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Help with engagement ring: how badly should I avoid Jared?

J

Jpenta

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 27, 2014
Messages
5
I've done quite a bit of digging on the site and found that Jared is not spoken of very highly in general. My girlfriend and I have been shopping around for the right setting and she fell in love, literally tears of joy (she cried and the saleslady cried) with this setting from Jared: http://www.jared.com/en/jaredstore/diamond-ring-setting-3-8-carat-tw-14k-white-gold

The problem is I don't think anything but this setting or a nearly-identical setting will work at this point.

I have shopped around online and can't seem to find a similar style setting anywhere else. I'm looking for some advice on the best option to pursue at this point. Should I buy the Jared setting and have them fit a diamond from online? Is this something that a custom ring-maker could closely mirror? Other vendors with a similar setting? Is it possible to find a decent value diamond at Jared and get it all in one place?

The setting is ideal for appx .75 carat diamond. On the diamond I'm looking for:
- Ideal Cut (or signature ideal, ACA, etc)
- D or E in color
- Clarity VS2 or better

Total budget is right about $7,500 ($2k for setting, $5,500 on the diamond).

Has anyone had a GOOD experience with Jared (i.e. value & customer service)? I'll say this- they had a fantastic selection and the salespeople were very friendly and helpful. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
Re: Help with engagement ring: how badly should I avoid Jare

Hi! I did a quick search and found a setting that is really similar to the one that you posted originally. It's a Gabriel and Co. setting, which is pretty well regarded around here. You get a lot for your money and the craftsmanship is pretty good. Trying to find a quality 3 stone halo for $2,000 is pretty tough. The Gabriel and Co. is listed around $3300 but vendors usually get a bit of a break. The diamond I found is under budget, so overall you should get pretty close to budget. Anyway, hope this helps!



http://www.gabrielny.com/amavida/style/ER7558W83JJ




0.71 ct F VS2 H&A from GOG - 1.2 on HCA
- I know its a smidge off your ideal specs but it will still be eye clean and very very white.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11403/
 
Re: Help with engagement ring: how badly should I avoid Jare

Honestly the first Gabriel & Co setting is much more aesthetically pleasing to me than the Jared one. Just look at the profile view. The Gabriel setting says it's for a 5mm stone but I'm 99.9% sure they can make it for whatever size center stone you get.
 
Re: Help with engagement ring: how badly should I avoid Jare

I think the Jared setting is beautiful, but the diamonds are I1. I wonder if you could special order it and pay more for better diamonds.
 
Re: Help with engagement ring: how badly should I avoid Jare

Here is the Gabriel for a .75 ct center stone. No way would I buy the one from Jared when the Gabriel is better quality. I would not buy a setting that used I1 clarity stones. The Jared setting also has a terrible way of setting the center stone which will result in it being too high.

http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER6542W44JJ

I'd probably get the matching wedding band later, too.

I would also suggest contacting Good Old Gold because they can source an excellent/ideal cut diamond for you and they carry Gabriel and Co. You will come out in the end with a much higher quality ring for probably less money.
 
Re: Help with engagement ring: how badly should I avoid Jare

So much easier to get stone and setting from same vendor, though. GOG can get a diamond with whatever specs he wants and then have Gabriel set it in NYC. That setting fits a .75 ct stone around 5.75mm.
 
Re: Help with engagement ring: how badly should I avoid Jare

diamondseeker2006|1390836356|3602019 said:
So much easier to get stone and setting from same vendor, though. GOG can get a diamond with whatever specs he wants and then have Gabriel set it in NYC. That setting fits a .75 ct stone around 5.75mm.
Click to expand...

Can the Gabriel setting be made to fit a little larger stone as listed? I noticed their settings went from 5.75 to 6.5...
 
Re: Help with engagement ring: how badly should I avoid Jare

Wow guys, you have been incredibly helpful! Since Good Old Gold sources Gabriel & Co I will definitely look at having them do both the diamond and the setting. I agree that the Gabriel & Co setting looks better but matches the "top-down" view that my girlfriend was so taken with.

I was so upset by the poor reviews on Jared and feeling like I was just going to have to "risk it". This is an excellent alternative, I feel so much better about this option. Now to narrow down the diamond... I'll let you know how the ring comes out!

Sincerely grateful - thank you all!
 
Re: Help with engagement ring: how badly should I avoid Jare

Jpenta|1390858677|3602262 said:
Wow guys, you have been incredibly helpful! Since Good Old Gold sources Gabriel & Co I will definitely look at having them do both the diamond and the setting. I agree that the Gabriel & Co setting looks better but matches the "top-down" view that my girlfriend was so taken with.

I was so upset by the poor reviews on Jared and feeling like I was just going to have to "risk it". This is an excellent alternative, I feel so much better about this option. Now to narrow down the diamond... I'll let you know how the ring comes out!

Sincerely grateful - thank you all!
Click to expand...


That's great, OP!! Can't wait to see what you get -- I'm sure she'll be blown away!! :appl: :wavey:
 
Re: Help with engagement ring: how badly should I avoid Jare

msop04,

When you suggested the Gabriel & Co setting and the diamond from Whiteflash, were you suggesting I buy them separately and have a local jeweler set the stone? Curious about the best way to go about that.

Thanks!
 
Re: Help with engagement ring: how badly should I avoid Jare

Not msop, but I think that she made excellent suggestions. However it is true that it's easier to work with one vendor than with multiple. The reason being is that should you purchase both from the same vendor they will incur the risk of setting the stone. If you choose to use separate vendors than the vendor setting the stone often times will not insure the stone during the setting process. Although uncommon, it is not unheard of for a stone to chip or break during this process. If you haven't previously insured the stone with an insurer that will cover the stone during the setting process (many do not) than you will be out the cost of the diamond. :o If you choose one vendor, their insurance co. covers the risk involved with setting the stone. Another benefit is that the stone and setting are in the same place, eliminating the need to ship the stone to the setter and then to you. It's just easier, safer, and a better option overall. :))
 
Re: Help with engagement ring: how badly should I avoid Jare

Christina...|1390864539|3602321 said:
Not msop, but I think that she made excellent suggestions. However it is true that it's easier to work with one vendor than with multiple. The reason being is that should you purchase both from the same vendor they will incur the risk of setting the stone. If you choose to use separate vendors than the vendor setting the stone often times will not insure the stone during the setting process. Although uncommon, it is not unheard of for a stone to chip or break during this process. If you haven't previously insured the stone with an insurer that will cover the stone during the setting process (many do not) than you will be out the cost of the diamond. :o If you choose one vendor, their insurance co. covers the risk involved with setting the stone. Another benefit is that the stone and setting are in the same place, eliminating the need to ship the stone to the setter and then to you. It's just easier, safer, and a better option overall. :))
Click to expand...

This. :))
 
Re: Help with engagement ring: how badly should I avoid Jare

Ritani made a similar setting for another poster on here named smilligan??? Good Old Gold is a Ritani retailer. I would work with them for one of the center stones posted here, and a three stone halo with pear sides for the setting from Ritani.
 
Re: Help with engagement ring: how badly should I avoid Jare

Msop, to answer your question above, I think their stock sizes are for .75 and then 1.0 cts. I think a .80 is usually fine in the setting for a .75. With .90 stones, they are going to be too big to look right in the .75 setting and too small to really look good in the 1 ct (6.5mm) setting, in my opinion. That's why I was encouraging him to stick with his original size preference since it would best fit the setting without having to go to around 1 ct.

JPenta, I would encourage you to also consider F color if you want a colorless stone. They are bright and white and would be hard to tell apart from an E. I am sure Good Old Gold will take good care of you! Please come back and show us pictures of your finished ring!
 
Re: Help with engagement ring: how badly should I avoid Jare

msop04|1390836621|3602022 said:
Can the Gabriel setting be made to fit a little larger stone as listed? I noticed their settings went from 5.75 to 6.5...
Click to expand...

AFAIK, all Gabriel & Co rings can be customized to fit any size/shape of stone. They're willing to do a lot of customizations for a pretty reasonable fee. At least when I emailed them about something last summer, anyway.
 
Re: Help with engagement ring: how badly should I avoid Jare

Looking at the Gabriel & Co website, they seem to be able to adjust the setting to fit almost any size stone I would like 5mm - 6.5mm. In keeping with the size that my girlfriend liked I'm going to try for something in the 5.75mm range, appx .72ct from what I can see.

I emailed GOG today and they're walking me through some great options - now the tough decision is Hearts & Arrows or Solasfera? While I like the depth of the H&A, I'm leaning toward a solasfera for the setting and because it can sometimes face up whiter (my girlfriend does not like any yellow in the diamond).
 
Re: Help with engagement ring: how badly should I avoid Jare

Jpenta|1391010915|3603345 said:
Looking at the Gabriel & Co website, they seem to be able to adjust the setting to fit almost any size stone I would like 5mm - 6.5mm. In keeping with the size that my girlfriend liked I'm going to try for something in the 5.75mm range, appx .72ct from what I can see.

I emailed GOG today and they're walking me through some great options - now the tough decision is Hearts & Arrows or Solasfera? While I like the depth of the H&A, I'm leaning toward a solasfera for the setting and because it can sometimes face up whiter (my girlfriend does not like any yellow in the diamond).
Click to expand...

5.75 is considered .75 cts. 5mm is approximately a half carat, and 6.5mm is 1 ct. I'd stick with close to .75 (5.7-5.85 mm) if that is the size within your budget. They certainly will say a range of sizes will fit each setting, but closest to the intended size is going to look best. Solasferas are beautiful but you pay a price premium for them. You can easily go up a color grade in an ideal cut round for the extra you pay for a Solasfera. I think that is a much better way to insure better color. And in this size stone, I do not think the specialty cut will be all that advantageous from a visual perspective, either. However, if they happen to have a Solasfera that is perfect and within budget, that would be fine, of course.
 
Re: Help with engagement ring: how badly should I avoid Jare

*Solasfera :oops: :D
 
Re: Help with engagement ring: how badly should I avoid Jare

Thought I'd post a quick update here. I've continued to work with Good Old Gold on this setting in white gold: http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER6542W44JJ

Since my girlfriend is very sensitive about the color of the diamonds I was concerned that the pear-shaped diamonds on the side wouldn't be colorless. GoG was able to source two colorless (F) pear-shaped diamonds AND it's going to cost me less than the originals (G-H color) - I was blown away!

I showed my girlfriend a video of of the solasfera vs the ideal cut H&A and she preferred the Solasfera. While I continue to get mixed opinions from others (about 50/50), and I personally like the H&A better, I think I'm leaning to her preference since she is the one that's going to wear it. Here's the video GoG just made for me with the two Solasfera's I'm considering, along with an E color H&A for comparison: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0InYLHAOE6k&list=UUe_V0Cpb5TXhi2j80WFLuLA&feature=c4-overview

Hard to say if it's worth the extra $$$ but I'm certain I won't be disappointed with its appearance. Any last tips before I pull the trigger?

Thanks again for all the help! I hope this post will help someone in a similar circumstance. :D
 
Re: Help with engagement ring: how badly should I avoid Jare

I am no diamond expert, but I just want to say after watching the video, the diamond on the right looked the most appealing to me. I believe it was the .73 ct. Good luck with your decision :)
 
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