Newbie Qs...

[ilovecorndogs]

Hello,

Not sure where to post my questions...

I have a friend who works at a jewelry store who has been helping me out looking for an engagement ring. The first thing he said is that the best value is not buying a complete ring from a jewelry store, so we went to NYC to look for stones. Does that sound right?

Second, I know the range I am looking for round, 1-1.1carats, VG cut, VS2, G color, and thought I found some good matches pricewise. 6600-7600. I am pretty confident that that is good.

Now, I looked at 4 stones, 2 were GIA and 2 were IGI. Is IGI the second best cert or no? Basically, i think that I figured out that the big difference, is that my IGI ones say they are VS1, whereas GIA would say that they are VS2. Is that correct?

Also, all 4 are CanadaMark certified, which is important to me.


Now, I have 2 sidestones, .21 and .22 Is .01 off still a good match? The guy was telling me that if the diameter is the same and the depth is what is different, then that is OK.

But also the side stones are NOT certified... Ive read that sidestones receive less attention, but shouldnt they be certed too? They are graded by the diamond brand (Canadia), but not officially certified. Should I be worried?



Now about the setting.... I want a trelliced platinum setting for a three stone ring, I have budgeted 2K for this, should that be enough? So far, I think yes but a few more opinions couldnt hurt. I also want recycled platinum, looks like that is harder to find though....?


Thanks!

 

[neatfreak]

Unfortunately you can get really screwed in the NY DD without knowing what you are doing. I suggest you spend some time here reading up on things to learn some more before you head out again.

And IGI isn''t really worth the paper it''s printed on. Stick with GIA or AGS. And CUT is what you really want to focus on to get the most sparkle.

 

[Mrs W]

Since your in NY I would suggest you check out exceldiamonds.com also in NY, they have H&A diamonds and great settings

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 10/27/2008 11:54:10 PM
Author: Mrs W
Since your in NY I would suggest you check out exceldiamonds.com also in NY, they have H&A diamonds and great settings

Add Good Old Gold (on Long Island) and Mark at Engagement Rings Direct (he is in the diamond district but you have to make an appointment, he isn''t a street vendor) to that list too!

 

[Regular Guy]

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 10/27/2008 11:55:14 PM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 10/27/2008 11:54:10 PM
Author: Mrs W
Since your in NY I would suggest you check out exceldiamonds.com also in NY, they have H&A diamonds and great settings

Add Good Old Gold (on Long Island) and Mark at Engagement Rings Direct (he is in the diamond district but you have to make an appointment, he isn''t a street vendor) to that list too!

Ditto - I don''t know much about Excel, but I would definately second visiting GOG and ERD.
I have bought from GOG and couldn''t be happier.

I also think you should do some more education, as the diamond district is full of swindlers..
stick to GIA or AGS certs and you''re in the right direction. If you''re after a round, GIA triple excellent or even better AGS0 cut. Don''t sacrifice on the cut, as this is what will determine how your diamond performs.

 

[Mrs W]

yeah, i second good old gold and ERD just slipped my mind tho.....i would stick with these 3 personally bc i would be easier to get certs and numbers needed and share them with pricescope members and get the best diamond within your budget

 

[ilovecorndogs]

Well I do appreciate the input that the DD can be sneaky, and that cut is the most important. Can people answer my actual questions? I am running on a timeframe and really cannot afford to start from scratch. Ive got some options that I am happy with, and going to evaluate those.

1. Buying in DD will generally be cheaper than a local retailer.

2. 1.07 VG cut, VS2 Clarity, G color, Canadain Certified, GIA cert, round diamond for 7300 is a good price

3. .22 and .21, can be considered a match for sidestones. And should these be officially certed??

4. How much worse is IGI? Is it basically that if they say it is VS1, GIA would say it is VS2? Are their color or cut differences of judgements also?

5. How much is a 3-stone platinum setting (trelliced) going to cost? 2K?

Thanks

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 10/28/2008 12:22:09 PM
Author: ilovecorndogs
Well I do appreciate the input that the DD can be sneaky, and that cut is the most important. Can people answer my actual questions? I am running on a timeframe and really cannot afford to start from scratch. Ive got some options that I am happy with, and going to evaluate those.


1. Buying in DD will generally be cheaper than a local retailer.


2. 1.07 VG cut, VS2 Clarity, G color, Canadain Certified, GIA cert, round diamond for 7300 is a good price


3. .22 and .21, can be considered a match for sidestones. And should these be officially certed??


4. How much worse is IGI? Is it basically that if they say it is VS1, GIA would say it is VS2? Are their color or cut differences of judgements also?


5. How much is a 3-stone platinum setting (trelliced) going to cost? 2K?


Thanks

1. Yes, but buying online is usually the cheapest of all AND if you buy from a reputable vendor you know what you are getting and they have upgrade policies.

2. No way to tell without more information. Could be a dog depending on the cut.

3. If the dimensions are the same that is the most important thing. They don''t need to be certed, but again, you need to make sure they are well cut.

4. As I said before, IGI isn''t really worth the paper it''s written on. I would get any IGI stone INDEPENDENTLY appraised before purchase personally. Make sure they analyze the cut for you too.

5. It depends. Can certainly be had for less than $2k but it depends on the setting you want.

 

[Allison D.]

One thing that makes your purchase different from most of the typical requests here on PS is that you want a CanadaMark certified stone.

I know that CanadaMark stones are indeed often graded through GIA or IGI; I don''t know for sure if they are ever submitted to AGS.

If you really plan to shop in the DD, I''d suggest you plan to negotiate purchase terms with your vendor that allow a reasonable return/refund period During that period, take the ring to an independent appraiser in the NY area. In doing this, you may be able to comfortably consider IGI stones because your appraiser can provide you with his opinion on what a stone would earn for a GIA grading. This will help you to know if you''re paying a fair price.

Best of luck in your purchase.

 

[ilovecorndogs]

Yeah I mean even going to just a few dealers its still not that comfortable. But the good part is she is going to happy regardless, now I am just trying to get a good stone and a good price. Its gonna sparkle great for 99.99% of lookers.

Question,

For the CanadaMark stones that I am looking at, they say that they do not get them GIA certed for stones under .5 carats. But still on the stone info they are giving me cut, clarity, and color. These cant be trusted that must, as it is basically the company that is selling them, is rating them beforehand, right??

And should I expect to pay more for Canadia(c) and Caprice(c) brand diamonds??

And is it OK to upload scanned GIA (or IGI...) certs to this website???

Thanks