- Joined
- Dec 1, 2009
- Messages
- 18
I began this journey several months ago by stopping in a mall store which was going out of business, Bailey Banks & Biddle. Even being a complete diamond rookie and absolutely ignorant regarding diamonds, I was not impressed with anything they offered, however they did provide a brochure titled "Absolutely Everything you need to know about Diamonds". Wasnt this a joke. It barely explained carat weight, color, clarity and shape, which at the time I thought was every possible important aspect of a diamond. I visited several other local jewelers here in Atlanta including Jarads, Shane Company and other chain stores. I was utterly disappointed by the lack of education provided and quality of the options presented. I also visited Tiffany and Co. which had great rings but we all know are adding a huge surcharge for the Tiff and Co name.
This is when I turned to the internet and came across Blue Nile, touted as the number one online seller of diamonds. Blue Nile offered tons of information regarding the weight, cut, clarity, color and other aspects. It was a great experience learning more and more about diamonds. After reviewing all the policies, I decided that Blue Nile is where I was gonna purchase the engagement ring. I then narrowed down my search by shape to the Asscher stone with its unique look. In a quest to see some actual Asscher stone pictures, I Googled it and came across a video hosting sight with an extensive amount of videos covering Asschers, other stones and general diamond education. Just fantastic. I simply regarded this site as an informational site called "Rhino''s School of Rock" and "The Ultimate Diamond Information Site" which I referred to when I wanted to see a cool video. After seeing an Asscher video and researching the shape more I decided on a stone from Blue Nile Signature Collection and choose a platinum band with some side stones. I thought I was set on my purchase and intended to buy within a few days when I decided to look for some personal reviews regarding Blue Nile. A Google search led me directly to Price Scope where several members posted regarding their experience with Blue Nile. Surprisingly, I didn’t come across any negative reviews and the majority were extremely positive experiences. The major concern most including myself had with Blue Nile was the lack of being able to see the exact stone prior to purchase. The Signature Collection included a small photo on the GCAL report but nothing really representative of the stone and performance. I still had my mind made up due to the 30 day return period if I was not satisfied.
During my browsing of Price Scope, I learned a great deal more regarding diamonds which I didn’t even know existed, including the cut quality, ASET images, Hearts/Arrows and more. I also kept seeing three letters “GOG” who’s meaning eluded me. I was shocked when I learned that GOG referred to a company which did indeed sell diamonds named “Good Old Gold” out of NY and was also "Rhino''s School of Rock" and "The Ultimate Diamond Information Site". This was a complete game changer for me being that GOG offered high definition videos, many pictures, unheard of reports and tests of their diamonds. I began searching their diamond inventory just to see what options were available. I found an Asscher stone that I loved for a comparable price and requested a video, within hours the video was up and link was emailed to me. I just LOVED the custom service and high definition videos of this beautiful rock. After watching my personalized video, I stumbed upon a video of some strange shape called a Jubilee. Hmmmm, what is a Jubilee. This video explained absolutely everything about this shape and compared it to other common shapes. I was floored by this stone, its shape, cut quality and brilliance. I returned to the diamond search screen and searched for a Jubilee, 1.5ct – 2ct. The results returned a 1.55ct SI1 clarity, G color stone. The pictures were very impressive and all the tests GOG included indicated that this was a beautiful stone. I was previously looking at VS stones and was concerned about the SI1 clarity. Again I requested a video comparing this stone to the Asscher and a Chucky Cushion I saw. Within hours I watched the personalized video and was floored by the performance of the Jubilee stone but was still concerned with the SI1 clarity. I contacted GOG and they pulled the stone and examined with the naked eye and a loupe to ensure me it was eye clean. This gave it that last edge and convinced me this was the diamond for my engagement ring. I searched and found the Vatche 136 setting which was a perfect match for the stone in my opinion.
I contacted GOG the next day and made payment for the diamond and the setting. The Vatche settings vary depending on the size of the center stone and are apparently made to order so GOG sent the diamond to Vatche to make the setting and set the diamond. The expectation was set that this may take 2 weeks to come back due to the holiday season. In 5 days (not business days), GOG called to inform me that my ring was in and pictures were on the way. WOWOWOWOWOWOW was my only response. What flawless service? I received the pictures in hours and the ring came the next day via UPS overnight. The ring arrived with a beautiful ring box, all paperwork and a loupe. Also included was a very thorough appraisal which I had verified in Atlanta with appraiser Charles Turner on Roswell Road. Everything checked out perfectly on the stone.
The ring was the most beautiful creation I had ever seen. It had more brilliance than ANYTHING I had seen in any local store including rounds and all the other shapes. I proposed on January 1st 2010 and my love was overjoyed and accepted my proposal. Everywhere she goes, people are floored by the quality, cut and light performance of this stone and the beautiful setting. The WOW factor is huge due to the majority of people having no clue about a Jubilee stone. She attended her first Bridal Show on Sunday at the Cobb Galleria and even the diamond professionals and vendors were floored by this ring and the brilliance of the diamond. The attached pictures do this ring absolutely ZERO justice.
I want to thank Good Old Gold for a wonderful all around engagement ring buying experience. The high quality videos, documentation, array of tests and customer service put them far above the competition and are the NUMBER ONE reasons for this $16k+ internet purchase. I want to personally thank Charles, Marie and Jonathon for their excellent service. You guys made this process very simple and extremely informative. I recommend anyone searching for an engagement ring to choose GOG. They are phenomenal. I will be returning to them for my matching Vatche wedding band and any other future diamond purchases.
Thanks again to Good Old Gold, Price Scope forums and all the respondents to my various posts.
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