Moissanite vs. Diamond Rings?
18 years ago
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- 18 years ago
- 18 years ago
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Comments (26)I'd like to second what pebbles said about GIA certificates. At the higher end of the diamond world, stones are traded based strictly on certificates. They are that important. I'm another one who did a good deal of research a few years back. The way the market is structured, there are cities such as Antwerp and NY and sources in Russia and Israel where the market is centered and the best stones are traded and cut. There are wholesalers who buy stones, make up the rings and then sell them -- even to the high end stores like Tiffanys and Cartier though those often have exclusive styles. Harry Winston has their own workshop upstairs above the store where they make some pieces. But if you are going for a stone larger than 2 carats and with good cut and color -- pebbles again is quite right, chances are you are not going to do very well outside a big market. Even some discounters here have trouble getting larger stones of good quality. Many local jewelers are clueless about diamonds no matter what they say. The industry is structured on fixed pricing per carat, clarity and color. There's a publication used in the wholesale market that determines this and changes weekly or monthly (can't recall). Then there is cut, which is an eye thing developed only by extensive looking and relationships with the 'better" dealers who get the better stones. Point is, there are regional diamond centers in big cities such as Chicago and elsewhere, plus the online folks. With every layer of distance from the source there is an upcharge. Pebbles also makes a really good point about resale. The only fallback anyone has is to buy the best color, clarity and largest carat size you can afford from a name jeweler such as Tiffany, Cartier, Winston, Bulgari etc. as these command a premium if you resell them at auction. But you will pay retail and those brands command premium prices. I had a Cartier engagement ring that I resold at auction after many years and got a good price. But it was registered there with a number and I had retained the original invoice that stated the specs. I had worn it a lot and the engraving had worn off so I took to to them and they reengraved their name in the ring It was a pretty ring and I was able to sell it at auction advantageously because it was a prestige brand. But that's the only reason to pay retail (though styles go in and out of fashion and even values of the prestige brands fluctuate accordingly). If you are going for a larger stone than 2 carats then I would recommend a ton of research and asking everyone you know so you can get through the chain and as close as possible to the source. It might also be a good idea to check around on jewelry auctions where engagement rings are sold with certificates as you can sometimes do a bit better. My youngest brother got engaged two years ago. They had shopped extensively and he really knew his onions, plus the style she wanted and what he could afford. By making the right wholesale connection and shopping in NY (i.e. in a source market) rather than in Arizona or California, he was able to buy a ring that was a carat larger with the same color and clarity, and a better cut within his budget. The dealer was happy to deal with him because he knew exactly what he was buying and knew how good the price was and didn't dither over making the decision....See MoreQuality of department store diamonds
Comments (4)Are you interested in diamond studs or earrings with lots of smaller diamonds? If you're looking at diamond studs then it's easier to ascertain the value. Unless they're really small you should get an appraisal. I tried Macy's web site, filtered for the most expensive studs and they did list the 4 C's. I can't speak for the accuracy since it didn't mention if the appraisal was G.I.A. or just Macy's description. If you're interested in earrings with lots of smaller diamonds then you'll probably only get a t.c.w. description, without any grading. We buy most of our jewelry from a local jeweler who we have dealt with for nearly 30 years. We've bought new jewelry, estate items and he's made several custom pieces made for us. DH is very knowledgeable and often buys loose stones from him and then the 3 of us design the setting. He believes that we receive a better price and certainly better service from our local jeweler. Our jeweler is an independent business but he travels to Tucson every year for the gem show which is the largest gem and mineral show in the U. S. Costco has a fairly good reputation for their jewelry. The more expensive ones have G.I.A. appraisals. Tiffany recently filed a trademark infringement against Costco for selling Tiffany rings, which obviously weren't from Tiffany. I've looked at their jewelry and they do have some really nice pieces. I wonder how many brides have Costco engagement rings. It wouldn't matter if they all bought their pieces from the same place. There is such a vast range of quality that I don't think you could base your decision on that. It's more important to trust that you're dealing with a reputable business. Maire...See MoreWedding RING mixed feelings musings . . .
Comments (72)I don't care if the world knows I'm married, although I don't have a problem with it either. But I would love to tell the world how lucky I feel to have found such a great loving relationship! I'm not super caught-up in the symbolism of a ring, but I don't have a problem with it either. I like symbolism if I get to make it my own. That's what I'm kind-of looking for in a ring, something that speaks to both of us. SO is really the sticking point sometimes. He is very picky, very particular, very negative about a lot of things. He searches and searches for just the right thing to purchase. Drives me nuts sometimes. On the one hand. On the other hand . . . he found me!!! Edited to add that I had a serious talk with SO about the fact that I loved the hand crafted ring with the gold leaves, loved the natural style of it and could see myself wearing it all the time. He had to admit that he was conservative and traditional and just didn't like it. He said that he would be fine with my getting it if I liked it, but I said, no, we can find something we both like. So one down, couple more to go . . ....See MoreCan the average person tell moissanite from diamond in a ring?
Comments (49)I think the "3 months salary" rule was invented by deBeers in a 1930s marketing campaign. Obviously it was pretty successful. There's a few vendors selling synthetic diamond, which do not carry the "blood diamond" stigma, although they seem to top out at 1 carat. Synthetic is compositionally the same as mined, although I think they put something in so that a jeweler/professional can tell the difference. I never considered that a jeweler offering to clean a ring might not be on the up and up. The only time I had my ring cleaned the person was right back with it in about 10 minutes....and I have a unique setting that is probably not possible for the average jeweler to be able to re-set a stone in that amount of time. One of the "four Cs" is clarity -- the prices start to really hike up for quality diamonds above 1 carat (well ok, depends on budget what is considered a lot of money to spend)..... one etiquette rule I'd never considered (well, like life, never considered until I encountered it)... don't ever hold out your hands to show off a diamond in a group. One friend went for a 3carat size, but in order to afford it, they had to make concessions - not visible to most, particularly in every day wear. But when the hands shot out for the "group engagement ring show off" -- it was pretty darn yellow/dingy compared to the higher quality stones... more power to folks with the disposable income for high quality large diamonds. Rock on. Another consideration could be insurance; if the owner of a large diamond ring wants to insure it -- that's can cost a fair amount on an annual basis....See More- 18 years ago
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