Ring Questions

[officefan]

I am in the need of some help.

I am planning to get engaged sometime this summer. At the present time I have $6,000 set aside for this purchase. What would that amount get me? Would a decent 1.5 carat single stone be realistic? Could I buy a diamond online or at a discount jewelry store and have it set at a more upscale place? Can I haggle with the sales staff? What about insurance? When is the best time of the year to buy a ring (holiday sales, etc)

Basically I''m lost and confused.

Thank you in advance!

 

[coatimundi_org]

I'd go to jamesallen.com or goodoldgold.com to get a gauge of prices. 1.5 carats is going to be well over your budget. A nice 1 carat stone would probably be more in your price range. It also depends on how you want to set it. If you want a simple white gold solitaire(platinum is going to cost you a lot more), you will have more money for the stone. Also, if you go down in color and clarity, but make sure you get an excellent cut stone, you can save some money that way.

I recommend insuring your ring. My rings are insured through our homeowners insurance with a personal articles amendment to the policy.

Yes, you can haggle with sales staff.

You can buy a diamond online, and have it set online. There are many vendors on this site that are
trusted and produce quality rings. Another is Whiteflash.com.

 

[Sparkalicious]

Hi Officefan! Welcome to PS!

I just ran your numbers through the Cut Quality Search -- Here''s a link if you would like to try it yourself ...

I found that in the 1.5 ct - G, H, I color range and VS2 - Si2 range, you would be looking at a price from anywhere from $7,200 to $16,000 for the diamond alone. You could go lower in color, however, G, H, I is a "safe" range. Do you have a color or clarity combo preference?

That takes care of the first question ...

You could definitely buy a diamond online and have it set at a "reputable" jeweler in your area. It is not recommended to have your "prized" possession diamond set just anywhere. If the jeweler is not skilled, there is a strong likelihood that you diamond may chip or may be damaged, for example.

Can you negotiate with sales staff? Absolutely ... think of it like buying a car... You would never pay sticker price, right? Your best resource is to research pricing via online vendors thereby getting a good idea of what is a "fair" going price and go with that into negotiations to get a price that you are comfortable with.

Insurance can be quite expensive depending on the worth of your diamond ring or jewelry. Here is a link to Jeweler''s Mutual insurance if you would like more info.

Best time of the year to buy a ring -- Anytime!

... The "sales" that local mall stores may have are not really "sales" since their markup is so high! You should be able to get a competitive price all year round via the internet OR at a local Brick and Mortar with a good reputation and knowlegable sales staff and jewelers.

If you are interested in online vendors ... Some PS favorites include the following:
Whiteflash
Good Old Gold
James Allen
Pearlman''s Jewelers

Here is an example of one I was able to find online for you ... I''m sorry it''s outside of the stated budget, however, I thought it was a good example of the "quality" type stone you can find online

1.562 G VS2, Whiteflash, A Cut Above

On a final note, if you would like to learn more about diamonds and educate yourself from this sometimes arduous process, you can refer to the plethora of info available to you in the PS Resources -- Click Here

Good luck finding a diamond that you love!

 

[hearts-arrows_girl]

I would do the "Pricescope your Diamond" box above and put in $6,000 and a size, and see what comes up. I like G-J Color w/ fl. and SI Clarity, but it's really a matter or personal preference. I glanced at some stones and it seemed more like 1.25cts and under were in your price range. Don't forget that CUT is the most important of the 4 C's! You could buy a loose stone and have it set in a simple solitaire by the same vendors. Then get another setting later on when you can afford more. I like solitaires myself. Having your stone set at an upscale place may take away from your stone money. Also, alot of people use Chubbs insurance. Type in Chubbs in the search box above right, and you will come up with many posts that will describe the insurance. I have mine insured in a jewelry floater on my Farmer's homeowner policy. I don't know of any good or bad time of year to buy. Good luck!

Wow! coatimundi and I have almost the same advice. When I started typing there were no responses yet.