I am having trouble finding the right ring

[Addie 0]

I am engaged but I do not have my ring. My fiance told me that I can pick out the ring that I want but I am not sure about the quality of certain diamond rings.  I want a ring that isn't too expensive.  I want to go under $7000.00.  

Here are some rings that I am thinking about getting but I want to ask you all whether or not these are some good choices.

 1.  https://tvp.ag/0FIKoQ0vDk  2. https://tvp.ag/0DcO3y0vDk 3. https://tvp.ag/0FFZ5O0vDk 4.https://tvp.ag/0AhS5B0vDk  5.https://tvp.ag/0EpQip0vDk

[davidelevi 599]

Congratulations, and welcome to DiamondReview!

I would not touch any of those with a bargepole.

1. Macy's is a great retailer, but they don't specialise in jewellery.

2. The images there are CAD renderings largely to illustrate the design and relative scale; what you get will look quite different!

3. The specifications of the diamonds are for the bottom of near-colourless (I-J) to slightly tinted (K), and highly included (I2 - I3) stones. Yes, some are cheap, but you can spend about the same amount and get better quality elsewhere. Your budget is plenty to get you a good diamond in a good setting.

4. The diamonds seem to be graded in-house by Macy's - see point 1. Not all graders grade the same - while on clarity these are at the bottom of the scale anyway, colour is a big question mark and they say nothing about cut quality (as well as reserving the right to provide a diamond that is 0.05 ct less than the stated weight... which can be a pretty big deal as far as pricing is concerned).

5. While the settings are all fairly elaborate (other than the classic solitaire), they all seem to skimp on the size and the quality of the centre stone in order to have an (apparently) impressive setting with a lot of accessory stones - while I would advise you to go the other way: partly because of looks, and partly because I would not recommend settings with a lot of pavé for engagement/wedding rings that are worn 24/7

[Addie 0]

 

Thank you so much for responding.  It is hard to know what type of stones to pick and you gave some great information.  I like the look of solitaire with small stones surrounding it but I don't want a ring that will not last. You are right about the size of the stones, they are small. I will check out some retailers in my area and see what is available. The prices in my area are out of this world!   I have gone to Zales but they did not have what I wanted. 

[denverappraiser 491]

Zales is not a discount sort of place if that's what you're looking for.  Neither is Macy's. Where are you?  You've got quite a bit of room in your budget. Why did you pick those particular pieces?  

Edited December 30, 2020 by denverappraiser

[Addie 0]

I live in New Jersey.  Zales have specials sometimes but I actually liked some of the rings that I saw at Helzberg that seemed like they were made better.  I have a good budget because we are not having a big wedding so we are going to get rings that we really like.   If I can go a little under budget and still get a ring that is pretty, that would be good.

Some of the jewelers in my area have closed because of the pandemic.  I am nervous about ordering online but I have seen some pretty good reviews on some of the rings.   Do you know of some online retailers who may have good quality rings?  I picked those rings because they are popular in my area.  I have a solitaire ring that I have had for a long time and I wanted something different.  But I was told that those cluster rings do not hold up well.   

 

[davidelevi 599]

Pretty much any of the regular "trade" posters on this forum will be able to help with an online sale. Many are in New York City - whether you or they would be happy to meet physically in a store or an office to see settings and diamonds is a different matter, but it may make things a little easier.

The advertisers on the Diamond Finder https://www.diamondreview.com/diamonds are a combination of some of the largest online diamond retailers and some more boutique offerings - all are honest, and will honour a return/refund without any fuss.  Any online sale that does not guarantee 100% of the purchase price back if you want to return the piece within a few days or weeks is not worth considering.

Finally, quite a few that no longer post here or never did, but have a reputation for being honest and doing a good job in helping consumers pick a good stone and a good setting have been recommended on the forum in the past. Couple of (hopefully relevant) old threads:

 

Edited December 31, 2020 by davidelevi
broken link

[Addie 0]

Thank you so much for the resources that you posted.  I live very close to New York so this is so helpful!

[nkc 0]

Blue Nile has a lot to choose from and you can build your own ring by selecting a stone and a setting. You can buy a ring or a loose stone only if you don't like their settings. I find the website user friendly and easy to use.

The customer service is excellent and they have a 30 days return period. They also have an upgrade program but you should read the guidelines for more details if you plan to upgrade in the future.

Most importantly, their diamond specialists are salaried (no commission) and are genuinely happy to help. 

You can always come back here if you have more questions or need an expert advice.

I'm not affiliated with Blue Nile and this review is based on my own personal experience.

Diamond Search - Top Quality, Ethically Sourced | Blue Nile

Zales, Macy's and other mall jewelry stores are not good value for money in my opinion and the options are very limited.

Edited Friday at 12:15 AM by nkc