Engagement ring advice

[Colin10101]

Hello guys,

I am looking to buy an engagement ring soon. I know what style she likes - solitaire with round stone, but I could use some advice on purchasing.

I live in Toronto, Canada and most of the stones here come with a Gemscan certificate. Has anyone heard of this? Or should I only be looking for a GIA stone? GIA certified stones are much harder to find here.

On to the stone - I would like to get her a 1 CT. Stone with decent cut and clarity with a budget of around 6500 CAD. Am I better off avoiding retail jewellery stores like People's or Kay? I know my stuff with watches but I'm a rookie when it comes to diamonds.

If you anyone has any stores they recommend in the GTA or southern Ontario region, that would be great!

Thanks,

[droptopman]

Hi there,
Try Costco. They have excellent stones for good prices and the best guarantee in the land. They come with certification and appraisal. Just bought my wife a beautiful vvs 1 ctw princess cut solitaire for our anniversary. Better cut, clarity and color than their competitors for thousands less.

[GB-man]

Can't say I know prices in CA but I HIGHLY recommend you PM Judy aka vitalsignsrn . She is in ontario and is a diamond lover. I'm sure she can tell you everything you need to know. Good luck and congrats! I just did the same myself

[Colin10101]

Originally Posted by droptopman

Hi there,
Try Costco. They have excellent stones for good prices and the best guarantee in the land. They come with certification and appraisal. Just bought my wife a beautiful vvs 1 ctw princess cut solitaire for our anniversary. Better cut, clarity and color than their competitors for thousands less.

Costco, I never would've thought. That's great advice, thank you!

Originally Posted by GB-man

Can't say I know prices in CA but I HIGHLY recommend you PM Judy aka vitalsignsrn . She is in ontario and is a diamond lover. I'm sure she can tell you everything you need to know. Good luck and congrats! I just did the same myself

Thanks for the tip!

[superdog]

Go direct to a seller of diamonds. Pick the diamond first. And then get the setting.

For me, cut and clarity were primary. But the upper levels are basically unseeable to the naked eye. Get the highest level possible, that is seen without a loop.

[cop414]

Originally Posted by superdog

Go direct to a seller of diamonds. Pick the diamond first. And then get the setting.

For me, cut and clarity were primary. But the upper levels are basically unseeable to the naked eye. Get the highest level possible, that is seen without a loop.

This is what I did, from my AD. He sourced 5 different diamonds, I immediately narrowed it down to three, the owner of the store put all three in those little diamond holders (not sure what they're called) and walked me outside in natural light. Bam, I knew instantly which one, this thing looks like it has its own power source, 1 1/2 CT . I knew what setting she wanted, 6 prong, white gold with the diamond seated a little deeper than normal.
I wouldn't go to Kay for something like this. I went to Kay first, bought a mediocre ring that I really didn't feel good about. They sized it and when I got it back it looked like someone had taken steel wool to it, just terrible. I got my money back and went to a real jewler. This is much to big of a purchase to go to a run of the mill mall type store in my opinion. Oh, almost forgot, congratulations in advance!
This is Holly's engagement ring.

[rr-nyc]

bluenile

[cop414]

I was considering bluenile myself, looks like they have many nice stones.

[brandrea]

Colin,

I just bought an engagement ring last summer for my fiancée. Damiani Jewellers in Woodbrige has a great selection of GIA diamonds and wonderful selection of gold or platinum settings. Ask for Mitali she's great.

Btw, they also have one of the host vintage Rolex techs in the city too.

[Mr Kram]

best bet is to buy from a trusted diamond dealer directly. if not, costco and blue nile are pretty good options.

[Thatguy]

Let her pick it out. I figured since she has to wear it it better be the exact one she wants. Might be lacking on the romantic surprise side but makes up for it in long term happy wife.


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[the_Hunter]

Blue Nile will be better priced and have a better selection. I picked out a few stones I liked then called in to ask questions/get advice. The rep walked me through the entire process, and kept me up to date on the order progress (sent the stone out to get marked)

I saved thousands going this route, and will recommend them to everyone that asks. Not sure how the Tax impact works shipping a stone to Canada, but I am willing to bet they can answer any questions.

[Matt C]

Christopher Designs is a popular brand, my wife loves her ring. They are costly though.


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[superdog]

Originally Posted by cop414

This is what I did, from my AD. He sourced 5 different diamonds, I immediately narrowed it down to three, the owner of the store put all three in those little diamond holders (not sure what they're called) and walked me outside in natural light. Bam, I knew instantly which one, this thing looks like it has its own power source, 1 1/2 CT . I knew what setting she wanted, 6 prong, white gold with the diamond seated a little deeper than normal.
I wouldn't go to Kay for something like this. I went to Kay first, bought a mediocre ring that I really didn't feel good about. They sized it and when I got it back it looked like someone had taken steel wool to it, just terrible. I got my money back and went to a real jewler. This is much to big of a purchase to go to a run of the mill mall type store in my opinion. Oh, almost forgot, congratulations in advance!
This is Holly's engagement ring.

Beautiful ring. Wow. Lovely.

Similar situation. But I have some pals in the diamond industry in nyc, so skipped the initial visit to the store and I went direct to the source. The guy I bought it from, sells to the rest of the industry.

I got the "perfect" diamond and then put a setting on it.

And it lights up a room the way it sparkles.

Op. Some want big, I like cut and clarity.

Depends on what you want. Or rather what she will ultimately want.

[Colin10101]

Thank you all for the advice. Tim, that ring is absolutely gorgeous.

I think purchasing the stone separate is a great idea, but unfortunately I do not have many connections in the jewelry industry. I wonder if there are reputable exchanges where I can see the stones in person - I am not comfortable purchasing online like I am with watches.

[cop414]

Thanks Seth, she absolutely loves it.

[cop414]

Thanks Colin, as mentioned above you might want to check out bluenile, if I hadn't gone locally that was another way to go. If you go to their site you'll be amazed at how prices can change by thousands for going up a grade or two. I agree that it's best to see stones in person though. To do that with bluenile you'd have to make a trip. When I saw my final three choices they were all pretty much the same "on paper" but in person the difference was unbelievable. Also be careful with store lighting, natural light is best to make this decision. Good luck.

[vitalsignsrn]

Congrats Tim...gorgeous pick. :-)

I say this with love...no one should ever buy blindly from Blue Nile without doing their research. Find out what the specific parts of a diamond mean & learn the corresponding "ideal" numbers so you have a point of reference. A lot of the inventory that Blue Nile has is in "vaults" in China & India. The best part of Blue Nile, if you are in the U.S, is easy returns. Otherwise, for those of us not in the U.S...there are ways to minimize your risk.

Buying a diamond online ** from the right vendors ** is safe . It can be done. I've been doing it since 2002.

Good Luck..

[Kevin 21]

When I purchased my wifes ring I brought along my aunt cause she use to be in the business.
I suggest you learn how to check the diamonds cause its fascinating how each one can be so different and DONT trust what the certificate for the diamond says alone.

Just be patient using a loupe and youll be able to see flaws that weren't noted on the certificates.

Good luck

[rr-nyc]

Originally Posted by Kevin 21

When I purchased my wifes ring I brought along my aunt cause she use to be in the business.
I suggest you learn how to check the diamonds cause its fascinating how each one can be so different and DONT trust what the certificate for the diamond says alone.

Just be patient using a loupe and youll be able to see flaws that weren't noted on the certificates.

Good luck

If under 10x magnification, the inclusions on your diamond do not match those mapped on the certificate (GIA), you don't have the right stone or certificate.

[cop414]

Originally Posted by vitalsignsrn

Congrats Tim...gorgeous pick. :-)

I say this with love...no one should ever buy blindly from Blue Nile without doing their research. Find out what the specific parts of a diamond mean & learn the corresponding "ideal" numbers so you have a point of reference. A lot of the inventory that Blue Nile has is in "vaults" in China & India. The best part of Blue Nile, if you are in the U.S, is easy returns. Otherwise, for those of us not in the U.S...there are ways to minimize your risk.

Buying a diamond online ** from the right vendors ** is safe . It can be done. I've been doing it since 2002.

Good Luck..

Thanks Judy, I agree about buying blindly. If I was going with bluenile I was planning a New York trip to their showroom. I didn't know that their inventory was so scattered around the globe!

[SearChart]

Wow Tim, that is a very beautiful ring.

[cop414]

Originally Posted by SearChart

Wow Tim, that is a very beautiful ring.

Thanks brother!

[BBL]

Price jumps up at the full digit carat size.... for example - better price at 1.8 than 2.0. The rule of thumb is best to stay at or below .9, 1.9, 2.9 etc.

[Widows Son]

There is a huge mark up in diamonds, the market is basically held in a stranglehold by two mines. Like watches, buy the seller. Establish a relationship with a jeweler you can trust and take it from there. I bought the stone from my jeweler, and then he made the settings. Twice a year I drop them off for cleaning and inspection. Always better off getting a smaller stone but higher quality. Good luck, it's a minefield.

[RRGHOST1]

Best advice is don't do it.............only joking !

[cop414]

Originally Posted by Widows Son

There is a huge mark up in diamonds, the market is basically held in a stranglehold by two mines. Like watches, buy the seller. Establish a relationship with a jeweler you can trust and take it from there. I bought the stone from my jeweler, and then he made the settings. Twice a year I drop them off for cleaning and inspection. Always better off getting a smaller stone but higher quality. Good luck, it's a minefield.

Bill,
This is exactly what I had done. I was a bit apprehensive about having a setting "created" by my jewler but they were very reassuring. The fact that I was able to customize it somewhat by having them set the stone a little deeper than normal was nice. When it was all done I was breathless by how it came out. I also take it back to them every 6 months for an inspection, at no charge of course. The fact that the person who made the setting is the one inspecting it is nice, if there are any problems with it he's the one who fixes it, no outsourcing. At one of their three stores he does his work in a glass walled room in the store so that you are able to watch him work, nothing to hide. I now have a closer relationship with them to the point that numerous times I've been invited behind the counter to view items on their computers. I'm very happy that I chose this path rather than one of the mall stores. I know that I spent more money but the peace of mind when going this route is absolutely priceless.

[BBL]

For the prongs/basket - consider platinum.
It is much more durable than gold. We had to change the prongs (also had 6 prongs, not 4) on the engagement ring to platinum - and should have done that in the first place.

[mjclark32]

Originally Posted by superdog

Go direct to a seller of diamonds. Pick the diamond first. And then get the setting.

For me, cut and clarity were primary. But the upper levels are basically unseeable to the naked eye. Get the highest level possible, that is seen without a loop.

X2. This is what I did. Went to the diamond district (nyc) with a family friend who owned/operated/sold a jewelry store. We went to his guy with the current Rapaport diamond guide and bought a loose GIA stone.
GIA was a must for me, if they're hard to find in Canada maybe it's worth the trip down? Take your time and don't be rushed in by a jeweler. Blue Nile pricing looks pretty fair... Best of luck

[Ferdelious]

Another vote for Costco, customer service will be hard to beat.