Opinions wanted on this Padparadscha

[Gallant]

Throughout this buying process, I'm not only learning all about the ins and out of Pads, I'm also learning about the complex world of gem dealing!

 

[chrono]

Are you sure "good enough" is what you want for an engagement ring that will be worn and looked at every day of her life for more than 50 years?

 

[PieAreSquared]

My problem is is that time is running out. I'd like to propose in late July and I need two weeks to have the setting made. And from what I've seen, nothing can come close to this stone on price. Yes, the stone I love is the one in Beverly Hills for $6,200 (which by the way was his cost), and he can't come down any further than that. And $4,500 was already stretching it and I have to pare down the setting at that price.

I'm really getting the feeling that I won't ever be completely satisfied with what I find. There's always something better out there, so maybe I should just stop at what's "good enough".

The overwhelming abundance of choices (in everything, from breakfast cereal to colored gems) as well as a vast array of research options can cause a kind of decision-making paralysis. I believe the official term is "information anxiety". As no two gems are the same, you could spend the rest of your life looking for the perfect "one", yes you are right, there is always something better out there.

I often say, "sometimes good enough is good enough!" If you ever want to finally make a decision you have to factor in budget constraints, how much time you have to make the choice, as well as how much time you want to continue researching it to death. You picked the right girl, that was your most important decision, the rest is just details!

Chrono:
I don't think by saying "maybe I should just stop at what's 'good enough' ", the OP is saying he is "settling", simply that he has probably found the closest thing to what he has in his mind, in his budget, and in his time frame. Correct me if I'm wrong, Gallant.

 

[T L]

OK, with the Leon, the buyer paid about $2,250/ct if the setting is worth $5k. I paid $1,965/ct - $4,500 total.

The Leon stone was well worth it because it was at the 3 carat mark, and these stones go up in price exponentially at or above three carats. Your stone is smaller below the 2.5 carat mark. The Leon stone also appears to have less brown in the photos, if your photo Dori's photos are accurate.

It could be from Tanzania, not just Madagascar, as Marlow mentioned earlier. They tend to be a bit more brownish.

 

[chrono]

Chrono: I don't think by saying "maybe I should just stop at what's 'good enough' ", the OP is saying he is "settling", simply that he has probably found the closest thing to what he has in his mind, in his budget, and in his time frame. Correct me if I'm wrong, Gallant.

That makes sense. I hope that's what Gallant means.

ETA
I also agree with TL about the price/ct jump at the 3 carat mark for Dori's Leon padparadscha. A 2 ct stone's $/ct will always be less than a 3 ct stone's $/ct when all else is equal (colour, treatment, etc). The price jump from 2 ct to 3 ct is quite large, which makes Dori's stone not just a good buy monetarily but the colour quality looks high too.

 

[minousbijoux]

I'm really getting the feeling that I won't ever be completely satisfied with what I find. There's always something better out there, so maybe I should just stop at what's "good enough".

Noooo! I know its hard when you are shopping for someone else to be absolutely sure its "the one," but that aside, I would hope that there is a stone that makes you really happy to look at and that you think she will love. This is the one you should buy! We all strive to get "good deals" but in this case its an engagement ring and if you think about it, you will be amortizing the cost over a lifetime. From that perspective, does $xx more really matter if you are getting the stone you both love?

ETA: Ha ha, I didn't read the other comments before I responded - looks like Chrono and I are saying the same thing.

 

[minousbijoux]

I would also add that in terms of overall stone quality, Dori's is a better stone - the color, while being lighter in tone, has great saturation and the cutting seems good. But OP: is it really helping you to compare the per carat cost of various stones? If it helps, you are in the ballpark of what most of us would likely end up paying for a stone.

 

[Marlow]

OK, with the Leon, the buyer paid about $2,250/ct if the setting is worth $5k. I paid $1,965/ct - $4,500 total.

The Leon stone was well worth it because it was at the 3 carat mark, and these stones go up in price exponentially at or above three carats. Your stone is smaller below the 2.5 carat mark. The Leon stone also appears to have less brown in the photos, if your photo Dori's photos are accurate.

It could be from Tanzania, not just Madagascar, as Marlow mentioned earlier. They tend to be a bit more brownish.

I said it is not important for me whether a HEATED pad is from Sri Lanka, Burma or Madagascar - they can look quite similar....imo of course.

African "padparadscha" from Tansania is not a pad in my opinion course - I agree - the are brownish. Some are really nice of course but I don't call them padparadscha.

 

[minousbijoux]

For some reason, I've found it hard to follow which is the stone that you have decided to keep, so can you tell us which one it is? Where you bought it, and what carat size and shape? So glad you found "the one." Congratulations!

 

[Gallant]

For some reason, I've found it hard to follow which is the stone that you have decided to keep, so can you tell us which one it is? Where you bought it, and what carat size and shape? So glad you found "the one." Congratulations!

Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I mentioned a few stones in this thread.

The one I'm keeping is the original stone mentioned in the first post:

2.29ct
9.08x7.60x4.31mm
AGL certified Pad - Heated - Orange-Pink
No origin report - seller claims Sri Lanka (I know - take it with a grain of salt)
Re-cut by Dan Stair
Etc...

I bought it from Jason Brim for $4,500

Jason, by the way, was really great to work with. He negotiated the price down for me (he was selling it on behalf of the owner). He sent the stone overnight for free. And there was always great communication between us. I highly recommend him to work with.

 

[austinj]

The stone in the video looks lovely! It's so nice to see a man care that much to do this amount of research and hunting for the perfect stone for his woman. Your a good one! I can't really help you with the setting ideas as I am nowhere near what most others on here know about settings, but I just wanted to say congrats on finding the stone!! It is vey beautiful!

 

[Gallant]

The stone in the video looks lovely! It's so nice to see a man care that much to do this amount of research and hunting for the perfect stone for his woman. Your a good one! I can't really help you with the setting ideas as I am nowhere near what most others on here know about settings, but I just wanted to say congrats on finding the stone!! It is vey beautiful!

Thanks a lot Austin!

 

[Acinom]

Congrats on finding such an amazing stone!!!
I hope David can create a fabulous ring for you. He is great to work with.

Have you looked into the 'fabulous rings below 1250$' thread for inspiration?

 

[Gallant]

Congrats on finding such an amazing stone!!!
I hope David can create a fabulous ring for you. He is great to work with.

Have you looked into the 'fabulous rings below 1250$' thread for inspiration?

No, I didn't know that thread existed! Thanks a lot, I'll check it out!

 

[LD]

Gallant: you have a lot of really good experience seeing stones in person. Please use that as your guide. IMO, you are starting to get too caught up in getting a good deal. If I were you, for one second, I would let myself think about the stone that stole my heart, rather than one you like a lot and that's a good deal. In other words, get the one you LOVE rather than the "deal" you like.

Having said that, I see shadowing (or half and half) in several of the pics and in others, I see a bowtie as well. Given the fact that almost all elongated stones suffer from some of these characteristics, only you can decide if they are consistent or severe enough to bother you.

Also, keep in mind there is a huge price differential between unheated and heated stones, and, as you've already surmised, price jumps at certain carat increases. Someone else can weigh in on whether for unheated padparadschas the price jumps at the quarter carat, the half carat, or the whole carat number, as I have not bought any in a very long time.

I absolutely agree with Minou's comments above.

You need to focus on whether you LOVE LOVE LOVE the stone - not how much it is or how it's cut. Some of my heart-stopping gemstones have had windows or some other defect.

The bow tie coupled with huge tilt windows is something you need to decide if you can live with in a stone that's a relatively considered purchase.

 

[mochiko42]

Personally I think it's a beautiful stone, but one thing that stood out to me is that OP mentioned earlier in the thread that even though FI isn't picky about the choice of ering she doesn't like pink very much. Not sure if pad is the best choice if she doesn't like pink, but if you're dead set on a pad this one is a good deal for the price and given the tight timeline. [emoji4]

Edited to add: just re-read the original post again, and realized that OP was already decided on getting a pad and was only asking for comments on the various pads shortlisted. So please ignore my comments above & accept my sincere apologies for the unsolicited feedback on choice of the type of stone. [emoji28]