questions prior to engagement ring purchase

[about2Bengaged]

Hi, everyone!

As you can see, this is my first post. I’ve been lurking for a couple of weeks, and have enjoyed reading comments from many of the "regulars."

Here is my situation. I’ve started to educate myself about engagement rings since the late spring. About a month ago, I visited a few local jewelers in the NYC metro area (in Woodbridge, NJ, and on 47th St), and because of the prices and because the idea of negotiating and dealing with live, pushy sales people makes me nervous, I’m just about convinced that buying online is the best way for me to go. Though, I haven’t been down to Chinatown where I’ve got the names of a couple of recommended jewelers.

I don’t believe my g/f has any idea this is coming, though we’ve been ready for a while. I’ve been assured by many in my family and hers that she’d like anything I’d give her. She’s not materialistic at all (I doubt she knows the first thing about the 4 c’s), and because we both agree that our first priority is a house, I want to get something modestly sized, yet good quality, and wish to limit my purchase to about $4,500-$5,000 (diamond, setting, the other little extras). She is petite, under 5’ tall, and has short, stubby fingers (size 6.25).

I’m going to go with a round center diamond, about 0.75-0.95 of one carat, an ideal cut, G color and VS2 clarity. For the setting, I’ve only decided on the fact that I’d like six platinum prongs to hold the diamond and that I’d like to buy one with two pear-shaped side stones of about 15-20 points apiece.

Now for my questions.

(1) I read under the FAQ section that there is somewhat of a seasonal effect on price. I know I should’ve made my purchase in August where the season seems to be slower, but now that it’s earlier October, should I wait it out until after Xmas or Valentine’s Day? Or, is it still early enough that prices haven’t gone up that much yet as a result of getting closer to the holidays? If the latter is true, then perhaps I should try to get something within a few days.

(2) I’m leaning toward using dirtcheapdiamonds.com. Though I’d prefer their exchange window to be longer than 10 days, I find the combination of their prices / availability of diamond information online to be great. And, I’ve heard mostly very good things about service on this board. However, I’m not sure I like their available settings. Some questions on settings:

-- White gold or platinum? Yes, I’ve read the FAQs on the message board, but I’m still confused as to what’s best for us. As you can tell, we’re on a limited budget. I expect I’m going to pay in the mid- $3,000s for the diamond leaving about $1,000 for the setting with sidestones. It seems like getting platinum would almost double that. Should any of these factors influence my decision?

-- I''d prefer a bigger diamond.

-- There will be sidestones on the ring.

-- Although I know her current size, that can change in years to come, and I heard platinum is more difficult to re-size

-- I’m not sure how much she’d wear the ring – especially after a few years after marriage.

-- Cost of maintaining white gold vs cost of maintaining platinum. I don’t know which is more over the long-run and it might be worth it to spend the few extra hundred now. I heard that sometimes, white gold wears out completely and that after a while you’d have to change the setting. I don’t know how often this happens, and I’d hate to do it – especially if there are sidestones.

-- I read somewhere on the site that you really shouldn’t mix platinum engagement ring with a white gold wedding ring, and vice versa. I haven’t done anything in the way of looking at or pricing wedding rings yet. Should I do that when I purchase the engagement ring setting? In general, what should I look for that would go with the engagement ring I described, and what should I expect to pay in terms of price (platinum, white gold, specific styles?)?

-- Does anyone know of good, reputable sources on the internet that have a wide variety of settings? I’d like to purchase this online too, if possible. Again, either white gold or platinum, two pear sidestones of about 15-20 point each, and will hold a 0.75-0.95 carat round diamond with 6 platinum prongs.

-- Any caveats I should be aware of regarding the sidestones?

(3) Regarding the diamond...

-- I think the VS2 level of clarity indicates that there are no obvious flaws to the naked eye unless you look really closely, but does this guarantee that the diamond is structurally sound? I learned that most inclusions are white feathers, but is it good enough to mean there are no serious cracks? If not, how can I find out online?

-- I learned that cut is arguably the most important aspect of a diamond. I’d like to get an ideal cut, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’ll be perfectly round in shape. I’ve heard people use the term "out-of-round." What exactly does that mean (in numbers), and is there a maximum amount of difference between length and width that I should tolerate?

(4) Where can I buy a loupe showing 10x magnification? Which online or retail stores carry them? Any other equipment I should buy?

(5) After I purchase the diamond online, I’d like to get it appraised by a local jeweler (maybe not one in a mall, but probably by one of the family-owned businesses in town. Are there any ways to guard against getting taken advantage of? The reason I’m buying a loupe is that I’m afraid of having the jeweler replace the diamond I buy with a different, cheaper one, possibly a fake. I figure that learning where the inclusions are will help me get familiar enough with the diamond to be able to tell whether there was a switch, but I’d like to avoid something like that altogether.

(6) Since I’m likely to buy the diamond and setting separately, I’d probably have to go to a local jewel to have the diamond mounted. Any pointers in finding the right person and checking their work? Again, my concerns about a switcheroo apply here.

Wow. Now that I’ve written all this, I can see why I’m still hesitant to make a purchase. There’s still a lot I don’t know. And I’m sure different questions will come up as I learn answers to the ones I have now. Any enlightenment you all can provide would be greatly, greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much.

 

[yowahking]

Sounds like you have been doing a lot of note taking while you were hanging around here.
First of all, you have probably done enough already to make sure you will do just fine, whether you find somone local to you or use the internet. Pros and cons to both ways.
Second, don't sweat so much the decision on the metal. Metal can be changed, she may get tired of the design long before it wears out. There is a new white gold mix that does not need to be Rhodium plated and has more of a Plat color. It is priced close to regular white gold but has a tighter molecule pattern so there is less room for problems. It has a nice look and feel without the price tag. The design you want it pretty simple, no need to pay designer price for it, just find someone who is good at what they do. Keep in mind, sellers are not setters. When you want prices, ask sellers, when you want tech advise, talk to someone who sets or designs. Sometimes you can find both in the same place, mostly they are good at one of the two.
Last advise is to keep this process fun. She will have fun wearing it.

 

[phoenixgirl]

BlueNile.com has this setting with 0.25ctw pear sidestones and 4 prongs in platinum. I think you have to order the stone from them too though.

I would stick with either both rings in platinum or in white gold. Resizing platinum is a bit more difficult but not impossible if you have a jeweler with the right equipment. Fingers will change size, but not drastically, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Vatche makes a platinum setting with pear sidestones that also has only four prongs: Vatche setting It's a bit pricey though.

It shouldn't be difficult to get what you want designed.

 

[about2Bengaged]

Thanks for your replies so far.

I hadn't yet noticed the distinction between sellers and setters (and appraisors who *don't* sell diamonds, I guess). I'm glad you pointed that out.

Not to stray too far from my original questions (of which there are many), I'm having a little trouble finding the exact combination of the things I'm looking for in the setting, yet it seems like these aren't unheard of (platinum, small pears on the side, 6 prongs to hold a 3/4c round). If anyone knows any reasonable jewelers in the NYC area that can make arrangements to acquire this (saw the 4-prong vatche, and yes, it's out of my league), please PM me.

Also, I forgot to ask in my original post about certification. I know it's a must, but someone told me that it should be GIA. Any comments?

I'm still very interested in gathering responses to my other questions, so if you have any tid-bits of knowledge you'd like to share with me, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks.