So, there''s this girl...

[Mongoose]

Some of the best stories in life begin with that statement! Good evening to all of you, this is my first post and I''m looking for a little help with some diamond setting research. I''m getting to know my girlfriend very well and cannot help but listen to these little voices that are really starting to become louder (sounds pretty messed up right?) that she could very well be the one for me.

I''ve done plenty of research at Tiffany''s, Blue Nile & WF. I''m not looking too seriously at a specific diamond at this point, but I am looking at what setting would work for my girl. She''s a very athletic, outdoor, science oriented woman and I''m looking for a setting that will present the diamond to catch the light, but also protect it. Something that''ll look real nice on a size 5.5 ring. A broad reference for my 4C standards would be a 1.0 - 1.15 carat. G-F color, VS2 - VS1. Excellent / Excellent cut and symmetry. Here''s the kicker, it''s important that it be a conflict free diamond.

I know this is a little open ended but any and all input would be greatly appreciated. Everytime I see the solitaire tiffany-style setting I think that''s by far the most attractive - however - I don''t know if it''ll be the most practical. Clear as mud right?

Let me know your thoughts when able - thank you, sincerely, for your time and support.

Mongoose

 

[VRBeauty]

Congratulations on finding the girl that you'd like to spend the rest of your life with!

I'm sure the resident diamond experts can help you find the perfect stone. For an athletic, outdoorsy woman, I'd be looking for a ring with a low-set stone and a partial or full bezel. Here's a partial bezel style that I like:

http://www.whiteflash.com/Engagement-Rings/Styles/Solitaire/-The-Keystone--Diamond-Solitaire_1313.htm#

There have been many PS threads devoted to bezel-set engagement rings (e-rings around here) that might give you some ideas:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/please-show-me-your-bezels-and-semi-bezels.76468/
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/flush-set-semi-bezel-examples.72821/
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/obsessed-with-bezels.75562/
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/searching-for-bezel-settings-happy-new-year-everyone.103509/

And one of my favorites, Coati's James Meyer bezel-set beauty:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/james-meyer-bezel-reset-has-arrived.97999/

BTW it would help if you could give us an idea of what kind of budget you're working with, and whether you're looking for a round, oval, square, or other stone.

 

[Gypsy]

I agree with VR, a semi bezel would be a nice and also practical choice.

My personal favorite is one by Sholdt, called Vashion:

Here are some other's by Shodlt

 

[VRBeauty]

Regarding the conflict-free diamond, a quick Pricescope search will provide you with a some options and a lot of food for thought. Here are a few threads to start with. Look especially for John Pollard's information in the first thread:


https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/are-some-conflict-diamonds-ok.90077/
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/brilliant-earth-conflict-free-diamond-jewelry.90691/
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/blood-free-diamonds.112422/

 

[Todd Gray]

Date: 7/9/2009 1:07:12 AM
Author:Mongoose
Here''s the kicker, it''s important that it be a conflict free diamond.

As VRBeauty pointed out, John Pollard''s comments in
this thread are incredibly insightful and accurate. In my experience, I find that the majority of the diamond trade members who I have met over the years have an honest desire not to trade in conflict goods and take reasonable steps to work with suppliers who share a similar sense of responsibility. When the civil war in Sierra Leone was occurring back in the 90''s and it was a blip featured on page 12 of the newspaper under a half page story on the widget club activities of the local junior high school, the trade was buzzing in outrage and the majority of the general public didn''t care because it was something happening "over there". The result of the trade concern was the Kimberley Diamond Act of 2003 which is supposed to apply only to uncut diamond rough, but which often makes it challenging to ship polished diamonds over international borders as well. The events of 9/11 opened the gate for a whole bunch of anti-money laundering laws to come into effect which make it quite difficult to move large amounts of money around in any form without gaining the attention of some government agency - hey not so long ago we had an FBI agent stroll into the store to inquire as to why we had received a $125K wire transfer from a client with "a strange last name" and the comment "GIA ###########" on the wire transfer form - "What would be the purpose of somebody sending you that kind of money?" was one question followed by "What does GIA ##############" mean?" and "Oh" when I pointed out that she was standing in the middle of a jewelry store and that GIA is a gemological laboratory and "GIA #############" referred to the lab report number assigned to the diamond which was purchased and "I should have known that" as she turned and walked out of the store.

Personally I think it would be MORE difficult to find a conflict diamond for a client than find a conflict-free diamond under the guise of the Kimberley Diamond Act. I can hear the conversation now... Hello Yves, this is Todd, I''m looking for a diamond that was smuggled out of Liberia packed within the posterior of a goat - yea, yea, I want it without papers!" his response would be something like "I so don''t know you" and he would likely turn me in to the authorities, if nothing else for fear that they might have been listening in on the other side of the phone under the guise of the Patriot Act... If only the public had expressed so much interest in conflict free diamonds when the civil war in Sierra Leone was raging and not as the result of a movie that perverted the concept in normal Hollywood style more than a decade later.

I''m confident that you can find a conflict free diamond from virtually any vendor here on Price Scope Mongoose, I know most of them personally and would not hesitate to vouch for their commitment to maintaining a conflict free inventory.

 

[Vancity]

Congrats Mongoose, on finding THE girl who makes you want to buy diamonds

(Putting aside the issue of non-conflict diamonds for a second, after reading Todd''s post, I''m more concerned with the calibre of FBI agents these days - DOH!

)

 

[Mongoose]

VR / Gipsy / Todd,
Thank you very much for the outstanding reference points to start looking over - I truly appreciate it. When looking at the full / partial bezel setting, my initial concern is that I don''t know if she''d truly like that setting - and I have naive concerns that while the diamond would be protected, would it offer the diamond adequate light to perform vs. a 4 or 6 prong setting?

With regard to my budget, I''m comfortable spending around $7500 out the door for the ''e-ring''. Todd, your thoughts helped put my mind at ease. I''m grateful that she doesn''t need to see papers declaring the diamond I select be ''conflict-free'', more that I would like to make a conscience purchase in that regard and thanks to you I''m confident I will.

So, I''ll start reviewing the threads you all have outlined and take it from there. Thank you very much for your time and energy!

Mongoose

 

[stone-cold11]

Todd, that is some mighty hunk of rock you sold there.

 

[Todd Gray]

Date: 7/9/2009 11:24:37 AM
Author: Vancity

You know what really bothered me about the whole situation is the fact that this particular FBI agent knew who we were because she had been assigned to us to work a money laundering case that was initiated as a result of our reporting suspicious activity to the Department of Justice which ended up in an arrest and conviction... We even set up email accounts and contact information for the agent so that she could act as the accountant in the deal, so you can imagine our surprise when she walked into the store and asked us about this particular transaction! BTW: this stemmed from a series of telephone calls asking to purchase about $85M in rough diamonds from us over a series of a couple of months - that''s more volume than a lot of our primary suppliers put together!

I''m glad that my explanation / insight was of assistance Mongoose! Best of luck with your quest to find the love of your life the perfect diamond. I''m sure that she will appreciate all of the consideration you are putting into getting it right for her

 

[Gypsy]

Todd you owe me a new keyboard. The image of the poor goat, not to mention poor Yves's face. I have far to much of a vivid imagination.

Mongoose, since Todd can't say it. He is by far one of our most senior experts and has a reputation for very great integrity, and if you are looking for a vendor with work with... I cannot give a higher recommendation that to give him a call.

As for light performance in a semi bezel. And round diamond cut to proportions that maximize light return will get all of it's light from the top of the stone so bezeling it would not be an issue for concern. Whether or not your FI likes the style, however is a great concern. Can you show her some pictures, idly... or have her mom or sister or friend do so?

 

[Vancity]

Wow, Todd...the story just keeps getting better & better for this poor overworked FBI gal-on- the-go...

I'm guessing this agent's next assignment will be the TOP SECRET cavity search of all goat posteriors in Liberia