Would you buy now or wait?

[JeBri31508]

So, I read in a post earlier that BGD''s prices are likely going to go up 8-12% in the next few weeks...and that really puts a damper on my budget

and means that in a few months, I will either have to fork over approx 700-800 bucks more to get the size I want, or sacrifice size, which makes me sad

. Soo...I''ve been thinking, that realistically I do have the money right now to buy just the diamond (looking at either a 1.2 H or I SI1 BGD Signature), but do not feel comfortable spending the extra money on the setting yet. Would you wait until you could buy everything at once, or just buy the loose diamond and have it sit in a drawer until you felt comfortable financially to buy a setting? And, it would only be a few months until I could buy the setting, btw. This is such a big purchase for me, I honestly may chicken out...ugh! Any advice?

 

[luv2sparkle]

I would buy now, if it was me. I know that when I bought my diamond a year ago I paid quite a bit less. If you can buy a bigger diamond and save more over a year it might be worth it to wait. But with
BGD if you found a bigger diamond later you could trade up and not lose a penny.

There are some temporary settings you could purchase for a couple hundred bucks, I would put it in that to be able to wear it, until you can afford the setting you would really love.

 

[luv2sparkle]

I should have added that my stone is from BGD a I VS2 and it is gorgeous! I wouldn''t hesitate to go for an ''I'' colored diamond from Brian if that makes your budget stretch a bit. It depends on how color
sensitive you are, but I have viewed my stone next to a ''D'' and I don''t think the color difference is offensive at all, and unless it is side by side you wouldn''t even think about it. I have actually bought
two stones from Brian and both times in the year following the stone prices went up a bit. Not so great with the first one, but several thousand dollars for the second and current stone.

Is the stone for you or a future fiance?

 

[Shadowplay]

I bought a few weeks ago, as soon as the news that prices were rising hit PS. One of the diamonds I was evaluating (not at BGD) was quoted to me at $13,150. A week or two later someone on PS bought it for more than $2000 more than it was quoted to me. I feel like I got a STEAL on the diamond I did buy and would recommend you purchase before BGD raises their prices to reflect current market prices or replacement cost - however the diamond market works.

Best of luck!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 5/13/2010 11:07:50 AM
Author: luv2sparkle
There are some temporary settings you could purchase for a couple hundred bucks, I would put it in that to be able to wear it, until you can afford the setting you would really love.

This is what I would do.

Remember though that the prices on the in stock stones will not go up, only the new ones. BGD prices based on what they paid for the stones, not on current value, so as long as the diamond was there from the earlier stock you will not pay the premium. They do have a number of H/I stones in the size you want so it is not a mad ris hto decide.

But I know I would have saved a pretty penny if I had bought last fall. We did not have the money at the time, but it still does irk me.

But don''t feel rushed into buying before you are ready. It is a ig purchase and another $700 is not the end of the world.

 

[vbnet]

Is it possible to pick a diamond and put a deposit on it to hold it?

 

[damons]

Date: 5/13/2010 11:17:56 AM
Author: dreamer_d

Date: 5/13/2010 11:07:50 AM
Author: luv2sparkle
There are some temporary settings you could purchase for a couple hundred bucks, I would put it in that to be able to wear it, until you can afford the setting you would really love.

This is what I would do.

Remember though that the prices on the in stock stones will not go up, only the new ones. BGD prices based on what they paid for the stones, not on current value, so as long as the diamond was there from the earlier stock you will not pay the premium. They do have a number of H/I stones in the size you want so it is not a mad ris hto decide.

But I know I would have saved a pretty penny if I had bought last fall. We did not have the money at the time, but it still does irk me.

But don''t feel rushed into buying before you are ready. It is a ig purchase and another $700 is not the end of the world.

I agree. I would get the diamond now and put it in a temporary setting.

I had a pretty low budget for the ring I bought my partner, so $700 is a big deal to me. I bought the ring in February and (because I am crazy) I like to look at the vendor''s website every once in a while to see what the current prices are. Diamonds with the same specs as the one I bought are selling for almost $1000 more than what I paid 3 months ago. I wouldn''t be able to afford it if I had waited. I would have had to go down in size, or wait longer to buy the ring, and I really didn''t want to do that.

 

[missydebby]

(messed up)

 

[missydebby]

Date: 5/13/2010 11:07:50 AM
Author: luv2sparkle
I would buy now, if it was me. I know that when I bought my diamond a year ago I paid quite a bit less. If you can buy a bigger diamond and save more over a year it might be worth it to wait. But with

BGD if you found a bigger diamond later you could trade up and not lose a penny.


There are some temporary settings you could purchase for a couple hundred bucks, I would put it in that to be able to wear it, until you can afford the setting you would really love.

very good advice

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 5/13/2010 12:30:34 PM
Author: damons

I agree. I would get the diamond now and put it in a temporary setting.

I had a pretty low budget for the ring I bought my partner, so $700 is a big deal to me. I bought the ring in February and (because I am crazy) I like to look at the vendor''s website every once in a while to see what the current prices are. Diamonds with the same specs as the one I bought are selling for almost $1000 more than what I paid 3 months ago. I wouldn''t be able to afford it if I had waited. I would have had to go down in size, or wait longer to buy the ring, and I really didn''t want to do that.

Wow, what were the specs out of curiosity?

When they talk about diamond prices rising, they ain''t whistling dixie!

 

[JeBri31508]

Date: 5/13/2010 11:12:54 AM
Author: luv2sparkle
I should have added that my stone is from BGD a I VS2 and it is gorgeous! I wouldn''t hesitate to go for an ''I'' colored diamond from Brian if that makes your budget stretch a bit. It depends on how color
sensitive you are, but I have viewed my stone next to a ''D'' and I don''t think the color difference is offensive at all, and unless it is side by side you wouldn''t even think about it. I have actually bought
two stones from Brian and both times in the year following the stone prices went up a bit. Not so great with the first one, but several thousand dollars for the second and current stone.

Is the stone for you or a future fiance?

The stone is for me Hubby said I could get an upgrade for graduating with my MPH in December. Plus, he got a motorcycle earlier this year so I decided that I needed something too

I actually really hope that I will like an I stone, because it will help the budget stretch. I''m going to talk to hubby tonight and see what he thinks about getting the stone now, however, I am leery of getting a temp setting because I really don''t care for solitares on my hand. But, I might just have to do it until we can afford a setting. Thanks for all the replies so far--I''ve emailed Jamie to have her give me the low-down on the stones in the BGD inventory!

 

[Jax172]

Date: 5/13/2010 11:17:56 AM
Author: dreamer_d

Date: 5/13/2010 11:07:50 AM
Author: luv2sparkle
There are some temporary settings you could purchase for a couple hundred bucks, I would put it in that to be able to wear it, until you can afford the setting you would really love.

This is what I would do.

Remember though that the prices on the in stock stones will not go up, only the new ones. BGD prices based on what they paid for the stones, not on current value, so as long as the diamond was there from the earlier stock you will not pay the premium. They do have a number of H/I stones in the size you want so it is not a mad ris hto decide.

But I know I would have saved a pretty penny if I had bought last fall. We did not have the money at the time, but it still does irk me.

But don''t feel rushed into buying before you are ready. It is a ig purchase and another $700 is not the end of the world.

Really? They didn''t tell me that. I just asked and they said prices were going up - they didn''t specify that the stones they currently had would stay at the same price.

 

[JeBri31508]

Another question...where do I get a "temp" setting from? A local jeweler, online? How much should those run price wise?

Jamie just emailed me back--she said several people are inquiring about those diamonds, so I probably need to make up my mind!

But, she said they are all eye-clean (no black inclusions!), and all face up exceptionally white, she said when you line up the H & I''s there is not a real discernable difference. Sounds promising.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 5/13/2010 12:55:38 PM
Author: Jax172

Date: 5/13/2010 11:17:56 AM
Author: dreamer_d

Date: 5/13/2010 11:07:50 AM
Author: luv2sparkle
There are some temporary settings you could purchase for a couple hundred bucks, I would put it in that to be able to wear it, until you can afford the setting you would really love.

This is what I would do.

Remember though that the prices on the in stock stones will not go up, only the new ones. BGD prices based on what they paid for the stones, not on current value, so as long as the diamond was there from the earlier stock you will not pay the premium. They do have a number of H/I stones in the size you want so it is not a mad ris hto decide.

But I know I would have saved a pretty penny if I had bought last fall. We did not have the money at the time, but it still does irk me.

But don''t feel rushed into buying before you are ready. It is a ig purchase and another $700 is not the end of the world.

Really? They didn''t tell me that. I just asked and they said prices were going up - they didn''t specify that the stones they currently had would stay at the same price.

Hmm... well I could have misunderstood, always best to ask directly of Brian or Lesely if you want the most accurate answer.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 5/13/2010 1:01:52 PM
Author: JeBri31508
Another question...where do I get a 'temp' setting from? A local jeweler, online? How much should those run price wise?

Jamie just emailed me back--she said several people are inquiring about those diamonds, so I probably need to make up my mind!

But, she said they are all eye-clean (no black inclusions!), and all face up exceptionally white, she said when you line up the H & I's there is not a real discernable difference. Sounds promising.

BGD has a simple 14k white gold solitaire for $250, or you can see what a local jeweler has (though you would need to get insurance to cover the setting of the diamond, or at least, I would do that).

 

[stone-cold11]

Temporary setting just means some cheap solitaire setting.

 

[lizzyann]

If you don''t like solitaires much, you could instead put it in a pendant until you decide on and have the money for a more elaborate ring setting!

 

[yssie]

Ditto - buy whenever you're ready to buy and you find a stone you like, and stick it in a cost-effective temp setting - metal prices may go up too, but it shouldn't be nearly as drastic. . With BGD you can always upgrade down the line if you want to for some reason.

 

[luv2sparkle]

I have seen old inventory go up in price as well. It happened to me twice with Whiteflash when I bought my first upgrade. Sometimes, you can find a nice used setting at Dover Jewelry that you could use
as a temporary setting as well. Brian will set it in whatever you have.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 5/13/2010 3:15:23 PM
Author: luv2sparkle
I have seen old inventory go up in price as well. It happened to me twice with Whiteflash when I bought my first upgrade. Sometimes, you can find a nice used setting at Dover Jewelry that you could use
as a temporary setting as well. Brian will set it in whatever you have.

I think this depends on the vendor, but again, you would have to ask directly to know for sure.

 

[beezygal]

i would buy it now too... since you''re going to buy it a few months down the road anyways.. might as well buy now.. and save the money and use it toward a nice setting!

 

[luv2sparkle]

True, but I have also seen Brian raise prices of existing inventory. They did it on the stone I traded in.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 5/13/2010 4:33:56 PM
Author: luv2sparkle
True, but I have also seen Brian raise prices of existing inventory. They did it on the stone I traded in.

That seems a slightly different thing since it is not "existing" inventory -- i.e., already bought and paid for -- and the whole reason they offer trade ins is to be able to charge up to the moment prices! That is where they make money off of the sale. But this is neither here nor there, you may be right that in house prices fluctuate. I am just relaying my recollection of a conversation I had with them and my memory could be faulty!

 

[JeBri31508]

Date: 5/13/2010 4:49:54 PM
Author: dreamer_d

Date: 5/13/2010 4:33:56 PM
Author: luv2sparkle
True, but I have also seen Brian raise prices of existing inventory. They did it on the stone I traded in.

That seems a slightly different thing since it is not ''existing'' inventory -- i.e., already bought and paid for -- and the whole reason they offer trade ins is to be able to charge up to the moment prices! That is where they make money off of the sale. But this is neither here nor there, you may be right that in house prices fluctuate. I am just relaying my recollection of a conversation I had with them and my memory could be faulty!

I talked with Jamie at BGD earlier today, and she confirmed that the existing inventory IS subject to go up in price. And, they are expecting the new shipment to get here at the latest by Mon or Tues, and that was when the existing prices could go up. Brian said to jump on it now if I can. Which is why I decided to put a BGD Signature on hold for tonight! Aww!! I would link the diamond, but it looks like they just took it off the inventory list. I''m guessing because I reserved it? It''s a 1.203 SI1 (completely eye clean they said, no black inclusions or any to be seen from the naked eye) I color. I asked if there was a discernable difference between the H and the I, and was told there was not, that the I faced up exceptionally white.

Now tonight I get to think and crunch numbers

 

[stone-cold11]

Hahah, good luck.

 

[missydebby]

good for you... excellent!

 

[icetea]

When I spoke to Brian yesterday he did say the current stones may rise to reflect the new prices (I think)

I''m not sure how long they will hold it, but BGD will hold the diamond for you while you decide on a setting (not sure for how long) but you can also buy one of their 4 or 6 prong basic $250 settings temporarily, when you decide on something or have the money, you can send it back and they will refund 50% of that setting''s price towards the new one.

I think this is the route I''m going for because I will be waiting a few months after I propose to save up enough money and give my girl time to figure out what kind of setting she would like.

 

[missydebby]

Date: 5/13/2010 7:22:24 PM
Author: icetea
When I spoke to Brian yesterday he did say the current stones may rise to reflect the new prices (I think)


I''m not sure how long they will hold it, but BGD will hold the diamond for you while you decide on a setting (not sure for how long) but you can also buy one of their 4 or 6 prong basic $250 settings temporarily, when you decide on something or have the money, you can send it back and they will refund 50% of that setting''s price towards the new one.


I think this is the route I''m going for because I will be waiting a few months after I propose to save up enough money and give my girl time to figure out what kind of setting she would like.

smart... wow that''s a really good deal on the setting, didn''t know that

 

[JeBri31508]

Date: 5/13/2010 7:22:24 PM
Author: icetea
When I spoke to Brian yesterday he did say the current stones may rise to reflect the new prices (I think)

I''m not sure how long they will hold it, but BGD will hold the diamond for you while you decide on a setting (not sure for how long) but you can also buy one of their 4 or 6 prong basic $250 settings temporarily, when you decide on something or have the money, you can send it back and they will refund 50% of that setting''s price towards the new one.

I think this is the route I''m going for because I will be waiting a few months after I propose to save up enough money and give my girl time to figure out what kind of setting she would like.

That is a good deal! The thing is, the setting I want is from BGD, so now I''m wondering if I should just go for broke and get the whole stinkin thing in one whack. The setting really isn''t that much--I think that even spending $250 towards something I don''t care for would be silly, when the setting is 1275. But, it would buy me time to feel a bit more comfortable with it all, and it helps to know I could apply 50% of the temp to a new one.

Grrr...more thinking to do!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

that will be a beautiful diamond

if you can afford the whole shebang now I would just do it. If not, I''d get it set in a inexpensive solitare or a pendant (I''m partial to the new basket setting dreamer got which I think BGD is about to start offering and live with it for a while.

It''s worth it to me to pay a couple hundred $ (which I think is a lot of money) to be able to see the diamond that I spent a whole lot more money for, instead of just leaving it in a box until I can get the dream setting...