So I got to work this morning, paid the remaining balance on my ring, got myself a nice cup of coffee and sat down at my desk after making a doctor's appointment - feeling pretty stressed out. My stress melted away when I got an e-mail from Yekutiel at I.D. Jewelry informing me that the ring has been finished, sized and is being shipped out, to arrive Monday or Tuesday. Then I saw he had pictures of the final product, and nothing else in the world mattered as a tear came to my eye as I saw the ring that I will be using to propose my everlasting love to my girlfriend of 5 years whom I would be proud and happy to spend the rest of my life with.
It's been a bump journey for me. I went in with a friend originally and purchased a Radiant Star 0.99ct I I1 from Helzberg that I thought was amazing...until I got home and had to falsely convince myself and others that it was truly brilliant and sparkled. Something never felt quite right holding it in my hands but I kept it inside until the following day my friends from work (one who was a jeweler earlier in his career, and the other who had a friend that was a jeweler that looked at what I got) informed me on what I already knew; I got ripped off. My boss was kind and caring enough to insist I drive home, and return the ring right away so I didn't get screwed out of having the perfect ring. I immediately returned it and got my money back and started researching online about diamond qualities and educating myself. I found this forum and spoke with a few members here and after a great referral from Daniel (and a couple of others) I made an appointment for I.D. Jewelry to meet with Yekutiel in NYC to find the ring he selected for me meeting my criteria and within my price range. Before this I met with over 40 other jewelers and narrowed it down to 3 diamonds (one from each store I found locally, and the final one to be seen at I.D.)
Traffic was horrible getting into the city, but we finally made it in later than expected. It must have been a sign because as my mother and I walked down the diamond district on West 47th trying to find the location, it just so happened that from behind us, there was Yekutiel who overheard our conversation about trying to find the address, when his head slipped by and we made eye contact. We exchanged hellos and went up to look at the diamonds I requested (a 1.11 ct and a 1.19 ct both H color, VS2, and Excellent C/P/S). As I reviewed the diamonds he got a call in from a customer that purchased a huge monster of an emerald diamond and he showed us what it looked like (WHAT A HONKER THAT WAS, and it was GORGEOUS). He was so happy from this sale (not only because I know he made a great deal on it, but because he seemed to genuinely care that the buyer loved the ring. He then looked at us with a smile on his face and said "Today is a good day!" This resonated in my head as I looked into the diamonds, feeling like I knew I had my decision made already. After he answered the few questions I had, and I learned about the different machines used to grade the diamond, he asked me to make a decision between the two I had, which would have been the same price with either choice, leading me to confirm further why he is so highly recommended. I decided that I truly loved the 1.11 ct much more than the 1.19, it just had something about it that drew me to it no matter how close they were in comparison.
He was extremely kind and understanding with me on my budget, which I had to move a little because of the curve-ball thrown at me with the different setting style that I found out she liked better. He was not the haggling type, which I enjoyed because neither am I but he worked with me on the price and we finally decided on a final amount, which we were both comfortable and happy with.
I have never had more of a positive experience before, and something about this just felt right deep down. I would recommend Yekutiel and I.D. Jewelry for anyone looking to shop for diamonds, or jewelry, as he is a truly genuinely good person who seems happier when he is working with people who appreciate the time and dedication he puts into finding you the perfect stone and exactly what you're looking for. (Hell I think he seems happy doing what he does naturally, and being able to help customers is a bonus)
He was welcoming, extremely knowledgeable, and most importantly, respectful of my mother and I when we came in. To sum up the entire meeting with Yekutiel, I would describe it as meeting with a person who has been a family friend for years, that is going to help you find the perfect diamond no matter what happens. As I was writing the above review, he called to inform me that he will be shipping out the ring today and it will arrive tomorrow so I don't have to wait until Tuesday, which goes to show me how much he values every customer as a client. Ugh I'm so happy right now lol
So without further ado, here are the pictures of THE ring!
It's been a bump journey for me. I went in with a friend originally and purchased a Radiant Star 0.99ct I I1 from Helzberg that I thought was amazing...until I got home and had to falsely convince myself and others that it was truly brilliant and sparkled. Something never felt quite right holding it in my hands but I kept it inside until the following day my friends from work (one who was a jeweler earlier in his career, and the other who had a friend that was a jeweler that looked at what I got) informed me on what I already knew; I got ripped off. My boss was kind and caring enough to insist I drive home, and return the ring right away so I didn't get screwed out of having the perfect ring. I immediately returned it and got my money back and started researching online about diamond qualities and educating myself. I found this forum and spoke with a few members here and after a great referral from Daniel (and a couple of others) I made an appointment for I.D. Jewelry to meet with Yekutiel in NYC to find the ring he selected for me meeting my criteria and within my price range. Before this I met with over 40 other jewelers and narrowed it down to 3 diamonds (one from each store I found locally, and the final one to be seen at I.D.)
Traffic was horrible getting into the city, but we finally made it in later than expected. It must have been a sign because as my mother and I walked down the diamond district on West 47th trying to find the location, it just so happened that from behind us, there was Yekutiel who overheard our conversation about trying to find the address, when his head slipped by and we made eye contact. We exchanged hellos and went up to look at the diamonds I requested (a 1.11 ct and a 1.19 ct both H color, VS2, and Excellent C/P/S). As I reviewed the diamonds he got a call in from a customer that purchased a huge monster of an emerald diamond and he showed us what it looked like (WHAT A HONKER THAT WAS, and it was GORGEOUS). He was so happy from this sale (not only because I know he made a great deal on it, but because he seemed to genuinely care that the buyer loved the ring. He then looked at us with a smile on his face and said "Today is a good day!" This resonated in my head as I looked into the diamonds, feeling like I knew I had my decision made already. After he answered the few questions I had, and I learned about the different machines used to grade the diamond, he asked me to make a decision between the two I had, which would have been the same price with either choice, leading me to confirm further why he is so highly recommended. I decided that I truly loved the 1.11 ct much more than the 1.19, it just had something about it that drew me to it no matter how close they were in comparison.
He was extremely kind and understanding with me on my budget, which I had to move a little because of the curve-ball thrown at me with the different setting style that I found out she liked better. He was not the haggling type, which I enjoyed because neither am I but he worked with me on the price and we finally decided on a final amount, which we were both comfortable and happy with.
I have never had more of a positive experience before, and something about this just felt right deep down. I would recommend Yekutiel and I.D. Jewelry for anyone looking to shop for diamonds, or jewelry, as he is a truly genuinely good person who seems happier when he is working with people who appreciate the time and dedication he puts into finding you the perfect stone and exactly what you're looking for. (Hell I think he seems happy doing what he does naturally, and being able to help customers is a bonus)
He was welcoming, extremely knowledgeable, and most importantly, respectful of my mother and I when we came in. To sum up the entire meeting with Yekutiel, I would describe it as meeting with a person who has been a family friend for years, that is going to help you find the perfect diamond no matter what happens. As I was writing the above review, he called to inform me that he will be shipping out the ring today and it will arrive tomorrow so I don't have to wait until Tuesday, which goes to show me how much he values every customer as a client. Ugh I'm so happy right now lol
So without further ado, here are the pictures of THE ring!