Some help for a newbie?

[jazzgal4ever]

Hello everyone!

I am new here and I am hoping that I can get some good advice. I am new to the jewlery industry (working in a Mall store . . . .) but more importantly, my boyfriend and I are looking for an engagement ring. Yay!!

That being said, I have some knoweldge from my job in the store, but not enough for my tastes. We have been looking at rings for about 3 months now and I am as confused as ever! I found a setting that I like (which I will include a link to) and I am now searching for a diamond. I keep hearing conflicting stories about the GIA and EGL. We visited "The Jewlery Exchange" where a sales assoicate told us that EGL is stricter. Then we read something saying that the GIA and ACA were stricter. Opinions? We don''t have a huge budget, so I am trying to stay around $2,000 for a diamond. The setting I found is from SunJewlery based in CA. (I live in Pennsylvania, but they have a show room where we can see the diamonds and setting that isn''t too far.) They have a diamond I found that seems nice, but being a newbie I need some advice. This is a big purchase and I want to be happy with the results! Has anyone heard of Sun Jewlery? Their customer feedback sounds great . . . I am just hoping it is not too good to be true! In a white gold setting will the H color look too yellow?

Ok, The Setting
http://www.sunjewelry.com/er3431.html
I am in love with the heart on the side! It is a tcw is .37 for the setting only

The diamond:
http://www.sunjewelry.com/2511528832.html
They say it is an ideal cut.

Diamond Specifications:
Item Id: 2511528832
Shape: Round
Carat Weight: 0.71
Color: H
Clarity: VVS2
Certified By: EGL Israel
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Measurements: 5.75 x 5.71 x 3.45mm
Depth: 60.2
Table: 54
Polish: VG
Symmetry: X
Culet: N
Girdle: tn
Fluorescence: N


Help me!!! LOL We want to go look at it, but I need to tell them what diamonds I want to see. We don''t have to get the center stone from them, it just looked like a nice stone to me.

Any advice? (I am hoping to "receive" this ring by January and be officially engaged!!)

Thanks!
Nicole

 

[belle]

Date: 11/1/2007 8:40:27 AM
Author:jazzgal4ever

Hello everyone!

hey jazzgal! welcome to ps!

We visited ''The Jewlery Exchange'' where a sales assoicate told us that EGL is stricter.

did they happen to be selling mostly egl graded stones?

Then we read something saying that the GIA and ACA were stricter.

ags (american gem society) is the lab you are referring to and they are very highly regarded.

We don''t have a huge budget, so I am trying to stay around $2,000 for a diamond.

the quality of the cut is the most important aspect of diamond performance. if you want a sparkly diamond, focus on getting the best cut. gia and ags labs both grade on diamond cut quality, making it a little easier to determine performance.

The setting I found is from SunJewlery based in CA. (I live in Pennsylvania, but they have a show room where we can see the diamonds and setting that isn''t too far.)

for that kind of price, i would definitely recommend seeing the setting in person before buying. you want to make sure the mound of metal that will be holding your precious piece of carbon is well made!

This is a big purchase and I want to be happy with the results! Has anyone heard of Sun Jewlery? Their customer feedback sounds great . . . I am just hoping it is not too good to be true!

i have never purchased from them but there have been at least a few inquireies from people around here. try doing a search to see what comes up.

In a white gold setting will the H color look too yellow?

a well cut, properly graded ''h'' will not look yellow at all. (there are a couple of very key words in that statement!

)

Help me!!! LOL We want to go look at it, but I need to tell them what diamonds I want to see. We don''t have to get the center stone from them, it just looked like a nice stone to me.

Any advice? (I am hoping to ''receive'' this ring by January and be officially engaged!!)

my advice is to see as many well cut diamonds as you can. do you have any dealers that carry branded cuts near you? if you could compare the differences and see for yourself,, you will be able to make a well informed diamond buying decision! then you will have no regrets.

best of luck!

 

[jazzgal4ever]

Hi Belle!!!

Thank you for all of your advice! The Jewlery Exchange seemed to have both GIA and EGL, but the pretty piece of carbon we were most interested in there was EGL cert. The stone from Sun Jewlery that I am mainly interested in is an EGL "Ideal Cut" so I am guessing I won''t see the yellow in the H color. We are going to do more shopping around this weekend. I am hoping we can make a decision soon.

Again, thank you for your insight. I will be able to apply it not only to my soon to be DF, but to help others choose their pieces in the future.

Nicole

 

[Regular Guy]

Though you''re a bit upside down from what we usually see here (more spent on the diamond, less on the setting), there''s no right answer. But, you should know that EGL Israel does get a bad rap here, with respect to its grading. Among its problems are its accuracy...which is poor.

Alternately...something like this is closer. Anything from GIA that your vendor will have would generally be expected to be more accurately reporting its color & clarity than EGL Israel, or so we read here.

Re statements about ideal...you''d want to let the proportions speak for themselves...and where possible, also reflector images. Frankly, re "ideal," that is as true for GIA as Ideal...you''d want to verify the grading, rather than rely on the statement from the certificate about the quality of the diamond''s cut.

 

[Chase035]

I''m more concerned with a place that tries to strong sell an EGL diamond on the grounds that the grading is stricter than GIA (it''s not) than I am of the diamond itself. Doesn''t sound like a place I''d want to trust after hearing something like that. Nevertheless, you''ll find a lot of people here on pricescope value cut quality highly. AGS0 Ideal (with a 0 for light performance listed on the cert) and GIA Excellent Cuts being the first goal. Well proportioned cut angles (you''ll need to provide the crown and pavillion angles in addition to the table and depth %''s) being the second. And stone that scores well on the cut adviser (under tools on the menu) being the third. H color should be good, but can you trust than an EGL H color is as colorless as a GIA H color? It all really depends on your preferences. A lot of people on here seem to be willing to drop down to a lower clarity (H, VS2) in exchange for a better cut. It all depends on your own sensitivities to different characteristics (which you can only determine from viewing a bunch of stones). In order of what''s most visible to the naked eye (a litmus test many people here employ in determining the tradeoffs they make)... Carat, Cut, Color, Clarity.

 

[:)]

Ugh... EGL Israel... Bad experiences with them. Can be up to 2 colors lower than stated AND two clarities lower than stated. If you do buy an EGL Israel make sure that you have (in writing) that the finality of the sale is dependent upon your getting an independent appraisal (not by a jeweler but by a true independent appraiser) and your being happy with the independent appraisal results. Good luck!

 

[jazzgal4ever]

I really appreciate everyone''s advice. Thank you!!

Ira-
I am interested in the setting that I posted, and not the ring including the center stone which is what the higher price is. The setting would be about $750. I don''t have a preferance of buying the center stone there or not. This is the only place I have found this setting. Thank you for the dimaond link! It looks beautiful, and is now on my list! I would just have to find a local jewler to set the diamond in the setting if I choose to buy the setting from Sun Jewlery.

Chase-
The place that told me the EGL was better is The Jewlery Exchange. It just so happens I saw a diamond that sounded nice that is an EGL cert.

My boyfriend wants to buy me what I want, as long as I don''t break the bank. I would really like a 3/4 ct. center stone but don''t know if I can find one that is around $2,000 with a color, clarity, cut combination that makes me happy.

 

[jazzgal4ever]

The specs on the diamond that is EGL are:

.71 Ct. RB
VVS2, H
Measurements: 5.75 -5.71 x 3.45 mm
Total depth: 60.2%
Table Width: 54%
Crown Height: 15%
Pavilion Depth: 42%
Girdle Thickness: Thin faceted
Polish:VG
Symmetry: Excellent
Cutlet: None
Fluorescence: None

 

[stebbo]

I'd pass on that one. Ideal cut...? Everything will be called Ideal soon.

Drop to a VS or even SI clarity if you'd like to get something more sparkly for the same money.

 

[Chase035]

Have you considered going smaller in size at a place that will offer you full trade back for a future upgrade with them? That would allow you to get the quality you want now and upgrade later without losing the value of the stone you buy now.

 

[MWG]

You are better off buying from a PS vendor with a great upgrade policy and get a quality, well cut diamond. I have done what you are doing and I promise you you will not get a quality diamond. Yes, it will be a diamond, but not a great diamond and you will be stuck with it.

Just my opinion and I definitely understand the budget crunch.

Buy this one from Whiteflash and upgrade in the future: You will not be disappointed.

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-151542.htm



Good Luck.
MWG

 

[Chase035]

That''s a pretty nice diamond MWG recommended. If you are okay with going to a lower ct. weight and upgrading later, that might be a good pick. It''ll be colorless and will have excellent visual performance. I''d just make sure it''s eye clean.

 

[E B]

Hi jazzgal!

I haven't heard too many things about Sun Jewelry, other than they offer pretty cheap diamonds, which leads me to be a bit skeptical. If you do a search for them on this board, you'll probably get some reviews either way.

Just to give you another suggestion, Knox Jewelers has a similar setting with a heart basket detail AND adorable heart prongs for less than $700:

Tender Hearts $690

And if this stone is eye-clean, it might be worth a look:

.62 ct, F, VS2, AGS ideal, 1 on the HCA $2020

 

[Chase035]

Another great option.

 

[Alleyoop]

Don''t forget this sweet custom WF with the legato upside-down and heart prongs. One stop shopping with one of thier stones. I have the legato sleekline and love it. Great quality work!

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/wf-x-factor-in-custom-legato-ring.69859/

 

[jazzgal4ever]

Yall are fabalous!!!

I do like that diamond MWG!

Overall I just want a nice diamond that we can afford. I don't mind going a little smaller to get a nicer stone. I know that I want a wg setting that has a heart somewhere on it, as long as it isn't a heart shaped stone. If anyone else has seen any settings they like, post them!! I am open to ideas!

Thanks everyone!