New member looking for guidance with online purchase

[Paris1Day]

Hi there,
I'm new here. Live in QLD near sunshine coast and waiting for my looong awaited engagement ring- 13 years infact!!
Would love some guidance on where to purchase the loose stone online so we don't get ripped off.
The markup here in Aust. is ludicrous that is why I am looking to go down this path but with such a big purchase and online it frankly scares the heck outta me. I don't know who to talk to and who has done it from Aust. and no idea of the complicated tax/gst charges thingymajigs they talk of.
I am definitely not naïve, I have done a lot of months of researching/phone calls/emails etc I have even jotted down my own 'diamonds 101' on a notepad just so I can refer back to it when I am studying the GIA reports of the stones I am interested in lol.....

2 questions firstly
1) A jeweller told me that stones from the likes of Blue Nile, Brilliant Earth etc are ones that retail stores reject. What does this mean??
2) Same jeweller also said that if I took my own stones to him I would pay a "premium". What does that mean and why??

Attached a photo of the style I would like to achieve. My finger is only quite small and thin so something huge I know will look silly. Here are the diamond specs I am thinking of.
Round Brilliant .60ct thereabouts GIA certified E colour VS1 Nil Fluorescence Ex Cut/Polish/Symmetry Culet-None
I am aware that there are other aspects such as pavilion/crown angles and table percentages to consider. I have printed off the GIA Cut Grade Booklet for Round Diamonds so I know which ranges are good to be considering.

Thanks so much sorry it is a long post but I would be forever grateful if a beautiful person could help this girl FINALLY get the ring on her finger!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Welcome! We have many Australian's come to PS to buy rings in the US!

First, to answer your questions:

1) That is simply a lie to make you buy from him. BN is a diamond supplier and has all ranges of stone quality, although they don't really specialize in top cut stones. But you can find good ones. I normally do not look there, however, as I believe it is best to shop with vendors who have photos of the stones and especially light return images.

2) He means if you buy a diamond elsewhere, he will charge you extra to set the stone in his setting. However, I always recommend having the diamond seller set the diamond when possible.

I would suggest being open to E-F color and possibly VS1-VS2 clarity, as VS2 certainly would be eyeclean at the .60 size just to give you more options of stones.

The style you want is easy to find at most jewelers. Can you please tell me your total budget for stone and setting in US$? Then we can suggest stones and settings for you.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Incidentally, I am not sure what you printed off, but I am going to give you the cut parameters in case you look some yourself. We'll show you some of your best options, though, once we know your budget.

These are measurements to help you stay in ideal cut territory with a GIA excellent cut stone.

table: 54-58

depth: 60-62.3

crown angle: 34-35.0 (up to 35.5 crown angle can sometimes work with a 40.6 pav angle)

pavilion angle: 40.6-40.9 (sometimes 41.0 if the crown angle is close to 34)

 

[Bron357]

Hi from Sydney! Your jeweller is talking nonsense trying to get you to buy from him. The experts here on PS will find you a superb diamond for a fabulous price though don't forget paying the GST 10% and insured shipping. That said, any jeweller here will charge you a few hundred dollars to set your stone in your setting. They'll charge less to set your stone in their setting AND you'll have to sign a waive that if the diamond is damaged during setting, it's not their fault. For that reason, and because of the enormous choices available, I'd suggest getting both the diamond and the setting done together in the US. It is very expensive to get a custom made setting here in Australia (our wages and rents are high) so a cast setting that's hand finished is the most economical type of setting to buy. You can buy very cheap settings through China but the side diamonds are lower quality and there's not much gold weight in the rings. You do get what you pay for! Lots to think about so look around and take on board all the information. Don't forget to Enjoy the process too!

 

[Paris1Day]

Thanks diamondseeker2006 I did have those measurements written down already so I must be onto a good thing considering I'm still an 'L' plater.
I am open to the E-F colour but do not wish to go outside that colour grade.
Most certainly would be fine with the VS1-VS2 clarity.
The rest of the stones I only want in same E/F colour too & I have NO IDEA what size they would need to be or even how MANY of them little suckers I would have in the halo or shank?!
The total budget in AUD we are looking at spending about $7000. So I guess like $5g for the stones and the rest on the setting??!!


Hi Bron357- Thanks so much for your reply. Actually I am currently waiting to hear back from Cerrone in Sydney in regards to some images of a stone I want to look at further; I still haven't received the email and I rang this morning and was told it would be there in half an hour :/ .....As for enjoying the process, I cannot say I am enjoying anything because I just am so worried about the idea of getting something that is rubbish and then it falls apart or is a dodgy stone and I have used our precious $$ that my partner works extremely hard & sacrifices so much for.

Another question:
Is American white gold good quality? (I heard it wasn't!) I would like 18 carat palladium based. Palladium doesn't have that yellowish tinge that the normal white gold has so I've read on various sites.

Is AGS better than a GIA stone?

So happy that people have replied I was worried nobody would

 

[Bron357]

Don't worry Paris1day, you will be well looked after here by all the lovely PSers. And I've been buying, very happily and safely from the US for years now so don't worry about that. If you're a diamond buying novice you really should listen to the PSers, they are a bunch of very experienced ladies (and some gents) who know all the ins and outs without having a financial interest in you buying "that one" or "that one". A diamond from Cerrone here in Sydney will, frankly, be overpriced and not necessarily the best value for money. Cerrone does lovely jewellery but their prices are high. But firstly, have you seen a .60 carat with halo on your finger? That's the first step, make sure your expectation matches the reality. Then about colour, honestly very few people can tell the difference between diamonds colour down to H. Even clarity down to SI1 can be "eye clean" when you look at it on your finger. Diamond clarity is assessed under 10x magnification and unless your friends and acquaintances are going to "whip out a loupe" no one will ever be able to see the inclusions in a VVS2. What really matters is cut. If the cut is wrong or off, the diamond won't sparkle as beautifully as it should in many different light settings. So check the diamond size, work out your total spend and let the expert helpers here do their magic for you.

 

[Bron357]

Sorry, I forgot to add. 18ct white gold has a distinctive golden tinge. 18ct white gold rings are generally Rhodium plated to give them that beautiful white shiny look. However, they need re dipped probably annually, around $90 at any reputable jeweller. Platinum and Pallidium are a more mellow greyish white. I suggest you try on the different metals, though Platinum is the most expensive and Pallidium not far behind that.

 

[Paris1Day]

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3684101.htm

Thoughts on this one?

I have tried on a .53pt centre stone with double halo. Initially I wanted a double halo but because of the prices I was getting I decided to stick with a single halo and get a bigger, quality centre stone.

 

[WinkHPD]

I just wanted to chime in to say that although it is counter-intuitive, 18kt palladium is actually a very white alloy. And also, that 18kt in the US is the same as it is anywhere else in the wolrd. 75% gold and 25% alloy. The alloys may be mixed in many different combinations, but the net % is the same. It is along the same line of tripe that your jeweler was trying to feed you about Internet diamonds all being rejects from Bricks and Mortar stores.

Wink

 

[Paris1Day]

https://www.ritani.com/diamonds/round-diamond-0-60-Carat-E-color-GIA-certified/D-P3766N

Hi there everyone,
I have just been searching, like all night last night and today (3pm here right now) I think I am really getting the hang of this business lol.
And I have come across THIS stone above. I punched the numbers into the HCA and wow it gets a score of 0.9
I would want to put it into this setting below.
https://www.ritani.com/engagement-r...-band-engagement-ring-in-18kt-white-gold/4573

PLEASE tell me what you think asap! Have I done a good job? Do you think I am getting the hang of it??

 

[Gypsy]

The stone is a nice one. Good choice.

I personally think it will get completely lost in that setting. And that setting is not a good choice for daily wear.

Is it for you, or for your intended? If it is for someone else how do you know that style is what they want?

 

[Paris1Day]

It is for me yes. It is the exact style I want. Round centre, cushion halo as I mentioned above in my first post.
Are you saying that the centre stone is too small? Unfortunately budget is budget and my fingers are petite thin and small I know that anything bigger with a halo on top is going to look ridiculous.

How does one know how 'big' the setting is as such without actually seeing it?
Yep it is a going to be for daily wear. lol I will prob never wanna take it off after waiting for 13 YEARS I'm a busy mum of 3 school aged girls, never afraid to get my hands dirty but also girly too.
I was going to go for pave set stones but know that it is not a hard wearing everyday option so this looked better I thought??

 

[Paris1Day]

Can anyone else come in on this thread??? What happened to all these PSers that are going to help me??! Please I am desperate for HELP

I spent last night speaking online with a lovely lady from white flash who was ever so helpful looking at Ritani rings and single stones etc.
I also received an email from Victor Canera in regards to an Emilya ring I am in love with.

Would you go with a V.C ring or would you go with a WF purchase?
I have read that VC does very good pave work. Apparently bead set pave is stronger than the usual French pave micro pave etc.
Can anyone tell me honestly if it does withstand the bumps and knocks of a busy lifestyle?

Thanks

 

[Garnetgirl]

Hi Paris,
I'm just bumping this up to the top of the page, in hopes that some of the more knowlegeable posters will see it.
My engagement ring is a solitaire, so I have no direct experience with pavé. But from what I've read on PS, the setting you've chosen would not be great for everyday wear, especially if you don't want to take it off. I think that people with setting similar to the one you like would probably take their rings off for housework, cooking, gardening, etc.
I read somewhere that expecting to wear a pavé diamond ring all the time would be like wearing a ball gown to do all your daily chores!
The small prongs and small diamonds are prone to loosening and loss. The small diamonds in the pavé will collect dirt, which will apparently help cause the prongs to loosen. Wearing a ring while sleeping could also cause inadvertent damage. Cleaning your ring could be problematic. Some people here use ultrasonic cleaners to get their jewellery clean, but I've read that ultrasonics can loosen small diamonds (??).
Regarding your question about GIA vs. AGS. AGS is stricter on grading cut than GIA. Most posters here will tell you that GIA excellent spans a large range and is not necessarily good enough, whereas AGS ideal, I believe, would most likely give you a very well cut diamond. And of course, the cut is the most important factor in determining if your diamond will look good.
It seems that most folks who have VC are very pleased with the quality of their rings.
I hope this helps!

 

[farrahlyn]

https://www.ritani.com/diamonds/round-diamond-0-60-Carat-E-color-GIA-certified/D-P3766N

Hi there everyone,
I have just been searching, like all night last night and today (3pm here right now) I think I am really getting the hang of this business lol.
And I have come across THIS stone above. I punched the numbers into the HCA and wow it gets a score of 0.9
I would want to put it into this setting below.
https://www.ritani.com/engagement-r...-band-engagement-ring-in-18kt-white-gold/4573

PLEASE tell me what you think asap! Have I done a good job? Do you think I am getting the hang of it??

WF has pictures of finished rings, check out the page for this setting. The stones in the halo do slightly overwhelm a .6 stone IMO but it is dependant on whether you like the look of larger stones in the halo or want a more delicate look.

http://www.whiteflash.com/engagemen...on-halo-diamond-band-engagement-ring-4693.htm

JA does have a cushion halo that is a little less expensive, not as large of stones in the halo and you could get a nice .7 stone with the savings...

https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...shion-outline-pave-engagement-ring-item-49493

the falling edge halo is really nice too
https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...tline-falling-edge-engagement-ring-item-53073

Found this D colored stone, it's discounted because of the strong fluorescence but if that doesn't bother you,it may be something to have a more experienced member take a look at/comment on. (i'm a newbie here!) scores 1.3 on the HCA, you'd have to make sure it's not hazy or milky due to fluorescence too.
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...d-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2176756