New Member With Questions

[kbolt]

Hi, I’m new to diamonds and have been looking through the forum, and seeing all the expert advice that has been given out. I was wondering if I could get a little advice. I’m in the market for an engagement ring, and here is what I’ve narrowed it down to, but please let me know if I should shift around to get a better value:

Shape: Round
Carat: 1.5 and up
Cut: Ideal
Color: I and up
Clarity: VS1 and up
Polish & Symmetry: Ideal/Excellent
Price: $13,500 max

Does this all sound reasonable? Any advice would be wonderful.

Ok, so now on to my questions… I’ve been flying solo, since I don’t really have friends/family who have gone through this. I’m so thankful that this forum exists.

1. Buying online vs. In store
It seems like the prices online are great compared to in-store. There is also no charged tax if I purchase out of state. I live in Florida (Naples) and it seems like the price of everything here is rather inflated, since we aren’t a huge metropolis (competition isn’t huge) and we are secluded from the large cities (Miami is 2 hrs away, Tampa is 1 ½ hr away). What do I need to look for when purchasing online, and which retailers are recommended? As of now, I have only been looking on Blue Nile and Whiteflash.

2. “Eye Clean” diamonds
I’ve read on here that you can go to a lower clarity as long as the diamond is “eye clean.” What is the recommendation when purchasing through an online retailer?

3. Importance of Cut
I didn’t realize the importance of cut before I read through the forums. Thank you! As far as online retailers, Blue Nile (Signature Ideal) and Whiteflash (A Cut Above) have cuts that they deem as the cream of the crop. Is it wise to compromise something else (such as clarity) to have a better cut?

4. Setting
Is it better to buy the loose diamond and set it locally, or is it perfectly reasonable to purchase the setting and the diamond from the same retailer (I am looking for a simple 6 prong setting with a thin band in platinum)? Also, do some online retailers have higher quality settings than others?

5. Certification
I would only be buying a certified diamond, which I would then have appraised locally, but is there something I should be wary about amongst different certifications (ie. AGS vs GIA)?
I want to say thank you again for all the posts that I’ve seen to help me become a little more educated on my upcoming purchase. Any and all help would be great!

 

[Cguy1]

Well I am no expert, but I will take a stab at your questions:

1) I just bought online from Blue Nile and I am dazzled by the quality work that I got. The stone was beautiful. I went for a AGSL graded stone so I knew that getting an Ideal cut would give a nice diamond, but I am more impressed than I thought I would be. While BN doesn''t allow for upgrades, they insure the ring to your door and have a 30 day return policy if you are not satisfied. Their staff helped me out numerous times without pressuring me into anything...service I couldnt find at any brick store. I haven''t had any experience with other online retailers but many here say Whiteflash and GOG are also good vendors.

2) You can ask the vendor you are looking at stones from to send you pictures of the real stone. I think it is much better to see SI stones in person to see if they are truly eye clean. Again, if you purchase online you should make sure the return policy suits you so that if the stone isnt clean you can return it.

3) As was explained to me, cut is the most important factor. Many here say that you can sacrifice a lot of color and clarity to get a nice cut because cut makes the stone sparkle and shine. I am so happy I chose to get a smaller, better cut stone than I had planned, because the stone I got (BN signature) sparkles like mad. Other diamonds I looked at didn''t have the same fire, but were better clarity and color. Cut is important. I also hear that AGSL is good for cut because they grade for cut better than other certs. They tend to be slightly more expensive than GIA.

4) I cant speak to setting because I had BN put the stone into the most simple classic setting they had. I would be as interested as you to hear others feedback on this point.

5) From what I hear, trust no cert besides GIA or AGSL. I could be wrong, but that is what I have gathered.

I hope that helps, but dont take my word for it...lets see what everyone else has to say!!! Good luck in your search for that perfect stone.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/30/2008 11:22:32 AM
Author:kbolt

Hi, I’m new to diamonds and have been looking through the forum, and seeing all the expert advice that has been given out. I was wondering if I could get a little advice. I’m in the market for an engagement ring, and here is what I’ve narrowed it down to, but please let me know if I should shift around to get a better value:

Shape: Round
Carat: 1.5 and up
Cut: Ideal
Color: I and up
Clarity: VS1 and up
Polish & Symmetry: Ideal/Excellent
Price: $13,500 maxSome SI clarities can be eyeclean, let your vendor know your expectations concerning ' eyecleanliness' of each SI diamond you might consider. VS may also be suitable for your purposes, VVS you will pay more for, so VS and SI clarities may suit your needs.

Does this all sound reasonable? Any advice would be wonderful. Yes - please don't go by labels such as Ideal Cut as this does not guarantee you a well cut diamond. Search among AGS0, even some AGS1 and GIA Excellent cut grades, to make finding a well cut diamond easier.

Ok, so now on to my questions… I’ve been flying solo, since I don’t really have friends/family who have gone through this. I’m so thankful that this forum exists.

1. Buying online vs. In store
It seems like the prices online are great compared to in-store. There is also no charged tax if I purchase out of state. I live in Florida (Naples) and it seems like the price of everything here is rather inflated, since we aren’t a huge metropolis (competition isn’t huge) and we are secluded from the large cities (Miami is 2 hrs away, Tampa is 1 ½ hr away). What do I need to look for when purchasing online, and which retailers are recommended? As of now, I have only been looking on Blue Nile and Whiteflash.

Stick to vendors who have their diamonds in house might be the best way to go. Whiteflash are an excellent vendor as are

www.winkjones.com

www.goodoldgold.com

www.engagementringsdirect.com

www.jamesallen.com

Some of the vendors also have upgrade policies, but the terms can vary, so check out each carefully. Many of us have bought online with great results, so it can be an excellent way to buy a diamond.


2. “Eye Clean” diamonds
I’ve read on here that you can go to a lower clarity as long as the diamond is “eye clean.” What is the recommendation when purchasing through an online retailer?

Always make sure you are on the same page so to speak with a trusted vendor, concerning whether or not a diamond is eyeclean to your specifications. In doing this, you may find an SI1 or even SI2 diamond is clean enough for your purposes. That is another reason why it can be so useful to work with a vendor who has in house diamonds, so they can access the stone and discuss it with you.

3. Importance of Cut
I didn’t realize the importance of cut before I read through the forums. Thank you! As far as online retailers, Blue Nile (Signature Ideal) and Whiteflash (A Cut Above) have cuts that they deem as the cream of the crop. Is it wise to compromise something else (such as clarity) to have a better cut?

Cut is extremely important, it is what gives a diamond it's beauty. A branded cut such as ACA isn't necessary however or hearts and arrows patterning unless that is what you want, again AGS0 or GIA Excellent can be a good way to find lovely diamonds, or even if what we call a superideal which is cut to perform to the the strictest degrees isn't quite what you want, what we call a top/ nice make of diamond which is still very well cut can be a good choice - again a trusted vendor can advise you there. Some well cut diamonds may exhibit an arrow pattern, even if not a true hearts and arrows in the strictest sense, but you may find some nice makes that do have a pleasing pattern.

4. Setting
Is it better to buy the loose diamond and set it locally, or is it perfectly reasonable to purchase the setting and the diamond from the same retailer (I am looking for a simple 6 prong setting with a thin band in platinum)? Also, do some online retailers have higher quality settings than others?

It can be easier to buy the stone and have it set from the same vendor, also they will usually take responsibility should something happen to the diamond or it gets damaged while setting ( rare.)

5. Certification
I would only be buying a certified diamond, which I would then have appraised locally, but is there something I should be wary about amongst different certifications (ie. AGS vs GIA)?

AGS and GIA are considered to be the premier labs, see this info for how the others rank.

http://diamonds.pricescope.com/grading.asp


I want to say thank you again for all the posts that I’ve seen to help me become a little more educated on my upcoming purchase. Any and all help would be great!

 

[kbolt]

Thank you for all the great advice!

 

[Regular Guy]

Consider using the search by cut database.

This one meets your stated specs, but

I'd explore SI 1 and this one...

or this one...

Regards,

BTW, great questions!