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Hi and Help Please w/ ER :-)

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sdrock99

Rough_Rock
Joined
Mar 18, 2008
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Hi All,

First and foremost THANK YOU everyone for all the awesome information that I have gleaned from this site. First post, but I''ve been researching/lurking for a couple mths. I plan to purchase an ER within the next couple mths and would love some help. I''ve been looking at WF primarily b/c I like the legato/harmony settings that they have. The gf really likes the Ritani setting but it seems to be out of my budget. I''m hoping for something around 1 carat G, H VS2, SI range. Budget is 6-7.5k lower is better. I''m interested at the following diamond and was hoping to get some opinions. (HCA = TIA 1.1 but spread is VG vs EX for all other parameters)

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-608074.htm


I also would like some opinions on the following:
1. S1 too low? Don''t want to see anything from any distance on any side. A lot of the ACA diamonds in S1 range seem to have tons of feathers,clouts, needles etc.
2. Appraisal - I know it''s personal, but if I do choose to get one should I send in the loose diamond first? Is one really worth it (someone please tell me what to do here. Paranoid, but saving $ is always nice)
3. Pave setting - The more I read the more I''m thinking I shouldn''t get it b/c of it''s delicate nature. Although GF (nursing student) really likes the look, and I''ve grown to like it. Also, it seems that finding a matching wedding band may be more difficult esp w/ the above settings.
4. General Online Purchases - What happens when ring needs to be cleaned? If a pave diamond falls out? Re-platting if WG (want platinum but $ issue).
5. Which would be preferred? Bigger diamond plain setting (cheapest), and upgrade later? GF has said she would rather have a bigger diamond but a plain setting is no longer that appealing to me. I used to think plain solitaire, but I''ve grown to really like the pave look. Maybe a temp setting and then Ritani in a few years. Opinions/thoughts?
6. Any recommendations on local san diego jewelers/appraisers?
7. Insurance before taking possession?

I know this is an extremely long post, but I''m really looking forward to the excellent advice from this wonderful community.

Thanks,
JS
 
Hi there and welcome aboard! Congrats on ring shopping. I copied and pasted your questions so hopefully I can help. There are tons of people here who are a wealth of knowledge. You will get great advice from a lot of people.


1. S1 too low? Don''t want to see anything from any distance on any side. A lot of the ACA diamonds in S1 range seem
to have tons of feathers,clouts, needles etc
You should be able to find eyeclean with SI1. Stick with GIA or AGS certs and eyeclean should not be a problem. It usually takes a 10x loupe to see any inclusions even with SI1. THis is not ALWAYS the case, the the rule rather than the exception. Look at stones for yourself and you will see what is eyeclean and what is not.



2. Appraisal - I know it''s personal, but if I do choose to get one should I send in the loose diamond first? Is one really worth it (someone please tell me what to do here. Paranoid, but saving $ is always nice)----I would have the
appraisal done once the entire ring is done. If you are buying from a reputable jeweler, or buying online, appraising it prior to setting the stone is not really necessary in my opinion.


3. Pave setting - The more I read the more I''m thinking I shouldn''t get it b/c of it''s delicate nature. Although GF (nursing student) really likes the look, and I''ve grown to like it. Also, it seems that finding a matching wedding band may be more difficult esp w/ the above settings.-----Yes, pave is very pretty. If your wife to be is using her hands a lot, and nurses do, you will have a risk of losing a stone. The risk is not great, but there are some ladies who have posted about losing multiple stones from pave settings. I would go with a channel set personally. They are less prone to losing a stone and a little more durable. But I agree-pave is very pretty!


4. General Online Purchases - What happens when ring needs to be cleaned? If a pave diamond falls out? Re-platting if WG (want platinum but $ issue).---You have a couple of choices here. You can find a local jeweler to rhodium the WG and clean the ring. If a diamond falls out, you would have to ship the ring to the vendor, they fix it, and then ship it back to you. Its one of the only downsides to online purchase--shipping back and forth for sizing and repairs.


5. Which would be preferred? Bigger diamond plain setting (cheapest), and upgrade later? GF has said she would rather have a bigger diamond but a plain setting is no longer that appealing to me. I used to think plain solitaire, but I''ve grown to really like the pave look. Maybe a temp setting and then Ritani in a few years. Opinions/thoughts?----maybe go with something that is not designer labeled? You can find a pretty setting, with diamonds, not plain solitaire, for much cheaper than Ritani prices. They aren''t through the roof crazy expensive, but yes, you can find cheaper. Then you could upgrade to the Ritani later on. I am a size girl myself, so I would put more bang for my buck into a bigger sized well cut stone. Thats just me though!


6. Any recommendations on local san diego jewelers/appraisers?---this one I can''t help with I am afraid. Now if you said Kansas City, I would be all over it for ya!!


7. Insurance before taking possession? As soon as the ring is finished, you get it appraised, and then you get it insured. Kinda hard to insure BEFORE you take possession, but it can be done within a few days of taking possession. Check with your homeowners/renters insurance and see what they say. My homeowners has a clause in it that covers any jewelry/art/fur purchase up to $25000 for 14 days while you get appraisals done for a separate rider policy. I have State Farm. Check with your insurance and see what they say. Good luck--can''t wait to see what you pick!!
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Hi Hairgirl,

Thanks for the warm welcome :-). I''m planning on sticking with probably an AGS graded stone and most likely a stone from the WF ACA line or do you think I should save some $ and go w/ their ES line?

Any opinions on this rock? http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-608074.htm

Re Appraisal - I guess if it''s unnecessary to check out the loose stone first I don''t really need an appraisal. I''m just worried about the quality of the stone I''m getting and from what I''ve read you can''t fully evaluate a stone once set. Would it be sufficient to provide a receipt for insurance purposes? I''m a renter so no homeowners insurance for me to tack on the ring right now.

Re Size vs Setting - I''m already starting to lean a little toward a plain setting as the stones that I''m interested in seem to be in the upper end of my budget.

Thanks (excited, definitely nervous, and everything else that goes w/ this whole process)
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Date: 4/3/2008 1:55:59 AM
Author: sdrock99

Any opinions on this rock? http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-608074.htm
Click to expand...


Nice stone. Scores 1.1 in the HCA. It''s from the "A Cut Above" range, so that''s not too surprising. If you like it, ask WhiteFlash if the stone is eye clean. Although since it''s an ACA stone, I''d be surprised if it wasn''t. Either way, the folks at WhiteFlash will give you a reliable answer. If they say it''s eye clean, it will be.
 
WF can advise you whether an SI clarity is eyeclean to your comfort level. They also include an appraisal you can use for insurance purposes, it depends whether this is sufficient for you.

For insurance try - www.jewelersmutual.com and www.chubb.com

As to an ACA versus ES, it depends whether you want the pedigree of an ACA, or would be happy with an ES, either can be a good choice.
 
Thanks Splinter and Lorelei for the replies. Anyone one else have any thoughts on setting/diamonds? I''m thinking of pulling the trigger on this fairly soon with the micro pave setting.

Can anyone find better for my ~7k budget? Would really like some more input/encouragement
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. Also, can someone help interpret the Asset/Idealscope pictures? Confirmed eye clean, but should I worry about the giant looking line in the "real picture". Seems like there are more inclusions/clouds etc. than in the report but maybe I''m just looking at it wrong.

Thanks again for helping out this noobie.
 
Date: 4/4/2008 8:27:12 AM
Author: Ellen
I''ll give you a link that has comparison photos of ASET & IS. The leakage you see in the round is good, don''t be alarmed. You want that to help with contrast/scintillation. You have picked a creme of the crop stone, nothing to worry about. And if WF said it''s eyeclean, then you''re fine. You shouldn''t judge from a 40x mag pic.
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https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/why-we-prefer-aset-to-ideal-scope-with-fancy-shapes.73949/
Click to expand...
What my sidekick said!
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