I am in the market for an engagement ring. I purchase things from amazon all the time so I’m familiar with ordering stuff online, however I am hesitant to purchase something like an engagement ring online because you don’t know exactly what you’re going to get. I am a fan of Tiffany & Co rings but have read reviews saying that online jewelers are better quality. How do I pick?
Tiffany is an overpriced store where you’re paying for the blue box.
It’s perfectly normal to buy diamond rings online (from reputable jewelers).
https://www.diamonds.pro/education/buy-diamonds-online/
I can help you with the process. Tell me what shape diamond, style setting (solitaire, pave/side stones, halo) and metal (yellow gold, white gold, platinum) you are looking for and what your ballpark budget is and I’ll get into it.
I’ve actually done a little bit of research under your education part of your website and learned quite a few things. I just graduated from college last May so my budget isn’t too much but I’ve built up quite a bit of savings. My budget is no more than $9,000 up front. If there’s financing options out there then it could as much as double that. My girlfriend is 6’2″ and blonde. She has mentioned often that she prefers silver to gold jewelry and I agree that she looks better in silver. I read about platinum but wasn’t sure how good that was. As far as the setting is concerned I would either say solitaire to pave. Personally I though tension was really neat because it really showcases the diamond however I couldn’t find any that didn’t look bulky. I don’t think she would like anything too crazy as far as shapes are concerned, probably round or princess or something similar to that. I sort of shopped with her without her knowing before and found out that she would be worried about the ring catching on things, even though the jeweler talked her out of that idea a little bit, but I feel like she might not like something that sticks out too far. I know I’m probably throwing a lot at right now so sorry about that.
Thanks for the details.
Let’s start with the setting. I found two that aren’t that high:
www.ritani.com/engagement-rings/solitaire-semi-bezel-set-diamond-engagement-ring-in-palladium/6339
Which one do you like better?
As for the metal, we recommend WG over PT. The reason is the huge disparity in upfront costs. As our article says, the WG has to be dipped every few years and the platinum needs to be polished as well because it scratches. So ultimately, platinum costs you more in the beginning and doesn’t end up saving you any money in the long run.
The setting from Ritani is in Palladium. It’s available in WG as well, but it costs $460 more. I’m not entirely sure where to put that metal as we don’t have any experience with it. But you could ask Ritani directly if you want to know more. They should be able to help you better in this part.
I really like the look of the Ritani setting. It looks like a tension setting which displays the Diamond more which I like. I wasn’t a huge fan of the 4 prong look of the james allen ring however I did like the gems (pave) down the side a bit. But between the two of them I would say that I like the Ritani a bit more because it brings more attention to the diamond and it’s simplistic and elegant. What’s the difference between the WG and the Palladium?
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I did a little bit of messing around looking at diamonds and the different clarities and colors and sizes and came up with this. Again I’m not sure if there’s a better option for my budget or what advice you might have on this. Here’s the link to the completed ring I made.
https://www.ritani.com/rings/6994910
……
This one is if I wanted to increase my budget to $13,000 with a 1.5 carat diamond with a G color:
https://www.ritani.com/rings/6995037
This is with a F color but slightly smaller carat at 1.37 while in the 13,000 range:
https://www.ritani.com/rings/6995038
I just don’t know what color is too much and unnecessary or if I can get a larger carat size with a lesser color that looks just as clear.
Sorry about bombarding you with questions.
You can easily go with an I color diamond for a solitaire setting.
I didn’t find the links to the diamonds you sent me. In the complete ring page, there is no cert or anything. Can you send me separate links to the diamond themselves?
What about this 1.5ct stone for your ring?
https://www.ritani.com/diamonds/round-diamond-1-50-Carat-I-color-GIA-certified/D-PFM679
Does an I color diamond have noticeable color in it? I looked and I can increase my budget to 13,000 for a 1.5ct G VS1. But is the increase in color worth that?
https://www.ritani.com/diamonds/round-diamond-1-50-Carat-G-color-GIA-certified/D-PN50PH
Also I didn’t know how much florescence mattered since this one has none.
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Here’s another stone at 1.8ct VS2 with H color. It’s hard to actually know what they look like without actually seeing the diamond. Is there anyway to see the diamond online from Ritani?
https://www.ritani.com/diamonds/round-diamond-1-80-Carat-H-color-GIA-certified/D-P7MQSR
We usually recommend I/J diamonds for a solitaire setting and they look great. I, personally, wouldn’t go higher than “I”. You won’t benefit from it and the price difference is huge.
Ask Ritani for the actual photos directly. They also have an in-store preview where they will ship the diamond to one of their partner jewelers where you can see it before purchasing.
As far as clarity is there any reason to go above a VS1 that would justify the price difference?
Not really. Sometimes you can find a good option with clarity above VS1 for an amazing price, but generally speaking, it’s better to keep it as low as possible while the stone being eye-clean.
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. James Allen will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free International Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisals
- One free resizing within 60 days of purchase
- Free ring inscriptions
- Best-in-class high quality imagery of all diamonds in stock
- 24/7 Customer Service
- Best-in-class packaging
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. Blue Nile will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisal
- One free resizing within the first year of purchase
- High quality images of about half of their diamonds
- 24/7 Customer Service
- 100% credit towards future upgrades (must be at least double in value)
- Best in class fulfillment
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