Tacori VS Diamond with a "WOW" effect

[CharmyPoo]

I am Canadian too and made all my big diamond purchases in the US.

Bottom line - you are unlikely to get the pricing locally in Vancouver that you will get from a highly recommended PS vendor. I am not talking about any of the PS vendors -- I am talking about the ones here that are constantly recommended. With your current knowledge and the vendors you are working with, the chances of you getting the best bang of your buck and a top quality diamond is lower than it would be to buy online through say GOG, BGD, or WF. With the current exchange rate, you are definetly getting a really good deal even with the GST and PST that apply in bringing the ring across the border.

Have you considered taking a vacation to NYC or Texas and buying the diamond at the same time? I am also nervous in buying a diamond sight unseen through the internet. This is why I made the trips to NYC and saw the diamonds in person first.

In regards to the setting, I say go with the design you love and forget about the designer name. You can have the design custom made by someone and even make any changes you might want. I never fully liked any of the "designer" setting so I am off to come up with my own.

 

[CharmyPoo]

Let's try some numbers using BGD as an example.

Diamond (BGD AGS000 1.04 H VS1) - US $5789
Convert to Canadian Dollars - CDN $6095
Canadian Taxes GST/PST (Assume 12%) - CDN $731
Shipping - FREE (if you go with BGD)
TOTAL FOR DIAMOND - CDN $6826

Setting from your Vendor - CDN $1000
Setting Cost (high estimate) - CDN $100
TOTAL FOR SETTING - CDN $1100

TOTAL FOR RING - CDN $7926


Non-Monetary Advantages
The advantages here is that you get an AGS000 RB which is essentially one of the best cut diamonds you can get. Chances are the ones your local B&M store gets wouldn't be as well cut but we will have to see the numbers to tell. Your WOW diamond may not be so WOW after seeing one of these babies. You also get the advantage of the amazing life time upgrade and buy back policies which I am not sure if your B&M store can match up to.

The downside of course is that your jeweler won't be local to you. However, you can always find a local jeweler to do regular cleaning and maintenance. It's no biggie.

About the Setting
I didn't read much about your setting. Is it gold or platinum? With the cost savings from your diamond, you really have more room to get a better quality setting. Perhaps, go to one of the best custom jewelers like Leon Mege or even use BGD to custom make a platinum setting. You have a lot more room to play with.

 

[Cehrabehra]

more than likely in the end you''ll want to end up with both - get the best diamond now and upgrade the setting later

 

[Dreamer_D]

If your BF is cautious I expect he is careful with his money. Saving $2k should appeal to him, no?

 

[joxxxelyn]

Now that I have my Tacori, I''m VERY glad that I picked it. However, I would not sacrifice the quality of a diamond for any setting. I''d go down in size before I sacrificed an amazing cut.

That being said, I agree with those who recommended buying U.S. I just purchased from Good Old Gold and I highly recommend them. I live in the U.S., but I purchased from many states away without being able to visit. They have an A+ from BBB, and if you don''t like your diamond you can send it back within 30 days. They have H&A and they have multiple photos of each diamond and they have lots of videos uploaded of their diamonds. Here is one http://vimeo.com/9732502. They might also make a custom video for you comparing different stones, which they did for us awhile back. I found some for you from their site because I am so happy with the purchase. http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/6205/ As you can see they even point out clarity flaws for you (in the last image of the set). I think for just under $6000 it''s hard to go wrong, and you can also get Tacori through them (but can''t send a Tacori setting back because it''s custom). You can always order a center from them and it will arrive in a temporary setting if you don''t want to keep a setting before you know you''ll keep the diamond. But regardless of what you do, I would never sacrifice cut quality for anything, ever. I have seen lots of diamonds in person, and cut quality is the only thing that can ruin a D IF, or transform a J I1 (for example).

 

[beezygal]

Date: 2/28/2010 9:55:51 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
If your BF is cautious I expect he is careful with his money. Saving $2k should appeal to him, no?

I told him he can save money. He just think it''s too annoying, like not having to look at it in person before paying. He doesn''t like that idea of looking at images online and buy it and return it after. I think he rather pay a bit more than buying something online. Don''t ask me why. Men. lol j/k, maybe just him.

That''s why I''m hoping the experience with the Canadian Diamonds will be better, since I get to see the diamonds. I hope we''ll find a good one. The sooner we find a diamond, the sooner we''ll get engaged.

I feel like I need to find the "best" one we can get since I''ll be wearing this forever. Like what Cinna said here, I don''t think my bf believes in upgrading too. I also don''t wanna part with the ring he''ll propose to me with. lol

I''m still waiting for the approx $ for a 1ct H&A diamond G SI1 eye-clean. I''ll tell you guys about the $ later. I''m still thinking about EX/EX cut VS H&A. If I were to go with a EX/EX, I can probably get a bigger one. I guess I''ll compare an EX/EX and a H&A side by side. Then I''ll know... hopefully.

 

[CharmyPoo]

Date: 3/1/2010 1:20:39 AM
Author: beezygal

I''m still waiting for the approx $ for a 1ct H&A diamond G SI1 eye-clean. I''ll tell you guys about the $ later. I''m still thinking about EX/EX cut VS H&A. If I were to go with a EX/EX, I can probably get a bigger one. I guess I''ll compare an EX/EX and a H&A side by side. Then I''ll know... hopefully.

I think our point is missed in some ways. We aren''t telling you to use an online vendor - they are not made equal. I have no idea who Canadian Diamonds is and if they make a difference over the B&M you were using. We are suggesting that you go with a vendor that has been proven over and over and over again here. These vendors uphold extremly high standards and deal with super picky PS customers all the time. However, I can understand that your boyfriend doesn''t want to deal with the hassle and want a more traditional method in going to a local store.

A GIA EX/EX does not guarantee a superb diamond. The safest way is to get an AGS000 which have a tighter tolerance for ranges. But honestly .. if you don''t really care for a top cut diamond then it doesn''t matter. It''s best if you get the numbers of the diamonds you are considering and post it here for evaluation. Remember - most stones look beautiful in the store lighting. Start with plugging in the numbers in the Cut Advisor (http://www.pricescope.com/cutadviser.asp) - anything below 2 is worth considering.

 

[beezygal]

Date: 3/1/2010 2:53:48 AM
Author: CharmyPoo

I think our point is missed in some ways. We aren''t telling you to use an online vendor - they are not made equal. I have no idea who Canadian Diamonds is and if they make a difference over the B&M you were using. We are suggesting that you go with a vendor that has been proven over and over and over again here. These vendors uphold extremly high standards and deal with super picky PS customers all the time. However, I can understand that your boyfriend doesn''t want to deal with the hassle and want a more traditional method in going to a local store.

A GIA EX/EX does not guarantee a superb diamond. The safest way is to get an AGS000 which have a tighter tolerance for ranges. But honestly .. if you don''t really care for a top cut diamond then it doesn''t matter. It''s best if you get the numbers of the diamonds you are considering and post it here for evaluation. Remember - most stones look beautiful in the store lighting. Start with plugging in the numbers in the Cut Advisor (https://www.pricescope.com/cutadviser.asp) - anything below 2 is worth considering.

Thank you very much for your help. GIA doesn''t provide information on crown and pavilion. How do I know if it''s good? Thank you!

 

[CharmyPoo]

It''s there - check the plot - it''s on the picture.