I get an upgrade! and I feel like crying....

[Ellen]

dominicr, thank you. I understand, and also agree with what you are saying. I just hope to find someone who thinks and feels as you do.

And please, continue doing just that.

 

[BrownEyes]

Ellen:

For what it''s worth, my husband and I also recently purchased an anniversary diamond and setting - - we are both attorneys which makes us generally skeptical (but still very nice & not at all pushy). We didn''t start out with the idea of purchasing over the internet ... For us, it was a SUBSTANTIAL purchase and when we started the process, we couldn''t imagine selecting a diamond and setting without seeing them first-hand.

However, in the final analysis, we found that we could shop at our own pace and view a wider selection of better quality diamonds on-line - - including copies of GIA or other certifications and lightscope images - - like you, the B&Ms we visited didn''t present any information, and they all seem to carry very mediocare or average quality stones.

To make a long story short, we wound-up selecting and purchasing our diamond from Good Old Gold (GOG) (www.goodoldgold.com) but we also talked to the people at Whiteflash.com. Both are very knowledgeable, reputable and exceedingly honest. Jonathan at GOG sent photos via the internet of the diamond we selected compared to others in his inventory. All of our questions - whether by phone or email - - were responded to immediately by GOG staff who are not only knowledgeable but exceedingly nice as well.

The home-page of the GOG website includes photos of diamonds in various shapes - - if you click-on the links you will find tutorials and lots of useful information about what constitutes a ''quality'' diamond in the shape you desire. This may be especially important since you are favoring one of the fancy shapes ...

GOG provides you with the original GIA certification and a retail appraisal for the diamond, but since we purchased sight-unseen, we arranged to have the loose stone sent to an independent appraiser (D. Atlas & Company) - David Atlas posts as OldMiner on this Forum. All preliminary indications are great, and D. Atlas & Company is also babysitting our stone while we wait for the setting, which we also purchased via the internet.

Having educated myself and gone through this internet experience, I have since stopped-in to local, reputable B&Ms and still find that on the whole ... they tend to carry very ''average'' diamonds (i.e., I/SI1 or SI2 quality). I therefore wanted to share my limited experience and add my input that you will probably do MUCH better if you complete this purchase with one of the internet vendors recommended on this Forum.

Good luck and let us know what you decide!

BrownEyes

 

[Rod]

Good for you dominicr. I agree with you. I was lucky though, as I found a local B&M jeweler who was excited to work with a client who had done his homework and was a bit more knowledgable about diamonds. I do think one has to deal with independents for the most part. I accompanied a friend once to Zales to see a diamond he was interested in. The salesperson there had to have sold shoes for a living previously. She knew nothing about diamonds, fumbled all over herself when I asked questions and became angry and frustrated when it was obvious she had no clue about diamond quality.

This is why many people who become better educated have bad experiences at the average "maul" retail shop. It''s nice to know there are other B&M jewelers like yourself who are interested in quality and customers "in the know!"

 

[decodelighted]

I''m sorry your first try out of the gate was less than satisfactory! A lot of B&M retailers just haven''t caught up with us demanding/knowledgable/research-crazed "internet" shoppers. I''m not really suprised that some react negatively to a "smart" shopper - they KNOW they''re not gonna make the sale -- the chances go down significantly that you''ll be happy with the regular stock & settings etc that they''re hoping to sell. (Immature & short-sighted & rude it IS to take it out on the customer ... but not really suprising)

The process of getting your dream ring won''t necessarily be bump-free ... but armed with the knowledge you''ve gained from research, the happy part will be long-term! Knowing you''ve gotten a MUCH better diamond than 99% of average retail shoppers -- getting exactly the right stone for you -- and most likely getting a great deal in the process.

I''d rather feel smart & satisfied for a lifetime, than Cinderella for a day -- but that''s just me! Keep us posted on your continued journey -- we wanna see how this Fairy Tale turns out!!

 

[dominicr]

Thanks Rod. It is funny, I tell people this business is similar to restaurants. Think about your favorite place to eat. It is probably an independant place NOT a chain. (if Mcdonald''s is your favorite stop reading now) In our city, we have grown despite large chains here & the internet everywhere. There seems to be a clear line between independants & chains here. I guess it''s like that in other places too.

 

[Rod]

Again, I couldn''t agree with you more. I see long lines in front of "chain" restaurants and I can''t imagine why most people are happy with eating what someone else thinks they should like. I guess most people would rather be "herded," but for me, any restaurant that has to give me a "vibrator" to let me know my table is ready is likely a huge disappointment. LOL

 

[Ellen]

Brown, thank you! Especially for taking the time to type all that out!

Decoded, thanks as well. And yes, I''ll definitely post when all is said and done!



I really am warming up to the idea of buying online. lol

 

[Ellen]

Rod, LOL I don''t think a lot of people know what good food is. We took an all inclusive vaca to Cancun last year. I researched, and one major criteria was on food reviews. This places was outstanding on TripAdvisor......



Let me just say, after a week of laying around, eating, and drinking beer, I didn''t gain one pound.

 

[BBF]

Hi Ellen,

A quick anecdote: I walked into a B&M and had a chat with the sales lady. She immediately launched into the 4C basics, starting at clarity and finishing with color. I asked her if she had any pink diamonds in stock.

She pointed at the color section of the 4C brochure and said, "No, we prefer to stock higher quality stones. We have an M diamond, on the cheap of course ... but no pinks." She gave me a look and said, "I know a colorless diamond is a little dearer, Sir, but surely you want to give your fiancee the best stone you can afford?"

I let her show me the M diamond, commented that it was a touch out of my budget, and left the store.

 

[Rod]

Ellen, I know what you mean. I''ve been on those all inclusive packages too, and while a lot of people were mounding calory laden food on their plates, I was a bit mystified as to how I would get through the week. Food (good food) for me is a problem. I like to eat and it was beginning to show. So, at 50 (well being honest, I just turned 51), I decided to stop eating at so many fabulous restaurants and replace my food addition with exercise. In three months I''ve gone from a 40 inch waist to a 35 inch waist and lost nearly 30 pounds. The diamond ring I had made for myself was a congratulations gift to me from me for being such a good boy!!

 

[dominicr]

BBF, wow. What can I say? that certainly makes our job harder. maybe you should have asked for one of the breast cancer awareness diamonds

 

[Ellen]

BBF, ROTFL Oh man, THAT is a good one. Well, not really. lol



Rod, good for you!!!

And I know EXACTLY what you mean by wondering how you will get through the week! Hubby finally concluded that a lot of people think a LOT of food is good. I tend to agree.

 

[princessv]

Hi Ellen!

I wanted to share my diamond buying experience as I did eventually go with an awesome B&M (yes they do exist!

)

After getting very burned by a B&M jeweler my mother recommended to reset my grandmother''s diamond into a three stone for my engagement ring, my fiance and I were at a loss. Finally after 6 months we decided to start looking again. This time with square cuts and I stumbled upon this site read about the Jubilee and loved it. I knew I HAD to see it in person.

I called up GOG but they didn''t have anything in my specs (D-F VVS to VS) I was very picky because I had seen princess cuts before albeit not the best ones and could detect color and see inclusions. So I decided to give the actual cutter, Cary Horowitz a call to see if there were any local jewelers. Apparently there was not, but he was willing to send a few Jubilees to a local jeweler that he said he saw was very highly recommended. We agreed and my fiance and I were really nervous because of our past bad experience.

Turns out the jeweler we went to and finally bought from was great! Not only was he really knowledgeable about the cut of a diamond in particular he had done research on the Jubilee for us before we got there. We couldn''t be more pleased with service and patience he took in educating us.

I hope this gives you some hope and encouragement! I can''t wait to see the final product!

P.S. Jubilees are great!! Then again I am biased.

 

[Ellen]

Princess, thank for your story. I have a feeling there may be a B&M store that may meet my needs yet.

And yes, the Jubilee is beautiful!

 

[Rod]

Again, I''m not against internet buying. When I had my custom ring made, my partner also had a ring made in the same setting, only the center stone is a blue diamond. He accidentally dropped the ring on a hard floor the other day and one of the side stones popped out. Fortunately, he realized what happened and found the side stone right away. A simple call to the jeweler and we will drive there tomorrow morning, where they will fix the ring while we wait. As a matter of fact, our jeweler offered to come to our office and pick up the ring to fix it, which was a very nice offer, but we''re just driving to their store and will enjoy a cup of coffee and look at the amazing custom pieces they have (like a 4 carat natural pink heart shaped diamond - way cool). I like that I have a quality B&M jeweler I can drive to for service if I need it.

 

[Ellen]

Rod, you make a good point. And I''m not bashing all B&M''s either. Just got off to a bad start.

 

[ame]

HI! Patty mentoined my name and here I come.

Jewelers you can check out in STL for unique stuff are Vincent's, Vinciguerra, Genovese, Hudson, Hamilton....Simon's is supposedly great....Elleard B Heffern is also. Curt Parker I liked as well. I had good luck with Vincents in the stone dept, and Genovese was ok too but frankly the Genovese folks were really unwilling to work in Platinum which is just...bizarre to me. As far as who NOT to use--I do NOT recommend Neustaders or Clarkson Jewelers or Tiffany's. Also-I had issues with workmanship with Vincents but it's all been fixed and fine. I just won't have them mess with my settings anymore. Just sell me the stones I want. There is a jeweler in St. Charles...Roemer Originals maybe? That i hear is great for a really unique setting. And Michael Herr is where my aunt and uncle go, in Chesterfield Valley.

PERSONALLY---I say get your stone online, and your ring even. I think that goodoldgold.com would be a GREAT vendor to work with...Jonathan has a LOT of very unique shapes. You will find your octagon there.

 

[Ellen]

ame, wow, you ARE full of recommendations. lol Thank you!!

 

[ame]

Im full of opinions too. My engagement ring acquisition was a travesty....and my wedding band journey was...frustrating but luckily both are taken care of and are perfect. We went through several jewelers so I have lots to suggest. OH--my folks really like the Diamond Shop in Clayton but I wasn''t overwhelmed with them.

 

[Ellen]

Thanks.

 

[Mara]

I say keep trying offline but also be looking around online too. There IS no such thing as too much education when it comes to spending your hard earned money!! You WILL find the stone you are looking for one way or another.

I love seeing stones side by side offline but when we were shopping, we also ran into the whole ''1-2 stones'' side by side thing, and to me that''s not really shopping. But that is how alot of B&M''s operate, small ones especially. I''d go into a store that has large inventory so you can at least get an idea of what you are looking at and for even if you do not buy there. Go to multiple offline stores AND be looking online. Best of both worlds.

You do get funny looks when you tell people you buy online or have been reading ''the internet''....but in the end the one smiling is you with your fabulous new ring for a great price. So just keep educating yourself, don''t get discouraged and you will find your stone! Good luck.

 

[koko]

Hi, Ellen...here in Atlanta, I''d say that one of the most respected & highly regarded jewelers would be Solomon Bros. they''re a B & M, located in Tower Place, in the Buckhead section of Atlanta. They sell many designer rings & have an excellent reputation. A friend at work got her e-ring there & it''s a gorgeous 2.03 carat radiant in a platinum band. Her husband said the staff was highly informed & informative. I mention them because they also have a website that you may be interested in....it''s www.solomonbrothers.com Good Luck, I''m sure that you will find a beautiful ring; have fun looking!

 

[Ellen]

Mara and koko, thank you as well! really, you have all made me feel much better, and have provided excellent information. Thanks!

 

[hoorray]

I just quickly browsed through this thread, so if this is redundant, please ignore it.

FWIW... I just returned from a couple of visits to my local jeweler in my small mountain town. He is very bitter towards the internet, and towards me for having purchased some major pieces from Internet vendors. (even tho I spend big bucks on mintainance and other bench work with him, and we''ve been purchasing from Inernet vendors for longer than we''ve known him...) I have some lovely, high quality pieces that were purchased from Internet vendors. As I reflected on his bitterness and his comments about my "internet" purchases, I came to the conclusion that all of the Internet vendors I''ve purchased from are jewelers, just like him, they just have a different distribution channel. He doesn''t carry the quality they do. He is missing the point that we are purchasing from high quality jewelers, not guys in their pajamas drop shipping stones from a list... I encourage you to look as far as you can locally to both educate your eyes and hopefully find someone local who can provide you what you are looking for. There is value in having a local jeweler whom you trust. But, if you don''t find one who can provide waht you are looking for, open your mind to the inernet vendors -- they can open the world of choices to you. You just have to choose those who provide you a safe way to purchase. This group here can coach you through the process.

 

[Garysax]

Seriously. If you know anything about diamonds at all you''re out of place at many B+M stores and they''d rather look for the next guy they can sell whatever I2 K 2 carat rock they can. That''s not to say that B+M stores are all bad, they most certainly aren''t. But it''s definitely a question of going in there and finding out if these are people you can work with who respect you and your budget. Many don''t. So keep working, don''t automatically focus on WF (I''m working with them) and GOG online because of these forums, there are others, but keep in mind that in my experience online retailers tend to assume a little more about your knowledge than B+M retailers. Just like car dealers--the second you e-mail the car dealer internet rep he/she almost immediately gives you a better price than you would have recieved haggling for 3 hours with an on the ground salesman--because just by the fact that you''re working with him online he knows that you likely have a certain amount of knowledge.

Hang in there, you''ll find someone.

 

[dominicr]

lop:
I hope once you met your local jeweler and wanted to make a purchase, you at least gave him the chance to compete. If you did, he should not be bitter. Maybe he feels you spend the big $ online, and then bring him the scraps.

 

[hoorray]

dominicr:

I did not know this jeweler when we bought my upgrade -- we hadn''t moved into town yet, and he knows that, so he has no right to be bitter about that purchase. We did and do continue to shop around our local jewelers in both towns. I have not been able to find the selection or the quality, much less anything close to competitive pricing. We specifically did go to him for my studs, but what he was offering was 50% higher in price, and not near the specs I was interested in. He only had one set of ideal stones, so it was those or nothing. Interestingly, he has never offered to bring in stones from a list -- he only offers what he has on hand, and doesn''t seem to have good sources. My husband repeatedly says that if our local guy was at least in the ballpark, he would buy from him. But, he is not, and DH is tired of hearing about it.

I would love to have a local jeweler to buy from. I think there are good ones out there. I just don''t live in a major met area, and have not found someone who can offer anything comparable to what I can find on line. My point is not to give up on the local vendors, but to give the online vendors a chance as well if you can''t find what you are looking for locally.

 

[dominicr]

You did exactly what was reasonable. He got his chance to compete and did not. I would never let a sale go to the internet when this is the opportunity for him to see what you are looking at and how much you could get it for. He blew a chance to make a sale (even if he didn''t make as much $ as he would have liked) and build loyalty & trust.

 

[Catmom]

lop, I''m sorry your local B&M has responded that way. My husband and I tried really hard to buy my upgraded pendant stone from my local B&M but they wouldn''t budge on price. They had only one H & A stone in the size I was looking for outside of Hearts on Fire stones. They did not even offer to bring more in. So we bought online, AGS000 H & A for almost $1,000 less!

Ellen, even with the above said, there are some local B&Ms that are finally beginning to understand and change with the times. I just spotted an ad in our local paper for a "3 generation family jeweler" and this was highlighted in his ad........."Guaranteed We will beat any competitor''s price on loose diamonds [including online bids], GIA/EGL certificates." Now I haven''t been in this store to check this out but I thought it was very interesting that they would offer to match online prices. If they understand about online pricing, I''m hoping they understand that means more knowledgeable consumers. Definately a place to check out!

 

[Ellen]

Again, thanks for everyones help and input!