Quote:
Originally Posted by Amaru
Thanks a lot man, really helpful post.
As far as diamond specs go, are there some that I should care more about than others? Like, I sure as hell won't be able to notice the difference for a lot of this stuff, so which ones are actually important? And what about carats -- bigger is better, or is that a secondary concern?
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I wasn't worried about returning it at all. you can ship it back if she doesn't like it. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT SHIPPING IT. I'm dead serious. The ring is insured and Fed ex makes you sign for it, you have to physically open it in front of them, inspect it and they'll take a picture of it proving that you did receive it. it is unfuckingbelievably organized. its overnight mail a majority of the time. may take up to 48 hours. I was not worried AT ALL with shipping.. even with the amount of money i spent. I can't tell you what i spent because I have a troll fiancé that lurks the forums here. LOL
Start with the 4 C's. This will help determine where your budget will take you. Ideally you want to focus on Cut and Clarity. you can make any diamond in any colour look nice if you focus on cut and clarity.
I'd recommend .5-1 carat, F colour (colourless), Very good-Best Cut, vvs1 or vvs2 for clarity.
You can go higher in clarity but you won't notice the difference unless you are under magnification.
It's hard to pull up certification for diamonds quickly through jewellers. its stuff they keep packed away and only show interested buyers. if you're picky (like myself) you'll be looking at tons of certificates which is going to annoy the HELL out of any jeweller.
if you want some practice, go to bluenile.com and do a custom ring. pick your diamond. adjust the scales to what you are looking for. click each individual diamond and bring up the GIA certificate. look at all the the specs listed.
you'll want to brush up on all the advanced specs. you can bring them up online and they'll let you know what is good to look for.
just for a quick example. The "girdle" of a diamond should be medium in terms of thickness. a girdle that is too thick of to thin may not take in good light or may crack easily.
Start small (4'cs) establish what you realistically want to get, pull the GIA certificates and look at the advance specs. cross reference them with recommended specs to make sure your diamond is what you are looking for.
note that i accidentally put "GED certificates" in my earlier response.. ultimate typo. They are
"GIA" certificates. aka Gemological Institute of America
just ask if you have any other questions. happy to help