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HELP! I am an old tomboy who has never worn rings!

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You are right that I do like these better! One is very modern and the other is more feminine and antique! So it mostly depends on your personal preference, but I really like the braided one! You might also take a look at the Tacori site if you like that look, because I think they may make a similar ring if you decided you wanted platinum for any reason. The store could order you any Tacori ring if they carry the brand. I like the three stone one, but I am not wild about the way the diamonds are set in the band.

But absolutely, you need to select your stone first before ordering the setting! And don''t let the store try to talk you into their stones if you can do better online (which I think you can).
 
I LOVE the twisty one! It looks great on your finger!!
 
Another vote for the twisted one. It is so simple and elegant and looks great on you!
 
I''m so glad you had a successful visit to J.R. Dunn!
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I like both of the rings you picked - escpecially the braided one though! The design has a beautiful flow. It''s gorgeous.
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Was the middle ring a Vatche Royal Crown?

Be careful about buying a diamond through Beverly''s if you go to them for your setting. Just a word of caution - I may be wrong and may be that it was a one time occurance - a friend of mine, a while back, was pulled a fast one on a diamond purchase. The diamond was not the quality that it was represented to be.
 
It''s amazing what you like once you actually put them on your finger! I had the same thing happen. The rings that I saw on the computer that I didn''t like and thought I would hate ended up being perfect on my hand, and the ones that I really liked didn''t look right. Aside from plain solitaires I haven''t really cared for them for myself too much and they didn''t look good on my hand.

Both of your new choices are very pretty and look good on your hand. But I like the braided one best. I like how it''s feminine and delicate without being "overly girly". Did they have a matching band there with it so you could see how well a band would work/look with it? That''s one of the things I consider when I''m looking for rings is how well a band will work with it. That''s one of the reasons I''m not wanting my "first pick" of the rings I tried on because I don''t like the band that would have to go with it.

Congrats on narrowing down your search and good luck finding your perfect diamond.
 
I like the new 3-stone ring you posted, but I love the braided one. It looks so soft and flowing, and just plain interesting.
 
OK Everyone!

The journey continues thanks to everyone who has so generously shared freely with me on this post!

So here is the latest update. I felt like I couldn''t make my decision until I returned and took pictures of the other ring I didn''t have because my camera ran out of juice. Even though I really liked the twisty one, I had to finish my due dilligence. I returned to the store and before I took my first picture, I knew the twisty one was for me! So no pics of the one I don''t want as it is time to focus energy on the next big step!

So twisty braided one it is and now lets BUY A DIAMOND!!!!! Calling all Pro''s, Experts and the like to help me with this one. No matter how many times I read about the finer parts of diamond, I am not going to grasp what you have due to your skills, expertise, experience, skills sets, etc.

So here is what I want and I have one quote from JRDunn to compare. Note, this is close to my ideal stone and does not necessarily match up to my budget! he he So feel free to help me with that alignment!

Looking for an ideal/excellent cut, round stone, F to G/H, VS1 to S1, GIA or AGS of course. The stone in the picture is .8. My preference is .85 to .99, but will go down a bit and won''t hesitate to go up, and up and away! he he
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The above preferences are a culmination from the numerous posts I have read, but I am not locked into anything but getting one of the nicest stones for the money. For example, if you think ideal is not neessary if you are down in an SI1 stone, then please continue with my education and tell me!

As for my budget, I am really comfortable with $3000, but would consider $3500ish, but would probably be leaning towards a higher price if the stone was one of the larger ones in my range.

OK, are you ready and equipped with enough info!!!!!

Thanks in advance! Tara





IMG_2441CROPAringbraidedjrdunn.JPG
 
I forgot to mention that the one stone JRD showed is a .81 round, H/SI1 GIA certified at $3117. I don''t have any other specifics, but thought it may serve as a comparison of what you spot.

Thanks again,

Tara
 
It''s diamond buying time.
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Calling all experts for help..at your convenenience of course.

Please see previous post with pic.
 
Right after the holidays, some cupboards are bare. There is not as much selection out there as what I saw available before the holidays. I know you're on a deadline, though, so here are some thoughts.

First, you asked if it was necessary to go with an ideal in an SI1 stone. I'm not sure exactly what you're asking here. I think most everyone would urge you to get an ideal cut stone in any color or clarity, because it will be a great performer, and it is possible to do so within your budget. Clarity has nothing to do with light performance, so it being an SI1 is not relevant to whether you should get the best cut for your money.

Second, it's not possible to tell if the diamond you've posted is a good buy at that price, because there's not enough information about its specs. If it were an ideal cut stone, it would be a good price, but if not, you can get a better-performing ideal cut diamond for about the same price online. I'm guessing the one you've seen in person is only about a fair cut, but you should ask to see a copy of the grading report for it and write down everything you can to tell us.

Here is a .802 G VS1 Expert Selection Ideal for $3390 with wire transfer discount of 2%. VS1 is higher clarity than you need, but I couldn't find anything available in the $3-4k range in your desired size in ACA or Expert Selection. This is its identical twin, a G VS1 .80 for the same price. You might call or email Whiteflash to see if there's anything else they might suggest in your price point, there's not much selection up on their site right now.

Here is a .816 I VS2 for $3243 wire transfer. It's higher clarity than you probably need, but again not much selection, and the I should be fine with this AGS Ideal cut, it should face up very well. Here is a .81 H SI1 for $3297 which ought to be beautiful.

This 1.07 J SI1 for $3853 with wire transfer discount turned up under the Expert Selection search at WF. It's over your stated budget, and below your stated color preference, but it's a carat. You may see some tint in this stone, but it could be a good value for you, and might be worth contacting the vendor to ask about it if you can stretch the budget to reach it. Since they have an upgrade policy, you might be able to upgrade the color in the future and you probably should be able to have a 1 carat set back into your existing setting without major problems (but ask your B&M about this).

You should probably do a search by cut grade on here to get other suggestions. Click on the "cut quality search" button above, it will steer you to high-performance diamonds available online. You should be able to sort by price (though it may take a bit for the page to load after you click the price sorter).

What you want most is a dazzling diamond. A .8 is not that much difference in visual spread from a .9, ditto for a 1 carat, and you should focus on cut. $3k-35000 is good for a .8-ish carat stone, and the ideal cut stones above should be beautiful. We can't say if the .8-ish you've seen in person is as well-cut. But a 1 carat that is a great performer is probably not do-able in the $3k-3500 range with your color and clarity preferences. I think a .8-ish stone will be gorgeous, though.
 

Milton,


Thank you so much for your informative post. If any of my questions threw you off, they come from a place of "not knowing what I don''t know". I started off this process having a faint recognition that the 4-Cs were important, but that is it.


Intersting that you mentioned that you don''t see as much inventory. I hope that along with my need to get this all done in the next two weeks doesn''t hurt me too much in my search.


Since cut is so important, does that mean that I don''t have to worry about the details around depth, table and the other factors I have not grasped yet. If you have an ideal cut, is that what it means that it falls in between those percentages I see discussed?


Excuse the basic questions. I have done a bunch of reading but many things are still foreign.


Thank you for your diamond selections.


I look forward to others weighing in or adding their suggestions!
 
Yay Tara! How exciting - I love your choice! Have fun - you''ll get great help here finding your diamond.
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Thank you so much Tulip.

It feels great to get to the point where I am ready to buy a diamond.
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Everyone has been so helpful. I am sure others will weigh in on a diamond that may come close to what I am looking for!

Tara
 
There are a few from James Allen. Remember - the prices listed on the site aren''t what you would pay as a PS member.

.80 carat H VS1

.86 carat H VS1
 
Yay, Tara! It is a beautiful ring!!!
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Good Old Gold has about 3 stones in the G-H SI- VS2 category. G-H is my personal comfort zone, although there are many happy owners of both higher and lower colors here! One was posted earlier by Milton and there are a couple more.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/3893/ (already posted)

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/3755/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/3833/

If you want to go to I color, here are a couple more:

http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-231194.htm

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/3824/
 
Thanks Everyone!

I have narrowed it down to 3.


Milton''s: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/3893/ 0.81ct H SI1 Round H&A $3400ish

DiamondSeeker''s: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/3833/ .83ct H VS2 Round H&A $3700ish

Erica''s: .86 ct H VS1 $3500
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamond.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131&item=939102

On paper, if they are all ideal, would Erica''s be the best buy (quality/cut) since it is the same color as all of them, larger and a VS1??? Does vendor come into play with it being JA and not GOG??

Finally, here is the most basic question after I get the final weigh in. I was almost too embarrased to ask, but I threw that notion out of the window because I really need the info!
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Do most people call directly to buy it and give them the stone identifying number? Also, I am a little unclear on any discounts that apply. I will certainly ask, but I couldn''t find any post that had it spelled out such as a % by vendor.

Tara

 
On the .86 James Allen stone above - it doesn''t score well on the cut advisor. That''s a tool to predict diamond performance, at the top of the forum page. It got very good light return, good fire, good scintillation, and very good spread, with a 3.8 score, and within the realm of GIA excellent but not AGS. You want to aim for under 2 to have a high performing diamond. It''s a "worth buying if the price is right." This is all based on inputting the depth, table, crown and pavillion angles, and a math formula that Garry developed to rule out dud diamonds. Even though it''s "worth buying" based on price, the price is actually not all that great for the cut and color - it''s not a steal, and it would have to be a real steal for me to overlook those numbers.

Now, it''s not junk, but for the money and the extremely marginal difference in size, I''d go with an AGS ideal stone like I linked for you above. I think you might as well get the best performing diamond you can get. I have an AGS Ideal stone that''s ideal cut, ideal polish, ideal symmetry, with all the numbers landing it firmly in the sweet spot of the cut advisor. While the polish/symmetry may not need to be that high, the cut really is spectacular. There is a very noticeable difference when compared to other diamonds I see around me. AGS ideal cut is graded for light performance, so it''s sort of the lazy person''s way to get a great-performing diamond without plugging in a lot of numbers. GIA has a very broad range of "excellent" scores, some of which the experts like Garry have determined will probably not really be excellent performers.

For the .8ish diamonds I linked, you''re looking at a 5.99-6.0ish mm spread. The .86 you''ve got that is not wowing me is all of 6.1 spread. .10 mm is almost certainly not going to be a visible difference to your eye (it sounds bigger, but it''s just a bit heavier, and so slightly larger that the human eye can''t tell the difference). .05 more carat weight and .10 mm more spread is not worth the lesser cut - go with one of the AGS ideal candidates above.
 
Also, I''ve not dealt with James Allen, but WF and GOG, I believe you can just call, say you''re interested in a diamond, and start the dialog from there. WF is very friendly and easy to deal with, they''ll walk you through the process.
 
Hi Tara!
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When you contact the companies by phone, the sales representative that you will be working with will visually examine the stones you have selected and be able to answer any questions you have. They can help you pick a good performer and assure you of clarity and so on. I''m sure if they know you''re a Pricescope member, they''ll know what you''re looking for.
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Tara, the two from Good Old Gold are better cut than the other one. I, personally, would choose the one I linked due to the fact it is a little larger than the other and I like VS2 for an e-ring when possible. I think the deciding factor would be whether the extra money is an issue for you. The H VS2 has a nice spread at about 6.1mm as opposed to the other at about 5.95mm. The difference is slight in actuality, but I''d rather have the one that is slightly larger and better clarity for less than $300 difference.
 
Whoops!!!

I ran a few searches here on Pricescope and I must not have clicked ASG0 on one of them. Sorry - ignore that diamond I posted! I would go with a better cut one for sure.
 
Thanks everyone. I am one step closer.

I spoke with GOG and have the larger, VS2 AGS ideal diamond on hold. http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/3833/

I did receive some interesting info that I am not sure I should be concerned about. I was told the diamond is branded (new concept to me, like many things) and perhaps an Isee2. Therefore, he emailed me a copy of the AGS Ceritification and the Isee2 (birth certificate) report that shows where it was mined.

There is some inscription on the diamond but is not supposed to be seen through the most detailed microscopes. See email about it from GOG below. He wanted me to know because when you have it appraised, it is so small most jewelers can''t see it and think you may have the wrong stone. He then said he can insbribe it for me. When I asked if two people had two diamonds of comparable dimensions/quality and one is branded and the other is not, would they tend to shy away from the branded one and he said no.

Important notice: This diamond is inscribed on the table facet as noted on the report I sent you. I wanted to point this out because the inscription is so small that it’s not visible under any microscope. It is only visible through the special viewer that is supplied to us from the cutters of this diamond. Your local appraiser or jeweler most likely does not have this viewer, so if you want an inscription that any microscope can see; I would suggest inscribing it again on the girdle of the diamond through us (free of charge) or rely on the inclusions that are plotted on the report as your identification.

The not above brings out another question. Should I get it inscribed on the girdle as he suggested. Is that a common practice? Seems like it will make it more complicated if I ever wanted to trade up because now two inscriptions would be on it. Of course that is what sounds logical to me and it may have no relevance at all.

Tara
 
Greetings to all.

Please see my previous post. I have a diamond on hold that is "branded" and wondering if that should be factored into my decision before I buy tomorrow!

Thanks and hope everyone is having a great evening!

Tara
 
Date: 1/4/2008 12:48:41 PM
Author: tara81662l
Thanks everyone. I am one step closer.
The not above brings out another question. Should I get it inscribed on the girdle as he suggested. Is that a common practice? Seems like it will make it more complicated if I ever wanted to trade up because now two inscriptions would be on it. Of course that is what sounds logical to me and it may have no relevance at all.

Tara
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For peace of mind, and ease of identification, please get it inscribed. I own an Isee2 also (and didn''t get it inscribed, as that option was not made known to me, if it had, I would have), and no, no one can see the logo on the table. It might as well not be there.
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However, the good news is, they cut gorgeous stones.
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Thank you Ellen and for sharing your own Isee2 ring experience.

Tara
 
Just wanted to share this with everyone......


As I woke up this morning, I had such a wonderful sense of appreciation for all of you who devote your time, your expertise and your opinions with everyone of PS.

I feel so much better at this stage of my first diamond buying journey! I also wanted to say a huge thanks to Tulip who directed me to JRD. That was really my introduction into beautiful ER settings and a whole new world of quality.

Now, let''s keep this real. My first setting I showed you pictures of on one of my first post was TACKY, TACKY AND DOUBLE TACKY!!!! What can I say....I didn''t know what I didn''t know.
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It was my first jewelry store and the first set of rings I had tried on in my life!

And even with that, you were quite kind in your feedback and said if it is really what I wanted, I should get it. However, I think some of you were secretly trying to throw me a line to pull me over to the other side...that of quality and good taste!!!

Thank you for your pictures and keeping the door open for me to see the possibilities!

You are fabulous and I applaud all of you!!!
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I''m so happy for you and that this is such a wonderful time for you picking out your ring!
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J.R. Dunn has a beautiful store and I was thrilled to be able to get my setting through them.

Aren''t Pricescope and the members the greatest?
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I''m enjoying the diamond world because of it too. I learned so much here by reading others'' experiences and finding fantastic vendors.

I can''t wait to see your finished ring - it''s going to be gorgeous!
 
Date: 1/4/2008 9:06:57 PM
Author: tara81662l
Thank you Ellen and for sharing your own Isee2 ring experience.

Tara
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You're welcome. I was not following this thread devotedly, or I would have answered you sooner!


p.s. Glad you're feeling better!
 
Greetings Everyone,

Now that I have the loose diamond out of the way, it is time to turn to setting choices...and decisions. I earlier posted my setting that I decided on. It is the "twisty one" that I believe got a a 100% from everyone!
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The setting is from J.R. Dunn. It is 18k white gold. However, based on reading some previous, very infomative threads on PS, I inquired about a platinum setting. They had one at another store and are sending it over for me. The good news with the discount they are giving me, it is only $700 more. It seems like the going rate is about $1000. Not that I can''t do something else with $700, but from your posts, it seems like a wise investment.

Now for the question. I plan to take the stone to JRD in Ft. Lauderdale, FL for mounting...unless someone has another suggestion. If the rings are not my exact size, is it common they will resize them??? OR, do most people pick out the setting and then have it "made" exactly for their size so there is no resizing??? Also, if it needs to be resized and I only am getting the setting from them, is this normally something you pay a fee for?

I believe these services, along with mounting, would have been at no charge if I got the diamond from them. Now I am not sure since I am only getting the setting from them. A little info in my back pocket would be great before I officially inquire.

It is possible my options are limited if you have to wait a long time i(for having them made to size) since our wedding ceremony is Feb 14th.

Any insight you have would be most helpful...as always!!!

Tara
 
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