ERD: its cushions and its upgrade policy - please weigh in!

[Love Street]

So after re-immersing mysel here while angling and planning for my 5 year anny upgrade/new ering, I''ve decided I would ideally like to start with a cushion in the lower color/clarity range (J SI2) and get as large a stone as I can (1.4+since I need to buy a whole new setting too), with the intention of upgrading until I reach my goal of 3+ carats with a LM setting (but that''s in the far future - like 15 year....)!

The general consensus here is that ERD is the place to go for cushion cuts, and I have seen some AMAZING ERD cushions in SMTR. However ERD''s upgrade policy excludes diamonds of J or lower color and SI2 or lower clarity. This seems a shame because after looking at some of the J or SI2 rings here (and there have been some great threads!) I''m convinced that a well cut stone of "lower" clarity and color is a great value - especially seeing how many larger J cushions come up on ERD''s virtual inventory!

I''m a little reluctant to permanently limit myself to I SI1 or higher since the vendor relationship I''m about to enter will probably be long lived and involve thousands of dollars. However, it also seems like Mark at ERD can hunt down deals that might *partially* compensate having to pay the higher price of the I, SI1 (instead of a J SI2) to keep the upgrade policy.
So, what are your thoughts generally? who else has an eye for cushions? Why does Erd seem to have cornered the PS market on cushions - is developing an eye for that cut a "specialty"? Or is it his access? Has anyone here gotten cushions they love from WF or Gog? Has anyone here upgraded with ERD? Am I distinguishing too much between the perceived "value" of J vs I and SI2 vs. SI1?

 

[mrssalvo]

I think Mark does have an eye for cushions, he also is located in the diamond district to he has access and the ability to eyeball a whole lot more than long distance vendors who may only have a few in stock and then you''ve got to incur shipping fees. personally, I don''t like anything below and H in a cushion. But it''s personal so i''d suggest going to see some if there is any way you can to see where your comfort level goes. SI2''s do bring a good value, but i''d probably try to go H, SI and stick with mark and just find something that meets his upgrade requirements.

 

[Love Street]

Thanks - I do need to see some cushions of various colors in person. I live in LA so might just have to brave our local jewelry district...

By the way, I saw your posts on your long-awaited ring and it is G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S!!!! congrats on your find and your patience - I wish I had been more patient the first time around!

 

[Skippy123]

Well, see what he come up w/and then decide. It is good to keep your options open, how exciting!

 

[kcoursolle]

Mark comes up with some beautiful cushions, so I would personally consider staying within his upgrade criteria to work with him in the future. In addition, I think J cushions show too much color for my taste. I would either prefer them in the D through H (maybe I) range or in the S though fancy yellow range for fancy cuts. For rounds, you can get away with lower colors if they are well cut.

 

[LegacyGirl]

What he came up for me was beautiful, in my price range, and within his upgrade policy. After spending weeks going back and forth with other vendors on this site I gave up and decided to contact Mark and within 3 days he found my diamond. I highly recommend him.

 

[pauly1]

Date: 2/12/2008 1:54:25 PM
Author:Love Street

So after re-immersing mysel here while angling and planning for my 5 year anny upgrade/new ering, I've decided I would ideally like to start with a cushion in the lower color/clarity range (J SI2) and get as large a stone as I can (1.4+since I need to buy a whole new setting too), with the intention of upgrading until I reach my goal of 3+ carats with a LM setting (but that's in the far future - like 15 year....)!

The general consensus here is that ERD is the place to go for cushion cuts, and I have seen some AMAZING ERD cushions in SMTR. However ERD's upgrade policy excludes diamonds of J or lower color and SI2 or lower clarity. This seems a shame because after looking at some of the J or SI2 rings here (and there have been some great threads!) I'm convinced that a well cut stone of 'lower' clarity and color is a great value - especially seeing how many larger J cushions come up on ERD's virtual inventory!

I'm a little reluctant to permanently limit myself to I SI1 or higher since the vendor relationship I'm about to enter will probably be long lived and involve thousands of dollars. However, it also seems like Mark at ERD can hunt down deals that might *partially* compensate having to pay the higher price of the I, SI1 (instead of a J SI2) to keep the upgrade policy.


So, what are your thoughts generally? who else has an eye for cushions? Why does Erd seem to have cornered the PS market on cushions - is developing an eye for that cut a 'specialty'? Or is it his access? Has anyone here gotten cushions they love from WF or Gog? Has anyone here upgraded with ERD? Am I distinguishing too much between the perceived 'value' of J vs I and SI2 vs. SI1?

I would definitely recommend Mark and ERD, he's a straight shooter and very honest. I've dealt with him first hand and he's gone out of his way to help me numerous times, even though I didn't buy my cushion from him. My stone was sourced from Blue Nile by another jeweler in NY.

I can't really offer any advice on color. It's very subjective and tends to differ from person to person. For me personally though, I wouldn't go lower than H, but to each his/her own. As far as clarity though, I initially capped my search at VS2, which in my opinion was a mistake. I've been told by Mark that I got a pretty rare SI2, and that most of them don't look like that. In the end I think it comes down to 2 factors, luck and how long you want to search. I put in a few months to find my stone and there were times where I thought, this would be so much easier to just pay more money and take the eye clean/clarity issue off the table. In the end though I saved thousands. Point being, there are some great SIs out there, but you have to be willing to put in the time.

Long story short, definitely call Mark. Good luck.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-wonderful-review-of-erd-engagement-rings-direct-and-owner-mark-t.73457/

 

[LegacyGirl]

I just want to add that on color I had no problem going for an I with Mark''s advice. The I that I got was beautiful and faces up very white. I''m very pleased with it.