Okay so it's looking like my brother is looking at these and I have ZERO advice to offer, besides the obvious "don't do it" :-).

Anyways he asked if I would post this as I know a lot of you are married or getting married.

Basically this is what he is looking for (I don't really understand most of it)

1.25-1.5 Caret
Round Stone
VS 1 to SI 1
Color F-I
Very good - Ideal Cut

I have no idea what he is willing to spend on this or how soon he's going to buy one but it's looking like ASAP.

School me on buying an engagement ring of this type. Where to buy is probably the ultimate question. He obviously wants something nice, but only knows what he can google. He has no personally experience or friends with experience (he's only 24).
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Might wanna PM chippewastud79. I remember him knowing a ton about this stuff.
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Well, a standard 1.5 carat solitaire w/ a clarity rating of SI1-SI2 with a color in the G-H range will run him around 14k-18k at most of your box jewelry stores (Kay, Jared, etc) . Obviously if he wants to step it up to a VS status and F color it will increase in price exponentially. Best idea is to have a friend who actually works in the jewelry business so he can get you a decent price on the perfect loose stone first, and then choose a setting second.

However, if he doesn't know someone in that industry, best practice is to spend a week or two going into various jewelry stores and taking 20-30 mins to talk with a salesman about what he's looking for and what they have to offer. Places like Tiffany's & Cartier have big names that his fiance will recognize if she's into that. Both good places to start.
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I believe he is looking to purchase the stone first and then a setting. I could be wrong, though. But I do know he's not spending 14K-18K.
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Is he wanting to spend less than that? Because if he is, he's DEFINITELY not getting the specifications he wants for less than that. The only exception would be if he had a buddy who owned a jewelry store that didn't mind taking a loss on a stone. Otherwise he's going to have to come down on either color or clarity if he still wants to maintain the carat size. :-)
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Agreed! That is solid advice right there!
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It's very hard to say, he just told me today he was planning on buying one. Prior to that I haven't heard from him in probably almost 2 months.

He says he's been researching this out for a while but knowing him more like a few days. I gather he doesn't know much at all...but thinks he does.

I'm thinking he wants to buy the diamond in cash and not put it on a credit card. I guess the budget would depend on how soon he's looking to buy or if it's going on his credit card.

Sounds strange but he doesn't tell me much. Since I posted the thread I figure I'll ask what are the most important factors? Color? Clarity? Size? Cut? Shape?
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I would recommend buying the rock at Blue Nile and the ring at a local shop. He'll end up saving a good chunk of cash (what I did and saved $2k)
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www.americusdiamond.com

Click on the video. Surprised Chip didn't post this first.
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Check out Craigslist and eBay. Lots of deals to be had as half of the marriages end up in divorce anyway and they're willing to cut their losses by selling rings cheap. :-)
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Is there a possibility that his lady might not like diamonds? I know that at least in Seattle diamonds have fallen off as people learn more about them, while ruby, emerald, and sapphire have started to come on. I had mt great grandmother's wedding ring remade in 18k gold and my wife loves it. Some of the other stones may be to soft though depending on the setting and how rough the wearer is on their jewelry.
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I make jewelry for a living. It's all I have ever done. I can get certified stones in that range, anywhere from 7-12K, depending on the specs.

For instance: G, SI1, 1.25ct Round, 7k, give or take a few bucks. F, SI1, 1.50ct Round, 12K give or take. Those are stones available to me right now, and they change all the time.

The color on both of those are at the high end of what he wants, but the clarity is at the lower end. In my opinion, color is the more important factor in his specs, because the difference between SI1 and VS1 isn't real noticeable to the average eye, but bad color is.

Standard solitaire mountings, 14k, 4prong would run between $130-$160.

I normally don't just throw prices out like this, but forewarned is forearmed. At least he will know what's what. I'll help if he wants, but like I said before those stones change daily, some get sold and others become available.
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Bill, reading all this makes me want one of these!

Image
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I used Blue Nile . Com for the whole ring and saved a huge amount (over 2.5K) from what I was getting at Jared. And because I looked for around a month periodically, I was able to find the right cut, color, wight, and clarity I wanted. When I took it into the jeweler he thought I got an awesome deal and said it was exactly as described on bluenile. Couldn't be happier. :-)
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I was getting ready to post this.

Blue Nile is going to be your easiest, cheapest online diamond broker if you're looking at loose stones. They have a wonderful search function that lets you adjust stuff you're flexible on and lock in things you're not (like for instance, you could go for a lower quality diamond and keep it at 1.5 carats).

Also, in my opinion the difference between a 1.25 and a 1.5 carat diamond isn't much size-wise, but you could go with a higher quality 1.25 carat diamond that will sparkle more than a 1.5 carat at the same price.

And if she wants a diamond, then she wants the sparkle :-)
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As someone who just went through this this is my advice. Jared, Kay et al the name jewelry stores are a rip off!!

I used bluenile.com as a baseline to know what prices where on stones in certain categories. However it's hard IMO to get a sense of a stone from a picture and specs.

Listen to Eleven. Find your town's Eleven. That is what I did. An independent jeweler, especially one that is connected to the diamond trade in your town will get you the best price. Bar none.

I feel confident this is the way to go. Why? I bought the diamond and ring, and had it appraised myself. The appriasal came back at 62% more than I paid, AND identical four C diamonds on bluenile are about 500 to a 1000 more than I paid too.
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Also pricescope.com
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What kind of warranty does this place carry on their rings?

My wife LOST her ring and now I am thinking about getting her another one........

Like if a diamond falls out.
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They use Jewelers Mutual Insurance, that you have to buy seperately for loss or theft. This is the same insurance you can get for any ring. I got it from my independent dealer.

http://www.perfectcircleinsurance.com/bluenilehome

http://www.jewelersmutual.com/
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Ok, just wondering.

Kay jewelers replaced the diamond for free if one ever fell out.
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