Need help on this Zales ering

[ks5193]

I am shopping for a 3 stone ering and came across this one at Zales:

www.zales.com/certified-princess-cut-diamond-braid-three-stone-ring-14k-white-gold/product.jsp?productId=56339706

Zales product search number : 20006912

I really like the twisted band and it is certified, however by GS laboratories. IT is available at my closest zales store at a 25% discount. So that brings it down to about $2500. Is this worth it for that money? It is a 0.5 carat center stone. What do you guys think about this? Or can I get something similar for about the same amount? OH, the one that they have in store, is actually color rated G-H (not H-I as on the website, and I personally don't see anything with the naked eye, looks eye-clean to me).

Thanks for your help!

 

[ks5193]

some problem with link but here's another try:

www.zales.com/certified-princess-cut-diamond-braid-three-stone-ring-14k-white-gold/product.jsp?productId=56339706

 

[16ocean]

I don’t know anything abt GS Labs and how stringent their certifications are . . . generally members of pricescope recommend diamonds certified by GIA or AGS Labs

this would be a nice .5 ct princess for 1,140
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-3520088.htm

but the setting would be much higher than the one you picked out
http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/three-stone/twisted-shank-princess-3-stone-engagement-ring-by-verragio-1801.htm

perhaps another member has some better leads

 

[16ocean]

so to answer your question . . . no, I don't know of a three stone princess w/ a twist up the ring for at or under the price you found.

 

[Niel]

I would not buy a zales ring. I do not think it's a "good deal" as for a replica , let me think on it

 

[PintoBean]

I would ask IDJeweley for a quote for this setting for a princess cut. Also, you can show the inspiration setting as well and request a quote for creating a similar setting.

http://idjewelry.com/engagement-rings/3-stone-rings/14k-white-gold-diamond-3-stones-engagement-ring-10751.html

And ask for the best princess cut center that would fit the balance of the $2500 budget.

Post the stats of the center stone for some feedback.

 

[Niel]

Any chance you'd take a round? Or save the twisty part for the wedding band?

 

[MollyMalone]

If you are in a hurry, so going custom with IDJ doesn't seem feasible & if the twist matters more to you than the 3-stone aspect, Blue Nile offers its Infinity Twist Micropave setting for princess stones (their other twist setting is available only for rounds); current price is $1170 for 14K white gold. You could pair that with one of their Signature Ideal princess stones -- all of which are accompanied by GIA reports -- in the $1400 price range & end up with a roughly .50 ct (possibly more, depending on the other parameters) center stone of true GIA-graded G, H, or I color, plus better, true GIA clarity than what's in the Zales ring.
http://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/diamond-engagement-ring-14k-white-gold_21482

The Infinity Twist isn't a very graceful setting imo. But I bet it's better made than the Zales setting. Is the center stone of the ring at your local Zales really a true 1/2 carat; in the listing, Zales has a (hidden) disclaimer that tells you the center stone may actually end up being .43 ct.

 

[Mayk]

Please don't buy from Zales! Let's these prosumers help you! You will not be disappointed!

 

[krismarch]

I understand all the points other posters are making, but I would still buy it.

-You have seen it in person, included stones and all, and liked everything about it
-It fits in your price range and comparable styles will run much higher
-The discount knocks off some of the chain store markup

As far as the tech specs of diamonds, there are much more precious stones out there than the ones in this ring. From reading your post though, it doesn't sound like you care. It's your style, it's your price and your eye liked how the diamonds looked. I know that this is a forum of diamond lovers, but that doesn't mean you have to be pressured to be. This ring is not a fine glass of champagne, but some people just love a really great beer. It's a beautiful ring, I don't think you will find a comparable ring online, and I think you will love it.

 

[16ocean]

I would not buy a zales ring. I do not think it's a "good deal" as for a replica , let me think on it

Niel . . . can find some "true gems"
with your budget you could get:
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/0.73-carat-h-color-vs2-clarity-sku-439129
set in a solitaire

and then get a braid or twist for the wedding band

Has your future fiancee seen the ring? Does she like it too?

 

[16ocean]

If you are in a hurry, so going custom with IDJ doesn't seem feasible & if the twist matters more to you than the 3-stone aspect, Blue Nile offers its Infinity Twist Micropave setting for princess stones (their other twist setting is available only for rounds); current price is $1170 for 14K white gold. You could pair that with one of their Signature Ideal princess stones -- all of which are accompanied by GIA reports -- in the $1400 price range & end up with a roughly .50 ct (possibly more, depending on the other parameters) center stone of true GIA-graded G, H, or I color, plus better, true GIA clarity than what's in the Zales ring.
http://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/diamond-engagement-ring-14k-white-gold_21482

The Infinity Twist isn't a very graceful setting imo. But I bet it's better made than the Zales setting. Is the center stone of the ring at your local Zales really a true 1/2 carat; in the listing, Zales has a (hidden) disclaimer that tells you the center stone may actually end up being .43 ct.

another very good option

I don't know how but I have read abt some members getting additional discounts(abt $100.00) when they asked or signed up for something from both blue nile and james allen

best of luck w/ your search!

 

[Niel]

Ga, I just can't agree with the ones who say buy it. You don't even know what you're buying, based on who the cert came from. You could, and Mort likely are, overpaying for that. It most likely isn't well cut, and if that's the case, the sparkle will be

If I doesn't sparkle, why even buy a diamond?

 

[tyty333]

I understand all the points other posters are making, but I would still buy it.

-You have seen it in person, included stones and all, and liked everything about it
-It fits in your price range and comparable styles will run much higher
-The discount knocks off some of the chain store markup

As far as the tech specs of diamonds, there are much more precious stones out there than the ones in this ring. From reading your post though, it doesn't sound like you care. It's your style, it's your price and your eye liked how the diamonds looked. I know that this is a forum of diamond lovers, but that doesn't mean you have to be pressured to be. This ring is not a fine glass of champagne, but some people just love a really great beer. It's a beautiful ring, I don't think you will find a comparable ring online, and I think you will love it.

A lot of times these rings sparkle just fine at the jewelry store but outside of jewelry store lighting...dull.

I agree that you may not need top of the line ACA, BGD stones but at least get something decent that she can treasure and
love for years.

James Allen has a twisted band...
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/14k-white-gold-twin-pave-cross-over-diamond-engagement-ring-item-49496
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/14k-white-gold-twisted-pave-shank-contemporary-solitaire-item-6859

Stones
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/0.60-carat-i-color-vs1-clarity-sku-439213
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/0.61-carat-h-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-606740

BTW, are you the guy or girl?

 

[ks5193]

If you are in a hurry, so going custom with IDJ doesn't seem feasible & if the twist matters more to you than the 3-stone aspect, Blue Nile offers its Infinity Twist Micropave setting for princess stones (their other twist setting is available only for rounds); current price is $1170 for 14K white gold. You could pair that with one of their Signature Ideal princess stones -- all of which are accompanied by GIA reports -- in the $1400 price range & end up with a roughly .50 ct (possibly more, depending on the other parameters) center stone of true GIA-graded G, H, or I color, plus better, true GIA clarity than what's in the Zales ring.
http://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/diamond-engagement-ring-14k-white-gold_21482

The Infinity Twist isn't a very graceful setting imo. But I bet it's better made than the Zales setting. Is the center stone of the ring at your local Zales really a true 1/2 carat; in the listing, Zales has a (hidden) disclaimer that tells you the center stone may actually end up being .43 ct.

ID jewelry has some great looking 3 stone settings. I could definitely extend my budget some more comfortably if I needed to.
Im not in a rush. I have about over a month before I would really need it. The center stone of the Zales ring is at 0.47carat infact.

I did come across that blue nile Inifinity twist micropave and in my opinion, I think it needs a 3 stone style to complement it.

 

[ks5193]

As far as the tech specs of diamonds, there are much more precious stones out there than the ones in this ring. From reading your post though, it doesn't sound like you care. It's your style, it's your price and your eye liked how the diamonds looked. I know that this is a forum of diamond lovers, but that doesn't mean you have to be pressured to be. This ring is not a fine glass of champagne, but some people just love a really great beer. It's a beautiful ring, I don't think you will find a comparable ring online, and I think you will love it. [/quote]

I did like everything about it infact. Considering its only at a 0.5 carat center, eye-visible inclusions are pretty hard to see I would think.
An I1 would not have been my first choice but the setting seems really nice and I'm trying to get the best of both worlds - 3 stone and twist band). I have had a chance to look at it out in the open and under different light and I wouldn't say that it doesn't sparkle. Maybe it doesn't have the sparkle or fire of an excellent cut, but it looks pretty decent to me under sunlight and other lighting.

If it had an inclusion that was visible the moment I brought it up to my eye, I would reject it.

However, considering the discount on it, is that not a pretty reasonable price? Or am I still overpaying?

 

[rubybeth]

Honestly, I think you would still be overpaying, because you don't really know what you're getting. I get it, you have a limited budget and you like this ring, but it's not "a deal" by any stretch of the imagination. What Zales calls an H-I I1 1/2 carat may not really be comparable at all to a GIA or AGS .5 carat with similar specs. I did a search on James Allen for approximately half carat stones in the I-K color range, SI2-I1 (no I1 stones in this size), and these are the results: http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/?CaratFrom=0.42&CaratTo=0.57&Color=K,J,I&Clarity=I1,SI2&PriceFrom=&PriceTo=&Sort=Price,%20DefaultOrder&ViewsOptions=Images

They range from $560-960, depending on the color and carat weight. So let's say you choose one of the lowest priced stones, at $630. That still leaves you with nearly $2,000 for a 3-stone setting. If you don't like any of the James Allen settings, you could search through the Gabriel NY settings: https://www.gabrielny.com/ As another option, I would contact David Klass about a custom version of this ring. His e-mail is [email protected] and he's usually pretty quick about quotes. You'd want side stones that match the center stone if you're going with a lower color.

 

[Niel]

http://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/engagement-rings/three-stone/14k-white-gold-open-wire-diamond-engagement-ring-item-41044

With
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.51-carat-k-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-602691

Ask if they'll match the side stones.

Sign up for this
http://www.jamesallen.com/referfriend/

That'll be 2500

 

[VRBeauty]

http://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/engagement-rings/three-stone/14k-white-gold-open-wire-diamond-engagement-ring-item-41044

With
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.51-carat-k-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-602691

Ask if they'll match the side stones.

Sign up for this
http://www.jamesallen.com/referfriend/

That'll be 2500

I love that setting - very elegant and it knows how to do the twist! But I'm not sure I love it with a .5 ct stone (shown in the last example of recently purchased stones.) My advice, which I know is probably not the direction you want to go take, is to concentrate on a nice center-stone now, set it in a simple solitaire, and upgrade the setting later. If you picked the 3-stone princess mainly because that was the best ring overall in your price range, consider whether you might like a round or another stone shape. I mention this because using a round stone would give you many more setting options.

If you're set on this ring style, well, your choices are going to be limited and the Zales ring might be your best choice. Be sure to check out the diamond and setting with a loupe, and don't hesitate to return it if it doesn't perform to your satisfaction when you take it out of the showroom setting. And be sure to check see that those pave stones in the shoulder actually add sparkle... sometimes the stones used are of such poor quality that they add mainly busyness and potential headaches.

One last option - a simpler but still lovely setting that can be set with a princess diamond, and would leave you $900 (with your current budget) for the diamond: https://eshop.gabrielny.com/product/ER12285R3W44JJ

Or a three-stone with twist-like shoulders, but without the pave: https://eshop.gabrielny.com/product/ER8865W44JJ

Gabriel infinity styes without the 3-stone feature: https://eshop.gabrielny.com/products-advanced/searchKeywordString-criss cross (I particularly like this one: https://eshop.gabrielny.com/product/ER11794R3W44JJ )

 

[Niel]

I don't hate it

 

[lovedogs]

I don't hate it

I much prefer this one to the Zales one, and you will get a much nicer center stone and better quality setting for less $ than the one shown from Zales (if I'm doing the math right).

 

[VRBeauty]

I don't hate it

I don't hate it either, but I don't like the proportions as much as with one of the larger stones, say about .75 and above. That's why I was pointing out the simpler GNY criss-cross settings - the center stone has more of a chance to shine if there's less going on with the rest of the setting.

 

[Niel]

I don't hate it

I don't hate it either, but I don't like the proportions as much as with one of the larger stones, say about .75 and above. That's why I was pointing out the simpler GNY criss-cross settings - the center stone has more of a chance to shine if there's less going on with the rest of the setting.

Agreed, but if it has to have a cross design and it has to be a 3 stone.

 

[16ocean]

I did like everything about it infact. Considering its only at a 0.5 carat center, eye-visible inclusions are pretty hard to see I would think.
An I1 would not have been my first choice but the setting seems really nice and I'm trying to get the best of both worlds - 3 stone and twist band). I have had a chance to look at it out in the open and under different light and I wouldn't say that it doesn't sparkle. Maybe it doesn't have the sparkle or fire of an excellent cut, but it looks pretty decent to me under sunlight and other lighting.
If it had an inclusion that was visible the moment I brought it up to my eye, I would reject it.
However, considering the discount on it, is that not a pretty reasonable price? Or am I still overpaying?


Hi KS5123-
Yes, an I1 wouldn't be my choice or my recommendation for an engagement ring either.

For comparison a GIA certified 0.51ct I1 H from James Allen is $750 but bz the .48ct center stone is certified from another lab it's like comparing an apple to an orange.
I think what members are trying to say if the stone and ring from Zales was graded by GIA it might be graded lower. Therefore "yes" you could be overpaying for what you truly bought.

However it's great that you are checking out other websites and seeing there are other options out there. So whatever you decide your future fiancee would like the most you know there were other options and you chose the one you thought she would like the best.

Question: What has your girlfriend said abt rings that she likes? Has she mentioned three stone, twist and princess cut?

 

[16ocean]

http://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/engagement-rings/three-stone/14k-white-gold-open-wire-diamond-engagement-ring-item-41044

With
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.51-carat-k-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-602691

Ask if they'll match the side stones.

Sign up for this
http://www.jamesallen.com/referfriend/

That'll be 2500

good eyes Niel I have such a hard time finding settings on JA . . . it has the twist it has the side stones . . .it's in budget

 

[16ocean]

http://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/engagement-rings/three-stone/14k-white-gold-open-wire-diamond-engagement-ring-item-41044

With
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.51-carat-k-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-602691

Ask if they'll match the side stones.

Sign up for this
http://www.jamesallen.com/referfriend/

That'll be 2500

I love that setting - very elegant and it knows how to do the twist! But I'm not sure I love it with a .5 ct stone (shown in the last example of recently purchased stones.) My advice, which I know is probably not the direction you want to go take, is to concentrate on a nice center-stone now, set it in a simple solitaire, and upgrade the setting later. If you picked the 3-stone princess mainly because that was the best ring overall in your price range, consider whether you might like a round or another stone shape. I mention this because using a round stone would give you many more setting options.

If you're set on this ring style, well, your choices are going to be limited and the Zales ring might be your best choice. Be sure to check out the diamond and setting with a loupe, and don't hesitate to return it if it doesn't perform to your satisfaction when you take it out of the showroom setting. And be sure to check see that those pave stones in the shoulder actually add sparkle... sometimes the stones used are of such poor quality that they add mainly busyness and potential headaches.

One last option - a simpler but still lovely setting that can be set with a princess diamond, and would leave you $900 (with your current budget) for the diamond: https://eshop.gabrielny.com/product/ER12285R3W44JJ

Or a three-stone with twist-like shoulders, but without the pave: https://eshop.gabrielny.com/product/ER8865W44JJ

Gabriel infinity styes without the 3-stone feature: https://eshop.gabrielny.com/products-advanced/searchKeywordString-criss cross (I particularly like this one: https://eshop.gabrielny.com/product/ER11794R3W44JJ )

again some solid advice . . . I wonder what his GF preference would be?

 

[krismarch]

What is the definition of value? Could you get those stones with that weight of gold for cheaper somewhere? Sure. Could you get a similar ring for cheaper (or the same but upgraded)? No. This ring is unique for that price point, and that gives it value. If you love any of the alternatives suggested and you're torn between the Zales ring and the online ring... Absolutely go for the online ring. If this is the only ring in your price range that makes your heart sing it is worth every penny.

 

[Niel]

What is the definition of value? Could you get those stones with that weight of gold for cheaper somewhere? Sure. Could you get a similar ring for cheaper (or the same but upgraded)? No. This ring is unique for that price point, and that gives it value. If you love any of the alternatives suggested and you're torn between the Zales ring and the online ring... Absolutely go for the online ring. If this is the only ring in your price range that makes your heart sing it is worth every penny.

I will concede that buying diamonds in general is an exercise in futility but to say this is a deal just because he likes it, it isn't. You could get a GIA cert'ed I color i1 princess for between 400-600 bucks. That setting not worth 2grand.

As to if it "makes his heart sing" , sounds like he's buying it for someone. We can't even say if she asked for a three stone twisty princess ring. Because, well, thats a particular thing to ask for considering we can't find many on the market and he says he found this one himself if I remember correctly

 

[ks5193]

What is the definition of value? Could you get those stones with that weight of gold for cheaper somewhere? Sure. Could you get a similar ring for cheaper (or the same but upgraded)? No. This ring is unique for that price point, and that gives it value. If you love any of the alternatives suggested and you're torn between the Zales ring and the online ring... Absolutely go for the online ring. If this is the only ring in your price range that makes your heart sing it is worth every penny.

Thanks for all the tips guys. Getting a similar ring for cheaper elsewhere probably not. It does have its value there.
The James Allen setting is really nice in fact. Now, she has not said 'I want a 3 stone and a twisted band' but we have casually seen some and I know she loves the twist and also a 3 stone setting. So that is why I am looking to get both features in my setting. But for getting better quality, I could sacrifice the twist band and still do a 3 stone with some channel set diamonds on the side. But we have definitely agreed on a princess cut.

However, apart from the Zales one, I did not come across anything else that had all that. Except the JA now posted above. Like I said, I could extend it some more if I needed to but have had a hard time finding similar 3 stone, twist settings.
I just have a hard time deciding on a ring online without actually holding it in my hand and looking at it. If I were to purchase from one of these vendors, I would definitely go in for a better color and clarity than an H-I / I1. Its just that the Zales one was that as most of their diamonds are and I do really like this one. If they had the same in a larger center stone for another 600-800 more, I would have even considered that. I'n not looking to spend more than $3000-$3200 but then I havent found anything I liked in that range either. I never noticed any eye-visible inclusions in it and to me it sparkles pretty well.

Its been helpful hearing all your opinions.

 

[Niel]

What I like about buying on line is that you get free returns. What does that mean? You can hold it in your hand, in natural daylight, without sales people, without any input and really decide if you like it or not. Over an hour,over s day. Over a week.