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Just go ahead and trust the expert?

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alli_esq

alli_esq

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 18, 2008
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909
So, I met with the dear Mark T. at ERD yesterday, and he was just lovely. He and one of his associates sat with me and gave me an education about 4 mains versus 8 mains, and he was able to find me an 8 main cushion--which seemed to me REALLY lovely...

Of course, all I had to go on was that one 8 main (1.3c, I, SI1) next to similar stats for 3 other 4 mains--and this one was MUCH more beautiful to me, since I just generally prefer the look of chunkier facets.

I have no idea--other than what Mark says and the comparison between this stone and the three others he had to show me--how great the performance is. But should I just go head and trust him? He was very sweet, and very patient with me, and I know so many of you trust his opinion so much. The price seemed fair to me given the pricing I''ve been seeing...but the problem for me is that I don''t have all the time in the world. I really would love to order the ring ASAP, since I''m getting married in 3 weeks, and I want to have my engagement ring on my finger
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(for those of you who don''t know my story, I tragically lost the engagement ring in my avatar a couple of weeks ago in the back of a cab--NOTE: GET YOUR RING RE-SIZED IF YOU LOSE ENOUGH WEIGHT TO MAKE IT TOO LOOSE!!!!)

For what it''s worth, I''ve been to 3 other jewelers, and looked online quite a lot, and I like this stone far more than any of the others I''ve seen--but then again, this is the only 8 main I''ve seen. Then again, from what I understand, rectangular 8 mains are very hard to come by, and maybe Mark found this stone for me "for a reason."

::sigh:: any advice would be greatly appreciated...I was planning on calling Mark tomorrow morning and putting down the deposit ::bites fingernails::
 
I have nothing to contribute to your question, but I just wanted to be here for moral support. :::taking alli''s nails away from her mouth:::::

Have a glass of wine instead.
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oh, miracles...that is an AWESOME idea.

thank you for the support! have you checked out the necklaces in the BWW forum? I need your expert advice
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On my way!!!!!!
 
personally i dislike ERD's sales "technique" --he shows one stone that fits your bill compared to others that really dont. this is very typical of him. i went through this myself and felt very pressured to buy that one stone. he said well this is what you said you wanted--i said yes but not exactly and not one of these others are even close. he was very reluctant to search for others so i had something to compare it to and have more than one to chose from. I have heard this time and again on here. i find it somewhat manipulative and disingenuous. personally i wouldnt rush into it. i would go to GOG or Whiteflash or Union Diamond where they will search for you til you are satisfied.
 
Date: 10/29/2009 12:49:04 AM
Author: bgray
personally i dislike ERD's sales 'technique' --he shows one stone that fits your bill compared to others that really dont. this is very typical of him. i went through this myself and felt very pressured to buy that one stone. he said well this is what you said you wanted--i said yes but not exactly and not one of these others are even close. he was very reluctant to search for others so i had something to compare it to and have more than one to chose from. I have heard this time and again on here. i find it somewhat manipulative and disingenuous. personally i wouldnt rush into it. i would go to GOG or Whiteflash or Union Diamond where they will search for you til you are satisfied.
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hrmm..I haven't paid any mind to this issue before, as I haven't had reason to interact with ERD (did send requests for custom quotes but didn't receive reply).

If the real life situation is as bgray describes, I would be inclined to keep shopping too.
It does appear a lil unfair..
 
Alli, how would you feel if this cushion got sold out from under you? That will give you the answer.
 
Mark is a genuine guy who knows his stuff and will find you the best he can find.
He is limited by availability, and works like a broker - so the broader hthe scope you give him - the better off you are.

If time is important, and the price is right then you will be 500% ahead of down on main street. Even the top brands would not have his QC.

Could you find better? Maybe.
would it cost more and take more time? Probably.
 
Ali,

Since you like the chunky facets and you are in NYC, have you thought of paying GOG a visit? It is my understanding that Mark of ERD and Jon of GOG are considered kings of cushions on pricescope and both are in NYC sooooo I think it would be best to pay GOG a visit now. GOG has their signature cushions but a ton of other kind of cushions too... as in a la Forrest Gump, fried cushion, barbq cushion, stewed cushion... well you get what I mean
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I understand that you want to have a ring by the wedding but I would not rush on something so special and important. Take a sip of the wine that Miracle offered... take a few sips. Shopping for diamonds should be fun
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Good luck
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I agree with BGray. In any case, it''s always best to explore ALL of your options so that you can make a well-rounded decision.
 
I wouldnt rush this either alli just to have a ring on your finger for your wedding...This is something you want to make
sure you get exactly what you want. Sounds like you need time to figure out if the 8 main is exactly what you want
(in other words you need to see more of them and need to be able to compare some side-by-side).
 
Did you look at the 8 main stone in all lighting conditions? If you loved it and it performed well outside showroom lighting, I think you''d be safe to go with the 8-main. I''m not an expert on assessing cushions, but certainly if you can get an ASET from Mark and post it here, that would also give you some additional information on the stone''s potential to be a good performer.

I also agree with the suggestion to visit GOG, if your able. Then you can compare what you saw at ERD with what GOG has to offer and go with whatever appeals to you most.

If time is a consideration, these two vendors seem like your best options, and you are lucky that you live close enough to visit them in person, because both are known for their expertise in cushion cuts.
 
Date: 10/29/2009 5:39:17 AM
Author: Lorelei
Alli, how would you feel if this cushion got sold out from under you? That will give you the answer.
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Ditto this.

Also.... are you trying to do an exact replica of the ring you lost? I ask because I know if something happened to this ring/setting, I''d do something different when I replaced it. Otherwise I''d feel like it was never... quite.... the same. With a different shape or setting, it would be its own new, unique ring. *shrug* Just my 2cents.
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Date: 10/29/2009 12:07:20 AM
Author:alli_esq
So, I met with the dear Mark T. at ERD yesterday, and he was just lovely. He and one of his associates sat with me and gave me an education about 4 mains versus 8 mains, and he was able to find me an 8 main cushion--which seemed to me REALLY lovely...

Of course, all I had to go on was that one 8 main (1.3c, I, SI1) next to similar stats for 3 other 4 mains--and this one was MUCH more beautiful to me, since I just generally prefer the look of chunkier facets.

I have no idea--other than what Mark says and the comparison between this stone and the three others he had to show me--how great the performance is. But should I just go head and trust him? He was very sweet, and very patient with me, and I know so many of you trust his opinion so much. The price seemed fair to me given the pricing I''ve been seeing...but the problem for me is that I don''t have all the time in the world. I really would love to order the ring ASAP, since I''m getting married in 3 weeks, and I want to have my engagement ring on my finger
15.gif
(for those of you who don''t know my story, I tragically lost the engagement ring in my avatar a couple of weeks ago in the back of a cab--NOTE: GET YOUR RING RE-SIZED IF YOU LOSE ENOUGH WEIGHT TO MAKE IT TOO LOOSE!!!!)

For what it''s worth, I''ve been to 3 other jewelers, and looked online quite a lot, and I like this stone far more than any of the others I''ve seen--but then again, this is the only 8 main I''ve seen. Then again, from what I understand, rectangular 8 mains are very hard to come by, and maybe Mark found this stone for me ''for a reason.''

::sigh:: any advice would be greatly appreciated...I was planning on calling Mark tomorrow morning and putting down the deposit ::bites fingernails::
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Alli_Esq,

You went from a crushed ice cushion modified choice to liking the chunky faceted cushion welcome to the dark side
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.

We bought our 8 main modern cushion Brilliant from Mark thread here https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/the-shocking-final-diamond-choice-i-gave-to-my-fiance-which-one-would-you-pick.121154/. He had called in many stones before that and sent us ASET images and we had been talking for at least two months a couple times a week. Throughout the time he was helpful, educational, and never once tried to push me into a hasty decision. One thing he kept doing was asking me if I was sure and satisfied with my choice.

I don''t beleive showing you other stones as a comparison is a nefarious plan or a sales pitch, those are the stones he had on hand. This is not unlike every other dealer they will show you what they have and try to sell you one. Just because he is respected here doesn''t mean that its the best stone for you or that his expert selection is the only one you should consider. If you wanted to get an ASET of the stone and post it here we could tell you more in the forum.
Just because it comes from Mark doesn''t mean the stone should be judged with any less scrutiny than any other vendor''s stones.

Mark is known for great 8 main antique cushions over the years but if you look at this video this is a comparison of just about the best antique 8 main I could find and two august vintages, you be the judge on the which optics you like better from these three. This will give you an idea of the differences between a well cut selected antique 8 main(I don''t know how good the one was he showed you) and stones cut which are specifically cut and optimized for light performance http://www.vimeo.com/7222811.

Although more squareish than rectangular if you like the August Vintage look I''d take a trip out to long island to see these, I can''t find a rectangular one in your spec range but if you ask Jon or Sarah they can tell you how long you might have to wait to have one cut and the prices

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/6475/
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/6468/
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/6386/

Regards,

CCL
 
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Mark is wonderful. I would trust him IF YOU LOVE THE STONE. If that stone is a perfect fit for you, I would trust him that it will be a beautiful performer.

But if you want to see more stones-JUST ASK HIM. What you are looking for is very specific, so it could take some time to find what you want. But Mark will be happy to find you some more contenders if you just ask.

Ditto Lorelei-if you would be really upset if this stone was sold while Mark was looking for a few more buy this one.

We bought my stone from him and I was treated wonderfully and was given quite a few stones to choose from initially. I think it's just an availability issue. If you give him really tight parameters sometimes it can be hard to find good stones that meet them.
 
Thank you all SO much for your input--I was planning on just calling him up this morning and ordering the stone, but I am not 100% sure about it. I don''t know that I would EVER be able to tell 100% which stone I liked more if they weren''t right up next to each other, though...I just simply don''t have the eye for that (though I am MUCH more informed now than I''ve ever been before)...

I tend to believe that Mark is just trying to get me what I asked for--this was INCREDIBLY similar to what I wanted. In fact, the only things that are concerning me as I''m reconsidering are:
(1) Is the I color going to bother me? My last stone was an H, but I think it might have come off warmer due to the cut, and the color did bug me.
(2) Is it too oval-shaped (rather than rectangular)--I know cushions are going to be round-ish by definition, but this one was rounder than others I''ve seen...

I called GOG and Charlie is looking for me. I will also call Mark and tell him that I am having some second thoughts. He had told me that the 8 main rectangular cushions are hard to come by, and I do believe that, having gone to 6 different jewelers at this point. I feel so bad, though, because last night I told Mark that I thought I was a go
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that was crappy of me...but I felt so much surer yesterday than I do today...
 
If you had an H before, then I would not go down to I color. You will probably notice the tint IMO.
 
Are we talking about 8 Main antiques or moderns?
 
Date: 10/29/2009 11:45:02 AM
Author: alli_esq
Thank you all SO much for your input--I was planning on just calling him up this morning and ordering the stone, but I am not 100% sure about it. I don''t know that I would EVER be able to tell 100% which stone I liked more if they weren''t right up next to each other, though...I just simply don''t have the eye for that (though I am MUCH more informed now than I''ve ever been before)...

I tend to believe that Mark is just trying to get me what I asked for--this was INCREDIBLY similar to what I wanted. In fact, the only things that are concerning me as I''m reconsidering are:
(1) Is the I color going to bother me? My last stone was an H, but I think it might have come off warmer due to the cut, and the color did bug me.
(2) Is it too oval-shaped (rather than rectangular)--I know cushions are going to be round-ish by definition, but this one was rounder than others I''ve seen...

I called GOG and Charlie is looking for me. I will also call Mark and tell him that I am having some second thoughts. He had told me that the 8 main rectangular cushions are hard to come by, and I do believe that, having gone to 6 different jewelers at this point. I feel so bad, though, because last night I told Mark that I thought I was a go
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that was crappy of me...but I felt so much surer yesterday than I do today...
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To go up in color you will have to go down in size or increase your budget. If the color of H or I does bother you when you saw it alone(not beside other diamonds) than I''d be a little worried as antique cuts tend to show more not less color than for example a round brilliant.

I would post the certificate and an ASET here for us to comment more.

Also rectangular antique cuts are more rounded than the modern cushion cuts, ther more rectangular and higher the LW the more rounded they can be. So again you will have to decide if the outline is the most important or the light return or and color. Many high end stores and posters here feel an H or I is perfectly white but some are more color sensitive than others. What setting are you planning on putting this in?
 
Well, I know it sounds silly, and it''s really not my general personality, but this whole thing had me so upset (i.e. losing my engagement ring, being without a ring for weeks, getting married in 3 weeks, etc.) that I just made sort of a snap decision, and told Mark yesterday that I would purchase the stone and setting from him. I didn''t give him a deposit until today, though, so I thought he wouldn''t have ordered anything yet, but he did...so I am locked in. I am hoping very deeply that I don''t regret this decision.

I spoke with Charlie at GOG and though he was very friendly and seemed to be helpful, he did not find anything for me yet (yes, I know these types of searches could go on for months, but given the present circumstances, I just can''t deal with that...again SO not my general personality)...oh well. Please just cross your fingers for me that the I won''t bother me. Mark assures me it won''t--that remains to be seen, I guess. In person, up close with Hs, I couldn''t see a real difference when they were face up (though I could when they were turned upside down--which, of course, is not how I intend to wear the diamond, haha).

The setting I asked him to order is the Vatche x-prong for a round diamond, since that setting seems a little rounder in general, and that''s what I always wanted but didn''t have before (though I did have a similar x-prong setting, it was not very sturdy or symmetrical).

I know I probably should have seen more stones, but in all fairness, I have seen at least 15-20 stones in person, and looked at hundreds online before making this decision (yes, I know that''s probably not enough work)... but I am hoping that I am so used to warmer-colored stones because my H was so warm for an H that the pretty new stone will be just that to me--pretty and not at all problematic for me. I think it will have to be an improvement on the cut of my last stone, since I never really liked the modified brilliant look on me (though, of course, all the sentimentality of that stone is now gone with the wind as well)...
 
Date: 10/30/2009 12:25:37 AM
Author: alli_esq

I know I probably should have seen more stones, but in all fairness, I have seen at least 15-20 stones in person, and looked at hundreds online before making this decision (yes, I know that's probably not enough work)... but I am hoping that I am so used to warmer-colored stones because my H was so warm for an H that the pretty new stone will be just that to me--pretty and not at all problematic for me. I think it will have to be an improvement on the cut of my last stone, since I never really liked the modified brilliant look on me (though, of course, all the sentimentality of that stone is now gone with the wind as well)...
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alli,

If you saw this stone in person, didn't notice a tint, and loved it more than all of the others you've seen, then I wouldn't worry. 15-20 in person and hundreds online is plenty. Cushions have their own little personalities, and it sounds like this one spoke to you. I can't wait to see photos!
 
Date: 10/30/2009 12:25:37 AM
Author: alli_esq
Well, I know it sounds silly, and it''s really not my general personality, but this whole thing had me so upset (i.e. losing my engagement ring, being without a ring for weeks, getting married in 3 weeks, etc.) that I just made sort of a snap decision, and told Mark yesterday that I would purchase the stone and setting from him. I didn''t give him a deposit until today, though, so I thought he wouldn''t have ordered anything yet, but he did...so I am locked in. I am hoping very deeply that I don''t regret this decision.

I spoke with Charlie at GOG and though he was very friendly and seemed to be helpful, he did not find anything for me yet (yes, I know these types of searches could go on for months, but given the present circumstances, I just can''t deal with that...again SO not my general personality)...oh well. Please just cross your fingers for me that the I won''t bother me. Mark assures me it won''t--that remains to be seen, I guess. In person, up close with Hs, I couldn''t see a real difference when they were face up (though I could when they were turned upside down--which, of course, is not how I intend to wear the diamond, haha).

The setting I asked him to order is the Vatche x-prong for a round diamond, since that setting seems a little rounder in general, and that''s what I always wanted but didn''t have before (though I did have a similar x-prong setting, it was not very sturdy or symmetrical).

I know I probably should have seen more stones, but in all fairness, I have seen at least 15-20 stones in person, and looked at hundreds online before making this decision (yes, I know that''s probably not enough work)... but I am hoping that I am so used to warmer-colored stones because my H was so warm for an H that the pretty new stone will be just that to me--pretty and not at all problematic for me. I think it will have to be an improvement on the cut of my last stone, since I never really liked the modified brilliant look on me (though, of course, all the sentimentality of that stone is now gone with the wind as well)...
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Congratulations on making a decision now DON''T SECOND GUESS IT! I think Garry is right you could nitpick and search forever only for "maybe" a slight improvement. Enjoy your new ring and ditto I want to see pictures.

Regards,

CCL
 
I wouldn''t sweat it. Ali if I remember correctly you had a possibly poor cut cushion before right? I think you might have even stressed about it at some point? And it was modified, correct? All these things could impact the color...so you might not even notice dropping in color if it''s returning a lot more light.

And you saw the stone in person right? And loved it? So I am sure you''ll love it!!!! I am so excited for you!
 
Date: 10/30/2009 2:10:25 AM
Author: neatfreak
I wouldn''t sweat it. Ali if I remember correctly you had a possibly poor cut cushion before right? I think you might have even stressed about it at some point? And it was modified, correct? All these things could impact the color...so you might not even notice dropping in color if it''s returning a lot more light.

And you saw the stone in person right? And loved it? So I am sure you''ll love it!!!! I am so excited for you!
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Ditto!!!
 
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