Is this a good deal for diamond ring engagement?

[gusto]

Hey all,

I have done my research online and looked for rings at the mall. Suffice to say I think I got a deal. At the mall they were asking 5000 including taxes for a 0.7 ct J I1/2 good cut? 14kt white gold ring.

(they were asking 1000 bucks for upgrade to platinum)

I found this for 2500 including taxes at BlueNile:


950 Platinum band 4 prong

Round .62-Carat Diamond

Cut: Ideal
Colour: H
Clarity: SI1


Depth %: 61.8%
Table %: 54%
Symmetry: Ideal
Polish: Ideal
Girdle: Medium to slightly thick
Culet: None
Fluorescence: Medium
Measurements: 5.49 x 5.51 x 3.40 mm


Diamond on HCA cut analysis got a 1 (exc exc very good)!

AGSL cert


I went ahead and ordered it what do you guys think? :shrug:

 

[squawks]

Hopefully the fluorescence is blue instead of some other strange color.

HCA score of 1 sounds good - I''m assuming then the crown and pavillion angles are also good. With an SI1 I may worry that the diamond isn''t eye-clean.

Also, I had BlueNile''s 6-prong setting (same as your setting but just 2 more prongs) and I thought the setting was horrible. They do a pretty poor job setting the ring and the prongs are excessive - they look like long spider legs onto your stone thus blocking the beauty of the stone. The setting is also extremely high - it raises the stone very high from the band and this might be bad both practically and aesthetically. It does, however, give you the illusion that the stone is bigger. You may not find the setting to be as revolting with your own tastes, however. I would personally spend more money to have the loose stone set in another setting of better aesthetic qualities.

 

[gusto]

thank you for the great info...

it is a blue fluorescence... phew.
i hope that is good for a H colour stone i heard that it is nice to have some fluorescence with a G-J colour stone...


are you happy with your blue nile purchase besides the setting?
personally i am not sure if my analysis / ideal cut will really be great or a dud...

 

[squawks]

Gusto, I''m happy with my purchase - the diamond looks great and nothing beats BlueNile''s exceptional service (always answers phone calls, very wide business hours range, 30-day refund policy, etc.). The only thing I didn''t like was the setting, which I returned (and they don''t charge restocking fees, etiher). My only peeve with BN is that they apparently only do their shipments on Thursday (so expect your goods on Friday).

Honestly, however, I think I took a risk in buying a diamond from BN sight unseen when I could have purchased one from GOG or WhiteFlash (full with lots of reports, GemEx, IdealScope, etc.). In the end, however, it turned out to be a wonderful diamond and I have no regrets (BN also seems to be a cheaper alternative relative to many other vendors). If you''re ultimately dissatisfied, you can always return it and they won''t ask any questions.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Kevin, that''s interesting that you perceived the BN prices to be lower. I sort of stopped looking on there after I found a few comparable stones to be higher! So I guess you just have to compare every time to be sure!

Gusto, I''d recommend calling Blue Nile asap and telling them you don''t want that diamond set high. There''s probbaly nothing wrong with the setting, but the diamond shouldn''t be set too high or it can get banged on things or caught in things more easily. If your stone got a 1 on the HCA, it sounds like you did great!!! Post pictures when it comes!

 

[gusto]

Thanks guys... I guess the setting is too high. Do you think some women prefer it that way? As you guys mentioned, set high it might look bigger. I am not sure to wait to see it first or call them... what do you guys think?

this is a picture of the setting

Does it look too high and is this the same one thats set high?


Its great to know they wont charge me to change the setting! I will post pictures of it as soon as its in.
I guess I have till June 5th to change the setting as thats when they are setting it....

thanks a lot guys.
This is kind of weird though waiting to see not only how the diamond will shine, but also how the setting will look.

Gusto (waiting in anticipation!)

 

[codex57]

My wife has an almost identical setting. I think it''s a very basic setting available everywhere since I got it at a B&M jeweler. It doesn''t look too high on her. I''ve seen similar setting that do look too high, but that one doesn''t IMO. Go to a B&M store and see if they have a similar one so you can judge yourself.

 

[squawks]

Gusto, I''ve never seen BlueNile''s 4-prong solitaire setting before but it resembles the 6-prong solitaire setting (very much). Both me and my fiance thought the setting was too high - it did indeed make the diamond bigger but I suppose we didn''t like how it protruded *too* much from the finger. The side profile of the ring/setting was not personally pleasing to any of us, either. The height of the setting really isn''t as big of an issue as the excessive prongs. The prongs look quiet generic (like spider legs as I mentioned above). If you look at my WhiteFlash Tiffany setting, the tips of the prongs have been tailored so that they end up looking like teardrops when viewing the diamond above looking down into the table of the crown. BlueNile''s settings have prongs that are huge, bulky, and they plainly look like fingers grasping a tennis ball.

But BlueNile''s policies are very flexible so as to allow you to change settings whenever you like within the 30-day period (all you would have to pay is the registered/insured shipment via USPS, under $20). So if you don''t like it personally, you can switch to another setting to simply have a local store set the loose diamond for you for a fee (usually $75-100).

 

[togal]

It's not "too" high. It's a very typical height.

ETA: I agree with Kevin....I prefer small, delicate prongs....not the "fingers gripping the tennis ball" type.

 

[gusto]

Thanks a lot for the great info everyone. I will wait as you all mentioned and see how it is. Maybe she will like it like that.

Also I am including the AGSL for the experts here..

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Those kinds of settings can have the stone set low, medium, or high. That picture looked like what I would call medium, and I think that would be fine if they set it that way. This is one of those things that you learn it''s best to ask about, because they might not do it the way you want unless you specify. So many problems we see on here are because the buyer did not specify something and assumed the vendor would do it the way they wanted. But I am very hopeful that your diamond will be set correctly, and maybe the problem with Kevin''s was more due to the 6 prongs.

I''m sure your stone will be beautiful! Take pictures for us as soon as you can!

 

[froufrou]

gusto: i just bought a diamond from BN almost identical to that one, AGS 000 as well but SI2 and it is AMAZING! i love it so much. i bought my setting elsewhere though so that is getting shipped to me soon.

i am sure yours will be beautiful and sparkly just like mine

plus I think for a platinum setting that one on BN is pretty much as cheap as you can get, so if you like it that''s great and if you don''t you can always return it and get a different one.

 

[lizz]

Gusto, have you seen a photo of the diamond you ordered yet? That setting looks fine to me. I like simple solitaire settings with high heads. It''s such a traditional look, IMO.

 

[Small]

I have a cathedral that''s high and I love it. It definitely makes the diamond look bigger and although it did take some getting used to I''m so glad I ended up with that setting. i didn''t get it from Blue Nile so I''m no help there but I thought I''d chime in about the height of the setting. I think that''s a pretty standard setting and as the others said if you don''t love it you can return it for something else.
Your diamond looks to be great as well

Good luck...let us see pictures of the final product.

 

[gusto]

thank you all! you have all been very helpful! this is the best diamond forum I have joined and I will post the pictures asap!

thanks again