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ivan

Rough_Rock
Trade
Joined
Jan 7, 2010
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38
Hi Guys!

here is my story. looking for a engagement ring. would like something "eye clean".

for color, to the untrained eye, what is recommended for looking great?
clarity, vs1 or vs2
cut, round or princess.
weight - big as possible for my price range

price range 10,000 - 12,000 cdn

would love to buy online, have a address to ship to in California if i can''t get it shipped to in Canada.

thank you all so much, i''m having a really hard time with this.

Regards,
Ivan
 
Which shape does she prefer? Generally someone that like a princess will not like a round.
 
You could go to an SI 1 even to be eye clean. Could help get you a bigger size. Whatever you do, don't sacrifice cut for price. That is one thing I have learned on this site.

Ditto last poster, find out what shape she likes better

*edited about shape- didn't read carefully!!
 
Hi stone cold, thank you for your reply.

I am keeping this a complete surprise, so she will have no input in the shape. I know her, and she will love whatever i get. round and princess are my top 2 picks. I''d like round if i could get picky.
 
Hello petrock,

I am thinking si1 is the best i could go for my price range. Thanks about the cut advice, appreciate it.

are there any sites anyone can reccomend for me to shop on?

Thanks.
 
Many of the online sites ship to Canada and they are very competent doing it. It honestly took me 3 years to work up the nerve to buy online and from the US. It went very smoothly. There was a slight delay while Fedex cleared customs and I paid the taxes. If you need the ring quickly take that into consideration.

BlueNile.ca (same stones as the US just in Canadian prices) is very, very fast if you''re buying a signature stone. They have you pay the taxes with the price and so there is less delay. Just be certain that you get everything the way you want it because the paperwork for a return is a major pita.

I got my ring from Brian Gavin Diamonds and he knew the routine too. There are many companies that are experienced with shipping to Canada. I would start with that requirement as it will make everything easier. You won''t be limiting yourself in the number of diamonds that meet your expectations.

If you had it sent to a friend in California you might have more troubles with him sending the ring to you unless he is in the shipping business.

For insurance purposes later you''ll need an appraisal in Canadian funds. It is not a requirement to find a GIA certified vs AGS stone, it is just easier to find appraisers who are GIA certified depending where you live in Canada. Check out who you have in your area.

The experts can help you with the stone.
 
Thanks for the reply Jan can. I''m quite nervous about buying from a us as well. I was actually looking at Brian Gavin just now.

Blue nile is good?
 
price range 10,000 - 12,000 cdn
Click to expand...

Translate this into approximately $10,000 US. The Canadian dollar is great but it still does cost to buy the US dollar. Allow for $50 if Ivan wants to buy a Bank wire and then 12 - 13% taxes when the ring comes into Canada.

Ivan can clarify if his budget included the taxes.
 
Blue Nile - I''m not going to say they are good or bad. They''re extremely efficient. I wouldn''t buy anything but a Signature & VS2+ from them so would be willing to do that. That''s just what I would get if I was wanting a stone there.

Having said that, other vendors will supply much more information that the experts here can evaluate and help you with. Those vendors have the ability to physically examine the diamond before selling it to you. Blue Nile doesn''t do that, at least not that I know of.

Also check out the bands, including WB, so you know how much is left for the actual diamond.
 
all this makes a person really think if they are saving any money buying from the us, hey?

gonna check out blue nile.

any other vendors anyone?
 
Pay attention to return policies, in case the diamond or the setting don''t appeal to you or her when you receive it. Try to pick a vendor with a 3-day return. 10 days doesn''t sound adequate to get something into Canada and shipped back.

Upgrade, trade-in, and buyback are policies you should also look at. I have bought from Good Old Gold, twice. Wink''s High Performance Diamonds or Todd at NiceIce may be a good choice if you are in western Canada.

Also, be certain that your and the vendor''s definition of "eye clean" agree. Most buyers mean that they don''t want to see any inclusions without a loupe. Many vendors say "eye clean" is at 12" or 18" or whatever. So, if you mean eye clean at 6" be sure that the stone is that or keep looking.

Someone on here said vendors get batches of stones every 6 weeks or so. I don''t know, but allow yourself at least 4 weeks to find the right one, and those custom settings take 4 weeks or more is most cases if not assembled from stock findings (components.)
 
Date: 3/28/2010 4:37:56 PM
Author: HVVS
Try to pick a vendor with a 3-day return. 10 days doesn''t sound adequate to get something into Canada and shipped back.
Click to expand...

You mean 30days right?

I would not buy a princess from BN, unless it comes with an AGS report with a AGS0 in cut performance, as GIA do not grade the cut performance of fancy cut.
 
thanks for the info on the return policies Hvvs, never thought of that.

gotta step out for a bit, post again in a few hours.

thanks and regards
 
Date: 3/28/2010 4:35:26 PM
Author: ivan
all this makes a person really think if they are saving any money buying from the us, hey?
Click to expand...

You''re going to get more choices and better quality than your local B&M store. The online sites give you more information to work with. Even Blue Nile gives you more information than many stores do and you don''t have to listen to the upsell.

Don''t think about the sales tax because you''d be paying that in Canada too.

I was leary about using the Bank Wire but finally decided that the discount was worth it.

Many dealers also give you the PriceScope discount too. 3% PS + 2% Bank Wire adds to the savings.

I was more than satisfied that I got a much better deal for the same quality of diamond than in a local store. The appraisal indicated this too.

The only disadvantage that I can see is your yearly? cleaning. I don''t know how long I''ll live in this town so expect to pay for this service wherever I live. The price difference more than compensates for this cost.

Be certain to get your gf''s finger properly sized before ordering your ring. Do you know what style she wants? Someone recently wrote about getting their ring and then sending it back for resizing and a different style ring. They still raved about the cost savings.
 
I like this cushion. It''s a great color and nice size. I prefer cushions to princesses http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4489/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/6928/ Round but a little different, and stunning.

http://www.highperformancediamonds.com/index.php?page=view-id-diamond-infinity&id=723 Precision cut Hearts and Arrows: great size good color; or a tiny bit bigger: http://www.highperformancediamonds.com/index.php?page=view-id-diamond-infinity&id=373

This would be my choice to follow up on, just beautiful potential. http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/D-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Emerald-Diamond-1101470.asp Great size, perfect color, great clarity.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Emerald-Diamond-1245440.asp is another one with potential.
 
The Good Old Gold August Vintage Round would look similar to this one (which belongs to Rainy Daze)

outsidebrilliance_1.jpg


ondesk_1.jpg



Oval three stone (owned by Kaleigh)

kov11.JPG


Oval with a halo (owned by Marvel)

marvels.jpg



Emerald Cut Rings

Dani''s emerald solitaire

myec2.jpg


Three stone emerald with step cut traps (UCLA Belle''s ring)

php4DKbpiAM.jpg


Emerald with Tapered Baguette

98761skt.jpg


Cushion Halo (Reena''s by Leon Mege)

reena3555.jpg

Cushion with a Pave Band
1983786.jpg


Cushion%20-%20double%20pave.JPG
 
Loving that oval 3 stone!
 
@jan can- what does b+m store mean?
good point on the sales tax.
pricescope discount is awesome. great!

i didnt even know you had to clean diamonds. lol. whats this cost? i can get her ring size from her sister.

thanks so much for the advice!
 
thank you so much gypsy. this links are kinda what i need help with, what experienced people are buying..

question, what kind of settings should i be looking for if i go with emerald or oval?

are vs2 imperfections easier to see in a emerald?
is clarity also more noticeable in a emerald?
 
jgny, i''m looking for finger coverage.

can''t get that amazon link to show, comes up blank.
 
i''ve gotta say the ovals are my favorites in the pic''s

thanks for those, makes what i''m looking for easier!
 
Hi all,


another question.

what does"egl" report mean?
 
I like three stone setting for ovals and emeralds. It depends on how much you want to spend. Two baguettes on either side of the center will likely be the most afforable, other sides stones would likely cost more... for an oval half moons (like Kaleigh's), or pears or two more ovals, or bullets, for an emerald cut you can go for step cut traps, bullets, cadillac cut sidestones. There are many options.

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/home/ring-details/?product_id=5449 This is nice for an Emerald Cut. And affordable.

VS2 has a great chance of being eyeclean iwth any cut, and with any diamond you should ask about clarity of the particular stone in question. As for EC's yes, they are more clarity sensitive because there are less facets to hid inclusions and reflect light. But you can get a round that shows an inclusion at VS2 and find a rare EC that is eyclean at SI1... it is stone specific.
 
Kaleigh`s 3 stone is one of the nicest ones around :)
 
Ivan. B&M = bricks and mortar - the kind of place that you physically walk into.

Since your gf''s sister knows the ring size, she must know what you are planning. Has your gf ever talked about what style stone or ring she would like? There are so many beautiful choices out there.

I just purchased a diamond. My criteria was a well respected company/person, the ability to upgrade, and experience with shipping to Canada. There are several of these here.

Personally I like RB solitaires, but that jmo.

If you purchase a stone that can be upgraded if you ever wanted to, that leaves a lot of flexibility.

Talk to her sister if she won''t spill the beans.

Don''t worry about the location of the company in the US. FedEx is so efficient. You''d be amazed at the routes the ring will travel on the way to your house. You''ll be able to track the whole movement of it.

Another, jmo, I''d buy the e-ring and w-band from the same place at the same time so they match.

Once you find a diamond, have the experts here check it!!!

Good luck.
 
Hey Ivan,

Just wanted to say that I am in Ottawa and just bought a ring last week from James Allen. I was quite hesitant to buy from the US at first, but the nice thing I liked about James Allen was all of the pictures I got with the diamond and that shipping was free (both you will not get at blue nile).

As for USD/CAD, you will actually be charged a fee I think for ''buying'' the US dollar as someone put it, so you will pay slightly above exchange rate... I bought it at 98 cents, so wasnt too bad.

FedEx does hold it because of its price (even for my 2700) so you have to clear it with them... That is my job on Tuesday, can''t wait to get it ^^
 
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