Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

What women want...

Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
T

TSF

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 23, 2009
Messages
9
Ok, I am in the market for an engagement ring. We have shopped around casually on vacations and business trips (when she''s joined me out of town) and occasionally while out shopping here and there. However, now I''m at the point of getting ready to buy and we''re going on vacation in a couple of weeks and I thought it might be a fantastic time to propose (after 2.5 years of dating).

I have a series of business cards from shops all over the place (from San Diego to Houston to Ontario) and we''ve seen some great rings. My budget is $15 to $20k (give or take a bit) and I''ve been shopping in the 1.5 to 2 carat range. We''ve seen some very unique rings but short of being able to hop a plane back to the locations we''ve been and having those exact rings being available, I''d be absolutely terrible at attempting to match what I''ve seen from memory at another store. My question is this: When it comes to an engagement ring, what do women really want?

I was out and about this evening and stepped into a Zales to browse around. We''ve mostly looked at a bit nicer boutique stores (at least that''s my perception) but Zales had something called a Celebration diamond and it looked outstanding for the price. I know absolutely nothing of the Celebration diamonds and I was looking for a bit more unique setting than simply getting a solitaire. However, isn''t the diamond really what the ring is all about? And if that''s the case, do other women really know if you bought the ring at Zales or at Tiffany''s or at a small custom boutique? (Ok, that''s three questions but this is a huge decision...)

Please advise...

TSF
 
If I were you, I would go to the Show Me The Ring forum, go through the Eye Candy thread (it''s at the top), and get a feel for what you like. Personally, I would suggest doing this with your girlfriend, since she will be the one wearing it. However, if it is your preference to pick it yourself, go for it! Once you find some things you like, people here can suggest the best vendors based on stone shape, setting, etc.

Also, I would stay far, far away from Zales, or any similar chain B&M store, though that is just my opinion.
 
What is a B&M store? Sorry - I''m not a diamond enthusiast per se and am not familiar with the lingo.
 
Don''t buy a ering from Zales!!!!!!!!!! Overpriced, low quality rubbish IMO.

Try Whiteflash, Good old gold, or the other PS vendors - you will get an awesome ring, spend a lot less money than Tiffs and your gf will be happy!

If you want, we can help you find a stone in your budget and a gorgeous setting too. Have a look around and see what shape stone you are after, and what type of setting and we can take if from there if you want. You have a fabulous budget and should be able to get a killer diamond!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Brick and Mortar store or basically a real store front. Summertime gave good advice to stay away from the mall type chain stores as they tend to carry lower quality goods, not so well cut stones and/or are overpriced. By the same token, some high boutiques are also overpriced. There is a middle ground in all these but the first step is to pick a center stone shape and size, together with your tolerance for colour and clarity. Ideal or as close to ideal cut is a given and non negotiable if you want it to sparkle a lot.
 
A lot of us came here when diamond shopping, and there is a lot to learn! But basically, yes, you want an ideal or excellent cut diamond, and that is the most important thing. I''d encourage you to start looking at Good Old Gold and WhiteFlash, because they have top quality AGS and GIA certified stones in-house. They have pictures of the stones and extra information as well. I would probably give her the diamond in a simple solitaire setting unless you specifically know what she really loves. Then she could look at settings after you propose and reset the diamond later on.

I happen to have a 1.63 ct. diamond from Good Old Gold (which you can see in my avatar). Here are some others that would fit your budget:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/5404/

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/Whiteflash-ACA-cut-diamond-1466952.htm

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4833/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4317/

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/Whiteflash-ACA-cut-diamond-560213.htm
 
Don''t but from Zales, please!!! Look at this site, and buy online... Your budget is awesome, do some reasearch and buy from one of the many PS vendors. You won''t be sorry.. But you will be sorry if you buy from Zales...
 
It depends on your GF.

What's her personality like? Where does she shop for herself? It doesn't really matter what women want. It really only matters what your woman wants. So, if you know her well enough (and since you have gone shopping with her you probably have noticed whether it is solitares or ornate settings, or something in between that's caught her eye) just think about it, and you'll be fine. If you aren't sure about her taste, can you ping a friend of hers? Or a sister or her mom? They might know.

I will tell you one thing about women though. Most of us, if our boyfriends had gone with us to upscale boutiques, might have had our expectations raised to the point that something from Zales would be unexpected, and not in a positive way. Unless she was in those stores comjplaining about commercialism, derailing materialiistic tendancies of her peers, and making fun of people who need blood diamonds and status symbols to make them happy... she's gonna be expecting something of that same caliber.
2.gif



I would add Infinty diamonds from HighPerformance Diamonds or Dimend Scaasi and Brian Gavin Signature Diamonds from Brian Gavin (who doesn't have his website up yet so you'd have to call and querry them) to the list Diamondseeker posted.

If you are looking for something and have a little time... then I'd add Leon Mage, Ocean Pearlman, and Maytal Hannah to vendors... but for custom settings.

But let's start with the basics:

Does she like rounds or square shapes? Or something else entirely (pears, marquise, ovals)?
Has she been drawn to solitares, three stones, antique looking settings, or really modern pieces.
 
As an owner of two Zales bands (before PS), I''d like to say....
38.gif


For the same amount of money that you spend at Zales, you can get something of much better quality at one of the vendors listed in the posts above. I am keeping my bands for sentimental reasons but I really wish my husband had had the assistance of PSers...like you do now.
26.gif


Good luck!
 
All,

Thanks you so much for the prompt responses. It''s all very helpful. I know she likes the princess cut although one of you sent a link to a "cushion" (?) that looked great. Another commented on what "your woman wants"... very insightful. I don''t think she''s expecting a particular brand as she''s admired (to the point of really showing an interest) in estate diamonds as well as new. Of course the first time we looked I was attempting to be cool and take her to Tiffanys in NY while we were on vacation over Christmas last year. I was so cool that I didn''t realize there was more than one floor until someone told us about it and we had to GO BACK! Fortunately for my pocketbook we only walked out with a watch for her and not something from an upper level floor. I have to say though they were amazing...

Another question re: online purchases of this magnitude. How will I know for sure I''m getting the quality from an online broker? I''ve bought watches online but I can tell the quality of high value brand names easier than I can something as non-branded as a diamond. This is a major concern of mine given the many cyber scams out there.

TSF (aka. not as cool as he thought)
 
Ok, several mentions of "PS". What is a PS''er?
 
She has really been drawn to princess cuts and rounds. A couple have been princess with square solitaires on the side (ie. 3/4 ct next to 1.5 ct next to 3/4 ct) set in platinum.
 
Date: 4/24/2009 12:31:46 AM
Author: TSF
Ok, several mentions of 'PS'. What is a PS'er?
Click to expand...
A PS'er is someone who is a member of Pricescope. A PS'er knows their daimonds and helps people like you in their search. We are pro consumers.
 
Ohhhhhh. A person who likes square shapes. YAY! (Sorry, personal preference).

Oh yeah. PLEASE go with a cushion. And in that case we are back to DS's suggestion of goodoldgold and I'm going to add engagementrings direct.

And you said she likes vintage peices???
30.gif
Oh this is gonna be FUN. PLEASE let us help you! We will, you know. And enthusiastically so long as you promise (and provide) us with pictures of the final product once you have it.

As for online value. Both the vendors I just mentioned have storefronts. In NY. And you can check them out with the BBB, the state attorney general's office, and the jeweler's cousel. And you can do a search on here for their names. And we can recommend some appraisers for you to go to after your purchase.

Oh and if you are anywhere near LA... Singlestone. Oh, and if you want a lovely (if pricey) boutique jeweler in LA area .... 23rd Street Jewelers.
 
Thanks for the clarification. My deductive reasoning skills are a bit off tonight I guess... :)
 
Date: 4/24/2009 12:35:12 AM
Author: TSF
She has really been drawn to princess cuts and rounds. A couple have been princess with square solitaires on the side (ie. 3/4 ct next to 1.5 ct next to 3/4 ct) set in platinum.
Click to expand...
So the ring has three diamonds in total?
 
Date: 4/24/2009 12:39:58 AM
Author: TSF
Thanks for the clarification. My deductive reasoning skills are a bit off tonight I guess... :)
Click to expand...
It''s all good. I hope that you will let us help you. Read what Gypsy just wrote, she said what I would have....
2.gif
 
Ok, another question. I just found 2 diamonds from one of your recommendations. Here are the metrics (both being 1.5ct princess cut):

1. G - VVS2 - Ideal (0)
2. E - VS2 - Ex (1)

They are both at the approximate same price. Which is better and why?
 
That''s very nice! I''m not sure if she''s into cushion diamonds or not. I''ll find some way to work that into a conversation... "Hey baby, how do you feel about cushions?"... not sure that just slips right into a conversation. Hmmm. Have to think on this one a bit.
 
The Ideal one-- each time. You can safely drop down to G VS2 by the way. You won't be able to tell.

As for cushions, many people don't know what they are. Anyway you send her some pictures or... have someone send her some pictures?

When my uncle got married I wanted to get them a gift. I pretended to be chosing something for myself and set his wife a bunch of pics and asked her what she thought of each of them. She picked one, and I got it for her. She was so happy and surprised when she opened up the box. Can you do something similar with one of her friends? I know that one of mine would have figured out how to send me pics of rings and ask me what my thoughts were, if my husband has asked. I got devious friends.
31.gif
 
Okay so princess cuts.

Here are some thoughts.

1) AGS (extremely reputatable lab) rates these on their performance (how bright and shiny and brilliant they are) so they are easier to shop for than other square shapes.

2) They are a fairly new cut, so many people who like antiques/vintage jewelry don't tend to go for them.

3) Their corners break. And easily. Really easily in comparison to the cut or rounded corners of most other pear shapes.

If I can suggest some browsing? Goodoldgold have 3 cuts that are beautiful and worth looking at. Jubilee, Princess of Hearts, Square Hearts and Arrows Cushions.


You could also get a round in a cushion shaped setting.

ring%20setting%20I%20want.jpg
 
If the question 'What women want' is about Zales vs other outlets, I would say choose your vendor carefully.

Not only does the initial presentation and follow up service have an impact on the enjoyment of the ring (resizing, anyone?), but there can be an on-gong relationship with the vendor, eg through repairs, custom wedding bands, perhaps remodelling the setting in the future, future e-rings and of course exchanges ('upgrades') of the e-ring further down the track, if the bride eventually ties of her shape or size diamond.

Zales and other lower-budget jewellers are not likely to offer upgrade services, and may not have manufacturing capabilities in house, either. (meaning no custom work)

The quality of their stock settings may also not be as high quality, nor would the choice of stock settings be as unique or interesting.

In addition, the grading systems they use for their diamonds may not be as reliable as the more upmarket vendors.
 
Stay away from Zales
38.gif
and the like. They don't carry good quality diamonds. After getting engaged I went to the mall with my fiance and out of curiosity I stepped into a Zales and I must say, I was not impressed. Also, I didn't really see a great selection of stones in the 1.5+ ct range, I think there was only one 1.5 and one 2 ct to choose from.

I would recommend using a PS vendor. You will get great quality for a better price than Tiffany's or De Beers, etc....

When you have pics come back and show us
2.gif
 
Just one note on online vs. B&M

Online shopping is just a channel; there are different business models in there, as there are different models in the "physical store"/B&M channel.

Many dealers that operate online have a physical presence somewhere visible to consumers. For example, Good Old Gold has a (very nice) store, and Jon is happy to see customers face to face if it is convenient for them. So are most other reputable vendors, though some will require you to make an appointment since they don''t really have retail premises/showrooms (I think this is the case with ERD). I feel very comfortable dealing with this sort of arrangement: you have the convenience of the internet, some of its cost savings (since this enables cheap marketing and broad reach for businesses that haven''t got the assets/budgets of Tiffany or Zales) together with the guarantee of an expert actually looking at the goods and standing behind them with all sorts of guarantees and trade back programmes.

Then there are the "pure play" online players, like Blue Nile, that very often don''t ever see the diamond - they simply ask their supplier to send it to you and handle the financial part of the transaction. This requires a lot more effort on the shopper''s part, but it can lead to some savings. I don''t particularly like it as a model, but it''s perfectly OK for some (who may even enjoy picking up and sending back a dozen diamonds to find the right one
2.gif
)

Same thing is valid for B&M - there are those that have earned a well deserved reputation for quality - and often make you pay through the nose for it
9.gif
- on a local, national and international scale. And then there are those that work on the basis of broad reach and availability of relatively poor quality goods at apparently competitive prices and generally adopt pressurised selling tactics. However, thanks to aggressive marketing they are well known and they offer some level of "security" to the shopper since they cannot disappear overnight with your money (well, nearly - ask Shane Co customers)

What I''m trying to say is, don''t be led into a false distinction between "online" and "B&M". There is nothing wrong with either.
 
Ok, thanks again to everyone for their input. I''ve picked up 200% more knowledge about diamonds since finding this site last night and I really appreciate the help. I''m going to continue shopping around and will keep everyone posted on what I come up with. I will probably be soliciting more advice as well. If possible, I''ll send pictures of the diamond as well as the girl wearing it (if she says yes that is... :) ) and the details of the proposal. I''m liking the cushion more and more as I look at them and in particular, the 3 stone cushion ring. Stay tuned...
 
There is a poster on here with a 3-stone cushion that is amazing - check out this link to moremoremore''s ring:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-three-stone-cushion-is-here.22964/

Please don''t shop at Zales. That said, my ring is from a reputable "high end" local jeweler in our area (Mervis Diamond), and I''m very happy with the quality, but after finding PS, I do know that we ended spending a few thousand more on it than we would have if we had purchased from a PS vendor. At the time, my husband wasn''t comfortable with spending so much money from an online vendor (our budget was the same as yours), but in retrospect, I wish that we had gone with a PS vendor. So, even though you could find something lovely from a local high-end boutique, you''ll get much more band for your buck with a PS vendor.
 
Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top