Sense check on ordering online custom ring

[g8rs]

Wanted to sense check a prospective purchase, to see if I’m asking for the right info and if price seems right. Came across an engagement ring at a boutique in Prague that my gf really liked, after leaving back to the states I got in touch for a custom design of the one I saw. They then quoted me for a similar ring, but more in my price range. It’s a cluster, and I got the specs below:

Approx 1.7ct total
SI1, G color
Stones 6mm (~.84ct), 5mm, 4mm, 3mm
14k gold setting
Priced at $13K
Was told the stones wouldn’t have any eye visible inclusions.
Will come with an international certificate of all the stones used.

Since it’s being designed and they don’t have the exact diamonds, not sure how much more info can be offered? Is this typical when designing a ring this way?Here’s a picture of the ring they’re designing off of which price was is double the quote above.

 

[JPie]

First, congrats on your upcoming engagement! Pleasantries aside, that’s a pretty terrible price. If you bought the three main diamonds loose from Whiteflash, you would have AGS reports, and it would cost roughly $6,600. The smaller diamonds are relatively inexpensive and not worth the cost of a report. A ring like that should be pretty easy to make, so you could probably go all in for closer to $8,600, less depending on which jeweler. I’m erring on the side of caution in my estimate, but that setting really doesn’t have the intricate details or gold weight to be $2,000.

These are ideal cuts that are roughly the size of the biggest three. The smallest is the lowest color, but this is just to give you an idea of the cost of some very high quality diamonds.

 

[g8rs]

Thanks Jpie! And also appreciate the quick and insightful response.

This boutique is known in Prague from people I know there we spoke to, but it doesn’t seem as though the premium here adds up at 40%+ over the example you gave. The initial attraction of mine aside from her liking the design was the idea of a VAT refund as well, but I didn’t want that to justify overpaying.

Might see if they could either come down or do more research state side on comparable designs.

 

[distracts]

Jewelry in Europe is pretty invariably WAY more expensive in the US. I look every time I go but even with the VAT refund, it’s much cheaper to buy it in the US. Some designer goods are cheaper in Europe though.

Also of note: the proportions of the diamonds selected for the ring you are having made will be very different than the proportions in the example ring. Given the kind of cluster it is, that will change the look significantly. If your main stone is going to be 6mm, I’d go no more than 4.5 for the next-largest, and possibly closer to 4mm, with another at 3-3.5mm, and the final two around 2-2.5mm. I think that would be much more similar proportionally to the inspiration ring. The proportions are really going to make or break this ring style - I am worried that with the ones they’re giving you in the custom ring, it’s going to look a lot chunkier instead of delicate, and your girlfriend may not like it as much.

However, yes, for $13k in the US, you can go bigger on the center diamond. Idk what the sizes are on the inspiration ring but see if they can get you the sizes on the one you saw so at least you know what proportions they have.

 

[g8rs]

So I did actually ask for the sizes on the one in the picture, they were:
6.5mm
4mm
3mm
2x 2mm

I was a little confused, since I other than the main stone, and an additional tiny stone, the sizes were nearly the same. For an extra $13K it must have been far far better quality or I missed something.

 

[JPie]

So I did actually ask for the sizes on the one in the picture, they were:
6.5mm
4mm
3mm
2x 2mm

I was a little confused, since I other than the main stone, and an additional tiny stone, the sizes were nearly the same. For an extra $13K it must have been far far better quality or I missed something.

I think @distracts is right about jewelry being more expensive in Europe generally. Is there a budget that you're trying to stay within? If $13K is an option, then I would suggest reaching out to Whiteflash. I don't know if they do custom work but they can at least help you source the stones based on the sizes you got.

If you have a lower budget and don't need branded ideal cuts, then David Klass and ID Jewelry are other options to explore. They can create CADs and source the diamonds.

 

[distracts]

So I did actually ask for the sizes on the one in the picture, they were:
6.5mm
4mm
3mm
2x 2mm

I was a little confused, since I other than the main stone, and an additional tiny stone, the sizes were nearly the same. For an extra $13K it must have been far far better quality or I missed something.

For 13k, you can definitely replicate that in the US with the same sizes and branded ideal cuts even. I would not bother buying from the same shop when you’re overpaying by so much with so little knowledge of what you’d be getting. It could be that the original ring was all D-F color diamonds but they don’t look super high clarity or great cuts in that picture you posted. And you could get G-H VS-Si1 clarity of the same sizes in ideal cuts in or near the 13k budget here, so I’d be inclined to do that. Of course, there’s the romantic notion that you can buy it from the place where she first saw it - but when so much money is on the line, I’m usually inclined to hunt for the best price and quality I can get, lol.

 

[Mrs_Strizzle]

You have already gotten great advice, so I will just echo that with a budget like that, the ideal cuts will be WELL worth it because her ring will sparkle like crazy.

I mainly wanted to say that I LOVE the ring design! She will be the only one of her friends with a ring like that, and that's pretty important, imo.

 

[sledge]

Are you working in US currency, so $13k USD?

Not sure exact tax & duties to Prague, but Germany is close by and it's 22%.

Duties & Tax Calculator | JamesAllen.com

Ready to buy your dream engagement ring? Use our duty and taxes calculator to help you understand how much Duty and VAT you’ll incur with your purchase.

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So if you are working in USD, then sticking at around $10k would leave you ample room to ship and pay taxes & duties.

 

[distracts]

@sledge the way I read it is that OP lives in the US and was on vacation in Prague - thus we don’t have to worry about import duties or anything if buying from a US vendor.

 

[sledge]

@sledge the way I read it is that OP lives in the US and was on vacation in Prague - thus we don’t have to worry about import duties or anything if buying from a US vendor.

D'oh. Long day at work. Teach me to read more closely. Re-reading I would agree. Sorry about that.

 

[partgypsy]

I wanted to say I think that is a cool ring design! And I also echo that you want to stay in the same proportions of original ring, otherwise it won't look the same. What they quoted you, diamond size, won't give you that same look.

 

[g8rs]

Thanks for the insight everyone! it seems higher than expected for the quote I got based on the feedback (even when considering the vat refund on the 13K).

I’m going to explore getting a comparable design made in the US, and see how that prices out!