shape
carat
color
clarity

Help me keep my sanity!

bostonguy2012|1355878858|3335161 said:
The ring is NOW insured...after much pressure from my Dad to get on top of it. (I recently moved and unfortunately didn't get around to insuring it....stupid, I know.)

GIA number 2136094633

She is more of a fan of the single solitaire setting rather than the halo (which seem to be popular these days)

I think right now I am leaning towards a new setting or just waiting at least a year and then go from there. I'll know what my current financial situation is (better, worse, etc.) but we'll see....

Prices with inflation are going to catch up, a year from now you will pay much more for the diamond than today, some expect that gold can go to 3500 and slice through it like a hot knife in butter within 1.5 - 2 years.
 
well its scores a 2.3 on the HCA... do you have any pics??
 
er.jpg

This is a recent picture of her ring
 
what size is her finger??
 
Looks pretty, bright too!
 
It's lovely. It seems like you're both pretty unhappy with the stone, though. I'm getting the sense that you'd like to start again. Would finances permit you to take the 5k ONO and start again? I think that for the finger coverage she'd like, maybe a 2-carat would be best, or even 2.5. You can get a great price online with one of the PS vendors. If you trade your current stone in with BGD, JA, or WF I'm sure you'd get a good deal on a new stone. Of course, you'd have to swallow the lost money - but if you've got the money to swallow, then just cut your losses. This is such an important purchase, if you can make yuorselves happy then do it. I wasn't involved with choosing my e-ring at all and I can't say I've ever really liked it that much. It's been six years and I'm over it, but it's a pity. So if you CAN get happy, then do! And if not, I think a clever re-set might be the way to go.
 
Wow! It's actually a very pretty ring. ::)
 
Thanks!

as she just pointed out to me...since I have already asked the jeweler for my money back, it's not like i can go back to him to get it steam cleaned .... womp womp

not sure what ONO means?

I think right now we are going to wait...I have been stressing about this since she told me about what SHE noticed (not her friend) (her diamond being 'wet' looking
 
what I would do is sell it and get a stone that faces up larger, pear or marquise, and like I said yo could get massive finger coverage and sset in a nice solitaire you can get a 1.1-1.2 ct for probably only 500-1500k more out of pocket.

OR i would suggest a 3 stone, i know she likes solitaires but I bet she craves more finger coverage....this you could do under 2k. This one I like because it sits up very high making the stone larger.

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/three-stone/grace-3-stone-pears-18k-white-gold-5557w18
 
ONO is "or near offer". 5k or near offer.

You know, it may have been that the diamond was dirty. Diamonds attract the dirt. One day I noticed that mine was looking very yellow and it took a good lot of warm water and soap, and much rinsing, to get it white again. So maybe dirt could also make it look "wet".
 
It looks like a nice stone, though
 
By the way, that HCA score falls within Blue Nile's Signature Diamonds parameters, (I've seen Signature diamonds from there with much worse HCA scores.)

I've just had a look at what a GIA-certified Signature 1.25, F, SI diamond sells for on BN, and it's at least $10k, without a setting. So if you paid 12.5k, I don't think you got ripped off.
 
Smith1942|1355881279|3335196 said:
By the way, that HCA score falls within Blue Nile's Signature Diamonds parameters, (I've seen Signature diamonds from there with much worse HCA scores.)

I've just had a look at what a GIA-certified Signature 1.25, F, SI diamond sells for on BN, and it's at least $10k, without a setting. So if you paid 12.5k, I don't think you got ripped off.
Ditto!
 
Smith1942|1355881279|3335196 said:
By the way, that HCA score falls within Blue Nile's Signature Diamonds parameters, (I've seen Signature diamonds from there with much worse HCA scores.)

I've just had a look at what a GIA-certified Signature 1.25, F, SI diamond sells for on BN, and it's at least $10k, without a setting. So if you paid 12.5k, I don't think you got ripped off.

That would be very strange for Blue Nile to be selling a diamond for that much more than James Allen. Can you provide the link? A 1.3 I SI2 GIA XXX (larger than 1.25) was $7700.

I looked myself and there were no 1.25-1.3 F SI2 signature ideal stones at BN. But regardless that wouldn't be the correct category to look in. It would be the ideal cut category and there were also none between 1.25 and 1.29. The 1.3 ct stones ran from $7700+ to $8700 and that, I believe, is the credit card price, so wire is less.
 
The stone is a nice one and 1.25 cts is large in the overall scheme of things for a young couple. It is so good you didn't overpay for a bad stone! If she really desires F color and higher clarity, you will be paying a LOT! I don't think you grossly overpaid, but you paid high retail. The stone at James Allen would be around $7000-7500 and the setting would be maybe $2000. I feel like $10k would have been an okay retail jewelry store price.

I do think there is a good chance that the ring is dirty. How often does she soak it in ring cleaner or hot water and detergent and use a soft brush like a baby toothbrush to clean it? That needs to be done once a week at least for the diamond to look good. Plus it prevents gunk from getting in her setting and making the whole think look dull. Some girls here clean theirs daily, but once a week is a reasonable amount.

I'd aim at someday making this diamond into a pendant and getting a new e-ring for an anniversary. Many of us who are regulars here have e-rings that are not our original diamonds. Keep it clean and it should look fine!
 
It's totally normal to pay cash at a jewelry store - I've done it for every purchase I've ever made, except for the internet ones, and truth be told, it actually feels weirder to me to wire money than it does to walk down the street with a bulging wallet. I have fond memories of those oddly furtive trips to the bank and the brisk walk back to the jeweler's. :Up_to_something:

To the OP - "high retail" is a good term for it, but it can be worth it. Just because you mentioned maybe wanting to trade up to your guy doesn't mean you can never go back for basic maintenance. Especially if you ask him to tweak the setting instead of trading in/up altogether - somebody here mentioned a bezel, and I'd like to second that. They add a lot of size, visually, they protect the stone, and if the inclusion is only visible from the side, well ... out of sight, out of mind.

Also, another vote for frequent cleaning. I have no idea what "wet-looking" means when it comes to a diamond: if I didn't have the context of it making her think of an exchange, I'd assume it was a positive. A gleaming stone? But if it means more cloudy or fogged up ... that sounds more like gunk than poor quality. I've seen some stones that look practically frosted, because their owners never ever ever take them off to clean them.

So! Maybe take it back to the jeweler (though, me, I'd lean towards an appraiser) and clean it: then, maybe go and try on some other settings. It sounds like you did everything you could to get a good diamond for her, so now focus on doing whatever needs to be done to showcase it. And in the future, you're right, there can always be upgrades: better to re-establish a decent relationship with the original jeweler so you can get as much of your money back towards the new purchase as possible. And then you can get PS advice and check comps and have him call in stones until you're perfectly satisfied ....
 
When you trade in your ring without a trade in policy, you are usually paid scrap prices for the metal, nothing for the melee diamonds, and below wholesale for the larger diamonds. So for a diamond your size, 5k sounds right for what a jeweler would offer you. And yeah, six months sounds like way out of any return policy. So, sorry but nothing is actually shady about that.

Could your girlfriend have thought the stone appeared cloudy because it was dirty and needed to be cleaned? She needs to clean it every week and take it to a jeweler every six months for a professional cleaning. And with Si2 in that size it is likely that with close examination you could notice inclusions.

bostonguy2012|1355868543|3334998 said:
Anyways, the setting is a white gold cathedral setting (the jeweler says it's a platinum head/mount but I think he's full of it), with diamonds going up both sides.

I guess where my issue is is in the "starting over" part. I really can't afford to be shelling about several thousand dollars more for this.

I COULD "upgrade" but I refuse to with this original jeweler.

Honestly, the problem isn't the jeweler. It's either you or your fiance or both being unable to be satisfied with what you have. We all want bigger diamonds, but it's unhealthy to want it to the point that it's causing you distress. If the problem isn't the size but the setting, make sure you are ONE HUNDRED PERCENT SURE about a new setting before changing it. If the problem is that you guys don't like looking at the same ring all the time, either use a vendor with a very lenient upgrade policy (would still likely require chalking up the settings to a loss) or stick to simulant rings.

re: platinum head on white gold ring - that's very common. Any jeweler should easily be able to distinguish between the metals for you.
 
I think it's lovely! I'm not sure what wet looking means. I'd take it to mean shiny and glittery.

I think that the price wasn't terrible either. You paid retail price. A bit higher than what you'll find online, but probably the same as what you'll find in brick and mortar stores. You were smart to go with a GIA appraised diamond and when the numbers are popped into the HCA it comes back as a 2.6, not bad at all!
 
distracts|1355897477|3335348 said:
Honestly, the problem isn't the jeweler. It's either you or your fiance or both being unable to be satisfied with what you have. We all want bigger diamonds, but it's unhealthy to want it to the point that it's causing you distress. If the problem isn't the size but the setting, make sure you are ONE HUNDRED PERCENT SURE about a new setting before changing it. If the problem is that you guys don't like looking at the same ring all the time, either use a vendor with a very lenient upgrade policy (would still likely require chalking up the settings to a loss) or stick to simulant rings.

re: platinum head on white gold ring - that's very common. Any jeweler should easily be able to distinguish between the metals for you.


+1
if she didnt mind it until someone said something negative about it it sounds like she is just self conscious about it now. But it looks nice from the pictures. I still think though, some larger side stones might help.... sounds to me though she might have dss :errrr:
 
I skimmed this, so maybe I missed something, but does your girlfriend really want a different stone? Or is it you that wants to change it because you feel you got ripped off? FWIW, I don't think you got ripped off. It's also a lovely stone. Keep it clean and it should sparkle like mad. What kind of 'friend' criticizes a diamond engagement ring by commenting on the inclusions? That seems like the bigger issue here, that your girlfriend (or you) are bothered so much by one (seemingly rude) comment from someone that you'd rush out to spend $$$$ to change the diamond in order to... what, make this *other* person happy? I don't get it. Nobody has ever said anything to my face about my ring being small or crappy or anything, but if they did, you better believe that I'd be pointing out how rude their comments are and if they didn't apologize and mean it, they'd no longer be a 'friend.' If this person is really such a big deal, why not just tell them the stone has been switched out for a different one? I'd venture to bet that they wouldn't know the difference if your girlfriend said "Oh, my sweet significant other switched the stone for the same size but it's an F VS2!"
 
Hi All --

thank you all for your feedback with this. as you can imagine, and as I probably said earlier, this issue has been making me so upset.

it is definitely refreshing to know i didn't get taken, more "maybe paid a bit on the high side" but not screwed.

to be clear her friends never said a word about it...it was the fiance who said that when she took her hand out of her pocket / jacket to show them her ring (because she was asked) the ring looked foggy / dirty. I guess i wasn't clear on that...she said it reminded her of when you go inside from being outside with like glasses on and your glasses fog up / become cloudy. (does that make sense?)

i expressed the possibility of a three stone ring and she wasn't too keen on that due to the fact some of her family members have three stones and she doesn't like them. (not a knock on them, she just thinks a solitaire looks the best.)
 
Yeah ... That just sounds an awful lot like a dirty diamond. Walk into any jeweler, ask them to steam it/toss it in the ultrasonic. If that solves the problem, great! And you know what to buy for Christmas (a Jewel Jet). If not ... Back to the drawing board.
 
The ring looks gorgeous! I clean my ring very frequently (much more than once a week) , and I have both an ultrasonic and Jewel jet. I have an idea, which is to begin a new thread with a bunch of pics of her ring (profile, flowers, close-up etc) and people here will chime in with a bunch of nice comments that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy about your lovely ring!
 
Circe|1355927606|3335487 said:
Yeah ... That just sounds an awful lot like a dirty diamond. Walk into any jeweler, ask them to steam it/toss it in the ultrasonic. If that solves the problem, great! And you know what to buy for Christmas (a Jewel Jet). If not ... Back to the drawing board.

Yep, this.
 
diamondseeker2006|1355887760|3335267 said:
Smith1942|1355881279|3335196 said:
By the way, that HCA score falls within Blue Nile's Signature Diamonds parameters, (I've seen Signature diamonds from there with much worse HCA scores.)

I've just had a look at what a GIA-certified Signature 1.25, F, SI diamond sells for on BN, and it's at least $10k, without a setting. So if you paid 12.5k, I don't think you got ripped off.

That would be very strange for Blue Nile to be selling a diamond for that much more than James Allen. Can you provide the link? A 1.3 I SI2 GIA XXX (larger than 1.25) was $7700.

I looked myself and there were no 1.25-1.3 F SI2 signature ideal stones at BN. But regardless that wouldn't be the correct category to look in. It would be the ideal cut category and there were also none between 1.25 and 1.29. The 1.3 ct stones ran from $7700+ to $8700 and that, I believe, is the credit card price, so wire is less.


Hi Diamondseeker, just to satisfy your curiosity: I only looked quickly, didn't run any HCA numbers, but I looked in the Signature collection at BN because I've seen Signature diamonds with HCA scores the same as BostonGuy's ring and higher. There was a stone with his specs for about 10,700. It doesn't seem to be there now. But anyway, I looked up this one in the 7k range in the Ideal section, approx one and a quarter carats, F, SI2, and the HCA score is high. Like this, which is a 4.3:

http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?filter_id=0&pt=sig#diamonds_pid=LD02963643

But having said that, you're right, there are others in the 7k range which do actually come out at 2.2 - 2.3. Bit of a lottery if you don't know much about diamonds, which is why you pay more to get a reputable jeweller get you a stone than if you'd acted alone online. And he also has a diamond-encrusted setting. I don't think he did too badly at all for his money - the diamond could have come out at a 4 or 5 on the HCA. Yes, with the savvy Pricescope, he probably could have got a better deal online. But hindsight is just a wonderful thing, and I don't think he got ripped off by the physical store at all.
 
It's a beautiful ring, but I can see why she is craving more finger coverage. I would not get a new stone, I would just opt for a re-set. I think a plain metal solitaire with 6 prongs tends to look bigger than a 4 prong pave solitaire. I know you said you and she are not halo fans, but I really think a halo would look amazing! The stone is a great size though, and it looks well cut to me.
 
Circe|1355927606|3335487 said:
Yeah ... That just sounds an awful lot like a dirty diamond. Walk into any jeweler, ask them to steam it/toss it in the ultrasonic. If that solves the problem, great! And you know what to buy for Christmas (a Jewel Jet). If not ... Back to the drawing board.

This. My diamond gets dirty very quickly and I don't wear it 24/7. I cleaned it 2 days ago and was just checking it out under a loupe. It's dirty again, and when it gets dirty is goes very foggy. I think I was running my hands through my hair earlier so it probably has hair gel on it's underside. Yuck.

Clean the ring and that may fix most of the foggy problem.
 
If she was happy until she showed it to that friend and thought it looked funny, then all this worry is over a dirty ring!!!! Clean it and clean it every few days and then there won't be a problem! Very cheap solution!!!
 
diamondseeker2006|1355948652|3335850 said:
If she was happy until she showed it to that friend and thought it looked funny, then all this worry is over a dirty ring!!!! Clean it and clean it every few days and then there won't be a problem! Very cheap solution!!!

YEAH! Man, if people just kept buying diamonds every time theirs was dirty, the diamond industry would be doing a LOT better!!! My goodness, warm water, dish soap and a soft bristled toothbrush. Obviously, doing this will save you thousands!!!! It's a gorgeous ring! If your girl likes it, then leave it the way it is and just learn to clean it! Nobody pays enough to have their diamonds looking like brand new on their own!
 
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