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Smallish budget - $2000-$3500

E

Eks

Rough_Rock
Joined
May 7, 2013
Messages
9
Hi all,

I'm looking to purchase an engagement ring. Just graduated from uni so haven't got much to spend, plus theres wedding expenses but thats a later worry :) Been with the girlfriend for 6 years now so I'm definitely ready for this!

Been trawling through the wiki and any tutorial that I can get my hands on. I've decided to settle with a H, VS2 0.60-0.75 diamond. She has really small fingers (size 4) so i think the size works out perfect for us. She also loves really simple settings so I've decided to get her a solitaire (2mm) for $2-300.

Been looking through various online vendors and I found that goodoldgold and whiteflash sells really high quality beautiful diamonds for the budget that I have. James allen I haven't had much luck.

Going through the pricescope price, I've narrowed it down to this diamond. However if any of you can chip in your opinion, or even recommend me some things I've missed or additional diamond for consideration I will very much appreciate it.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2914764.htm

Thanks!
 
You can't go wrong with Whiteflash or Brian Gavin. The stone you posted and the stone Niel posted are both very nice. The Brian Gavin stone is larger, but it does have fluorescence - some people like fluor in diamonds; some don't. I do :)

What I would do is contact both companies and talk to the sales reps about these options. Go with the one that gives you the best price for the stone/setting. The ACA has a better upgrade policy than the Brian Gavin Blue stones (I think) if that matters to you. Make sure you put the ACA diamond on hold (if you haven't already done so) if you are interested in it. There's no charge to put a diamond on hold and it prevents someone else from buying it before you make your decision.
 
Are you after H&A specifically or would you consider these?

http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.70-carat-i-color-si2-clarity-sku-206999
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.70-carat-i-color-si2-clarity-sku-206998
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.70-carat-i-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-213475

0.60 ct I SI1 http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2890090.htm
0.608 ct I VS2 http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2890084.htm
0.602 ct H VS2 http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2680233.htm
0.618 ct H SI1 http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2930346.htm
0.622 ct H VS2 http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2896296.htm
 
Neil: I really like the stone you recommend, and I frankly quite like the fluorescent. However, I'm importing the stone into Australia, so I have to add 10% GST on it. By the time it reaches Aust it will be about $4k with the setting so that's out of my budget. I might look for smaller stones.

Lula: you are right. The stone had been reserved by someone else! I did not find any option to reserve the stone, but I assume for my future interest I just have to add it into my cart to reserve it?


Istase2000: I'm definitely open to other cuts as well. But after the reading I was under the impression that I should not compromise on cut so I thought it'll be safest to choose the best cut out there.

Also another question, with James allen photos, they provide a 40x zoom of the diamond. Some of the inclusions do seem quite obvious there. My question is how obvious is it in real life observation without any sorta obsessive inspection? Diamonds that I see in shops are small enough and to see any slight inclusions will surely be a difficult task.
 
The stone you picked out from WF is beautiful. WF has a nice selection of simple solitare settings. Contact them by phone, give them your budget and see what they can do. They are very familiar with shipping all over the world. Good luck.
 
Hi Niel,

Was there another BGD promo for Mothers day? I'm on their email list and only received one for the diamond pairs.
 
You definitely should not compromise on cut, but a H&A is not necessarily more sparkly than an ideal cut dismond. It is just more expensive because of the optimal symmetry. As long as the numbers and idealscope are good you can go for it.

Adding to cart does not reserve it, I think you might need to contact them or try the live chat.

The diamond 0.6 SI1 is an AGS000 which is already an excellent performer. I guess the idealscope is not as perfect as the first one you posted but they are more sensitive than our eyes and I doubt you would see much difference in person.

Yes they can often be clean to the naked eye - the gemologist can check for you
 
You'll have to contact WF directly to reserve, either by live chat, phone or email. In my case, they asked for a credit card number to reserve, but they didn't put any charges on it. I'd also ask your WF rep whether the stone's eye clean to your standards. They indicate whether the stone is eye clean to their standards on their site, which is at 10 inches, but you might be more discerning than that.
 
I just checked and the first stone you suggested is available again, if you were still interested in it
 
woofmama|1368016582|3442618 said:
Hi Niel,

Was there another BGD promo for Mothers day? I'm on their email list and only received one for the diamond pairs.
Click to expand...

:oops: oh is it just pairs. I didn't get an email I just am buying a pair from them and they said "and there's a mothers day discount.". I guess I should have looked that gift horse in the mouth. Haha. But I posted it before I remembered there was (what I though was) the discount. Sorry :D but I still like the stone foe you.
 
Ok guys, so I went on live chat and had a really long conversation in regards to the .60 SI1 H stone. I asked why was the stone considerably lower priced than other similar stones, to which she replied it was an excellent value for the money I will be paying for it. She also assured me that it was eye clean and a good stone to purchase after comparing with other higher priced stones. I'm quite happy with the responses.

Here's the link again for convenience.:

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2890090.htm

Any last comments on this stone before I hit the purchase button?
 
Any particular reason why you want to spend half your stated budget...?

If you are equally happy with H/I, VS and SI so long as they are eye-clean, I'd ask if this one is: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10505/
 
JulieN|1368027104|3442754 said:
Any particular reason why you want to spend half your stated budget...?

If you are equally happy with H/I, VS and SI so long as they are eye-clean, I'd ask if this one is: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10505/
Click to expand...

OP, did you go with this one??? :love: :love: :love:
It's a beauty, IMHO, and larger as well.....
 
Eks|1368025404|3442731 said:
Ok guys, so I went on live chat and had a really long conversation in regards to the .60 SI1 H stone. I asked why was the stone considerably lower priced than other similar stones, to which she replied it was an excellent value for the money I will be paying for it. She also assured me that it was eye clean and a good stone to purchase after comparing with other higher priced stones. I'm quite happy with the responses.

Here's the link again for convenience.:

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2890090.htm

Any last comments on this stone before I hit the purchase button?
Click to expand...
Go for it, unless you wanted something bigger but I think it's a good price.
What setting are you getting?
 
@ Julien

The reason I went with the cheaper stone was because it fulfils all of my requirement. I'm perfectly happy with the colour and size, and comments seem to suggest that it is a decently cut stone. Happy to be corrected if this is not true. It is also eye clean too which is important. For example, it would cost ~$500 more for a 0.62 carat, and $800-$1000 more for a 0.70 carat with similar quality. I feel like price-wise its a sweet spot and I'm getting a bargain with this stone hence the stronger inclination to get this as well. What do you think?

The diamond in goodoldgold seems to be unavailable. How much was it when it was available?


@ Neil

The setting seems like something I would want to get. My girlfriend's ring size is a 3.75-4 so i think a 2mm width will be appropriate. Furthermore I've heard that a smaller setting will put more emphasis on the diamond which is a good thing i suppose.

@Istase2000

Im inclined to go bigger as well since I have approximately $1000 more to spend. However as mentioned above, I think I'll find it difficult to get a better value-for-money stone than the 0.60 SI1.

In terms of setting, I probably will get it separately. This is because if I import it as one whole diamond ring into Australia, there is an additional 5% customs duty and misc charges. Further I get the freedom to browse different sites for options and am not limited to whiteflash alone. I plan to get it paired locally. Is this a bad idea?

This is an example of something I want to get:

http://bios.weddingbee.com/pics/119233/ring.JPG
 
Don't do it to save taxes! Don't forget that you will probably be charged a setting fee for outside stones... Unless your local guys can do the ring+setting $350 (same as the WF price) I wouldn't take the risk.

The GOG .85 was about 2700. I'm a bigger is better person, so if you want to spend less, just ignore me. If you are going after value, here are some SI2s, need to be checked if eye-clean: http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/?TabSelected=3&advancedParameter=pn&showAdvanced=show&ps=15&pn=1&DiamondID=212299,209245,212440,213414,213910
 
I'm from Australia too :)
I'm pretty sure you only pay 10% gst as long as the setting is made in the US. Whiteflash should be able to fill in the forms for you so you don't need to pay the extra 5% - just double check.
I had my diamond set locally too but it's probably not a good idea and more expensive

You could consider these two for value and size and James Allen had a 6 prong setting for only 180
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.70-carat-i-color-si2-clarity-sku-206999
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.70-carat-i-color-si2-clarity-sku-206998
 
Just to add to what JulieN said, another reason it's recommended to stick with the original vendor is if the stone gets damaged while setting. With the original vendor, if something happens, you're fully insured. If another jeweler sets the stone and damages it, you'll most likely be out of luck, or have to deal with getting compensation from the jeweler directly for their mistake.

It's rare, but it does happen sometimes (do a PS Google search and you'll find some stories). It's recommended that you get the loose stone insured prior to another jeweler working on it.
 
Thanks for the advices. I will get the setting from whiteflash as well by the looks of it since it makes more sense. I'm really happy with 0.60 carats and I think the girlfriend will be very happy too. Been looking at weddingbee to get a feel of the size and its quite ideal.

Is it better to go for 4 prong or 6 prong from your experiences? I heard its more secure with 6 prong but less light can enter it.
 
double post.
 
I prefer 4 prongs with that size stone (more diamond, less metal). I wore mine for 15 years and never had a problem. You just need to get any ring checked regularly for damage or wear. Some people like the 6 prong style because it creates a round look, whereas the 4 prong style looks more square.
 
Hi Eks, I have bought pretty much all my diamond jewellery from WF, BGD and IDJ, and have never had to pay the 5% duty due to the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement. Each time I've bought from the US, the vendors have send the AUSFTA paperwork with the items so I've only been charged 10% GST, plus the ~$50 customs fee.
 
4 prong can make the stone look square so I would go for 6 prong also coz it's Tiffany esque
I've seen 6 prongs in your size diamond and they don't swallow the stone at all but it depends what look you are after, they will both be classic

Did you ask whiteflash for any discount?
 
I actually the squarish look of diamond but the girlfriend likes the round look. It looks like getting a 4 prong will be a good as we both get what we like :)

Can I negotiate further beyond the special pricescope price? I was under the impression that the price was final.
 
Oh yep I meant the pricescope discount :)

I hope you can post your ring when you receive it :appl: I would love to see
 
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