Looking for an engagement ring, Toronto Canada

[moreirab]

Hello all,

A very helpful friend directed me to this site. I'm looking for an engagement ring. I live in Toronto. Any recommended jewelers around here or is it better to buy online? I'm a little wary of forking out a ton of cash for something I haven't seen but I'm open to buying online. My budget is $10k max. I figure the stone should be round and at least a carat. My gf also insists on 18k yellow gold, she thinks it looks best with her skin tone. Any suggestions or help is greatly appreciated.

B

 

[JulieN]

There are many good reviews of Martin Sheffield at USA Certed Diamonds in Toronto.

 

[SDiamond]

I went to Birks and Tiffany but I have ordered one from James Allen. With luck it should be delivered today and I will compare the three.

 

[thediamondshopper]

Hi Moreirab,

At least 1ct and a 10k budget leaves alot of options, from what I can see there are over 20,000 round diamonds over a carat and under 10k.

The best way to narrow things down, is to decide on what is important to you, or her for that matter, with respects to Color and Clarity. Seeing that your lady likes yellow gold, means she has thought a bit about what her ideal ring would be like, which is a good thing. She may also have an idea of how color or lack there of and clarity rank in importance.

Buying a diamond is a trade off of budget and size, cut, clarity and color. One humble suggestion to start with is to go with the best cut stone you can find (GIA xxx or even better AGS 000) the cut of the diamond will determine its brilliance and sparkle (fire and scintillation). Starting with an excellent cut, If she prefers the diamond to be colorless (basically no hints of yellow or brown), I would suggest staying below I color, lets say D-H. Because she likes the idea of a yellow gold setting lower color grades like H and I will still appear very very white once set and will allow you to save some money or get a larger Diamond. The same holds true for clarity, Without magnification it is difficult if not impossible for even an expert to tell the difference between a flawless diamond and an SI1 (slightly included diamond) and in most cases an SI2 diamond.

This is where your preferences come in, a 1 carat D VS2, a 1 carat G Internally Flawless diamond, a 1.5-1.59ct G VS2, a 1.35-1.39ct G-H SI1, and a 1.6-1.69ct I SI2 will all be around the same price and you will not be able to tell the difference between anything other than the larger size of the later 3 once they are set. That being said if you are content buying based on what you can see, I would definitely suggest getting something in the 1.35-1.69 G-I SI1-SI2 range, as you will get a much larger diamond which you will notice in exchange for trading off things you wont. On the other hand if you like the idea of higher levels of clarity or color (even though you most likely will not be able to see the difference) you can easily trade off size to accommodate this.

I am based in Toronto as well, if you need any help in your diamond buying adventure please do not hesitate to ask.

 

[Behacad]

Any recommendations on jewellers for custom engagement ring in Toronto?

 

[CharmyPoo]

I am from Toronto and I still do all my shopping in the US. I can't find the quality I am looking for in Toronto regardless of price.

I recommend these in Toronto ...
PH Design
http://www.phdesign.ca/
149 Church Street at Queen St, East side on the second floor
416.367.2870

Leif Benner
Distillery District - http://www.leifbenner.com
Note: My co-worker just had an e-ring made by him. I was pleasantly surprised at how it turned out. They make you CAD drawings first until you perfect the design. He seems really flexible and cares about make you happy. My co-worker and I worked on his ring deisgn and went back and forth with the designer .. so definitely saw first hand how easy Leif was to work with. Again ... diamond will need to be purchased else where.

Engage Studio
http://www.engagediamonds.com/en/
Great place to try on rings with open shelves. I was really happy with the service I received here.

Ast Jewellery
http://www.astjewellery.com
I saw on a forum that this jeweler was recommended and my friend checked him out and ended up using them. The ring turned out nice but I think Leif did better work. AST has good prices.

Myersons Limited
http://www.myersonslimited.com
Used by my co-worker who was happy with the results.

Rose Jewellery
21 Dundas Sq #1201, 416-366-1157
Victor has been recommended by several vendors. They are located at Dundas Square across from Eaton's center. I think it is a different one than the ones with the website.

 

[zz00ter]

I visited all the jewelry places in Sherway Gardens and can tell you I would not buy anything at any of them. Lack of knowledge coupled with a lack of certificates does not help in the decision making. Also - everything is overpriced.

Tiffany was funny - so overpriced - you pay more for the Tiffany brand than you do for the diamond.