Harry Winston vs Blue nile HELP!

[dramaqueen]

Hello I'm new here, and I really need your opinion My DH just bought me a 2Ct diamond ring in blue nile, it cost 35,500.00 the characteristics are: F color, Vs2, polish and symmetry excellent 2.11 carats, culet and florescense none, so as you can see it's an excellent diamond same quality as HW , but I've always wanted a harry winston so as soon as I receive it I went to HW in costa mesa, Matthew was really nice with us show me my options on harry winston on my budget and what I can afore with the 35500.00 is at the most 1.49 on the cushion cut. so I need opinions should I just get over to my HW dream and have a bigger diamond that doesn't show any difference in person as Matthew let me compare it physically with the blue nile and they look exactly the same, and then I read here a post of 2004 and another of 2006 that they received 30% discount does anybody knows if this still happens in the present?? thanks!!!
here are some pics of my bluenile ring

 

[dramaqueen]

 

[dramaqueen]

 

[MaximusCruiser]

It's a gorgeous looking ring!

I am not one for brands... especially if the price difference is so great. But I can also understand that if it was something you have to wear for a long long time, you ought to be totally happy doing so.

However, your question is impossible for others to answer. Ultimately, you will not be happy until you get your Harry Winston, but you will also not be happy to settle for a rock that much smaller. So it is a question of which is more important for you, and is totally subjective.

For what it is worth, I will stick with the ring you have.

Good luck.

 

[Niel]

This forum is not heavily brand conscious.

Most would take a nice larger stone over a smaller branded one any day.

Keep the big one. You'd be sad I think going down in ct after you've had this large of a stone on your hand.


Buy your wedding band (bands?) From HW if you've really got that itch. That's what I'd do. That ring is classic and stunning on your tiny hands! Has much more impact than a small cushion would, and people won't know where your ring is from anyways.

 

[AprilBaby]

Do your friends really care if its Harry Winston? Is your social circle brand conscious? I would rather have your current ring and like Neil said, get a HW wedding band.

 

[astar11]

Can you post the specs on the cert from bluenile? Do you have the specs for HW?

 

[Smith1942]

How do you feel about the size difference? How much does it bother you? 1.49 is still a sizeable stone. Personally I would keep the Blue NIle - however, that is only my own opinion and I'm not the one who has to wear it!

I have some jewellery from Tiffany in the gold and platinum lines that's very dainty but I feel really good wearing it, knowing it's from such a luxurious brand and is very well-made, etc. When I wear those items, I really feel as if I'm "stepping out"! It gives a lift to my day. Does the idea of a Harry Winston stone give you that feeling? If so, perhaps you should get the HW stone.

On the other hand, the BN stone is really impressive and looks absolutely beautiful.

It's a toughie!

I think that if you decide to keep the BN ring, getting your wedding band from HW is a great idea. And/or, you could always consider HW for other purchases in the future, like an eternity ring, or diamond pendant, or diamond studs.

 

[LLJsmom]

This forum is not heavily brand conscious.

Most would take a nice larger stone over a smaller branded one any day.

Keep the big one. You'd be sad I think going down in ct after you've had this large of a stone on your hand.


Buy your wedding band (bands?) From HW if you've really got that itch. That's what I'd do. That ring is classic and stunning on your tiny hands! Has much more impact than a small cushion would, and people won't know where your ring is from anyways.

+1 !! I bought my ring from BN. Mine is a 2.59 F, VS1, with fluor, and I LOVE it. At a branded high end retailer I would have only been able to afford half the size. Your DH did a fabulous job with the research and bought you a super high quality ring, and did NOT compromise on any aspect. I am sooo impressed!! So true about what Niel said. You'll definitely miss the size going down by over half a carat. And the cushion from HW won't be a sparkly as you MRB, I think, just by virtue of the type of cut. Not knocking HW. Now if you were talking about an AVC, , I wouldn't dare to say...

Get the band from HW. Also a smart suggestion from Niel. And wear that BN ring for a while. See how seeing that rock on your finger feels. You've got 30 days. See if you come to love it. Let us know how it goes!!

 

[dramaqueen]

hello again, thanks for the help, I have been looking at my ring and the diamond is simply beautiful what I'm not totally sure is the setting I think is beautiful and classic but I'm not a classic girl, I like fashion and more of a contemporary type, I really like the halo settings but Bluenile only does that for a act diamond on a special order and if you don't like it you can't recover the money for the setting so is a turn off and I don't know i f I want to risk my diamond and leave it with another jeweler I'm not an expert on this subject but is possible that someone will just replace it ah??!!

 

[msop04]

This forum is not heavily brand conscious.

Most would take a nice larger stone over a smaller branded one any day.

Keep the big one. You'd be sad I think going down in ct after you've had this large of a stone on your hand.


Buy your wedding band (bands?) From HW if you've really got that itch. That's what I'd do. That ring is classic and stunning on your tiny hands! Has much more impact than a small cushion would, and people won't know where your ring is from anyways.

+1 !! I bought my ring from BN. Mine is a 2.59 F, VS1, with fluor, and I LOVE it. At a branded high end retailer I would have only been able to afford half the size. Your DH did a fabulous job with the research and bought you a super high quality ring, and did NOT compromise on any aspect. I am sooo impressed!! So true about what Niel said. You'll definitely miss the size going down by over half a carat. And the cushion from HW won't be a sparkly as you MRB, I think, just by virtue of the type of cut. Not knocking HW. Now if you were talking about an AVC, , I wouldn't dare to say...

Get the band from HW. Also a smart suggestion from Niel. And wear that BN ring for a while. See how seeing that rock on your finger feels. You've got 30 days. See if you come to love it. Let us know how it goes!!

This!

As far as social circles go, I will say this about brand names and having to give up size... When I see any diamond, I see quality and size. I have never once seen a smaller Cartier/Tiffany/HW/[insert brand name here] on a friend's hand and wished that I could trade mine for it. I have, however, seen a big honkin' "generic" diamond and nearly drooled on myself because I lusted after it so...

True story... well, sort of.

 

[Niel]

If you don't like it return it. I STILL don't like the idea of going HW, but there's more than the two options you've presented.


You could get a HW style halo done by a master bench, pick out exactly the diamond you want, and there for get both the size and setting you want.


Personally I wouldn't pick between a smaller diamond or a setting you don't want.

 

[msop04]

hello again, thanks for the help, I have been looking at my ring and the diamond is simply beautiful what I'm not totally sure is the setting I think is beautiful and classic but I'm not a classic girl, I like fashion and more of a contemporary type, I really like the halo settings but Bluenile only does that for a act diamond on a special order and if you don't like it you can't recover the money for the setting so is a turn off and I don't know i f I want to risk my diamond and leave it with another jeweler I'm not an expert on this subject but is possible that someone will just replace it ah??!!

Is the HW not the classic solitaire setting?
Can't you simply return the setting and keep the stone? I'd send it to SK or VC for a bad*** setting! ...and I wouldn't worry too much about leaving it with a reputable jeweler -- people do it every day.

 

[dramaqueen]

I just saw your avatar picture and that's the exactly setting I want can you tell the specs on your ring??

 

[dramaqueen]

BTW it was for msop04 your avatar picture and that's the exactly setting I want can you tell the specs on your ring??

LOL I'm new here so I don't have a lot of Idea on how to answer.

 

[distracts]

I don't know i f I want to risk my diamond and leave it with another jeweler I'm not an expert on this subject but is possible that someone will just replace it ah??!!

Highly, HIGHLY unlikely that a jeweler will swap out your stone.

 

[kmarla]

Ahhh, just lost my post when I pressed submit!! I'll start again. It's scary to think about leaving your diamond with a jeweler, but people do it all the time to have settings changed, repaired etc. Your jeweler will look at your diamond with you under a microscope and verify the laser inscribed GIA or AGS number and plot the inclusions with you before you leave it and will do the same when you get it back so don't worry too much about that. It's the way it's done in the jewelry profession but it's normal to be worried about such an important and expensive item. Lots of great jewelers can do a HW type setting for you and people here will be happy to help with recommendations. I think you can have the best of both worlds by keeping your gorgeous diamond but changing the setting to one that is more you. Good luck!!

 

[msop04]

BTW it was for msop04 your avatar picture and that's the exactly setting I want can you tell the specs on your ring??

LOL I'm new here so I don't have a lot of Idea on how to answer.

Sure thing! It's a custom setting by Christopher Designs. I found the setting with the gallery/shank I wanted. The diamonds on the halo were too large for my liking, so I found another halo that I liked (on a JB Starr setting) and had CD change it to something very similar. The new halo has a double row of pave. I also had CD scale down the setting to be more delicate so that my stone would pop more, and I changed from the open Euroshank (not shown in the photo, but the store samples all had them) to a modified knife edge. This is the setting I liked to begin with:

Christopher Designs setting with the shank and gallery I loved:


JB Starr setting with halo I loved:


The final product (sorry for not-so-great phone photos!)
I love how CD make the halo a little more "angular" than the JBS...




I really like how the the band is thick where it meets the halo, but it doesn't look that way from the top due to the very delicate split shanks.

Sorry for the pic overload.

Specs:
MRB 2.43 ct.
GIA XXX
J, SI1
No fluorescence (though I'd love to have it!!)

 

[LLJsmom]

BTW it was for msop04 your avatar picture and that's the exactly setting I want can you tell the specs on your ring??

LOL I'm new here so I don't have a lot of Idea on how to answer.

Sure thing! It's a custom setting by Christopher Designs. I found the setting with the gallery/shank I wanted. The diamonds on the halo were too large for my liking, so I found another halo that I liked (on a JB Starr setting) and had CD change it to something very similar. The new halo has a double row of pave. I also had CD scale down the setting to be more delicate so that my stone would pop more, and I changed from the open Euroshank (not shown in the photo, but the store samples all had them) to a modified knife edge. This is the setting I liked to begin with:

Christopher Designs setting with the shank and gallery I loved:


JB Starr setting with halo I loved:


The final product (sorry for not-so-great phone photos!)
I love how CD make the halo a little more "angular" than the JBS...




I really like how the the band is thick where it meets the halo, but it doesn't look that way from the top due to the very delicate split shanks.

Sorry for the pic overload.

Specs:
MRB 2.43 ct.
GIA XXX
J, SI1
No fluorescence (though I'd love to have it!!)

OMG msop, Super fabulous pictures!! Thanks for the overload. LOVED it.

 

[msop04]

Thanks, LLJsmom!!

 

[dramaqueen]

OMG thanksssss for the overload is amazinggggg. I want thatttttt. Congratulations really. Is magnificent
How does it bling in person?! My husband is very eceptical .
About the cushion cut sparkle. I qlso received
Pics and info from leon mege with antique cushion cut. Do you know if u
Have that cut. Or somebody with this info?! Thanks again.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Gorgeous setting, msop!

msop's diamond is round, just like the one from BN. I would never, ever pay the mark-up for a diamond from HW, Tiffany, etc. Theirs are absolutely not better than any other excellent cut stone. Sure, return the setting. But if you like the stone, keep it and we can EASILY tell you trustworthy vendors to make the setting. Many of us here have used the following two custom ring makers and there is zero risk of sending a diamond to them, as far as I am concerned.

http://www.victorcanera.com/jewelry/engagement-rings

http://www.stevenkirsch.com/engagement/halo.html

But if you want a designer setting, then between Pearlman's and Good Old Gold, you have most of the major designer's represented. And those are totallu trustworthy jewelers, as well.

Oh, and I do have a Tiffany repro setting with a real Tiffany diamond wedding band. So I second whoever made that suggestion if you really want something from Harry Winston. I think most people are going to be far more impressed with an excellent cut 2 ct stone over a 1.5 regardless of the brand. It'd not like a purse where the brand name can be seen!

One more thing. Give us the specs off the GIA report so we can make sure the diamond is a well cut one. Do you want a round in a cushion shaped setting like msop's or do you actually want a cushion shape diamond?

 

[msop04]

OMG thanksssss for the overload is amazinggggg. I want thatttttt. Congratulations really. Is magnificent
How does it bling in person?! My husband is very eceptical .
About the cushion cut sparkle. I qlso received
Pics and info from leon mege with antique cushion cut. Do you know if u
Have that cut. Or somebody with this info?! Thanks again.

Thank you!

I don't know if you were referring to my ring, but it's a round brilliant. (sometimes ppl think it's a cushion due to the shape of the halo - best of both worlds!!) It blings quite a lot! My husband wanted me to get a 6 prong plain setting instead, so I told him that as soon as I can upgrade to that 9.5-10+mm stone, then TIFFANY REPRO, IT IS!!!

 

[msop04]

Gorgeous setting, msop!

msop's diamond is round, just like the one from BN. I would never, ever pay the mark-up for a diamond from HW, Tiffany, etc. Theirs are absolutely not better than any other excellent cut stone. Sure, return the setting. But if you like the stone, keep it and we can EASILY tell you trustworthy vendors to make the setting. Many of us here have used the following two custom ring makers and there is zero risk of sending a diamond to them, as far as I am concerned.

http://www.victorcanera.com/jewelry/engagement-rings

http://www.stevenkirsch.com/engagement/halo.html

Thanks, diamondseeker!!

OP, I agree 100% with diamondseeker here... I would never pay that much for a name. Ever. Not when you can have the same thing, if not nicer and larger, for less money.

 

[soxfan]

Gorgeous setting, msop!

msop's diamond is round, just like the one from BN. I would never, ever pay the mark-up for a diamond from HW, Tiffany, etc. Theirs are absolutely not better than any other excellent cut stone. Sure, return the setting. But if you like the stone, keep it and we can EASILY tell you trustworthy vendors to make the setting. Many of us here have used the following two custom ring makers and there is zero risk of sending a diamond to them, as far as I am concerned.

http://www.victorcanera.com/jewelry/engagement-rings

http://www.stevenkirsch.com/engagement/halo.html

Thanks, diamondseeker!!

OP, I agree 100% with diamondseeker here... I would never pay that much for a name. Ever. Not when you can have the same thing, if not nicer and larger, for less money.

10000% in agreement. WHY pay for what you can't see, and in most cases is BETTER quality? I will never understand paying for a brand name diamond. Ever.

 

[Jumpin_Jacks]

This forum is not heavily brand conscious.

Most would take a nice larger stone over a smaller branded one any day.

Keep the big one. You'd be sad I think going down in ct after you've had this large of a stone on your hand.


Buy your wedding band (bands?) From HW if you've really got that itch. That's what I'd do. That ring is classic and stunning on your tiny hands! Has much more impact than a small cushion would, and people won't know where your ring is from anyways.

Ditto

 

[GreenBling]

I have changed my setting so many times that I've lost count. The brand is gone once you change out the setting unless you are prepared to stick with a HW look forever.

 

[hearts-arrows_girl]

Oh my God! Your ring is amazing! I would definitely keep the beauty you have. Once you've worn a huge rock like that, it will be hard to move to a smaller size, even if it is HW. Then you will be posting how you wish you had your 2.11 F back. Your ring is what many girls dream of! Enjoy it!
I do love love love MSOP04's gorgeous halo. I completely vote that you keep your huge, icy white 2.11 and put it in the Halo of your dreams. No way can a 1.49 HW compare with the dazzler you will have then. Your husband will beam with pride when your friends say to him "Good job Buddy, the ring you picked out for her is over the top beautiful" she is one lucky gal to have married such a great guy"

msop04, you really are a talented designer. I loved how you were able to adjust every little detail, so that it came out perfectly and didn't over power your lovely stone. I am sure you must have an amazing eye for detail! I gotta go, I'm gonna look for more pics of your setting....must see more!

 

[dramaqueen]

hey thanks for all the info diamondseeker2006 I'll get into those links you send me, and thanks all for you help I couldn't imagine that there are so many god people trying to help in my decision and I so appreciate that,does anybody know a good jeweler to do the setting in L.A area? and about the specs on my ring here they are…
shape: round
measurements: 8:17- 8.21 X 5.09
carat weight : 2.22
color: F
clarity : VS2
cut grade: excellent
Finish polish: excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
flourecence: none
depth: 62.1%
table: 57%
gridle: medium to slightly thick

 

[dramaqueen]

diamondseeker2006 I just went into the first link and for my surprise I notice is from LA so I can actually go in person, did you make your ring there??
Mosp where did you make your ring, did you just send it? or went in person?