Purchase loose stone or in setting

[TheLady]

When buying loose stone and setting from the same online vendor. Should I have the loose stone sent to me first to inspect or just have it set in the ring and sent?

 

[Dancing Fire]

From which vendor?

 

[TheLady]

From which vendor?

Probably James Allen. Also looking at a few others. They have video but not as clear as the James Allen.

 

[MRBXXXFVVS1]

I would just closely inspect the photos/videos, and have it set since it would be a hassle to mail it back for setting. You can always return it within the return window if it doesn't meet your expectations.

 

[TheLady]

I would just closely inspect the photos/videos, and have it set since it would be a hassle to mail it back for setting. You can always return it within the return window if it doesn't meet your expectations.

I've read that the stone will not look the same once set, but if it looks good to naked eye set...does it really matter how it looked loose.

 

[msop04]

I've read that the stone will not look the same once set, but if it looks good to naked eye set...does it really matter how it looked loose.

Nope, not at all.

If it's going to be set, then that's how you'll be looking at it... so it actually makes more sense to see it set, rather than loose.

 

[sledge]

Having participated in some of your other recent threads, you have been really unsure what you want and what is important to you. Please don't take that as a knock, as it's not. But I do feel that is relevant to the question being asked.

The reason I say this is maybe getting familiar with the stone differences is a good starting point. Determining what you do or don't like. Then sending back the stone(s) that don't fit your tastes.

You could do this in a setting, but it may be more hassle and cost, especially as there has been 1, 1.20 and 1.44 carat stones involved.

Also, if you check stones loose, then you could use your own hearts & arrows viewer to capture a hearts view of each stone in question. While you can get arrows, idealscope and ASET on a mounted stone, the only way to get a hearts view is unmounted as the stone has to be flipped table down as you are looking at the pavilion end and the setting would be in the way.

Once you get the stone figured out, then move onto the setting as those can present their own struggles. When shopping for a setting for my wife, I very clearly recall how I would love something on the computer and then thought it looked like crap in the store. Or vice versa. One of the major things being thickness. Sometimes what seems perfect on the screen (in magnified pictures) just doesn't work with exact finger size and real life viewing.