Diamonds

[TinCow]

Here is the diamond I'm probably going to settle on, in a white gold setting with 4 tiered baguette side stones with similar color and clarity (tcw 3/8). The Carat, Table, Color and Clarity, Girdle, Culet and Flourescence are exactly what I was looking for.

I know that the depth is just a bit too deep and that the cert is EGL, but I'm willing to make the compromise in the name of price. Also, the "very good" polish and symetry grades would probably a good-very good GIA rating, but the determination that it is "premium cut" is helpful. The natural diamond type is IaAB, which I don't really care about because I'm not buying for investment and it can't be determined under any loop I've ever seen.

I was originally looking at GIA H color VS-2 stones and they were about $300-$400 more, so I will probably get a very similar stone. Total price with setting I'm looking at is $5569. I think I'm just about over the finish line.

Certificate: EGL
Shape: Round
Cut: Premium
Carat: 1.03
Color: G
Clarity: VS1

Measurements: 6.49-6.45-4
Depth Percentage: 61.8 %
Table Percentage: 59 %
Girdle: M
Culet: None (Pointed)
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Fluorescence: None (Inert)

There's nothing wrong with an EGL certification. Diamonds are worthless on resale, so all that you should care about is how it looks.

If you can get to NYC, I have a friend who is a diamond wholesaler. For about the same price as you just listed there, he got me a ring with a total carat weight of a little over 2, with the main stone at 1.4 carats. That said, what you just listed isn't a bad price at all, and far better than I would normally expect for retail. This economy is probably pretty good for buying jewelry. Don't forget to negotiate... the jewelry business is always open to negotiations on price.

[ICantSpellDawg]

There's nothing wrong with an EGL certification. Diamonds are worthless on resale, so all that you should care about is how it looks.

If you can get to NYC, I have a friend who is a diamond wholesaler. For about the same price as you just listed there, he got me a ring with a total carat weight of a little over 2, with the main stone at 1.4 carats. That said, what you just listed isn't a bad price at all, and far better than I would normally expect for retail. This economy is probably pretty good for buying jewelry. Don't forget to negotiate... the jewelry business is always open to negotiations on price.

Online! From Union Diamond. Any tips on that? BBB accredits them with an A+ and they are a US company with local roots in Georgia. Blue Nile was a bit higher. I just don't trust local jewelers.

What kind of friend? NYC is supposed to be the worst place in the world to buy a diamond, but I've heard of people who know people getting a deal. If I lower the color to EGL H or I and the clarity to SI1-I I could get a much bigger stone, but then you can see lots of carbon and feathering without a loop. Since you are a seasoned veteran I'm all ears.

[TinCow]

Online! From Union Diamond. Any tips on that? BBB accredits them with an A+ and they are a US company with local roots in Georgia. Blue Nile was a bit higher.

I know absolutely nothing about online companies, sorry.

What kind of friend?

Married one of my friends from high school. He's exactly what a NYC diamond wholesaler should be: a Jew working on West 47th. Or at least that's where he worked when he made up my wife's engagement ring, he now runs his own business and I have no idea where the office is. This is his current website.

Regardless of who you get it from, let me emphasize again that all that matters is how it looks. Even if you get a stupendously awesome wholesale price, diamonds aren't an investment. They're not rare and will never fetch more money on resale than you paid for them. VS/VVS is perfectly fine, and I'd actively avoid going for IF and F. If you can't see whatever flaws are present in the stone, that's all that matters.

NYC is supposed to be the worst place in the world to buy a diamond, but I've heard of people who know people getting a deal.

For retail, I wouldn't be surprised. The retail jewelry business in general is a racket, no matter where you go. Stones are never worth remotely close to what you pay for them. They convince people to buy "investment grade" jewelry, which simply doesn't exist (at least, not for diamonds... some gemstones or exceptionally highly crafted pieces can appreciate in value). Like I said, I paid close to the price you're quoting for my wife's engagement ring and the main stone in that ring, alone, was appraised at $14k+; that's retail replacement value. When I'm told it would cost me $14k to replace the main stone in a ring I paid $5500 for total, something fishy is going on in the retail business.

I'd have to go home and check the papers on the main stone for the color, but I know it's VVS1 or VS1 and wherever the flaws are, I sure can't find them.

If I lower the color to EGL H or I and the clarity to SI1-I I could get a much bigger stone, but then you can see lots of carbon and feathering without a loop. Since you are a seasoned veteran I'm all ears.

If you can see the flaws easily, don't go for it. A clear ring with a few minor occlusions won't be a big deal, but I should be avoided except for side-stones. SI1 could theoretically be ok, but I wouldn't buy it without seeing it for yourself. It's possible the flaw could be on the underside where no one would really see it, but it's also possible it could be on the main facet and easily visible. Personally, I would be reluctant to buy a stone I had not seen in person without some kind of contractual provision allowing me to return it if I was not happy on inspection.

[ICantSpellDawg]

I know absolutely nothing about online companies, sorry.



Married one of my friends from high school. He's exactly what a NYC diamond wholesaler should be: a Jew working on West 47th. Or at least that's where he worked when he made up my wife's engagement ring, he now runs his own business and I have no idea where the office is. This is his current website.

Regardless of who you get it from, let me emphasize again that all that matters is how it looks. Even if you get a stupendously awesome wholesale price, diamonds aren't an investment. They're not rare and will never fetch more money on resale than you paid for them. VS/VVS is perfectly fine, and I'd actively avoid going for IF and F. If you can't see whatever flaws are present in the stone, that's all that matters.

Exactly. I know that they are no investment, that's why I'm not going crazy. The setup I've found is very nice and bigger than the rings our friends have gotten so far. I'm lucky to have met a long island Irish/German girl who was psyched about the the sterling silver claddagh ring I bought her in Cork. She hardly wears anything else.

If I were marrying a Jewish or Italian girl from long island, I'd get a yellow gold 3 carat pave with a marble water fountain on the top...

[TinCow]

The setup I've found is very nice and bigger than the rings our friends have gotten so far.

Carat weight and visual size don't always go hand in hand. Due to the nature of the setting, you often don't see much more than the face of the stone, so a deep diamond isn't going to look as large as a shallow diamond. Since the look is all that's important, it can sometimes be better to go for a smaller, shallower stone, as it will look larger than a deeper stone that has a heavier weight. My wife's stone is about 1.35 carats, but most people think it's 2+ due to the size of the face and shallow depth. That said, deeper diamonds can also have better reflective qualities, which gives them more impressive 'sparkle' when they're worn.

It's hard to give any specific advice on a particular stone without physically seeing it though. When I bought mine, I went to my friend's office and he poured about 20-25 stones out on a mat for me, and I sat there and sifted through them looking for the one I liked the best. I don't feel like I know enough to be able to tell you whether the stats you quoted indicate it's a good stone.

[ICantSpellDawg]

I bought it. I'll bring it in to an appraiser as soon as it comes, probably monday. The thing is - Diamonds all look the same for the most part. I wanted one that even looked nice under a 10x loop.

Total price = $5569

[TinCow]

Congrats! If that's an engagement ring, then you've now completed the easy part.

[edyzmedieval]

I bought it. I'll bring it in to an appraiser as soon as it comes, probably monday. The thing is - Diamonds all look the same for the most part. I wanted one that even looked nice under a 10x loop.

Total price = $5569

I dare her to refuse you. I would go nuts honestly if I bought such a diamond and then she would say "no.".

Congratulations!