Looking for an engagement ring, advice definitely appreciate

[Niel]

Re: Looking for an engagement ring, advice definitely apprec

And sorry about the 13% VAT!! Is there a way you can ship within the US and pick up? I have **cough cough** know some people do that.

I've toyed with this idea for a long time - Just so paranoid, especially with all of that NSA prism stuff coming to light

yeah ive heard of people picking it up and the woman wearing it back home, like she had it before she left.. very unethical but very smart

Um.
I would put tax evasion and smuggling on the top of my list of things NOT TO EVER RECOMMEND ON A PUBLIC FORUM.
Just a thought, folks. Your IPs are very easily traceable.

Haha not sure why I was included in the quote. It wasn't condoning it. Just saying I has specifically read about people doing it on here. And the emoticons literary says (up to something)... and I DO think its smart. Criminals can be smart .... like I said. It is unethical....

 

[j-a-s-o-n]

Re: Looking for an engagement ring, advice definitely apprec

I was apparently being a dope and adding unnecessary characters to the cert #... Here's what is on it. Looks ok to my untrained eye?


Report Type: Diamond Quality™ Document
Shape and Style: Square Modified Brilliant
Measurements: 5.08 x 5.02 x 3.55 mm
Cut Grade: AGS Ideal 0
Light Performance: 0
Proportion Factors: 0
Finish: 0
Polish: Ideal
Symmetry: Ideal
Color Grade: AGS 0.5 (E)
Clarity Grade: AGS 2 (VVS2)
Carat Weight: 0.738
Fluorescence: Negligible
Comments: "AGSL xxxxx" has been inscribed on the girdle of this diamond.
Table: 67.3%
Crown Angle: 36.3
Crown Height: 11.4%
Girdle: 0.6% to 1.9%
Pavilion Angle: 39.3
Pavilion Depth: 58.0%
Total Depth: 70.7%
Culet: Pointed

 

[GoSounders]

Re: Looking for an engagement ring, advice definitely apprec

It seems like a good deal for an E-VVS2-AGS0 stone. It faces up more like a 0.80ct, as well.

The only question would be whether or not you'd rather downgrade the E color to a safely-white H, and the VVS2 clarity to a safely-eye-clean VS2 and gain size/lower cost. Perhaps bring this up to your jeweler in case they have something like that available?

 

[j-a-s-o-n]

Re: Looking for an engagement ring, advice definitely apprec

It seems like a good deal for an E-VVS2-AGS0 stone. It faces up more like a 0.80ct, as well.

The only question would be whether or not you'd rather downgrade the E color to a safely-white H, and the VVS2 clarity to a safely-eye-clean VS2 and gain size/lower cost. Perhaps bring this up to your jeweler in case they have something like that available?

Good to hear

The vendor had provided me with a few choices around my desired price range - Unfortunately, the current crop of inventory that he has access to is either marginally bigger (~0.76ct) with slightly worse specs for more money, or significantly larger (0.95ct) but at almost $1000 more. I really liked the 0.95 but I'd be absolutely bankrupt... The current stone selection will only put me to the brink of bankruptcy

 

[GoSounders]

Re: Looking for an engagement ring, advice definitely apprec

Yeah, it seems the selection is not helping you out much. Nothing available below your price range?

There isn't much online either, unfortunately. The only comparable stone I could find is here:
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2977137.htm

It's a G-SI1 AGS0 for less than your local stone, but not that much less. While the stone is significantly heavier, it's about the same size, which is why I said your local stone faces up large. The stone is labeled as eye clean, but there's a dark crystal in the table which may or may not satisfy your definition of eye clean.

The most major difference between these 2 is the table size. The larger table (67.3%) in your larger stone isn't going to have as much fire and scintillation as the smaller table (59.6%) in the ACA stone.

 

[j-a-s-o-n]

Re: Looking for an engagement ring, advice definitely apprec

Thank you very much for taking a look around for me. I try to look at inventories at James Allen, Brian Gavin, and White Flash almost daily to see what they have, but I'm looking to get the ring by the beginning of Sept so I don't have too much time left to play unless I go over my self-imposed proposal deadline

I took a look at the WF diamond, and you're right - It's not very eye clean

 

[GoSounders]

Re: Looking for an engagement ring, advice definitely apprec

By the way, I was only looking at AGS stones to compare apples to apples.

JA has a bunch of nice GIA princesses for less than your budget. This is the extra value we mean with stepping down to an H-VS stone.

Here's a few:
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/0.82-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-sku-240868
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/0.82-carat-h-color-vs2-clarity-sku-230904
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/0.82-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-sku-208811

If you put those on hold and ask for ASET images, then you'll have the information you need.

 

[j-a-s-o-n]

Re: Looking for an engagement ring, advice definitely apprec

So I actually saw the diamond in person yesterday, but not before perusing through some round diamonds at another shop... I tried my hardest to see it from all angles, but the princess diamond just didn't seem to sparkle at all, especially compared to the round stones I had seen before... This all despite supposed awesome light return reports and whatnot.

Maybe it was the fluorescent tube lighting but it just didn't seem to have any fire whatsoever. Is this normal?

 

[msop04]

Re: Looking for an engagement ring, advice definitely apprec

So I actually saw the diamond in person yesterday, but not before perusing through some round diamonds at another shop... I tried my hardest to see it from all angles, but the princess diamond just didn't seem to sparkle at all, especially compared to the round stones I had seen before... This all despite supposed awesome light return reports and whatnot.

Maybe it was the fluorescent tube lighting but it just didn't seem to have any fire whatsoever. Is this normal?

Nope, it's not the lighting. Princess cuts don't sparkle near as much as rounds. Besides, the lighting in B&M stores are meant to enhance the sparkle, so if it's not sparkling in there... it's gonna be less sparkly IRL.

 

[j-a-s-o-n]

Re: Looking for an engagement ring, advice definitely apprec

Nope, it's not the lighting. Princess cuts don't sparkle near as much as rounds. Besides, the lighting in B&M stores are meant to enhance the sparkle, so if it's not sparkling in there... it's gonna be less sparkly IRL.

It's a bit of a long story, but I essentially saw the princess in an office building sort of environment, whereas I saw the round in a place that had specific spotlighting.

 

[msop04]

Re: Looking for an engagement ring, advice definitely apprec

Nope, it's not the lighting. Princess cuts don't sparkle near as much as rounds. Besides, the lighting in B&M stores are meant to enhance the sparkle, so if it's not sparkling in there... it's gonna be less sparkly IRL.

It's a bit of a long story, but I essentially saw the princess in an office building sort of environment, whereas I saw the round in a place that had specific spotlighting.

No matter where you view them, rounds will significantly out sparkle a princess.