Newbie in tears...

[Mrs.Hall(almost)]

Hello All,
So I have been a lurker for the past two weeks, or better yet since i had the feeling that my bf would propose.

He went to Kay Jewelers for the ring and at first I thought it looked absolutely stunning. We had some problems with Kay though, at first he bought an uncertified 1-carat princess cut stone(mistake) then when i went back to inquiry about the cut they realized that they sold me a certified diamond. It was not registered and technically we paid for it so they said that it was ours. It has been a week and no certificate.

After reading on here about all the problems with mall stores I became increasingly nervous and dissatisfied with Kay and my ring. I can clearly see the inclusions and I believe a crack within the stone. It doesn''t sparkle and shine like I think it should. My fiance and myself are young but we do not want to be naive. I just don''t want that a year from now we discovered that we made a huge mistake. We are still well within out 90 days. Any guidance, advice, comments are surely appreciated and welcomed.

BTW this total cost of the ring was abour 3200.00 however the stone was around 2900.00, thanks.





I will post pics as soon as I figure out how to.

 

[fabcrab]

So you''re still under the 90 day return policy right? If you''re within that time, then maybe you can return your ring and there are a lot of knowledgeable folks here that can help you. You''re obviously not in love with your ring so I strongly suggest you return it. Whiteflash is highly regarded in this forum and that''s where I got my diamond too so I suggest browsing their A Cut Above princess stones

.

 

[wen104]

Return, return, return! If you aren't happy now you will never be happy. You would be 100% happier getting a diamond ring from Sam's club! After reading on here you should now have a knowledge of what you need to look for. Start over since you are still in the return policy and look together! Have fun shopping and remember your love is what matters not the ring! Enjoy and good luck! Ow welcome to PS

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 3/28/2008 3:23:54 PM
Author:Mrs.Hall(almost)
Hello All,
So I have been a lurker for the past two weeks, or better yet since i had the feeling that my bf would propose.

He went to Kay Jewelers for the ring and at first I thought it looked absolutely stunning. We had some problems with Kay though, at first he bought an uncertified 1-carat princess cut stone(mistake) then when i went back to inquiry about the cut they realized that they sold me a certified diamond. It was not registered and technically we paid for it so they said that it was ours. It has been a week and no certificate.

After reading on here about all the problems with mall stores I became increasingly nervous and dissatisfied with Kay and my ring. I can clearly see the inclusions and I believe a crack within the stone. It doesn't sparkle and shine like I think it should. My fiance and myself are young but we do not want to be naive. I just don't want that a year from now we discovered that we made a huge mistake. We are still well within out 90 days. Any guidance, advice, comments are surely appreciated and welcomed.

BTW this total cost of the ring was abour 3200.00 however the stone was around 2900.00, thanks.





I will post pics as soon as I figure out how to.

Welcome!

What clarity is the diamond? It is possible that what you are seeing is either a girdle reflection if it is 2 thirds of the way down the stone looking from the side, and or feather type inclusions which aren't actually cracks or damage.

Having said that, if you aren't happy with the ring, then return it . Do you get a cash refund? If so, then maybe consider buying online and we can help you find a diamond you will be happy with.

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Welcome to PS! I am so sorry you''re not happy with your ring! For that much money you could get a different ring. I say return it if you can.

 

[oobiecoo]

I am certainly no expert but I can tell you what I would do... simply return the ring and look elsewhere. Bluenile.com seems like a relatively easy place to create a nice ring and most people have had good experiences with them.

This diamond looks nice and you can set it in their simple white gold setting for about $300
http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?__fun_frm=i&track=btntext_viewselect&elem=img&pid=LD01273037&filter_id=1

 

[Mrs.Hall(almost)]

Oh wow guys, thanks for such quick responses! I will definetly return this ring as soon as possible. I feel so bad, my fiance was so proud of himself.

I tried uploading photos but to no avail. Thanks for the info on the sites, I already started browsing. Alhtough every girl loves a huge stone I think that first I will look into a very good cut stone followed by a pretty good clarity probably in the VS range and hopefully something above a I in color.

I live in Manhattan but the diamond district scares me it''s so intimidating but I will go there. Can you guys suggest some friendly and affordable jewelers/stores in NY? I am willing to travel to Jersey and the Island. I cannot say how helpful you all have been to me thus far. You all just confirmed my gut feeling. Thanks so much!

 

[mrssalvo]

call and make and appt. with Mark T, he's located right in the diamond district but a has an excellent reputation on this forum. also, if you're up for a short train ride, a trip out to Goodoldgold would definitely be worth it.

 

[wen104]

Ow since you live in NY give Engagement Rings Direct a call. They will sit down and talk you through everthing but make an appointment before going!

 

[pixley]

Dear Mrs.H (almost),
You will have a wealth of support here if you want to return your ring and get a better cut at a better price. Perhaps a call to the store manager to discuss it first would be helpful. Sometimes I find it easier to put on my big girl panties, psych myself out and sort these situations out over the phone instead of standing at the counter while everyone's milling about.

Find out what your options are and be VERY courteously clear that you want to return the ring full stop (if that's what you want to do and you're within the return period). I would find it irritating that they're playing sillybugger with the cert, but cert or none, you're not head over heels for the stone and you shouldn't have to settle for something that you don't love 100+%. You can simply explain that this is a once-in-a-lifetime purchase for the both of you and you want to start off on the right foot.

Good luck, and fabcrab is right, Whiteflash has some amazing Princess cuts on their site, their settings are beautiful, and they offer a Pricescope discount to boot. I know nothing about Princess cuts, but there are lots of posters who can help you navigate your way to a better stone.

ETA: You're in Manhattan??? Yippee! Take MrsSalvo's advice and call Mark T. at Engagement Rings Direct or Jon at Good Old Gold (or both)!

 

[oobiecoo]

Date: 3/28/2008 4:02:18 PM
Author: Mrs.Hall(almost)
Oh wow guys, thanks for such quick responses! I will definetly return this ring as soon as possible. I feel so bad, my fiance was so proud of himself.

I tried uploading photos but to no avail. Thanks for the info on the sites, I already started browsing. Alhtough every girl loves a huge stone I think that first I will look into a very good cut stone followed by a pretty good clarity probably in the VS range and hopefully something above a I in color.

I live in Manhattan but the diamond district scares me it''s so intimidating but I will go there. Can you guys suggest some friendly and affordable jewelers/stores in NY? I am willing to travel to Jersey and the Island. I cannot say how helpful you all have been to me thus far. You all just confirmed my gut feeling. Thanks so much!

I just wanted to say that alot of times you can find an SI clarity stone with no visible inclusions. Mine is an SI1 and before I knew it I could have sworn it was a VS1. I can''t see anything in mine even with a loupe and it took a lot of searching to find any inclusions with the jewelers magnifier. I''d recommend an SI to help you get something a little less expensive or slight larger carat weight

 

[krisvrn]

Date: 3/28/2008 3:23:54 PM
Author:Mrs.Hall(almost)
Hello All,

So I have been a lurker for the past two weeks, or better yet since i had the feeling that my bf would propose.


He went to Kay Jewelers for the ring and at first I thought it looked absolutely stunning. We had some problems with Kay though, at first he bought an uncertified 1-carat princess cut stone(mistake) then when i went back to inquiry about the cut they realized that they sold me a certified diamond. It was not registered and technically we paid for it so they said that it was ours. It has been a week and no certificate.


After reading on here about all the problems with mall stores I became increasingly nervous and dissatisfied with Kay and my ring. I can clearly see the inclusions and I believe a crack within the stone. It doesn''t sparkle and shine like I think it should. My fiance and myself are young but we do not want to be naive. I just don''t want that a year from now we discovered that we made a huge mistake. We are still well within out 90 days. Any guidance, advice, comments are surely appreciated and welcomed.


BTW this total cost of the ring was abour 3200.00 however the stone was around 2900.00, thanks.






I will post pics as soon as I figure out how to.

Hello - I''ve been in that store to browse and I believe that stone u bought is not certified. It''s an I clarity/ H-I color. It''s in a cathedral setting right? I think you need to return that ring if you can. I am sure you can buy something cheaper and of better quality. Good luck.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Wow, how lucky that you came here while you still can return it! I would highly recommend that you go to Good Old Gold on Long Island. Jonathan is a fine person and is very passionate about high quality diamonds. You''ll get a much better stone for your money. My anniversary diamond came from GOG. Make an appointment so he can have some stones ready for you. They also carry some beautiful cut corner square stones such as Princess of Hearts and Jubilee. I will tell you that you won''t get a 1 carat princess with accurate GIA or AGS certification for $3000. I think that is why you see inclusions in your stone. It is probably very low clarity. You might want to take a look at the site if nothing else, because there are great tutorials on there about different diamond shapes as well as info on the 4 C''s.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/Home/

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 3/28/2008 4:07:05 PM
Author: mrssalvo
call and make and appt. with Mark T, he''s located right in the diamond district but a has an excellent reputation on this forum. also, if you''re up for a short train ride, a trip out to Goodoldgold would definitely be worth it.

Ditto! You are in a great location to be able to see some amazing diamonds in action!

 

[Jenn5504]

Hi Mrs.Hall(almost). I''m sorry you''re sad.

I say be glad you''re in your return period and that you found pricescope though! GoodOldGold have several nice princess cuts in your pricerange. Here''s one:

http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/3955/

I''d definately give Jon a call to discuss what he has. He can also help with the setting.

 

[Jenn5504]

http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/CCSB102JSI2/

Hey, it''s not a D/IF, but it''s a 1ct well cut stone!

 

[swingirl]

If you are not 100% happy, RETURN IT. You will disappointed every time you look at it if you are already seeing problems and feel like you didn''t get what you wanted.

With the help of PS you can find a beautiful certified stone within your budget. You can work with a vendor where you can see photos, talk to someone who is looking at it and get opinions right here from people who spend hours looking at diamonds.

Honestly if you are not happy now, it''ll only get worse!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 3/28/2008 4:58:39 PM
Author: Jenn5504
http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/CCSB102JSI2/

Hey, it''s not a D/IF, but it''s a 1ct well cut stone!

Good find Jen! I looked at that one when I was poking around and was temped. It comes with their lifetime trade-up policy (i.e., in a few years you can give them that stone and get a full value credit towards your next BIGGER) stone!

Return your ring Mrs.H and let us help you get one you LOOOOOOOVE

. And like pixley said, put on your big girl panties (LOL) because they will DEFINELTY try to talk you out of the return and may try to intimidate you, confuse you, or make you doubt buying on the internet. Just like talking to a toddler, don''t get into an argument with them, just state your desires and wait for them to meet them! haha. Stick to your guns and get your money. If you can''t be assertive enough, take your most assertive friend or family member with you and let them help you! If I knew you, I''d sure help you out! haha

DD

 

[JSM]

I vented her the other day in another thread about our problems with Kay Jewelers. Good for you for finding this place before your return period is up - I only wish I had!

Best of luck finding the perfect beautiful diamond!

 

[Isabelle]

I would add that if you are well within the return time period, take it off the finger and keep it in the box so it looks like new, and they won''t give you a hard time about wear and tear. But also, TAKE IT WITH YOU on your appointment to GOG or Mark T or wherever so that you will have the diamond you bought to use as a comparison point with what they show you in your price range. I bet you will then feel that you really got a great deal from GOG or Mark T, and feel even more sure about your decision to return the Kay ring.

 

[sugarplum]

hi mrs.hall! i agree with what everyone has said. return the ring and search for a beautiful, quality stone/ring that you will love! good luck!

 

[fabcrab]

I believe ID Jewelry (www.idjewelryonline.com) is also located in the NY diamond district. A friend of mine was there a couple of weeks ago and she seemed very happy with her purchase and the service so that may be worth checking out too! Good Luck!!!

 

[sera]

Sorry you''re not happy with your ring... I would definitely return it. Sorry your fiance feels bad... but he doesn''t need to. Now that you both know the diamond isn''t what it should be, you can learn on here how to get a gorgeous, above average diamond and he will get more for his money, too! So that''s good for both of you!

There are a LOT of people here that can help you pick out a gorgeous stone. If you make an appointment at Good Old Gold or Engagement Rings Direct, they will definitely help you get a stunning stone. Whiteflash has amazing princess cut stones, too, though they''re not local for you.

One thing you''ll find out here, CUT is THE most important thing for a beautiful stone. Cut will make it sparkle beyond what you might expect! With a well cut and accurately graded stone, you don''t have to stick to the higher colors and clarities for a white, eyeclean stone. I did stick with F color (though didn''t need to) and I dropped in clarity to an SI2 that is eyeclean (from GOG).

 

[Mrs.Hall(almost)]

Thank you all for your replies, they helped my soooo much! I called one of the Jewelers and I had such a great conversation with him. He asked me so many questions and he fielded all of my questions, it was great! I told my fiance and he is cool with it, he took it better then I had expected.

I have quick but newbie-type question:
Is there such a thing as a starter ring? We are young and one day we will upgrade so right now I don''''t need all the glitz and glamour. I am not really a solitaire person I usually like setting with diamond accents. I have searched and searched but can you guys recommend any?

Thanks a bunch. This forum is a wealth of information, literally!

 

[fabcrab]

Upgrading is a very personal decision. Some people are more sentimental than others but it's not unusual to find PSers here who have upgraded multiple times, may it be for a grander setting or a bigger diamond. Since you said you like settings with diamond accents, how does this look to you:

http://www.knoxjewelers.biz/index.htm?crn=201&rn=710&action=show_detail

or this
http://www.whiteflash.com/Engagement-Rings/Styles/Diamond-Settings/The--Legato--with-Micro-Pave_1071.htm
I think they can accomodate a princess? Not sure!


If you don't mind sharing how much you're willing to set aside for a setting, I'm sure a lot of people will be able to suggest more.

 

[cinnamon013]

I''d return it and take the time to learn about diamonds and find something you''ll be ultra proud of!

 

[sna77]

Date: 3/28/2008 5:45:19 PM
Author: Isabelle
I would add that if you are well within the return time period, take it off the finger and keep it in the box so it looks like new, and they won''t give you a hard time about wear and tear. But also, TAKE IT WITH YOU on your appointment to GOG or Mark T or wherever so that you will have the diamond you bought to use as a comparison point with what they show you in your price range. I bet you will then feel that you really got a great deal from GOG or Mark T, and feel even more sure about your decision to return the Kay ring.

Isabelle... I stand corrected (re: Kay jewlers thread from the other day)... I guess people really do go to the mall to buy rings... absurd.

Mrs1/2almsot: glad you discovered thr forum. Return the ring, and dont worry about your FI''s feelings... he''ll be most happy if you are.

 

[Mrs.Hall(almost)]

 

[Isabelle]

Date: 3/28/2008 9:30:32 PM
Author: sna77

Date: 3/28/2008 5:45:19 PM

Isabelle... I stand corrected (re: Kay jewlers thread from the other day)... I guess people really do go to the mall to buy rings... absurd.

Ha! I told you! LOL

 

[Mrs.Hall(almost)]

Wow, I didn''t know that this was all so funny. I don''t know the two of your intentions however I just had a question and you have been helpful however I don''t think this is the place to belittle those who decided to go to the mall to buy something, that''s what a mall is for. I don''t think that going to the mall is absurd; some people go to walmart to get all of their needs. Thanks for all of your help but this "attitude" isn''t appropriate here.