Is there an end to the madness?

[gti_driver5]

Hello all. This is my first post on here, so please bear with me.

So after 6+ months of reasearch and saving, I''m finally ready to buy the damn thing! One problem... I am so confused from what everyone says that I don''t know where to turn. There''s a large group of people the love online diamond purchases, while others just aren''t quite comfortable, and prefer to haggle with mom and pop shops. I am on the fence with that one at the moment. I also feel that I am so picky with diamond selection now, that I''ll never be happy with my final decision. Has anyone else ever gotten to this point? I want the ring to be PERFECT, but at the same time... the longer I look, the longer my girl goes with a naked finger!!!

What I really want to know... am I a bad diamond shopper if I break down and go to a local jeweler? I know I won''t get the best possible deal, but what''s more important... saving a few hundred bucks, or actually getting engaged??? Any guidance is greatly appreciated.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

GTI do both at the same time and buy when it feels right?

A $25 ideal-scope is handy when you are doing it live

 

[valeria101]

Date: 5/22/2005 1:09:39 AM
Author:gti_driver5

I know I won't get the best possible deal, but what's more important... saving a few hundred bucks, or actually getting engaged ?

Can't see what's the conflict between the two ... You obviously need to make that purchase and go on with the more important part of the process: the proposal itself.

If you have a good idea what she wants (or what would she be pleased with, in other words), where you get the thing for should not make allot of difference Online and offline are just two different ways of getting the exactly same thing.

 

[michela002]

You should buy from whomever you feel comfortable with. If that''s a B&M, fine. If that''s online, fine. The whole point of PS is so people make informed choices - if yours is an informed B&M purchase because that''s what you want then that''s your (valid!) choice.

However, the reason why so many people buy online after lurking or posting on PS for a while is that they get picky (like you are getting now) and often B&M jewelers don''t take them seriously when they ask for crown and pavillion angles, etc. Many jewelers don''t expect extremely informed consumers, they expect someone to take their word for it, so if you''re picky and demanding particular specs on your stone often the online companies are better suited to provide you with what you want, and for a much better price.

Personally, I feel more comfortable dealing with an online vendor who gives me tons of details about the stone. You might feel more comfortable with what you can see in front of you. You make a sacrifice using either. Using an online vendor, you sacrifice seeing the stone with your own eyes before buying, and discussing things face to face. Using a B&M, you (may) make a sacrifice in terms of quality or price. Neither choice is right or wrong, it just needs to be informed.

 

[Kaleigh]

The best advice I can give you is to educate yourself here on PS. Do the tutorials and then see what the B&M''s have to offer you. Are they giving you the crown and pavillion angles, will they give you a sarin report etc.... If you feel that they are not living up to your standards then see about buying online. There are many people here that are willing to help you along the way. We''ll even hold your hand so to speak. You can always return the stone you buy online if it doesn''t meet your expectations. So really it''s what YOU are comfortable with. HTH.

 

[belle]

Date: 5/22/2005 8:58:09 PM
Author: kaleigh
The best advice I can give you is to educate yourself here on PS. Do the tutorials and then see what the B&M''s have to offer you. Are they giving you the crown and pavillion angles, will they give you a sarin report etc.... If you feel that they are not living up to your standards then see about buying online. There are many people here that are willing to help you along the way. We''ll even hold your hand so to speak. You can always return the stone you buy online if it doesn''t meet your expectations. So really it''s what YOU are comfortable with. HTH.

i agree with kaleigh''s advice

best of luck in your decision!

 

[Kaleigh]

Thanks belle, I just said what you would've said!!!

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I think it is unreasonable to expect all B&M retailers to have Sarin scanners. If the diamond is already set then it is unreasonable to ask for the stone to be removed.

You can accomplish as much and more with an ideal-scope (Rock paper scissors)

 

[lostdog]

"What I really want to know... am I a bad diamond shopper if I break down and go to a local jeweler? I know I won't get the best possible deal, but what's more important... saving a few hundred bucks, or actually getting engaged??? Any guidance is greatly appreciated. "


Actually getting engaged is the most important, we all know that. Getting a ring that you think is beatiful and that your intended will enjoy isn't setting the bar too high, though, in my opinion.

The question is what you are comfortable with. (notice a pattern yet?)

The time issue shouldn't come into play unless you are worried about minutes and hours. Tell the vendor when you want to buy right away and they will move a lot faster than you think. Pick out some likely diamond candidates online and then call the vendor, start the ball rolling, and see if you feel comfortable or not with what's on the table.

Just because you have now learned a lot about diamonds, and about what good diamonds are, it doesn't mean you have to get the best of the best of the best, spending huge amounts of time to find that exact stone. Just decide what your target is, what criteria you'd like to have and anything you feel you have to have, and see how close you can come to that.

 

[icelady]

Date: 5/22/2005 1:09:39 AM
Author:gti_driver5
Hello all. This is my first post on here, so please bear with me.

So after 6+ months of reasearch and saving, I''m finally ready to buy the damn thing! One problem... I am so confused from what everyone says that I don''t know where to turn. There''s a large group of people the love online diamond purchases, while others just aren''t quite comfortable, and prefer to haggle with mom and pop shops. I am on the fence with that one at the moment. I also feel that I am so picky with diamond selection now, that I''ll never be happy with my final decision. Has anyone else ever gotten to this point? I want the ring to be PERFECT, but at the same time... the longer I look, the longer my girl goes with a naked finger!!!

What I really want to know... am I a bad diamond shopper if I break down and go to a local jeweler? I know I won''t get the best possible deal, but what''s more important... saving a few hundred bucks, or actually getting engaged??? Any guidance is greatly appreciated.

Hi Gti,

You are NOT a ''bad diamond shopper'' if you go to a local jeweler! It sounds like you are already aware that you will probably pay a bit more for your purchase at a B & M than on line. I purchased my diamond at a B & M because I was in the market for a fancy cut. I also am a very visual person and I needed to see with my own eyes what each diamond looked like. Working with the gemologist at the B & M allowed me to see and compare several diamonds (they brought them in on memo) at one time. Even though I am the exception here on the forum, I have not had anyone tell me I am a ''bad diamond shopper''!

 

[baltneu]

Other people have responded very well and not much I can add in that dept.

But...........

You mention that you want the ring to be "PERFECT", that is a very high hurdle, and if that is the case will you ever be happy with the purchase and will always have "Buyers remorse". Perhaps you want it to be "beautiful, and sparkly, with great specs", but perfect is a tough one. Don''t get me wrong, I know you want the best bang for your buck and happy with your purchase. Most people who buy do not get perfect, if that was the case we would all buy D color and best clarity. However, many are happy with G, I, and J, with SI1 and SI2.

Just my 2 cents, best of luck whatever you do.

 

[windowshopper]

I think you (sound) are overwhelmed and a bit confused. Your girlfriends finger being naked...........big deal. This is a lot of money and you want it to be right. You need a plan:

1-what are your minimum specs on the stone
2-what is you absolute total budget, stone and setting
3-reconcile these two factors, ie is it realistic? can you get what you want for your budget
4- go to the plave where you can realize your goal. If you can get what you what at a B & M so be it.

My goal was a certain size and quality EC. I was an absolute stickler on size, color, and cut. I could not afford what I wanted through a B & M store. So I bought from vendor I found throughpricescope. In my case, Dirt Cheap Diamonds.

 

[nerdbot]

Date: 5/22/2005 1:09:39 AM
Author:gti_driver5
Hello all. This is my first post on here, so please bear with me.


So after 6+ months of reasearch and saving, I''m finally ready to buy the damn thing! One problem... I am so confused from what everyone says that I don''t know where to turn. There''s a large group of people the love online diamond purchases, while others just aren''t quite comfortable, and prefer to haggle with mom and pop shops. I am on the fence with that one at the moment. I also feel that I am so picky with diamond selection now, that I''ll never be happy with my final decision. Has anyone else ever gotten to this point? I want the ring to be PERFECT, but at the same time... the longer I look, the longer my girl goes with a naked finger!!!

This was completely me a few weeks ago. Whenever I look to buy just about anything over $30, I tend to research my options to death, and you can see in my previous posts that I was struggling over similar problems as you. And it did get to the point that I just wanted to buy "the damn thing" (those words entered my head as well) just to get it over with. I almost rushed in to a decision, decided I was just rushing to get it over with, not because I loved the stone and wanted to get it before someone else did, so I took a step back and slowed down.

Up to this point, I had kept my girlfriend completely in the dark. All she knew was that I was talking to local mall jewelers to get a feel for prices and quality of what they had. (I was actually testing them to see 1 - how much they knew/were lying and 2 - how their prices compared to jewelers and vendors I found here). Because she didn''t know what was going on, I had very little clue about exactly what she wanted, and for me, that was what was causing the stress. I knew that I would know that whatever diamond I got her was "perfect" on paper and I could justify the trade-offs everyone, except maybe the richest, have to make when purchasing a diamond. But, would she? Would she want a slightly bigger stone, with a lower color or clarity? So, when I got to the point of just wanting to be done with it, I laid it all out for her, told her exactly what I was doing, and while I wanted it to be a surprise, I wanted more for her to be 100% completely satisified with it. Nevermind the fact that I did this 10 hours after having already ordered the diamond online.

What I really want to know... am I a bad diamond shopper if I break down and go to a local jeweler? I know I won''t get the best possible deal, but what''s more important... saving a few hundred bucks, or actually getting engaged??? Any guidance is greatly appreciated.

I too wanted to save as much as possible while getting the best possible diamond I could afford. What it came down to was almost all the local places I went to couldn''t come close to the prices of online vendors (which in itself, caused me to be suspicious of online vendors) for the quality of stone I was looking for. A couple places came close (within 200-300), but couldn''t match the price, which was fine with me. I was willing to pay a few hundred more to get a quality stone from a local place. Then, I remembered tax. With the amount I was spending, and in my state, tax was roughly about $600-700, which then put me over my budget for the stone if I bought it locally. This was what finally caused to me to take a chance and buy online ( 1 carat, F, VS2, AGS000). I did use my credit card though, to give myself an extra level of protection in case things went south.

When I received the stone, I was amazed. Amazed that buying diamonds online actually worked, amazed that the stone was beautiful (in my inexperienced opinion), and amazed that the appraiser agreed. When I went to the appraiser, I made sure to conceal anything that might give away where I bought it from, just to remove the possibility of bias (after that first appraisal, I will never doubt his level of professionalism and objectivity again). Though he didn''t know exactly where I bought it, he immediately guessed I bought it online just simply based on my age.

Remember that I asked my girlfriend exactly what she wanted, AFTER I had ordered this stone. She indicated, that she wanted at worst a carat, but at best not much more than a carat either (she was really worried I couldn''t afford a carat). When I saw how amazing the stone was, I decided I wanted to go bigger. I decided to spend that $600-700 I was saving in tax on buying a bigger stone. So I went up to a 1.2, for about $1000 more (I couldn''t help myself

) from the same vendor, and once again I was not disappointed by either the vendor or the appraiser.

That was my experience. I was definately where you were, to the point where I just wanted to wash my hands of all of it and move on with my life (I was actually losing sleep because I was thinking about it so much). It''s funny, because on my first visit to the appraiser, I told him that I was losing sleep over it. He gave me his card and said, "look, whenever you''re worrying about this, I want you to give me a call and I''ll answer any questions you have. I don''t want you losing sleep over this". I never took him up on it, but he had won my business for as long as I''m in the state.

I was going to post a review of my vendor, originally waiting for the stone to be set before I posted. But, I realize now that the vendor''s role in this is complete, so I guess there''s no harm in doing it now as I''ve already done about half of it here.

The problem I have now is I can''t stop looking at diamonds, even though I''ve already purchased mine. Not that I want to trade mine in, but I want to buy more!

 

[nerdbot]

Date: 5/23/2005 2:16:41 PM
Author: crankydave
I was willing to pay a few hundred more to get a quality stone from a local place. Then, I remembered tax. With the amount I was spending, and in my state, tax was roughly about $600-700, which then put me over my budget for the stone if I bought it locally.


Purchases made ''out of state'' or over the internet are not tax exempt simply because the shipper does not collect sales tax. Several states have a spot on their income tax return, for you to declare and pay a ''use tax'' on these types of purchases. You should check with your particular state for their requirements.


Dave

This I did not know. Thanks for the info.

 

[windowshopper]

i think cranky dave is an IRS agent..................

 

[Kaleigh]

Good one Dave!!!

 

[LadyluvsLuxury]

Date: 5/22/2005 8:44:21 PM
Author: Indecisive
You should buy from whomever you feel comfortable with. If that''s a B&M, fine. If that''s online, fine. The whole point of PS is so people make informed choices - if yours is an informed B&M purchase because that''s what you want then that''s your (valid!) choice.

However, the reason why so many people buy online after lurking or posting on PS for a while is that they get picky (like you are getting now) and often B&M jewelers don''t take them seriously when they ask for crown and pavillion angles, etc. Many jewelers don''t expect extremely informed consumers, they expect someone to take their word for it, so if you''re picky and demanding particular specs on your stone often the online companies are better suited to provide you with what you want, and for a much better price.

Personally, I feel more comfortable dealing with an online vendor who gives me tons of details about the stone. You might feel more comfortable with what you can see in front of you. You make a sacrifice using either. Using an online vendor, you sacrifice seeing the stone with your own eyes before buying, and discussing things face to face. Using a B&M, you (may) make a sacrifice in terms of quality or price. Neither choice is right or wrong, it just needs to be informed.

Indecisive - I definitely have to agree about many B&M jewelers not being used to informed consumers. What tops it off is that some of them try to act like I am crazy for even asking!

 

[michela002]

Date: 5/23/2005 6:56:54 PM
Author: LadyluvsLuxury

Indecisive - I definitely have to agree about many B&M jewelers not being used to informed consumers. What tops it off is that some of them try to act like I am crazy for even asking!

Or worse - they think you are rude for asking!

 

[LadyluvsLuxury]

Date: 5/23/2005 8:35:41 PM
Author: Indecisive

Date: 5/23/2005 6:56:54 PM
Author: LadyluvsLuxury

Indecisive - I definitely have to agree about many B&M jewelers not being used to informed consumers. What tops it off is that some of them try to act like I am crazy for even asking!

Or worse - they think you are rude for asking!

And ruder for walking out and taking your $000s with you! lol

 

[icelady]

Date: 5/23/2005 8:45:12 PM
Author: LadyluvsLuxury

Date: 5/23/2005 8:35:41 PM
Author: Indecisive

Date: 5/23/2005 6:56:54 PM
Author: LadyluvsLuxury

Indecisive - I definitely have to agree about many B&M jewelers not being used to informed consumers. What tops it off is that some of them try to act like I am crazy for even asking!

Or worse - they think you are rude for asking!

And ruder for walking out and taking your $000s with you! lol

I have to say that this was absolutely NOT my experience at all. The jewelry store where I purchased my diamond was NOT like this and in fact appreciated my questions and answered them without an attitude. The knowledgable gemologist was far from acting like I was crazy, and answered my questions without acting as though she thought I was rude.

Not all B&M act as you portray in this thread. I am sure I am not the only one on this forum with a positive B&M experience.

 

[Buena Girl]

I just wanted to chime in that I had a wonderful experience with a local B&M a few years ago. I had been doing my research on Pricescope and felt that I was at least a some what informed consumer. I scoped out a few stores and one B&M by far was the most receptive to informed consumers and extremely helpful and knowledgeable. I knew what the going prices were for something similar from online vendors, and the B&M was several hundred dollars more, but not unreasonable. This B&M also has outstanding customer service! I don''t consider myself "a bad diamond shopper" for paying a little extra $ to support a local store and have outstanding customer service, nor would I think you were a "a bad diamond shopper" if you purchased at a B&M.

Also, "the best possible deal" is a relative term. Some people consider it to mean getting what you want for the cheapest price. Other people consider it to include the personal relationship and service from a trusted local place. What is your definition of "the best possible deal"?

I think that no matter if you buy online or if you buy local, as long as you are informed and have the knowledge to purchase a spectacular looking diamond, than you get an A+ in diamond buying!

 

[michela002]

Date: 5/23/2005 10:13:07 PM
Author: icelady

I have to say that this was absolutely NOT my experience at all. The jewelry store where I purchased my diamond was NOT like this and in fact appreciated my questions and answered them without an attitude. The knowledgable gemologist was far from acting like I was crazy, and answered my questions without acting as though she thought I was rude.

Not all B&M act as you portray in this thread. I am sure I am not the only one on this forum with a positive B&M experience.

Oh no, I''m sure there are tons of B&Ms that are fantastic - I have no doubt of that!

Probably some of my experience is because I''m also young (and look like I''m even younger

but not in the good way, just in the way that nobody takes me seriously! Lol.) A B&M that answers all of your nitty-gritty questions is a keeper!

I was not meaning to sway the thread into an anti-B&M direction at all ...