shape
carat
color
clarity

Stop me from buying a diamond from walmart, splitting hairs on where to buy.

scoobertin

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 12, 2020
Messages
27
Short story first. I plan on proposing here soon and need some direction before I go crazy.

We have known each other for 20 plus years and have two little brats together. I work out of state for 19 days out of the month and she takes care of everything. Well it is time to make her an honest woman as her dad has told me numerous times. Plan on getting married this summer. My girl was married before and her first ring was from walmart for like 600 dollars. Money does not measure love but she deserves better than that, right?

I have done more research than needed and I am driving myself and her crazy about all this. She told me to just go buy a ring from walmart and be over it, lol. Not happening, she deserves better.

I have looked at BN, JA, WF, and BG and and since yesterday thanks to this forum looked into infinity I believe is the correct name. Well I need to make a decision here soon.

My budget is 4k to 5k for the diamond but prefer closer to the 4k to get her a setting that she would love. It seems that +-.75ct is where my budget takes me to with a G color and vs1 with Ideal cut being the most important it seems. So far I have been pulled into a tug of war between Whiteflash and Brian Gavin -black. They seem to have some of the better cuts from my reading not from experience. I just cant decide who, I know that either one is going to blow her walmart expectations out of this world. WF seems to give me more carat size for the money for the same specs. BG black seems to be one of the best cuts from the small amount of reviews I have read, only concern is BG black is not talked about much, so is the premium worth it? Here are the settings in order what I am looking at. At this point I think I am just splitting hairs between the two. Any suggestions would be helpful before I find myself walking into walmart. Thank you.

https://www.sylviecollection.com/product/vintage-inspired-engagement-ring-s1389/

https://www.sylviecollection.com/?s=Roial&post_type=product

https://www.whiteflash.com/engageme...eek-line-pave-diamond-engagement-ring-422.htm

She loves the vintage look, but she would love the legs to also from WF.
 

sunandsky

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jul 18, 2013
Messages
204
brian gavin’s had some recent posters unhappy with the customer service. Whiteflash has more and better reviews here, and a better upgrade policy. All else equal, go with Whiteflash. And congratulations!! I’m sure she will be thrilled :)
 

MsShnooks

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 11, 2020
Messages
168
I’ve bought a few times from Blue Nile and have always been happy with them.

G colour sounds lovely but you could go down to VS2 or even SI1 from clarity if you’d like a bigger diamond.

Im also under the impression that to non-experts, vast majority of the diamonds with excellent cuts and high colour and clarity will look lovely and there’s no point overthinking it.
 

MonkeysInk

Shiny_Rock
Premium
Joined
Mar 25, 2007
Messages
361
You've picked two awesome vendors, so you can't really go wrong with either one - you'll get a great diamond either place.

That said, WF has a reputation for over-and-above service and you're finding that you can get a slightly larger stone there, which is always a plus. I looked at their inventory in your budget and they have a nice selection of ACAs, so you have plenty to choose from. That's where I would start (and then don't forget - we need photos when you make your selection!).
 

tyty333

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Dec 17, 2008
Messages
27,196
I think for the typical diamond consumer in the population BG Black is probably overkill (just my opinion). I think a Super Ideal is going to
blow her socks off without paying more for a Black.

Would be best if you could stick with the same vendor for the setting as well as diamond. Just makes it easier. Agree with others that G is
a nice color and would come down to eye-clean SI1 to save some money (unless high clarity is really important to you).
 

whitewave

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Feb 29, 2012
Messages
12,331
brian gavin’s had some recent posters unhappy with the customer service. Whiteflash has more and better reviews here, and a better upgrade policy. All else equal, go with Whiteflash. And congratulations!! I’m sure she will be thrilled :)

This is true, but I will say I have had nothing but professional and above and beyond customer service with BG. It could be one of those things where the happy people don’t post.

I haven’t worked with Whiteflash (yet) but I have seen how they are professionals in how they handle issues, so I know you won’t have any issues with them.

Do you want us to find other stones from other companies? Which were you looking at with the companies you mentioned?
 

kgizo

Ideal_Rock
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Joined
Dec 14, 2009
Messages
2,603
Good for you for making this special for her! I have purchased from WF and had a great experience. Agree with the others about dropping to a SI1. Looking at the WF site it looks like you could get to a 0.8ct that way, which is a nice size.
 

ccuheartnurse

Brilliant_Rock
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May 22, 2002
Messages
1,915
You have a couple choices Whitewave posted. :). I like the .83.


If the Legato is her dream ring, buy that one. You can get platinum if you buy the .83 B2C stone. Not sure if she wants platinum of course.
 
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scoobertin

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 12, 2020
Messages
27
I’ve bought a few times from Blue Nile and have always been happy with them.

G colour sounds lovely but you could go down to VS2 or even SI1 from clarity if you’d like a bigger diamond.

Im also under the impression that to non-experts, vast majority of the diamonds with excellent cuts and high colour and clarity will look lovely and there’s no point overthinking it.

Being somewhat of an idealist, I was first looking at diamomds with a D and IF standards at .50ct thinking I needed a perfect diamond. I thought that is what I needed and wanted. But to get a bigger size I went ahead and lowered those idealist standards already. I am not sure I can go below a H and vs2 lol. I figured I needed a G minimum to not have any contrast with the setting. But being that the diamond is small it might not even be an issue. But I will keep looking at lower colors and see what I come up with. I know I can get a 1ct + for the same amount money but was unsure of the the whole thing. But I will look into it some more.
 

scoobertin

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 12, 2020
Messages
27
brian gavin’s had some recent posters unhappy with the customer service. Whiteflash has more and better reviews here, and a better upgrade policy. All else equal, go with Whiteflash. And congratulations!! I’m sure she will be thrilled :)

Thank you for the advice, in just recenently found out that I will be in the same town as HPD in March. It seems many people on here love their stuff, maybe I should wait till then and see what they got to offer. Just a little more to add to my overthinking plate.
 

chele162

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 15, 2011
Messages
90
I'm a huge BGD fan. I've got two diamond pendants from them and some diamond studs. Every time I've contacted them, I've always been treated kindly and professionally. I've never had an issue with them but I'm 100% sure if I did, they would bend over backwards to fix it.

That being said...if I were you, I would focus on the BG Signature hearts and arrows line instead of the Black line. Nothing against the Black line but I feel like you'll get more bang for your buck with the Signature line. Also, the Blue line as well. With H&A stones (like WF and BGD), you can definitely go lower in color and it'll still face up white. It seems like stones that are G and H are a sweet spot. Also, BGD is offering 14% off diamonds right now, so that could help the budget!

Like someone else said upost though, I would buy the diamond and the setting at the same place. You can't go wrong with either WF or BGD.
 

Jsand

Shiny_Rock
Joined
May 6, 2019
Messages
282
Another vote for crafted by infinity from HPD! Amazing service, upgrade policy, and like another poster said they’re currently offering a free setting with a diamond purchase.
 

scoobertin

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 12, 2020
Messages
27
Beautiful CBI diamond. So I went to a jewelry store today to actually look at diamonds in person. You guys are right it would be hard to see inclusions and color unless it was in the K. So I am kinda rethinking the whole thing to get a bigger carat without giving up any cut. I may consider a lower color and clarity.

They cell CBI diamomds there also but the sales lady was pushing lab grown diamonds. I guess its a big seller for them. Popular option I guess. Lab grown were considerably cheaper. I guess Valentine's made them run low on stock because they only had a couple of diamonds to show. I was expecting more. I think a 1 ct size is a good size vs .75. Decisions ugh
 
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whitewave

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Feb 29, 2012
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12,331
So gorgeous! You’re the one who inspired me to go with them last summer. And I’ve already upgraded with them since then :lol:

I put my other two into my sapphire ring, so I had to get another one lol
 

MRBXXXFVVS1

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Dec 5, 2019
Messages
1,450
I would definitely recommend going with WF, BG, and the other PS recommended vendors over buying an engagement ring from Walmart! If you're looking for a little more value (and are willing to sacrifice a little on cut and upgrade program), then JA and BN are great options too - they just have a larger selection of diamonds vs. a more curated selection at WF or BG.

Do you know if she prefers a MRB? If you're looking at a MRB, you can likely go down to H or VS2 (maybe even down to I and an eye clean SI1, depending on how color sensitive you and your girlfriend are). You could also consider a halo or 3-stone ring to get some additional finger coverage and presence!

If you're open to lab diamonds, checkout Lightbox Jewelry. They price at $800/ct. You'd likely need to buy a pendant and reset the stone. I'm undecided on their diamonds, but a few PSers have gorgeous rings from there!
 

distracts

Ideal_Rock
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Joined
Oct 11, 2011
Messages
6,131
Being somewhat of an idealist, I was first looking at diamomds with a D and IF standards at .50ct thinking I needed a perfect diamond. I thought that is what I needed and wanted. But to get a bigger size I went ahead and lowered those idealist standards already. I am not sure I can go below a H and vs2 lol. I figured I needed a G minimum to not have any contrast with the setting. But being that the diamond is small it might not even be an issue. But I will keep looking at lower colors and see what I come up with. I know I can get a 1ct + for the same amount money but was unsure of the the whole thing. But I will look into it some more.

I really don't think you need to even go as high as G in under one carat - I think you'd be fine with I Si1 as long as it is GIA or AGS graded.

Thank you for the advice, in just recenently found out that I will be in the same town as HPD in March. It seems many people on here love their stuff, maybe I should wait till then and see what they got to offer. Just a little more to add to my overthinking plate.

If you and your fiancee-to-be don't mind waiting a bit, it is DEFINITELY worth it to see superideals in person.
 

Dancing Fire

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Apr 3, 2004
Messages
33,852
Thank you for the advice, in just recenently found out that I will be in the same town as HPD in March. It seems many people on here love their stuff, maybe I should wait till then and see what they got to offer. Just a little more to add to my overthinking plate.
I have had purchased from all 3 vendors mentioned above. They are all great vendors. I, myself chose a stone from HPD. I purchased a 5 stone band and a bangle bracelet from WF for my wife. My daughter's E-ring, wife's 3 stone pendant and 2 bangle bracelets was purchased from BGD.
 

tyty333

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Dec 17, 2008
Messages
27,196
You'll be in the IJK range, SI1 (maybe VS) level for a 1 carat. Wont leave a whole lot for a setting $500 maybe? I guess it really depends how low
you go in color. I personally would like to see you stay in the "I" range (or better) for color. Of course, you are no longer looking at Super Ideal
branded stones, right (to get in the 1 carat range)?
 

sledge

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 23, 2018
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5,791
.90 G vs1 scores .6 on HCA ask for images $4200


The proportions are within the guidelines we recommend, but the picture doesn't look great. I love chunky arrows and stones with contrast, but I'd guess some of the pavilions are dipping below 40.5 (actuals) and with the shallow 34 crown is causing obstruction issues. Notice how you have paddles forming around the arrowheads?

Either way, I'd want to some additional verification on this stone if it's being considered.



Much better IMO. Still nice arrows pattern, but no paddles. I did prefer the smaller 55 table on the other but 57 is still good. Much prefer the steeper 35 crown with the shallow 40.6 pavilion. It keeps that inverse relationship between the CA and PA.

Also, the arrows still look nice and moderately thick so the actual LGF values are probably closer to the 74-76 range. As we know GIA reported 75's can vary from 73-77.

Of these two B2C stones, this one looks more appealing and promising to me.


I really don't think you need to even go as high as G in under one carat - I think you'd be fine with I Si1 as long as it is GIA or AGS graded.

I bought my wife a 0.867ct BGD H VS2. We both see tint. It's not hideous, but I would likely buy higher color due to our ability to see color.

The thing is color is just so subjective to each person. Some can't see it, others can see the tiniest variance. The right answer depends on the visual sensitivity of the purchaser and wearer, but mostly the wearer.
 

sledge

Ideal_Rock
Premium
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Kudos to you @scoobertin for doing your homework. Walmart is a great purveyor for many things, but diamonds isn't one of them.

And honestly, any of the super ideal vendors you listed such as WF, BGD or HPD/CBI are all going to be great and I don't think you have any "bad" choices personally.

As I mentioned earlier, I bought my wife's engagement stone from BGD. They treated me right, and I had a very good experience with them. I would purchase from them again. I would also purchase from WF or HPD, and even Victor Canera (VC) although you didn't mention him.

I do have two issues with BGD and/or the Black line. First off, the Black line is limited to G+ color (unless 3+ carats, and then they do lower colors due to rareness of stones that large) and VS2+ clarity.

BGD Black focuses on ancillary angles to reduce any "low light intensity" areas. In the images below, you can see these low light areas as they show up as green slivers under the table area in the first ASET. I used arrows to help pinpoint the location for you. Also, uou will notice the second ASET does not have them.

You can read more here:

aset1.png

1581611708939.png

IMO, you can find stones that are comparable to BGD Black and forego those premiums by analyzing the ASET's carefully. For instance, this WF stone doesn't have any low intensity light zones under the table. FYI, I understand this stone may be overkill for you, as you are now thinking of lowering color & clarity requirements too boost size and/or budget. Still it proves the point.


CaptureWF.PNG

My other issue with BGD is the upgrade policy. The good news is they offer a lifetime program that only requires you spend $1 more to upgrade. The bad news is they also require you to upgrade 2 of the following 3 C's when you upgrade: color, clarity or carat weight. At first glance, this may not seem too bad, but it definitely limits your options and availability.

WF, HPD and VC also offer lifetime upgrade for only $1 more, but they don’t require you do anything else. So upgrading is more flexible and to your advantage.

HPD gets very liberal with their upgrade program, and will even let you trade 1 big diamond in on multiple smaller diamonds as long as it meets the dollar threshold. I’m not sure if any of the other vendors will allow you to do this or not.

WF offers a unique advantage in the fact they also offer a lifetime upgrade program on designer settings. The setting upgrade program isn’t as generous as the diamond upgrade program as you only get 50% of the initial value, but it’s something no other vendor offers.

Speaking of upgrades. Keep in mind the policy is only as good as the available inventory. WF probably has the most vast and diverse selection available, even in larger carats.

 

rainydaze

Ideal_Rock
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Joined
May 1, 2007
Messages
3,361
I would just add a word of caution that a K seen only under jewelry store lighting isn't going to be your best representation of how you (or your SO) will see or feel about a K out in the real world. That lighting is meant to make a diamond look its best, and to blind you with the sparkle and fire such that you don't notice the tint or other factors.

In order to truly know if lower colors like J or K appeal to you, you would ideally want to view those colors under normal office lighting, home lighting, outdoors on a cloudy day, etc. Taking it into as many different lighting environments as possible will give you a truer sense of the color grade.

Everyone is different. Some pick up on tint more than others, some pick up on it and love it, some pick up on it and don't love it. I can easily see tint in H, I, J, K... and I prefer the look of G and higher. To me, K is really risky to go with if you aren't positively sure your SO has seen it and enjoys it... in normal, everyday viewing environments. IMO, H would be safer without her input, G is little risk, F is a great sweet spot. Many here have Js in ideal cut diamonds and love them - for those that aren't as color sensitive and want a white appearing diamond, J seems to be the last grade where this hits the spot.

This diamond

in the Legato setting you linked above would make a lovely ring within your budget. And with WF's upgrade policy, you have a cushion to fall back on should you or your SO change your mind about anything (size, color, clarity) or want to mix it up in the future.
 

msop04

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
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Dec 3, 2011
Messages
10,051
If I were you, I wouldn't spend the extra for a branded super ideal diamond. I just don't think the difference in price is going to be worth the size you'd give up. You'll be able to get a larger diamond if you just stay within AGS Ideal parameters. This is usually how a PS thread goes...

OP: "...I want to propose to my girlfriend, budget is $4K..."

PS: "...buy a super ideal!!"

Super ideals are great, but I'd rather have a great GIA XXX in a larger stone.

I also agree with @rainydaze to not get a K color. In a 1 ct diamond, I wouldn't go below J.

Just my 2 cents.


ETA: I think an I/SI combo would be great and budget friendly.
 
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MsShnooks

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 11, 2020
Messages
168
I’ve got a J and I’m looking to upgrade to a G as in the ’real world’ I do get bothered by the colour. The clarity is probably easier to give up as long as it’s eye clean as you’ll never know without a loupe.
 

partgypsy

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Nov 7, 2004
Messages
6,622
I'm thinking if she is used to a Walmart diamond, going ideal (let alone super ideal) she is going to be super happy. Not knowing anything about her, I would stick with ideal cut, I think it is very safe to go down to an H, SI and get the bigger size/lower cost diamond. (Places like Walmart usually have i color, I1, I2 clarity diamonds.) If there is a diamond you like in the SI level clarity, can always have the vendor pull and check in person whether it is eye clean or not.

I have purchased both from Whiteflash and High performance diamonds, would recommend both without reservation.
(ps I have a CBI j color. BUT- I'm not color sensitive. Not knowing your partner I wouldn't go below H just in case she is color sensitive).

eta I like these
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4166395.htm

And I would find out if she HAD to have the style listed. Then buy the stone from a recommended vendor, and the setting she likes, have them set it. If she is open to settings, have her pick out one from the vendor you like. I think if you buy from Whiteflash this gives a similar vibe (integrated relatively low set head, details of side diamonds) AND ritani settings are really nice quality. Honestly if you paired this with either of the stones, I would be shocked if she wasn't blown away https://www.whiteflash.com/engageme...tani-1rz1508-diamond-engagement-ring-5248.htm
 
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Ceilimom

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Sep 5, 2018
Messages
502
brian gavin’s had some recent posters unhappy with the customer service. Whiteflash has more and better reviews here, and a better upgrade policy. All else equal, go with Whiteflash. And congratulations!! I’m sure she will be thrilled :)
Ditto!
 
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