My budget is $5000

[yosh]

Greetings from Japan.

I would like to get some advice on my choices of stones. Currently waiting to pop the question to my long term girlfriend have been searching on the internet.

My budget is roughly $5000 and have been doing some reading to get myself as educated as possible before I make the purchase.

I am looking for the right mix of quality/size, and my question is, what would be the average stone i should be looking for??

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Very best regards

Yosh

 

[Cassandra]

Hello there, Yosh.

I'm not sure what the prices on diamonds are in Japan.

If you're talking about $5,000 American, that can get quite a wide range of stones.

Also, depending on the area/region you're in will depend on what the "average" size stone is. Here where I am at in Michigan, I rarely see a girl walking around with anything over 1/2 carat. In other places in the US, average size would be in the 1 carat plus range. (And within that, it is my humble opinion that the clarity and color tends to be on the poorer side because most people tend not to educate themselves on diamonds before they make their purchase - Thank goodness for places like PriceScope!)

Do you happen to know your girlfriend's preference as to shape?

 

[valeria101]

On Pricescope, there still lingers the myth that most diamodns sold on the Japanese market are small and of very high grades (D-F, VS1 or better, under 1ct). Is this true?

Based on what grades still appear white and eye clean, G-VS is considered a good buy here... since the D-F and VVS greade are designed to reflect rarity rather than the visual impact of the stone. Also, it may be a good idea to place cut among the defining quality factors to look for - it sounds like most diamond seekers look for "sparkle" in their stones, and this is determined by cut, rather than color or clarity grades. Does this matter to you?

 

[yosh]

wow, thanks for the very quick reply!!

Ive found this site this week, and im still doing a lot of reading trying to educate myself. My first toughts were to just go to Tiffany but when i got there and saw my options, i thought there must be other options.

Ive noticed that the cut is one of the most important, im not too worried about the colour (saw stones in Tiffany which was from D-H, and i couldnt really tell the diference), but i did notice after visiting several stores that SI1 stones, most were not eye clean. So I think im loking for the right cut, maybe a VS1 and any colour up to H??

Im sure my girlfriend would like the biggest stone I can get for the budget.

My girlfriends best mate just got a ring which was about 1/2c and she was not impressed with the size at all.

 

[Hest88]

Well, then, it sounds like size is important to your GF. I'd say a nice .75 to .85 might work pretty well (unless she's one of those who wants something really large, like over one carat). With your budget you should be able to handle this pretty easily. For a start, here's this one, and there are plenty more from other vendors that are safely within your price range.
http://www.goodoldgold.com/0_80ct_g_vs2_h%26a1.htm

 

[Cassandra]

Hest pointed out a very nice stone.

If you were curious about other shapes, here's some more links.


A Princess...
http://www.goodoldgold.com/princess_0_81ct_f_vs2.htm

An Oval...
http://www.goodoldgold.com/oval__76ct_d_vs2.htm


You will find that round cuts, such as the Hearts and Arrows Ideal, will sparkle much more than "fancy shapes" such as the Princess and Oval.

 

[katbadness]

Yosh,

Do you know what shape of stone you will be getting her (round brilliant, emerald cut, oval, etc.)? Or are you already set on getting her a round brilliant cut?

----------------
Ive noticed that the cut is one of the most important, im not too worried about the colour (saw stones in Tiffany which was from D-H, and i couldnt really tell the diference), but i did notice after visiting several stores that SI1 stones, most were not eye clean. So I think im loking for the right cut, maybe a VS1 and any colour up to H??

Im sure my girlfriend would like the biggest stone I can get for the budget.

My girlfriends best mate just got a ring which was about 1/2c and she was not impressed with the size at all.
----------------

If I'm not mistaken, for a round brilliant the rough estimate of mm size to carat correlation goes like this ((Valeria, Mara, et al. do correct me if I'm wrong in this):
* 5 mm stone is approx. 0.50 ct
* 6 mm stone is approx. 0.75 ct
* 6.5 mm stone is approx. 1.0 ct

Do realize, however, that the numbers are rough estimates. That there are many factors that play into it (depth of stone is the one I can think of).

 

[yosh]

Im definately buying a round stone.

Ive noticed so much talk about Tiffanys on this site, im not sure of price differences between countries, but in Japan (tokyo Shinjuku and Ginza stores) that for my budget of JPY500,000 im able to buy a classic ring with roughly 0.35c VVS1 E.

This seemed very expensive, but after visiting several other stores, including DeBeers, Tiffanys prices were pretty much comparable with most leading stores.

 

[katbadness]

I'm not going to Tiffany bash here.

It all depends on what you prefer. If you care about having a Tiffany ring, then by all means... go for it!

. But that budget of yours can go further here than at Tiffany's.

At the end of the day, it's your purchase and you have to make peace with it.

So, don't let any of us dissuade you from what you feel is the best for your girlfriend.

 

[yosh]

Thanks for that Katbadness.

No, I will not be purchasing a ring from Tiffany or any store in Japan. After finding this site, it has opened my eyes and will be looking to get the right stone hopefully by the end of March.

 

[valeria101]

Isn't Tokyo one of the most expensive places for jewelry? Welcome to the Net

I surely agree that a typically "correct" E-ring is considered to sport a 1ct (or near) stone. From your posts, it seems like a H-VS, 0.8cts and over, top cut (some H&A with top optics) would do the job. It should not be Hell to get a stone like this. Also, given a top cut, I suspect I color would not be bad either...

THIS looks inspiring enough, and if the color/clarity/cut specs are convincing, alterative stones could most likely be found in the same price range.

I would also add that there are eye clean SI1s out there, and the step between SI and VS can also mean an F color versus an H. I would suspect that side-by-side there is some difference between these - and this may count if the local habits include comparing rings... Here's the F-SI that made me write this down...

 

[Mara]

Wow a .35c stone or a .75c stone? That's a hard one. NOT!

BTW your budget as of today in US dollars is $4713.

I'm glad you have 'seen the light'. You can get a beautiful stone within your budget and it doesn't have to be the size of a spec for $5k either! That's a hefty chunk of change and if you shop smart...you'll be able to really maximize your dollar.




As for color, clarity. Why spend so much money on something that no one can see? This is an old argument so I will just say that you can easily drop that to a VS1 even and save a HUGE amount of money. And people will still see *absolutely nothing* in your stone in terms of inclusions. That is what I would do in your shoes. At least drop the clarity but if you feel bullish on the color, color is more visible than clarity will be. As is carat weight..but it sounds like you aren't looking for a mega huge stone. I would do something like an G VS .90c. That will be visibly bigger than a .50c. A well-cut G stone will face up like a maul cut F or better maybe! Color is less visible in a well cut stone and I have 3 G stones and they are VERY white.




My two cents!! Let us know further on your thoughts and people are more than happy to guide you!

 

[sumi]

Hey Yosh! I used to live in Japan! I was born in Tokyo and I lived near Ichigaya when I was very small. In my early 20's I lived in Chiba and commuted to Jyochi Daigaku in Ichigaya. I really miss Japan, I'm hoping to go back for a visit again soon.



I would definitely get the best quality ring I could. In other words, emphasis on the quality over just the size. I know that in Japan there is a heavy emphasis on quality. I don't remember many woman wearing huge e-rings, if they wore one at all. I think something around .75 would be perfect! It's bigger than the half carat that she didn't like, but it leaves room in your budget for a great quality stone. Also, have you considered vs2 clarity instead of vs1? I have a vs2 stone and it's totally clean.


I know that everything in Japan (especially Tokyo) is VERY expensive. I wonder if you could order something from an American based site and have it shipped to Japan. I'm not sure how that works though.

 

[katbadness]

Mara... you beat me to it!
I was just about to find out how much his budget is in US$.

Yosh,
Are you considering buying the stone from here (US) and get it shipped to Japan? If that's the case, you may want to check whether there is a tax (and how much!) on something like that.

 

[yosh]

Thanks for all the advice!! This is great stuff!!

Sumi, I was born in Japan (Japanese) but grew up in the UK. Ive been back here for 2 years now and will be returning to the UK by the end of this year.....hopefully with my new wife!!

Yes, things are quite expensive here in Tokyo but maybe cheaper than rip off London. I should spend more money on the ring and really get her at least 1c but ive spent too much money on her Louis Vuitton Bags last month.

I hope i can get a stone online and have it shipped to Japan....Are there any problems with that??

 

[Mara]

I also wanted to add that while the SI stones you saw may have had visible inclusions, that is not always the case. There are plenty of strictly graded SIs out there...so if you do your homework, you may get REALLY lucky and be able to get her a larger stone, closer to the 1c mark.

 

[Nicrez]

Mara, although you have a good point with stones that you can't tell inclusions, etc...I have to say that it is still up to the purchaser to determine which C's are best for them.

My guy and I ended up with an E VVS1, but in our shape we need to be colorless and have fewer inclusions. I could not have done with a G or SI1 or 2 and we both agreed on that. It's a matter of having a well cut, rarer stone for it's uniqueness, and not just size.

Yosh, I think for your budget and since you have a round stone, you can do well with a G or H, at VS1 or VS2. I'm still not much of a fan of SI1's or 2's because some people can have good eye sight and see it (like me for all the 1000X I'll be staring at mine all day!)

Does your girlfriend like a larger size? Then definately go for an H VS2...Good luck!!!

 

[tomatoe]

Wow ur intended is one lucky girl, lv bags last month and an impending e-ring???

My family is close friends with a Japanese family for the past 10+ years and even though I've never personally had the chance to go visit yet, I've seen the magazines and all about branded stuff in Japan and Singapore gets tons of Japanese tourists. The wife of the family friend mentioned that even when she lived in Tokyo (originally from Toyama), she seldom saw women wearing diamond e-rings and there even is a custom where a diamond was only given for the diamond wedding anniversary by the husband and women did not buy diamonds for themselves, is this still true? I was also shocked when I saw the diamonds being advertised in the magazines for like S$5k (approx US$3k?) for a 0.25-0.3 ct.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, you have done the right thing in coming to this forum and you will be very happy with your eventual diamond purchase. Best of luck and do check out those diamonds suggested by Mara, Valeria & Hest, et al.

p.s. I presume yosh is short for yoshi-something or other?

 

[Mara]

----


I have to say that it is still up to the purchaser to determine which C's are best for them.


----




Of course that's the case Nic...no one was saying anything other.




My point is that people tend to come here very biased because of what they see in the stores. I have seen SI stones that don't have a visible spec even under 10x mag to me. And I have friends who have SI2 stones, super ideal who can't see a darn thing even after staring at the stone day in and day out for months on end. So there ARE those rare gems out there and they DO represent an exceptional deal. If someone actually wants to take the time to look and really figure out what is right for them, they may be intersted to know the OTHER side of the coin. Instead of just buying an E VVS because thats what they think they should be getting.




My stones are all VS so it's not like I am preaching from a pulpit on which I actually stand....but I do know that I would not turn away an exceptional SI stone if it was eye-clean for my next purchase, knowing that I could be getting a stellar deal. VS to SI in terms of $$..esp for an eye-clean SI2 is a HUGE HUGE dollar difference. So if someone wants to maximize one C and minimize on clarity and do that extra research, they will NOT be disappointed.




It's good to know all sides of the coin.

 

[pqcollectibles]

Choice of a stone based on clarity comes down to size, type, color, and location of the inclusions. Visual perception also plays a role.

Some people are extremely sensitive to any spec in a diamond, such as Nic is. Others aren't. Your eyes are your eyes, Yosh. Just like color, we cannot tell you what you will or will not see when it comes to inclusions.

Sometimes inclusions are hidden/masked by the cut of the stone. The 3/4 ct, H, SI1 that I upgraded was totally eye clean. The single inclusion was a feather lying parallel to the facets cut, in the body of the stone, that absolutely disappeared from view thru the table. It was evident thru the pavillion.

I own small VVS, a larger VS, and just traded a SI stone. I've seen a totally eye clean I1. I would not hesitate to consider an accurately graded, 100% eye clean SI or I diamond, if the inclusions are well located so the diamond is eye clean and do not cause structural integrety issues.

Each diamond is different. Each diamond has its own unique personality. You have to judge each diamond you view as such, based on the merits of the diamond, and your own personal taste preferences.

 

[mike04456]

----------------
On 2/13/2004 10:54:26 AM yosh wrote:





Im sure my girlfriend would like the biggest stone I can get for the budget.

My girlfriends best mate just got a ring which was about 1/2c and she was not impressed with the size at all.

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

I keep coming back to this statement.

If indeed size her is primary concern, I would think about H/SI2 in an ideal (or close to it) cut to maximize the diameter. I have even seen attractive, eye-clean I1s, if you're willing to drop that far. Five grand would easily get you a 1+ carat stone with those specs. I found up to 1.3 cts with a quick search of pricescope.

 

[valeria101]

Tokyo and London... some bargain shopping paradise!

I can only think of one or two even better: Oslo!

not sure about Stockholm though...

It should work getting a diamond in the mail, since it did for so many around here already. This international shopping is getting exciting. I hope to see your diamond on PS some day !

 

[aljdewey]

Here is a BEAUTIFUL H, SI2 stone at WF.....and the price reflected is before any discounting!




http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-586210.htm#




The Idealscope image on this stone is PRIMO.....a gorgeous stone by the numbers and pictures! The plot looks amazingly clean, too.




I own an H, SI2 ACA......and I can tell you it's drop-dead gorgeous. I had a mind-set against going below SI1, but I talked to Brian and he promised my stone wouldn't disappoint. He was right, and I'm SOOOO glad I listened to him!

 

[fisiogrl]

Hi yosh,

I just picked up my SI2 yesterday from Whiteflash - even though I KNOW where the inclusions are, I CAN'T find them! I have used the loop etc and I have perfect vision.

I have to say that it is beautiful and I am really glad that I didn't pay for higher clarity. Saying that though, I could understand paying for it if you value that!

It is a ACA in a G colour and to be honest it is so white that I think that I could have dropped 1 or 2 colour grades and still be perfectly happy.

So, in summary - Yosh, I know where you are coming from but believe me if you get a GREAT cut, a lot of the other specs become more forgiving. You should easily find something fab with your budget.

PS. Thanks sooooo much to Mara who found my stone for me! I will post it in the other thread when I get some pictures taken.....yippee!

 

[Mara]

ooooh fisio...we need EYE CANDY!!!

 

[phoenixgirl]

Good luck finding your stone! Here are some ideas of what you can get with your budget:

1.12 I SI1 ACA H&A for $4894 (Price shown here is with Price Scope discount)

0.896 H VS2 ACA H&A for $4736

0.92 F SI1 H&A for $5K

0.91 G VS2 AGS2 for $4400

0.91 E VS2 for $4600

1.01 G SI1 for $5K looks like H&A in the ideal scope

Note on clarity -- SI1 clarity is often eye-clean (especially when graded by the GIA or AGS), and VS2 really should be in your carat weight, so I wouldn't go up to VS1 unless I was buying a stone with very little information. Even if you buy from an online vendor, the vendor can eyeball the stone for you or send it to an appraiser -- since the reputable places have a no questions asked return policy, they wouldn't lie to you only to have you be unhappy with your stone and return it.