Hearts on Fire - diff btwn "Signature" and "Sensational"?

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: Hearts on Fire - diff btwn "Signature" and "Sensational"

Looking back through that list, this one actually is a fantastic price, 1.01 ct G VS2 for $7144 wire! HoF isn't going to come close. If you check on this diamond, ask Wink why the price is lower than some of the others.

http://highperformancediamonds.com/shop/g/HPD6436/?shop=yes

Aside from this one, I think the WF stones were the best value.

 

[Sagefemme]

Re: Hearts on Fire - diff btwn "Signature" and "Sensational"

I'm with diamondseeker--talk to Wink at High Performance Diamonds. I have had a stellar buying experience with him very recently. He sells a "branded" diamond as well (Crafted By Infinity) only in this case you really are getting a guaranteed excellent cut, inventory right there on line for you to look at, and I think you can have a very low stress and transparent experience with Wink. Also consider reading this review of HOF:

https://**edited to remove affiliate link per our policy**/

I already had a setting for the diamond I bought, I sent it to Wink and his bench did a beautiful and speedy job setting it. The whole experience was seamless and low stress.

By the way I really appreciate your desire to get your fiance exactly what she wants. I do think however, that she should want something better!

 

[vasovist]

Re: Hearts on Fire - diff btwn "Signature" and "Sensational"

Well, let me say this. If there were two identical cars and one had a pricetag of $10k more, which would you choose? Because this is the same issue. We are talking about identical diamonds. There is zero reason to consider HoF when we know their prices are very inflated. You can buy the HoF setting she wants and provide the diamond, which is awesome!

In reference to your question in bold, I think you missed a whole post of mine, so I will repost. You'll see a G VS1 at least through H VS2. I recommend going with VS2 because you will save so much money buy buying one of the other hearts and arrows vendors' stones.

I'm with diamondseeker--talk to Wink at High Performance Diamonds. I have had a stellar buying experience with him very recently. He sells a "branded" diamond as well (Crafted By Infinity) only in this case you really are getting a guaranteed excellent cut, inventory right there on line for you to look at, and I think you can have a very low stress and transparent experience with Wink. Also consider reading this review of HOF:

I already had a setting for the diamond I bought, I sent it to Wink and his bench did a beautiful and speedy job setting it. The whole experience was seamless and low stress.

By the way I really appreciate your desire to get your fiance exactly what she wants. I do think however, that she should want something better!

diamondseeker and all,

Can't thank you enough again for your specific recommendations. I just had a more open conversation with my girlfriend - turns out it's not so much the branded diamond she cares about as it is the specific HoF setting she was able to try on!

Now that I've confirmed my girlfriend's wishes - I am now much more confident in my decision to purchase a high quality loose diamond of my choosing and the HoF setting. Thanks all again for the conversation here, before I started this process I didn't even realize how much money and (more importantly) how much quality I would be sacrificing by sticking to HoF for the diamond.

Just a final question - what sort of things do I need to watch out for when purchasing the setting and loose stone separately? I am going to purchase the HoF setting from an authorized retailer, purchase the loose diamond from a vendor of my choosing (likely WF) - but what's the most ideal route to go from there? Should I hand the jeweler the loose stone and have them set it for me? Or should I be shipping the setting to WF and have them do it? Is there any way to get insurance on the process to make sure no damage to either item occurs?

And just one more - what makes a diamond a hearts and arrows diamond? Is there a certain designation in the cut that makes it so? Interestingly, the *entire* reason my girlfriend was so fixated on a HoF diamond was because she thought it was only HoF that had the hearts visible on the bottom!!!

Thanks all again.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: Hearts on Fire - diff btwn "Signature" and "Sensational"

I am so glad you were able to get that clarified with her! I really felt that was the case. She loves that setting and as long as the diamond is as beautiful as the one she saw, she wouldn't care about the brand of the diamond!

If you go to one of the Whiteflash diamonds, you will see the big photo and then some small photos below it. After the magnified image of the stone will be an idealscope image and an ASET image. On their ACA diamonds, these images will show what outstanding light return looks like. You will see well defined arrows in these images. Then the last image on the bottom row will be the hearts images. Again, the ACAs will show perfect hearts images. Most excellent cut diamonds will be cut in this manner, however, only a small percentage will be cut to this level of precison. Here is what WF says about H&A:

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts-and-arrows-diamonds.aspx

If you decide to buy the diamond from Whiteflash, I would probably send the HoF setting to them to set (your would send it insured Priority Mail, probably). That way they accept the liability if there was damage to the diamond. Then they send you the diamond set in the ring ready to be insured. That would be my choice because I know they will do a nice job with the prongs.

If you choose to have the HoF jeweler set the diamond, then you will need to arrange for the insurance immediately when you receive the diamond. Jeweler's Mutual will insure an unset stone when the setting is identified and you can provide them with setting and stone information prior to having the stone set. This can be a good option if you are able to see that their bench does a nice job setting stones.

You are going to need an appraisal for this ring, and the true value is the cost of the diamond plus the cost of the setting. Ask the jeweler for an appraisal when the stone is set, and tell them you want the value to be your purchase price. If you don't, you'll end up with an inflated appraisal that will result in paying insurance premiums that are way too high.

 

[arkieb1]

Re: Hearts on Fire - diff btwn "Signature" and "Sensational"

I agree with Diamondseeker, and I am so glad your girlfriend explained it was just the setting she liked, you can get a nicer diamond for a lower price, so why not do so....

I would order either a HOF setting specifically for a 1.00 or a 1.25 carat diamond or whatever sized diamond you decide to purchase (your choice in the size of diamond) but both a 1.00 carat, a 1.25 and even a 1.50 should be fairly common sizes for them, especially the 1.00 carat if that is what they stock, and send the setting to either Wink or Whiteflash, James Allen or whoever you decide to buy the stone from. I agree if you do it the other way around (ie purchase the diamond first) make sure you insure the stone before it gets sent anywhere, that way it is covered in case they damage it when the HOF bench people set it.