Is this a bad thing?

[MikeRato1]

Date: 3/7/2009 5:39:34 PM
Author: ImpatientOne

Date: 3/7/2009 5:34:00 PM
Author: MikeRato1

Date: 3/7/2009 3:32:28 PM
Author: melanie987123
plus if you buy it from whiteflash gog whatever they will credit you the full price of your original diamond when you do upgrade ... a mall store is not going to do that

that may be true for some mall stores but not all

i would say that buying online usually saves you a little bit of cash though

Yes, but most mall stores require you to spend at least twice as much as your original purchase to upgrade...

good point, i would never buy from a b&m store that had that kind of policy though, the one we go through gives you the full price you paid for it to upgrade

 

[Kimmy]

I am also in my early 20''s so I understand where you are. Like you, my boyfriend and I do not have to pay for housing. We pay for food, personal stuff, my dog, our cars, insurance and such. I love luxury goods, but I am obsessed with saving. DBF buys on credit a lot and never ends up with any savings. I save and then can afford to make a big purchase when the time is right.

My suggestion is that you save as much as your can for a few months ($200 a month min). Then purchase a good stone in a simple setting. Save for a couple more months and have it set in your dream setting. You''ll be getting a lot more for your money that way. Looking at the quality of the stone in the link you posted the mall store is way overcharging even at $2,700. With whiteflash you can at least upgrade later and you''re getting a good deal on the stone. It''s silly to pay double what a ring is worth just so that you don''t have to wait a few extra months. Honestly, it doesn''t sound very responsible to me.

Another option, that I''m sure others won''t recommend, is eBay. There are some really lovely rings for sale right now at much less than you''d be paying for this low quality stone. Lots of people sell their rings for one reason or another and because jewelers usually ofter only 30% of what the buyer originally spent... many end up on eBay. If you find a great stone at a price you can afford you can buy your dream setting later. Also, paypal has a payment plan if that''s something you''re set on. Just make sure when buying on eBay that you pay with PayPal and have the stone appraised when you get it so that you can be sure it''s the same as advertised.

Good luck! Remember, a simple band means as much a huge rock. Stick to what you can afford and enjoy the great guy. If you''re together forever then there will be plenty of time for a rock.

 

[johnfarley]

I am in my mid 20s so I can relate. But I was also raised to never purchase something unless you have the money to pay for it. Take it for whats its worth, but purchasing a fancy ring would not be my top priority. Buy what you can afford and not a penny more. When the time is right, then upgrade the ring. The last thing you want is to have a payment for a ring when you are trying to pay for a house/appartment, car, and other bills.

 

[Kimmy]

Just so you understand how much you''re being overcharged:
The stone in the 2CTW Gordon right is H or I color and I1 or I2 clarity. Do a price scope search for .5ct princess cut stones in the H-I color range. You''ll find you can get an H color (near colorless) si1 clarity (eyeclean)diamond for $600.
Buy from whiteflash and you can trade up later. Put the stone in a plain setting and you can have a setting custom made. You''ll have a better quality ring, you can upgrade the diamond later, and YOU''LL SAVE MONEY!

 

[Feralpenchant]

Thanks for the advice guys. Great tips here. It''s not just me that wants this ring, my boyfriend insists that he wants to get me something nice right off the bat for whatever reason. That being said, I really appreciate the information and will be looking for something simple to get for now, to upgrade later. The links on the stones people have given has been very helpful!

Glad to say I''ve changed my mind!

Maybe the girls can understand that I was just so excited about finally having my first very own diamond that my thoughts went a little muddy.

Just a question.. if you order the stone and the setting from different places, if that were to happen.. Do you just take it to a local jeweler to set it? How much does that cost?

 

[MissGotRocks]

Oh, we have all been young and in love - we certainly understand! We just want you to try to make the best decision you can with your money AND get a great diamond at the same time!

I think you could probably get someone to set a stone in a mounting for under a $100. Maybe you''d get lucky enough to find a mounting and a diamond with the same vendor so they could ship it to you ready to wear!

Good luck - let us know what you choose!

 

[SYC]

Sounds like you''ve gotten some great advice, just wanted to add maybe you could save up and buy a band with a few diamonds as an engagement ring? Or an eternity band.

It should be less expensive than a solitaire, and you''ll still have that sparkle. I know people who got engaged with a band, and just continued to wear it after their wedding. I think it''s a beautiful look.

 

[Feralpenchant]

Okay one more question, I''ve been trying to figure this out on my own but it never works right. When I go to whiteflash.com and click on the loose diamond section, I put in carat .5-.6 and the color from G to J and the clarity from VS1 to SI2, I get nothing! They can''t possibly have no stones with that criteria, can they? Are you guys looking for stones the same way I am or am I missing something? I''m not seeing these inexpensive stones you all have posted unless I click the actual link.

 

[MissGotRocks]

After you put your criteria in, click on a shape, i.e., ACA round, ES round, princess, etc.

 

[Feralpenchant]

Ah, got it, was clicking on the ACA ones only. That was weird, I could have sworn I''d tried this too.. Oh well, thanks!

 

[jstarfireb]

The I/SI1 princess stone that someone posted earlier looks really fantastic. It''s cut extremely well, and it''s bound to outsparkle any princess you''ll find in a mall store. Princess cuts are generally thought to sparkle less than round diamonds in general, but this is because the vast majority of princesses out there are not well cut. Princesses of this cut quality, on the other hand, give even well-cut rounds a run for their money. Plus it may be eye-clean, whereas the one from the mall is I1-I2 and odds are you''ll be able to see inclusions. I guarantee you, this little fireball will look whiter, cleaner, and much more sparkly than the one at the mall!

I agree with the others - put a stone like that into a simple setting, then upgrade the setting (and/or the diamond) later on. Whiteflash has a really great upgrade policy. Can''t go wrong with them...it''s where I got my princess!

 

[Imdanny]

Date: 3/8/2009 5:57:32 PM
Author: Kimmy
Just so you understand how much you're being overcharged:

The stone in the 2CTW Gordon right is H or I color and I1 or I2 clarity. Do a price scope search for .5ct princess cut stones in the H-I color range. You'll find you can get an H color (near colorless) si1 clarity (eyeclean)diamond for $600.

Buy from whiteflash and you can trade up later. Put the stone in a plain setting and you can have a setting custom made. You'll have a better quality ring, you can upgrade the diamond later, and YOU'LL SAVE MONEY!

I was just going to say, I went to the link and read:

" H-l
GIA Clarity l1-l2"

First, doesn't GIA give 1 grade for color, and 1 grade for clarity? What's "I1-I2"? Does that mean "maybe we'll give you an I1 and maybe we'll give you an I2"? That's what I think it means.

Second, this is *lousy* quality. You want to buy this, when you can save and buy *anything* of quality from a pricescope vendor?

I won't waste your time giving you my thoughts about having a $200 payment for a diamond ring.

Yes, I think buying a ring of this quality would be a mistake.

 

[Deelight]

Date: 3/8/2009 10:45:30 PM
Author: jstarfireb
The I/SI1 princess stone that someone posted earlier looks really fantastic. It's cut extremely well, and it's bound to outsparkle any princess you'll find in a mall store. Princess cuts are generally thought to sparkle less than round diamonds in general, but this is because the vast majority of princesses out there are not well cut. Princesses of this cut quality, on the other hand, give even well-cut rounds a run for their money. Plus it may be eye-clean, whereas the one from the mall is I1-I2 and odds are you'll be able to see inclusions. I guarantee you, this little fireball will look whiter, cleaner, and much more sparkly than the one at the mall!


I agree with the others - put a stone like that into a simple setting, then upgrade the setting (and/or the diamond) later on. Whiteflash has a really great upgrade policy. Can't go wrong with them...it's where I got my princess!

It is beautiful and would look lovely in something like this or if the budget permits for a little extra sparkle this

 

[Feralpenchant]

Deelight I LOVE that second setting you posted! I thought I went through all of the settings on Whiteflash but I didn't see that one! I actually think that's what I'm going to try for. It's perfect. At the rate we are able to save money, that would only be an extra 3 weeks to wait for the second setting.

I am going to the mall tomorrow. (I WON'T FALL IN LOVE WITH ANYTHING I SWEAR. Instead I will scoff! Haha.) But I want to go and try on a bunch of things to get an idea for what I like before I go purchasing a setting online that I've never tried on. I've never tried on a solitaire, and I've never tried on and really looked at the different setting types. So hopefully after tomorrow I will have a better idea of what I like ON my hand and can make a more educated selection from one of the PS vendors.

On another note.. cutest thing ever. I wish I had enough money to even LOOK at that setting.

 

[Deelight]

Date: 3/9/2009 12:32:33 AM
Author: Feralpenchant
Deelight I LOVE that second setting you posted! I thought I went through all of the settings on Whiteflash but I didn''t see that one! I actually think that''s what I''m going to try for. It''s perfect. At the rate we are able to save money, that would only be an extra 3 weeks to wait for the second setting.


I am going to the mall tomorrow. (I WON''T FALL IN LOVE WITH ANYTHING I SWEAR. Instead I will scoff! Haha.) But I want to go and try on a bunch of things to get an idea for what I like before I go purchasing a setting online that I''ve never tried on. I''ve never tried on a solitaire, and I''ve never tried on and really looked at the different setting types. So hopefully after tomorrow I will have a better idea of what I like ON my hand and can make a more educated selection from one of the PS vendors.


On another note.. cutest thing ever. I wish I had enough money to even LOOK at that setting.

HTH , I think it would look beautiful and definitly worth waiting 3wks extra for .

GL with your shopping tommorow , I loved trying on all the different rings - so much fun .