I''m shocked by the prices!

[Matt1070]

I took my girlfriend to the LA Diamond district last friday as part of the first step to picking out a ring. I''m in shock at how expensive everything was. We were looking at what the dealer called "Value" diamonds 1.3-1.5, I, SI1/SI2. Still, they were priced at $8k+

Is this right?

Why is this ring so inexpensive?
http://todiamonds.com/a%20088.htm

Any help is appreciated!

 

[Independent Gal]

Basic economics says goods of any kind are priced according to a number of factors: cost of materials (including rarity, price of transporting raw materials), labor costs, overhead, and what people are willing to pay. The setting you linked to doesn''t seem to me to be hugely overpriced, although you might be able to do a little better going custom, or if you shop around.

I would start from the other direction: how much do you WANT to pay for a beautiful diamond ring? and how much are you WILLING to pay if it comes to that? Then find out what kinds of things your girlfriend likes. Then come back to this forum, give us your price range and your specifications, and we will be glad to help you find the absolute best bang for your buck.

We''ll all tell you, on here, that having an excellent cut is king. No point in having a big diamond if it''s ugly and dead. Down with ''frozen spit'' diamonds!

 

[Independent Gal]

Oh, I see you asked why that ring is so INexpensive. The ring says 1.5 cts, but the side stones are .5 ct. So the center stone is 1 ct. The price, per carat, of a stone, jumps up astronomically at various points. So, say a 1 ct stone of SI2/J quality costs $4K, that doesn't mean that a 1.5 ct stone costs 6K. But rather, the price per ct might go up to, say, 5K, making the cost of the 1.5 ct stone $7500. Get it? The chances are good that the center stone in that ring is not very nice.

Choose a beautiful stone first. Then pick a setting to put it in!

 

[Ninama]

The ring in the link you provided is the priced at $5495 set with a 1.5 ct H/I SI3 - I1 diamond. A high quality diamond could easily triple the price.

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 8/19/2007 1:16:41 PM
Author:Matt1070
Why is this ring so inexpensive? http://todiamonds.com/a%20088.htm

At first glance I'd say it's so inexpensive because it's a poor quality diamond in a so-so quality setting. The ad doesn't say what lab graded the diamond (bad sign) but that it's an "H/I" color and a S13/I1 clarity ... says NOTHING about the "cut grade" or any of the proportions of the stone.

The most reputable labs (GIA & AGS imo) do not even RANK stones as "SI3" .. which means VISIBLE INCLUSIONS (flaws) in the stone. I can't imagine what their I1 stones are then?

They wouldn't be selling that ring for 5K if they weren't making a profit ... so they're buying junk stones & putting them in settings & selling them to people who haven't found Pricescope! (IMHO)

If I were you I'd decide what I could spend, find out what styles she prefers and then check out vendors who you know have a lot of positive referrals ... either on Pricescope or in your town. & if you post what you find either place, people here
will help you (via pix or #s) decide if its a good deal.



ETA: THIS is what I'd call an IDEAL princess ... from GOG, AGS Ideal, 1.26 cts, G, VS1, ID/ID $8675

 

[snlee]

I would check out this diamond price/price comparison available on PS to see if they price you were quoted is reasonable. Also, if you haven''t done so it''s a good idea to look at the Diamond Tutorial so you can make an educated purchase. Good luck!

 

[phoenixgirl]

Were you looking at princess or round stones (or another shape)? Here's a 1.36 I SI1 H&A round stone for $7317 for comparison. This stone has a better cut than probably what you were looking at, so that's a factor too.

Were the stones certified by AGS or GIA, another lab, or not at all?

Play around with the search engine here. You'll get a sense of what factors raise the price. Here's what I found searching for I SI1-SI2 1.30 to 1.50:

I SI2 1.31 EGL certed deep cut for $3532

I SI2 1.32 GIA certed possibly ok cut for $4310

GIA certed I SI1's above 1.30 starting at $4855


Is $8k + unreasonable for a 1.50 I SI1 GIA or AGS certed stone with an ideal/excellent cut? No. Is it unreasonable if you change any of those factors? Probably.

I do think that I SI is a good range to look for . . . at least we agree with what the seller you spoke to said there! I-J SI1-SI2 will get you a much larger stone for the same price as a smaller stone with higher color and clarity. The question is, how much do you want to spend? Once we know that, we can help you find a nice stone in your price range.