Jared LEO VS Online Competitors

[pondo]

I'm in the market for an engagement ring/stone and my GF has her heart set on a certain Jared setting. I spent some time looking at all their different diamonds and the best bang for the buck was a LEO branded diamond 1.14 ct with a GSI certificate G color, very good cut, SI2. The inclusions were to the side and did not detract from the beauty of the stone. Price $5900

Browsing Pricescope's diamonds, I found I can get significantly more bang for the buck potentially but I see many stores (such as solomonbrothers using an EGL report which typically report 2-3points higher than the more reputable companies. What do you all think about:

http://www.solomonbrothers.com/DiamondDetail.aspx?sku=127563&affiliate=9318613A-AD0C-4530-A456-0409DFEFB8DE%20&utm_source=PriceScope Rates 1.7 on HCA

http://www.solomonbrothers.com/Diamond_5F95Y65F Rates 1.2 on HCA

If the diamond isnt a mess on the table then I think it will look fine in the ring and I can get an additional .3 to .4 ct for $1k less than the brick and mortar store with an ideal cut. I find it credulous that Jared will not negotiate on the diamond either...their margins much be rather large.

Thanks for any advice and please steer me in the right direction if you happen to see deals. $6,000 is the most I can go for on a round brilliant diamond. She wants lots of brilliance/fire/sparkling but no imperfections that are eyesores.

 

[marcy]

Most Jared's will have GIA EX or AGS0 diamonds too - I would go for them before buying a Leo - they are ideal cut stones; the Leo is not. Go see if the store you looked at has any of them you can compare to the Leo.

 

[denverappraiser]

Be careful what you're comparing. Lab makes a big difference and neither of the once you're looking at are especially well regarded. The result is a very difficult comparison. Add to this that most Leo's have a proprietary facet pattern that isn't available elsewhere and most of the stones listed here don't even take a stab at it. It's hard to evaluate the cut on these things, even when comparing one Leo with another and the report they provide doesn't give much help. Comparing one to a 'standard' stone is rather like comparing a specific Toyota Camery with a generic bicycle. It doesn't make any sense. Buy a Toyota if you want, buy a bike if you want. Both have their benefits, but it's simply not a valid comparison to say that one is cheaper than another and therefore a better deal. Some bikes are pretty pricey after all (and some cars are pretty cheap). That said, there ARE dealers who sell extra facet style stones and it is possible to shop these things, they just aren't listed in the database here. Call up the dealers and ask them about it.

 

[centralsquare]

Which setting is she interested in? Perhaps we can find a similar one for you?

 

[pondo]

Here's the ring w/ a random band...not worried about the band. The stone looks terrible in the picture but has no color that I could see...
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i56/Trojanwrath/Random pictures/2011-08-06_19-36-20_823-1.jpg

 

[centralsquare]

Here's the ring w/ a random band...not worried about the band. The stone looks terrible in the picture but has no color that I could see...
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i56/Trojanwrath/Random pictures/2011-08-06_19-36-20_823-1.jpg

That is a beautiful setting. I looked around a bit but I couldn't find anything similar...sorry!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Leo diamonds in my opinion are THE most brilliant diamond. But they don't have as much sparkle (scintillation) or fire (rainbows). I was at Jared last month and you can get a nicer stone for less from a good online vendor, also IMO.

 

[marcy]

That ring is very pretty!