Mara
Super_Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2002
- Messages
- 31,003
As some of you may know...my 2004 "diamond goal" was to have a 10 stone ring ...most likely custom made by Whiteflash with ACA .10c for a tcw of 1ctw.
I had tried this on at a local store (JE) and loved it. Loved the 10 stone look.
Recently I came across what appeared to be an amazing deal on www.signedpieces.com where I surf for eye-candy weekly. They had a .50ctw 7 stone ring for $375. Considering that right now I am saving for various items, the wedding being the primary...my newly created diamond fund only has a few hundred bucks in it. So I was tempted to get something like this small 7 stone ring from a reputable co like SP and see if I liked it as a temp right hand ring until I could pony up the $$ for the 10 stone which would probably at the earliest happen in Dec of this year, if not more like early 2005. Other priorities and all.
Al thankfully talked me out of spending $375 on the ring because it wasn't REALLY what I wanted. I had gone back to JE and tried on a similar ctw stone and not really liked it as much as I still liked the 1ctw 10 stone ring. For whatever reason, 7 stone rings just don't do it for me, I like the stretching across the finger look of the 10 stone. It almost looks eternity style.
So I decided to wait for the 'real thing'...the 10 stone ring later this year, or early next.
While surfing around on eBay recently for diamond wedding jewelry..I came across a 10-stone diamond ring! Wow. These are actually pretty rare, a few searches on Google found many 5 and 7 stone rings, but not alot of places carried a 10 stone. So I was surprised to see one on eBay, in the exact style I wanted, shared prong, white gold, etc. When I found the auction, it was at $1...it had just started. So I added it to my watch list and started doing some research on the seller.
I looked at their feedback, and clicked on as many auctions as possible (went back about 7 pages over 3 days) to see what people were buying, what the quality was, and if they were happy, what exactly they said. I have been on eBay a long time and sometimes you can read into people's words what they did NOT really say. I know alot of people on eBay are not secure with giving bad or neutral feedback because they don't want reciprocal. So sometimes an 'okay' positive feedback can speak volumes as opposed to one that is 'enthused' by their purchase. I also found a similar eternity style ring to this one and emailed the bidder through eBay...because the woman had returned her ring. I asked her why she had returned it and if she would do business with the seller again.
She told me what I had somewhat suspected. That the 4ctw eternity ring (which was sold to her as F/G color and VS clarity) was bought to match an F eternity ring she already had. It didn't really match. So she had it appraised (loose use of the term since it was set), they told her that the stones were not F/G and that they were not VS. She wasn't specific, so I asked for more details. She just said that they were not yellow and the ring WAS eye-clean. But the auction had fibbed a tiny bit on the accuracy of the grading. This wasn't really surprising to me at all. But I was happy to hear that the ring was eye-clean and the stones were not yellow remotely. Figured she probably got something like H/I color and SI clarity. Anyway, she said she returned the ring, refund was prompt and she WOULD do business with them again. She also mentioned that the diamonds were a tiny bit gray looking, which was interesting to me...becuase I don't know what gray diamonds look like.
The mis-accuracy of the grading didn't worry me as much as the 'gray' diamond look. But also her stones in this ring were bigger than mine...something like .20c each while mine would be .10c. As most of us know, smaller stones usually can get away with more than the larger stones which do start to show more imperfections.
So I hemmed and hawed over it...it was only a 3 day auction. I was sure that I could get a refund if I wanted one...the guy's feedback was stellar about this...people that weren't happy all said they got their $$ back. There was enough positive, really positive feedback to make me feel a bit more secure. I finally decided (with the help of my trusty diamond sidekick Al) that it was only a small amount of $$ and return policy was good, so lets take a little chance. It also helps that I have spent more than this before on things like BEDDING from eBay...so it's not like I was making a $10k purchase or anything.
So I bid on the auction in the last 15 seconds, didn't mean to cut it that close but I didn't want it being bid up...and got it for $269.99!!
YAY! Shipping and insurance etc made the total about $300. Wow! A 1ctw 10 stone ring in white gold with purported G/H stones and VS/SI clarity for $300? A dream come true. ???
But I held judgement and really telling anyone until I got the package. I didn't want to be a 'stupid eBayer' even though I knew what I was getting into..potentially.
I warn enough people on here about eBay...but yet I'd taken a chance myself. So the package arrived yesterday at work, I ripped it open and pulled out the ring.
Really beautiful!! My first reaction was that it was sparkly, white and looked amazing on my hand!! No gray look. I was itching to get home and loupe it and idealscope it and play with it. When I got home, I did just that, and snapped some quickie pictures.
From what I could see with the scopes and loupes, they were diamonds...their symmetry was 'good' and they had visible inclusions under the loupe, most of them anyway. However they faced up white, were eye-clean and sparkly! I put it under the H&A Viewer and say that amazingly 2 of them had some semblance of nice arrows. Hmm! The rest were pretty sloppy. Under the IS ...the light return is actually very good, surprisingly. A few have some dark rings around the tables, but for the most part, they return a very good amount of light to the eye according to the IS. Better than some maul cuts we have seen on here!
Bottom line for me...it was shaping up that I had gotten a really nice 10 stone ring for $300.
This morning, I took the ring to Willow Glen Jewelers (aka WG Diamond Company) and had them check it out. They said that they didn't agree wholeheartedly with the 'appraisal' but that yes they were diamonds...and they gave it something like I color and SI2 clarity. Pretty much what I had kind of figured on. In certain lights the diamonds look just as white as my G stones...but in others you can see a slight tint of color. Luckily since it's worn alone on my right hand, that disappears to the casual observer. If I was wearing it with another whiter ring, you may see a slight warmer difference.
So in the end..my eBay purchase was successful!! I love the ring, it's very sparkly..and in some lights it completely rivals my engagement ring! Last night I almost gave Greg a heart attack when we were driving and the streetlights were making the rings sparkle like mad. I held up my left hand and said...'ten thousand dollars' and then held up my right hand and said 'three hundred dollars'...and he made this horrible face. I know...it's evil but it was just SOOO funny!! He is still amazed that something gotten for so cheaply is made so well and sparkles so nicely.
He questioned...how can these guys sell this kind of stuff for so cheap. They sell hundreds of auctions a day. Well the names on the certs and information are Indian (and related), so I wouldn't be surprised if they are importing this stuff in very very cheaply from India. They are located in New Jersey and I found one reference to them online in a bridal magazine or something.
So here are the promised photos....I am really happy about the new ring, and who knows...I may like it so much that I will just keep it and not have the custom one made next year....AND Then I can get something else with that $$.
Like this cool 95% eye-clean .54 H I1 EightStar I saw this morning at WG Jewelers.....oh man it's just calling my name to be put into a pendant ala Jax!!! ;0 They've had it for a year so hopefully if I decide to do that, it will still be around!!
Specs ala Auction:
1.02 ctw natural diamonds
14k white gold shared prong setting
Color: G-H
Clarity: VS2/SI1
Appraisal: $2000
Specs ala WG Jewelers:
1ctw natural diamonds
14k white gold shared prong setting
Color: ~I
Clarity: ~SI2
Appraisal: $?? (didn't have them bother...it doesn't matter to me really)
WG agreed it was a nice looking ring, and that it was eye-clean...so that corroborates what my diamond-obsessed brain was thinking...good!
Yay for this eBay purchase! I love my non-ideal 10 stone $300 ring!!
I had tried this on at a local store (JE) and loved it. Loved the 10 stone look.
Recently I came across what appeared to be an amazing deal on www.signedpieces.com where I surf for eye-candy weekly. They had a .50ctw 7 stone ring for $375. Considering that right now I am saving for various items, the wedding being the primary...my newly created diamond fund only has a few hundred bucks in it. So I was tempted to get something like this small 7 stone ring from a reputable co like SP and see if I liked it as a temp right hand ring until I could pony up the $$ for the 10 stone which would probably at the earliest happen in Dec of this year, if not more like early 2005. Other priorities and all.
Al thankfully talked me out of spending $375 on the ring because it wasn't REALLY what I wanted. I had gone back to JE and tried on a similar ctw stone and not really liked it as much as I still liked the 1ctw 10 stone ring. For whatever reason, 7 stone rings just don't do it for me, I like the stretching across the finger look of the 10 stone. It almost looks eternity style.
So I decided to wait for the 'real thing'...the 10 stone ring later this year, or early next.
While surfing around on eBay recently for diamond wedding jewelry..I came across a 10-stone diamond ring! Wow. These are actually pretty rare, a few searches on Google found many 5 and 7 stone rings, but not alot of places carried a 10 stone. So I was surprised to see one on eBay, in the exact style I wanted, shared prong, white gold, etc. When I found the auction, it was at $1...it had just started. So I added it to my watch list and started doing some research on the seller.
I looked at their feedback, and clicked on as many auctions as possible (went back about 7 pages over 3 days) to see what people were buying, what the quality was, and if they were happy, what exactly they said. I have been on eBay a long time and sometimes you can read into people's words what they did NOT really say. I know alot of people on eBay are not secure with giving bad or neutral feedback because they don't want reciprocal. So sometimes an 'okay' positive feedback can speak volumes as opposed to one that is 'enthused' by their purchase. I also found a similar eternity style ring to this one and emailed the bidder through eBay...because the woman had returned her ring. I asked her why she had returned it and if she would do business with the seller again.
She told me what I had somewhat suspected. That the 4ctw eternity ring (which was sold to her as F/G color and VS clarity) was bought to match an F eternity ring she already had. It didn't really match. So she had it appraised (loose use of the term since it was set), they told her that the stones were not F/G and that they were not VS. She wasn't specific, so I asked for more details. She just said that they were not yellow and the ring WAS eye-clean. But the auction had fibbed a tiny bit on the accuracy of the grading. This wasn't really surprising to me at all. But I was happy to hear that the ring was eye-clean and the stones were not yellow remotely. Figured she probably got something like H/I color and SI clarity. Anyway, she said she returned the ring, refund was prompt and she WOULD do business with them again. She also mentioned that the diamonds were a tiny bit gray looking, which was interesting to me...becuase I don't know what gray diamonds look like.
The mis-accuracy of the grading didn't worry me as much as the 'gray' diamond look. But also her stones in this ring were bigger than mine...something like .20c each while mine would be .10c. As most of us know, smaller stones usually can get away with more than the larger stones which do start to show more imperfections.
So I hemmed and hawed over it...it was only a 3 day auction. I was sure that I could get a refund if I wanted one...the guy's feedback was stellar about this...people that weren't happy all said they got their $$ back. There was enough positive, really positive feedback to make me feel a bit more secure. I finally decided (with the help of my trusty diamond sidekick Al) that it was only a small amount of $$ and return policy was good, so lets take a little chance. It also helps that I have spent more than this before on things like BEDDING from eBay...so it's not like I was making a $10k purchase or anything.
So I bid on the auction in the last 15 seconds, didn't mean to cut it that close but I didn't want it being bid up...and got it for $269.99!!
But I held judgement and really telling anyone until I got the package. I didn't want to be a 'stupid eBayer' even though I knew what I was getting into..potentially.
Really beautiful!! My first reaction was that it was sparkly, white and looked amazing on my hand!! No gray look. I was itching to get home and loupe it and idealscope it and play with it. When I got home, I did just that, and snapped some quickie pictures.
From what I could see with the scopes and loupes, they were diamonds...their symmetry was 'good' and they had visible inclusions under the loupe, most of them anyway. However they faced up white, were eye-clean and sparkly! I put it under the H&A Viewer and say that amazingly 2 of them had some semblance of nice arrows. Hmm! The rest were pretty sloppy. Under the IS ...the light return is actually very good, surprisingly. A few have some dark rings around the tables, but for the most part, they return a very good amount of light to the eye according to the IS. Better than some maul cuts we have seen on here!
Bottom line for me...it was shaping up that I had gotten a really nice 10 stone ring for $300.
This morning, I took the ring to Willow Glen Jewelers (aka WG Diamond Company) and had them check it out. They said that they didn't agree wholeheartedly with the 'appraisal' but that yes they were diamonds...and they gave it something like I color and SI2 clarity. Pretty much what I had kind of figured on. In certain lights the diamonds look just as white as my G stones...but in others you can see a slight tint of color. Luckily since it's worn alone on my right hand, that disappears to the casual observer. If I was wearing it with another whiter ring, you may see a slight warmer difference.
So in the end..my eBay purchase was successful!! I love the ring, it's very sparkly..and in some lights it completely rivals my engagement ring! Last night I almost gave Greg a heart attack when we were driving and the streetlights were making the rings sparkle like mad. I held up my left hand and said...'ten thousand dollars' and then held up my right hand and said 'three hundred dollars'...and he made this horrible face. I know...it's evil but it was just SOOO funny!! He is still amazed that something gotten for so cheaply is made so well and sparkles so nicely.
He questioned...how can these guys sell this kind of stuff for so cheap. They sell hundreds of auctions a day. Well the names on the certs and information are Indian (and related), so I wouldn't be surprised if they are importing this stuff in very very cheaply from India. They are located in New Jersey and I found one reference to them online in a bridal magazine or something.
So here are the promised photos....I am really happy about the new ring, and who knows...I may like it so much that I will just keep it and not have the custom one made next year....AND Then I can get something else with that $$.
Specs ala Auction:
1.02 ctw natural diamonds
14k white gold shared prong setting
Color: G-H
Clarity: VS2/SI1
Appraisal: $2000
Specs ala WG Jewelers:
1ctw natural diamonds
14k white gold shared prong setting
Color: ~I
Clarity: ~SI2
Appraisal: $?? (didn't have them bother...it doesn't matter to me really)
WG agreed it was a nice looking ring, and that it was eye-clean...so that corroborates what my diamond-obsessed brain was thinking...good!
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