If it sparkles like a heart on fire, it''s good right?

[Rockitman]

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[dtnyc]

Date: 12/18/2006 12:46:09 PM
Author:Rockitman
Visited local jewelry store a couple of days ago, in search of engagement/wedding set.

Got a good case of sticker shock as I didn''t realize how much a single carat diamond can go for.

Anyways, the lady brought out 3 loose 1 carat stones. All rounds.

One was a Hearts on Fire cut, one was a Hearts and Arrows, and the other was neither and it was also uncertified.

Looking at these 3 diamonds, it was very hard for me to determine which one stood out the most. They all sparkled quite brilliantly.

The hof diamond went for over $7000, the haa went for $6000, and the uncertified goes for $3900.

This stone is an F, SI2. I couldn''t see inclusions with naked eye but we did see 2 small feathers through the magnifier.

This stone weighs 1.00 carats.

I''m also in a bit of a hurry as I wish to propose to her on her birthday, which is only 2 days away now. Doh!!

My question, is this a risky endeavor??

Like I said, it sparkled with the best of them and it also looked really nice when we sat it on a Palladium ring with a bunch of round and bagguette diamonds surrounding it. The wedding band matches very nicely, also set with rounds and bagguettes, and it seemed that that combo of stones really accented the center stone nicely. The price for both rings is $1341, so if I go with the whole shebang, with tax it would all run me $5600.

They have 90 day no interest, as well as upgrade options anytime, full price for current stone.

This jewelry store is the most reputable in our town and comes highly recommended. Anybody heard of Fresno Jewelry Mart? In Fresno, CA.

Is Palladium a good metal to go with? It looks just as nice as any of the white gold I was looking at and was told that it only requires occasional polishing and not that other process that white gold must get along down the line.

I was hoping to call them today and ask for the table, crown, pavillion, and total depth measurements, to run them through that HCA calculator, but don''t know if that will be available as the stone is uncertified.

Should I purchase the stone on the contingency that I take it to a neutral appraiser and if his findings do not meet what this store claims, I then return ring for money back?

Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated. I''m on the clock though, I hate this but I thought proposing to her at a nice restaurant on her birthday would be an ideal opportunity.

I think you are rushing things- take some time to do some homework and research. Do you even know that what she really likes is a 1 carat round brilliant solitaire?

Everything is going to sparkle under a jewelry store''s lights.

I would do a search on Palladium as there are a lot of opinions out there about this metal.
Personally I would stay away from it and either pay more for platinum or go w/ white gold and the maintenance that goes along with it.

 

[:)]

Please don''t do it on the clock - please educate yourself and take your time, this is an expensive purchase - she''ll still be there and you will be glad you made an informed purchase! Sometimes they look much different in different lighting situations.

 

[AndyRosse]

Lots of diamonds look great in jewelry store lighting. What makes an ideal cut diamond stand out is that it also looks great in many other types of lighting conditions.

 

[Rockitman]

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[Cehrabehra]

I would say - if *your* heart is on fire watching it sparkle, then it is the right stone. It''s like falling in love. There are criteria, and then there is za za zu

 

[AndyRosse]

This is my concern: The uncertified stone is a lot cheaper than the H&A and of course the HOF. Why wouldn''t the jewelry store just spend about $200 to get the uncertified stone certified and then be able to sell it for much more? Obviously, the uncertified stone is not H&A, which doesn''t mean that it won''t be beautiful (my stone isn''t H&A either BTW). But I''d be worried that the stone is not as advertised, so can you make an appointment with an independent appraiser? That would ease my mind a lot and then you could know what exactly you are buying and whether it is worth it.

Bottom line, it just sounds like you are rushing into this, and like the others have said, I would educate yourself first. This is something that she will have to look at for hopefully the rest of her life, why would you want to rush it? Plus, you''re spending a large sum of money. If I were you, I would either change my date for proposing or propose on her b-day and offer to let her help pick out the setting or even the diamond too. That way she will get exactly what she wants, and you can even re-propose when the finished product is done!

But that''s just my opinion!

 

[Rockitman]

Well I called them up and asked for those measurements. All I got back is that it''s a 59%. Not ideal but close.

I''m sorry, 59% is a measurement of what? Something table?

 

[bosoxbw]

Thoughts from a newbie--

If you asked for specs and all they responded with was "59%" with no other numbers and no other context, I would be concerned.

Are you sure that the diamond is uncertified, or is it just not branded?

If uncertified, I would not buy it unless the store was willing to let an independent appraiser evaluate it.

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 12/18/2006 12:46:09 PM
Author:Rockitman

Is Palladium a good metal to go with? It looks just as nice as any of the white gold I was looking at and was told that it only requires occasional polishing and not that other process that white gold must get along down the line.

Find out whether it was 950 Palladium or palladium white gold.

950 Palladium is like a platinum alloy (95% Palladium alloyed with 5% Ruthenium by weight). Like platinum alloys it only requires occasional repolishing. However, not many people work in 950 Palladium, it is not as white as the more common Platinum/Iridium alloys and is similarly priced.

Common 18K white gold (often called nickel wg) is 75% gold combined with nickel and other metals. ‘White gold’ is a misnomer:Gold is yellow, so combining it with lighter metals can lighten the hue, but not eliminate it. Common white gold is typically plated with rhodium, a member of the platinum family which is very white. This rhodium plating creates a hard skin with good resistance.Depending on wear and the quality of the plating job it may need replating after a period of time, just as platinum pieces may require repolish.

18K Palladium white gold is 75% gold combined with 25% palladium. It is more workable than nickel wg; wonderful for gemstone setting and popular with bench workers. It doesn’t cause irritation, which can be a problem with nickel wg and people with skin conditions.It’s white enough that some jewelers don’t rhodium plate it, but it does look grayer than rhodium and plat/iridium so we choose to go ahead and rhodium plate the pieces we make in palladium wg.

Both palladium options are more expensive than nickel wg.