need some help on a diamond

[drbuck]

Hello, this forum has been helpful thus far but I need some help on a diamond. I have already decided that I''m going to get a Michael B. petite princess ring. Today I looked at some round center stones and this is what I found. Let me know what you think...

#1. carat: 1.24, color H, Clar VS2, Cut very good, polish very good, symmetry good, no fluoro. Measurements 6.91-7.02 x 4.21. Table 55%, crown angle 34.5,crown 50, girdle thin to medium. Gia certified. Price $12,030, discount $8420.

#2. carat: 1.00, color E, Clar VS2, Cut excellent, polish very good, symmetry very good, mod.blue fluoro. Table 56%, crown angle 35, crown 55, girdle thin to slightly thick. GIA certified. rice $12200, discount $8540.

I really think the 1.24 carat is the way to go as far as the size...it looks better with the ring. However, it seems like the price (30% off the original), could be better. I''m wondering if you think I could get a better 1.24 carat diamond for the money. The 1.24 diamond was very nice and but I was thinking maybe I could find something better. I''m not so confident about buying online, but I guess I would consider it. The jeweler I looked at is the one that carries the Michael B rings. I was thinking about looking at another jeweler with a larger selection and maybe a better price. Any advice would be great!!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Hi there!

I just did a quick "pricescope your diamond" and got a ton of results in the $6500-$7500 range for a 1.24 H VS2. (I did not weed them out for cut, but just put in the basic parameters.)

If you purchase from an internet vendor with a good reputation (like those that will be recommended to you here) and a good return policy buying on line is generally a great way to go.

If you post your budget and the specs that you're looking for and the experts on this board will be able to suggest a few stones to you.

Also, which setting are you looking at? Pearlmansjewelers.com carries Michael B.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

You need to get rid of this idea about the amount of the "discount". This is just the same as department stores who run their jewlery 50% off all the time. All that matters is the bottom line price. Get your eyes off the discount amount because it is irrelevant. If you want to compare prices, you can use the price search tool on this site.

That said, I totally agree that I''d rather have a 1.24 stone over a 1.0, but that 1.24 stone you listed honestly isn''t that great. It has very good cut and not excellent, and I''d definitely want better than "good" symmetry. It also isn''t very round with a diameter of 6.91 -7.02. The second stone looks a little better, but you could do better than both of these.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Here are some examples for you of MUCH better stones for the money:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/1703/

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/a-cut-above-h-a-cut-diamond-55544.htm

Of course, your very best bet was the MB princess rings with 1.0-1.5 ct. AGS0 stones at Pearlman''s. Did you check those out?

 

[drbuck]

Excuse me diamondseeker, I''m new at this and just thought I''d include as much info as I could in this forum. Anyway, I''m now open to the idea of getting a diamond online. I''ve looked at the Pearlman diamonds and they seem like a good deal. Anything else out there that looks good? My budget is about $11000 on the whole thing, and I''ve decided on the Michael B princess ring vs. petite princess ring (depending on the size center stone I get). Thanks!!!

 

[Dee*Jay]

drbuck, let me suggest that you give Bill Pearlman a call and talk to him about the price of the setting. Are you also including the price of the wedding ring in that figure too? That way you can "work backward" and figure out how much $ you can reasonably spend on the diamond itself.

Michael B can be a little pricey, so let me give you another piece of advice (see what happens here is that you get all sorts of advice, whether you want it or not!

) Pearlmans has a line that they sell under their own name that is very sililar to some of the Michael B styles and they are many thousands of dollars less.

 

[mrssalvo]

I don''t know what size your gal wears but honestly, you can''t do any better than this price for the setting and a gorgeous AGS stone....

If your not interested in this setting, I''d agree with giving Bill a call and letting him know your budget and what you''re after, his pricing for Michael B is very competitive and like Dee Jay said, there are also some similar styles in the Pearlmans Collection that are much less. I just purchased an AGS stone from him myself.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Dee Jay, I was telling him about Pearlman''s because he has two MB princess rings already set with diamonds at a substantial discount as opposed to buying a diamond and having a MB setting made.

drbuck, I didn''t mean to sound critical at all...I just knew you''d get a better diamond if you could get one of the rings Mr. Pearlman has already. Those MB settings cost several thoudsand dollars, which isn''t going to leave you as much for the diamond. It just doesn''t make sense to me to pay almost as much for a setting as the diamond costs. But if you could get either of the rings at Pearlman''s, you''d get SO much more for your money! The factor that is unknown is whether either of these is her size or whether they can be sized to fit her. Do you know her ring size?

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 10/29/2006 8:32:58 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
Dee Jay, I was telling him about Pearlman''s because he has two MB princess rings already set with diamonds at a substantial discount as opposed to buying a diamond and having a MB setting made.

Oh absolutely Diamondseeker--great minds think alike

! I was just mentioning also that if he didn''t want to go the route of what Bill had pre-set he might want to get a feel for what a Michael B setting costs alone and then consider the cost of the diamond too. Sorry if I wasn''t making full sense in my last post (see what 8 hours of Christmas shopping and 2 glasses of wine will do to me, LOL!)

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 10/29/2006 8:37:46 PM
Author: Dee*Jay

Date: 10/29/2006 8:32:58 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
Dee Jay, I was telling him about Pearlman''s because he has two MB princess rings already set with diamonds at a substantial discount as opposed to buying a diamond and having a MB setting made.

Oh absolutely Diamondseeker--great minds think alike

! I was just mentioning also that if he didn''t want to go the route of what Bill had pre-set he might want to get a feel for what a Michael B setting costs alone and then consider the cost of the diamond too. Sorry if I wasn''t making full sense in my last post (see what 8 hours of Christmas shopping and 2 glasses of wine will do to me, LOL!)

Wow, Dee Jay, I''m impressed that you did all that Christmas shopping! Gives me some anxiety just thinking about it, though, since I haven''t done any yet!

But that ring (and the other at $15,000) are just a steal for someone wanting MB princess with an AGS0 stone! Someone is going to be very lucky to get it and maybe it will be drbuck!