not sure which way to go

[Hudson_Hawk]

So I thought I had my ER all picked out until a few months ago. It was a .75 RB set in a WG setting shaped as elipses with small rbs in the center of each elipse (Think Beverley K setting). It was a G VS2 and it was priced around $3400. I loved it because it was unique and I had never seen one like it before. The one thing I didn''t like about it was the hight of the head. It was really high on my finger.

Well one day I went in to pick up some pieces I was having rhodium plated and I saw that they had sold the ring. Of course my first though was "Oh my God, he bought it!" Well, no, he didn''t.

So I was looking around some more in the same store (family jeweler) and I saw another ring that I liked. It''s a 1.25 oval set in WG with a halo and pave on the band. The band was really thin, like 2mm or smaller and the ring was very reminiscent of Leon''s work. The head sat close to my finger and the detail on the setting was nice. The stone and halo looked HUGE on my finger. Here''s the catch, it''s a H SI3 and is prices at about $4300. I''m not sure I''m confortable with the clarity, though when I looked at it I didn''t see any visable inclusions, but, aren''t SI3 stones really just I1s? I do know that this jeweler grades things VERY conservatively(he graded an IF pendant of mine as a VVS1)...so I don''t know if this is just his attempt at being more truthful and grading a low end SI2 or if he''s trying to pass off an I1. I have to repeat though, when I looked at the stone (very carefully and closely but not louped) I didn''t see anything in terms of inclusions.

In terms of look and style, I prefer the oval. It''s beautiful, looks perfect on my hand, and is very VERY sparkly (good cut?). The RB ring is just okay in my opinion. There''s nothing wrong with the ring and the stone is beautiful, but I like the other one better. However, I want to get the best deal. My bf doesn''t care which one I get as long as I''m happy, but I''m torn between getting something I really like and getting something that''s more "perfect".


Which is the best value?

 

[Dee*Jay]

HH, what is their return policy? Maybe you can buy the ring and look at it in different environments for a few days and see if the inclusions pop out at you. Also, you can then take it to an independent appraiser and get an opinion on the true clarity.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I personally have not bought anything from them, but my bf has many times so he would know. TJ knows I like both rings so I don''t even know which one he''ll get. Knowing him, he''ll go for the less expensive one which is the RB so this concern won''t even be necessary. But if it''s really bad news then I want to be able to tell him not to consider it. Or to consider the setting with a smaller, but better clarity stone. And I don''t know how okay he''ll be with me returning the Ering he bought. He''s not the type to be amenable to upgrades and such. The only way he''d want to return it is if the ind appraiser said that there were serious instability issues because of the inclusion placement. I just don''t know.

BTW, the PS educational content regarding these lower clarity grades seems much more positive than the opinions and knowledge expressed by the forum experts. It''s very confusing.

HH