8 replies to this topic

[Rini]

Hi all

My boyfriend and I are currently looking at purchasing an engagement ring (well, he is doing the purchasing, I am doing the choosing!) and would ideally like to get over 2ct with an ornate setting, or larger with a tiffany's style setting.

I am mainly sticking to GIA, but wonder if anyone can suggest if the below look like good prices and if there are any additional considerations needed?

Cushion cut, GIA certified, 2.02ct, G, VS1 at about $18k
Cushion cut, GIA certified, 2.00ct, H, VS2 at about $16.5k
Princess cut, GIA certified, 2.15ct, H, VVS2, at just over $17k

All prices exclude sales tax.

Does the difference between G and H matter much? And is there a big difference between VVS2 down to VS2?

I am also trying to understand how much setting such a diamond should cost? I gather less for a tiffany's style than ornate, but wonder if anyone can help on that, regarding what to do and what to avoid. And whether you are just better off with a diamond set in a ring.
Please let me know any contact details (I gather PM does not work) or please reply here as I could really use a little help. Thanks in advance!

Regards
Rini

Edited by Rini, 08 September 2011 - 05:07 AM.

[davidelevi]

Rini, on 08 September 2011 - 04:42 AM, said:

Hi all

My boyfriend and I are currently looking at purchasing an engagement ring (well, he is doing the purchasing, I am doing the choosing!) and would ideally like to get over 2ct with an ornate setting, or larger with a tiffany's style setting.

Welcome, and congratulations on your impending engagement (or even just your impending ring).

Quote

I am mainly sticking to GIA,

With a 2 carat stone, I think you should stick to GIA unless you personally know and fully trust who you are buying from. If you do and they propose to you non GIA (or AGS) graded stones, then ask them what grade they would put on the diamonds and compare prices based on that, not the non-GIA report.

Quote

but wonder if anyone can suggest if the below look like good prices and if there are any additional considerations needed?

Cushion cut, GIA certified, 2.02ct, G, VS1 at about $18k
Cushion cut, GIA certified, 2.00ct, H, VS2 at about $16.5k
Princess cut, GIA certified, 2.15ct, H, VVS2, at just over $17k

All prices exclude sales tax.

The prices may be OK, or they may not be. For example, prices advertised on the Diamond Finder for 2.00-2.20 Princess Cut GIA H/VVS2 go between $24k and $15k. There is a reason for the difference, and it's not colour or clarity. It's cut and proportions. For cushions, the difference in looks can be even more dramatic. Ignore colour in the next few photos, and just focus on the pattern of cut, the outline of the girdle and the length/width proportions.

This is a cushion:


This is a cushion:


This is a cushion:


This is a cushion:


And the photos above only represent some of the possible choices. You may like squarer or more elongated stones; more or less rounded outlines and corners (from almost oval to almost rectangular); more or less "busy" or "chunky" facet patterns. There is however no way of knowing what the two stones you picked look like without at least a few good quality photos and ideally seeing the stone in person. Similarly, there is no way to tell whether they are priced more or less fairly. They are in the range - but for example the H/VS2 is close to the top of the range, while the G/VS1 is close to the bottom. I would correspondingly expect the H/VS2 to be cut better.

Quote

Does the difference between G and H matter much? And is there a big difference between VVS2 down to VS2?

The colour difference will hardly be visible in a well cut diamond, but in any case is purely a matter of personal preference. The difference in clarity - with some very rare exceptions - will only be visible with a loupe. I would not

Quote

I am also trying to understand how much setting such a diamond should cost? I gather less for a tiffany's style than ornate, but wonder if anyone can help on that, regarding what to do and what to avoid. And whether you are just better off with a diamond set in a ring.
Please let me know any contact details (I gather PM does not work) or please reply here as I could really use a little help. Thanks in advance!

Regards
Rini

Setting price: how long is a piece of string? We offer semi-mount settings ranging from from below $500:


To nearly $8000:


To custom work costing over $20,000 just for the setting:


I would suggest that you focus on finding:

1. A dealer(s) that you can work with. VERY important, particularly if you want to buy a non-round-cut.
2. A stone(s) that you love
3. A setting that works well with the stone you choose and doesn't break your (his) budget.

in this precise order.

I don't understand your last question about "whether you are just better off with a diamond set in a ring".

[Megan@UnionDiamond]

First off, congratulations on your impending engagement! Davide has made some excellent points so far but I thought i'd add my 2 cents.

GIA is the most accurate and consistent grading lab followed closely by AGS. WIth GIA you can take comfort in the knowledge that you are getting exactly what you are paying for, which in a 2 ct stone is no small thing.

I cannot comment on the pricing, but there is a saying that you are only getting a good deal if it is exactly what you want. With that said you need to think about exactly the type of cut you want, cushion or princess. If you decide cushion, then there are more choices.

Cushions vary greatly with regards to proportions and cutting styles. Cutting styles tend to fall into two catagories, the "crushed ice" look and the "chunky" facet look. Which one you choose comes down entirely to personal preference as they are both lovely. Then you need to decide which proportions you like. Do you want a more square look? Or would you prefer a more elongated style? My advice would be to choose a jeweler that has a lot of experience with cushions. They will know just where to look and just what questions to ask to find your perfect stone.

As far as color goes, unless you are highly color sensitive, you won't really be able to tell the difference between a G and an H. They are both near-colorless on the scale. And the differences between the clarity grades should not be visible either. That is, unless you have super human vision.

For the setting, as Davide said, there is a huge range. We sell everything from Tiffany style mountings starting at $299 all the way up to ornate custom settings. Price will also vary by metal choice. We can make our rings in either white gold, yellow gold, platinum, or palladium. When you asked if you would be better off with a diamond set in a ring, I take it that you meant a pre-set ring? If that is the case I would generally advise against it. While pre-set jewelry is lovely, there is a ton of variability with cushions, and half the fun of this process is being able to choose your diamond, the one that speaks to you. This is a ring, and a stone, that you will wear for the rest of your life, and it should be perfect.

[Rini]

Wow - thank you, Davide - I really appreciate your help on this! Thank you so much for taking so much time to write such a detailed reply. You are kind and very helpful.

I read up at GoodOldGold and saw exactly what you were talking about. Cut is king. I see what you mean in that I really need to at the very least see the images of the diamond, if I am to buy on an exchange. It would be ideal to see the diamond, as you mention. I am looking at diamonds here in London and it's very difficult to find much that is even close in price of those in Europe or in the Americas. On this basis, we are prepared to travel to purchase the diamond - is this realistic? I am finding that a lot of jewellers take around a month to make a ring. Hence, I have to commit to buying a diamond I have not seen (putting a deposit on the ring and going to pick it up once made), or go and see the diamond, check that it's right, and then come back later to pick up the ring. For Europe, this is feasible, for America not so much (as it's just prohibitively expensive to travel there twice).

I do apologise for the poor phrasing, I did mean that should I look to buy a diamond and then get it set. Or should I buy a set diamond in a ring? Is buying a diamond and then getting it set too great a project to take on as a newbie. (I am thorough though!)

I noticed that on Diamonds by Lauren, you mainly have coloured diamonds. Do you also have colourless diamonds? If so, perhaps I can take this conversation offline to discuss with you further.

Regards
Rini xx

Edited by Rini, 10 September 2011 - 02:35 AM.

[Rini]

Thank you to you, too, Megan! I am so overwhelmed by the kindness of people to help.

I was not aware of your organisation, so am most grateful for your reply as it offers another avenue to investigate!

I had a look at your website and the diamonds are within the range that I'm after, but I can't really get a good handle of what they look like. Do you have any additional images of the diamonds available? (I notice that GoodOldGold have a wide range of pictures and Davide has some really close-up images and wondered if Union Diamond have such detail available.)

For your settings, do you go above 1ct settings? I cannot see anything on the website that is over this size.

Thanks again to both you and Davide!

Regards
Rini

[davidelevi]

Hi Rini, I think coming over to the US for choosing or picking up the ring is perfectly feasible. Cost-wise, it needn't cost the Earth either, particularly if you plan to do some serious (but needed) shopping: what you save on buying clothes or electronics is generally enough to pay for the £400/head per flight, never mind the diamond. Main thing is to plan travel in advance (about a month), and with some flexibility around dates so you can get cheap fares.

Much of what you need to do in terms of "pre-selecting" stones, designing the ring etc. can be done on-line with the help of good photos and video.

We do offer a selection of white stones, including many cushions. At the moment we have no stock that fits your requirements directly, but give us a call on +1 212 382 3770 or send me an email and we'll find the right stone for you.

On choice between a pre-made ring and "make your own", I'm firmly on the side of make your own. It's not more expensive (usually less), and it's a lot more fun!

[Rini]

Hi Davide!

Thank you so much - I will be sending you an email shortly and hope to find something that is suitable

I figured you are based in Switzerland based on your profile, but travel to the US is an option if it's just one occasion (not once to choose the diamond and once to pick up the ring!).

So I can see that you are, of course, right that as long as you have enough information and someone you can trust it is possible to undertake the process remotely. Hence there is no reason not to go to where the price and quality may be most competitive.

Rini

davidelevi, on 10 September 2011 - 08:24 AM, said:

Hi Rini, I think coming over to the US for choosing or picking up the ring is perfectly feasible. Cost-wise, it needn't cost the Earth either, particularly if you plan to do some serious (but needed) shopping: what you save on buying clothes or electronics is generally enough to pay for the £400/head per flight, never mind the diamond. Main thing is to plan travel in advance (about a month), and with some flexibility around dates so you can get cheap fares.

Much of what you need to do in terms of "pre-selecting" stones, designing the ring etc. can be done on-line with the help of good photos and video.

We do offer a selection of white stones, including many cushions. At the moment we have no stock that fits your requirements directly, but give us a call on +1 212 382 3770 or send me an email and we'll find the right stone for you.

On choice between a pre-made ring and "make your own", I'm firmly on the side of make your own. It's not more expensive (usually less), and it's a lot more fun!

Edited by Rini, 11 September 2011 - 02:53 AM.

[Megan@UnionDiamond]

Thank you for the kind words!



To answer your questions, we are at times able to get additional images upon request, but it would depend on what the stock number of the diamond was. Also, yes, all of our settings fit diamonds larger than 1 carat. The sample carat size used on the website photos is usually between 1.25 and 1.75, but those are just stock photos.



I hope this has been helpful!

[Rini]

Absolutely - I appreciate all your kind help. I will be in touch with you and Davide shortly to let you know some possible specifications for some diamonds and settings.

Apologies for the delay on my part.


Rini x