So I am looking for a ring and being a student am still on a fairly constrained budget. I have been doing a good amount of reading and searching online, especially here on PS, and believe I can do better than the prices at the bigger mall retail stores. The problem I have is my limited budget. I believe I can get a setting for around ~$1500 and hoping to get a princess cut (above vs2/H, ~1carat) for around $2000.
Questions:
One thing I am worried about, is the cost of getting the stone set into the ring from an outside seller at this total cost be comparable to finding a preset ring/stone?
Along the same lines, would it save me more to buy from a single location with the hope of finding a matching band or again better to buy separately?
Moving onto the ring itself. The GF has identified she would like a princess cut, above .8 carat, in a white gold or platinum metal. She has found one setting at Kay's which she really likes but dislikes the center stone and I feel the price at Kays is 50% more than I would pay online.
http://www.kay.com/en/kaystore/engagement---wedding/diamond-engagement-ring-1-1-4-ct-tw-princess-cut-14k-white-gold/100006/100006.100007.100010
(I feel the center diamond offered here is really only a $600-$800 stone and the 14K band is not worth $2200)
I have been hunting for a comparable setting in 18K and Platinum
http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/diamond-settings/cathedral-channel-set-diamond-engagement-ring-1223.htm
http://www.bluenile.com/princess-diamond-engagement-ring-18k-white-gold_20303
which she has said she likes but not as much as the one from Kays. This may be due to the fact she has handled the one from Kays directly or to the minor distinctions between the rings but I really would like to make sure to get what she wants. She really likes the rounding and simplicity of the sides/edges and also the inset channeling of the side diamonds. She also likes the slight inset of the center stone into the band itself. I would like to get the higher metal quality than the 14K of the kays(unsure if she needs platinum but I like the idea of it staying shiny longer since she will be wearing gloves a lot). I have searched bluenile, whiteflash, and a number of other sites listed here and have not found an exact setting.
More questions:
Are these ring designs specific to the companies selling them, do I have any chance of finding the exact setting in a different metal from a different company?
Is my budget feasible or should I just attempt to negotiate with Kays for a better center diamond at a more reasonable price (not sure how open to negotiation they would be)?
I am sure I will come up with more questions but figure this is probably more than enough to start. Sorry for the length. Thanks for any help/advice.
Questions:
One thing I am worried about, is the cost of getting the stone set into the ring from an outside seller at this total cost be comparable to finding a preset ring/stone?
Along the same lines, would it save me more to buy from a single location with the hope of finding a matching band or again better to buy separately?
Moving onto the ring itself. The GF has identified she would like a princess cut, above .8 carat, in a white gold or platinum metal. She has found one setting at Kay's which she really likes but dislikes the center stone and I feel the price at Kays is 50% more than I would pay online.
http://www.kay.com/en/kaystore/engagement---wedding/diamond-engagement-ring-1-1-4-ct-tw-princess-cut-14k-white-gold/100006/100006.100007.100010
(I feel the center diamond offered here is really only a $600-$800 stone and the 14K band is not worth $2200)
I have been hunting for a comparable setting in 18K and Platinum
http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/diamond-settings/cathedral-channel-set-diamond-engagement-ring-1223.htm
http://www.bluenile.com/princess-diamond-engagement-ring-18k-white-gold_20303
which she has said she likes but not as much as the one from Kays. This may be due to the fact she has handled the one from Kays directly or to the minor distinctions between the rings but I really would like to make sure to get what she wants. She really likes the rounding and simplicity of the sides/edges and also the inset channeling of the side diamonds. She also likes the slight inset of the center stone into the band itself. I would like to get the higher metal quality than the 14K of the kays(unsure if she needs platinum but I like the idea of it staying shiny longer since she will be wearing gloves a lot). I have searched bluenile, whiteflash, and a number of other sites listed here and have not found an exact setting.
More questions:
Are these ring designs specific to the companies selling them, do I have any chance of finding the exact setting in a different metal from a different company?
Is my budget feasible or should I just attempt to negotiate with Kays for a better center diamond at a more reasonable price (not sure how open to negotiation they would be)?
I am sure I will come up with more questions but figure this is probably more than enough to start. Sorry for the length. Thanks for any help/advice.
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