Engagement ring for my fiance. Please help!

[Ellen]

Date: 4/18/2007 4:59:39 PM
Author: dhltal
Here goes my update:

In terms of the diamond, it''s still very up in the area. Minimum is 1 carat with 1.5 as the max. They did have an ''Isee2'' diamond that was 1.5 carats that was I, SI2. The price for it was $13,700. What do you think about that price?

Sounds high, even for a B&M. You can get that same size and specs (branded even) for around 9500.00, give or take a couple hundred online with one of the vendors here.

And I''ve personally seen HOF and Isee2. I wouldn''t call them secondary. But I''ll bet the HOF costs more.

Can''t help you with the metal question.

 

[ladykemma]

were any of the HOF stones "the one"? you will know it when you see it.

i would avoid the platinum/white gold mix unless i knew more about it. what does your lady do for a living? what does she do with her hands?

 

[dhltal]

Date: 4/18/2007 5:48:46 PM
Author: ladykemma
were any of the HOF stones ''the one''? you will know it when you see it.

i would avoid the platinum/white gold mix unless i knew more about it. what does your lady do for a living? what does she do with her hands?

The didn''t have any HOF stones that were any larger than ~1.03 I believe. I truly believe the HOF diamond is the absolute highest quality, but I see the fiance looking at the 1.3-1.5 carat non-HOF diamond and wondering whether to give on quality to get more carats. Personally I would go for the quality, but it''s still early on in the shopping process.

She is an accountant, so yes, she is on the keyboard all the time. She is also not the most careful person. Either way, what I seem to be told in general is no matter what I purchase, bring it in to be polished and taken care of and at least you did your part in keeping the ring in it''s best condition. My fiance''s sister''s ring barely shines and the diamonds barely sparkle. Either way, I know for a fact she did not truly take care of it, and it''s been less than 6 years.

 

[JulieN]

Must be cleaned every day. Go a week, blech.

Definitely go for something 1.3 and up, since that's what she wants. Seems like 1.5 is the new 1 ct.

How did you feel about I color and SI2, though?

 

[Ellen]

Date: 4/18/2007 5:57:22 PM
Author: dhltal

The didn''t have any HOF stones that were any larger than ~1.03 I believe. I truly believe the HOF diamond is the absolute highest quality, but I see the fiance looking at the 1.3-1.5 carat non-HOF diamond and wondering whether to give on quality to get more carats. Personally I would go for the quality, but it''s still early on in the shopping process.

May I ask why you believe that?

I''m not trying to dog HOF, at all, but they simply are not the highest quality. There are many, many branded, AND non branded stones that are cut as just well, and better. If you want one just because, that''s fine. But I hate to see you pay double for a diamond when/if you don''t have/want to.

Do a search on here for HOF and then see what you think.

 

[ladykemma]

a well cut round is a well cut round. don''t get all hung up on hearts on fire. it''s just a brand name. suggest hanging around here for a while before you plunk down 2x the money for a hearts on fire?

she''s an accountant, good, not a construction worker or chemist or something.

 

[dtnyc]

Date: 4/18/2007 5:57:22 PM
Author: dhltal

Date: 4/18/2007 5:48:46 PM

Author: Either way, what I seem to be told in general is no matter what I purchase, bring it in to be polished and taken care of and at least you did your part in keeping the ring in it''s best condition. My fiance''s sister''s ring barely shines and the diamonds barely sparkle. Either way, I know for a fact she did not truly take care of it, and it''s been less than 6 years.

It sounds like these jewelery stores are trying to tell you that you need to buy from them in order to have your ring cleaned & polished...
You can clean the ring yourself and I have had mine professional steamed and shined up by 3 jewelry stores, had my prongs checked etc by jewelers I trusted for no charge. Don''t think that you need to buy from a B&M to get ongoing service any decent jeweler will clean and check your ring for you.

Also I second the comment about HOF being a brand name that you pay for. No one is going to know if your diamond is HOF, ACA, ISee2, Expert Selection, etc. people just see sparkle not many know diamond brand names. Paying for HOF is paying for a label.

 

[dhltal]

Date: 4/19/2007 10:23:19 AM
Author: dtnyc

Date: 4/18/2007 5:57:22 PM
Author: dhltal


It sounds like these jewelery stores are trying to tell you that you need to buy from them in order to have your ring cleaned & polished...
You can clean the ring yourself and I have had mine professional steamed and shined up by 3 jewelry stores, had my prongs checked etc by jewelers I trusted for no charge. Don''t think that you need to buy from a B&M to get ongoing service any decent jeweler will clean and check your ring for you.

Also I second the comment about HOF being a brand name that you pay for. No one is going to know if your diamond is HOF, ACA, ISee2, Expert Selection, etc. people just see sparkle not many know diamond brand names. Paying for HOF is paying for a label.

Yeah, I''m not DEAD set on the HOF. No jeweler has actually pushed me towards buying that diamond. I guess I just see it as the "top of the line" diamond. Every dealer that I''ve visited basically pushed me towards a diamond (i.e. ISee2) which they say is almost identical in quality as HOF with the lower price.

Is terms of clarity and color, what is the farthest level down which you guys recommend I go for? Again, I''m looking at 1-1.5, but I''m leaning towards at least 1.2-1.5. Please let me know.

Thanks again guys! Hard to have to listen to all the jewelers out there when we''re looking at designs and not knowing what to really believe.

 

[dtnyc]

Date: 4/19/2007 12:05:30 PM
Author: dhltal

Date: 4/19/2007 10:23:19 AM

Author: dtnyc

Date: 4/18/2007 5:57:22 PM

Author: dhltal



Yeah, I''m not DEAD set on the HOF. No jeweler has actually pushed me towards buying that diamond. I guess I just see it as the ''top of the line'' diamond. Every dealer that I''ve visited basically pushed me towards a diamond (i.e. ISee2) which they say is almost identical in quality as HOF with the lower price.


Is terms of clarity and color, what is the farthest level down which you guys recommend I go for? Again, I''m looking at 1-1.5, but I''m leaning towards at least 1.2-1.5. Please let me know.


Thanks again guys! Hard to have to listen to all the jewelers out there when we''re looking at designs and not knowing what to really believe.

Nearly identical doesn''t mean lower quality than HOF- it just means different- they are cut differently and it becomes a matter of taste.

 

[hikerchick]

Color and clarity are both personal things but for myself I have a soft spot for H VS2 diamonds, I think they give me the best value for my needs. I have seen many people here with SI1 that are eye-clean but for my peace of mind I find VS2 to be the best unless I am trying to squeeze every ounce of size out of my budget. I wouldn't rule out eye-clean SI1 or color lower than an H though, very personal choice.

 

[surfgirl]

To add on to hikerchick''s post, I''ve seen SI1''s where you cant even see the inclusions, and SI1s that look a hot mess inside. It all depends what type of inclusions and where they are located. As for the HOF debate, I''m not sure I''d buy into the "they''re the best" diamond arguement. To be honest, I checked out one of the online vendor sites - forget which one, maybe GOG? - and they had so many different types of rounds - each has a different cut and of course I''m sure they all profess to be "the best". Having said that, I have a ring with 5 .20 rbs on it and they are a special cut made for a jeweler here in town. And they sparkle like mad. But in a larger stone, for some reason, I just would want a nicely cut diamond without the special patterns,etc. A great diamond is a great diamond, doesn''t matter if it has extra faceting or whatever, IMHO of course!

 

[ladykemma]

read the tutorials at good old gold, here, and at nice ice. they will tell you what a well cut round diamond with well done hearts and arrows should look like.

recommend reading renee newman's diamond ring buying guide before you do anything.

try to eliminate this "Hearts on fire" thing you have in your vocabulary. repeat after me - "a well cut round is a well cut round..."

these well cut rounds can be found at bailey banks and biddle, helzberg, whiteflash, nice ice, good old gold, and many other vendors. learn about measurements and proportions, angles, and certificates.

 

[dhltal]

Well we just went to the mall this afternoon and went through the usual round of jewelry stores. We ended up at Ben Bridge and found a engagement ring design which we really liked. We''re going for a simple solitaire and then a 1/2 carat net weight wedding band.

Anyhow, here are the stats for the Ben Bridge ring:
Ikuma Diamond Ideal Cut 1.07 carat H SI2
14KTW
$7995.00

Ikuma Diamond Channel set band
10 rounds = 0.47 carat net weight
H I1
$995.00

What do you think of this combo and value?

 

[JulieN]

way overpriced

1+ ct H SI2: 4.5-5.5K

 

[DMBsGirl]

As everyone else on here has said, I highly recommend you going through one of the suggested online vendors if you are interested in saving money or getting a bigger stone for the same price. The vendors have pictures and a return period in case the diamond is not up to your standards. It''s good that you went to mall stores to figure out what you and your girlfriend like, but I would not advise you buy from one of them unless budget is not an issue. Best of luck!

 

[dhltal]

Yeah, I do realize that the mall stores and jewelers will always be higher on the price side. That''s why I''m focusing on getting her to decide on which setting she likes the best. I''m thinking of getting the setting in store and the diamond from one of the online dealers (i.e. WhiteFlash).

Is that what most people on this forum has done?

 

[angeline]

Date: 4/22/2007 7:44:07 PM
Author: dhltal
Yeah, I do realize that the mall stores and jewelers will always be higher on the price side. That''s why I''m focusing on getting her to decide on which setting she likes the best. I''m thinking of getting the setting in store and the diamond from one of the online dealers (i.e. WhiteFlash).


Is that what most people on this forum has done?

Great idea! I got my stone first from WF then I agonised for months over the right setting. The setting was the hardest part for me, I eventually went custom (and I''m still thinking of changing it!) But mine isn''t an e-ring. You''re on the right path to getting the most beautiful stone for the best price.

a

 

[ladykemma]

Date: 4/22/2007 7:44:07 PM
Author: dhltal
Yeah, I do realize that the mall stores and jewelers will always be higher on the price side. That's why I'm focusing on getting her to decide on which setting she likes the best. I'm thinking of getting the setting in store and the diamond from one of the online dealers (i.e. WhiteFlash).

Is that what most people on this forum has done?

make sure you have found someone to set it for you.

what are the measurements on the stone? are you in houston by any chance?

 

[dhltal]

Date: 4/23/2007 5:44:29 AM
Author: ladykemma
make sure you have found someone to set it for you.

what are the measurements on the stone? are you in houston by any chance?

I''m actually in Sacramento, California. Don''t know the exact measurements on the stone, but I''m looking for a 1.2 - 1.5 (I know 1.5 is a stretch) in a platinum setting and a platinum wedding band for under $10k. I know it''s a stretch, but I''m okay with going over $10k, just don''t know how much yet.

How do you find someone reliable to set the diamond for me?

 

[dtnyc]

If you found a setting you like I would see if WF had a similar one or if they could order one like it for you from a casting catalog or do one custom for you...

 

[dhltal]

Date: 4/23/2007 6:02:49 PM
Author: dtnyc
If you found a setting you like I would see if WF had a similar one or if they could order one like it for you from a casting catalog or do one custom for you...

I have asked WhiteFlash to see if they could imitate a HOF setting and they have been more than accomodating. We still may end up with a HOF or Scott Kay setting, but we''re trying on more rings later this afternoon after work.

In terms of diamond, I am wavering between a 1.25 or 1.5~1.6. What is everyone''s personal preference or experience in terms of carat size vs. color/clarity and also the preference when it comes down to color and clarity?

Thanks again for all your help. The online tutorials, wonderful people at WhiteFlash, and especially the people on this board have helped educate me and draw me closer and closer to finding the perfect ring & diamond for us.

 

[angeline]

hi there, glad to see you are reaching a resolution on how/where to get the ring of your dreams.

Personally, I like higher colors, DEF, but clarity doesn''t matter to me as long as I can''t see anything with my eye. And with the sparkle of an ideal cut it''s hard to see anything! So I ended up with an F SI2 from WF, one of their Expert Selection stones. The ES just miss out by a hair on ACA status, usually a heart is not exactly perfect. I looked at many stones from them, and loved this one the best.

Lots of people have I, J and even K and they still faceup white, if they''re well-cut.

Can''t wait to see what you get!

a

 

[dhltal]

So we went to the local jewelry store that is a HOF dealer and she absolutely loves their "Wondrous Semi-Mount." The setting is roughly $6500, but it does look very nice. Does anybody know of a comparable setting?

It really seems my budget of $10k is slowly being $15k. . .

 

[jayreneepea]

Have you looked at the Divisi by WF?

 

[jayreneepea]

Here''s another from Knox

 

[InlovewithJHK]

Lots here fit the bill!

http://antiqueengagementrings.com/shopping/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=22

 

[dhltal]

http://www.heartsonfire.com/JC_Search.aspx?item=WonBrdR&view=1

http://www.heartsonfire.com/JC_Search.aspx?item=WonBrdR&view=2

This is the platinum setting that my fiance is set on. The price from HOF is ~$6000.

Is there a comparable setting from Tacori, Scott Kay, etc?

Also, does anybody know the exact specs for this ring?

Minimum carat for this setting is 1.5, so I think I''m going with a 1.637 carat diamond.