Length it took to find right diamond?

[MichelleCarmen]

For those of you who shopped online to purchase your diamond, how long did it take to find the perfect stone?

I was just glancing around at stones that are around the size and color/clarity I want and found only one or two stones

My range is pretty diverse, but budget is set in stone so I''m thinking it could take months or even possibly years

to find the perfect combo???

So, how long did it take you and did you end up sacrificing something (mostly color wise - as I''m more concerned about color and will get a VS - SI)?

Michelle

 

[wonka27]

Each of my two projects took about a month each.

There is so much to consider when diamond shopping, but working with Good Old Gold made it a little easier because of the incredible amount of information and testing on their stones.

I think many, including myself, try to split hairs when aquiring an "ideal" cut. Between cut, color, clarity, and cost many of us get caught up in a great deal of information. That is why it can take so long.

To each his/her own, though. Diamonds are a big purchase at even the smallest of sizes, so every person should move a project along in a timeframe they find to be comfortable!

 

[quaeritur]

Seven months. When I presented my (unreasonable) list of requirements to one of the PS vendors, they said it could be years to find a stone that met them all. I would have moved on clarity a little, or color by one grade, but in the end I didn't have to. Time wasn't a factor for me, and it seemed as though the moment I stopped searching, I stumbled across my dream stone

.

Other projects that I'm less picky about? I'd say a couple of months.

 

[alexah]

I did research for about three months... and after that it took three actual months from the time my fiance said go to find a stone w/in my parameters.

I was shopping for a princess & def wanted certain things: polished girdle (non-faceted - i luv the way it looks when a rainbow goes the length of the girdle) med or sl thick only, small table (below 65), depth around 70, VS1/VS2 (had to be completely eye-clean for my e-ring - my fiance insisted - tho i'd not have minded an eye-clean SI1)... anyone who's shopped for a princess can tell you that narrows the field SIGNIFICANTLY...

I did have some variables tho:
* originally i was looking for H/I only but i expanded to G & J (my perfect stone ended up being a J)
* size-wise i was hoping for 2-2.33, w the sweet spot being 2.25... i was lucky to find my stone, as i rarely searched for diamonds over 2.5ct (mine's 2.55)

Expanding my parameters worked out great cuz i luv my J (it looks the same as H/I to me) & i've grown used to the 2.55 & i'll never have to worry about shrinkage

even tho it was larger, because of the lower color, i stayed below my fiance's budget $ & we've never regretted buying that luvly e-ring stone

 

[ringbling17]

I started in January and found my stone in February, but didn't get the finished piece until March.
When I decided to trade in the diamond, I didn't have much of a choice to choose from. I wanted an 8 mm stone, so something in the 1.7-1.8 carat size, E or F color and minimum VS1 clarity. I had used Whiteflash for the first purchase, but unfortunately, they had nothing in the specs I wanted that was an ACA as well.
The only stones they had that were ACA's were a little bit bigger and more money than I wanted to spend. Both were 2 carats, one F VS1 and the other G VS1. I chose the G over the F because the clarity plot was much better, and I happen to be a clarity nut!
So, it didn't take me a very long time to find the stone. I just found it online, and called Whiteflash to tell them I wanted that stone.
Both times, I think it took me about two months and for both diamonds I found that I had a really hard time picking the settings.

 

[msbennie]

one month....

 

[Todd07]

One week of visiting B&M stores


2-3 weeks on PS


1 week to send it to an appraiser and buy




As I learned more,


I dropped my clarity down to S1


focused on stones with better cut (HCA font>

final decision was comparing various color and size stones with VS1-S1 and great cuts.


I went down to J to get a bigger carat.

 

[sdm]

I'm looking at diamonds for earrings, and I have been 'in search of' for at least a month. I'm not on a tight deadline, and I have enjoyed the search so much, I haven't made a decision yet

. There are many wonderful stones online; the information and helpfulness of this forum has made me feel much more comfortable about purchasing online. I'm working with one of the online vendors now, so I will probably be finalizing my purchase in the next week or so.

 

[Jean]

About 2 months! What are you looking for?

 

[websailor]

Okay, not quite online, but the process was the same - we gave them the specs and said "Start looking".

2 weeks.

I really thought I was going to have months at least before they could find a stone to match the specs.... It did make for a happy fiancee though.

We didn't end up sacrificing anything, the match was so close. It floored us both!

 

[fire&ice]

3 months.

 

[ame]

We went looking in Sept, then again in December when the Star's hit the store. Then we actually went to pick some out again in April (I so knew it was a June proposal). He sent me in sometime late May around my birthday to pick out 3 stones for him to choose from and the only one I liked a lot was the one I got. I had one smaller and one slightly larger but this one sparkled SO much better. THey kept us looking next to a window so none of their lights would impede my selection. I ended up choosing the least expensive. Go figure.
But I didn't buy online. Hopefully my next one will be an online buy.

 

[aljdewey]

It took us about 3 weeks to find the right stone, and I think part of the reason it was so short was due to the time of year. We began looking the week of Thanksgiving, and that's typically when vendors boost their stock in preparation for their busy season....so more selection.

It actually took my longer to find the side stones for my custom piece, because I wanted 1A cut stones in .30 or so size, and becuase I was REALLY fussy about the crown/pav angles.

 

[hoorray]

It took us 2 - 3 months to figure out what we wanted and then find it (for my upgrade stone). We didn't have to compromise once we figured it out, but we had a small range for each category, not a fixed spec. Inventories seemed to be higher then, so I would think it would take longer now, and I would probably have to have a vendor go looking for me rather than just have it show up.

 

[Regular Guy]

Roughly a week...then 3 more weeks to see it in person, have it made into a ring, have it appraised and walk home with it.

For my top 10 list, see below:

This was a replacement ring from an original where the stone was lost, to the extent that affected the process....which included:
1) asking for pricing at Baily Bank & Biddle, having been directed there from the Lazare Kaplan website (ouch!)
2) asking for pricing at, locally (to DC), Charles Schwartz Jewelers, with a positive rap in the Washingtonian
3) asking Google for help, bringing me to Pricescope
4) finding DCD as a drivable vendor associated with Pricescope, and maintaining my search there for about 3 days.
5) e-mailing Jim, asking him to "call in" the listed diamond viewable on his site (in this case, I'm guessing if I had waited for it to show up on the Pricescope composite directory, it would or at least more likely could have been gone by then, although I wasn't even aware this utility was there at the time)
6) although I might now avoid "call in" diamonds, and just go with diamonds already called in by the vendor I work with -- such that crown and pavilion angles are already in hand, doing so, I miss an opportunity. Certainly, I'd have missed the diamond I bought, and which we're very pleased with.
7) Final point...maybe an ideal scope would have made me a smarter shopper, on top of having learned about HCA. At the time, it just seemed over the top. But, looking at the diamond we did ultimately buy in Jim's office, as well as another from his Signature collection...both my wife and I were besides ourselves. We really just couldn't discern the beauty, fire, special-ness, etc., and were just going forward, based on the good faith of the process. But, direct visual inspection...yeah, although that's all we could go on, we didn't feel a great confidence in the decision. Same thing with my original e-ring, which I now think was a relatively bad choice. Point being...knowledge of crown & pavilion angles, and the expected impact, was influential to our having confidence in the decision to buy.
Later, with ring in hand, having left the appraiser, and walking into Tiffanys to do a "you show me yours, I'll show you mine," I was very happy with the outcome.
9) ...and have been since.
10 I'm always looking for the exit, by the way. I found this site in June, and figure if...maybe I've shared something...I won't be drawn back here again. But...here I still am. Since you're reading this...it may be too late for you. Perhaps those of you with a good local jeweler will be the luckiest ones. For the rest of you who want control of the process...best of wishes.

 

[fancyrock]

It has been almost 4 months now... and still LOOKING...

 

[MichelleCarmen]

----------------
On 9/15/2004 12:55:02 AM Jean wrote:

About 2 months! What are you looking for?----------------

Hi,

I'm looking for an ideal/H&A cut around .85-.95 G-I, probably SI1

This is a hunt that will begin in six months. . .we're saving the $ right now. I figured it'd take a couple months and it looks this is sort of average from the responses soooo it's going to be a bit of time

.

To tell you the truth, before actually deciding to do this, I was just wanting the upgrade, but now that my husband and I are planning to do this (after our house is sold), I'm kind of freaking out!

hahaha. . . So much to consider and just the idea makes me panic a bit.

I have to find a gorgeous new diamond AND find a nice setting for my current eng. stone so I can make this into a right hand ring

Exciting but nerve racking. Luckily, I have plenty of time to reread all the tutorials.

Michelle

 

[MichelleCarmen]

----------------

Both times, I think it took me about two months and for both diamonds I found that I had a really hard time picking the settings.

----------------

You made an awesome choice! I love your ring

For the upgrade, it'll be very simple, most likely a gold/platinum head solitaire, since I'm actually looking for two settings and the upgrade has to sort of go w/my weddding band. My budget may not be enough to afford as big of a stone as I want. . .but, I'll try.

As Wonka said, this is a big purchase and is much harder than other easier purchases like new cars

All we did was look on consumer reports and read the reviews and bought the car that had one of the best. lol I wish a diamond was even half as easy to figure out.

 

[noobie]

Let's see:




Two weeks for the 1.36 round


Three days for the pair of .60 rounds


Three months or the Jubilee


Two days for the eternity band




Current projet I'm guessing two months, maybe more

 

[MichelleCarmen]

----------------
Current projet I'm guessing two months, maybe more
----------------

hehehe What are you planning now?


Michelle