All range from 1.52-1.91ct, G-I, VVS2-VS2, score between .9-1.6 HCA, and have pretty good BScope readings (though WhiteFlash doesn't offer it online).

1) GOG 1
2) GOG 2
3) WhiteFlash 1
4) WhiteFlash 2
5) WhiteFlash 3
6) SuperbCert 1
7) SuperbCert 2
SuperbCert 3

Thoughts?

 

[Rhino]

Hi Domer,




If we put the pedal to the metal we can have it done and completed for ya in your timespan.




What I'd suggest is sending both diamond and setting to Dave Atlas for a quick turnaround, have Dave set the stone (assuming everything checks out fine), then once you pay us we give Dave permission to release the stone to you and he has it to you overnight. This can all be accomplished within 48-72 hours and you're home free.

We have the setting you want in stock so no prob.




Rhino

 

[Mara]

-----


i don't really under the fascination with SI stones on this forum, some are eye clean, some aren't. most of the time when a vendor says it is eyeclean, it is only eyeclean looking top down and inclusion may be visible from other views. you'll probably be safer with a vs1 or vs2, especially with your time frame but that is just my opinion.


----




BOF....I tend to disagree about the 'top down' only comment. Having worked with a few of the vendors myself and helping AL recently while she was shopping for her stone, all she looked at essentially were SI stones. She spent hours either emailing or talking on the phone with the vendors that she was working with, and one of the things that she was confirming was 'is that stone 100% eye clean'...not just from the top down..but all angles. So if you are talking about random 'vendors', quite possibly they are only looking top down. But many of the vendors often discussed on here do take that extra time to really ensure that the customer is getting what they want, an 100% eye clean stone. I have read also that some these vendors will tell a customer straight out if the stone is not eye clean, or if it has a black carbon inclusion only viewable from the bottom up. Full disclosure if you will.




With the few vendors that domer has decided to work with, he's in good hands. I would be highly surprised if they didn't take the time to help ensure that he gets exactly what he is looking for.




I would hazard a guess to say that the 'fascination' with SI's on here is that it's an excellent way to maximize one's budget. Most people often start a search with a limited budget. By dropping clarity to the bottom of their priorities and just labeling it 'eye-clean' usually allows someone a better cut same size stone, or a notch up in color and keeping an excellent cut. I have a VS1 stone personally, because that is what came along at the time--but hands down I would go SI again if it meant a bigger stone without compromising my other C's. Why pay for what your eye cannot see?

 

[strmrdr]

this one

 

[Mara]

Domer--First off, get more information on the WhiteFlash stones. They can send you IdealScope images and images of the actual stones. You will need those to be able to compare apples to apples with the GOG and SC stones, which already have that same information up on their site. Also WF does not have a Bscope, so you will not be able to compare the GOG/SC scores to the WF scores that instance.




My two cents so far? Get the biggest, well-cut stone without going down to an 'I' color. As I noted last nite, 'I' can be a personal thing. If you have never seen an 'I' in person, you may not like it when you get it. Color is also more visibly in the larger stones, so something like an almost 2c 'I' will show more body than a 1c 'I' stone. Because you have such a tight timeline that will not allow for a return, H is a much safer bet. I would stick with H or under and SI or eye clean and get the biggest stone possible.

 

[Robyn12]

I don't know much about diamonds... but if it were me, I would want GOG2. Looks like a beautiful stone.

Good luck!

 

[Hest88]

Given the short timeframe and lack of info available, I'd be tempted to just nix the WF ones altogether. Otherwise you're wasting time having them get you extra info that's not even as detailed as what SC and GoG has.

 

[Mara]

good point Hest...so that would leave it up to the GOG G VS, or SC H VS I think--if he decides not to go with I color.




I love ACA stones but in this case WF is doing detriment to themselves by not having all the information up for the consumer like the other sites already have. Hire some extra help or something but get those IS images up!