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ring question

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cocoboots

Rough_Rock
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Jun 8, 2006
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Loooong time lurker. I''ve been researching a ring and viewing this site for almost 4months now. Planning on getting one in the next 4-6 weeks. I''m not rushing this process because I''ve seen some of the cheaper version that my friends bought their finaces/wife.

What I''m looking for:
3 stone princess cut ring, in platiunum, with trellis setting.
band size of 5.5-5.75, width of 3-4mm and 5-6 at top if needed to support diamonds.
GIA cert. stones or similar grading cert.
center stone: 1.00+ carat G/H VS1/VS2 no flourescence length and width of 5.5mm or greater $3000-$3400
side stones: .48-.55 carat G/H VS1/VS2 no flourescence -stones should mate well with center stone. $600-1000
I was hoping total for ring $6000-6500 range. But I''d be willing to put a little more in for a perfect ring that came along. We are helping her parents because her father lost his job, so money is very tight.

I have talked with my local jeweler and he quoted nearly $8000+ for the ring. He found the stones on polygon for reasonable prices (very similar stones online were about 10-15% less), but he is asking almost $2500-3000 for the setting. He says it depends on how long it takes to make it and if he has to refine the wax version he does initially. I questioned him politely, "that seems a bit high for a setting", and he came back that that is fair market value for custom work. He says he doesn''t have a setting for a 3 stone princess so he''d have to make one and that my girlfriends finger is small and petite and a stock setting would look bad. Then he threw me a curveball and said if I didn''t like his pricing I should consider getting a simulated diamond to cut the cost. he said using a simulated stone as the sidestones will allow for a better center stone because I can put more money into a bigger/better stone or I should just use simulated stones for all of them. Now I''m totally confused.

Should I consider a simulated diamond?
Am I wrong in thinking I can find this ring with real diamonds for $6000-6500?
Should I trust him and try to save a few more months for his $8k pricig?
My head is spinning with diamond questions...maybe I should I allow one of you to smack some sense into me.


Thanks for all your help/comments/smacks...
 
Perhaps you would consider white gold? Platinum is very expensive right now, though that price seems still high to me.

My opinion: no simulated diamonds!

Have you contacted any online vendors to see how much they could do the setting for?
 
Uh, is he kidding? Simulated diamond is a pretty term for CZ.
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Not that there''s anything wrong with CZ, but you have a 6K-6.5K budget. If you wanted all this and your budget was 3K, then I''d say something''s gotta give.
 
Perfect setting for him, Julie!!!
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Thank you, thank you.
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Date: 6/8/2006 7:34:49 PM
Author: JulieN
Thank you, thank you.
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Very nice Jules...VERY NICE. I like it!!!
 
Firstly, diamond grading reports. You have mentioned that your jeweler will supply you with diamonds with a GIA cert or similar. It is important to realize that it would not be inconceivable that you could send the same diamond to each of the top 3 / 4 labs and recieve 3 / 4 different results, particularly when looking at cut and color. GIA, even after "Certifigate" are still considered to be the best and most consistent so I personally would be insistinng upon GIA certs. for any diamonds.

Re your girlfriends finger being particularly small and petite - nonsense. A size 5.5 - 5.75 is not that small or unusual.

Is your jeweler a stand-up comic in his spare time? He certainly made me laugh with his "simulated diamonds" terminology. If you get CZ sidestones, you may as well just have a silver band! No, no, no.

Jazmine made a very valid point in that Platinum is expensive and that white gold would be a viable alternative to help bring the price down - also trying to source your setting online would be a worthwhile exercise. Even though the price of gold has risen of late it is still nowhere near the cost of platinum and I cannot ever see it becoming so. Whilst white gold is not as durable as platinum at least any repair / polishing work that your band requires in the future can be taken care of by most good jewelers. With platinum it is harder to find a jeweler who is a real specialist.

Very best of luck with your purchase. I''m sure you''ll get what you want if you take your time and persevere.
 
Your jeweler is seriously smoking something! The stock size of a woman''s ring is a size 6! He''s nuts, ignore him completly.
 
wow, maybe I should be re-thinking my relationship with the local jeweler. i didn''t realize simulated was actually cz. he described them as a diamond that has had treatments to make it look more pure. maybe he was thinking about using cz because they''re cheaper and I don''t know what they are or look like. he''s been pushy from the start for me to put money down for the ring. I really appreciate all your help! JulieN- your suggest was exactly what I was looking for. i''ve haven''t really purchased online before so I didn''t really want to go that way. but it looks like that will be the best/safest way for me to get a ring without having someone take advantage me. I agree, I didn''t think her fingers were really small, but he made it sound like custom was the only way. Thank you all for you input!
 
It sounds as if your jeweler was referencing clarity enhancements, not a CZ.

shay
 
Shay is right, it does sound like he was referring to clarity enhanced diamonds, and not simulated diamonds. While there's nothing wrong with that... the cost of non-enhanced sidestones is not that much, and clarity-enhanced stones are probably not going to be well-cut
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Unfortunately, I made a mistake and the Vatche setting (2962)+ center stone(3800) =$6762. Vatche sets the minimum price for which their settings may be sold. Each setting is made for the stone, and SuperbCert notes that it takes 2-3 weeks. Just something to keep in mind for 4-6 week time frame.

If you must have VS for the center, then I suggest using white gold for the setting. But since this stone is eye-clean, why pay for something you can't see?
 
i spoke with him over lunch and he says he was talking about CZ. He''s made references to be being "cheap" on not wanting to spend full price for what he quoted, so he suggests cz instead of diamonds. He was quite dismissive. I didn''t mention that I had gotten suggestions from this forum. The price isn''t firm, if I have to I will spend hundred more, but I can''t go for something $1000 more. I don''t think that spending $6500 ish is being cheap, I just can''t afford any more. My time frame is 4-6 for purchase because that''s what the jewler told me his wait was for custom work. He told me that I need a VS2 min. clarity to look good with platinum. Is this true?

Have a wonderful weekend. Again, Thanks for the help.
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The cost of 2 .25 princess sidestones would only be about 500, a fraction of your ring. So your jeweler quote of 8K would go to 7.5K if you used CZ, still overbudget.

He's talking out of his @55 if he said you need VS2 to look good with plat.
 
Date: 6/9/2006 6:09:29 PM
Author: cocoboots
i spoke with him over lunch and he says he was talking about CZ. He''s made references to be being ''cheap'' on not wanting to spend full price for what he quoted, so he suggests cz instead of diamonds. He was quite dismissive. I didn''t mention that I had gotten suggestions from this forum. The price isn''t firm, if I have to I will spend hundred more, but I can''t go for something $1000 more. I don''t think that spending $6500 ish is being cheap, I just can''t afford any more. My time frame is 4-6 for purchase because that''s what the jewler told me his wait was for custom work. He told me that I need a VS2 min. clarity to look good with platinum. Is this true?

Have a wonderful weekend. Again, Thanks for the help.
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6500ish is not cheap by any means. It''s a great budget. That''s the first thing.

The second is that if you cannot see an inclusion, what''s the dif what the cert says. VS2 or SI1-2 doesn''t matter if you can''t see the inclusions anyway. The only thing that will make a stone look better is cut. Do not sacrifice on a well-cut stone. Julie gave some great suggestions. I would try those. This jeweler would have lost my business the minute the word "cheap" came out of his mouth, and I would have told him so immediately. JMHO

shay
 
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