6 replies to this topic

[swelch1976]

Hi everyone. This forum has been a great help to me over the past month or two. I am planning on proposing in the next month or so, and am very close to purchasing my diamond from one of the recommended on-line sites (BlueNile, Union Diamond, Mondera).

That said- my dilemma is where should I buy the setting. I asked my girlfriend (soon to be fiance, God-willing) a couple of months ago to give me an idea of what she liked/ disliked as far as diamonds and settings go- I told her to do that far in advance of when I might propose to keep it a surprise for he. She went to a couple stores and really liked a setting from a local reputable retailer- the Platinum Pinched Solitaire (which in profile is somewhere in between a tiffany setting and a cathedral setting). I am having trouble finding anything even resembling the setting at the online sites.

So- my question is... should I find another setting that I think she may like through the online sites- and make it a simple one-time transaction? Or should I buy the loose diamond and take it to the local jeweler and have them set it in the setting my girlfriend likes? The jeweler said they take on any liability with the diamond by doing a check on it before and after to ensure that they didn't damage the stone- and would certainly take on the liability should damage occur. They charge a $100 setting fee which doesn't seem outrageous to me. With that option, I can ensure my girlfriend gets the ring she likes, and we would have a local jeweler to have a relationship with.

Which would you recommend I do? diamond and band from online site or loose diamond online and setting from a store?

Thanks for the help.

[Feydakin]

Several things I would consider -

First, if she liked a specific ring, get that ring.. Not something kinda sorta close to it.. Trust me.. She will tell you she loves it but some part of her will always wish she had gotten the ring she wanted..

Second, pay the setting fee and be thrilled that you have a local jeweler willing to accept responsibility for setting the stone.. There are not a lot of us out there that will..

Third, once you pick out the diamnd go back to your local guy and tell him what you found and how much you will be paying for it.. Give him an opportunity to compete with the online stores.. You may be surprised and find that many B&Ms can and do compete on price quite well..

Steve

[ben]

At the end of the day, no matter how you go about this, make sure you get the exact setting she likes.

[f0rbidden]

I'd like to suggest that you get the diamond and the ring from the same place.

A lot of times the local guy will refuse to set a diamond purchased elsewhere and I know for a fact that BN will not set their diamonds into a ring you purchased elsewhere.

That having been said, you might want to contact some of the diamond resellers you are considering and ask if they either a) have (or can get!) the ring you want or can have it custom made. Some can, some can't. That way, you get the best of both worlds - the diamond you want, and the ring she loves. you may even find that you end up saving money in the long run - not only will you not have setting costs (usually!) when you buy both from the same vendor, but local jewelers may or may not have the best pricing on the ring she wants.

There are a lot of vendors out there. Check out www.whiteflash.com
they have an amazing reputation.

[denverappraiser]

At the risk of being critical, I think you're pinching your pennies and not your dollars.

Let me be sure I understand - She's told you exactly what she wants, she told you that she wants an ongoing relationship with a local jeweler and exactly which jeweler interests her. You plan on spending the majority of the budget at an unrelated 3rd party supplier and the jeweler has agreed to accept all of the liability associated with the deal in exchange for a hundred bucks and you're finding it difficult to find a competitive combination of internet dealers who can offer you the same deal for less so you're considering whether it's better to go with a knockoff ring and a different craftsman because you might save enough to cover the tip at the romantic dinner where your going to present the thing. Am I right so far?

The value of that liaility assumption is considerable. The value of having the work done correctly is considerable. The value of having a local jeweler to work with is considerable. The premium for getting her EXACTLY what she wants is, apparantly, about $100. What was the question again?

Neil

[swelch1976]

Thank you all for the advice. I'm going to buy the diamond from an online vendor, and get the diamond set at my local jeweler in the EXACT setting she wanted. I appreciate the replies- thanks again.

[diamondsbylauren]

All valid points- I agree being penny wise and pound foolish is not a great idea.
But I do feel that getting both diamond and ring from one vendor is a very smart way to go.

Sweltch- just a question- since the diamond is such a very important part of this purchase, why have you narrowed your search to suppliers that never even take the time to post here?


If you're looking for a round diamond, there's simply no one better than Barry, of excelldiamonds.
Plus, since he posts here, he has a lot of reasons to make sure you only have GREAT things to say........