I've been lurking here for awhile but this is my first post. FedEx delivered my new bauble today. I know a lot of you PS regulars will be doing this 
or this 
because I violated several PS rules, but this time, it worked out. I did not visit any local jewelry stores, I did not look at diamonds, I did not try on rings, I did not see photos of my stone. I read about diamonds (here and elsewhere) and decided what I felt would work for me. I got a lot of insight from many posters here, so I want to thank everyone who contributes. You don't know how much you helped me, even though I didn't follow all the rules .
Given that I'm far from perfect and no one in my social or work circles is into diamonds, I decided that I could get the most bang for my buck with J color and an eye-clean SI2 stone. For me, paying extra for higher clarity or color just didn't make sense.
I've been day-dreaming on BN for months. Watched diamond and metal prices go up, diamonds in my "sweet spot" (over 2 ct, 58-62% deep, chubbier rather than longer, under $15K and eventually down to around $10K) become scarcer and scarcer. Every time what appeared to be a bargain showed up, it was gone in a few days. Sometime in August, this "roval" (l/w ratio 1.29) showed up and I just kept watching it. I prefer "rovals" to the more traditional oval shape and maybe one of the reasons this stone was priced lower is that it is too chubby.
Not long after, I found PS. The diamond search didn't turn up this diamond in any PS vendor's inventory but somehow I stumbled onto the Brilliance web site and there it was, at a significant discount over BN. In mid-October, I contacted Brilliance to get a copy of the GIA report to confirm that it was the diamond I'd been watching on BN and it was. Evan at Brilliance contacted the cutter to see whether the diamond was eye clean (the inclusion plot showing several inclusions under the table was kind of scary) and was told that it was.
Every day, I'd check BN and Brilliance (sometimes several times a day) to see if "my" diamond was still there. It disappeared a time or two, much to my disappointment, then it would show up again, much to my relief. I finally decided that if it was still available on November 28 (divorce anniversary, which I celebrate quietly every year), I would order my ring. I was interested in either a six-prong solitaire or a trellis setting (with or without pave) but was concerned about not having prongs on the ends of the stone in the trellis setting. I'm a klutz and I can guarantee that I will hit that stone on something. Evan mentioned the tulip setting (which bears a strong resemblance to the Vatche Royal Crown). I think I'd dismissed it because getting it for an oval was a custom order and I figured it would be too pricey but I actually prefer the tulip head to the trellis. Anyway, I ordered it from Evan, and Jonathon took over with the custom part. I like my stones set high, so I was a little concerned at how the CADs looked but I just decided not to worry about it.
Anyway, my little beauty arrived this afternoon and when I looked at it, all I could say for several minutes was, "Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh!" I know it's not impressive compared to many here, but all I've ever had were 1/3 ct. and a couple half carat diamonds so for me, this is spectacular.
The photos don't do it justice, but I'm sure just about everyone here who's taken photos knows how much better their baubles look in person than they do in anything but vendor photos. Yes, in some lighting, I can see a creamy tint, but in most lighting it doesn't look at all yellow. Yes, there's a bowtie in there somewhere, I think, but the diamond is seldom in the right position to see it.
The box is white, not ivory as it looks in the photos below:
Sorry for the poor hand shot, but at least it gives some perspective. My fingers don't look quite this chunky in real life, but they are middle-aged hands. This ring is a size 8.25. I'm a size 8 but wanted a little extra room.
Tried to catch the sparkle in indirect light but it didn't work. There wasn't a hint of yellow in real life.
Will post more photos in a followup post because I know from reading a zillion posts here that y'all LOVE photos and most people want to see profiles and side shots.
liz
or this because I violated several PS rules, but this time, it worked out. I did not visit any local jewelry stores, I did not look at diamonds, I did not try on rings, I did not see photos of my stone. I read about diamonds (here and elsewhere) and decided what I felt would work for me. I got a lot of insight from many posters here, so I want to thank everyone who contributes. You don't know how much you helped me, even though I didn't follow all the rules .Given that I'm far from perfect and no one in my social or work circles is into diamonds, I decided that I could get the most bang for my buck with J color and an eye-clean SI2 stone. For me, paying extra for higher clarity or color just didn't make sense.
I've been day-dreaming on BN for months. Watched diamond and metal prices go up, diamonds in my "sweet spot" (over 2 ct, 58-62% deep, chubbier rather than longer, under $15K and eventually down to around $10K) become scarcer and scarcer. Every time what appeared to be a bargain showed up, it was gone in a few days. Sometime in August, this "roval" (l/w ratio 1.29) showed up and I just kept watching it. I prefer "rovals" to the more traditional oval shape and maybe one of the reasons this stone was priced lower is that it is too chubby.
Not long after, I found PS. The diamond search didn't turn up this diamond in any PS vendor's inventory but somehow I stumbled onto the Brilliance web site and there it was, at a significant discount over BN. In mid-October, I contacted Brilliance to get a copy of the GIA report to confirm that it was the diamond I'd been watching on BN and it was. Evan at Brilliance contacted the cutter to see whether the diamond was eye clean (the inclusion plot showing several inclusions under the table was kind of scary) and was told that it was.
Every day, I'd check BN and Brilliance (sometimes several times a day) to see if "my" diamond was still there. It disappeared a time or two, much to my disappointment, then it would show up again, much to my relief. I finally decided that if it was still available on November 28 (divorce anniversary, which I celebrate quietly every year), I would order my ring. I was interested in either a six-prong solitaire or a trellis setting (with or without pave) but was concerned about not having prongs on the ends of the stone in the trellis setting. I'm a klutz and I can guarantee that I will hit that stone on something. Evan mentioned the tulip setting (which bears a strong resemblance to the Vatche Royal Crown). I think I'd dismissed it because getting it for an oval was a custom order and I figured it would be too pricey but I actually prefer the tulip head to the trellis. Anyway, I ordered it from Evan, and Jonathon took over with the custom part. I like my stones set high, so I was a little concerned at how the CADs looked but I just decided not to worry about it.
Anyway, my little beauty arrived this afternoon and when I looked at it, all I could say for several minutes was, "Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh!" I know it's not impressive compared to many here, but all I've ever had were 1/3 ct. and a couple half carat diamonds so for me, this is spectacular.
The photos don't do it justice, but I'm sure just about everyone here who's taken photos knows how much better their baubles look in person than they do in anything but vendor photos. Yes, in some lighting, I can see a creamy tint, but in most lighting it doesn't look at all yellow. Yes, there's a bowtie in there somewhere, I think, but the diamond is seldom in the right position to see it.
The box is white, not ivory as it looks in the photos below:
Sorry for the poor hand shot, but at least it gives some perspective. My fingers don't look quite this chunky in real life, but they are middle-aged hands. This ring is a size 8.25. I'm a size 8 but wanted a little extra room.
Tried to catch the sparkle in indirect light but it didn't work. There wasn't a hint of yellow in real life.
Will post more photos in a followup post because I know from reading a zillion posts here that y'all LOVE photos and most people want to see profiles and side shots.
liz
- enjoy!!!!!!!!!!
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