Going shopping tomorrow!!

[babycush]

My boyfriend and I are going to do some shopping tomorrow... hooray! After talking yesterday about how money (or the lack thereof) was the only thing holding him back from proposing, we are going to look at what some pawn shops have to offer. We live in downtown Chicago so we''re hoping to find some good quality rocks for pretty cheap.

Also... YAY!!!

 

[Luckyeshe]

Awesome!! Have fun and take pictures!!!

 

[lilyfoot]

Congrats on the progress!

major **DUST** that you find something nice!

 

[tyty333]

Have a great time...with the economy the way it is right now the pawn shops should be loaded with goodies!

 

[babycush]

We just got back! Didn't buy anything yet, but we are definitely going back there when MP has enough money saved up.

The store had a TON of rings to choose from. More interestingly (to me), they had a bunch of diamond stud earrings that they sell individually and will set for you in any of the rings they have in stock. I found an absolutely beautiful 0.5 carat diamond with a ton of fire, and while it had no paperwork to go along with it, I think that it is a nice catch. If I had to make a guess, I would say it's probably G-H and VS2-SI1. They're asking $500, and will set the stone in a plain setting, size it, and clean it for free. WOW! The setting that I liked had two smaller round diamonds on either side of the center, probably 0.2 each, in white gold, which would be another $400.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but the great salesman and their willingness to work with our budget really impressed me. They weren't pushy at all, and were totally accommodating to my zillions of questions. Overall an excellent trip!

 

[HopeDream]

Sounds like a fun trip! it's good to hear you have so many options.

Did they let you take the diamond outside to see it perform under natural conditions?
How about under flat flourescent office lighting?

Jewellery store lighting is so good it could give sparkel and fire to a peice of concrete.

That said you might have found a winner in an uncerted stone.

(If you decide to get it, you could have them unmount it and send it to GIA or AGS for grading, before you get it set in a ring - voila! certified stone! - grading costs about $150 or less, and it might add value if the stone has a decent colour or clarity grade).

Can you look at the stone under a microscope?

Equivalent stone from James Allen - over $1000

 

[princessplease]

Have fun!!! I hope you find something!

 

[Gleam]

Which pawn shop(s) did you go to? I''m also located in Chicago!

 

[babycush]

We went to A-Royal Pawn Shop, it''s at 428 S Clark St. They have a free parking lot, or you can take the blue line to the LaSalle stop and walk about two blocks. Ask for Lamont, he was really nice to work with.

It was actually raining the day that we went so taking the stone outside into daylight would have done little good. Still, since it was a pawn shop with very little ambiance, the lighting was definitely not doing anything to make the stone look better. I''ll be sure to check it out in natural light when we go back to make the purchase!

 

[shertz1981]

This post makes me miss Chicago BAD.

Sounds like you had an amazing time and I''ll be you did find a winner --- just, whatever you buy, make sure you get it appraised.