so IT IS narrowed down, times a ticking, All new questions. I did something today that...

[opfreak]

First off, Thank you all that replied to my other topic., Mrs-S, J-girl, Belle, Etc. All great thanks.

So today I emailed WF about the ring I thought I was going to buy. got a nice response from Jamie, some concerns about the .5c stone getting lost in the setting. I was kind of bummed because a bigger diamond, with that setting would be really pushing my budget.

So after work today I promised my g/f a nice date because since I started saving money. I am being stingy. That and were moving soon, so I need all the money I can save.

She up until now has been against looking at rings in the store, and just told me. 'i showed you what i like you pick'.

So after work for the start of the date, I just took her straight to a small jeweler that was near the school I went too. Rohr Jwelers, in milwaukee. small place basically just one big display case. Very Nice couple working there.

So my g/f was at first very shy, we both made it clear were just looking around. And then all of a sudden shes like, I don't like this, no thats not good. I like this. I love that, etc. Like a kid in a candy store. were probably there for an hour, and I did like no talking. And she did find a ring she liked/loved.

So I took her somewhere else, a bigger store, but still more custom then like a mall store, Lyee Husar? something like that, they carry tarcoi which I thought she would love because she was all about the antique style engraved rings.

Well at this store she compared everything to the 1st ring, and while stuff was pretty, it just wasn't that 1st ring. So we left went down the block to Jarads? which seems to be just a more nicer mall store. She was really bored and kept talking about the 1st ring.

So then we went to dinner talked some, and I think the choice of ring. Which was orginally up to ME, has been made.

Being dumb, I didn't take a picture of the setting, but it is very close to one I posted in the previous thread.
So heres the pic again. The only difference is the top of the ring is more like a channel setting, with pave on the sides, so its very sparkly. with the pave only going about 50% of the way around the ring.

Specs from what I remeber are 14k white gold (this good, bad, standard?) with about .39 total diamond weight between the side stones/pave.

The only stone we looked at, because the setting is what I was after, was a .9c EGL SI 1, with a feather near the edge.

I was disaponnted right away when I heard EGL, since in my limited knowledge that was a flag.

The people at Rohr were very nice, no hard sale at all, in fact outside of a joke or 2 about being able to set it on the spot, they didn't try selling anything.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My questions are... Since I now HAVE to get this ring, I got control over picking the stone.
I know that with an EGL I can get a bigger stone for the same price, but really, the stone that was shown seemed to lack life.

I have my heart set on a WF ACA,

Since this ring is alot cheaper, I could probably stretch and get this stone:
http://www.whiteflash.com/diamonds/diamond_Details.aspx?itemcode=AGS-6205406

But like I said the owner seemed nice, and like someone I could work with in the future, So would it be rude to bring up that I have a stone in mind?
should I just by the ring and have WF set it? or the other way around?

any other pointers I need to know, its getting very close to that time

 

[linvillegorge]

First of all, when you''re spending thousands of dollars on an item, I don''t consider any question about the item or the options rude at all! As long as it''s not personal, it''s not rude! I''d just tell the jeweler straight up that you like the setting, but that stone simply won''t work. Ask around about the jeweler. ASK ABOUT THE RETURN POLICY!!! Upgrade policy? Find out who makes the setting. Whiteflash or another on-line vendor may carry the same setting if you want to purchase online. Shop around.

What are you looking for in the diamond? If you''re simply looking for an "eye clean" stone, you should definitely be able to come off of that VVS2 clarity. Consider a VS1-2 or even a SI1-2. Sometimes eyeclean SI''s can be difficult to find, but I ended up getting a .90 G color SI2 that was eyeclean. I honestly couldn''t even find the inclusions with a loupe! It was only when I viewed the stone through a 30x microscope that I could easily see them. Once I knew where they were I could find them with the loupe, but I never could find them with the naked eye.

 

[firebirdgold]

I agree. It''s very likely that this is a setting that they ordered from a manufacturer, not one of their own design. So if you can somehow get the name of the manufacturer, WF should be able to get it for you. If it''s from a good sized company, they''ll probably have a large catalog available to show customers the various options.

 

[Jelly]

Have you considered getting an Expert Selection stone? If you check out the ideal scope, I honestly can't say why it's not an "ACA." Here's one that caught my eye and appears to be in your price range:

.79 Expert Selection

It's AGS certified, ideal cut, and hand selected by Brian the cutter... you can't go wrong!

I read your earlier thread and thought it was funny because I used to own that first diamond you listed in the other thread! .558 ACA Although I love ACA's, I am just as much in love with my present Expert Selection "upgrade" diamond and would highly recommend the one I posted.

Whiteflash has an excellent upgrade policy. Maybe on your first anniversary you can upgrade to the ACA you want. For now, I think Expert Selection would be a great way to go!!!

Good luck!

 

[opfreak]

Thanks linvillegorge, i'll have to go back and talk to the jeweler some more. place appears to be a very mom and pop store. And they general provide better service/worse prices. So if I could I'd rather support them. Just something I like doing. I have no problems doing a buy/return at a larger store, but if I was to buy from them, unless something was wrong, I would feel at least a little guility in reutrning something.

But i will go back and get more info over the setting. Today I just hung back and let my girl pick what she liked, with no specs, knowledge, Just something that when she saw and tried on she loved.

As for the stone. that I linked. it is over the top clear. hehe. but it seems that theres a big hole in the price range i'm looking for in a ACA/H&A stones.

I did a very wide color, down to J, and wide clarity search, down to a si1. and this vvs2 was the only one that poped in at a good size/price range for me.

but i'm still looking. Even the ES line seems a bit empty.

But am I right to even not consider EGL diamonds? or does one have to be even more picky with those?

Also I know theres alot of jewelers that vist this forum, and might read this. If i came into your shop and said I already have a stone, would that put you off?

------------

So Jelley thats has to be one of the few stones thats making its way around WF, or are upgrade stones like that common in the diamond industry.

I will have to ask much more about the setting now, maybe i'll call in tommorow, and see if they tell me what it was over the phone.

I saw that ES diamond you posted. Wouldn't an SI2 like that almost have to be visiable? I was going to contact WF to see if it was eye clean, and how eye clean it was.

But it is a VERY pretty stone

 

[Jelly]

With so many beautiful AGS and GIA stones, there''s no need to get an EGL stone. They tend to be less strict on their grading. If you get a EGL VS2 stone, it may really be an SI2, I1 stone if graded by a stricter lab.

 

[Small]

Date: 4/20/2006 1:02:44 AM
Author: opfreak
Thanks linvillegorge, i''ll have to go back and talk to the jeweler some more. place appears to be a very mom and pop store. And they general provide better service/worse prices. So if I could I''d rather support them. Just something I like doing. I have no problems doing a buy/return at a larger store, but if I was to buy from them, unless something was wrong, I would feel at least a little guility in reutrning something.

But i will go back and get more info over the setting. Today I just hung back and let my girl pick what she liked, with no specs, knowledge, Just something that when she saw and tried on she loved.

As for the stone. that I linked. it is over the top clear. hehe. but it seems that theres a big hole in the price range i''m looking for in a ACA/H&A stones.

I did a very wide color, down to J, and wide clarity search, down to a si1. and this vvs2 was the only one that poped in at a good size/price range for me.

but i''m still looking. Even the ES line seems a bit empty.

But am I right to even not consider EGL diamonds? or does one have to be even more picky with those?

Also I know theres alot of jewelers that vist this forum, and might read this. If i came into your shop and said I already have a stone, would that put you off?

It does look to be slim pickings right now in the size/price you are looking for. I thought the VVS was overkill also but when I went to do a search...not much of anything appeared

I have an EGL marquise and it''s nice but I wouldn''t buy one again LOL. You just have to be diligent on the table/depth/crown/pavillion angles and if you can get all of that info and it''s in your parameters you may be getting a great deal for your $$. As has been said many times here...buy the diamond not the paper.
I went to a mom and pop B&M and they were more than willing to sell me a setting and take responsibility for my stone. It didn''t bother them that I bought my stone from winfields. In the end, I decided to have wink set my stone...I felt safer doing it that way. But I will use that store for other things and possibly other purchases in my future. I can''t see why anyone would be put off that you got your loose stone somewhere and still would like to give them business. If they were put off then I think maybe you shouldn''t be doing business with them in the first place...just my 2c ofcourse! Good luck!

 

[linvillegorge]

Have you tried to broaden your search beyond Whiteflash. I agree, I looked around Whiteflash and the diamond you linked was the best I could find in your price range. I did find some options at Good Old Gold and James Allen though.

 

[Jelly]

It depends on how picky you are about inclusions. There are a bunch of AMAZING SI2's floating around pricescope!

Have you seen this thread? Let's post our SI stones here!

In fact, my next diamond will most likely be the biggest K, SI2 I can afford. Why pay for what you can't see? Even if there is a slight inclusion, you will most likely not be able to see it without a loupe, or eagle eyes.

Order the stone loose and check it out for yourself. If you aren't anything but blinded by it's beauty, then return it.

 

[Small]

I am the proud owner of 2 SI2 diamonds and both are eye clean. On my RB if I look very close I can see the inclusion hiding under the prong but that''s if it''s like right in front of my face and only because I know where to look for it. When I look from the side I can definitely see my inclusions but eye clean is face up so how many people are going to be looking from the side???
Clarity is all about what you can tolerate. I''m so happy with the deal I got on my stone that the inclusion that I have doesn''t faze me in the least. Besides that a well cut RB will mask color and inclusions. Richard Sherwood appraised my diamond and told me that the inclusion I have gets lost in the reflections and it''s white to boot

Not all SI stones are created equal that''s why it''s best to talk to the vendor...they should be able to tell you if its eye clean or not. But if you aren''t clarity sensitive I''d say the SI is the best bang for your buck! Good luck!

 

[opfreak]

Thanks for all the ideas. I did try to expand my search.

But it seems that theres a hole in the price I''m looking at (~2500 or lower).

There appear to be nice stones at around the 3K mark. and alot of smaller stones at around 2k.

Maybe this is always the case, and i''m just noticing now. But before i was looking at stones centering at about 1.4k, @ around .5c and there were way more choices.

I''lm going to call the jeweler today to find out about the setting. And then just make the call on whatever nice stone I see at the time.

things at times move way too quick :-p

 

[pebbles]

OK...I am a little confused. Is the setting you posted above the one that your girlfriend loves? Or is that picture the closest thing you can find to the one she likes?

That setting reminds me a lot of my cousin''s e-ring. She bought it at a smaller B&M store too. Her setting is from Stuller and it was one that the jeweler had in the display case. Her setting is Stuller #120754 and it has .50cwt bead set rounds in it. The sides are a cathedral so a lot of emphasis is put on the center stone. It just doesn''t have the engraving on the bottom like the pic you posted.

 

[pebbles]

I forgot to add that her setting is 14kt white gold and was only like $500 or so.

 

[pebbles]

Here is the picture from Stuller''s web site. The ring is so much prettier in person. My cousin has a .84ct round in it.

 

[opfreak]

i''ll have to look online more for a picture that looks closer.

The ring you posted pebbles looks great with that stone !.

both are close to what she loves, but and her words would be there ''nice but not THE ring''.

The way the stone is set is much closer to the picture I posted. It was a very ''square head'' making the round look a little like a radiant, but she didn''t like radiants.

The sidestones are much closer to what you posted, but where my picture ring has engraving, and the ring you showed is polished, its a very very shiny pave, as if you stuck supper glitter to the sides, and it only goes down half way.

 

[pebbles]

Well, thought I would give it a shot anyway.

A lot of jewelers carry Stuller pieces as their stock so I thought that my cousin''s setting might be close to what you and your girlfriend saw.

If the local jeweler you went to has THE setting, I would just get the stone from WF and get the setting from the local guy. You can also ask if you can just purchase the setting and ask WF if they will set the stone in it. I just got my ring back from WF -- I bought a Scott Kay setting from another jeweler then sent it to WF and they set my stone in it.

 

[opfreak]

hmm, well no luck on finding out who makes the ring. supposdly made in china, jeweler buys from some small supplier. etc. doesn''t really matter much to me, because I know if I do not buy that ring I''m in trouble.

I told him about the diamond, and he wants a shot at finding a stone. Will see what he finds. geuss I''ll have to learn more about diamonds now,

basic ring specs are 14k white gold, ~.39c stones, for about 750.

which is nice because its about a grand cheaper then the ring from WF.

more updates to follow.

 

[belle]

definitely get the ring she wants!
take it slow on the diamond though. i have been in the exact same situation as you with local jewelers. more than likely he will be able to bring in something with similar color/clarity, but the rest of the specs may be far from ideal or even very good. cut makes all the difference in the world...make sure you know what you are getting.

 

[opfreak]

Thanks belle. Just started talking over the phone. so will see what happens.

But i did make it rather clear that I was after a H&A,/AGS ideal 000 stone.

I''d like to see what he can get his hands on though. It does seem that when you hit that Cut grade ALOT of stones dissapear.

So depending on price/stone will see, now I need to memorize what the good numbers are.

But yes, she''s getting the ring she wants. Trying to get her to look at different rings yesterday after that was hard. It was always, this ring is nice. but that one fit perfect.

Glad I forced her to look, the ring I was going to get, would have been in that very close category.

 

[belle]

memorize schmemorize...
that''s what you do if you won''t have the information available when you need it!

print the charts out from here to take with you, or just look them up when you''re on the phone!

best of luck op!

 

[opfreak]

oh wow now theres charts. Its like school all over.



i geuss i''ll get see what he finds, and get ever number I can and then come back here. Your expetise is light years over what I can pick up quick. .

have to see what the g/f is doing today. might go down there and look at the ring again, take some pictures, otherwise, have to wait till next week when shes back at work.

Michal

 

[opfreak]

more info...

Will look at the stone tommorow. know very little about it, but doesn''t sound bad yet.

After i told him the cut/size/price, gave me 3 stones over the phone, 1 which was out of my price range. one an igl.

and the one i told him i''d like to see. GIA. Ideal cut, .7C I color, vs1, for ~$2200. he didn''t have the cert there, but it''ll be there tomorow. a quick search on ps puts the price close to where it should be, and an ideal cut.

So without knowing anything else what do you experts think?

 

[opfreak]

ok what everyone was waiting for a bad pic of the ring. camera phone still not that great.

But I do know more of what it looks like now that my minds been refreshed.
Its 4 prong, and has what i would call channel set diamonds on 3 sides of the ring, going down half way.

I do have a question, the stone that fits perfect between the 4 prongs, is a .9c. which might be out of my budget. A .7c stone, will have a slight gap between the prongs that are inline with the ring. The jeweler said that he would have to build up to the stone then to set it correctly.

The gap is small, but the diffence in size between a .9 stone and a .7 stone. Is this something normally done? and do you get good results with this? or should I get a bigger stone somehow.

thanks
michal

 

[Jelly]

They can''t change the head out of the old setting to fit a smaller stone?

 

[opfreak]

the head seems to be part of the ring. I'll try to get a picture with a similar head.

unlike standard 4 prongs i've see, this ring has the prongs go straight up from the side on the ring and then the top and bottom


hmm
i'll draw a quick bad pic

 

[opfreak]

since i can''t add a pic to an eidt

 

[Jelly]

Isn't that convenient for the jeweler that you'll just HAVE to get a bigger stone for this setting?

Maybe the jeweler can contact his supplier to see if they make this exact setting for 3/4 carat diamond. It's worth bringing up and asking.

 

[mrssalvo]

I agree with Jelly, I''d try to find a setting that will accomodate the size stone you want.

 

[opfreak]

thanks for the help.

The 2 prongs that are perpendicular to the stone have like 0 gap. the 2 gaps, are from my knowledge of of diamon sizes about .2mm,

give the a .7c is about 5.8mm and a .9 about 6.2 the difference is about .2 a side.

I don''t know if this is huge or not.

Problem with finding another setting, is now the g/f loves this one. so everthing centers around this ring. grrr.

don''t know if theres a good way of building up the side prongs that small amount. or is that not small.

I''ll talk to the jeweler again on monday and see what he says.

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 4/20/2006 1:07:03 AM
Author: Jelly
If you get a EGL VS2 stone, it may really be an SI2, I1 stone if graded by a stricter lab.

For the sake of future readers of this thread, I think that''s slightly exaggerating things. EGL (USA) can be off a grade on color sometimes , but they have been quite good with clarity, according to the study here on PS. Even if off a grade, I hardly think they''d misgrade an SI2 to I1 stone as a VS2.

As for the setting - I do agree with Jelly - they should be able to find you a setting that fits your stone.