Since it's bezel mania around here anyway....

[oranges]

I've been starting to think about what to get myself for my college graduation present in May-- and I'm considering a milgrained barbara pendant from BGD with either one of their signature stones or an AV round. I'm really shocked at the mark up of AV rounds-- a .52 H VS1 is $1,980 where as a BGD signature H&A .528 H VS2 is $1,350!!!!!!! I really really love AVs but I'm just concerned that the insane premium would not be worth it considering that it's a pendant-- not something that I would look at closely every day. So I ask, would you pay such a high premium for a cut? why or why not?

 

[yssie]

Not a chance.

But then, I won't pay for regular ol' H&A either


For a pendant of that size I'd go to the secondary market.. you don't get the joy of looking at it yourself when you're wearing it, afterall, and other people can't really stare at your neck/chest to admire the nuances of a perfect cut

 

[iheartscience]

No, I wouldn't pay that for an AV round, although I do love them. Aside from the high price, if I wanted an old cut I'd buy an old cut.

And I can't wait to see what you end up with!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I just ordered a pendant and the stone is not certified. I *personally* could not justify paying twice as much for a certificate since it is a smaller stone (1/2 carat) and a pendant. I love the AV rounds as well and had the similar reaction as you when I saw the prices. I think you have to spend what you are comfortable with. Can't wait to see what you get!!!

 

[rosetta]

No way!

I would only buy an AVC for a ring myself.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I wouldn't pay that much...I have two ACAs and when I bought my expert selection it looked just as good. My two "excellent" cut stones also look the same. I sold my ES and now wear my excellent stone - which I will add is set into a bezel - and it looks fabulous.

Bezels frame diamonds and turn them into works of art that attract lots of attention. A H&A will look awesome and an excellent stone will, as well, IMO. I'd also consider a secondary market - the one I have in the bezel was passed down to me.

Oh, and for me, I went under the .50 ct mark to save $.

 

[decodelighted]

Check out *real* vintage stones at places like Old World Diamonds & Erica Grace. Maybe even ebay. My own OEC's (later put into BGD bezel earrings) are from OWD.

I can understand paying the markup for larger stones where the pattern is more visible. Engagement stones ... over 1ct pendants ... that kind of thing.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Check out *real* vintage stones at places like Old World Diamonds & Erica Grace. Maybe even ebay. My own OEC's (later put into BGD bezel earrings) are from OWD.

I can understand paying the markup for larger stones where the pattern is more visible. Engagement stones ... over 1ct pendants ... that kind of thing.

There is also DB. You can bargain on there.

 

[gemgirl]

Unless I was making an engagement ring, I wouldn't pay the premium for a H&A diamond or an AVC. I'm making myself a pendant now and I searched out the best GIA certed triple Ex I could find. Then I jotted down a couple of cert numbers, and comparison shopped those particular stones on a few of our vendors sites to get the best price. I got a great deal! I bought a .62 pt G SI1 with my own personal goldilocks proportions for $1200.- I put it on hold right away, went and louped the stone, and was entirely thrilled with what I had chosen. It's a beauty!

I suggest trying to combine quality and price.

Just because I wouldn't pay the premium for a H&A center stone, doesn't mean I don't use them for melee. My new pendant will be surrounded by a double halo of F/G VS ACAs.

 

[oranges]

Thank you for all of your replies--the general consensus was clearly a resounding NO for the AV round- and even paying a H&A premium, for that matter!
I totally know that an AV of that size is ridiculously expensive for what it is-- but i just love them . Good thing I have until May to think about it--- although I just keep trying to justify it to myself for some reason. Whenever I buy anything significant that I plan on keeping for a very, very long time, I'm never content unless it's a "mind clean" purchase. I love the faceting of AV rounds so much more than real OECs-- and regular rounds, and I realize that nobody else would notice-- but I would! I think that I'll have to pay GOG a visit when I'm closer to purchasing and compare the AV rounds with 'regular' rounds of that size and see for myself if it's worth it. Thanks for all of your input!

 

[gemgirl]

oranges, if you have a genuine love of AV rounds and you can afford it, I say go for it. We all have our own opinions and preferences but that doesn't mean that you should be swayed by what others say. You're the one that's going to own it and wear it. Get what you really want. There's nothing worse than looking at a piece of jewelry and thinking "I should have".

 

[lyra]

oranges, if you have a genuine love of AV rounds and you can afford it, I say go for it. We all have our own opinions and preferences but that doesn't mean that you should be swayed by what others say. You're the one that's going to own it and wear it. Get what you really want. There's nothing worse than looking at a piece of jewelry and thinking "I should have".

I agree completely. Even if it were $1000 more than a "regular" round, if you treasure this branded cut, it's worth the extra money. I would caution you to be sure you'd appreciate it at the size you're talking about, as naturally the patterning is more visible in larger sizes. It's something you should see before you decide, but if it's what you like, then go for it.

 

[KittyGolightly]

Thank you for all of your replies--the general consensus was clearly a resounding NO for the AV round- and even paying a H&A premium, for that matter!
I totally know that an AV of that size is ridiculously expensive for what it is-- but i just love them . Good thing I have until May to think about it--- although I just keep trying to justify it to myself for some reason. Whenever I buy anything significant that I plan on keeping for a very, very long time, I'm never content unless it's a "mind clean" purchase. I love the faceting of AV rounds so much more than real OECs-- and regular rounds, and I realize that nobody else would notice-- but I would! I think that I'll have to pay GOG a visit when I'm closer to purchasing and compare the AV rounds with 'regular' rounds of that size and see for myself if it's worth it. Thanks for all of your input!

If you can possibly see the stone IRL beforehand, that would probably be best.

I have a .5 ct bezel pendant from BN, which I really like. It isn't a fantastic diamond, but it sparkles, and no one is really going to scrutinize my neck anyway. However, I think if I were buying an AV so that I could admire the cut, I would have it put in a DBTY style bracelet instead so that I could see it throughout the day.

 

[Gypsy]

If you are set on it in your mind, then it is worth it to get exactly what you want to mark your graduation. You don't want to look at an expensive piece and think of the compromise you made. You want to look at a piece and think of the joy of ownership. As someone who owns a pendant she adores, while it is true that you don't get to look at it, everytime you look in the mirror, take it on or off, or everytime someone notices it... I get the warm fuzzies. I am glad I didn't settle, and I hope you don't either.

 

[Andelain]

.......... So I ask, would you pay such a high premium for a cut? why or why not?

I'm about to do just that. I have a pair of AVR's on hold that will become earrings.

Why? The best way I can sum it up is because I want to and because I can. I just think I'll really like the cut pattern a lot.

 

[oranges]

gemgirl, lyra and kittygolightly, i do plan on making the trip out to long island to check out the different cuts in person--- while I adore the cut in the pictures-- it is greatly magnified and seeing the stones in the smallish size that I plan on purchasing is definitely the best way to determine whether or not I think that it's worth it. Nothing like an in person comparison!

gypsy-- I 100% agree that I should not mark an important event in my life with a compromise! I definitely will go with the AV round if it blows my mind when I see it-- I totally know what you mean about getting the warm and fuzzies when you have something that is jussssst right!

Andelain- I think that it is awesome that you're getting exactly what you want! I can't wait to see the earrings--when you get them would you mind letting me know what you think of the cut in a smaller size?

Thank you all for your comments. I felt kind of guilty for some reason since I liked a cut that is significantly more expensive than a H&A round, but you guys are right-- if it's right and I love it-- I should just do it. Now I can't wait til spring I love PS--- you all just really understand this kind of thing!

 

[oranges]

So after running another search on GOG for an AVR with no specific search parameters, I found a .46 H VS2 for 1,095 whereas the .52 H VS1 was a whopping $1,980!!!!! A 0.46 I VS1 is $1,149. What the heck is with their pricing? that is just absolutely outrageous ! I had been searching F-H, .5 to .75 carats. There is no way that hitting the .5 carat mark causes an almost 100% increase in the cost of the stone-- any explanations?

 

[iheartscience]

So after running another search on GOG for an AVR with no specific search parameters, I found a .46 H VS2 for 1,095 whereas the .52 H VS1 was a whopping $1,980!!!!! A 0.46 I VS1 is $1,149. What the heck is with their pricing? that is just absolutely outrageous ! I had been searching F-H, .5 to .75 carats. There is no way that hitting the .5 carat mark causes an almost 100% increase in the cost of the stone-- any explanations?

I'd go for the .46 if I were you! There's always a premium for hitting a certain carat mark, I guess, but that is kind of nuts. You could get a .5 carat real old cut for less than half of that I bet.

ETA I just searched BGD and the jump from .45 to .5 is around $2-300. So that is really a crazy jump!

 

[oranges]

So after running another search on GOG for an AVR with no specific search parameters, I found a .46 H VS2 for 1,095 whereas the .52 H VS1 was a whopping $1,980!!!!! A 0.46 I VS1 is $1,149. What the heck is with their pricing? that is just absolutely outrageous ! I had been searching F-H, .5 to .75 carats. There is no way that hitting the .5 carat mark causes an almost 100% increase in the cost of the stone-- any explanations?

I'd go for the .46 if I were you! There's always a premium for hitting a certain carat mark, I guess, but that is kind of nuts. You could get a .5 carat real old cut for less than half of that I bet.

ETA I just searched BGD and the jump from .45 to .5 is around $2-300. So that is really a crazy jump!

Hi thing2of2, I'm not ready to buy yet-- just in the research stages- or else I would absolutely get the .46! I would like to be above .5 carats, but if the budget doesn't allow that I'll probably set it in BGD's cheapest bezel, nix the milgrain and upgrade to a larger size in a few years! Ideally, of course, I would like it to be my 'forever' pendant... but if I buy from GOG they have that 100% upgrade policy on AVs so I would really be golden

Edit: I'm not a trade person--- how do you get rid of that? I probably clicked something funky when I was trying to figure out how to put up an avatar pic.
Edit 2: Fixed! That was weird.

 

[missydebby]

Hey Guys! I'm super happy to be a guinea pig again for high priced and smallish branded stones I'm in the process of trading my J .42/.41 AVC in for D IF/VS1 .46 AVRs. I'm insane. The mark up is nuts. The IF, which I can't even see right?, is about 1000 more than the D VS1.

I know I'm insane.

And I wouldn't have done it unless I had my AVCs to trade up for them. Here's my reasoning... I look in the mirror all the time while I'm painiting, so I do get to see them. Maybe one day they will become a part of a ring. But what i"m imagining is my daughter using 1 or both in her engagement ring. And after having the J's for awhile, I realize I just love the super whites the best.

And the part that goes against all reason... they are just such a perfect little thing. The incredible cut of the AVr. The knowledge that I it's IF. It made me push the buy button.

I hope I don't regret the choice. In some ways it's beyond stupid. But in other ways it's so nuts that it's great.

I'll let you know which end wins in December

 

[missydebby]

Hey Guys! I'm super happy to be a guinea pig again for high priced and smallish branded stones I'm in the process of trading my J .42/.41 AVC in for D IF/VS1 .46 AVRs. I'm insane. The mark up is nuts. The IF, which I can't even see right?, is about 1000 more than the D VS1.

I know I'm insane.

And I wouldn't have done it unless I had my AVCs to trade up for them. Here's my reasoning... I look in the mirror all the time while I'm painiting, so I do get to see them. Maybe one day they will become a part of a ring. But what i"m imagining is my daughter using 1 or both in her engagement ring. And after having the J's for awhile, I realize I just love the super whites the best.

And the part that goes against all reason... they are just such a perfect little thing. The incredible cut of the AVr. The knowledge that I it's IF. It made me push the buy button.

I hope I don't regret the choice. In some ways it's beyond stupid. But in other ways it's so nuts that it's great.

I'll let you know which end wins in December

OMG you guys... quick threadjack: but I just called GOG and canceled the order. I think reading this thread made me rethink a few things. I still want em. So bad. But I think I'm gonna practice self control. Threadjack over.