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BSHAW

BSHAW

Rough_Rock
Joined
Nov 30, 2005
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66
Try to make a long story short. I have been ring shopping with my girlfriend for a Engagement ring. In the Mall she found a 2 ct TW, 3 stone diamond ring that she really loves it has 3 round stones in the middle and baugets down the side. It is not certified and I don't know much of anything about the diamonds but it shines more than any ring I have ever seen. Cost $4999+

My friend works at Jared's (Jewlery chain outside of the mall) and we looked at rings with her. My girlfriend found a setting that she really liked 3/4 ct TW, and we started to look at a solitaire diamond to put in it. My friend showed me a 1.08 ct Princess cut stone VVS2 clarity, G color, with a VG/VG symetry and polish(GIA certified). According to my friend this is a great diamond and a great deal at the price $4700 for the diamond, $1300 for the setting. Total Cost $6000+

Both are white gold and both are beautiful, My girlfriend likes the first cheaper ring a little better but it not being certified bothers me. I also like the solitaire ring idea for engagement more than a 3 stone. Also my friend tells me that the certified ring is worth more and that I am getting a much better ring for the price. But spending an extra grand for a ring she likes less seems silly too. I know these decisions are relative to alot of outside factors but being the diamond experts that most of you are what would you do and why.

Thanks in advance,
 
Could you please post the information on the grading report here, for starters who did it?
I would pass on the mall one, if soemthing seems to good to be true then it proably is.
What did the setting from Jareds look like?
 
I can''t comment about the quality of Jared''s diamonds since I''ve never been in one of their stores. But my question is why are you instisting on a solitaire when your GF has made clear she wants the 3 stone ring? Can you find a 3 stone ring that is certified? She''s the one that has to wear it; I would want to make her happy.
 
Does she like the style of the three stone better? Or the fact that the diamonds are larger?
 
I called the store and their fax machine is not working so I will pick up a copy of the report tomorrow. And give you exact specifications.




Date: 11/30/2005 5:17:04 PM
Author: pebbles
I can't comment about the quality of Jared's diamonds since I've never been in one of their stores. But my question is why are you instisting on a solitaire when your GF has made clear she wants the 3 stone ring? Can you find a 3 stone ring that is certified? She's the one that has to wear it; I would want to make her happy.
Click to expand...
Don't misunderstand, we have looked at 100s of rings and these are HER 2 top choices. When she started looking at different rings she only wanted to look at princess cut diamonds but when she saw the 3 stone round ring (Named Taj Majal by the store lol) she really liked that it was very big and it did sparkle under the lights at the store quite a bit. So I think Matatora hit it on the head that it may just be the size of the ring. Also since they are in different stores you can't compare them directly but the 3 stone was the largest ring we looked at in the mall. But I do believe side by side they would be very comparable.

P.S. When I called the store they asked what I wanted to know and I told them the cut information and they said it was Very Good/ Very Good. But I know that was the Polish/Symettry are these 2 terms when searching on the web for diamonds the same? I thought they were 2 totally different things.
 
But, under the jeweler''s lights, anything can look good. Then you get it home under normal lighting and it may not sparkle so . . . I would check the return policies for both stores and make sure you can return the ring if it doesn''t perform as well in ordinary lights. She may like it now, but in the long run you will probably be happier with certed diamonds where you can verify the quality of the cut.
 
OK this is all the info they have on the certified diamond from Jareds. I thought it was GIA but I guess it is IGI. I even looked it up online.

Date : 11/16/2004
I.G.I Certificate # : 32322487
Description of Article : ONE NATURAL DIAMOND, DETAILED DESCRIPTION BELOW:

Shape and Cutting Style : SQUARE MOD BRILL CUT

Measurements : 5.66 x 5.62 x 4.12 MM.

Weight : 1.08 CARATS

Finish

Polish : V.GOOD

Symmetry : V.GOOD

Clarity Grade : VVS(2)

Color Grade : NEAR COLORLESS(G)

Fluorescence : STRONG BLUE

Comments : GIRDLE LASERSCRIBED: "IGI 32322487" ,SURFACE GRAIN LINES PRESENT


I know I can probably do a little better online but if it isn''t drastic I would like to do it all in one place. My questions are:
1) FLOURESCENCE---when I saw this I was pretty bummed out thinking it was a problem but searching through old posts on this forum I am getting mixed information on whether this will be a problem.
2) Can you tell if this is a good cut from just the measurements or is their no way to tell without all the other percentages you guys use (and I don''t understand)? I just want to make sure this is not a poor cut diamond, but it doesn''t have to be the "ideal" cut either.
3) Finally back to my original question now that you see the diamond in question on the solitaire ring which would you choose of the 2 in my first post?

Thanks in advance,
 
Date: 12/1/2005 1:02:50 PM
Author: BSHAW
I know I can probably do a little better online but if it isn''t drastic I would like to do it all in one place. My questions are:
1) FLOURESCENCE---when I saw this I was pretty bummed out thinking it was a problem but searching through old posts on this forum I am getting mixed information on whether this will be a problem.
Click to expand...
sometimes strong blue can cause the stone to appear dull or cloudy. you would have to examine the stone itself to see if it displays this effect.

Date: 12/1/2005 1:02:50 PM
Author: BSHAW
2) Can you tell if this is a good cut from just the measurements or is their no way to tell without all the other percentages you guys use (and I don''t understand)? I just want to make sure this is not a poor cut diamond, but it doesn''t have to be the ''ideal'' cut either.
Click to expand...
for a princess cut, a crown height and table percentage will tell more about the stone. the information you have provided is in itself not enough to tell about the cut.

Date: 12/1/2005 1:02:50 PM
Author: BSHAW
3) Finally back to my original question now that you see the diamond in question on the solitaire ring which would you choose of the 2 in my first post?
Click to expand...
get what your gf likes...it is for her after all.
 
That last question is trickiest of all because she is giving me mixed signals! She has told me over and over she definitely wants princess cut, and she is very modern with everything else she wears so that is why I am leaning away from the 3 stone round that she liked soo much. Also the thing she says she likes most about that ring is the way it sparkles which may just be the store and their "special" lighting. I would hate to buy it for that one reason and later out of the store when it doesn''t sparkle the same have her wishing I had gotten the princess cut she wanted. I really like the solitair setting that she chose also it was less cluttered.
I hate to ask except I have seen others do this for some of us newbies, but could someone show me some other princess cut diamonds around my price range ($4500) over 1.00ct that I could possible choose to put in this setting from an online store that may give me a better rock for the money considering the limited info I am working with on this one.

I can''t put into words how helpful all of you have been and this site should be printed on the bottom of every business card a jeweler hands out so you can get the real information before you buy. I almost bought the ring a month ago before I saw this site and I am so glad I waited.

Thanks in advance again,
 
bshaw,
if it''s all about the shape, go with the princess. if you think she would be mesmerized by madd sparkles, go with a round.
you can use the ''pricescope your diamond'' search tool at the top of this page to look for stones in both catergories.
i can tell you, i still like princess cuts very much but nothing compares to a well cut round in terms of sparkle. once you have seen a really good cut diamond that is ''alive'' you will know what i mean. best of luck!
 
yeah I have been looking but still don''t know how one is better then the next here are a few that look good to me. I tried to just pick them with very close length/width ratios, all G,H color, all VS clarity, with ideal cut. But the rest of the information (Depth, table, girdle, etc...) is all foreign to me. Some are EGL and some GIA but the prices seem very good to me. My Original budget for this diamond would have been $4000 even, so some of these are closer and even cheaper but not sure if there is a reason why.

http://www.whiteflash.com/princess/Princess-cut-diamond-1956868.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/princess/Princess-cut-diamond-2092790.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/princess/Princess-cut-diamond-1748398.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/princess/Princess-cut-diamond-1996077.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/princess/Princess-cut-diamond-2006467.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/princess/Princess-cut-diamond-2006468.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/princess/Princess-cut-diamond-1761264.htm

I know I listed quite a few but honestly they all look very comparable to me numbers wise so why the drastic difference in price, I love a good deal but I love my girlfriend, her happiness, and what this diamond represents much much more and I don''t want to sacrifice that to save a couple of bucks.
 
thanks alot belle you have been great
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I think the princess cut will make her happier in the long run. I am going to keep educating myself from this forum for another few days before I actually make the purchase.
 
Date: 11/30/2005 6:08:57 PM
Author: BSHAW
I called the store and their fax machine is not working so I will pick up a copy of the report tomorrow. And give you exact specifications.





Date: 11/30/2005 5:17:04 PM
Author: pebbles
I can''t comment about the quality of Jared''s diamonds since I''ve never been in one of their stores. But my question is why are you instisting on a solitaire when your GF has made clear she wants the 3 stone ring? Can you find a 3 stone ring that is certified? She''s the one that has to wear it; I would want to make her happy.
Click to expand...
Don''t misunderstand, we have looked at 100s of rings and these are HER 2 top choices. When she started looking at different rings she only wanted to look at princess cut diamonds but when she saw the 3 stone round ring (Named Taj Majal by the store lol) she really liked that it was very big and it did sparkle under the lights at the store quite a bit. So I think Matatora hit it on the head that it may just be the size of the ring. Also since they are in different stores you can''t compare them directly but the 3 stone was the largest ring we looked at in the mall. But I do believe side by side they would be very comparable.

P.S. When I called the store they asked what I wanted to know and I told them the cut information and they said it was Very Good/ Very Good. But I know that was the Polish/Symettry are these 2 terms when searching on the web for diamonds the same? I thought they were 2 totally different things.
Click to expand...
I''m sorry I misunderstood you. I didn''t realize her second choice was the solitaire. I got the impression she only wanted the 3 stone but you really wanted the solitaire.

So if I understand you correctly, it''s either the 2cwt round & baguette 3 stone ring, or a 1ct princess stone in a 3/4cwt setting. In the 2cwt setting, there will be a smaller center stone than the 3/4cwt setting, given the fact that there are more stones to make up that weight. Personally, I would go with the 1ct princess in the "less cluttered" setting. Are there pictures of both settings on the internet?
 
I am so happy you asked me that!! I started looking around for the 3 stone ring and I found it on their website by looking in their catalog and here is the link:
http://www.helzberg.com/hdsim/jsp/catalog.do?link=catalog&product_id=1624683&BV_SessionID=@@@@1810103535.1133475875@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccjaddggfhmijfcflgcefkdfkjdffl.0

It shows the exact weights of the diamonds in the ring and the 3 stones in the middle are smaller then I realized. The center is .59ct and the outside 2 equal .79 ct together the baugetts make up most of the difference. Again I would like all of your opinions butter after seeing these exact specs it looks like I am over paying for that 2ct TW statement!!

I can''t find a pic of the other ring but it is much simpler with a cross pattern of princess cut diamonds on each side. similar to this one but this is not it. It has a couple extra diamonds about one spot over from the center stone that are sitting side by side with the second diamond and they are all princess cut.
http://www.jared.com/images/rings/tn560662405.jpg

Now that I have some more info what do you think??
 
-LONG TIME READER - FIRST TIME POSTER-

DON''T buy from Helzberg
When I first started doing my own e-ring search several months ago, Helzberg was the first place I walked in to. I talked to someone about what I wanted in a diamond and they gave me a lot of info on diamonds in general and pricing.

Let me tell you - they do not have any clue what they are talking about.
(Specifically, they have NO concept of cut) I got the same answer you did when I first asked about cut (Ex/Ex)
They also have huge markups.

The best advice I can give - read everything you can (good old gold has a great tutorial) and I am sure you will end up buying something from one of the vendors through ps.

good luck
Mike
 
hi! I have bought from Jared''s before (a setting) and was pretty happy with them, especially the customer service after I bought it (sizing, rhodium plating, etc.) However, you''ll almost always pay more at a chain store than at GOG or Whiteflash or even blue nile. The only real advantage of the stores is that it is live and in real time. HOWEVER you''ll really have to do your homework about all the cut numbers and perhaps bring an idealscope in there with you or you may overpay by a lot. Also see if you can look at the stone in the natural light outside the store. If I were buying a stone today I would work with an online vendor, no doubt.

To be perfectly honest neither of the settings you posted are ones that I personally would choose, but it''s not about me! I personally like fewer sidestones. Of the ones you picked I prefer the Jareds setting.

You mention she likes princesses and is a modern girl. I think that a princess stone (or the other square stones) certainly CAN be very modern, but so can almost any shape depending on how it is set.

I''d recommend looking around some more and reading more on pricescope, maybe looking at photos with your gf and make sure you and she have your minds made up. Three stone vs soliatire, princess vs round, those are big decisions!! I know when I was shopping with my now husband, I had no IDEA the scope of what was out there. A lot of it I didn''t realize til way later!! It is better to take your time to make sure you know exactly what you want, and then, that you are getting the best quality for your money.
 
Check out the square H&A - can''t get much more modern than that.
 
BSHAW,

I''m curious if you are still considering the 1.08 Princess you posted the info about? In your original post you mentioned that the stone was GIA certified but the information you posted is from IGI. Why the discrepancy? IGI would be considered by most here to be looser on clarity and color grading than GIA. You may want to take this into account if comparing prices with GIA or AGS graded stones.

My suggestion to you would be that you first ask your GF what she''s looking for exactly. It seems that some of your grief is coming from the fact that she''s unsure about some basic facts such as solitaire vs. 3-stone, etc. Once you have a handle on that you can move forward and consider your options. You could even go with the custom-made route which would let you define exactly what you want.

I would say don''t rush into things if you''re looking for good value. For example, the 1.08 Princess is VVS2. Unless it is important to you mentally to have an inclusion-free diamond, you''re paying for something you can''t see in this case. Moving clarity to the VS level or possibly even SI1 could allow you to save a lot of money for a stone that looks exactly the same to your eyes.

Just some suggestions. You''re on the right track by being here in the first place. Good luck.

Mark
 
thanks mark I had this exact conversation with my girlfriend, about how confusing it was trying to figure out what she wanted and she did state she definitely wants princess cut she just really liked the other ring. After reading the exact stats of the other ring on that link I think I am clear of the round ring. She honestly doesn''t have a preference between solitaire and 3 stone but she always seems to select the solitaires in princess cut but with some diamonds on the setting, so that is my focus now. So lets move on to the diamond.

The biggest question is am I already getting value on that diamond (I know it is really cheap compared to their normal prices at Jared''s cuz I looked at one right next to it with a VS2 clarity and F color of 1.05ct for $7300)?? The ring is definitely IGI graded I honestly didn''t know that was a company so when I heard GIA and AGS on this forum I assumed it was the first. I don''t have the cut information but I did searches on white flash, diamond.com, bluenile, etc... for GIA one grade lower in both color and clarity and they are still the same price for a diamond that size and I can''t even see them. From what I read the IGI rating should be at least that close. The diamond above that was chosen from white flash as the best is EGL graded which I believe is lower than IGI and has lower gradings in all catagories. So knowing all that and knowing I can actually see the diamond in person and like it and that it is rated very high in those catagories, why should I consider a diamond online over it. Honestly seeing the diamond in person is worth a little extra cash to me. But I still don''t want to make a bad choice so more expertise needed. lol

P.S. I see alot of these post that last 5 or 6 replies and then is over and the person bought the ring, I know everyone says don''t rush but am I worrying about too many little details.
 
I just wanted to clear up a few misconceptions in your last post. I noticed that you chose all diamonds from Whiteflash to post, although you said you searched a bunch of vendors. Whiteflash, while a very good company, isn''t the only one who has a good selection of princess cut stones. Jamesallen.com has a good selection at what seems to be in many cases the lowest prices, and if you''re looking for exceptionally well-cut AGS 0 princesses, winkjones.com is a good source for those.

I just did a pricescope search and found many princess cut stones around $4500 with a GIA report, and while GIA has had its problems, I would still trust them more than IGI. IGI grading may or may not be close, just like EGL it could be 1-2 grades off on clarity and color. I understand you not wanting to buy an EGL graded diamond because I probably wouldn''t buy one either, but I also wouldn''t buy an IGI graded one.

I understand that seeing the diamond in person is important to you, so if that''s the case, you should buy it in a jewelry store, but if I were you, I would definitely buy one with a GIA or an AGS report and not an IGI report.
 
The problem with buying a diamond from Jared''s is that, unless you buy a Leo or AGS Ideal, you are not going to have enough information about the cut to know how well it''ll perform generally. The other problem, of course, is their markup. I did a lot of legwork at Jared''s in my diamond search - I was able to figure out the shape, size, and setting I wanted. But I figured out I could get a terrific stone for less than the mediocre stones they were showing me online. I ended up working with Denise at WhiteFlash to find my diamond - she was so helpful! I''d highly recommend them. However, you should probably check out Good Old Gold and the other vendors too. I especially like GOG''s way of business - they select some really terrific diamonds and give people LOTS of information so people can make informed decisions upfront.

My recommendation: Buy the diamond online - you''ll get a better diamond and maybe spend less. For the setting, you might consider buying B&M so you don''t feel bad having them check the ring every 6 months and clean it for you/your FI. That''s what I did, otherwise I would''ve totally had WF set mine.

Here are some GOG possibilities:
http://www.goodoldgold.com/1_00ct_e_si2_princess.htm EGL $4,340
http://www.goodoldgold.com/1_011ct_h_vs2_princess_ags-0.htm AGS $4,905

GOG also has some info about princess cuts:
http://www.goodoldgold.com/princess_cut_tutorial.htm
 
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