PLEASE HELP...Need a diamond

[thamvo]

My budget is $12000. This is what I want:
1.2 carat or above
Color E or F
Clarity IF or VVS1
Polish/Symm. Excellent
Flourescence None

Should I buy online or local retail store? I have looked at several websites, but alittle scared to spend that amount online. I live in Orange county, CA. Does anyone know any reliable stores? Or will online get me a better deal?

 

[JC]

You will definitely get a better deal online. Also, most internet diamond brokers can send the diamond of your interest out to California for you to view before you have spent any money purchasing the diamond. The selection, quality, price, and service is much better online. So check around, I'm sure that you will find a great option that you will be much more satisfied with over the internet verses a local retail store.

PS...I purchased my fiancee's engagement ring for a little over $3,700 over the internet and it appraised for $7,750 (Retail Store Price). Not only was the quality far superior to that of a local retail stores selection, but the price was obviously (as you can see) much better.

 

[thamvo]

JC,

Thanks for the info. I have been researching online, but there are so many online companies. I have gotten quotes from Abazias and Diamond Registry. Have you heard of them? Are they reliable? If buying online is better, do you think the retail stores get their diamonds on the web?

 

[fire&ice]

I think your first step is to navigate your way around Pricescope. You will get an idea of what your stone costs on the web & perhaps re-examine your critiria.

May I ask why the IF/VVS1? Clarity grading is done under 10x loupe. You don't wear a 10x over your diamond.

Good luck. In many cases, buying on the web will save you money & perhaps get a better performing stone. There are many vendors to choose from. Visit some of the websites & take some of the tutorials. Also, know the importance of cut.

 

[Thegroom]

My budget is $12000. This is what I want:
1.2 carat or above
Color E or F
Clarity IF or VVS1
Polish/Symm. Excellent
Flourescence None

thamvo,

I just want to point out one more thing you'll want to add to your criteria. I see that you are looking for a high quality diamond in that you want a colorless and near flawless diamond with Excellent polish and symmety. I just wanted to make sure that you did not take CUT for granted in the process. Excellent polish and symmetry don't automatically make it a great cut. Remember that at the end of the day the E color and IF rating don't mean much if the diamond doesn't sparkle. Be sure the depth%, table%, and crown and pavilion angles are also ideal before you buy any diamond. If you can't do this in your price range, go down in clarity, maybe to a VS1/2. Remeber, you can't see the difference between IF and SI1 without a loupe. Good luck in your search.

 

[thamvo]

I have been nagivating around pricescope. I have seen any diamond specs similar to what I'm looking for. I have no idea how much it should cost. I guess I want IF or VVS1 because it's very good for clarity. Also a friend told me not to go lower than VVS2 when buying a good quality diamond. I do not know much about purchasing a diamond and hope to get some feedback and knowledge online.

 

[JC]

thamvo,

First of all, we all get our diamonds from wholesale suppliers, unless the company owns their own diamonds that they have listed. So the retail stores are also generally working with the same wholesalers that us internet brokers do. They just take that same wholesale price that we get and add a larger mark-up percentage than we do. Think of it like this. The wholesalers are like our "parents". Each retail store and internet company are like the "children". All of the children get their diamonds from the same parents, but each child decides to sell their parent's diamonds for different prices. This is why you can see the same diamond listed on more than one website. The only difference is the price. You may also go to a local retail store and physically see the diamond and than notice that same diamond listed on our website. This same thing just happened to me today. A customer had seen a diamond local in a retail store and then later that day saw the same diamond listed on our website for $1,800 cheaper. I also price-matched a diamond that another customer had seen on one of our competitors websites yesterday. So in the end it's all about shopping the internet and the retail stores and going with who can meet your needs. There are great retail stores and internet companies. So the question is, who is best for you?

 

[fire&ice]

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On 10/9/2003 5:02:39 PM thamvo wrote:

I guess I want IF or VVS1 because it's very good for clarity. Also a friend told me not to go lower than VVS2 when buying a good quality diamond. I do not know much about purchasing a diamond and hope to get some feedback and knowledge online.----------------

And this friend's opinion is based on what?

It has been my experience on this board that many first come to pricescope & want to purchase a DEF/IF/VS stone. It's commendable that they want the very best for their to be. But the reality is you are buying the specs of a piece of paper & not the reality of perception.

If this is an educated desire, then go for it. But, first make the determination on whether the colorless is important. The difference between colorless & near colorless (G/H) are very minimal that many dealers can not discern an F to a G.

Some people are color sensitive. The bigger reality is the clarity. As I said, stones are graded under the scrutiny of 10x magnification. That is not what the naked eye sees. While an SI1 may not be for you simply because of what the specs on paper says, then go for a VS stone. I can not image in a 1.2c stone that it would not be eyeclean.

Is the size set in stone (so to speak)? If you lowered your parameters to G/VS1or2 you could go substantially larger. Size & cut are what one sees as the "oh wow sizzle" factor.

Also, in the end, study the parameters for a well cut stone. Again, size & CUT will be the oh wow factor.

If you go to the Show me the RIng forum, you will see many stones that are in the G/H/I/J range that face up plenty white.

Good luck.

 

[derekinla]

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On 10/9/2003 1:37:30 PM thamvo wrote:

My budget is $12000. This is what I want:
1.2 carat or above
Color E or F
Clarity IF or VVS1
Polish/Symm. Excellent
Flourescence None

Should I buy online or local retail store? I have looked at several websites, but alittle scared to spend that amount online. I live in Orange county, CA. Does anyone know any reliable stores? Or will online get me a better deal? ----------------

Thamvo,

Just curious, is there a particular reason you're set on a E/F and IF/VVS stone? Unless there is a particular sentimental, emotional or psychological importance to getting such a high color/clarity grades, I would suggest you consider F/G, VS/SI stone to maxmimize size/value of stone. Once mounted, an eye clean SI1 and G color stone peforms like a D IF stone and the only way to tell the difference is to use a loupe / compare the stone to master color grading stones. The MOST important determinant of visual performance is cut, and with a 12,000 budget, you could easily get a 1.5 carat ideal cut/heats & arrows stone with a lower clarity grade that would visually blow away a 1.2 carat D IF stone of less than ideal cut. My advice is to start going to local merchants to start to look at loose stones / using a loupe and you will better appreciate what I'm saying.

 

[aljdewey]

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On 10/9/2003 5:02:39 PM thamvo wrote:




I guess I want IF or VVS1 because it's very good for clarity Also a friend told me not to go lower than VVS2 when buying a good quality diamond----------------

Well, you've come to the right place to learn. Was your "friend" a jeweler, by any chance? (LOL - kidding)

Here's the low-down: If you get a well-cut diamond, you can get an H color diamond with an SI-1 clarity (eyeclean). The key to getting a quality diamond is CUT.

If you stick to an E color or a VVS2 quality, in both cases you'll be paying an OUTRAGEOUS premium for something that your eye cannot even see.

If you want some help, you can get it here. I'll take a peek around and see if we can find some stones that represent the best balance of quality/value in your budget.