No more lurking, just want to say hi and thanks!

[leonidas]

I can''t believe I''m finally posting here. When I first found Pricescope, I was totally clueless about diamonds and engagement rings. I made myself spend a few months reading other people''s posts. Well, I''ve been lurking since December, but I think it''s finally time to say hi! And a big THANK YOU to everyone who posts here. I have learned a ton already - more than I even thought there was to know! I won''t say I''m completely educated, but certainly enough to sound halfway knowledgeable when responding to any questions you ask me.

So after reading this site, I am pretty sure that I am better off purchasing from an online vendor. However, the gf didn''t seem too excited when I brought up this possibility. Basically, she isn''t too fond of the idea of me "buying her engagement ring off the internet." I hope that doesn''t make her sound petty, I think she is just picturing me surfing ebay for her engagement ring. Another reason is that she just has a thing for "mom and pop"-type stores in general. Regarding her engagement ring, I think she looks forward to walking into a small jeweler (for maintenance and whatnot) that she has come to know on a personal level.

Alright, I am making her sound petty. She really isn''t, and there''s no doubt in my mind that she''ll be perfectly happy with whatever I buy, wherever I buy it. But like anyone, she has her "if I could do it my way" scenario.

Anyways, I''m still pretty set on buying the diamond online. There are a few vendors that have been raved about so much on here that I''m confident that I can tell them what I''m looking for and my price range and they''ll match me with a great diamond. BUT, as sort of a compromise, I think it''s best to buy the setting from a brick and mortar store. The first task will be to find a store that will actually allow me to do this. I''ve seen a few threads that mention this, but I''m hoping to hear some of your personal experiences or any tips you may have about doing this.



I have a ton of questions swirling around in my head, but anyone who has read this far is probably exhausted, so I''ll save them for later. In case you''re curious about what kind of rings I''m looking at, I''m considering a micropave setting (example). As for the diamond, it will be a RB somewhere in this ballpark: 1.2ct, H/I, VS1/VS2, excellent cut.
For example:
http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-273571.htm

Thanks again for all your help so far (even if you didn''t know you were helping!)

(btw, if any of my posts seem cryptic, it''s because I''m slightly paranoid that she has found Pricescope too!

)

 

[Skippy123]

Welcome Leonidas, it is very scary at first so I understand where you girlfriend is coming from but once you do it you will fieel like I should have done this a long time ago. hehe I bought my stone from Whiteflash and was so happy because I could get a bigger stone for less then the Brick and Morters. Whiteflash has the Legato fishtail that is similar to the ring you are looking at.

You can use this tool to search and select excellent excellent for cut http://www.pricescope.com/sift.aspx

here are just a few I found using the tool I listed above

http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-54511.htm This is an H

http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-55002.htm Here is a G

You might want to read up on each vendor in regards to their upgrade policy; that is why I chose WF. I think Good Old Gold and Engagement Rings direct have similar policy's and they can be found on their webpage. Hope that helps

 

[diamondseeker2006]

WhiteFlash is wonderful and I love Good Old Gold as well! So whichever has the stone you like best, buy it!

I sincerely did try to buy from a local B&M when we were looking for my anniversary diamond, but one of them could come close to the quality or price I could get from those two companies. In the end, I got a ring stone from one and a pair for earrings from the other.

I do think it is fine to buy a setting locally, though. I advise you not to say that the diamond came from the internet because they might resent it. When I was setting shopping, I just said we bought from a jeweler who we know in NY, which was true! I knew Jon pretty well by the time we chose a stone!

 

[Ellen]

I think you''re wise to buy online, and trust me, when she sees the ring, and the caliber of diamond that''s in it, all thoughts of Ebay will fly from her head.

The example you gave is great, and you could even lower the clarity a bit and shoot for a bigger stone if you wanted. But that''s a very respectable size also.

 

[sera]

You aren''t making her sound petty at all. At first, my FI didn''t like the idea of being my ring online. He gave me a budget to shoot for... we looked at the B&Ms, then I told him what I could get if we bought online... that convinced him.

Maybe if you let your GF know what she could get by purchasing online (and maybe even showing her some of the videos on GOG or pics on WH), then going to a B&M to see how far (in carat wt and cut quality) that same amount of money will go... that may convince her. If not, if her dream ring (and dream experience) comes from buying from a mom and pop, well, decide if you want to get her what she wants or what you think she should want.

I''m so glad my FI warmed up to the idea of buying it online... maybe she will too when she realizes what it is and isn''t.