Does anyone have an idea whether it is more cost effective to get the center stone and then add it to the setting or just get a ring itself?
My FI to be is wondering and I am starting to do the research.
Thanks in advance.
you buy the setting, then the stone
and then they put the stone in the
setting.
FYI- Karat Shop always appraises for
more than what you paid!!!!
Lisa
Ohhh thanks for that tip.
I was thinking of the Karat Shop thanks for the info.
Is it less expensive to do it this way or just by the ring itself? My FI to be has no research skills and I just want to make sure that he won't get ripped off since he has no bargain skills either! I still love him...
My experience (and I have many friends in the jewelry making business) is that you first buy the stone (because that is the most important), and then you find a setting that you like and see if it works with the stone. Not all settings can accommodate all stones, and the stone is the most important element to the ring (shape, size, etc.). And, you don't have to buy them at the same place - I didn't.
I thought that was the route we should take.
I want a princess cut center but the rest I am overwhelmed by the designs!
Do you know the price difference between getting the stone and buying a ring completely done?
If you go to www.tiffany.com you can get a free diamond buying guide. It explains in detail what to look for in a stone. You do not have to get the ring at Tiffany's to get the free booklet. Next, go to a store like Fortunoff's and look around. My fiance got my ring and center stone there, but you do not have to buy anything. They have a very large selection so that is why it is a great place to start. The sales women there are pretty good at explaining diamonds also. So that will help with your research. When we went together I found a few rings I really liked but we were just looking at the time. I knew I wanted an oval stone, good quality vs. bigger size. If you do not know someone in the diamond business, I would be careful about just buying your center stone first. You can get really ripped off, not just price but quality. You want to make sure the diamond is certified and you are shown all of the paperwork. Saving a few dollars is not worth the risk of buying from no-name places or people that you don't know. That is why my fiance brought my ring at Fortunoff's. It actually appraised higher than he paid for it too. But he knew that they had a good reputation and he was not going to get a fake, or less quality than he thought.
And someone else posted that not all settings work for all center stones. That is 100% true. That is why we looked at settings first, we knew that my fiance could find a beautiful center stone to fit into it, once he had some idea of what I was looking for.
Have fun ring shopping. Wait until you get it. You will stare at it for hours.
Here's a good price guide for loose stones:
http://www.diasource.com/pricelist.htm
I researched this whole thing very thoroughly and here's what i did. I happened to see a setting that I loved at Fortunoff, so my FH and I went back to look at it together, then picked a center stone to go with it. The salespeople there are very helpful, and they also have a diamond buying guide. I also got a lot of info from theknot.com and adiamondisforever.com theknot had lots of tips- search engagement and you'll get a bunch of articles. Some of what I learned: always see the center stone loose before buying. Look at it with a loupe and a microscope if they have one. Buy a certified diamond (a jeweler friend told me to stick with GIA certification). Also, you can save a LOT of $$ buying shy. That is, if you get a stone that is .90 instead of 1.00 carats you can save a lot- and the difference in size is only about 2/3 mm. (width of a sheet of paper). They also had a diamond price guide. Hope this helps! Happy shopping!
Thanks ya'all!!!
I actually went to see a jeweler yesterday and he really informed me on a lot fhings I didn't know.
My best friend's uncle is also in the jewelry business so I will probably stick w/ since I know he won't lie to me on anything.
Thanks again for the info and the links!
