Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Help for an Oblivious Canuck?

Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
W

wham

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 20, 2009
Messages
10
Greetings!

I just want to say that it''s great to find such a helpful but also nice community on the internet! I''ve been reading up on quite a few posts for the last couple of weeks in preparation of getting an E-Ring and I was curious if there are any Canadians out there that have had experience dealing with online sellers.

At first, I was looking at bluenile.ca since they seem to have cheaper prices than other e-tailers, but with no IS image, I''m a bit worried that I''ll end up with a lemon.
The PS recommended retailers seem quite knowledgeable but with prices higher than BN and then having to convert the US price to CDN, I''m hoping for some reassurance before purchasing since returning the diamond may end up as a nightmare with customs and shipping costs.

I''ve been looking at this one diamond from WF''s ACA selection and was hoping for some advice on it from others with much more knowledge than myself.
33.gif
I know that I''m paying a premium for the colour and clarity but my gf doesn''t want anything bigger because she says it will "get in the way" so I figure I''ll get her a diamond that she would never purchase for herself. She''ll probably never buy herself a diamond so I think getting her something nicer is well deserved.
http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/Whiteflash-ACA-cut-diamond-2192277.htm
This one also caught my attention from the PS list..
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4511/

Thanks again for any advice!
W
 
Date: 9/20/2009 11:49:46 PM
Author:wham
Greetings!

I just want to say that it''s great to find such a helpful but also nice community on the internet! I''ve been reading up on quite a few posts for the last couple of weeks in preparation of getting an E-Ring and I was curious if there are any Canadians out there that have had experience dealing with online sellers.

At first, I was looking at bluenile.ca since they seem to have cheaper prices than other e-tailers, but with no IS image, I''m a bit worried that I''ll end up with a lemon.
The PS recommended retailers seem quite knowledgeable but with prices higher than BN and then having to convert the US price to CDN, I''m hoping for some reassurance before purchasing since returning the diamond may end up as a nightmare with customs and shipping costs.

I''ve been looking at this one diamond from WF''s ACA selection and was hoping for some advice on it from others with much more knowledge than myself.
33.gif
I know that I''m paying a premium for the colour and clarity but my gf doesn''t want anything bigger because she says it will ''get in the way'' so I figure I''ll get her a diamond that she would never purchase for herself. She''ll probably never buy herself a diamond so I think getting her something nicer is well deserved.
http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/Whiteflash-ACA-cut-diamond-2192277.htm
This one also caught my attention from the PS list..
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4511/

Thanks again for any advice!
W
Click to expand...
Hey there Wham, welcome to Pricescope.

There is a whole ton of people here who will advise you better than I in your diamond choices, especially when it comes to engagement rings and stones.

However, I am on the same side of the 49th parallel as you. I am awaiting my first diamond ring purchase from Brian Gavin Diamonds. It arrived on our side of the border within a few hours of leaving Houston on Friday. I hope to be able to pick it up from Fedex tomorrow. So far it has been a transaction without incident. My fingers are crossed for tomorrow. I will report back on the shiipping once I have my ring, but so far it is looking good. Many consumers here have purchased from Brian and Lesley and if you research, you will find outstanding reviews and experiences.

There are a number of Canadians here who have done cross border business with the Pricescope vendors that you will find listed here. I don''t think I have read of an un-pleasant or disappointing result yet.

I can also recommend Wink Jones, as an outstanding Pricescope Vendor to you. I have another project pending with Wink. Pending because of issues at my end, not his.

I suggest you plug each of these names into the search engine here on Pricescope to find out more about the services they offer and the results of the projects they have assisted with.

Good luck with your search.
 
Date: 9/20/2009 11:49:46 PM
Author:wham
Greetings!

I just want to say that it's great to find such a helpful but also nice community on the internet! I've been reading up on quite a few posts for the last couple of weeks in preparation of getting an E-Ring and I was curious if there are any Canadians out there that have had experience dealing with online sellers.

At first, I was looking at bluenile.ca since they seem to have cheaper prices than other e-tailers, but with no IS image, I'm a bit worried that I'll end up with a lemon.
The PS recommended retailers seem quite knowledgeable but with prices higher than BN and then having to convert the US price to CDN, I'm hoping for some reassurance before purchasing since returning the diamond may end up as a nightmare with customs and shipping costs.

I've been looking at this one diamond from WF's ACA selection and was hoping for some advice on it from others with much more knowledge than myself.
33.gif
I know that I'm paying a premium for the colour and clarity but my gf doesn't want anything bigger because she says it will 'get in the way' so I figure I'll get her a diamond that she would never purchase for herself. She'll probably never buy herself a diamond so I think getting her something nicer is well deserved.
http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/Whiteflash-ACA-cut-diamond-2192277.htm
This one also caught my attention from the PS list..
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4511/

Thanks again for any advice!
W
Click to expand...
Welcome Wham!

I will just link your selections then take a look....

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/Whiteflash-ACA-cut-diamond-2192277.htm

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4511/

They are both beautiful, I can't see the hearts image on the GOG diamond too clearly though...It depends on your priorities, both are excellent vendors with good client benefits offered, and whether you prefer E IF or D VS. If you value very high colour and clarity then good for you and don't be persuaded to go lower on these if you prefer not to.

You could also check out -

www.highperformancediamonds.com for Infinity h&a

www.briangavindiamonds.com h&a

www.niceice.com h&a
 
Both looks good to me.

Are you looking for a H&A stone of the traditional definition?
 
Hey!!! Another Canuck here!
emteeth.gif


If you''re worried with the online dealers then I wouldn''t as they are all really reputable. If you do a search you''ll find many happy Canadians that have bought online in the US. That reminds that I still haven''t written my review of ID Jewelery yet and I bettr get to it
emsmiled.gif


I don''t know how keen you are with saving money but I bought my diamond from Jon at GoG and my final finished product setting from ID Jewelery to cut costs down. With the loonie doing so well you should just look at other vendors besides Blue Nile. If you are worried about shipping/importing then that part is a breeze too. I remember somebody posting a very detailed post with their purchase and they were in TO but it''ll give you a very good idea as to what you''ll have to do to import the ring through customs. Remember you just pay GST/PST/HST as there are no duties on jewellery!!!
 
Thank you to everyone for your always helpful and informative replies!
With all the vouches for these great PS e-tailers, you''ve greatly put my mind at ease and I can now purchase without too much worry.
3.gif


I also had a look at the other retailers suggested but sadly I wasn''t able to find any diamonds with the specs that I''m hoping for so I''ll most likely stick with WF or GoG. I was only looking at the stone, though, so I''ll have a look at ID Jewelry and see if I can find a nice setting for it as well.

Stone-cold11: I''m sorry but I''m not sure what a H&A stone of the traditional definition is.
32.gif
Would an H&A stone make a big difference on the ''sparkle''?

Regards
 
You know looking again at the hearts image for the GOG diamond it wouldn''t hurt to ask Jon and maybe get a retake, it looks blurry as if the image shifted or something happened while taking the photo.
 
Thanks for the advice and information again!

I think I''ll be going with the E IF diamond since I feel reassured of its quality :).
I haven''t found anything with its specifications so it seems quite unique in that sense. And there''s also the fact that my gf knows the same as me prior to visiting PS (which is nothing) so she''s bound to be slightly impressed.

This forum is really just a gem (no pun intended) to find! Thanks for all the advice! I''ll post some pics after I get it set. :)

W
 
Good Luck. :)
 
HI:

I''ve purchased many items across border--and returned a few. As long as you keep all documentation, I found the return process trouble free.

Feel free to post links to stones you have in mind--we like to help (and look
9.gif
) !

cheers--Sharon
 
One thing I discovered just this week about cross border transactions, specifically from Canada into the US, is that Fedex will not insure a piece of jewellery above $500. I hope I never have to send anything back to the US.

Does anyone have experience with other couriers in this regard?

Yes, I am still waiting for customs to clear my ring from BGD!
 
It’s a pain in the behind to ship stuff from Canada to the US and insure it. Canada Post won’t even insure jewellery but somehow I don’t trust Expresspost at all for such a high value product even if they did. I just drove across the border and shipped it via USPS registered to insure it properly. I think I may have been too paranoid though as my home insurance plan covers lost jewellery during shipment. So technically…I could have shipped it through the cheapest way possible and if it got lost I “could” get reimbursed through my home insurance but…I didn’t want to deal with the insurance folks or find out my insurance agent made a mistake and I’m not covered (my worst nightmare)!
 
Date: 9/22/2009 10:18:18 AM
Author: wham
Thanks for the advice and information again!

I think I''ll be going with the E IF diamond since I feel reassured of its quality :).
I haven''t found anything with its specifications so it seems quite unique in that sense. And there''s also the fact that my gf knows the same as me prior to visiting PS (which is nothing) so she''s bound to be slightly impressed.

This forum is really just a gem (no pun intended) to find! Thanks for all the advice! I''ll post some pics after I get it set. :)

W
Click to expand...
Sounds fine, please post some pics of the ring when it is all done!
 
Oh no! I think I''m suffering from information overload but while I''ve been planning my purchase, I found another stone at another retailer for substantially less.

Is there any possible reason other than poor quality that a slightly larger diamond with an EX/EX/EX GIA rating would be so drastically different in price than the one I linked to in my original post? They both have close HCA ratings (1.1 vs 1.3) so can I assume that the other diamond is so much cheaper because there''s something wrong with it? Or would it be naive to not at least request some IS/H&A images first?
32.gif


W
 
Which lab graded the stones will also have an impact on the price. GIA/AGS are the top tier labs, the pricing for stones graded by them will be the baseline, 2nd tier, 3rd tier labs will be discounted and the lowest will be ungraded stones. This is because the trade generally sees lower tier labs as less accurate/consistent in color and clarity grading.
 
Date: 9/23/2009 10:10:04 PM
Author: wham
Oh no! I think I'm suffering from information overload but while I've been planning my purchase, I found another stone at another retailer for substantially less.

Is there any possible reason other than poor quality that a slightly larger diamond with an EX/EX/EX GIA rating would be so drastically different in price than the one I linked to in my original post? They both have close HCA ratings (1.1 vs 1.3) so can I assume that the other diamond is so much cheaper because there's something wrong with it? Or would it be naive to not at least request some IS/H&A images first?
32.gif


W
Click to expand...
Ok so this other diamond you saw has a GIA report and ex ex ex....Compared to an ACA which is a branded cut with various vendor benefits offered and with the coveted AGS0 cut grade - it is probable the ACA will be more expensive. What are the colour and clarity grades of the GIA diamond?
 
Both diamonds are Colour E and Clarity IF with the cheaper diamond being slightly bigger. I''ve heard that ACA diamonds will be more expensive but a difference of over $900US seems a bit extreme to my thin wallet.
23.gif
If the lab for the second diamond wasn''t GIA, I probably wouldn''t even give it another look but I''m quite confused now. Thanks for your insight!
 
Date: 9/24/2009 9:26:37 AM
Author: wham
Both diamonds are Colour E and Clarity IF with the cheaper diamond being slightly bigger. I''ve heard that ACA diamonds will be more expensive but a difference of over $900US seems a bit extreme to my thin wallet.
23.gif
If the lab for the second diamond wasn''t GIA, I probably wouldn''t even give it another look but I''m quite confused now. Thanks for your insight!
Click to expand...
I understand! If you could post either the report number for this other diamond or the details in full, depth, table, crown and pavilion angles etc - everything on the report then that would tell us more.
 
Sure thing, Lorelei! Thanks!

Color Grade: E
Clarity Grade: IF
Cut Grade: Excellent
Proportions:
Depth: 62.2%
Table: 55%
Crown Angle: 35.5°
Crown Height: 16.0%
Pavilion Angle: 40.6°
Pavilion Depth: 43.0%
Star length: 50%
Lower Half: 80%
Girdle: Thin to Medium, Faceted (3.5%)
Culet: None
Finish:
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Fluorescence: None
Clarity Characteristics:
Comments: Minor details of polish are present.
 
Date: 9/24/2009 10:02:02 AM
Author: wham

Sure thing, Lorelei! Thanks!

Color Grade: E
Clarity Grade: IF
Cut Grade: Excellent

Proportions:
Depth: 62.2%
Table: 55%
Crown Angle: 35.5°
Crown Height: 16.0%
Pavilion Angle: 40.6°
Pavilion Depth: 43.0%
Star length: 50%
Lower Half: 80%
Girdle: Thin to Medium, Faceted (3.5%)
Culet: None

Finish:
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Fluorescence: None

Clarity Characteristics:
Comments: Minor details of polish are present.
Click to expand...
This diamond has definite potential looking at the info provided, I take it you can view it in person Wham?
 
Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top