Inexperienced and in need of help

[XtremeSecrecy09]

Alright, so I stumbled across this forum today as I have been researching engagement diamonds online, and this place looked like a great one to ask newbie questions.

There is ALOT of info out there and I unfourtunately don't have oodles of time to spend researching this major purchase, so I am hoping to draw on the experience of the members on this forum. I am hoping 3 months is enough time to get reseach done on my limited schedule (and when the GF isn't around

)

So ultimately I want to get the best deal possible (as I'm sure everyone does). For this reason I haven't even considered mall retailers due to their reputation. I also haven't really looked around at local jewlers as they have a reputation for A. being more expensive and B. being less than truthful.

So here is my list of issues/questions to resolve:

1. Online vs. Offline

Unless someone can sway me otherwise, I'll likely be going the online route to purchase a loose diamond, and then going to a local jewler (like Spence or something) for the ring and setting. This way:
A. She can get a different ring if she doesn't like the setting
B. She can get a matching band if she so desires
C. If heaven forbid I get the wrong ring size (more on that later), then we can go there to get it adjusted.

2. When to Buy

I have been watching prices for diamonds over the past few months and they seem to be increasing as the Canadian dollar loses strength

(at the time of typing this 1 USD = approx. 1.30 CAD). Which makes me wonder if I should buy the diamond now as opposed to a little later...

1. Is it better to buy pre-Christmas (December) or post-Christmas (February)?
2. Is it better to buy pre-V Day (February) or post V-day?
3. For those of you that have knowledge of Boxing Day here in Canada... do diamonds ever go on sale in Canada on boxing day?

Something to consider is that proposal will come mid/late March... so when I buy the loose diamond is dependant on...

How long does it typically take for a jeweler to set the stone into the ring? A couple of weeks? (I recognize the each jewler will be different due to demand).

3. Where to Buy

Probably the biggest question is where to buy... Right now BlueNile.ca seems to be the best option thusfar to pick up a loose diamond based on...

1. Shipping to Canada isn't always offered and oftentimes costs and arm and a leg... but I can get around this by having it shipped to a U.S. address.
2. If I purchase something in the US I will get nailed to the wall on fees and exchange...
A. Duty is 21%
B. Taxes are 12%
C. Exchange rate is somewhere around 30%
= 63% on top of the original cost

so a $5,000 USD diamond will cost me $8,150 when all is said and done

Does anyone have any other viable alternatives?

4. What to Buy

I'd like a diamond that has the following attributes

A. Carat - 1 ct. to 1.51 ct.
B. Cut - Very Good Round Brilliant
C. Clarity - VS1 or greater (Eye-Clean???)
D. Color - J or greater
E. Cost - So I have a budget of $8,300 pre-taxes CAD or $5,700 USD (incl. shipping)...


The last section I'll get into more detail later after I figure out the first three, but is there for information purposes

Any help / advice people can offer is much appreciated.

 

[neatfreak]

I''d go online, before or after x-mas doesn''t really matter if you are buying from a reputable diamond place and not a crappy "maul" jeweler, I would rethink the bluenile.ca thing because you don''t have to pay as much as you think in duties and taxes, and if you find a setting you like online you can always get the ring resized locally...

The better online places like Whiteflash and Good Old Gold can often have a ring to you in a matter of days if need be. A lot of local stores will have much longer wait times especially around the holidays.

 

[neatfreak]

Here is a helpful thread on shipping to Canada:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/clarification-on-customs-duty-excise-tax-on-a-ring-to-canada.95853/

 

[beach]

I love Whiteflash. Just call them up and they will help you out. They are quick to respond, dependable, and eager to provide great customer service.
As for diamond specs, I like the G-H color range and VS2 to EyeClean SI1 range. 3 monhs is plenty of time so don''t stress it.... You have a nice budget too so have fun!

 

[XtremeSecrecy09]

Thanks beach and neat freak... that''s totally helpful about the duty thing... man I wish I bought US dollars when they were par!!!

 

[XtremeSecrecy09]

Am I falling onto a tarp here?

I know cut is the most important "C", but I find myself leaning towards ones that are higher in carat over cut/color/clarity... I guess what I am getting at here is I don''t want to be fooled just by size... I want something that is quite spakly (is that a word?) and will make her friends totally jealous and raise the "bar" for some of our friends ahahahha

What tradeoffs should I make?

Cut over Carat?
Color over Clarity?

It seems so hard when I have no idea what these characteristics do in tandem with one another... like does a better cut make the diamond appear larger? Will the setting adversely affect how it appears? If I get a J dimond will it be noticably less sparkly than a G?

 

[JulieN]

Date: 12/8/2008 12:58:28 AM
Author: XtremeSecrecy09
Am I falling onto a tarp here?


I know cut is the most important ''C'', but I find myself leaning towards ones that are higher in carat over cut/color/clarity... I guess what I am getting at here is I don''t want to be fooled just by size... I want something that is quite spakly (is that a word?) and will make her friends totally jealous and raise the ''bar'' for some of our friends ahahahha

What tradeoffs should I make?


Cut over Carat?

Color over Clarity?


It seems so hard when I have no idea what these characteristics do in tandem with one another... like does a better cut make the diamond appear larger? Will the setting adversely affect how it appears? If I get a J dimond will it be noticably less sparkly than a G?

A better cut diamond does make it appear larger, and whiter.

Color and sparkle have nothing to do with each other. A piece of rough has certain intrinsic qualities (such as color, and refraction index) but a cutter is needed to make it sparkle.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 12/8/2008 2:21:48 AM
Author: JulieN

Date: 12/8/2008 12:58:28 AM
Author: XtremeSecrecy09
Am I falling onto a tarp here?


I know cut is the most important ''C'', but I find myself leaning towards ones that are higher in carat over cut/color/clarity... I guess what I am getting at here is I don''t want to be fooled just by size... I want something that is quite spakly (is that a word?) and will make her friends totally jealous and raise the ''bar'' for some of our friends ahahahha

What tradeoffs should I make?


Cut over Carat?

Color over Clarity?


It seems so hard when I have no idea what these characteristics do in tandem with one another... like does a better cut make the diamond appear larger? Will the setting adversely affect how it appears? If I get a J dimond will it be noticably less sparkly than a G?

A better cut diamond does make it appear larger, and whiter.

Color and sparkle have nothing to do with each other. A piece of rough has certain intrinsic qualities (such as color, and refraction index) but a cutter is needed to make it sparkle.

Ditto, it is the skill of the craftsman who brings out the beauty in the rough diamond, THAT is what will give a stone the wow factor!

 

[LGK]

Cut is the major reason a diamond sparkles. Color has nothing to do with it. A visibly tinted diamond, like a lower color than J even, that is beautifully cut will be much sparklier than a D colorless that''s poorly cut. The color is just that- the body color, or lack thereof, of the stone. Basically until you start getting into the much lower colors like J and on down, most of us can''t see much difference in a well cut stone set in a ring viewed on a finger. (Face down unset and on a white piece of paper in flat lighting, you can see more color variation, but in real life situations not so much.)

Clarity can affect sparkle in the seriously lower range, like I clarity, which most folks would never buy anyway for an engagement ring.

So your priority, for a really beautiful stone, really ought to be an excellent cut. From there you can drop clarity to SI-something, as long as it''s eyeclean. Color is subjective; J is a great value but not everyone''s cuppa tea, personally for me, I can drop color way lower than that and still be quite happy... I wear an antique cut M color diamond myself. G or H is typically considered to be white enough for most anyone. Then go for the biggest carat weight you can afford given those parameters. You''ll definitely knock the socks off your GF with a diamond with a lovely cut. And yes, a well cut diamond will look larger than a badly cut one. Face up size for one (the mm measurement) and simply the edge to edge light return makes the well cut stone look larger.

Check out GoodOldGold''s website for some wonderful tutorials for the novice diamond buyer. They have some great illustrations on color.

 

[XtremeSecrecy09]

Date: 12/8/2008 3:56:53 AM
Author: LittleGreyKitten
Cut is the major reason a diamond sparkles. Color has nothing to do with it. A visibly tinted diamond, like a lower color than J even, that is beautifully cut will be much sparklier than a D colorless that''s poorly cut. The color is just that- the body color, or lack thereof, of the stone. Basically until you start getting into the much lower colors like J and on down, most of us can''t see much difference in a well cut stone set in a ring viewed on a finger. (Face down unset and on a white piece of paper in flat lighting, you can see more color variation, but in real life situations not so much.)

Clarity can affect sparkle in the seriously lower range, like I clarity, which most folks would never buy anyway for an engagement ring.

So your priority, for a really beautiful stone, really ought to be an excellent cut. From there you can drop clarity to SI-something, as long as it''s eyeclean. Color is subjective; J is a great value but not everyone''s cuppa tea, personally for me, I can drop color way lower than that and still be quite happy... I wear an antique cut M color diamond myself. G or H is typically considered to be white enough for most anyone. Then go for the biggest carat weight you can afford given those parameters. You''ll definitely knock the socks off your GF with a diamond with a lovely cut. And yes, a well cut diamond will look larger than a badly cut one. Face up size for one (the mm measurement) and simply the edge to edge light return makes the well cut stone look larger.

Check out GoodOldGold''s website for some wonderful tutorials for the novice diamond buyer. They have some great illustrations on color.

So go with an ideal cut, then go with a G or an H, and then the biggest one I can find at SI? I knwo that really dumbs it down but it''ll get me started looking at the right thing. I''m sure I''ll solicit some opinions from you guys on actual stones in the next few weeks...

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 12/10/2008 2:30:33 AM
Author: XtremeSecrecy09

Date: 12/8/2008 3:56:53 AM
Author: LittleGreyKitten
Cut is the major reason a diamond sparkles. Color has nothing to do with it. A visibly tinted diamond, like a lower color than J even, that is beautifully cut will be much sparklier than a D colorless that''s poorly cut. The color is just that- the body color, or lack thereof, of the stone. Basically until you start getting into the much lower colors like J and on down, most of us can''t see much difference in a well cut stone set in a ring viewed on a finger. (Face down unset and on a white piece of paper in flat lighting, you can see more color variation, but in real life situations not so much.)

Clarity can affect sparkle in the seriously lower range, like I clarity, which most folks would never buy anyway for an engagement ring.

So your priority, for a really beautiful stone, really ought to be an excellent cut. From there you can drop clarity to SI-something, as long as it''s eyeclean. Color is subjective; J is a great value but not everyone''s cuppa tea, personally for me, I can drop color way lower than that and still be quite happy... I wear an antique cut M color diamond myself. G or H is typically considered to be white enough for most anyone. Then go for the biggest carat weight you can afford given those parameters. You''ll definitely knock the socks off your GF with a diamond with a lovely cut. And yes, a well cut diamond will look larger than a badly cut one. Face up size for one (the mm measurement) and simply the edge to edge light return makes the well cut stone look larger.

Check out GoodOldGold''s website for some wonderful tutorials for the novice diamond buyer. They have some great illustrations on color.

So go with an ideal cut, then go with a G or an H, and then the biggest one I can find at SI? I knwo that really dumbs it down but it''ll get me started looking at the right thing. I''m sure I''ll solicit some opinions from you guys on actual stones in the next few weeks...

Be careful of the term Ideal Cut - some vendors can use it to describe what they think are an ideal cut but it doesn''t always guarantee you a well cut stone. Evaluate each diamond on its own physical proportions and desirable visual properties, with a trusted vendor such as WF, you will be able to find a beautiful stone!

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 12/10/2008 2:30:33 AM
Author: XtremeSecrecy09

Date: 12/8/2008 3:56:53 AM

Author: LittleGreyKitten

Cut is the major reason a diamond sparkles. Color has nothing to do with it. A visibly tinted diamond, like a lower color than J even, that is beautifully cut will be much sparklier than a D colorless that''s poorly cut. The color is just that- the body color, or lack thereof, of the stone. Basically until you start getting into the much lower colors like J and on down, most of us can''t see much difference in a well cut stone set in a ring viewed on a finger. (Face down unset and on a white piece of paper in flat lighting, you can see more color variation, but in real life situations not so much.)


Clarity can affect sparkle in the seriously lower range, like I clarity, which most folks would never buy anyway for an engagement ring.


So your priority, for a really beautiful stone, really ought to be an excellent cut. From there you can drop clarity to SI-something, as long as it''s eyeclean. Color is subjective; J is a great value but not everyone''s cuppa tea, personally for me, I can drop color way lower than that and still be quite happy... I wear an antique cut M color diamond myself. G or H is typically considered to be white enough for most anyone. Then go for the biggest carat weight you can afford given those parameters. You''ll definitely knock the socks off your GF with a diamond with a lovely cut. And yes, a well cut diamond will look larger than a badly cut one. Face up size for one (the mm measurement) and simply the edge to edge light return makes the well cut stone look larger.


Check out GoodOldGold''s website for some wonderful tutorials for the novice diamond buyer. They have some great illustrations on color.

So go with an ideal cut, then go with a G or an H, and then the biggest one I can find at SI? I knwo that really dumbs it down but it''ll get me started looking at the right thing. I''m sure I''ll solicit some opinions from you guys on actual stones in the next few weeks...

In theory, yes. But make sure you run the numbers through the Holloway Cut Advisor (under TOOLS above) before purchasing to make sure it really IS an ideal cut. Ideal is a word that is thrown around a lot and doesn''t always mean the same thing. You want to focus on stones that score under 2. Anything under 2 is great, a lower number after that means nothing.

 

[Upgradable]

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-636630.htm

Here is a beauty from Whiteflash. It is a J SI1, but as an ACA cut, it would give you the most bang for your buck while truly WOWing your GF and friends!