8 replies to this topic

[socc924]

Hi all!

I fianally went ahead today and made a purchase on an engagement ring! I was hoping I could run the specs by some of you guys since you really seem to know your stuff here. I dont necessarily have any regret, but would just like some reasurance!

Edited by socc924, 18 October 2011 - 09:49 AM.

[davidelevi]

Two questions:

1. Do you like it and can you afford it? If so, stop reading and focus on organising the rest of your proposal, wedding and life together. Finding an engagement ring is fun, but it's only the start!

2. Can you return it? It's a total rip off. Leaving aside who graded it (and therefore whether you even got an H-SI2), a 0.80 H-SI2 princess should cost not much more than $2500, and a 14K solitaire setting should be a few hundreds (400 tops), so you are out by about $2000 by my reckoning, even including tax and service plan (whatever that may be)

[denverappraiser]

Kay's is not a particularly inexpensive place to buy stuff, in fact they generally tend to be towards the high end, and people do it because they like the convenience of the stores, the merchandise selection available, the store policies and the warranty. These are all fine reasons and it's up to you to decide if these things are valuable to you and at what price. It's easy enough to use the utility at the top of the page titled 'find online jeweler' to look for competitive offers of similar things but Davide is absolutely correct to point out that grading is a BIG deal. The description you use is not the way GIA describes things and the difference between SI2 and I1 is important, as is the difference between H and I and the various different usages of the term 'ideal' to describe cutting. If you're going to use the search utility, make sure you are comparing against stones from the same lab.

Neil

[davidelevi]

Just in case no-one else responds:

You can check competitive prices for comparable stones (not the setting) by clicking on "find online jeweler" at the top of the page; or indeed by using search engines at any number of suppliers and other forums. These are actual stones for sale, not anybody's judgement or "typical" price

As a reference for settings, WhiteFlash has a large number of settings in different metals, and their prices while reasonable are at the top of the range (and so is their quality).

EDIT: cross posted with Neil!

Edited by davidelevi, 19 July 2010 - 08:06 AM.

[denverappraiser]

I’m not a big fan of the pawnshop route unless you’ve got an established relationship with the dealer. Just like jewelers, diamond dealers and appraisers, some are good and some are bad and the difference has to do with the character of the people behind the counter, not the décor or what they call themselves on the sign out front.

Kays and Jareds are owned by the same company and they honor each others service plans. Around here (Denver) the shop the does the repairs for all of them is actually located inside a Jareds store.

Neil

[jan]

socc924, on Sunday, Jul 18 2010, 08:40 PM, said:

Hi all!

I fianally went ahead today and made a purchase on an engagement ring! I was hoping I could run the specs by some of you guys since you really seem to know your stuff here. I dont necessarily have any regret, but would just like some reasurance!

Here what I purchased from Kay Jewelers:

14 carat gold mount for princess cut diamond and;

shape/cut = Tolkowsky ideal cut-smb
measurment = 5.10x5.03x3.83 mm.
weight = .81 ct
color grade = (H)
Clarity grade = SI(2)
cut grade = ideal
polish/symmetry = ex/ex
treatment = none.

After there service plan and tax I paid just about $5000 even. Please feel free to be brutally honest with me. I'm sure I didn't walk a way with a huge bargain but I thought it was pretty fitting for my girlfriend!

What kind of lab report did the stone have? Are you sure you have the measurments correct because 5 1 is very deep for a stone that weighs .81 ct. That will look smaller than a 1/2 ct. and I would highly doubt it is a Tolkowsky cut. Usually a stone weight of about .81 ct. would be more like 6.10 ct. Maybe a typo?? Also since you say you got it at Kays, I'm going to guess it is an EGL or IGI graded diamond.
They are not as strict on grading as GIA or AGS and I'm sure if you shopped a little more you can get a legitimately graded diamond for a better price. Even a higher grade.

Here is an example of a well cut stone with a GIA lab report.

http://www.dbof.com/...nd-81-ct-vs1-h/

Edited by jan, 21 July 2010 - 06:23 AM.

[jan]

socc924, on Tuesday, Jul 20 2010, 07:23 PM, said:

Alrighty...

Shopped a bit more and I think I have it down to these three.

1. The orrigional from Kay $4982 out the door
14 carat gold mount for princess cut diamond and
shape/cut = Tolkowsky ideal cut-smb
measurment = 5.10x5.03x3.83 mm.
weight = .81 ct
color grade = (H)
Clarity grade = SI(2)
cut grade = ideal
polish/symmetry = ex/ex
treatment = none.

2. Jared $5597 out the door
14 ct gold mount
measurment = 5.07x4.86x4.12 mm
weight = .95ct
color = G
Clarity = VS(1)
polish/symetry = gd/gd

3.W.M.Diller (Local family owned) $5189 out the door
(This is the only one GIA Cert)
18 ct gold with a platinum head (precision set brand)
weight = .77ct
color = F
clarity = VS(1)

Also note that I am moving to CT from PA in a month and do like the fact that there are KAY and Jared Jewelers in CT for service.

I am having a difficuly time with this now. I even tried the Pawn shop route and there is no way I could do that. Seems like 1 in a million shot to find something good and too many ways it could go wrong. PLEASE GIVE YOUR OPINIONS!!!

Are we talking about princess cut diamonds instead of round? I guess I got confused when you called one a Tolkowsky cut ideal because he never graded a cut grade on a princess cut diamond, just rounds.

Edited by jan, 21 July 2010 - 06:33 AM.

[DiamondMaven]

Who graded the first two diamonds?

[HeartAndStone]

Hello socc924!

You're down to three choices.., nice.
I'll go for #3.
Gia cert. definitely counts, and for me local family owned jewelry shops are credible because the desire to give their best deals are always there.