Tons of research- is this ring the one??????

[JamesFNomar]

Been do about 15 local jewelers and countless online sites to find the best ring out there. Please let me know what you think, if this is a great deal, and if the ring is nice looking...

From UnionDiamond.com. Websites are saying that they are one of the best online companies to deal with.
Here are the specs on the center stone:

Certificate: EGL
Shape: Round
Cut: Select Ideal™
Carat: 0.96
Color: F
Clarity: SI2
Regular Price: $3201
Wire Transfer Price: $3108

Diamond Proportions:
Measurements: 6.27-6.2-3.83
Depth Percentage: 61.4 %
Table Percentage: 57 %
Girdle: M-
Culet: None (Pointed)
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Excellent
Fluorescence: None


Setting

Metal Type: 14KT Gold
Band Width: 3 - 1.75

Side Stone Information: What do you receive with this item?
Number of Diamonds: 12
Carat Weight: 0.25
Diamond Color: Near Colorless
Diamond Clarity: VS
Setting Type: Channel Set
Price: $449

Grand total of $3,557 for a 1.21 ct engagement ring for my girl!

Please, is this ring the one???

http://www.uniondiamond.com/images/large_jewel/B_JEA1023-HW.jpg

 

[Daniel B]

Do you hve the crown and pavillion angles?

 

[peonygirl]

Do you know if its eyeclean?

 

[Kaleigh]

I love the setting you picked out. This stone has an EGL cert. EGL has been known to be loose on their grading so your F could well be a G and same for clarity. Is it EGL USA?? I would at least get it independently appraised so you know exactly what you are getting. HTH and good luck!!!

I'd also want to know if it's eye clean.

 

[Daniel B]

If its eye clean it looks like a great deal- and since its select ideal im sure the crown and pav. angles are too. Ask or email them to find out if theres not a huge carbon deposit under the table where it would bug you to death to see it all the time, or if any other inclusions are visible with your nekkid eye

.-- youre lucky if its eyeclean, b/c its a good price

 

[Gonzodogg]

I would be REALLY worried about an EGL SI2

 

[Lorelei]

I wouldn''t think you would need to be REALLY worried Gonzodogg, there are some good eyeclean EGL S12''s out there, just cautious and get an independant appraisal.

 

[freaknyea]

I don''t know what you are asking exactly. If you are really asking if this is the best ring out there I could easily answer no. Yet I have never seen it in person and I am assuming you have not either. I have been in your shoes before and I have dealt with Union Diamond. They are really nice people but I was not satisfied with what they were offering me. That is how I felt though. If it is what you want and if you feel that it is the best ring out there then I am all for you getting it as you should feel good and proud of your purchase. I personally am all about Wink Jones, I ended up buying from him. I felt comfortable and I believe you may have the same experiance if you check him out. Chris

 

[phoenixgirl]

Hmmm,

Well, I''m not sure what the "select ideal" label is all about:

"This diamonds [sic] proportions are so exact that it has been classified as a Select Ideal™ Cut by expert Gemologists. Its cut ensures the maximum fire and brilliance. Nearly all light that enters our Select Ideal™ Cut diamond is reflected from facet to facet, and then back to the top of the diamond which produces maximum brilliance, fire and beauty.Select Ideal™ Cuts can only be found at Union Diamond."

Who are these "expert Gemologists"? What criteria do they use? How much light is "nearly all light"? If you check out sites like Blue Nile, you''ll see that they provide reports with the crown and pavilion angles and specify the table and depth percentage ranges when they label something as "signature ideal." Mondera sends you a H&A viewer so you can verify that your stone really has the pattern. Sites like Good Old Gold and Superbcert have brilliance scope and H&A images, White Flash has idealscope H&A images, and Dirt Cheap Diamonds has the crown and pavilion angles and photos of the diamond. So the question is, why should we take Union Diamond''s word for it when we can receive verification of the cut quality from other vendors?

I would be wary of an EGL SI2. Find out what the inclusions are like.

Also, I don''t like that they claim that the report is "temporarily unavailable." They just don''t have it.

Did you notice that they have another 0.96 F SI2 select ideal with a GIA report that is over $1k more? That would make me think that we are not comparing apples to apples. There is something about the EGL stone to make it significantly less valuable than the GIA.

 

[JamesFNomar]

Hello and thank you for your input! The lady at Union Diamond is checking on any inclusions and if it's eye-clean right now. If it is not, she will help me find a similar stone that is eye clean. Even if EGL is lenient and drops the color down a grade I still think an eye-clean G color stone with an ideal cut is a great buy.

After much debate I have found the perfect setting for my girl, is this the winner??

 

[Brighter_Suns]

I love that setting......and wish I had seen that before I picked mine, I had wanted a solitiare but now have started to really like the channel setting you choose. I would however heed everyone''s advice on the EGL cert with an SI2 grade because if that diamond is in fact an I1 that would dramatically lower the value. I just bought a .87 carat diamond that is an ideal F VS2 because I would rather have a smaller diamond of real value then even a full carat of a lower grade. I passed on Union''s Ideal Select in favor of Blue Nile''s Signature Series only because of the added documentation Blue Nile provided (an AGS cert and seperate GCAL). That said I paid $4664 which is significantly more for a smaller diamond. Keep in mind though the diameter on your diamond is less then 2% greater then mind and I would bet it would be hard telling the difference even side by side. The stone below is couple of grades lower in colour but I would amost guarntee it is eye clean and significantly better cut then what you are looking at. I say take a few more days and keep looking........

http://www.bluenile.ca/diamonds_details.asp?pid=LD00483383&filter_id=0&sec=&query=20&page=&sortby=size-d

 

[peonygirl]

I like that setting a lot more than the first one (which also isn''t bad). Congrats in advance!

 

[gailrmv]

I like the second setting a lot better as well! First is not bad either but second is a lot better in my opinion! I like how with channel set princesses, there is no space between them, whereas there has to be with rounds.