TheSmilingTurnip Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 My fiancee and I are trying to find the right engagement ring and have been looking around locally and online as well. The thing is, it's hard to find a place that can make what we want, which is a 3 stone setting - a 1 carat diamond flanked by two tanzanites. Anyone have any recommendations? Link to comment
metrogirl Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 My fiancee and I are trying to find the right engagement ring and have been looking around locally and online as well. The thing is, it's hard to find a place that can make what we want, which is a 3 stone setting - a 1 carat diamond flanked by two tanzanites. Anyone have any recommendations? Have you tried link removed? They have some really nice jewelry, the prices are amazing. I think tanzanites are beautiful. Nice choice for an engagment ring. When i was looking for my ring, (I wanted a ring similar to yours but with Sapphires,) I found exactly what I had envisioned in my mind at the above website. Good luck. Link to comment
soul_soother Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 I always suggest buying from big brand name jewelers for warentee's and gaurentee's like refinishing resizing replacing diamonds when left... So in that case I would suggest Kay Jewelers, Zales, Jareds those kind of companies... Or Matrix Jewelers. I know with any ring you buy regardless of price Zales now warentee's for life no extra charge. Link to comment
redrose85 Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 You can have one custom-made for you as well. Just check your yellow pages Link to comment
Mythical_Suicide Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 I always suggest buying from big brand name jewelers for warentee's and gaurentee's like refinishing resizing replacing diamonds when left... So in that case I would suggest Kay Jewelers, Zales, Jareds those kind of companies... Or Matrix Jewelers. I know with any ring you buy regardless of price Zales now warentee's for life no extra charge. Zales is crappy to deal with.. They have "warranties" but their policies are so screwy you have to be extremely careful when dealing with them. If you're looking online I agree with MG and suggest link removed, they have alot of nice jewelry. Link to comment
TheSmilingTurnip Posted August 26, 2008 Author Share Posted August 26, 2008 Someone locally quoted us $6600 for this ring. And that was for a clarity treated diamond, which they were charging us $4300 for a 1.15 carat emerald cut that was slightly yellow. Yet I can find an entire ring even NICER with all diamonds online for less than half that price, and better cut, clarity and color. Hence you can see my hesitation in going to a local place. Link to comment
metrogirl Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 Someone locally quoted us $6600 for this ring. And that was for a clarity treated diamond, which they were charging us $4300 for a 1.15 carat emerald cut that was slightly yellow. Yet I can find an entire ring even NICER with all diamonds online for less than half that price, and better cut, clarity and color. Hence you can see my hesitation in going to a local place. There are always going to be people/places that are going to try and take you for a ride....... You just have to be diligent and shop around. I still say check out link removed and tell me what you think...... I bought a gorgeous tanazite ring from there.....That is one of my prized possessions! A few months later I bought some beautiful tanzanite and pink sapphire earrings to go with said ring. Link to comment
george237 Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 Best case senario: she loves it and you saved a unch of money Worst: She loves it, a year later gets it appraised to put insurance on it. Finds out there are a lot of imperfections and is valued at half of what you paid. Then you go back to the online store but they are either shutdown or in Asia, either way your screwed. Now her and her family will look at you as the guy that f'd up her ring cause you wanted to save a buck. Link to comment
DN Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 I would do some more research. I have heard that you are better off going to a good reputable dealer and buying the stones and then having the ring made. The setting only costs a fraction of the value of the stones but the mark-up is huge when you buy the completed ring because they have to bear the cost and retail store overheads from wholesale purchase to retail sale. Link to comment
keenan Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 good online diamond forums: link removed (excellent forums--knowledge base is very extensive, plus reputable dealers frequent the site) link removed Link to comment
TheSmilingTurnip Posted August 26, 2008 Author Share Posted August 26, 2008 Best case senario: she loves it and you saved a unch of money Worst: She loves it, a year later gets it appraised to put insurance on it. Finds out there are a lot of imperfections and is valued at half of what you paid. Then you go back to the online store but they are either shutdown or in Asia, either way your screwed. Now her and her family will look at you as the guy that f'd up her ring cause you wanted to save a buck. lol I think you misunderstand. I am the one he is buying the ring for. He is letting me pick out what I want. Link to comment
TheSmilingTurnip Posted August 26, 2008 Author Share Posted August 26, 2008 Have you tried link removed? They have some really nice jewelry, the prices are amazing. I think tanzanites are beautiful. Nice choice for an engagment ring. When i was looking for my ring, (I wanted a ring similar to yours but with Sapphires,) I found exactly what I had envisioned in my mind at the above website. Good luck. I looked there but no luck so far. Thanks for letting me know about that site, they have some great deals. So my next question is - how bad of a diamond is an I2, really, especially if the color is good? Link to comment
DN Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 Don't forget that this ring is not really a financial investment but a symbol of your love and commitment. So the most important thing is not really the cut and colour or even the value except for insurance purposes. What is important is that both of you love the ring itself. Even if it isn't perfect to an expert it only has to be perfect for you. Link to comment
TheSmilingTurnip Posted August 26, 2008 Author Share Posted August 26, 2008 Don't forget that this ring is not really a financial investment but a symbol of your love and commitment. So the most important thing is not really the cut and colour or even the value except for insurance purposes. What is important is that both of you love the ring itself. Even if it isn't perfect to an expert it only has to be perfect for you. that's really what I'm thinking...the stone doesn't have to be perfect but I want the overall ring appearance to look like it is quality. I'm being kind of picky but I know I won't regret it. My fiancee doesn't mind, he just wants me to be happy. Link to comment
keenan Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 I looked there but no luck so far. Thanks for letting me know about that site, they have some great deals. So my next question is - how bad of a diamond is an I2, really, especially if the color is good? I wouldn't drop below an SI2 if you want it to be eye-clean. The most important parameter is the quality of the cut (ideal or very good), followed by color (stay above F/G if you want a colorless look, drop to H if you like a little more warmth), and then the clarity, (and then size). But once you're below S1 or SI2 in clarity you're going to see inclusions when you look down into it, and you don't want that. It's absolutely critical that you go look at diamonds in person to get a sense for what YOU like and what you're willing to sacrifice for your budget. Most people realize very quickly that size is far less important than having a bright, sparkling, eye-clean stone. The ring you described before sounds like it has way too high a price tag. Be very wary of treated stones. Also, be very careful about mall stores. They carry a lot of inventory, have high rents, and their gemologists are usually offsite, you're just dealing with a salesperson. Good small jewelers with solid reputations will be able to find you much higher-quality stones for lower prices, and they'll teach you and cater to your needs in a way that mall stores can't. Link to comment
redrose85 Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Also, be very careful about mall stores. They carry a lot of inventory, have high rents, and their gemologists are usually offsite, you're just dealing with a salesperson. Good small jewelers with solid reputations will be able to find you much higher-quality stones for lower prices, and they'll teach you and cater to your needs in a way that mall stores can't. ^^ That's what I should have explained when I suggested a local jeweller. It may be more expensive in the long run, but it's better quality, and you get to work one on one with the gemologist to make sure that you get a great piece. I've shopped at certain chain stores, and found the quality to be awful. I got a ring and within a month, the center stone became loose. Plus, the setting was such that the gem was almost always cloudy unless I cleaned it every other day. Link to comment
Hope75 Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 You can create your own ring on link removed link removed That's what we did when we got engaged last year, and it's a stunning ring. I get more compliments on it and people can't believe where we got it! Link to comment
BeStrongBeHappy Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 The trifecta of online diamond sellers are: link removed, link removed, and link removed. They sell certified (appraised) diamonds and have been in business a long time. link removed also connects you to a lot of sellers. Link to comment
Mindy1607307824 Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I am a huge fan of Blue Nile, so that's what I'm going to recommend. Link to comment
TheSmilingTurnip Posted September 6, 2008 Author Share Posted September 6, 2008 Well we found the ring of my dreams. We found it on..... eBAY!!!! Can you believe it? It turns out that there are many diamond sellers on eBay and most of them have platinum ratings and near 100% customer satisfaction. So what we found is the stone that I wanted, a radiant cut 1 ct diamond with g color and SI-1 quality and two princess cut sapphires on the side, .5 carat each. All for less than half of what we were quoted locally for a ring that wasn't nearly the quality of this ring. So I am recommending e-Bay! Link to comment
keenan Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 Congratulations! It sounds gorgeous! Link to comment
BeStrongBeHappy Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Careful! Make sure it is a certified seller or an established company that is just using Ebay to list things... Ebay can be anybody or anything and there are many counterfeits and fakes sold there. Caveat emptor. Link to comment
metrogirl Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Well we found the ring of my dreams. We found it on..... eBAY!!!! Can you believe it? It turns out that there are many diamond sellers on eBay and most of them have platinum ratings and near 100% customer satisfaction. So what we found is the stone that I wanted, a radiant cut 1 ct diamond with g color and SI-1 quality and two princess cut sapphires on the side, .5 carat each. All for less than half of what we were quoted locally for a ring that wasn't nearly the quality of this ring. So I am recommending e-Bay! I would love to see a picture. Link to comment
TheSmilingTurnip Posted September 11, 2008 Author Share Posted September 11, 2008 Thanks BSBH. It is important to be careful, I agree. They have been selling and buying on eBay for about seven years with over 400 transactions, and six of which have had a neutral rating, but no negatives. Pretty good record. Many people have reported taking their rings to gemologists and jewellers and no one has reported a counterfeit stone. link removed image removed So I couldn't add a picture but I did include a link. Link to comment
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