Help - About to Buy Graff Diamond

[poorboy]

I have a quick question. I am admittedly stupid and have kept putting off getting a ring until the last minute and have decided that I want to buy one this week so that I can propose during a weekend trip this coming weekend. WIth such time constraints, it is not possible to get a stone from GOG or WF, etc., though I hear they are beautiful. (This is the last chance I have for a while to propose, so I really want it to be this weekend).

Anyway, I love the way that Graff rings look and think I am going to get one in the next day or two if I find one that I really like - I think I will because I looked at them a few weeks ago and found two that were really nice. I asked for the depth, table, crown, pavialion and cutlet measurements over the phone to plug them into the cut advisor, but I was told that the GIA certificates do not have the crown or pavilion information. I was not going to use the cut advisor as my decision maker, but it would have been nice to have some additional information.

Given that I have so little information, what is the best way to be sure that I am getting a very nicely cut ring. Perhaps the answer is that there is no way other than looking, but I wanted to see what people think I should do to make sure I get the best ring on such short notice and with such limited information.

Thanks all.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Well, I''d like to say "duh" to the person you spoke with, because GIA certs as of this year and maybe late last year most certainly DO have crown and pavilion angles on them!!! So either they have rings that have been sitting in the case for a long time or the salesperson knows nothing, which is possible, but disappointing.

 

[pricescope]

In your situation i will be looking at fancies there taking advantage of presence and using your eyes.
Good luck with you proposal

 

[poorboy]

That was my response. Apparently two are old certificates, and one is new (but he needs to track down the original because he could not read the copy). For the ring I like, all he could tell was that the dept is 59.5, the table is 60 and there is no cutlet.

 

[Oleander]

I kinda want to tell you to slow down...this is a big purchase to make so quickly. On the other hand, sometimes the best things in life come from impromptu moments, and maybe less scrutiny will work out very well for you.

But....I still say slow down.

Maybe propose ringless? With a dimestore play ring? Offer to take her shopping after ringless proposal? Or with a beautiful CZ instead?

Maybe it's just not in my nature to buy "expensive" quickly. I'm not sure how to go about it. I do think, however, that a stone from Graff will likely be gorgeous no matter what and no slouch, so unless you are concerned about getting only the top 1% of cut stones (which could be on sale anywhere in the world--you would have to search them out in B&Ms or online), I think you can buy there with confidence that the ring will be outstanding in the grand scheme of life and jewelry.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 10/17/2006 6:13:42 PM
Author: poorboy
That was my response. Apparently two are old certificates, and one is new (but he needs to track down the original because he could not read the copy). For the ring I like, all he could tell was that the dept is 59.5, the table is 60 and there is no cutlet.

That is not an ideal cut stone, then. It could be very nice, but just not what people refer to here as ideal.

ETA: Agree with Oleander...just hate to see you pay top dollar for less than the "best", but I'm sure they have nice rings!

 

[decodelighted]

ACK! MEN!!!

Poorboy ... you started your search in 11/05!!! And all of a sudden it''s "Must Buy Now"??!!!

Okay. I''ll be brief.

1) I''d rather have an amazing, perfectly-picked out, perfect-for-me RING than a super romantic PROPOSAL.

2) Just because a store, ANY STORE claims a stone is "ideal" it DOES NOT MEAN IT IS WHAT WE CALL "IDEAL" over here.

Last I heard you were looking at over 2 ct stones. With that kind of investment at stake - are you sure rushing is wise?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Poorboy, are you in the US or not?

 

[widget]

Well, IF you insist on rushing, I suppose shopping at Graff (or Tiff or HW, etc) isn't an awful idea....I think it's a pretty safe bet that along with the premium you have to pay, you can be pretty well assured that you'll get a very nice diamond.

Forget angles and numbers...use your eyes!

JMO
widget

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 10/17/2006 7:45:26 PM
Author: widget
Well, IF you insist on rushing, I suppose shopping at Graff (or Tiff or HW, etc) isn''t an awful idea....I think it''s a pretty safe bet that along with the premium you have to pay, you can be pretty well assured that you''ll get a very nice diamond.


Forget angles and numbers...use your eyes!


JMO

widget

I agree. if you''re going to buy quick that would be a great place to do it. I too would forget the numbers and just go with what knocks your socks off.

 

[lizz]

A 59/60 diamond can be perfectly beautiful. Get what you think looks the best.

 

[poorboy]

I 100% agree that rushing is not wise, but I really waited too long (should have got the ring a while back and waited for the perfect time) and now really want to get it quickly. I am of course not going to buy the ring though unless I think it looks great, so there is definitely a chance that I will not get it tomorrow. I can say that I love the setting they have - it reminds me of Harry Winston''s. I am also not confident that Graff has great cuts - maybe not as good as even Tiffany (which I have grown to not like as much as I once did). It would surprise me if they had "bad" cuts, but the lack of information and knowledge by the salepeople does frighten me a bit.

I am in the US (someone asked). Looking at 1.5 - 2 carat range - so there is a wide range of prices. Thanks for the responses I have received -I am hearing what I already know, or should know .

I can say, however, that if I don''t buy one this week, I am going to really get moving on finding one online and finding someone to set it.

I had one bad experience with an online dealer (prefer to not name names) during a consultation that really made me weary of buying anywhere other than from a bigger name brick and mortar, which I think lead me to keep holding off and holding off from working with online dealers until I got to the point that I really want to get it. I am beginning to ramble.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Poorboy, I just asked the location for a couple of reasons. I was going to suggest maybe looking at Tiffany as well..hard to go wrong there! And the other idea I had was to choose a stone at one of the online vendors (Good Old Gold is a B&M store, too, if that helps any), and wire the money tomorrow and you could have the diamond in a ring holder by Friday to propose with over the weekend. Then you could take it wherever to have it set after the weekend. That would be a lot of trouble, but you''d get more for your money that way. But if you can do a 1.5-2 ct. at Graff or Tiffany..go for it!!!

 

[poorboy]

I am definitely going to stop at Tiffany''s again - been there a million times. I think it will be helpful at least to compare from a visual standpoint, even though I no longer want to Tiffany setting.

I definitely want to get a great cut, so it is really scary buying a diamond that I cannot even put in the cut advisor or post here for opinions. I''ll see how it looks, and if it does not knock my socks off, then I will look to work with GOG or WF and find someone to do the setting I like.

My main concern is that I don''t trust my own eye. I have seen eightstar, generic ideal cuts and normal diamonds all together and they all look great to me and I am not sure that I could tell them apart (other than with my bias of knowing which is which). They do look a little different to me, but they each look great and when I look at them individually I love them. Thus, I wanted to get the measurements to ask you guys.