So confused, sitara? Leo? other option ?help!

[setsunamodo]

Hi, so i want to get a three stone anniversary ring, totaling 1 carat, and i wanted to be sure i was getting something that would be both beautiful and an investment. Something I could enjoy my whole life and feel proud to pass down. I am not a person with alot of money.$3500 is the budget.
I went into Littman Jewelers, they had a .98 carat 3 stone ring set in 18kt gold. It is part of their Sitara collection (89 facets), the color stated was I-j and the clarity was VS1 to sI1 They gave me a little card from EGL USA with a report number. When I went to the website the report just says what the card says. Nothing about each indivdual stone, tables, qualit of the cut or anything else. The ring was priced at $4495 originally on sale for $2999. Bought the ring because it was very pretty sparkled like crazy and was alot prettier than anything I ever owned, but when I got home and put it next to a different ring I have with I color diamonds, my ring looked sparkly but yellow.

. Soooo, went to Belden''s and they had a a 1.00 carat ring, again three stone in their leo diamond section. This ring has a color range of F-G and clarity of SI1 to Si2 it had an IGI report and a report that measures the light going through the diamond. The IGI report states the cut is good and the polish is good, the color grade and the clarity but doesn''t get into the specifics of the three stones, for that matter neither does the light report. They want $3400.

When I held the two rings next to each other, they appeared to have the same amount of sparkle but the Leo diamond was cleary whiter, my ring really looked yellow.

So now I am totally confused. I don''t have enough information to determine if I am getting a fair price on either of these rings, and I don''t know if i take the Sitara back and get the Leo whether or not I am getting a better ring or paying more for a worse one. Any advice or has anyone else had a similar experience?

 

[Lorelei]

Welcome!

The first important point to note is the split grading on the EGL card. These cards are not actual grading reports to the best of my knowledge and offer only a range of colour and clarity. As EGL are thought to be less strict on grading in some circumstances than GIA or AGS for example, the I or J colours could be lower still. I suspect this as you report seeing some definite tint in the diamonds.

Have you considered buying online at all? From what I understand with the Leo, these are typically cut deeper than the more balanced near Tolkowsky cut that many favour, so possible these could look a bit small for the weight. Leo are also a branded cut with extra facets. It is hard to know what to advise really, if you were open to buying online then we could see what you could get for a 3 stone for your budget, what area are you in if you don''t mind me asking? Some of the online vendors also have brick and mortar stores.

 

[oldminer]

Figure the grades are approximate on both cards, but one ring ought to have visibly whiter color diamonds. The price range is similar and the quality overall is going to be average in cutting most likely. Don't think about the unlikely original retail as being more than a sales pitch. Retail is what you are about to pay. The extra facets may provide a bit of tiny sparkles, but extra facets on this size range of diamonds make little to no difference. You can buy something to hand down to future generations, but it is YOU that must like it first. It is about as poor a financial investment as the stock market has been in the past several months, and normally stocks have been far better. Don't invest, but buy for pleasure and beauty. If one needs to sell a diamond they generally take a big loss, so discount the investment value and buy with the most regard to "do I love it?"