Ignorance is Bliss!

[Lil_miss]

Hello,
As with a lot of people, before I found this site I was ready for my boyfriend and I to just go into Zales and buy the ring I wanted. I then asked a friend where her boyfriend got her ring and she told me about James Allen, one thing led to another and we have been searching the internet endlessly for days learning about vendors, settings and diamonds. This site has been a HUGE help, just reading other peoples questions and responses, but after everything I read, to say that we dazed and confused is an understatement! All of the info makes me wanna cry! So please can you help us? This is what I know for sure ;
Budget: $5000 (including diamond & setting)
Cut: Round
Setting: Halo , with a sapphire somewhere underneath the halo (to represent my mother) some examples I love;
http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11324018&locale=en_US
http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12111047
http://www.bluenile.com/ca/sapphire-diamond-14k-white-gold-engagement-ring_21363
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Produc..._Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&topnav=

Now to the nitty gritty, I don't know if I should only look for diamonds with a colour of GHI or with the clairity of VVS1 or VS1 based on my setting. Should I sacrifice the carat size for a hearts and arrow diamond or a cut above? Will I be able to tell the difference between a .080 and .085 based on othe setting? Shoud I go with whiteflash or james allen? I have heard amazing things about both, but neither of them have the exact design I want and the custom price quotes seem a little high to me.
Everyone on this site seems genuinely interested in helping out and spreading their knowledge. Help us Please!
Jenn & Marc

 

[Enerchi]

Hey J&M, welcome to PS.

If you are on a tight budget, I'd also suggest CALLING Luann or Yekutiel and speaking directly to them, at IDJewelry. You can browse their online site as well for settings and they seem to be wonderful about meeting dreams on a budget.

Here are some settings that seem similar to the ones you've picked, and give you an idea of setting prices from IDJ:
http://idjewelryonline.com/product_info.php?cPath=42_132&products_id=17241&cType=ER $2495 (most expensive... just showing!)
http://idjewelryonline.com/product_info.php?cPath=42_132&products_id=17179&cType=ER $1995
http://idjewelryonline.com/product_info.php?cPath=42_132&products_id=14698&cType=ER $1865
http://idjewelryonline.com/product_info.php?cPath=42_132&products_id=9414&cType=ER $1575 (different... thoughts??)
http://idjewelryonline.com/product_info.php?cPath=42_132&products_id=15384&cType=ER $1615
http://idjewelryonline.com/product_info.php?cPath=42_132&products_id=14769&cType=ER $1440

You can do a diamond search on Jamesallen.com, Goodoldgold.com or IDJ (above) but JA & GOG are vendors who will provide actual photos of the diamond.

You can also contact GOG and see what they could source for you in terms of diamond and settings. These are all very well regarded PS vendors who are able to work well with in a budget - good luck!

(I would suggest putting the bulk of your money into the diamond, if it were me)

 

[Christina...]

Personally I would go with the highest color and lowest eye clean (probably SI1) stone that I could find within budget. You definitely want an ideal cut stone, this is going to give you the light performance that diamonds are known for. Many people are under the impression that a stone will perform well if it has a high color and clarity grade, but this isn't true, the cut is the most important in that regard. It's not necessary to purchase a branded HA stone to get great performance. So unless you specifically want a super ideal cut stone I wouldn't stress about HA. I would also choose a vendor that has the setting that you want. Most vendors will not insure your diamond while it's being set if it was purchased through another vendor, many insurance companies won't either. JM is the exception so if you absolutely can't find a stone and setting from the same vendor then I would consider insuring the diamond through them.

 

[Lil_miss]

Enerchi,
Thanks so much! I will def try and give them a call! I had the exact thoughts ( I want to put most of the money into the diamond, not the setting)! The different setting was a bit too different for me! Thanks for you help!

 

[Lil_miss]

Christina,
Thanks for your advice! I will keep that in mind when deciding where to purchase the stone/setting, the last thing I would want is for the insurance company to say is "you're SOL!"

 

[Enerchi]

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9263/ What about this diamond, and for $500 more--- classic 6 prong Stuller setting

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9572/ J, SI1, H&A, great ASET and IS. J, if haloed, may not show any tint on the sides. Great 'bang for your buck" for the size, but please view a J with your own eyes. Some people are colour sensitive, some could care less....

 

[Lil_miss]

Enerchi,
I love the second one but I am hesitant because James Allen told me the lowest colour I should go for in a halo setting is an H. They also let me know that I could not buy a halo setting elsewhere and have them place their diamond in it because a halo setting must already have the specs for the diamond in order to make it. Is that true? Ideally I would like to have a one stop shop. I think I will also be in touch with Good Old Gold to see if they can help, They have glowing reviews on here!

 

[Lil_miss]

Is this a good find ?
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9707/

 

[ariel144]

I don't know if ignorance is bliss when it comes to choosing a diamond, it usually means you will NOT get the best stone for your money.

www.goodoldgold.com has excellent video tutorials on how to pick the best stone for your budget. high color and clarity does not mean that your diamond will be a great performing stone. CUT IS KING! not a high color and clarity. In a well cut diamond an I J and K color stones can face up amazingly white and you can get a larger stone for your $$. And an SI1/SI2 eye clean stone can also save you $$$. But it has to be an ideal or excellent cut. This is even more important to learn when you are on a tight budget, so that you can get the largest best performing stone for your money.

Here are some I found. I don't normally look on ebay except when someone has a tight budget, sometimes they can get a less expensive setting so they can spend more on a better diamond. But wow, this setting is great and the faceting on this OEC looks
great too.

On your budget I would make an offer on this GIA Old European cut diamond ring on ebay.
this seller is highly rated and this stone faces up 6mm plus the halo setting is similar to what you posted.
The ring is NEW and the faceting on this stone looks awesome. the video shows off the lovely faceting.
Old cut lovers what do you think?

Later you can have your jeweler set some sapphires in as well.
Or maybe you can get the seller to do it for you.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-1-2-Carat-GIA-Certified-Round-Diamond-Ring-14k-White-Gold-Old-European-Cut-CT-/330791882218?pt=Diamond_Solitaire_Rings&hash=item4d04bb8dea

This listing on ebay expires tomorrow so hopefully they will re-list it.
I would start low on your offer $4,000 and see if they take it. but $4995.00 for a GIA .95c J VS1 including the halo ring is a great price.
On old european cuts you look at the quality of the faceting first. They have a video too which I'm not seeing any dark facets at all.

Good Old Gold has an excellent video showing the different types of faceting in round cut diamonds.
this will help you in choosing which type of faceting that appeals to you personally:

Ideal Cut vs Hearts & Arrows vs August Vintage OEC vs Solasfera
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwiM3COzjFM&list=UUEV7slr-i-VduBBnfv9MxhA&index=88&feature=plcp

Here is another Old European cut on GOG an AVR August vintage round cut for high performance.
good old gold can help you find a setting in your budget.
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9574/
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8246/
hearts and arrows
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9572/

white gold settings

http://www.gabrielny.com/amavida/style/ER7924W83JJ

http://www.gabrielny.com/amavida/style/ER7925W83JJ

http://www.gabrielny.com/amavida/style/ER6514PT3SA

Platinum $1725
http://antiqueengagementrings.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=2358
white gold
http://antiqueengagementrings.com/shopping/shopdisplayproducts.asp?page=2&id=22

Hope these suggestions help you to get educated and you will pick a diamond that will make you blissfully happy!

 

[Enerchi]

The HIJ colour issue is one best resolved by YOU looking at the different colours and having your own eyes evaluate them. Can you get to one of the PS vendors? If not, they can ship to you and you return the diamonds.

There could very well be a noticeable difference in colour to some people, between the centre diamond and the melee for the halo or pave, if doing so on the sides. Some people prefer the contrast, some don't. You're better off really looking at them in person to know what is your preference.

As has been mentioned on other threads, most mall diamond rings are probably I/J and 'regular people' (those not obsessive over diamonds like we cray cray PSers are!! ) would probably not know the difference.

Do you have some JA diamonds picked out? Do you like their halo settings? I do agree that the easiest/simplest way to do this is purchase both setting and diamond from the same vendor, but if that can't work out, know that it has been done plenty of times before you, where people use 2 sources to create their ring.

 

[Gypsy]

First, JA has an excellent return policy. If you liked the diamonds at Zales or Macy's you will probably be fine with J in an ideal cut.

That said, if you can find a Hearts on Fire dealer, ask them for an appointment and tell them you want to see I-J SI stones at 1 carat and go in and see what you think. They will be the closest local place tosomething that performs (and masks body color) to an AGS0 hearts and arrows.

 

[Lil_miss]

Ariel,
The ring on EBAY is EXACTLY what I want! But am I little skeptical about buy it off ebay? All those Gabriel NY settings are also exactly what I want!
Thanks for you help!

Gypsy,
You are right! If I was going to go into Zales and buy a ring from them then I probably don't know the difference between a J and H. I will look at locations for Hearts on Fire dealers!

Enerchi,
I have a few JA diamonds picked out I will post the links.

 

[ariel144]

Enerchi,
I love the second one but I am hesitant because James Allen told me the lowest colour I should go for in a halo setting is an H. They also let me know that I could not buy a halo setting elsewhere and have them place their diamond in it because a halo setting must already have the specs for the diamond in order to make it. Is that true? Ideally I would like to have a one stop shop. I think I will also be in touch with Good Old Gold to see if they can help, They have glowing reviews on here!

Don't believe everything their sales people tell you on JA.

I suggest you read this thread on the honker 5c J color set in a halo by Leon Mege. She states that compared to her E color engagement ring she can't tell much difference in the color and a 5carat stone will show more color than a smaller carat stone which is what you will be buying. This girl could have afforded a higher color diamond but chose a J color set in a halo. Here are some pics. There is also a thread with J/k colors set in halos somewhere. you can search for more threads like this on PS

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/leon-mege-antique-cushion.140739/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/leon-mege-antique-cushion.140739/[/URL]


Post by Thouarella » 14 Apr 2010 12:54
Thanks for all the lovely comments everyone!

It''s our 5th wedding anniversary, hence the 5 carat stone Image

Laila - thanks for adding it to the cushion thread.

jgny:
The dimensions are 9.95 x 9.61 x 6.71mm And I believe the OMC style stones face up smaller as well given their high crowns (someone correct me if I''m wrong on this). But I looked at a bunch and I vastly preferred the OMCs to the modern brilliants, plus I think this way the 5 carat isn''t too enormous (vs say a 5 carat RB).

We bought this stone from Leon just before he launched his diamond concierge service, so I don''t know if they will provide additional details now, but basically he sent me photos of the stone from all angles, set and unset and on a black and white background. No ASETs. It was rather a leap of faith to buy it without looking at it in person and without ASETs etc but at the end of the day we decided to trust his eye and we had just fallen in love with the faceting of the stone.

Before we decided on this one, we''d taken a look at stones at our local B&Ms, one who specialises in OMCs and another who flew in 5 stones from their sightholders in Israel. I''d also contacted all of the cushion specialists mentioned on this forum and gotten a stone flown out to me, though ultimately we decided not to go with that one. It is REALLY difficult to find a stone with the requirements we had (>5 carats, OMC or 8 pavillion mains, large culet, near 1:1 aspect ratio, eyeclean) and there were very few responses to our request both online and at the B&Ms. It was basically between this stone and the one that was flown out to us. Jon at GoodOldGood had offered to get an AVC cut but the prices of rough had gone up so much at the end of last year/beginning of this one, plus we didn''t want to have to wait!

So at the end of the day and after months of searching we decided to go ahead with Leon''s stone and I just love it. The J doesn''t bother me at all and mostly it looks icy white and I only notice a tiny bit of warmth very occasionally from certain angles (my e-ring is an E and there is a very slight difference but really not very much).

Leon did mention that now he''s set up this diamond concierge service that he''d rather find a good stone for his clients. He''ll still set stones from other dealers but I get the feeling that he preferred for us to buy a stone from him. Good thing we liked his stone best anyway.

gemgirl - I''m getting him a phenomenal watch. It isn''t our anniversary for a little while yet so he still has time to decide on his "dream" watch! I have a shortlist!

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-me-your-i-and-j-color-diamonds-in-halos.148208/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-me-your-i-and-j-color-diamonds-in-halos.148208/[/URL]

 

[ariel144]

Ariel,
The ring on EBAY is EXACTLY what I want! But am I little skeptical about buy it off ebay? All those Gabriel NY settings are also exactly what I want!
Thanks for you help!

Gypsy,
You are right! If I was going to go into Zales and buy a ring from them then I probably don't know the difference between a J and H. I will look at locations for Hearts on Fire dealers!

Enerchi,
I have a few JA diamonds picked out I will post the links.

A lot of long time PSr's buy off of Ebay as long as the seller is highly rated and has a generous return policy which this company does. would like other PSr's comments on that .95c J VS1 GIA OEC. Looks really nice to me.

 

[Lil_miss]

Yikes! Should I not buy from James Allen then!?

 

[ariel144]

Yikes! Should I not buy from James Allen then!?

JA is a very reputable company. But diamond sales people don't necessarily know everything there is to know about diamonds and settings. GOG sets many of their lower colored diamonds in halos and do it every day. you just need to go with a lower color melee (the small diamonds surrounding the center stone)

 

[ariel144]

Is this a good find ?
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9707/

Yes, that looks like a great performing H & A stone. You could not go wrong with that stone and GOG will help you find the best setting for your budget too. Did you watch their video on the different varieties of round cuts?

Ideal Cut vs Hearts & Arrows vs August Vintage OEC vs Solasfera
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwiM3COzjFM&list=UUEV7slr-i-VduBBnfv9MxhA&index=88&feature=plcp

 

[Dancing Fire]

Is this a good find ?
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9707/

beautiful stone!!..

 

[Enerchi]

Is this a good find ?
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9707/

Love it!! I didn't know you wanted to spend that much on your stone when picking out a few for you... but if you are looking at that range--- GO FOR IT!! It looks beautiful!!

Give GOG a call today and have a chat. If you get to speak with Jon directly, ask about your halo melee concerns. THis being an H stone, I don't think you'd have ANY issues! Keep us posted....

 

[Gypsy]

Is this a good find ?
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9707/

Love it!! I didn't know you wanted to spend that much on your stone when picking out a few for you... but if you are looking at that range--- GO FOR IT!! It looks beautiful!!

Give GOG a call today and have a chat. If you get to speak with Jon directly, ask about your halo melee concerns. THis being an H stone, I don't think you'd have ANY issues! Keep us posted....

With an H you will have NO halo melee problems. You can EASILY do colorless melee. Most standard high end melee is F/G and we always say you can go two colors up or two colors down. As long as you are at I you are fine. EVEN THEN, unless you are uber ridiculously picky you are fine with J as well. I'd stick a J in an F/G halo.