Diamond Rings

J SCOTT

BUY HERE A DIAMOND FISH LIKE LICENSE FRAME AND A ZIRCONIA....THIS WAY YOU HAVE $$$$$$$$ LEFT OVER FOR YOUR F-CAR MAINTENANCE

HAPPY B-DAY FOR MRS LEONARD.

BRUCE

 

One of my best friends in a general surgeon who grew up in Mexico. He told me one piece of sage advice his father (also a general surgeon) gave him was "always buy a woman a diamond and not a Jeep".

I asked why, not quite understanding the cultural differences.

"Because you can't buy a fake Jeep".

 

I've been told, by women folk, that some have an allergic reation to yellow and white gold, if there is such a thing, therefore they get platinum bands. My observances of their catty behavior has been that the platinum band is a 'one over' the other girls in their social cirlce.

Additionaly, those who invest in the metals market know the value of platinum over gold.

 

J Scott, the naked eye can't tell a difference between a VS1 and VS2. You'd need a loup and a trained eye.

 

Can't comment on the rocks (that's my sister's area). As for the metals, let's see what's in my work inbox this morning.

Following are today's Engelhard Industrial Bullion (EIB) Prices.

EIB Prices Dated: 25-Mar-04

Metal Name Symbol Price(USD) Unit of Measure
---------- ------ ---------- ---------------

Silver Ag 7.575 troy ounce
Gold Au 417.46 troy ounce
Platinum Pt 912.00 troy ounce
Palladium Pd 287.00 troy ounce

 

The reason I included palladium in there is that there is a patent floating around to treat it so that it has the same surface luster (read: appearance) as platinum. There is a big difference in weight however.

 

White gold will show off a diamond of that clarity much better but there is the need to re-rodium plate it every so often. Try to keep the color F or better.

Besides....platinum is the best!

DL

 

THANKS WAYNE...YOU SAVED JSL ARSE FROM BEING ON A LIST HEADED BY GARY GREEN FOR THE ANTI-SEMETIC BASTARD LIST

BRUCE

 

JScott,

having to go thorugh all the same things right now, here is what i have learned.

I bought Marion a platinum ring with a nice diamond. Clarity was exceptional. You spend good money for it but on a ring I think it is worth it. Depending on how the diamond is fixed into the ring you may be better off to go platinum. It is the harder metal. Gold is pretty soft. I got her one of those where the diamond flies between the ring.

On the other hand I just a few days ago got her a Ferrari Horse custom made by a friends wife and fellow Ferrari owner (I can give you his name just e-mail me). That horse I did from white gold. It has diamonds in the horse. Of course nothing serious, just splinters.

On diamonds there is a huge spread in price. If you are buying from GIA certified sellers you will usually get a decent price (20% off appraised value), if you go from the guy who knows a guy that has a friend in the biz, you can get them for up to 50% less but here is how you have to do it:

Have your money ready cash. Meet the guy selling you the diamond and walk with him to a GIA certified appraiser. Have the appraiser of your choice give you a value. If you are happy with the price you are getting buy it right there. Make sure they do not put the rock back in their pocket. Leave it out so you can see it at all times and can not get fooled. There is a lot of diamond tricks. Since regular folks can not see the difference we solely rely on those we are buying from.

Hope this helps.

BTW for a ring you want to get a good clear diamond.

 

vs-1 or vs-2 you'll never tell the difference, I'd go bigger stone, lesser quality. It's an easy trade off.

Platinum is the sturdiest, unless she likes the look of yellow gold better. It is much harder, and will hold up under significantly more abuse. Many rings use platinum settings to hold the stones in place because of the hardness.

I have purchased several rings, bracelets, etc over the years and Ali prefers platinum for rings and white gold for bracelets. They more or less match in appearance, and the rings are very solid.

Finally, you still want to look at the diamond under one of thier diamond microscopes for color and clarity to see if the rating is accurate.. Color is more important to the eye. D or H color will look brighter, as it is much whiter than the more yellow diamonds.

Oclusions, which are the vs1-vs2, are hard to see with the naked eye.

Cut will have a large effect on overall appearance, too. Pick the one that looks the best to her eye, in regular light, and you can't lose. Just remember that color and grade effect price greatly, as does where you buy.
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J SCOOT

YOUR A CRAZY BASTARD....

AS LONG AS IT DOESNT SAY " LONG LIVE HAMAS" OR " IM A FAN OF NIBBLESWORTH"

I OWE YOU, BUDDY

BRUCE

 

No problem, glad to help.

And yes, price is negotiable. If you want to buy at list, they will let you. If you shop around, rings of very similar quality wil vary greatly in price. 50% sometimes. Then go back to the guy you're talking to, and use that knowledge to negotiate price. He's got lots of markup in the stone and setting, and will always be happy to give some of the markup back in order to keep the sale.

I recently purchased a bracelet, diamond tennis style I guess you'd call it. And got prices from $2500 to about $6000 for bracelets that I couldn't tell much difference in. Total stone weight, setting, etc.

Name brand stores will sometimes have better prices, but often have lousy stones. Dealers on Diamond Row (if you have one) will give you the best variety and prices. Don't always buy just on price, as you have to be comfortable with the jeweler too. If there's a quality issue down the line, it needs to be someone you can go back to.

Believe it or not, I currently get the best deals from a small guy in a mall near my home. I've built a nice relationship with him over the last couple of years and he has given me great prices and quality stuff from watches on up.

 

All jewellers buy their stones from a wholesaler, most rings etc are also bought wholesale through specialists and not actually made at the shop where they are purchased. Even repairs are outsourced in a similar fashion.
Bottom line a VVS1 Diamond is the same no matter where it is bought and rings, bracelets etc are highly unlikely to be made by the jewellery store that it is purchased off. Mark ups on jewellery are between 100-200 percent.
I recently bought a ring wih an independent sworn valuation of $15,000 for $5,000.
I bought the stone from a diamond wholesaler and had it set in a ring in white gold designed by my other half.

 

sound like you have gotten good advise, one thing about cut and proportions - make sure the diamond sparkles - not just under the bright lights of the store either, have him show you his most expensive stone and you will understand what sparkle is,