Emerald engagement ring?

[valeria101]

Date: 2/16/2005 4:30:52 PM
Author: macrac

He was saying that it's rare for him to get a small stone (under 75 points) w/ a 'certified' grading report.

The guy mentioned his lack of trust for some graders (EGL especially) ...

He basically said I'd get an honest grading from them.

Yeah... it happens. I only see diamonds below half a carat with papers online. The paper might just help with the trust factor. "On the ground" jewelry shops would sell whatever they consider "small" stones without paper.

Right or wrong, the same message about EGL is to be found all over this forum. Including the "Lab Survey" in the Pricescope Diamond Journal (that's a report about several stones that have been graded both by GIA and EGL for the sake of comparing Labs' performance).

I would not get too scared by such sales policy off the bat. But... I do not know the shop you are talking about in particular - you do. Perhaps they could obtain a GIA graded diamond if you insisted.

 

[movie zombie]

RE:

This may be wrong, but I think bezels just add contrast: and that in turn brings up color and brilliance if they are there. Better stuff looks better than in prongs and worse allot worse. Lack of saturation lets metal color show through, overly dark tone gets black, deep cut pieces get dark when sunk into the metal box. Perhaps hazy clarity (like the silk in sapphire and splinel) looks better in bezels than prongs. I don''t think light tone would be favored off the bat: pastel colors get lost in the strong contrast and metal color.


this is extremely useful info, ana/valeria 101 ! it makes sense to me but i''m not an expert.......but i''m going to use this as a guideline in my stone search.

i had someone very experienced tell me something similar: that if i had a good stone and put in a bezel [or sunk it into the band] there would not be a problem. i had someone less experienced tell me what a waste to bezel a stone.

i am rather hard on jewelery even though i wear large rings on my small hands and if i''m going to spend the kind of $$$ i''m thinking about on a ring, i want to wear it and know its going to hold up and be protected.

and re our lucky emerald [and now diamond] shopper: i really like the idea of the smaller diamond with side emeralds being protected by a semi-bezel...any pictures you can post?

peace, movie zombie

 

[macrac]

Date: 2/16/2005 6

5:32 PM
Author: movie zombie

and re our lucky emerald [and now diamond] shopper: i really like the idea of the smaller diamond with side emeralds being protected by a semi-bezel...any pictures you can post?

I showed him the picture below, but what I want to do will be a bit different. We will be combining it and another 3 stone ring he has (design wise) to make one where the center stone is the same level as the emeralds, and more flush with the ring.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 2/16/2005 6:5:32 PM
Author: movie zombie

i really like the idea of the smaller diamond with side emeralds being protected by a semi-bezel...any pictures you can post?

Sort of related...

edited to add: Macrac, the setting idea sounds really promissing

Can't wait to see the result!

 

[macrac]

A quick question about buying diamonds online. If they guy has been working w/ me on the price of a setting and the emeralds, should I be hesitant to get the diamond from another source (assuming I don't like what he has to offer)? What should I expect in this situation?

BTW, I really like the bottom left one, valeria101. Something similar (w/ less side stones of course) would be really nice.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 2/16/2005 6:58:47 PM
Author: macrac

If they guy has been working w/ me on the price of a setting and the emeralds, should I be hesitant to get the diamond from another source (assuming I don''t like what he has to offer?

Well... the jeweler will be loosing some money - perhaps a relevant % of their profit on the entire task. I doubt they''d be enthusiastic, honestly.

The pink ring comes from Art of Platinum - sure you''ve seen the "fan club" of Leon Meje on "Show Me the Ring" !

 

[macrac]

Date: 2/16/2005 7

7:24 PM
Author: valeria101


Well... the jeweler will be loosing some money - perhaps a relevant % of their profit on the entire task. I doubt they'd be enthusiastic, honestly.

Yeah, that makes sense. So what do you suggest if he can't get a stone that I'm happy with? I guess I may be worrying too much about gradings and official "cut quality", but it's hard to ignore these things when this site puts so much weight on them (especially cut).

What are my options for determining the polish and symmetry of the stone?

Sorry for all the questions. Life is so much simpler when your ignorant to these details.

 

[movie zombie]

Date: 2/16/2005 6:25:52 PM
Author: macrac

Date: 2/16/2005 6

5:32 PM
Author: movie zombie

and re our lucky emerald [and now diamond] shopper: i really like the idea of the smaller diamond with side emeralds being protected by a semi-bezel...any pictures you can post?

I showed him the picture below, but what I want to do will be a bit different. We will be combining it and another 3 stone ring he has (design wise) to make one where the center stone is the same level as the emeralds, and more flush with the ring.

ana, this is really a nice setting!

macrac, this is really classy and practical looking...and will be even more so with the center stone level with the emeralds!

i do hope you will post the final design.

peace, movie zombie

 

[movie zombie]

i''m with macrac re the left pink ring! what a stunner!

peace, movie zombie

ps macrac, yes, it is hard to just settle once we''ve been given some information. i''ve read on other threads in my research here on pricescope that there are some jewelers who will refuse to set a stone if they know you got it from someone else. it was suggested that a ''white lie'' such as "i inherited it" or something along those lines would be appropriate to get what you want. however, it sort of goes against my grain to think of starting off the creating of such an important ring with so much symboloic meaning with a lie...sort of karma thing for me, i think.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 2/16/2005 7:21:50 PM
Author: macrac


I guess I may be worrying too much about gradings and official ''cut quality'', but it''s hard to ignore these things when this site puts so much weight on them (especially cut).

What are my options for determining the polish and symmetry of the stone?

As much as I know...

#1. "Official" cut grading keeps changing with the seazon. I''d pay attention to optics allright since diamons are meant to sparkle, but not nearly as much to official grades. For what it''s worth, the respectable institutions couldn''t even get to agree on cut grades - they are under allot more commercial preassure to tweack their judgement than you are.

#2. Polish and symmetry might show a little tiny bit if they get as "bad" as "fair" in GIA terms. Even GIA seems to agree, since this is also the conclusion of their recent cut study (some of the conclusions were posted by Garry and the Gang in the "pricescope Journal" - there''s a table with exactly this data on page #10). Meaning... you will not get an ugly stone if polish and symmetry are not "ideal" or something, and... on the other hand, it is impossible to "grade" these bootleg because the details are so darn subtle.

I wouldn''t obsess allot over a cert unless really set on D, VVS. It would be taugh to tell those in person. On the other hand, if G/H, VS are just fine and the seller trustworthy... why not go for it. Optical symmetry (=really symmetric facet pattern-nothing more complicated than that) will show under magnification and IdealScope. The same tool dissects optics well, and thus the most important feature of cut quality gets covered. Color can be compared with lab graded stones in the shop. Clarity can at least be reality checked under 10X (ok, you might not tell Vs1 from VS2 - but if that''s cloudy with inclusions you will know to run and never look back, believe me

). Further detail (beyond what a good look shows that is) is just a pricing factor. It may be worth running a search in Pricescope''s database to see what grades fir the weight and shape and price. Just for reality checking: this you could do right now, no ?

Ultimately, I would ask the seller to have the diamond graded by a lab (it may take a week or more and cost a bit). If they do their grading well, one grade bias is to be expected (even labs do not guarantee total accuracy - they say "up to half a grade"). That doesn''t affect the price allot - so... once the jeweler knows you know this, why should they be upset ? Another idea would be to ask if they would agree with the intervention of an appraiser.... but then, I don''t know the appraised around there either.

Hope some of this makes sense. Not that it isn''t the greatest idea to go for a GIA cert and no other. But that still leaves allot of need to trust the jeweler. So... trust it is

Well, I am not an expert at all either.


Just one more thing though: it seems that every diamond seller around PS gets diamonds on memo, and those have certs. The exercise costs a bit, so the price may go up compared to the non-lab-graded stone that the jeweler already holds in stock. But... it can''t be as bad for them as your buying a diamond from somewhere else, no ? Would you aks about this ?

 

[jorman]

Just one little comment before you make your purchase.
Are you certain she wants an emerald or an "emerald cut" diamond??!!?
I would hate for you to search for the perfect emerald for your sweet heart and then find out she wanted the perfect emerald cut diamond...
Just something to think about.