Ok guys, my taxes came in. I think I'm gonna bite the bullet and buy a stone. The girlfriend has been putting up with all my silly fishing antics, and other bizzarre attributes for three years. She cooks dinner for me almost every night and my pants are always ironed every morning. Plus she is pretty and nice too and I love her. So if anybody can point me in the right direction as far as good respectable cubic zarconia dealers I would really appreciate it. Wish me luck.

If you're willing to travel to the diamond district in NYC, I can give you a name of a guy who deals in the real thing.

Mike, I tried to Pm you, your box is full. But any names/info would help. I'm going to buy the stone first, so someone in the Diamond district who doesn't have to pay overhead would probably be the most cost effective for me. I have a bit over 4 gs saved for the stone alone and probably will spend @ 5. I know, I know that is alittle steep for an educator/fisherman. But I want to definitely get the most bang for my buck, and she deserves it. OK, I'm all done being mushy now. Sorry guys.

The Jewelry show will be in Marlboro this weekend. I highly suggest going here. Even if you don't know or don't intend on buying, you'll learn a great deal. I've gotten lots of great deals on items but like with everything else, you really have to know what you're looking at and what it's really worth.

If your negotiating skills are good, you will score bigtime. At least 70% or more off of retail prices because you're dealing with wholesalers here without the extra overhead. I know a few dealers as well.

I've worked at one of the well known jewelry stores in Boston selling high end pieces and watches. I don't proclaim to know everything but I do know a bit when it comes to diamonds.

Let me know if you need help if you need information. I won't sell you anything since I don't personally deal in it anymore but I'm here for advice if you have any questions.

I'll get the name and PM you. Sorry about the full mailbox, I forgot to delete all the sent messages.

Go up to Boston at a place called Barmakian Brothers, they are wholesalers so the prices are much better. The same size carrot ring in Rhode Island was 2,500$ up there I saw about the same ring for 1,200$. Definetly worth the trip they are on Washington Street.

One word of advice, either learn about diamonds or get someone who does know to advise you. Its almost impossible to tell stones apart by eye, unless they are really bad stones, like ones with a yellow cast. Weight isn't the only thing, actually clarity and brilliance are just as important as weight, color is secondary unless its really bad. Anyone who thinks they can tell a v from vs from a vsi stone by eye is kidding themselves, yet the price for the same stize stone can double as you go from v to vsi quality. do insist on seeing the AGI or EGL certificate for the stone, it will tell you most of what you need to know, assuming some unscrupulous dealer doesn't switch certificates.
Sorry I just found out that the guy I knew in the business has moved back to Israel. Interesting fact, the diamond business in NYC is almost completely run by orothodox Jews and most of the better diamonds in the world are now cut in Israel (used to be Belgium).

I agree on that the prices vary to a very wide spectrum over a jewelry store vs a wholesaler and usually the latter is wayyy cheaper. But... we're looking at things dug up from the ground and polished by hand. No two stones are identical. Can't really compare one to another without really looking at them side by side under a loop.

Heck, the certification it comes with is subject to the eye of the grader as well. Don't be conned by folks saying it's xxxx dollars more because of some GIA certification paper- it's 60 dollars to get it certified. All it implies is that someone took 5 minutes of their time to look it over and give their accessment on the grading. It all boils down to what you like and at what price you're willing to give for it.

Mikey- this will probably be one of the most frustrating and rewarding experiences you will ever put yourself thru. Educate yourself and go look many stones from different dealers. Take note of the ones you like and the prices. Use your street smarts and trust your gut feeling if you think someone's trying to put one over you. You'll know which one to get when you see it. Be an educated buyer and negotiate your price. Some dealers are worse than car salesmen.

4 G's should buy you a nice vs1 or vs2 stone g-h-i color range in the 1 to 1.25 carat range if you educate yourself and do some shopping around and negotiaing.

Check out this site - www.diamondcuttersintl.com
Also read book - How to Buy a Diamond by Fred Cueller
You may be able to get book free off the website if they still do it.

hope this helps
good luck.

just checked the site.
Answer the questions for the diamond I.Q. test and you get the book for free.

Rappinmikey
Run away as fast as you can,,,lol...Only kidding...Enjoy the ride...Good luck

Congrats Mikey! I hope you a long and very happy lif together. 30 legal years this year for me and my better half. Can't help with the diamond question, I'm cheaper than a herd of sparrows.:D

Mikey...only 3 years?...:D

I had mine waiting 12+....

Do yourself a favor Mikey....meet somewhere in the middle. I'm not just talking about the coin $$, but also the quality of the gem. As much as women want a perfect stone, they would much rather have a stone a little larger but with maybe a few slightimperfections. Here is a great post explaining some good points to think about while doing your shopping. Don't always go by the charts on a certain stone. Compare the color of an F to an H, then compare the price. You can actually find an I color that will fit your needs...and your pocket, and STILL be very pleasing to her eyes.

Good Luck -
Bloo


Here's that post:



I have heard many opinions on this matter and have come to the grand conclusion (through my engagement ring search) that - it really depends. Most people are working on a budget, we all make tradeoffs to get the best "bang for your buck". Since everyone has their own opinion which "C" has the greatest affect on a diamond's beauty, we typically sacrifice in the areas that we feel are less important. For me, the most important qualities (from most to least important) are as follows.
1. Cut - by far the most important
2. Color
3. Size
4. Clarity

Most people would not agree with my putting size before clarity, so let me explain. For me clarity is the least important factor as long as it meets several minimum requirements - this is just my personal opinion. I have found that it is far more important to actually see a stone than to go strictly by the clarity grading.
The stone must be absolutely "eye clean" - this is a must for me. Since my eyes are not too great (very farsighted), I use some general guidelines when viewing the inclusions though a ten loupe. I try to stay away from diamonds with notable inclusions under the table. I dislike black or dark inclusions, even if smaller because I think they are more likely to be seen. A feather or cloud, if present, are much more preferrable if they run perpendicular to the table (some feathers can not be when looking at a diamond "face up"). Even better, if the inclusions are near the crown and close to the girdle - they are more likely to be masked by the diamond's scintillation and crown facets. Pinpoints should generally not a problem for me, but I prefer them to be white and not under the table.
I have seen SI2's with one significant inclusion which could be easily hidden by a prong. After set, they might look like a VS1 or better. For me, a lower clarity stone with "desireable" inclusions is better than a high clarity stone with undesireable inclusions. I have seen VS2's which I would not accept and SI1's that were GREAT - my opinion, of course.
This should go without saying, but I must mention that the grading lab is very important. I have seen many diamonds - GIA and AGS are definitely the most consistent. I learned long ago not to trust second-tier gem labs or the jeweler's opinion of a stone's clarity grade.
An expert could tell you how inclusions affect the refraction of light through the diamond and how they might affect the strength of the diamond. I would prefer to get good insurance and not worry about a diamond being more succeptible to breakage.
I could go on for hours about clarity, because it truly varies from diamond to diamond. I think it is very important to LOOK at the diamond rather than using a clarity grading. Personnally, an SI1, with "desireable" inclusions might be good enough for me and would allow me to get a large diamond of the same cut and color without sacrificing the diamond's beauty to the naked eye. I would rather buy a larger "good" SI1 or VS2 diamond than a smaller VVS or IF diamond of comparable cut and color.
Just my opinion - hope this helps.

Congrats Mike. Its still not too late to get the pick-up with the gun rack and dog.
I myself am going to be revisiting this post again soon.
Ugh.

Congratulations friend, I highly recommend the institution of marriage. I can't speak for diamond buying, it's been quite a number of years since I did that. I think there was another thread on the engagement topic that had some good stuff, too. My only suggestion might be, unless total surprise is your goal, that you feel out the future Mrs Rappin' and see what it is she'd be most happy with. Sometimes they don't necessarily want the biggest and most expensive. After I popped the question Mrs Jimbo-to-be went to the jewelry store with me knowing, I was dirt poor but would get her anything she wanted. When the jeweler laid them all out in front of her she took her time and picked one and said, "This is it!" It definitely wasn't the biggest, but it wasn't the cheapest, it had flaws and it had actually been purchased in an estate sale so I'm thinking, "Crap! It's used!". None of that made a difference, she just knew. But hey, that's my story you do what moves you. Before you do anything, ask her father's permission. This might be key to the whole engagement process.

Gentlemen,
What a great outpouring for Mikey!!!
Bloo, very nice indeed!!!
Jimbo and jake, close seconds, red thanx as well.
Anyhow the Rickman's back vfrom Hotlanta and I wish I could give him the one i gave to Andrea...
Too bad, maybe I'll talk to her about it on thursday, the much belated day of my DIVORCE!!!!!!
Good to be home guys,
Rick

my thoughts on diamonds..about 18 or so years ago i spent 10G on a rock for my wife at the diamond exchange in Boston...very nice 2.5 ct emerald cut. about 10 years ago the wife and i were going thru some extremely difficult times and tried to sell her diamond. the dealer that we had bought the diamond from offered us $.10 on the dollar for the stone. never guess where i told them to go!!!
I ended up pawning my wedding ring (which also had 3- .25ct stones in it) got $400 for the gold.. bottom line for me. i will never spend that kind of money on another diamond again...it's an hierloom not an investment of any kind.
still now though the wifes ring means more to us now than it did then..good times and bad the wife, ring, and I have survived:happy: :happy:

best wishes and luck to you mikey

dont obsess over size....if taking her to look let her show you what she likes! you may be surpised to find she MAY NOT want the most expensive one in the case!

the saleman tried to convince my husband to be and I that I wanted a $ 5,000 ring (and I thought it looked horrible!!!!!) instead I ended up with a ring that I fell in love with for MUCH less and believe it or not most people cant beieve he spent so much on a ring (because they look at it and think he spent twice what he actually did)


good luck mikey!!!

I bought way more diamond than I planned on, in fact it was the one she saw and said Oh my God to. Diamonds mean a lot to women and although jewlery means litlle if anything to a man, an impressive ring will go a long way.

I wanted to play cheaply, but a friend who had just been though this put it to me this way.... "

You'd drop x amount of dollars for a new outboard engine for example without giving it a thought, your new wife deserves the same...."

He was right, she got the Oh My God ring....and I am very happy I did because she does deserve it.

I always remind her that it's due to him that she got it!:cool:

can I have You plugs, You aint gonna need them no more:rtfm: