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First post, beginner question

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Neill

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Jan 10, 2003
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Hi everyone. I'm in the hunt for an engagement ring. I've been perusing this site and other links for a few weeks now to learn as much as I can...and I'm still learning. But now I'm at the buy in a store or buy online fork so I have a question which will help me choose a path. How much does one save by buying over the net from a wholesaler versus buying in a store? It's too hard to fairly and accurately compare diamonds from different stores and especially so with diamonds on line.
Not being able to see the diamond makes me kinda hesitant so the savings willh ave to be well worth it. Comments about this and for the first time diamond for an engagement ring buyer are greatly appreciated!
 

Garry H (Cut Nut)

Super_Ideal_Rock
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18,422
Compare to say Tiffany you could save 1/2 and probably buy a better stone too.
There are retailers who will match web prices, so it is not that simple.
Why not do both?
You have certs and HCA for online and get an ideal-scope for shop hunting.
Then you can tell us the diffeences :)
 

diamondsman

Brilliant_Rock
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Nov 11, 2002
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648
:wavey:I agree, you should shop both
"shop and copmpare"
see who gives you the best deal for your $

good luck:))
 

JayTee

Rough_Rock
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Dec 6, 2002
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62
I agree that it is hard to compare stones across stores. The only way you can is to figure out exactly what *is* comparable among the possible parameters
Start with the 4 C's.
then break them down into what you can compare among them and use some of the tools that are mentioned many times in this forum
- Sarin/Ogi reports
- HCA
- Idealscope
- Brillancescope

What I ended up doing during my search was taking all the things I was interested in comparing for each stone and putting them into a large spreadsheet. It was actually very helpful, and it even made me notice whenever I was looking at the same stone from different vendors! :rolleyes:

hope that helps.
 

Mara

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Yes I agree JayTee..I did the spreadsheet thing too. It can get very confusing! That way you also have a standard to compare the stones to across the board.

For the original poster..I would also suggest that you prioritize the 4 C's for yourself as well. For example, are you willing to sacrifice a bit of carat weight for a better cut, or are you interested in getting the biggest diamond you can for the money you have. Once you have a better idea of how the 4 C's work together and prioritize how you want to search, it will definitely help.

Also I agree that you should not narrow your search to only online or offline. Do both--cover all the bases. Also viewing diamonds in person will help you get a better idea of what you are looking for (e.g. that 'G' looks much whiter than that 'I'...so I will go for nothing under G), and you can utilize your offline hands-on diamond knowledge to be savvy with online shopping, etc. There are many ways to benefit from doing both. In the end you will get the best deal for your time and money, whether it's an online purchase that you feel comfortable with, or an offline stone from a B&M store that matched an online price, etc.

Good luck! :) As you come across stones, don't be afraid to ask more questions and/or advice. People will be very helpful with their opinions.
 

Mara

Super_Ideal_Rock
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31,003
Nothing is too big for Excel! Bring it on..the more the merrier!! :naughty:
 

Neill

Rough_Rock
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Jan 10, 2003
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2
Thanks for the help everyone. I particularly like the spreadsheet idea. Well, I'm off to shop and compare. Back in a few days...
 
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