Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

My search has began!

Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
A

anothercluelessguy

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jul 22, 2009
Messages
10
I just found this site a few days ago and going through many threads learning a lot about diamonds.

I am looking for a good cushion cut diamond for an engagement ring for my gf. Hopefully I''d like to propose to her before the summer is over and she''s probably expecting that too.

I am quite picky with design and details in general but diamond is something I don''t know too much about and not sure where to start. I would love to have the custom setting designed and reading some theads here Leon seems like a go to guy in NYC? For now, my total budget with a stone and setting is $12-15k.

What''s realistic with this budget?

The setting I am looking for is something similar to this.
http://www.artofplatinum.com/4images/details.php?image_id=490

I would love to get a 1.8-2ct stone with excellent cut. I am looking at this stone.
http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/5711/

I just want to get your expert opinions!
 
Jon at GOG has some great stones. If you can make it out to Massapequa, you should go check it out in person. Mark at ERD is in the diamond district and he''s got a great eye for picking out cushions as well.

As far as the setting goes... Leon''s the way to go. Setting like the one you linked will proably run around 2,500 or so, depending on the details. It''d be best to just email Leon for a quote.
 
Date: 7/22/2009 4:04:37 PM
Author: tyty333

Fixed the linkys...
stone
http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/5711/

setting
http://www.artofplatinum.com/4images/details.php?image_id=490


I love cushions (but dont know much about them)... that one is really lovely. I also like the mege setting
you picked out. The combination of the two would be gorgeous!
Click to expand...
Thanks ty, most helpful!

The cushion looks gorgeous acg, what I would do is reserve the diamond if you are seriously interested in it to prevent it being poached. The setting is also lovely, Leon has done a considerable amount of work for PSers.
 
thanks for fixing the link!

I guess it''s best to make an appointment with Mark at ERD to see some stones? It''s about 15min walk from where I work. Usually, I like going through websites so I can compare the specs and prices carefully. But it seems like with a cushion cut, it''s difficult tell what cut is better than the other. I also need to get a good idea on how much of visible size difference it has between 1.8ct vs 2.0ct. With his reputation, I guess I should trust his suggestions.

As far as a setting goes, do you recommend Leon over Mark? And if I go with Leon, what would be a turn around time for a setting similar to I posted above?

Thank you all for helping me out!
 
Date: 7/22/2009 4:45:42 PM
Author: anothercluelessguy
thanks for fixing the link!


I guess it''s best to make an appointment with Mark at ERD to see some stones? It''s about 15min walk from where I work. Usually, I like going through websites so I can compare the specs and prices carefully. But it seems like with a cushion cut, it''s difficult tell what cut is better than the other. I also need to get a good idea on how much of visible size difference it has between 1.8ct vs 2.0ct. With his reputation, I guess I should trust his suggestions.


As far as a setting goes, do you recommend Leon over Mark? And if I go with Leon, what would be a turn around time for a setting similar to I posted above?


Thank you all for helping me out!
Click to expand...

I''m in the same boat as you and apparently we have similar tastes. Thanks for linking to that setting. It''s basically what I''ve been looking for, except I can''t afford a 3 ct cushion.

Can anyone estimate the width of the band that OP posted? What''s the smallest width for a platinum band before it is too delicate?
 
Date: 7/22/2009 4:45:42 PM
Author: anothercluelessguy
thanks for fixing the link!

I guess it''s best to make an appointment with Mark at ERD to see some stones? It''s about 15min walk from where I work. Usually, I like going through websites so I can compare the specs and prices carefully. But it seems like with a cushion cut, it''s difficult tell what cut is better than the other. I also need to get a good idea on how much of visible size difference it has between 1.8ct vs 2.0ct. With his reputation, I guess I should trust his suggestions.

As far as a setting goes, do you recommend Leon over Mark? And if I go with Leon, what would be a turn around time for a setting similar to I posted above?

Thank you all for helping me out!
Click to expand...
They both make nice settings. If you want the pointy claw prongs, Leon would be the way to go compared to Mark''s settings. And Leon''s are a tad bit more refined imo, but that doesn''t mean Mark''s aren''t nice, they are!

Leon''s turn around for that would probably be around 6-8 weeks, but possibly a bit less. I''ve found if he doesn''t get them done in the time quoted, it''s "usually" a bit early.

I would try to get to both GOG and ERD to see/compare stones.
 
I went through the same thing you''re going through right now. I work in midtown and saw alot of GOG''s cushions online but it was just a pain for me to get out to LI. Then I found Mark and he was great. Took the time to explain to me the different things I should be looking for in a cushion and why certain ones he was showing me were better than others. And it was convenient for me to make several trips to visit him during the whole process.

I ended up buying my cushion from Mark. I was also debating whether to go with Mark or Leon for the setting and eventually decided on Leon. I believe Mark''s turnaround is alot faster, a couple of weeks. Leon would take around 6 weeks.

As for the shank, it''s probably between 1.6 and 1.8 mm... which is what I think most of Leon''s bands are.
 
More I read, more confused I get. I wish it was as simple as looking at the spec number and choosing the best one!

I just emailed ERD to see if they have something that meets my criteria. I do see some great cushion cuts on the GOG site, I think the photo and video really helps and with his convincing words, I almost wanna just go ahead and buy it without seeing in person.

this one looks really nice even it''s a bit smaller than I''d like it to be.
http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/5139/

and this one looks nice even though the first one is a bit more than I''d like to pay.
http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/5648/


finally, this seems to be the biggest I can get without compromising too much on the quality.
http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/5711/


My gf said something about trying on a Tiffany Novo ring and didn''t like it and continued on to say she loves the Tiffany Legacy style. If I was to go with a Halo setting, can I get away with a smaller center stone? Or it doesn''t really matter?

I wonder what''s better. Spend more on a center stone and save on the setting, or spend less on the stone and get more bling setting...
 
Look for the stones'' with GOG''s lifetime guarantee, those are the stones they recommend.
 
Date: 7/23/2009 3:57:18 PM
Author: anothercluelessguy
More I read, more confused I get. I wish it was as simple as looking at the spec number and choosing the best one!

I just emailed ERD to see if they have something that meets my criteria. I do see some great cushion cuts on the GOG site, I think the photo and video really helps and with his convincing words, I almost wanna just go ahead and buy it without seeing in person.

this one looks really nice even it's a bit smaller than I'd like it to be.
http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/5139/

and this one looks nice even though the first one is a bit more than I'd like to pay.
http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/5648/


finally, this seems to be the biggest I can get without compromising too much on the quality.
http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/5711/


My gf said something about trying on a Tiffany Novo ring and didn't like it and continued on to say she loves the Tiffany Legacy style. If I was to go with a Halo setting, can I get away with a smaller center stone? Or it doesn't really matter?

I wonder what's better. Spend more on a center stone and save on the setting, or spend less on the stone and get more bling setting...
Click to expand...
2 and 3 look nice, as for how to allocate the budget you could go either way, just depends on your priorities. If you are unsure, contact Jon and ask him what he might have in the pipeline for cushions, he might know of one which could suit you beautifully. He is a great guy and would be pleased to try to help.
 
Date: 7/23/2009 4:06:44 PM
Author: Stone-cold11
Look for the stones'' with GOG''s lifetime guarantee, those are the stones they recommend.
Click to expand...


Why are some stones only have 30days guarantee where as the others have lifetime? What''s the difference?
 
Lifetime guarantee is their lifetime buy back and trade up policy. Limited guarantee is only their 30days' return policy. Call them up to confirm.
 
Date: 7/23/2009 4:15:52 PM
Author: anothercluelessguy


Date: 7/23/2009 4:06:44 PM
Author: Stone-cold11
Look for the stones' with GOG's lifetime guarantee, those are the stones they recommend.
Click to expand...


Why are some stones only have 30days guarantee where as the others have lifetime? What's the difference?
Click to expand...
I really can't speak for Jon, but from what I understand it depends on whether a diamond meets Jon's standards for beauty, performance and other aspects and whether it is a stone he wants to offer an upgrade policy on and to possibly have back in inventory. Sometimes this can influence pricing too but if you call him and ask about why a particular diamond is not eligible for an upgrade policy he would be able to tell you why in that case.
 
Pretty interesting. I just watched one of their videos explaining it. From what I understood, you are basically paying the premium for the lifetime guarantee to get 70% of the purchase price for buy back. I am also surprised to hear that you typically get only 20-30% of what you paid for... I guess diamond is not a good investment. My collection of Leica cameras and lenses hold its value a lot better than a diamond!
 
Date: 7/23/2009 4:44:29 PM
Author: anothercluelessguy
Pretty interesting. I just watched one of their videos explaining it. From what I understood, you are basically paying the premium for the lifetime guarantee to get 70% of the purchase price. I am also surprised to hear that you typically get only 20-30% of what you paid for... I guess diamond is not a good investment. My Leica camera and lenses hold more value than a diamond!
Click to expand...
Diamonds aren''t a good financial investment so to speak, a good investment in happiness yes!
 
I sent an email to ERD and waiting for a response. Meantime, I went to Tiffany this afternoon to take a look at a few different settings. I loved the legacy ring. I felt it''s very graceful and timeless. I looked at 1.25, 1.5 and 2ct in that setting. 2ct center stone with a halo is really really big. It was so big that it felt a little too ostentatious for my taste(no offense to those who have a bigger stone!) I felt 1.5ct center stone is a bit more balanced. They quoted me 1.5ct VS2, I Legacy ring for $24000, just about what I expected from Tiffany.

Now I have gotten a little better idea on how different stone size appear in real life, I''d probably shift my search criteria a bit and look for 1.5-1.8 range. It''ll probably make the search a bit easier in terms of budget.

Anyone know which Leon''s setting is the closest to Tiffany Legacy setting?
 
Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top