LIW Intro- Bektar!

[bektar]

Hi Ladies!

First, I just want to say that I'm so glad to have found PS! I've been a longtime lurker and thought I would finally introduce myself.

My BF and I have been together almost 5 years at the end of this year. We live together and have been talking about engagement and marriage for a while now! He's an animator and I'm a designer living in NYC. We've gone ring shopping once in the Diamond District and are planning to go again this weekend and I can't wait!! When we first started to talk about getting engaged I was excited, but now as we're getting more serious about it I have definitely been bit by the LIW-bug! I think the engagement is still a few months away, which is fine as neither of us want to rush, but it's just so exciting! BF has been telling me that he's been talking to friends about proposal ideas too

A year ago BF and I went to the Diamond District and he bought me a 5 stone round cut band for our anniversary- kind of as a place holder! I don't have the exact specs in front of me but it's about 1.25 carats, near colorless, and VS2.



Right now, I am undecided between
1) a beautiful 3 stone round cut with 3 small diamonds channel set into the band on each side. Center stone 2.2 Ct.

or

2) an oval center stone with pear or half moon side stones.

Anyway, I'm so happy to meet you all and can't wait to get to know you!!

 

[slg47]

hi and welcome if you are interested in an oval with half-moons, Kaleigh has the most beautiful oval with half moons ring

 

[mary poppins]

Welcome, Bektar! That's a very nice placeholder ring. Have fun shopping this weekend! Can't wait to hear all about it!

 

[should i be here]

Another NYC girl! Welcome!

 

[bektar]

Hi slg47, I love Kaleigh's ring!

Mary poppins- I'll be sure to post about our trip! It's supposed to snow (again!) this weekend, so the trip might have to be postponed

Hi should i be here! Nice to meet another NYC girl

 

[maebelle]

bektar, with that anniversary band you aren't even going to need to buy a new wedding band!

Good luck shopping and welcome!

 

[HopeDream]

Welcome Bektar,

I love your finger-warmer!
I hope you have fun in the diamond district, A few PS vendors are near there if you make an appointment: Engagement rings direct, ID jewellery, and (near by) Good old Gold is only 30min by train to long island.

I'm sure your engagement ring will be stunning!

 

[bektar]

Hi HopeDream,

Thanks for letting me know about the PS vendors! I'm pretty new to PS so I didn't know that

Tomorrow is really just to narrow down what I like, we don't plan to purchase tomorrow. But once we're more settled on the design BF plans to go on his own without me there to get it so there is still some element of surprise!

I'm so excited to try rings on!

 

[MayFlowers]

Welcome! Be glad you live in NYC with Good Old Gold so close by. I have always wanted to go and drool over their August Vintage Cushions but I live way too far away to do that.

 

[bektar]

Welcome! Be glad you live in NYC with Good Old Gold so close by. I have always wanted to go and drool over their August Vintage Cushions but I live way too far away to do that.

Hi MayFlowers,

I actually didn't know about Good Old Gold. I just checked out their site and they are actually close to where my parents live on Long Island.

Thanks!!

 

[should i be here]

Some advice for the diamond district (just went through it last week! I can't believe it's only been a week, feels like eternity): check out the diamond search on this site, narrow down to a few good stones, and call them in through a PS vendor. The two that I know of that have offices in the Diamond Dist. are ID Jewelry (where we bought our stone) and James Allen. I have heard way too much %$&&^ to spend time at these random other jewelers in the district.

James Allen has some of the best prices but you have to make an appt. I can definitely recommend ID Jewelry, was a pleasure to work with them.

Curious, where in NYC do you live? I feel like we have enough NYCers here to have a club going!

 

[bektar]

Hi should i be here,

Thanks for the advice!

I actually live in Queens and work in the Garment District in NYC.

Where are you located?

 

[should i be here]

Oh cool, I seriously wonder if we have some mutual friends..... I know a few people who live in Queens, work in Garment Dist.

I live in Murray Hill (ew). But yeah I just went through the same process last week!

 

[kagordo4]

Welcome!!! I hope your stay here is short !

 

[bektar]

Oh cool, I seriously wonder if we have some mutual friends..... I know a few people who live in Queens, work in Garment Dist.

I live in Murray Hill (ew). But yeah I just went through the same process last week!

It's very possible! The Garment District is a small world Where do some of your friends work?

 

[bektar]

Some advice for the diamond district (just went through it last week! I can't believe it's only been a week, feels like eternity): check out the diamond search on this site, narrow down to a few good stones, and call them in through a PS vendor. The two that I know of that have offices in the Diamond Dist. are ID Jewelry (where we bought our stone) and James Allen. I have heard way too much %$&&^ to spend time at these random other jewelers in the district.

James Allen has some of the best prices but you have to make an appt. I can definitely recommend ID Jewelry, was a pleasure to work with them.

Curious, where in NYC do you live? I feel like we have enough NYCers here to have a club going!

Hi!

Thanks for your advice. We went to the DD yesterday and walked out a little let down. We went to a few random jewelers... Michael F, Klim, and Haniken to name a few.

The saleswoman at Michael F. was so aggressive and basically tried to make me and my BF feel like we didn't know anything. And when I told her the range in carat we were looking (1.6-2.0 bc we were undecided) for I was told it was "too big". She said the same thing about my clarity range when we said we'd be willing to sacrifice size for a better clarity diamond. I thought that was kind of ridiculous...

Klim was really helpful and the salesperson was very patient but I thought the prices were really high.... a 1.7ct, H color, SI1 or SI2 (can't remember) was quoted at almost 13K.

Haniken was weird and wouldn't show us other settings.

Thank you so so much for pointing me to ID and James Allen. I emailed James Allen today and got a response with a 1.6ct, I color, SI1, Ideal cut, and AGS0 cut grade for under 10K!! And they have a setting I love!!

Can you tell me if ID has good prices?

Thanks!!!

 

[should i be here]

I'm not sure about your choice in particular, but a lot of these stones are in virtual inventory, so any vendor can call them in and get them in person. So if this stone is in that database, James Allen or ID Jewelry (or anyone) can call them in and sell it. I originally tried to go with James Allen, but they didn't have an appt at their NY office for a few days, so I just went to ID Jewelry. What's great about ID is, they'll match/beat the prices, so really, they're a great place to buy from. We got a spectacular stone from them that was only listed on the Blue Nile website, and of course they beat the price. Honestly, I wouldn't bother with the rest of the Diamond Dist, they sound and look sooo shady. Given that there are reputable vendors that have published prices here on this site, I wouldn't waste my time.