Barry
Firstly, let me apologise for my rather lengthy silence after having promised a testamonial many months ago. I was beyond satisfied with the ring, and as a guy I can''t say I''ve ever been very taken with jewellery of any sort nor had any previous appreciation of it, but the ring you crafted was exquisite in every respect (but I will get to that soon!)
In actual fact my delayed response has probably been a good thing as its allowed me to witness just how the ring feels on my fiancee, how it looks under different light and how all different types of people seem to be awestruck by it. I realise that last comment may seem like hyberbole to someone reading your site, but I''m quite a level-headed engineer, not particularly partial to glamour...but ''awestruck'' is perhaps the only factually correct word I can think of.
Perhaps I should start this at the very beginning. When I started my quest for the best diamond I could afford within my budget I started trawling through the web, and stumbled on diamondtalk.com My education began there, and all roads seemed to lead to Barry, and Excel Diamonds. Of course, I emailed and questioned numerous other sellers across the States, but no one was even close to matching the level of attention, patience and customer care provided by Barry - at all hours of the day! All my emails and little queries were replied to extremely promptly - at times I wondered if Barry ever slept! As I can only speak from my own perspective on how I sought to find the right vendor, I''ll say what I was ultimately looking for was simple....INFORMATION. Before making such a purchase I wanted indepth data, graphics, photos and independent grading reports. Barry was more than willing to provide all of this (it''s all on the website without even asking!), and really let the diamonds speak for themselves. I couldn''t even find one vendor who even closely rivalled the willingness or ability to offer the level of service Excel Diamonds provided.
In the end I purchased a SUPERBcert Round 0.92 Carat F Super Ideal H&A SI1 diamond. As anyone who''s going through buying a diamond knows you''re constantly juggling the different parameters for the best overall effect, depending on your priorities. For me, my objectives were primarily brilliance and overall scintillation, then clarity and colour. Above all I wanted a fiery stone which would really sparkle. I couldn''t see the inclusions at all as they were masked by the superb cut, and I couldn''t have guessed that the colour was F..it was as white and colourless as I could have wanted. On top of that the cut was phenomenal. I can''t describe the sparkle...it''s like it''s on fire...day or night, in low-light or shade. First-rate all round!
When I opened the box when the ring arrived, I was taken aback by the sheer craftsmenship. The Tiffany Classic Diamond Engagement ring in platinum was simply beautiful. I''ll let my fiancee''s reaction tell you about the diamond. When I proposed and opened the box, her jaw seemed to drop for a few seconds. I was expecting her to be more taken aback by the proposal, but I think the diamond was more shock-inducing! She was speechless while she was looking at the ring, but when she got her voice back she said it looked like something out of a commercial...and that it was just HUGE (and I was worrying it wasn''t big enough!) She was overwhelmed for a few minutes, and even now from time to time I catch her staring at it hypnotically. This was over and above the reaction I was hoping for! So thank you, Barry, it was all down to you!
In the meantime since then, I''ve seen a number of people catch sight of the ring, and have them stare in amazement. Her friends are jealous, and even they stare at it for wayy to long! i just hope it''s not giving other boyfriends or fiance''s out there added pressure! Every time I look at it, i''m incredibly pleased I decided to go with Barry and Excel Diamonds, and I couldn''t be happier with how my fiancee feels about it.
I can''t thank you, Barry, enough for a truly first-class ring, and I can''t recommend you highly enough either. I couldn''t imagine how the service or the quality of his products could be any better, I was impressed every step of the way. I read many a testamonial like this for Barry before I found the diamond I wanted, and there''s no other way to say it, every one of them was absolutely right!
Thank you for everything you''ve done, Barry.
Tim
Firstly, let me apologise for my rather lengthy silence after having promised a testamonial many months ago. I was beyond satisfied with the ring, and as a guy I can''t say I''ve ever been very taken with jewellery of any sort nor had any previous appreciation of it, but the ring you crafted was exquisite in every respect (but I will get to that soon!)
In actual fact my delayed response has probably been a good thing as its allowed me to witness just how the ring feels on my fiancee, how it looks under different light and how all different types of people seem to be awestruck by it. I realise that last comment may seem like hyberbole to someone reading your site, but I''m quite a level-headed engineer, not particularly partial to glamour...but ''awestruck'' is perhaps the only factually correct word I can think of.
Perhaps I should start this at the very beginning. When I started my quest for the best diamond I could afford within my budget I started trawling through the web, and stumbled on diamondtalk.com My education began there, and all roads seemed to lead to Barry, and Excel Diamonds. Of course, I emailed and questioned numerous other sellers across the States, but no one was even close to matching the level of attention, patience and customer care provided by Barry - at all hours of the day! All my emails and little queries were replied to extremely promptly - at times I wondered if Barry ever slept! As I can only speak from my own perspective on how I sought to find the right vendor, I''ll say what I was ultimately looking for was simple....INFORMATION. Before making such a purchase I wanted indepth data, graphics, photos and independent grading reports. Barry was more than willing to provide all of this (it''s all on the website without even asking!), and really let the diamonds speak for themselves. I couldn''t even find one vendor who even closely rivalled the willingness or ability to offer the level of service Excel Diamonds provided.
In the end I purchased a SUPERBcert Round 0.92 Carat F Super Ideal H&A SI1 diamond. As anyone who''s going through buying a diamond knows you''re constantly juggling the different parameters for the best overall effect, depending on your priorities. For me, my objectives were primarily brilliance and overall scintillation, then clarity and colour. Above all I wanted a fiery stone which would really sparkle. I couldn''t see the inclusions at all as they were masked by the superb cut, and I couldn''t have guessed that the colour was F..it was as white and colourless as I could have wanted. On top of that the cut was phenomenal. I can''t describe the sparkle...it''s like it''s on fire...day or night, in low-light or shade. First-rate all round!
When I opened the box when the ring arrived, I was taken aback by the sheer craftsmenship. The Tiffany Classic Diamond Engagement ring in platinum was simply beautiful. I''ll let my fiancee''s reaction tell you about the diamond. When I proposed and opened the box, her jaw seemed to drop for a few seconds. I was expecting her to be more taken aback by the proposal, but I think the diamond was more shock-inducing! She was speechless while she was looking at the ring, but when she got her voice back she said it looked like something out of a commercial...and that it was just HUGE (and I was worrying it wasn''t big enough!) She was overwhelmed for a few minutes, and even now from time to time I catch her staring at it hypnotically. This was over and above the reaction I was hoping for! So thank you, Barry, it was all down to you!
In the meantime since then, I''ve seen a number of people catch sight of the ring, and have them stare in amazement. Her friends are jealous, and even they stare at it for wayy to long! i just hope it''s not giving other boyfriends or fiance''s out there added pressure! Every time I look at it, i''m incredibly pleased I decided to go with Barry and Excel Diamonds, and I couldn''t be happier with how my fiancee feels about it.
I can''t thank you, Barry, enough for a truly first-class ring, and I can''t recommend you highly enough either. I couldn''t imagine how the service or the quality of his products could be any better, I was impressed every step of the way. I read many a testamonial like this for Barry before I found the diamond I wanted, and there''s no other way to say it, every one of them was absolutely right!
Thank you for everything you''ve done, Barry.
Tim