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Engagement Ring Help

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mcb

Rough_Rock
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Dec 14, 2007
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I am new to the site, but have been looking online and in a few retail stores for an engagement ring for my girlfriend. I am fiishing for some advice and trying to find out if I am getting a reasonable price.
We went to Robins Brothers a week ago and spent several hours looking at setting and then we were shown 3 diamonds and when we asked to see more the sales associate brought out 2 more diamonds. I was a little annoyed at the limited selection of diamonds they showed us and they seemed a little pricey. But at that point we had been in the store for 2 hours and I was ready to go.
RobinsBros did have a large selection of setting and the nice thing is that my girlfriend was able to try them on and touch them, which is a huge advantage over looking at settings online. She really liked a couple of them, but one stuck out in particular. Here are the specs on it and a picture. They quoted us a price of $2470. Is this a good price? The things that made her like this diamond was the "surprise" diamond on the side, the thin band, the smaller side diamonds (most of the 3 stone rings have larger side diamonds which detract from the center diamond), and the "bow-tie" effect of the band (not sure if this is the correct terminology, but it is the word we are using to describe when the thickness of the band narrows as it comes together underneath the prongs.




Designer: Scott Kay
Center Stone: Not included
Metal Type: Platinum
Side Diamonds: .28 CTW




Robins Bros quoted us $6995 for a 1.15 ct GIA F, SI2, Very Good Cut diamond. Which seemed a little bit pricey to me.
I think I can do much better online. I am looking for a nice cut 1.15-1.30 ct, F-H, VS2 or better. For around $7000. Any recommendations?




I am looking to spend about $10,000 total for the setting and diamond. I have not asked Robins Bros yet, but I am assuming if I buy a diamond online and want to go with this setting they will set the diamond for me. Or would it be better to buy the setting and take it and the diamond to get set else where. I live in the San Diego area. Appreciate any help or recommendations. Thanks



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Hi MCB ... Welcome!
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Your girlfriend has nice taste. That looks like a lovely setting. I found something similar, if not the same on the Pearlman''s Jeweler''s website - Click here

I''m not sure if the pricing is comparing apples to apples b/c the side stones in this one are said to be .40 total weight. The pricing is $3,310.00 ... I''m sure if you contact Pearlman''s and let them know what you were looking at at Robins Bros, they will be able to let you know if they can meet that price or find you something comparable within that price range. I have never dealt with them personally, however, a lot of PSer''s have and they have very positive reviews.

Next ... on to your marvelous "centerpiece".

Cut is most important, therefore, unless you were specifically only needing a "very good" cut diamond, my suspicion is, based on what you have shared, is that you would like the best cut possible - Ideal. This leads me to think that maybe you might be interested in Whiteflash.com.

They have a diamond cut called "A Cut Above", which basically assures you that you are getting the best possible cut in a diamond, as far as the "ideal" specs go with regards to crown/pavilion angles, depth & table percentage etc, thus guaranteeing a diamond that has incredible performance
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Additionally, it is AGS lab certified, which means that the grading is likely more accurate than say a stone graded by a less stringent lab, for example, EGL Israel.

I found this one, 1.206 ACA Hearts & Arrows G VS2 for $9,331.00. I know that this is more than what you were looking to pay for the diamond, however, I have simply provided it as a means for comparison if you were looking for "top notch" quality/cut.

Whiteflash also offers another excellent choice, less the premium associated with the "A Cut Above" branded diamonds. It is their Expert Selection diamonds. I found this one, 1.22 H VS2 Expert Selection for $7,100.00
This diamond looks fantastic, is an ideally cut diamond and should perform/sparkle like crazy for your girlfriend.
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I hope that this gives you some idea about what else is out there and helps in some way ... Good luck with your shopping and please let us know what you decide to go with!
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Welcome to Pricescope mcb!

Finding a great diamond shouldn''t be too difficult, cut is very important to capture the beauty of a diamond, so that is where you need to centre your search.

You can decide on your colour and clarity, for most bang for the buck you could shoot for G - H or even I / J and a clean SI1 or SI2 clarity if you wished - just always check with the vendor that the diamond is eyeclean. You can''t take this for granted even with higher clarity grades, so best to check.

Great vendors are Good old Gold, Whiteflash as you may have seen, Wink Jones, James Allen, Engagement Rings Direct, Bill Pearlman. Once you have decided on your colour and clarity, then you can use the search tool above, and it is best to search for in house diamonds, these are stones which the vendors own and can recommend, and sometimes offer an upgrade policy on. Also they have done all the cut analysis to help making a great choice easy. Of course you could choose a branded cut if you wish, but any well cut diamond is going to look incredible, so it depends on what you want.

Once you have found some you like, you can use the Holloway Cut Advisor to check out the proportions, then you can narrow down your choices. Very often with the Pricescope vendors superideal cut diamonds, all this has been done for you, so you shouldn''t find selecting a gorgeous diamond too daunting. Also many of the vendors provide Idealscope images which are very useful.

Lastly, if you buy online, make use of your vendor''s skill and expertise to guide you, these guys know their stuff and will help you every step of the way.

Hope this helps.
 
Congratulations on planning your engagement! My short time on pricescope has definitely swayed me to the online vendors that are so highly regarded here. However, if you also want to see someone in person in San Diego I highly recommend Kevin Reynolds KT Reynolds & Co 619-232-4659. He is in the jewelry exchange building downtown and alot of friends I know have used him. I have not used him yet but have met with him several times and he is no pressure. In fact, I have even called him with specs and prices of rings I find at stores etc and he has told me if he thinks it is a good deal/bad deal, etc. Very nice person. Maybe just as a way to gather all of your research?

Good Luck!
 
When I first started looking for settings, I looked at Robbins Bros. The prices were significantly higher for a smaller, lesser quality diamond than I could get from one of the PS vendors.

I had actually requested they call in 2 diamonds just to take a look but they never called to say they were in. I had also requested a couple settings- again, never called.

You might want to check out Pearlman''s collection of Scott Kay. As for the diamond, I would definitely rather buy from a PS vendor like Good Old Gold (which I did) or Whiteflash and get more and better for my (well, my FI''s) money.
 
Wow, I am amazed at all of the quick responses. I first of all want to thank all of you for the helpful information. I looked at the whiteflash diamond (1.22 H VS2) that two of you referenced and it seems perfect. I think diamondseeker2006 already answered my question, but when this diamond is listed on pricescope it costs $6887, but on WF website it says $7100. I am assuming the pricescope "special price" is the wire discount price. I also looked at the Pearlman''s collection of the Scott Kay settings and you guys were right on the money. They had a huge selection and a couple that I really liked that they did not have at Robins Bros. They closed today before I could get a chance to call them. I will be calling them on Monday to find out more about their settings.
I also will be calling Kevin Reynolds on Monday to talk to him; if nothing else to get the warm fuzzy before I proceed.
I was looking at Pearlman''s website and correct me if I missed something, but it looks like they only have larger "tipple certified diamonds" and nothing in the range that I am looking for. If I do end up purchasing the diamond referenced earlier at whiteflash and the setting from pearlman''s any recommendations or suggestions on the getting the diamond set. I am sure I can call Kevin Reynolds referenced earlier and he would be able to point me in the right direction.
Once again thanks for all of the great advice; as a result I am feeling much more comfortable about this process.
 
Pearlman's can call in ideal cut diamonds of any size. So if you wanted to buy the setting from him, you could get a quote on a stone as well. Just tell him you already have a potential stone in mind, in case you decide to go with the WF stone. My guess is that Scott Kay would set your stone, so if you buy the stone from WF, you'd have it sent to Bill Pearlman to have SK set it. I know Bill will sell a setting with or without a stone, with the exception of some designers who require you to buy the setting with their own branded stone (such as Daniel K, for example).

The only thing I must forwarn you about is that the WF stone is the only H stone in that size showing up on the search at the moment, and lots of people do read this board. So if you are seriously interested, I'd call and put it on hold first thing Monday morning. But if you want to get quotes from Bill P., then you probably should wait and see what he says before putting the WF stone on hold. You generally only put one on hold if you intend to purchase.

And yes, the discount is a Pricescope member/wire discount.

(P.S. I really don't recommend calling another jeweler who sells diamonds to ask his opinion on stones you are looking at online. He is in the business of selling stones, and it does't quite seem right to me to ask him to do that. It would be more appropriate to use an appraiser if you want another opinion. But in my opinion, for what it's worth, you already have a professional, unbiased opinion from GIA or AGS as to the quality of the stone you are looking at if you are looking at GIA and AGS ideal cut stones. I did not see the need in getting extra appraisals on the stones we bought from WF and Good Old Gold, and I wouldn't for a stone bought from Bill Pearlman, either.)
 
Definitely call pearlmans for a quote on a stone and setting. they don''t list much of their instock inventory yet but they only deal with ideal AGS and GIA stones. Also, they are offering a 15% off giftcard right now that is redeemable immediately so that could be a nice cost saving benefit if you''re ready to buy now. I have worked with pearlmans several times and the customer service could not be better and Bill pearlman is a complete gentleman.
 
I am not sure, but that 15% may only be applicable on the setting. I doubt it is for a diamond. But call and ask.
 
ds already said what I was going to. Put that diamond on hold first thing Monday morning, until you decide.
 
Date: 12/15/2007 8:44:06 PM
Author: Ellen
ds already said what I was going to. Put that diamond on hold first thing Monday morning, until you decide.
Click to expand...
And on second thought, I just read on another thread that WF does have some phone coverage on the weekends right now, so you could try to call before Monday if you do think you want to reserve it. We''re not trying to scare you, but we have seen stones mentioned on here sold before the person on the thread called in to reserve. It''s pretty much fair game to whoever calls first.
 
Hi,
Sounds like you are off to a great start.
I just want to clarify:
I didn''t mean that he should call the jeweler I rec. to check prices. I only added that part to show how fair he is. Of course, he needs to make money like all of us!
But, after being on the forum, I am getting very comfortable with online vendors but I have referred several friends to PS that just are not comfortable yet going online so
(even though of course GOD and Whiteflash have actual locations, etc) so I thought a reputable guy in his area might be a possible route. Also, I do have a friend that bought a setting
from Robbins Bros. and the stone from kevin reynolds just last week and he set it etc. I couldn''t get them to NOT buy the setting from Robbins Bros! :)
They loved it and couldn''t find it anywhere else apparantly.

So... Just wanted to make it all clear.
 
I had a great experience with goodoldgold.com when buying my diamond. Pearlman''s was great when I called about a setting. I worked with Joseph.
 
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