Pls Help the Newbie

[tjelke]

Hi there. 1st post to the site, although I''ve been reading for about 2 days now.
Lots of great information, but am more confused than ever. I am hoping to get some clarity from you because you all seem so knowledgeable. Here is some background:
Going to propose this summer. Not going to shop with the girlfriend b/c I want it to be a total surprise. Been shopping around at some jewelers (Mayors, Tiffany''s) and been looking online (many of the sites mentioned on pricescope forums). Looking to spend 30-40K and trying to get the best quality 2-2.5 carat ring in a 6-prong platinum setting. Have been focusing on D-F, IF-VVS1, round diamonds so far.

Here are my questions...

1. What steps should I take to make sure I have the best ring (I realize ''best'' might be relative but want your opinions.)
2. If i am going to sacrafice one of the C''s, which should it be?
3. Online vs. store in the USA vs. buying in Belgium (will be there this summer)pros and cons?

I''ll leave it at that for now, although my head is swimming with questions.

Thanks for any assistance.

TJ

 

[pearcrazy]

1. I would trust some of the online vendors and their "signature series ideal" or "cut above" selection of diamonds for the best cut. If you call them and speak directly to them, they can lead you in the right direction as far as selecting the best cut.

2. I would sacrifice some of you clarity requirements first. I think it is a waste of money to buy an IF stone. By going to a VS1 or 2 rather than a VVS or IF stone, you won't be paying for quality you can't see and can put your dollars towards a larger, better cut diamond.

3. I know nothing about buying in Belguim so I can't comment on that. Buying online will give you access to a huge database of stones and save you some money. Buying in a store will give you a chance to see the diamond before you buy it but you will pay a premium price for it. If you deal with a small jeweler you will get more personal attention and perhaps he can call in several stones for you to view in person before you buy. A compromise might be to visit some of the online vendors at their places of business. Several of them will let you go in and deal as a freestanding B&M. With your budget, it would be worth the price of a plane ticket out to deal with them in person. Good luck!

 

[hoorray]

Date: 12/31/2004 2:54:11 AM
Author:tjelke
Hi there. 1st post to the site, although I''ve been reading for about 2 days now.
Lots of great information, but am more confused than ever. I am hoping to get some clarity from you because you all seem so knowledgeable. Here is some background:
Going to propose this summer. Not going to shop with the girlfriend b/c I want it to be a total surprise. Been shopping around at some jewelers (Mayors, Tiffany''s) and been looking online (many of the sites mentioned on pricescope forums). Looking to spend 30-40K and trying to get the best quality 2-2.5 carat ring in a 6-prong platinum setting. Have been focusing on D-F, IF-VVS1, round diamonds so far.

Here are my questions...

1. What steps should I take to make sure I have the best ring (I realize ''best'' might be relative but want your opinions.)
2. If i am going to sacrafice one of the C''s, which should it be?
3. Online vs. store in the USA vs. buying in Belgium (will be there this summer)pros and cons?

I''ll leave it at that for now, although my head is swimming with questions.

Thanks for any assistance.

TJ

Focus on cut more than clarity. Cut is what will make the stone come alive. Clarity at the level you are talking is invisible. We purchased an 2.5+ E/VS2 a while back. We were nervous about going down to VS2 as my previous stone was a VVS, but in hindsight, even VS2 is slightly overkill. I was talking to a local high-end jeweler yesterday, and his view is that D/E SI1 is his sweet spot in the large stones. (And he sells some gorgeous LARGE stones.)

After doing some searches, I would give a few of the online vendors a call and tell them what you are looking for. You''ll no doubt find one or two that you feel most comfortable dealing with. If they don''t have the perfect stone for you on hand, they can look for it for you. Once you get down to a few stones, get all the info you can - pictures, idealsope pics, sarin reports, etc. Have the in house expert "talk you through the stones" while they are examining it with you on the phone. Then, I would consider having the top couple sent to a local appraiser so that you cana pick the final one. If you narrow it down to just one, I''d send it to one of the good appraisers listed here and get a full report before finalizing the purchase.

As far as Belgium vs here goes, I think most of the experts have said that you are better off here with a vendor you can deal with and the guarantees of a US company. Add the weak dollar to that, and i would think you would be better off buying from one of the online vendors here. YOu can probably do a couple of searches on this topic to see what has been said before.

Good luck!

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

Hi TJ,

With your budget and your desired size-colour-clarity, you might run into problems that most other consumers do not encounter.
To start, big rough diamonds are in short supply these last years, and demand is definitely higher than supply. Because of this, diamonds above 2 Cts are very easy to sell for any diamond cutter.

Unfortunately, the market for super-ideal-cuts is a realtively young market, and the majority of demand for these cuts is between 0.70 and 1.60 Cts. It is rather exceptional to have a consumer looking for a +2 Ct-super-ideal. With this in mind, it is clear that most of the biggest rough diamonds are bought by ''regular'' cutters, who will go for a ''decent'' cut with the highest finished weight. Especially, in the highest colours and clarities, it will be difficult to locate a super-ideal-cut diamond.

So, if cut is important for you, you will be faced with the dilemma of spending less than your budget, and taking the available super-ideal with a slightly lower colour and/or clarity. Your other option is spending your full budget on a DE-IF-VVS-stone with an average cut.

If the above options do not suit you, you can still contact a cutter of super-ideals, and check whether he can cut such a stone to order.

Being based in Belgium, I would not advise you to come and buy here. If you do not know the market, and if you do not enter an office with the correct introduction, there is no way that you will get the service which you deserve.

Live long,

 

[valeria101]

Date: 12/31/2004 1169 AM
Author: Paul-Antwerp
So, if cut is important for you, you will be faced with the dilemma of spending less than your budget, and taking the available super-ideal with a slightly lower colour and/or clarity. Your other option is spending your full budget on a DE-IF-VVS-stone with an average cut.

Happy New Year everyone !

.... how about an ideal recut, Paul ?

I know you are looking for a super precisely standardized round. It would be an even harder hunt if you wanted a rare fancy shape with stylish personality and equally fine pedigree. Say... deco style It doesn't happen often to see such a thing - online or off. The picture below made my laptop shake: I HAD to post the link.

Remember that finding-old-master-at-flea-market feeling ? Happens online too. Good God !

I know sellers are not supposed to peddle their own merchandise... but this diamond should come with a story. Looking at the darn thing, it should have a name too ! Over 2 carats D/IF nevertheless.

 

[hoorray]

Paul is the expert -- I''m not. I''m sure that what he says about rarity in larger super-ideal stones in your specs is true, especially lately, but when we went through our search, we did find several. It just took patience. Jonathon at GOG has one that looks pretty great. 2.63 D VVS2 Look at that brillancescope.

 

[pqcollectibles]

Keep Cut as the top priority.

If you will loosen the clarity to VS1/2 and open up your color constaint to include G and H, you''ll have many more prospects. You might even find a nice SI1 in that size and there might be a great I1 available somewhere with a "hidden" defining inclusion. Diamonds Ideals, DirtCheapDiamonds, and White Flash all have diamonds available in the size range you are looking. Good Old Gold also has other 2+ carat diamonds as well.

As Paul said, if you want to keep your color and clarity priorities, you may have to wait for the right diamond to come along. Paul knows. He cuts diamonds for a living.

 

[pqcollectibles]

Date: 12/31/2004 5:33:52 PM
Author: lop
Paul is the expert -- I''m not. I''m sure that what he says about rarity in larger super-ideal stones in your specs is true, especially lately, but when we went through our search, we did find several. It just took patience. Jonathon at GOG has one that looks pretty great. 2.63 D VVS2 Look at that brillancescope.

Wowzer, Lop!! I bet that''s a "both arms and both legs" diamond!!

 

[codex57]

When I was looking, sacrificing clarity became clear. If you can''t see it with the naked eye, that''s the first thing to go. Next came color. Dropping 1 or eve 2 scale down becomes acceptable when you don''t have another diamond to compare to right away.

Cut was clearly the most important. If it doesn''t sparkle and looks dead, it''s almost like a waste of money. Size matters too cuz that''s what most lay people judge it on.