Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Need help with local (Toronto) vs. online

S

sft

Rough_Rock
Joined
Mar 31, 2012
Messages
19
Hello,

I am in the Toronto area and today visited Birks with the gf and we really liked their Birks Blue Channel setting. My budget is around $15-20K. I can get about a 1 to 1.1 ct. from there (Excellent cut, F, VS2, $17.5K) however online I can pretty much get a 1.5 ct with Excellent cut, H colour, VS2 clarity for roughly the same which is what I am going for as I think its a good blend of size and quality. I can get a diamond ring like this with various platinum channel settings for $15-16K online at Bluenile, Adiamor, James Allen, etc.

However, the settings don't really thrill me as much as the Birks Blue Channel setting (some look more industrial than others of course). Anyone know of anything very close or similar? Any good jewellers in Toronto that you think can accommodate my requirements locally instead of online? How much premium can I expect to pay? Also, lastly does it make sense to get the diamond online and get it set locally? Maybe Birks will even do a setting if I bring my own diamond?

Any help is appreciated! Thanks.
 
Hi stf

I'm from Ontario and I have been around Pricescope for over 5 years and I can honestly tell you that you are paying a huge premium at Birks and it isn`t worth it in my opinion. I've visited Birks many times over the years and have compared prices with vendors that are popular (with good reason) on Pricescope and the mark up on the Birks items is extremely high. Also, the diamond and setting quality you can get online is often superior (again in my opinion) then what Birks sells. I have seen some amazing diamonds and settings here and I can guarantee you that it isn`t difficult to shop online with any of the vendors around here. And many do custom work so if there is a setting that you really have your eye on then they could perhaps make it for you. Even doing custom work you'd get more for you money. Your budget is very nice and you should get as much as you can for it! :bigsmile:

But don't get me wrong, I still love Birks for what it is and love visiting their stores and I have bought from them but regret it because after purchasing an item, I did some research and found out that I way overpaid for the item and have been kicking myself ever since. I got caught in the moment and didn`t take the time to research before I bought. :( I think that if you have a good chunk of disposable income or if your mind is set on a "Birks" ring for whatever reason then by all means go for it but if you want something bigger and just as good or better then check out these vendors:

(I listed them alphabetically as to not show any favoritism ;)) )

http://artofplatinum.com/ (settings and custom - not sure about their diamond selection though....)

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/ (diamonds and settings - diamonds I have seen here are beautiful)

http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/ (diamonds and settings - diamonds I have seen here are beautiful - mostly colored diamonds)

http://www.goodoldgold.com/ (diamonds and settings - diamonds I have seen here are beautiful)

http://www.jamesallen.com/ (diamonds and settings - diamonds I have seen here are beautiful)

http://www.stevenkirsch.com/ (settings and custom - not sure about their diamond selection though...)

http://www.victorcanera.com/ (settings and custom - not sure about their diamond selection though...)

http://www.whiteflash.com/ (diamonds and settings - diamonds I have seen here are beautiful and I own 3 of their ACA stones and can assure you that they are stunning but I don't necessarily favor this company over the others. I would purchase from the others in a heartbeat if they had what I wanted :)) )

Best of luck to you and please let us know what you decide!

Cachette :))
 
sft,

I am in Toronto as well and going through the exact same process as you right now. I am very close to making my purchase, probably in the next two days.

I decided to get a custom ring made right here with Toronto. I checked a few recommendations for custom jewelers and designers here in Toronto on Pricescope, but the one I liked BY FAR is Leif Benner in Distillery District. Google him and you'll see some of his designs. He has more eccentric designs on his webpage, but does more classic stuff as well. I'm going with something classic also. I was actually considering getting the Diamond from Leif as well. He get's only Canadian diamonds and actually the price is quite comparable to online. The main reason, I decided to go online is he didn't have stone that was the exact specs I was looking for. But you should give him a call or visit his studio in Distillery District.

So for the diamond, I had my eye set on a couple of Canadian diamonds on Bluenile. The good thing about Bluenile is they charge Canadian dollars and the exchange rate is excellent and the HST/customs is charged together making things simple and seamless. The downside is you only get to analyse the diamonds by their specs. However they have a great return policy so you can always get some scans done locally and if it looks good then keep if not return it. The option I am going to go with is working with ID Jewelry in NYC who has access to many of the same wholesalers that Bluenile has access to. So basically they were able to source the EXACT same diamond for me, but do the additional ASET, IS, and Hearts&Arrows scans for me. They are able to give me an additional discount over the Bluenile, however they can only except USD payment, so now I'm sorting out the exchange rate and wire transfer stuff here. In the end I don't really save much money and it's more of a hassle, but they are providing better service than Bluenile and I know the diamond I am by not only looks good on paper but in real-life as well. I can also pay them by credit card, but then they can't provide the discount and I'm hit with the high exchange rate on VISA.

In any case, I do recommend checking out Leif, I think when you're dropping that much money, custom is the way to go. Much like getting a custom tailored suit, I much prefer the collaboration and creative approach in creating something unique, meeting the designer in person to exchange ideas, etc. In his process, he will provide, hand sketches, CAD renderings, and plastic moldings before the final ring is made.

I'll be keeping everybody up-to-date here as run through the process of getting my ring made.
 
I am from Toronto as well. I would recommend buying from one of the highly recommended diamond vendors. BGD and WF for round diamonds but it doesn't hurt to check out what JA, IDJ, GOG can offer. You can have the diamond ship direct to whoever makes your setting but all the above vendors also make settings. You will find their work won't be far off from what you see at Birks. In fact, probably better than Birks.

The recommendation for Leif sounds good. I have a friend that used Leif and the ring was very nice. He had to go back and forth a few times due to problems but Leif was very accomdating and fixed it. I would recommend also checking out http://www.engagediamonds.com... Their website looks very commercial but I was very impressed when I went in to talk to them. They carry AGS 000 diamonds which is rare in Toronto. They also have a ton of settings in the open for you to try on. They primarily do custom work.

With that said, I feel that Leif and Engage Diamond's pave doesn't compare to Leon Mege or Steven Kirsch. I have rings from both of them and done some in life comparisons. The channel setting you are getting shouldn't be a problem.
 
CharmyPoo|1333293131|3161141 said:
The recommendation for Leif sounds good. I have a friend that used Leif and the ring was very nice. He had to go back and forth a few times due to problems but Leif was very accomdating and fixed it. I would recommend also checking out http://www.engagediamonds.com.... Their website looks very commercial but I was very impressed when I went in to talk to them. They carry AGS 000 diamonds which is rare in Toronto. They also have a ton of settings in the open for you to try on. They primarily do custom work.
Click to expand...

CharmyPoo - Curious to hear what issues your friend ran into with Leif? The reason why I've pretty much decided on him was, he showed me a baguette channel set design that was great starting point for my design. Surprisingly I called around and checked online and didn't find much designers that had designs with very small baguettes and some that I called said they are too hard to work with.
 
Thanks for the replies.

ecf8053 - yes that is the setting that I liked.

It's not the Birks name I am after, I just really liked the setting design and the way it looked on her hand. Would have no problem getting a custom made ring that looked like the Birks one.

Cachette - thanks very much for the list. I will checkout Whiteflash as I have seen their name often and understand they come highly recommended, will also check out Brian Gavin.

Overall question I have with regards to the 'branded' cuts (ie. 'A Cut Above' 'Brian Gavin Hearts and Arrows' James Allen 'True Hearts', etc.) is are these actually any better than just say GIA certified excellent cut, excellent polish, excellent symmetry diamonds or is it just a marketing term used by all these companies to sell products at a premium?

I notice that for example at Whiteflash, for approx. $13-14K for the stone alone there are plenty 1.5ct, H, VS, excellent cut, polish and symmetry diamonds available but if you go branded to the ACA stuff you have to come down to a 1.3ct range or so for the same colour and clarity at that price range or go up to $18K for the 1.5ct size. Is it worth it is what I am wondering? I do however like that with the ACA diamonds you can actually see the photos and the various imaging methods they use which is reassuring.

smoothmose - thanks for the info on Leif, I will visit the gallery at the Distillery District when I have time available. I think I agree that it makes sense to source the diamond online through reputable dealers and then get the setting custom made here. Good luck with your purchase!

charmypoo - thanks for the info on engage. I will try to visit the store there one day as-well but am likely leaning towards whiteflash or james allen for the actual sourcing of the stone.
 
smoothmoose|1333304664|3161245 said:
CharmyPoo - Curious to hear what issues your friend ran into with Leif? The reason why I've pretty much decided on him was, he showed me a baguette channel set design that was great starting point for my design. Surprisingly I called around and checked online and didn't find much designers that had designs with very small baguettes and some that I called said they are too hard to work with.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say they are major issues. First, the prongs were made really bulky and he took them back to thin out. After thinning them out, all the prongs came back black. He then had to take it back again for polishing. Really not deal breakers.

Not a lot of people use baguette these days in a channel set. I don't see it often but perhaps it is because they aren't as sparkly.
 
Not a lot of people use baguette these days in a channel set. I don't see it often but perhaps it is because they aren't as sparkly.
Click to expand...

That's exactly the reason, I'm getting baguettes. I find round/princess channel sets as well as pave to be too sparkly. Kind of feels like they're trying to steal the thunder of the center diamond. I also find the baguettes given their shape present a very clean line, that is more an accent to the ring more than anything.

Just a personal preference and something I know she will like. That's the beauty of going custom.
 
sft|1333312608|3161310 said:
Overall question I have with regards to the 'branded' cuts (ie. 'A Cut Above' 'Brian Gavin Hearts and Arrows' James Allen 'True Hearts', etc.) is are these actually any better than just say GIA certified excellent cut, excellent polish, excellent symmetry diamonds or is it just a marketing term used by all these companies to sell products at a premium?
Click to expand...

Hard to say. I'm going to get a GIA-XXX, but not branded. Below are the two in my shortlist. Both have the great HCA scores, Imagescope pictures, and pretty good (not perfect) hearts and arrows patterns.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-aset-is-h-a-image-comparison-2-canadian-diamond.173682/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-aset-is-h-a-image-comparison-2-canadian-diamond.173682/[/URL]

I think I'm getting a pretty good price compared to the "pre-screened" cuts. I wouldn't call them "branded" as I think most people think of Tiffany's and Hearts on Fire. The main thing is to find a vendor that will "screen" the diamonds that "you" choose on the spot rather than just have them show their pre-screened ones.

Oh and yes, I now think it is worth it to get a stone that has good HCA, IS, and hearts and arrows pattern. Just today I realized you can actually see the arrows in the live diamonds. Check out this video, and go to when they show the diamonds live:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MocNn5LgGCc&feature=BFa&list=UUEV7slr-i-VduBBnfv9MxhA&lf=plcp
 
Thanks for the video link smoothmoose that was quite helpful in showing the differences and helping me to understand what the images are supposed to show. I will keep looking through the diamonds on the website and use the tool here (just found out about this) to compare prices, etc. SInce I'm not buying soon but likely towards the end of the year and just doing research now I have lots of time to look around. I may also consider ones that are 'Expert Selection' at whiteflash but not quite ACA as they seem darn close and I'm not sure there is too much difference.

As for your dilemma, I checked out the 2 stones you are considering and I would go with #2 as-well. Best of luck.
 
Here's another custom TO jewellery designer :
https://www.pamelalauz.com

Most of her items are completely different but she does do custom and has experience in channel settings. My friends have her non wedding jewelry items and love them. I also saw her at the One of A kind show and almost ordered my ER. She has beautiful stuff!
 
Thanks webdiva, will keep her in mind for the setting.

Just out of curiosity what makes more sense to most people (understanding this is subjective of course):

Go for a smaller size like 1.35 ct. vs. 1.5 ct but get the ACA, Hearts and Arrows, etc. and possibly one higher colour grading or go for the size at 1.5 ct and still get all Ideal/Excellent cuts but not quite the ACA stone?

My thinking is the size will likely be more noticeable unless a perfect hearts and arrows cut really does shine/sparkle more than an Ideal-0 cut but not quite H&A perfect optical symmetry diamond? I can still get a 1.5 ct ACA cut but then its pushing what I *wanted* to spend :)
 
Hi there! :wavey:

I live in the GTA and we bought a vintage ring online-it's 1.64 carats. It's not ideal cut but it's well cut. It took me FOREVER to get over the fact it wasn't perfect until recently-however that is since I'm a PSer and have been prior to the buy and now I can finally look at it without the crazy eyes of OH NO it's NOT PERFECT!! It's an H VVS1 stone that is near ideal cut and it's AMAZING. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my ring now that I've gotten over what its not and appropriate it for what it IS. (Which is amazing and far more than I ever thought I'd have or receive and perfect for me.)

So no-you don't HAVE to get a perfectly cut stone. You can get a well cut stone that still is amazing and sparkles and will be a show stopper.


If you want a good *local* jeweler who can help you out contact Adam at http://www.billleboeufjewellers.com/

They have access to Canadian and ideal cut diamonds. They have a TON of designer settings and he is the son of the owner (who's since retired). Just let him know that you're a PSer and that some crazy girl sent you his way from PS (I'm sure he'll know who you're talking about lol). :rolleyes:

They really are great to work with and then you can see a huge selection of styles/stones/etc. What they show online isn't all they have access to and he's right in Barrie which isn't to far of a drive from the city.

So you have lots of options. IF you DO go with an online vendor I highly recommend GOG and getting a stone/setting from them. They are amazing to work with-make high resolution videos and go above and beyond with everything they do. I've bought 2 stones from them and Jonathan and his staff are great. Another family run store too!

I can't wait to see what you get! Being in the city and if she's is a size girl I'd go larger-but I'm in a small town and my ring is by far the largest around (kind of bothered me at first and I wanted to down grade) including those who had upgraded after years of marriage. But it doesn't matter-people realize jewelery is my *thing* even though I wear peasant skirts and it doesn't really "match" :lol:


Also I'm not sure what your budget is but someone is unloading for 26k a lose 2.6 carat ideal cut stone. It retails for a lot more here is the link just in case :)
http://www.diamondbistro.com/category/215/Loose-natural-Diamonds/listings/27816/26-ct-AGS-000-Round-I-Color-VS2-Clarity.html
 
Thanks vintagelover. I will indeed check out their website. Barrie is a little out of the way but if do head up north sometime soon which i probably will I will stop by to check them out in person as well.

Is the Blue Nile Signagure Ideal line a good substitute for the Whiteflash ACA? In other words can I be confident with the BN SI that it is as good as the ACA which seems to come highly recommended on this site?
 
sft|1333418485|3162141 said:
Thanks vintagelover. I will indeed check out their website. Barrie is a little out of the way but if do head up north sometime soon which i probably will I will stop by to check them out in person as well.

Is the Blue Nile Signagure Ideal line a good substitute for the Whiteflash ACA? In other words can I be confident with the BN SI that it is as good as the ACA which seems to come highly recommended on this site?
Click to expand...

Good question. The thing that puzzles me with the BN signature is they claim hearts and arrows, but their certificates don't have full hearts and arrows scan. Just a symmetry scan that shows the arrows. I think the vendors such as Whiteflash and Good Old Gold provide more scans.

The diamonds with the scans I posted up were originally from BN virtual inventory as GIA-XXX, but are not marked as their signature line. But I'm guessing it is a hit or miss if you can't get someone to do the scans for you.
 
I might actually not wait until later in the year and would like some opinions on this stone from WF: http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2715456.htm..

I plan to just get the stone and then have a local designer do the Birks channel setting that I liked. This diamond grades 1.1 on the HCA tool here and seems great. Any other similar options I am open to if anyone has recommendations but I would like a minimum of H, VS2, Ideal cut, HCA less than 2.0 and 1.2 carat.

Size works well, we tried a few in the 1.0 to 1.5ct range and think the 1.2-1.3 range is a good sweet spot, she's only a size 5 or 5.25 ring size so they all look quite big on her.
 
sft|1333908697|3166250 said:
I might actually not wait until later in the year and would like some opinions on this stone from WF: http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2715456.htm...
Click to expand...

Looks like a great choice. I would just call them to see if there are other comparable diamonds. I assume you checked other vendors already. The only other thing I would recommend is make sure you look at a H colour diamond in person if you haven't already. For me it was weird, but I was able to just slightly discern the colour of a H vs. G or F. So I went with a G. But if you and your girl can't see it then you're good to go.
 
Thanks smoothmouse. I actually called to talk to them so its on hold. He mentioned that the stone was a great choice and that I could lower the VS1 to something like SI1 and get a 1.4ct (vs. 1.274 here) for roughly the same but mentioned the difference in size would be difficult to spot so I decided to stick with the VS1. I just feel better getting a VS online than I do an SI.

We did check out some stones and although I had difficulty telling the difference between an F and an I at Birks I could tell under certain conditions but it was difficult and only evident side by side when looking from the side. H seems a great sweet spot for bang for the buck, so does G so I think we're good there.

WF is also going to provide me with a quote on the setting as-well, I sent the link to the setting I want so waiting to hear on that. May just get them to do the whole thing but the stone itself I am pretty much set on at this point.

Are you set on your choice? When is your diamond arriving?
 
Sounds like you're set. If you're happy with the Birks setting, then I'm sure WF can make something very similiar. Some designers don't like copying someone's else design anyway. That said, I was just talking to buddy of mine the other day and he decided to buy local (actually went with Birks) less so for the brand name but more so of the after sales services. Told me some of his other friends brought everything online or remotely, and it was basically impossible to get the ring resized or cut (seems to happen often when the girl gets preggers...) without forking out a decent amount change.

My diamond is coming in tomorrow. So the ball is definitely rolling. My reason for going local is there isn't any design I've found in a store or online that meets our vision for the ring. And I think I mentioned it before, in my experience it's a fun process to design something custom, much like I like to get my suits custom nowadays. But it's definitely less hassle to get everything from one place.
 
Very nice. I hear you on getting it set locally, I may still go that route but doesn't hurt to get a quote and since it should be a pretty simple setting I don't envision it would be difficult. Will see what they propose but WF mentioned that the diamonds they use for the channel will likely by better than ones that I would be getting locally which it may or may not be really. I also agree on the suits, pants, etc. I have started doing the same recently.

Do post once you get your stone, will be curious to hear your thoughts.
 
I think it is a great idea to get the whole ring done by WF. I am sure they will do a great job. All my more substantial pieces of jewelry are not made in Toronto. I haven't found the same quality locally yet.

I also wouldn't worry about resizing rings. I know plenty jewelers I can refer you to for that. I alsoi know ones that do a good job repairing. I won't send me Leon Mege pieces there bit other work for sure. Heck, even Birks would do work on outside pieces. Sizing is not pricey at 10 to 60 bucks.
 
Thanks Charmypoo. I'm not worried about getting it done by WF, I'm sure they can do a good job. Also the cost of ring resizing etc. if needed to be done locally is not a factor.

I guess a fair question I may have though is what do you think I should be getting quoted for the Birks style setting? I asked for platinum instead of white gold and the little blue sapphire stone on both sides (the Birks one has it on one side only). Otherwise should be identical to the actual Birks one. I'm talking ballpark figures obviously since most here have much more experience than me.

All in all, I'm very glad I found this site. The educational resources have been very helpful and the forum is a great tool with many posters willing to help. So I appreciate all the helpful posts greatly. Not an easy decision but I feel I know much more about this whole process now.
 
I have done some research on importing the goods to Canada and the view for certain is that there is no duty on loose diamonds shipped to Canada per http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/trade-commerce/tariff-tarif/2012/01-99/ch71-2012-eng.pdf..

However, if I get the item set in a ring (i.e. section 71.13) there is likely either a minimum 5% and maximum 6.5% import duty on top of the regular HST of 13% from my understanding of the text herein.

I am reading conflicting reports on this with some people saying there is no duty, just HST on precious metal diamond rings (with the diamond set) whereas some saying there may be. I am guessing once it is set the item is a piece of 'jewelry of precious metal' and thus the whole thing will be subject to duty at the applicable rate of 5 or 6.5%.

Although getting the loose stone alone would ensure I only pay HST and no duty. Do I have this right? This would be an easy decision then if the ring were subject to duty but the stone alone wouldn't be to get the setting done locally then.
 
Think I have cleared it up per the full document: http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/trade-commerce/tariff-tarif/2012/01-99/01-99-t2012-01-eng.pdf.. The US is exempt from the tax tarriff as it is classified UST, MUST. On the initial schedule in my post above which lists the items UST and MUST are 'free' of any duty per the tables.

I also read elsewhere that if the item was manufactured in the US, regardless of the origin of the metal/stone then it would be classified as a US manufactured good and thus it would be exempt. So in short, it seems HST and any brokerage fees (if any which depends on method of shipment) should be all that is faced when getting a ring in case someone reads this and may find the info useful.
 
sft|1334012254|3166927 said:
Does $2800 sound right for the Birks-style setting I have found in platinum and that is linked to here: http://www.birks.com/en/featured/Engagement/Solitaire-Engagement-Rings/g64-712/5000022078???
Click to expand...

Hopefully other folks might have more experience on the WF custom pricing.

I can tell you I've spoken to several designers here in Toronto and the range was been huge ($1800-$4800) for my design concept which is also a platinum channel set. I told you I was leaning towards Leif Benner and we've only talked conceptually at this point as I'm waiting to get my diamond and all my design elements are not locked down yet. But he told me it would be in the $2000 range.

BTW, I'm pretty sure you're right as there are no duties on the loose or set diamonds. I would have an answer on that but my diamond is stuck in customs today. When you get yours either make sure WF has an appointed customs broker and if not you might need to appoint one yourself via Fedex.
 
sft|1334012254|3166927 said:
Does $2800 sound right for the Birks-style setting I have found in platinum and that is linked to here: http://www.birks.com/en/featured/Engagement/Solitaire-Engagement-Rings/g64-712/5000022078???

I will look to get a couple more quotes but I was thinking it would likely be a little less than that given the setting doesn't seem anything particularly difficult or fancy? Would like to get some opinions from those with experience.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

The price is reasonable. The design isn't particularly hard or fancy but they use top quality melee and make each ring to order and that takes time. Plus metal prices are very high. You can get it done cheaper but you won't be able to get the same quality and workmanship.

I would call Engagement Rings Direct though if you wanted a second quote. Mark sells gorgeous diamonds and does amazing CAD work as well. So if you wanted to see what a comparable place would quote, call him and call BGD as well. Then once you have three quotes from vendors that provide the same level of quality you can decide what to do.
 
smoothmoose|1334021757|3167071 said:
sft|1334012254|3166927 said:
Does $2800 sound right for the Birks-style setting I have found in platinum and that is linked to here: http://www.birks.com/en/featured/Engagement/Solitaire-Engagement-Rings/g64-712/5000022078????
Click to expand...

Hopefully other folks might have more experience on the WF custom pricing.

I can tell you I've spoken to several designers here in Toronto and the range was been huge ($1800-$4800) for my design concept which is also a platinum channel set. I told you I was leaning towards Leif Benner and we've only talked conceptually at this point as I'm waiting to get my diamond and all my design elements are not locked down yet. But he told me it would be in the $2000 range.

BTW, I'm pretty sure you're right as there are no duties on the loose or set diamonds. I would have an answer on that but my diamond is stuck in customs today. When you get yours either make sure WF has an appointed customs broker and if not you might need to appoint one yourself via Fedex.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info on the customs. Hopefully it won't be much hassle for you.

I have started an email conversation with Leif as well and he will quote me tomorrow. I do wonder how his work would compare to WF? I know that WF says they will use ACA diamonds for the channels too (although this is effectively taking their word for it really since those won't be certified) but I told Leif of my center stone specs and that I would want comparable quality too so we'll see.
 
Gypsy|1334022214|3167080 said:
sft|1334012254|3166927 said:
Does $2800 sound right for the Birks-style setting I have found in platinum and that is linked to here: http://www.birks.com/en/featured/Engagement/Solitaire-Engagement-Rings/g64-712/5000022078????

I will look to get a couple more quotes but I was thinking it would likely be a little less than that given the setting doesn't seem anything particularly difficult or fancy? Would like to get some opinions from those with experience.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

The price is reasonable. The design isn't particularly hard or fancy but they use top quality melee and make each ring to order and that takes time. Plus metal prices are very high. You can get it done cheaper but you won't be able to get the same quality and workmanship.

I would call Engagement Rings Direct though if you wanted a second quote. Mark sells gorgeous diamonds and does amazing CAD work as well. So if you wanted to see what a comparable place would quote, call him and call BGD as well. Then once you have three quotes from vendors that provide the same level of quality you can decide what to do.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response. That's good enough for me knowing its a fair price really because if I am going to order it all online I would just go with them directly instead of bringing another online vendor in to the picture. At this point it will come down to WF vs local custom designer. I think local setting has some benefits as I can work with the designer and get any kinks sorted out, if needed, more conveniently. The only concern really is will the channel diamonds be up to par and how will I know what I am getting since those aren't certified I believe.
 
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top