Is an estate Cartier ring worth it..?

[Love Street]

Hi - I''m newly engaged, and my fiance is letting me pick my own ring - which means I now have to know everything I can about diamonds! I''ve been eavesdropping here and I''m really impressed by you all. I would really love and appreciate any advice you could give me on a ring that I''ve become inordinately attached to in my 7-day search.

It is a Cartier 1.04ct. E VS2 brilliant oval with 3 bead-set stones on either side, total = .19 ct., in platinum.
The center oval is GIA certified, with the following specs:

7.47 x 5.73 x 3.98
Depth 69.5%
Table 51%
Girdle Slightly thick - thick, faceted
No Florescence

I don''t knoe too much about the ideal oval cut; what do you guys think?
Also, the jeweler does not have any additional info. regarding the cut, no sarin report or anything. AND he does not have any of the original Cartier paperwork, although he stands by is 100%(and the incredibly beatiful, hand-made setting looks like Cartier to this non-expert). There''s a Cartier boutique directly across from his store, so it probably wouldn'' be too difficult to verify - or would it? Does Cartier mark their rings wit anything besides "Cartier"?

Here''s the other thing: he''s asking $12,500 (though he said he may be able to offer me a "better price"). Also, he would not separate the ring from the diamond (otherwise I would seriously consider that, b/c I LOVE the setting but there seems to be so many more diamond options on the internet).

Based on this information, and the fact that the price IS very high, what do you think of the ring/diamond?
AND, I REALLY want the jeweler to bring the price down, but how does someone like me go about negotiating something like that?

Thanks SO MUCH again you guys and gals!! I look forward to learning from you guys! (And sorry this post is so long!!)

Love Street

 

[Love Street]

Here is a (TERRIBLE, bluish) picture of the ring (in reality it's VERY white), just so you guys can see the setting. Also, I haven't seen too many bead settings around (except for a nice pic on Show Me the Ring) - anyone have any ideas where I could find a similar one on the web?

Thanks so much again!

Love Street

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Hi Love. Although it's difficult to tell without crown & pavilion data, the cut on this diamond is probably very good. From the picture it looks like typical drop-dead Cartier gorgeous, along with a really classy mounting.

The down side is the hefty price tag because of the Cartier origin. For example, you could probably put together this same ring with non-Cartier diamonds and mounting of equal quality for somewhere between $7,000 to $8,500, depending on what type of dealer you purchased it from and what level of markup they operate at.

That's not to say the Cartier isn't worth it, because their name does carry weight, and they're usually pretty particular about the stones they pick and the craftsmen they use.

If it was me though, I think I'd check my options before I plunked down over 12 grand on a 1 carat diamond ring. You might find some of those options even more appealing than the Cartier, for less money. There's several vendors on this forum who could supply you with that stone in an amazing make for substantially less money. There's also craftsmen that consumers on this forum could recommend to you who put out Cartier quality work.

That said, if you are intent on getting this particular ring, you might insist on the price dropping substantially before you consider it. If you can get the same thing non-Cartier for $7-8500, then you have to decide how much of a premium that Cartier name is worth to you. If you decided that it was worth say, a 20% premium, then you would want to purchase it in the $8400-$10200 neighborhood. A 25% premium would put you in the $8750-10600 neighborhood...

Figure out how much you're willing to spend and then try and negotiate them down to that point. Tell them you love the ring but it's just out of your budget. If you can't get them to come to a point you consider reasonable, then you know you have the non-Cartier as good or better option open to you.

 

[Mara]

Very pretty! What about getting it independently appraised before purchase? Or will he let you take it across to Cartier to verify it before purchase? Either of these may set your mind at ease. If you love the ring, and it sounds you are becoming attached, you may just want to try negotiating with the vendor. If you know you can build the same ring online for around $7k with a reputable vendor (just taking Rich's #'s), I would use that as ammo. Yes you have the Cartier brand name, it comes down to how much that is worth over the $7k to both yourself and the vendor. Maybe you can talk him down to $10k.

Bead set is pretty much the same as 'pave' nowadays...so run a search on pave settings and you will find alot on the web! You could probably get a .20c bead/pave similar setting in plat for around $700 depending on where/who you bought the setting from. So if you decided to pass on this ring and build your own, you'd just buy the stone and then either have the setting made or find a replica or something similar you liked and have it set.

Good luck!

 

[Giangi]

That ring is really gorgeus!!!!! So classy!
I agree with Mara... Should you decide to purchase it, be sure to bring it to Cartier to verify its authenticity...
Also, try to negotiate as much as possible... Maybe you can get it for 10K! It looks like you want it so bad!

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Hey Giangi, I've always thought of you as a man, but I just now realized I have no idea whether Giangi is a man's name or a woman's name!

Quick, tell me your gender so I can set my mind right...

Whew!

 

[Giangi]

Hiya Rich... I'm a guy... Giangi is my nick.

 

[Love Street]

Thanks so much for your help everybody! Very good points about price/value/markup. I would like to get the ring for $10k or less, but if the jeweler doesn't come down that much I can console myself with the idea that I could then pick out a different (bigger?) stone off the web where I would have ALL the specs - not a bad tradeoff.

One further question: If I were to get the ring appraised before purchase, would it be worth asking the appraiser to evaluate the cut? Is it difficult to unmount and remount the stone? And do most sellers allow that, given that this ring is sold as a "package deal" of stone + setting?

I forgot to mention that the GIA report said the diamond was G/G for sym. and polish.

Thanks SO MUCH again!! You guys .. uh..ROCK!

 

[Iceman]

You can have the same ring for almost a 1/3 less without the stamp on the inside of
the ring. If that stamp is worth the money to you that's up to you. Its a common
design and a classy one at that. Second hand Cartier rings like that do not fetch
more then they were originally bought for. The price is way to high for a common
piece.

Just my thoughts. I specialized in the field of antique and period pieces with ISA. So, take it
for what its worth. Cool your jets and think this out. Take all of our thoughts with a
grain of salt and let it help you decide

Best Regards

 

[Mara]

I saw a similar ring to this one on eBay the other day..but the center stone was round. I like it with the oval better. But the settings were very similar. If you are not set on the Cartier name, know you can definitely get a well cut oval stone with a replica setting for your $10k if not less.

Good luck!