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Alternatives to $6k Tacori setting (first time poster)

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steveinsac2

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jul 31, 2017
Messages
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Hi everyone,

Starting to dive into some of my own research now that my GF and I have done some preliminary shopping at retail stores. I've been very impressed with this site and I'm hoping you can help out a "newbie".

It's her (and my) second marriage, and she wants a ring that's quite different than her first (solitaire) ring. The good news - my GF has fallen in love with a setting. The bad news - it's this $6k Tacori:
https://www.whiteflash.com/engageme...nt-graduated-diamond-engagement-ring-2543.htm

I was originally hoping I'd spend about $10k total for a ring, and hoped to get a high quality stone in the 1.0 - 1.5c range. Intuitively, I figured I would likely spend the bulk of my $$ on the stone, but if I go with this setting, given that Tacori dealers don't "discount", I'm looking at either going above budget on overall ring price or sacrificing the size or quality of the stone.

So my primary question is - can you recommend alternatives to Tacori settings that might get me down to $2k-$4k on a setting, leaving me with more like $6k-$8k for a stone? Or are they so unique that I'm better off to stay with the setting she loves and either up my budget or get a smaller / lower quality stone?

FYI - she is petite - 4.75 ring size. The unique things she likes about the setting are the "tapering" of the channel, the "ropes" that line the channel, and of course the unique way the crescent looks like from the side. And the stone doesn't sit too high which is we think best for her smaller fingers. We found a Ritani setting that was somewhat similar but nothing really compared to this Tacori setting.

One other question I'd have - if I go with this setting, would something other than a round stone look good, and would that be a way to save some money? Perhaps a cushion cut?

Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer!
Steve
 
To be honest, I'd be inclined to just talk to her. Tell her that you are happy to get that exact setting, but it will mean about a .7-.8 carat center (likely significantly smaller than she tried on with that setting). Or, you can put most of your budget into a diamond and get about 1.1-1.3 carats and you can upgrade to the setting in the future (5-year ana!). If she chooses the smaller stone, go back and look at that setting with a .7 carat diamond. Unless a petite version is available, I think it will overwhelm the stone. If she chooses a larger diamond, then spend some time looking for a setting that feels different from her first. While you are talking, have her look at JewelsbyGrace to see if she likes antique cuts (make sure to click on the video links and see them in motion).

Round diamonds are the easiest to buy online/by the numbers and there are a lot of choices. Ovals and marquise give the best face-up size by weight (but it can take a lot of searching to find on with the look you want and in budget). Cushions face-up small for their weight. The way to get a 'deal' on a diamond is to buy pre-loved or antique.
 

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I agree with the others that you need to talk to her first before making any decision. An oval shape stone would face up bigger but I dont think it will
"fit" the setting. There are 2 settings at JA that are tappered but they dont have all the fancy work on the side. You could probably have the sides i
engraved to make them more decorative but they will still be missing the cut outs. These will leave you close to $9k for the stone...

https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...r-milgrain-diamond-engagement-ring-item-49486 add engraving
https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...d-inspired-diamond-engagement-ring-item-41042 add milgrain and engraving
(beautiful setting at a great price)

The stones could be something like these...all AGS stones but there are others that may gain you a little more size.
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...pthFrom=45&DepthTo=80&TableFrom=50&TableTo=83
 
I'd take her back & show her what different sized stones will look like set in the Tacori. I fell in love with a setting, and I knew what shape diamond I wanted. The question was how big the stone should be to allow it to be the star centerpiece. My DH (then, boyfriend), and I went to the jeweler & viewed different sized stones to decide on size. Then, we had to consider budget. Fortunately, my Neil Lane setting was reasonably priced with our jeweler (other retailers sold it at a much higher price), and the diamond he chose was a true steal, so we found a true treasure. My finger is approx. a size 5.5-5.75, but my fingers swell in the humid weather, here, so I always wear a size 6 ring.
My ER has a tapered 2.0mm-1.5mm shank, and holds a 1.07ct Emerald Cut Diamond in a customized, platinum head.

IMG_0982.JPG
IMG_6948.JPG

We narrowed our options between a 0.70ct EC and the one he chose (1.07ct EC). We both determined that the stone had to be larger to avoid getting lost in the metal.
The Tacori is beautiful, and has diamonds across the shank; I have a feeling she will decide that a larger stone is necessary to make it the centerpiece of that setting. The only way to know for sure is to take her back & have her see the difference, and decide from there.
Honestly, if this were MY situation, with MY DH, and it was a matter of having a larger stone with a simple, temporary setting (and saving money), or having a smaller stone with the Tacori, I'd opt for the larger stone with a simple, temporary setting, FOR NOW, and get the Tacori, later....
Budget is budget. There is so much you could do with the money you'd save for your future. The Tacori setting will be something both of you can work toward, and something she'll have to look forward to. She may even find a different setting, between now & then, that she loves even more!
Maybe she'll surprise me, and choose a smaller diamond. That would actually solve your dilemma, and I wish you well.
Please keep us posted!
CRM :mrgreen2:
 
That setting is easily replicated and is not really anything original, and I would have it made with bead set stones rather than channel set. Use David Klass to keep your setting price as low as possible so you can spend most of the money on the stone as you had planned. Show DK that setting and get a price quote so that you'll know how much you have to spend on the diamond.
 
diamondseeker2006 said:
That setting is easily replicated and is not really anything original, and I would have it made with bead set stones rather than channel set. Use David Klass to keep your setting price as low as possible so you can spend most of the money on the stone as you had planned. Show DK that setting and get a price quote so that you'll know how much you have to spend on the diamond.
Click to expand...
This is a great idea! If you can have this setting uniquely customized, and keep the expense down, it's a win-win! I know there has to be a way of getting what she loves for less!
 
Oh, and stick with the round. Cushions may cost less, but they face up smaller than rounds, too!
 
I agree with everyone that you should have DK make that ring. I, too, had a love affair with a specific Tacori setting before I got engaged. I thought all their settings looked unbelievable -- I was obsessed.

...then I saw them in person. Extremely disappointing for most styles. Has your FF seen that setting in real life?? The ads look amazing, but most all were underwhelming in person. Seriously, I was shocked.

Save your money for the diamond, and have DK get you a quote.
 
SimoneDi said:
Lol and that ring is one of my dreams
Click to expand...

I imagine one could be done close enough to 10K. The setting might not be much of a discount over T. - but, diamonds cut to model are not that knock-off-able - not by a long shot.
 
I think DK will be less than half of the Tacori price.
 
Count me as another voice of support in reaching out to DK. Not only will his estimate likely come in much lower than the Tacori, I'm certain you'll be quite pleased with the execution of the project. His work is fabulous!
 
There's other tacori options on the site too, and I would guess with other second hand vendors, if that's what she really wants. I would assume quality is guaranteed by the brand name.
 
If she has to have tacori, you could find a deal on a new mount but...they are set with CZ so you have to buy the same size diamond to fit within that particular setting. Ebay has some good deals and overstock.com is now setting tacori mounts as well.

I agree with the others, to speak with her about the pricing on the mount and go over options together. Personally, I'd rather have a larger diamond than a designer mount. You could go with the larger diamond now and a simple mount, then upgrade to the tacori mount in the future (anniversary present).
 
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scarsmum said:
There's other tacori options on the site too, and I would guess with other second hand vendors, if that's what she really wants. I would assume quality is guaranteed by the brand name.
Click to expand...

I disagree with this... quality isn't always guaranteed by the brand name... Not saying Tacori has inferior quality, just saying that brands don't always equal quality. Speaking of Tacori... even if their "warranty" would still apply to pre-owned Tacori (which I'm thinking it would not), it is BS. If any jeweler so much as touches one of their settings, it is void. They also get to decide if they'll honor the warranty. :(

When I was going through my Tacori obsession, I did a LOT of research... Ultimately, I decided their settings weren't worth the price. After the fact, my SA at Diamonds Direct said that they can be a real pain to deal with. I believe him, as he was their #1 seller of Tacori, as well as overall, each of the 6+ years he was with them (he is no longer with DD).
 
First, I want to say I am amazed and impressed by both the amount and quality of the responses. What a great site I stumbled on during my google searches!

Second, thank you for the suggestions, especially the David Klass recommendation. I am definitely going to give him a call to see what he thinks he can do.

Third, a general response to the "you should talk to your GF (or FF - which I assume stands for "Future Fiance"?). She and I have done pretty much all of the preliminary research together. Her high-level opinion has been consistent - which is to have something that is strikingly different than the solitaire setting from her first marriage. But from there, she's been all over the map - she started out thinking she wanted a Halo setting, but she and I agreed that often the Halo setting "drowns out" the center stone, so we started looking at alternatives that have some "bling" but not so much as to drown out the center.

I am trying to keep her very involved, while also attempting to maintain some level of mystery / surprise / romanticism in the process. I think she truly loved the Tacori setting, but it had nothing to do with the name - she tried on lots of settings that day (we were in Seattle at what we thought was a Ritani dealer) and she tried on Veragio, Ritani, and Tecori. The Tacori was the winner of the day, but she also felt spending $6k on a setting was a bit much. Maybe the DK plan (which I will likely keep a secret!) is the best of both worlds - she gets her dream setting but I can get it for a price which leaves enough for me to purchase a "dream center stone".

Keep the convo going! I will keep you all posted as well.

Thank you!
 
Can you describe her first ering to us...or upload pictures. With that in our minds along with the elements of the Tacori she like, maybe we can help steer you to something that might help fit the brief.

I also recommend DK for custom work. But, I think you are well informed to get two quotes for the same setting. I like Maytal Hannah and Wink@HPD also has made some seller custom rings.
DK: https://www.instagram.com/p/BXN7FewFuMo/?taken-by=davidklassjewelry
MH: https://www.instagram.com/p/13fiZPzJ71/?taken-by=maytalhannah
Wink@HPD: https://www.pricescope.com/blog/video-creation-custom-engagement-ring-high-performance-diamonds

On budget...have a go of sharing the JewelsbyGrace site and get her reaction to old cuts. In very broad terms, there will be Old Mine Cut (OMC), Old European Cut (OEC), and Transitional (Tranny). I've linked below to examples of each. Unless she had an antique cut diamond the first time, this is a fantastic way to really help make this ring look completely different. I'm linking to these to show the general look of each cut, not really saying buy this stone as you need to settle the setting a bit more. Make sure to click on "Videos" cause these really shine when in motion.

OMC: http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/1-08ct-old-mine-cut-diamond-gia-m-vs2
OEC: http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/1-01ct-old-european-cut-diamond-gia-i-vs1 &
http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/1-41ct-old-european-cut-diamond-gia-k-vs1
Tranny: http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/1-02ct-transitional-cut-diamond-gia-k-vs1 &
http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/1-40ct-transitional-cut-diamond-gia-i-vs2
 
A fellow PSer is looking to sell an Antique Cushion ring for an amazing price. The center stone is slightly over 80pts, and it looks beautiful in photos. It's an M color, but it looks very white.
Check out the thread!

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/antique-cushion-and-emerald-cut-diamond-rings.228042/

She is one of many PSers selling their lightly worn gems! This may help you!! I never dismiss any option!
I wish you the best of luck choosing your ring!! I can't wait to see it...hand shots, please!!
:mrgreen2:
 
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