Is it a good buy? - Tanzanite and Diamond Ring

[MelodySaw]

I am very new to the gem shopping. I was going to buy a pearl ring, then this ring caught my attention. Since that day was the last day of 25% off, so I decided to take home for inspection.





the tag says:14K White Gold Tanzanite and Diamond Ring, round Tanzanite 2.00 ct

Round Diamond 0.24 ct . price 900 + tax.

 

[MelodySaw]

i forgot to say thank you in advance.
adding another photo.

 

[minousbijoux]

A few more stats would be helpful for the veterans around here who can price things in their sleep. Do you know the weight of the ring in grams? Can you provide more pics of the ring - for example, the underside of the ring (the gallery) and the profile? What color and clarity are the diamonds stated to be? I haven't priced pre-made rings in a long time, but $900 doesn't sound like a bad price to me.

 

[MelodySaw]

thanks.
center stone 2 ct. my pearl earring is about 9 mm,


I did not see any spec for the side diamonds.

 

[T L]

The melee look very included, but that could just be the picture. The price seems fair though. You do know tanzanite is a soft and brittle stone, so if you do buy it, don't wear it everyday and be careful with it.

 

[psproot12]

The melee look very included, but that could just be the picture. The price seems fair though. You do know tanzanite is a soft and brittle stone, so if you do buy it, don't wear it everyday and be careful with it.

I second that Tanzanite is definitely not everyday material. Take it off when gardening, lifting boxes, washing dishes,etc. and ideally only wear it on special occasions. As for pricing (source: ebay, blue nile, gem select, AJS, gold spot price * (14k/24k))

If you were to build it yourself:

Diamonds (look to SI1-I1, H-I in color) probably around $50

The gold would run you: (estimating 5g of gold?) $130

Tanzanite: $150

Jeweler's cost (building the ring): $120

Total $450


So, you're getting it at double what it probably cost the manufacturer, sounds like a fair price to me , at Rocks (Zales type local jewelery store), I saw a very, very similar ring (I think 2.1 ct tanzanite, .4 ct diamond SI1 G-H) for $1500, marked down from $1800 so it does sound like a good price to me.

 

[MelodySaw]

Thanks all for the comments.
Understand tanzanite is not for everyday as I would rather to have a harder stone instead. so this one may go back to where it came.

Saw the thread: Can we start a new thread with respected CS vendors?
Sounds like I can build a pearl ring myself too.

Please help me pick a blue stone, with similar size.

 

[MelodySaw]

Thanks all for the comments.
Understand tanzanite is not for everyday as I would rather to have a harder stone instead. so this one may go back to where it came.

Saw the thread: Can we start a new thread with respected CS vendors?
Sounds like I can build a pearl ring myself too.

Please help me pick a blue stone, with similar size.

 

[chrono]

Psproot12,
I seriously doubt anyone can purchase a halo setting like that for $300, unless one shops on eBay where the settings usually have issues (wonky workmanship, cloudy diamonds, porosity, hollowed out shank, etc). If so, please tell me where to buy it because I would love to get a decent quality 14K WG diamond halo setting for a 7 to 8 mm round stone for only $300. The colour of the tanzanite is pretty and I think the sale price is very reasonable considering the quality of the stone and setting.

 

[chrono]

Thanks all for the comments.
Understand tanzanite is not for everyday as I would rather to have a harder stone instead. so this one may go back to where it came.

Saw the thread: Can we start a new thread with respected CS vendors?
Sounds like I can build a pearl ring myself too.

Please help me pick a blue stone, with similar size.

Melody,
Pearls are also not for everyday wear, just in case you didn't know this, because you mentioned returning the tanzanite because it's not meant for everyday wear. But yes, you can also build a pearl ring yourself. With regards to a blue stone, what is your budget? What shade of blue do you like? The only blue stones that are up to the stress of daily wear are sapphire and spinel and the bluer they look, the more expensive they are. I am doubtful you will find a 2 carat sapphire with comparable colour to the tanzanite for under $1K unless you step into the heavily treated territory.

 

[MelodySaw]

Thanks all for the comments.
Understand tanzanite is not for everyday as I would rather to have a harder stone instead. so this one may go back to where it came.

Saw the thread: Can we start a new thread with respected CS vendors?
Sounds like I can build a pearl ring myself too.

Please help me pick a blue stone, with similar size.

Melody,
Pearls are also not for everyday wear, just in case you didn't know this, because you mentioned returning the tanzanite because it's not meant for everyday wear. But yes, you can also build a pearl ring yourself. With regards to a blue stone, what is your budget? What shade of blue do you like? The only blue stones that are up to the stress of daily wear are sapphire and spinel and the bluer they look, the more expensive they are. I am doubtful you will find a 2 carat sapphire with comparable colour to the tanzanite for under $1K unless you step into the heavily treated territory.

Chrono,
Thanks a lot.
I was thinking of getting a pearl ring with similar design of my pearl earrings. because I know that pearls are very soft (and it is not a good choice for an ring that will be worn on a daily basis, that is why I want to build a cheap one just for fun.

I purchased this tanzanite ring is because of its deep color, and i was told that almost all tanzanite stones been heated. I can accept heat only but don't want any stone that heavily treated - there are a lots manufactured diffused sapphires at local stores that look fake. It seems that un-treated sapphires are out of my reach, how about spinel? but i checked 'cobalt spinel', they are also very expensive. so leave me no options for a bluer stone.
for the reasons that most spinels are un-treated and durable, brilliant, I guess I could spend 2-3k to buy one either in red, pink or any other pretty colors. ( do they come in green color?)
Thanks again I really appreciate your helps.

 

[digdeep]

The melee look very included, but that could just be the picture. The price seems fair though. You do know tanzanite is a soft and brittle stone, so if you do buy it, don't wear it everyday and be careful with it.

I second that Tanzanite is definitely not everyday material. Take it off when gardening, lifting boxes, washing dishes,etc. and ideally only wear it on special occasions. As for pricing (source: ebay, blue nile, gem select, AJS, gold spot price * (14k/24k))

If you were to build it yourself:

Diamonds (look to SI1-I1, H-I in color) probably around $50

The gold would run you: (estimating 5g of gold?) $130

Tanzanite: $150

Jeweler's cost (building the ring): $120

Total $450


So, you're getting it at double what it probably cost the manufacturer, sounds like a fair price to me , at Rocks (Zales type local jewelery store), I saw a very, very similar ring (I think 2.1 ct tanzanite, .4 ct diamond SI1 G-H) for $1500, marked down from $1800 so it does sound like a good price to me.

5 g of gold for $130? Jeweler's cost $120 and a total of $450. Tell me where you find this?!?

 

[psproot12]

The melee look very included, but that could just be the picture. The price seems fair though. You do know tanzanite is a soft and brittle stone, so if you do buy it, don't wear it everyday and be careful with it.

I second that Tanzanite is definitely not everyday material. Take it off when gardening, lifting boxes, washing dishes,etc. and ideally only wear it on special occasions. As for pricing (source: ebay, blue nile, gem select, AJS, gold spot price * (14k/24k))

If you were to build it yourself:

Diamonds (look to SI1-I1, H-I in color) probably around $50

The gold would run you: (estimating 5g of gold?) $130

Tanzanite: $150

Jeweler's cost (building the ring): $120

Total $450


So, you're getting it at double what it probably cost the manufacturer, sounds like a fair price to me , at Rocks (Zales type local jewelery store), I saw a very, very similar ring (I think 2.1 ct tanzanite, .4 ct diamond SI1 G-H) for $1500, marked down from $1800 so it does sound like a good price to me.

5 g of gold for $130? Jeweler's cost $120 and a total of $450. Tell me where you find this?!?

My cousin works at a pawn shop so he taught me how to estimate the cost to the jeweler, gold is easy you take the spot price of gold per gram and multiple by the karat weight: $40/g X 14k/24k X 5g = $116 (because you wont get spot price, the jeweler will have a markup it'll run about $130). Basic rings like this usually cost about $100-$150 to make, I estimated $120. The diamonds, I just checked diamond lot prices for .4ct on ebay and blue nile. Get the idea?

 

[FrekeChild]

The melee look very included, but that could just be the picture. The price seems fair though. You do know tanzanite is a soft and brittle stone, so if you do buy it, don't wear it everyday and be careful with it.

I second that Tanzanite is definitely not everyday material. Take it off when gardening, lifting boxes, washing dishes,etc. and ideally only wear it on special occasions. As for pricing (source: ebay, blue nile, gem select, AJS, gold spot price * (14k/24k))

If you were to build it yourself:

Diamonds (look to SI1-I1, H-I in color) probably around $50

The gold would run you: (estimating 5g of gold?) $130

Tanzanite: $150

Jeweler's cost (building the ring): $120

Total $450


So, you're getting it at double what it probably cost the manufacturer, sounds like a fair price to me , at Rocks (Zales type local jewelery store), I saw a very, very similar ring (I think 2.1 ct tanzanite, .4 ct diamond SI1 G-H) for $1500, marked down from $1800 so it does sound like a good price to me.

5 g of gold for $130? Jeweler's cost $120 and a total of $450. Tell me where you find this?!?

My cousin works at a pawn shop so he taught me how to estimate the cost to the jeweler, gold is easy you take the spot price of gold per gram and multiple by the karat weight: $40/g X 14k/24k X 5g = $116 (because you wont get spot price, the jeweler will have a markup it'll run about $130). Basic rings like this usually cost about $100-$150 to make, I estimated $120. The diamonds, I just checked diamond lot prices for .4ct on ebay and blue nile. Get the idea?

Yeah, and you're wrong. You're not charging anything for storefront costs such as overhead or any of that. Also, labor costs are going to be a heck of a lot higher than $120 to make and set all of those tiny stones. My jeweler has never charged less than $35 to set a stone - and that stone was only that cheap to set because it fit perfectly into the setting. Typically it costs $50+. I had a rough quote from a reasonably priced jeweler that $20/stone when the setting is made for the stones.

If it only cost $300 to make a decent diamond halo semi-mount, everyone here would have a lot more jewelry.

I just got a quote the other day for a plain gold semi-mount with me providing all of the stones, and it was $690. And that is not a high end jeweler!

 

[airdancer]

Good way to guess at the base price!

 

[eastjavaman]

TL, can you share on how do you tell the melees are included by looking at those tiny pictures, I cannot tell at all.

 

[chrono]

Melody,
I do think you'll find it less expensive to get this ready-made pearl ring over something you build yourself unless you are going for a pearl of extraordinary quality. I like the idea of a suite and think it's great to have a classy pearl suite. You are correct that almost all tanzanite are heated to become blue. I also agree that a blue sapphire-like spinel is also expensive and can be difficult to find. Red and pink spinels are easier to find although no less expensive but you should be able to get something nice for the budget you shared. Unfortunately, spinel does green very poorly.

 

[T L]

TL, can you share on how do you tell the melees are included by looking at those tiny pictures, I cannot tell at all.

Well, they look like "frozen spit" in the photos, but as I said before, maybe the pictures aren't accurate. To me, they look really bad in this picture.

 

[eastjavaman]

TL, Thanks for your Expertise. According to a publication Pearl also need water moisture to prevent cracking.

 

[psproot12]

The melee look very included, but that could just be the picture. The price seems fair though. You do know tanzanite is a soft and brittle stone, so if you do buy it, don't wear it everyday and be careful with it.

I second that Tanzanite is definitely not everyday material. Take it off when gardening, lifting boxes, washing dishes,etc. and ideally only wear it on special occasions. As for pricing (source: ebay, blue nile, gem select, AJS, gold spot price * (14k/24k))

If you were to build it yourself:

Diamonds (look to SI1-I1, H-I in color) probably around $50

The gold would run you: (estimating 5g of gold?) $130

Tanzanite: $150

Jeweler's cost (building the ring): $120

Total $450


So, you're getting it at double what it probably cost the manufacturer, sounds like a fair price to me , at Rocks (Zales type local jewelery store), I saw a very, very similar ring (I think 2.1 ct tanzanite, .4 ct diamond SI1 G-H) for $1500, marked down from $1800 so it does sound like a good price to me.

5 g of gold for $130? Jeweler's cost $120 and a total of $450. Tell me where you find this?!?

My cousin works at a pawn shop so he taught me how to estimate the cost to the jeweler, gold is easy you take the spot price of gold per gram and multiple by the karat weight: $40/g X 14k/24k X 5g = $116 (because you wont get spot price, the jeweler will have a markup it'll run about $130). Basic rings like this usually cost about $100-$150 to make, I estimated $120. The diamonds, I just checked diamond lot prices for .4ct on ebay and blue nile. Get the idea?

Yeah, and you're wrong. You're not charging anything for storefront costs such as overhead or any of that. Also, labor costs are going to be a heck of a lot higher than $120 to make and set all of those tiny stones. My jeweler has never charged less than $35 to set a stone - and that stone was only that cheap to set because it fit perfectly into the setting. Typically it costs $50+. I had a rough quote from a reasonably priced jeweler that $20/stone when the setting is made for the stones.

If it only cost $300 to make a decent diamond halo semi-mount, everyone here would have a lot more jewelry.

I just got a quote the other day for a plain gold semi-mount with me providing all of the stones, and it was $690. And that is not a high end jeweler!

Just because YOUR jeweler charges you $35/stone doesn't mean that's their price. The cost to the jeweler is minuscule, especially if they ship in their mount from a country where labor is cheaper. The cost to the jeweler to make this mount would be around $300 ($130(gold)+$120(build)+$50(diamonds)=$300), you think the jeweler is going to sell it to you for 10% more than they made it for? I did take into account overhead and that's why I said doubling it at $900 is a more than fair price. If you were a jeweler you could build this ring for $450.

 

[Sparkles1]

Wow that's a pretty ring where did you buy it?Love it!