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No Idea Where to Start........

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AZOmer

Rough_Rock
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Aug 5, 2006
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I don''t know if this is the right place to ask this questions, but hopefully someone can point me in the right direction. My boyfriend and I are in the very first stages of picking out an engagement ring. We are not looking to buy anything right now but we want to shop so that we can get an idea. So, where do I start? I want a good quality ring but I am not sure which jewlers are good in the Phoenix area? Any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
Hi AZOmer!
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Welcome to Pricescope. I''d say the first thing to do is to start leaning about diamonds. Learn about cut, it''s the most important aspect of the diamond - the better the cut the more sparkles and fire you''ll get out of the stone
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Go through GoodOldGold''s learning section. They have an awesome tutorial on diamonds, and especially ideal cut diamonds. GoodOldGold page.

Good luck with your learning and have fun! But be ware, it''s addictive
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Welcome
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I agree learn about cut, it is crucial for a diamond''s beauty. Try this link, advanced tutorial and start reading up on each subject on the left hand side, you will find this very useful.

Reagarding recommendations in your area I can''t help with that, but have you considered buying online? It has become more and more the accepted way of buying a diamond, usually you can get more for your money, plus you get far more cut quality info and fabulous cut diamonds.

So I would start by reading the tutorials and learn about cut, clarity, colour etc then decide what is important to you with the colour and clarity, then work with that to see what carat weight you can get for your budget. Then I would start comparing various diamonds to get a feel for price, just bear in mind that sometimes B&M can be more expensive than online prices. Also when you are narrowing down serious contenders, you can use the Holloway Cut Advisor to help you further.

So to sum up, any time you spend learning about diamonds and especially cut will be time well spent every time you look at your diamond, for years to come!

I hope this helps.
 
Hi! I think Lorelei is right about buying on line, once you have been eduated about stones in general. The other thing I would do is go to a decent jeweler and try on various shapes. Many people here have posted that they loved a certain shape, tried it on and were sad to say it did not look great on their hand. I think you should go on and try on things so you have a better sense of what looks good on your hand and you might be surprised. Then, once you narrow down shapes, you can learn more specific things about the shapes you like, since certain stones have issues specific to the cut. All stones, though, should be well cut, certainly, and if you consider buying on line once you know your facts you can get, most times, a larger, more well cut stone than you might at a retail store. Good luck and have fun!
 
Hi AZ. You've gotten very good answers here, and I agree with all. The only thing I can add is this. In case you would end up buying online, you need to know your color comfort level. Try and find a Hearts On Fire dealer and go in just to look. I would look all the way down to a K if they have one. In a well cut stone, color isn't as noticable, but some people are still sensitive to it. So just find out what you can and can't see, as the lower you go in color, the more money you save!

Have fun and good luck!
 
read the tutorial at Nice Ice too. if you're a scientist you will like the witty way he writes.

AZomer scientist huh? i thank you are a chemist...

anyway i am partial to pears.

what shape do you want, round, square, pear, oval, rectangular, heart, marquise?

what color metal do you want - white or yellow?

do you mind color? do you mind inclusions?

If you want to go the mall store route, I am partial to jareds (ask for the AGS diamonds), and helzberg (ask for the diamond masterpieces or anything in 18k), the stones in my avatar are helzberg diamonds in 18k yellow gold with platinum head. helzberg has crap diamonds and they have good diamonds. they will show you the crap diamnds first then as they realize you know more, they will show you the better pieces.

do your homework before you go. read the books by antoinette matlin and renee newman too. a 1 carat.

other people have differing opinions. you do what works for you.
 
Azomer,

Just a few complementary thoughts...

Agree with Lorelei and others to start with the tutorial, and consider shopping on-line, particularly to get some BATNA, since it does make sense to do some real world looking, too.

But do look locally. Though I don't know the Phoenix area, some other resources on Pricescope can help you with recommendations:

a) at the upper right under "Resources," you can see recommendation made here for Arizona, based on searches extracted by the Administrator here.

b) Do your own search on Phoenix here using the search tool, above center. I get 174 "hits," though some are dups.

c) Use the db here for Jewelers and Phoenix. There shows 187 options, though these are not differentiated for you.

d) Finally, as noted above, after shopping locally, you may choose to shop on-line, which has its advantages. There's suggestions below my signature.

e) (edited to add) the idea of going to a Hearts on Fire Dealer, to get a measure of quality, is a good one. Looks like there several in your area.

Best wishes.
 
Thanks so much for all of your advice!!!! I will start to read all of the information and see where I go from there. I will keep you guys updated and let you know what happens!!

Thanks!!!
 
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