Where do I begin.....$5k - $6k to spend on a stone???

[High Cotton]

Hi all..... I am in the process of trying to get the best diamond possible within my budget of 5k - 6K. I already picked out the setting.....Scott Kay platinum cathdral setting.

I have been on here for about a month lurching & reading various posts. Here is my criteria:

Carat: 1.00 - 1.10
Clarity: VS 2 - SI 1
Color: F - H
Cut: Ideal

I want this diamond to be breathtaking & brilliant, but I need some help. I plan on making a purchase within the next month. I live in Charleston, SC...if this helps.

Thanks in advance,

 

[valeria101]

From what you say, how the diamond looks is all that matters... so, how about THIS ?

And This looks tempting as well.

Any thoughts ?

 

[High Cotton]

Yes..yes...yes. I do like them all!!! I see that y'all used nothing but WhiteFlash as a vendor.....I read alot of posts about them & they do seem to be very reputable. I like the fact that they provide the Grading report, Sarin report, & IdealScope. This gives me a good start.....I was just feeling around to what some of the experts on this site would recommend. I appreciate it all.

In time I am gonna narrow it down to 2 - 3 stones & get y'alls opinion on them.

Thanks

 

[alexah]

This WF 1.02 G VS2 looks nice at $5750 before the PS discount. WF also has a bunch of ACA stones G-H SI1s just over 1ct avail in your price range.

This SC 1.11 H SI1 looks really yummy - as does this 1.07 G SI1

 

[marriahlyn]

I think the G SI1 is the best color/clarity combo for your money.

 

[Rhino]

----------------
On 9/30/2004 1:43:51 PM High Cotton wrote:

I see that y'all used nothing but WhiteFlash as a vendor.....I read alot of posts about them & they do seem to be very reputable. ----------------

Hi HC,

Whiteflash is a respected and recommended vendor that advertises here. More than a few of us have also noticed that some of the regulars will recommend them more than the others here. I personally favor a more balanced assortment of recommendations but then as a vendor we can't make any recommendations. Of course view all your Whiteflash options, there seem to be some winners there. I would just add it doesn't hurt to investigate other excellent viable options as well.

 

[Regular Guy]

Rhino,

Do you know why the interface between the Pricescope database of diamond options and your database is such that you can't link directly to one of your options from here...you have to first go to your main page, and then drill to where it would otherwise be. I think Wink's may suffer from the same lack of convenience? But with Whiteflash, DCD, Niceice, and I think others, the linking is direct. Maybe this functionality is the simple reason for frequency of referencing you are experiencing.

 

[valeria101]

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On 9/30/2004 4:30:08 PM Rhino wrote:

More than a few of us have also noticed that some of the regulars will recommend them more than the others here.
----------------

Not that I keep stats, but the second piece in my post is from GOG - one of the AGS0 - non H&A pieces that recently turned up

 

[strmrdr]

lol al I said the exact same thing to him in pm.
Scary we agree on something. :}
Maybe it will sink in that if you and I agree on something then it might be time to get moving on it. hehe

 

[EZ-Monet]

Here is a beauty with an HCA of 0.8 from a VERY reputable dealer.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=10216&item=4929576169

 

[Mara]

----------------
On 9/30/2004 6:07:39 PM EZ-Monet wrote:





Here is a beauty with an HCA of 0.8 from a VERY reputable dealer.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=10216&item=4929576169
----------------

VERY reputable dealer? Says who?

 

[EZ-Monet]

I (EZ-Monet) do Mara,
Checkout the following and then let me know if you want to fight.
If not...have a nice day!

(If I screwed up the link, just search for "EZ-Monet")

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/ebay-egl-israel-and-other-myths-a-purchase-experience.19297/

 

[Mara]

It's not about a "fight", you had a great experience, but they are far and few between on eBay. You may have purchased from a seemingly reputable dealer on eBay, but the emphasis on "VERY", with reputable and eBay in the same sentence always raises a few eyebrows.




To be very honest, I purchase small diamond trinkets off eBay but if I had $5k or $6k...and I had a choice between something like a 1.20c H VS1 EGL eBay stone for $5200 or a H&A 1.15 G SI1 GIA stone from a vendor that has multiple accolades from Pscopers for $5900...guess what I'd choose?! eBay is just too risky with that kind of money, we have seen too many horror stories in terms of return policies as well. It's great that your story was very positive, but as I noted, they are very far and few between and just too much of a gamble to take. Paying a few extra bucks sometimes is worth that peace of mind.

 

[Dancing Fire]

----------------
On 9/30/2004 6:07:39 PM EZ-Monet wrote:

Here is a beauty with an HCA of 0.8 from a VERY reputable dealer.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=10216&item=4929576169----------------

EZ-Monet
#1 this stone is egl euro cert,they usually comes with a discount.
#2 some of what they call ideal cut is not the same as ags 0 cuts (different specs)
#3 you would need the crown & pavil angles to get a more accurate reading on the cut.

 

[Rhino]

LOL... I knew this would ruffle some feathers.

Please note I am not complaining, belly aching or anything of the like. I am just noting my observations ladies. I know some others were thrown into the mix but like the original poster noted he seemed to notice amongst the recommendations whiteflash, whiteflash, whiteflash & whiteflash. Mind you, I'm not complaining ... I could care less. We are fortunate to be able to serve many who come here and I am thankful for that. It's just a pattern I've personally noticed. Am I wrong for pointing this out?




All your points are noted and taken and I know there are changes that have to be made to our site and some of these changes take longer to incorporate than others. That is my own problem, I know it and if I were complaining I would be the one at fault. No complaints here ... just observations and I understand better why.




Thanks.

 

[phoenixgirl]

To be completely honest, the Good Old Gold website looks like what I would come with if you gave me a weekend and a copy of Netscape Composer. It doesn't look professional in the least; there are typos all over the place, it takes forever to load, and there is no search engine (except for the general, "brokered" diamond page).

I would never ever submit my credit card information blindly to a site that looked like that (which doesn't matter since it doesn't have that capability either). I agree that this, coupled with prices that are sometimes a tad higher than comparable stones on the other oft-recommended sites, makes it harder to include GOG stones on a regular basis. For the record, however, when looking for stones to mention, I do search every site that I know of that features additional information to evaluate the cut quality of the stone, including GOG.

Surely the increase in business would compensate for the initial cost of hiring some genius 19-year-old to create an easy-to-navigate, sleek-looking site?

 

[tonysgeko]

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On 9/30/2004 1:08:22 PM High Cotton wrote:

I want this diamond to be breathtaking & brilliant, but I need some help. I plan on making a purchase within the next month. I live in Charleston, SC...if this helps.

Thanks in advance,

----------------

Highcotton, since you live in SC, there's a pscoper by the name of StevL his website is demsjewelers. He has a jewelry store in Irmo just 2 hours away. I would call him up and tell him your a pscoper from Charleston along with your budget and the criteria you want in a diamond. He could show stones that would fit your criteria. It would be cool to meet another pscoper too. Just an option.

 

[yowahking]

High Cotton, since the battle is on for the diamond, I will stay out of that one. I will chat about the setting. If you are fixing yourself to a budget, while a nice one, you are selecting an ordinary ring from a designer. Scott Kay is a very good designer, but his rings are quite spendy. (mostly due to buying it from a middleman) I could justify it more if it was a really cool, original design. That ring could be made by 1000 people for much less money. Just a thought.

 

[elmo]

----------------
On 9/30/2004 4:30:08 PM Rhino wrote:

More than a few of us have also noticed that some of the regulars will recommend them more than the others here. I personally favor a more balanced assortment of recommendations but then as a vendor we can't make any recommendations. Of course view all your Whiteflash options, there seem to be some winners there. I would just add it doesn't hurt to investigate other excellent viable options as well.
----------------

Jon, are you thinking that you'd get "more balanced" coverage if you'd worked a little harder to close a few deals with pricescope participants with thousands of posts?

 

[Rhino]

Thanks for the contructive criticism phoenix. I will readily admit I am no web genius and my web developing skillz are something to be desired. I am frequently told that our site is easy to navigate and quite simple to get around on. I apologize if you are having such a hard time.




Al, if you read anything other than my observations than you're reading something into my words that are just not there. My panties are not in a bunch and my words are not written with attitude. I am listening to what you are saying and will do my best to act on it as time/manpower allows. I think you're a sweety and have always valued your input, comments, criticisms, recommendations, etc. Perhaps I am wrong in my observations but others in the trade who read this forum also have commented to me in the past saying the same exact thing. When I saw this consumer say it as well I was just noting what I've seen and also others. Please note my words after reading your response ... "I understand better why you made the recommendations you did". I'm going to do what I can to have one of my staff prepare a proper spreadsheet including the data I'd like to have in it. Also... we never had our in stock diamonds listed on the "search by cut" on Pricescope which is another reason I'd like to get the sheet done as well.




Peace,

 

[Rhino]

That was my understanding too Al.




To be honest ... when I was helping you that first time I was trying to get you into a very specfic type of stone which I did not have at the time. They are stones I only get from one certain supplier. 34.2-34.5 crown angles, 40.7-40.9 pavilion, 55-56 table, 77-79% lower girdles, 58-63 stars, and 40-42 degree upper girdles. I was really trying to find you the cats meow Al but understand completely why you couldn't wait. I was getting frustrated when I couldn't pull up such a stone for ya. Bottom line is you're happy and that's what counts most.

 

[aljdewey]

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On 10/1/2004 12:22:07 AM Rhino wrote:







To be honest ... when I was helping you that first time I was trying to get you into a very specfic type of stone which I did not have at the time. They are stones I only get from one certain supplier. 34.2-34.5 crown angles, 40.7-40.9 pavilion, 55-56 table, 77-79% lower girdles, 58-63 stars, and 40-42 degree upper girdles. I was really trying to find you the cats meow Al but understand completely why you couldn't wait. I was getting frustrated when I couldn't pull up such a stone for ya. Bottom line is you're happy and that's what counts most.

----------------

Jon, you still don't get it. This has absolutely NOTHING to do with the fact that I didn't buy a stone from you. This isn't about lack of purchase with you. I've never purchased from DCD, and I suggest their stones because they are quality, they are easy to find, and I know them to be reputable (through others here). That's it.

I'm astute enough to realize that vendors can only work with what they can get from suppliers. I never faulted a single vendor (you or anyone else) for being unable to produce a stone.....you can only get what you can get, and I understand that quite well. At the time, NiceIce was searching for me, too, and they didn't get one either. No harm. I thanked each and every vendor the time, and I had the courtesy to let each of them know when I located a stone so they wouldn't be wasting time.

As is the case with most folks here, I would have bought from any of you. It so happened that WF came up with a stone that fit the bill.

 

[Rhino]

No prob dear. I understand that. It's just when I was intially contacted by you I really wanted to find you something ultra special and had a tough time finding it. I know that you are impartial in your recommendations and that they are not based on who you bought from. I get it completely.

 

[quaeritur]

Wow, there are many good points being made here, but perhaps we should move them to a new thread? I'm feeling bad for High Cotton!

Before pracicing what I preach though, I wanted to add my own $0.02...I must admit that much as I love Wink and Jonathan for being so kind and helpful in my own search, I agree with some comments that were made -it definitely takes more time to find stones in those inventories by spec. I love hanging out on the GOG site and just browsing, but if I have to look for something specific to help someone with, it takes a more concerted effort.

While I've tried to avoid personal bias, and have even listed stones that fit the bill from non PS vendors to help someone find exactly what they want, it does take extra time to find such stones at GOG and Winfield's, mainly because I can't follow the cut quality search link. I believe Wink is planning to change this, and I'd encourage Jonathan to do the same, for starters.

Now, I do recall while on hold with WF once, hearing a promotion for referrals. I don't think there's anything wrong with that at all, and I think they carry beautiful stones, but I have occasionally wondered if it may cause a bias in recommendations here on PS (Al, I'm not suggesting this is the case here, just something I've been curious about). For that matter, I believe Blue Nile does the same, though I've never passed along my info to receive a rebate or discount.

I like that PS has a no self-promotion rule for vendors. I've tried to apply that to my own recommendations. But I have to agree with Al that when I'm short on time, I'll pass along the easiest info to find first. I hope GOG and Wink will make some changes, because I'd love to be able to find their stuff as quickly as others'.

 

[aljdewey]

----------------
On 10/1/2004 1:13:05 AM quaeritur wrote:




Now, I do recall while on hold with WF once, hearing a promotion for referrals. I don't think there's anything wrong with that at all, and I think they carry beautiful stones, but I have occasionally wondered if it may cause a bias in recommendations here on PS (Al, I'm not suggesting this is the case here, just something I've been curious about). ----------------

Good point. Yes, WF does have a referral program, but it's not as loose as "hey, so and so on Pricescope told me to come talk to you."

If Mara bought from WF, and she told her sister-in-law (not a pricescope participant), and the SIL called WF and said "My sister-in-law, Mara T., suggested I contact you regarding a possible diamond" and subsequent purchased, that would along more along the lines of how their referral program works.

You couldn't just get in touch with WF tomorrow and say "Aljdewey from Pricescope sent me". (well, you CAN, but it won't result in a promotion reward)

 

[EZ-Monet]

Here's another beauty (1.28 Ct. H-VS1, Tolkowsky Ideal Cut) with an HCA of 1.0 from the same VERY reputable dealer I previously mentioned (Norman Goodman and Company Jewelers.) Any question about the EGL Cert., can be resolved by David Atlas of A.G.A., or another trusted independant appraiser. Questions about the dealer can be mitigated by reading their feedback & giving them a call (talk with Howard Goodman.) In the end...it's not about diamonds, certs., or dealers. It's about doing the best you can for the one you love.
Good Luck!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=10216&item=4929807792

 

[High Cotton]

HEY ALL....it is me "High Cotton"...the original poster for this thread..

I just want to say THANKS for all the suggestions thus far. Like I said previously, I will be buying something within the next month...but I wont it to be of upmost quality for the $money$. The most bang for the buck.

I would like to apologize if I offended anyone earlier with my comment in regards to WhiteFlash. Although the majority of stones suggested were from WF, I did'nt acknowledge the other vendors whose stones were suggested.

Thanks for the suggestion for DemsJewelers.com, but being that the establishment is in South Carolina.....I would have to pay sales tax...an extra $400 that will be going to taxes, when it should be going to a

diamond.

I will be posting soon with a few stones for y'all to help me choose from. Hopefully I will get as much response and help as this 1st newbie post.

Once again thanks in advance

 

[aljdewey]

----------------
On 10/1/2004 10:19:50 AM High Cotton wrote:

HEY ALL....it is me 'High Cotton'...the original poster for this thread..

I just want to say THANKS for all the suggestions thus far. Like I said previously, I will be buying something within the next month...but I wont it to be of upmost quality for the $money$. The most bang for the buck.

I would like to apologize if I offended anyone earlier with my comment in regards to WhiteFlash. Although the majority of stones suggested were from WF, I did'nt acknowledge the other vendors whose stones were suggested.

Thanks for the suggestion for DemsJewelers.com, but being that the establishment is in South Carolina.....I would have to pay sales tax...an extra $400 that will be going to taxes, when it should be going to a

diamond.

I will be posting soon with a few stones for y'all to help me choose from. Hopefully I will get as much response and help as this 1st newbie post.

Once again thanks in advance

----------------

High Cotton: No apologies from you needed at all. You didn't offend or do a single thing wrong.

As you can see from the various stones put forth by multiple posters, you have many potential choices in your budget...that's AWESOME. Better than being hemmed by trying to find the proverbial needle-in-the-haystack.

Look forward to seeing what you narrow down to!

Warm regards,
Al

 

[Dancing Fire]

----------------
On 10/1/2004 9:19:51 AM EZ-Monet wrote:

Here's another beauty (1.28 Ct. H-VS1, Tolkowsky Ideal Cut) with an HCA of 1.0 from the same VERY reputable dealer I previously mentioned (Norman Goodman and Company Jewelers.) Any question about the EGL Cert., can be resolved by David Atlas of A.G.A., or another trusted independant appraiser. Questions about the dealer can be mitigated by reading their feedback & giving them a call (talk with Howard Goodman.) In the end...it's not about diamonds, certs., or dealers. It's about doing the best you can for the one you love.
Good Luck!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=10216&item=4929807792----------------

EZ-Monet
why don't you post a sarin report before you recommend a stone,because i know egl has a different(specs) range for their ideal cuts compare to ags. this stone will not make ags 0 cut grade.

 

[EZ-Monet]

Greetings vtigger86,
Please forgive my ancient eyes if I have missed anything.
I am a bit puzzled as to the source of your ags0 concern, having not mentioned it in any of my postings. However, possibly it comes from the HCA chart box within which the stone in question sits...quite near the center I might add. As an interesting aside, should we extract the approximate crown angle from the HCA chart and insert it into the AGA tool along with the remaining EGL values, it appears the stone qualifies for a 1A cut grade...how nice.
Should we care, we could also compare the EGL cert., and the values from the HCA with the AGS grading system (at least in my highly suspect chart) and imagine that...AGS seems to feel the stone qualifies as ags0.
As I said...puzzling.
Have a nice day!