Engagement Rings (merged)

LEJC

Samara james have no high street retailers so can keep costs lower by only selling online...this has advantages if you know exactly what you want without trying it on or seeing the rings before you buy
lots of people have had good experiences with the company so from that point of view they are a recognised internet provider of jewellery..what you dont however get is the personal service that your local jeweller would provide....buying independantly may give you more peace of mind and possibly some aftercare of your jewellery....what you could do if you still wanted to buy from your local jeweller is ask if they price match the price at samara james...its worth a go!
The choice and price you pay is up to you but its my guess that the ring is cheaper online as they have no high streer overheads... HTH

Lamaya

LEJC wrote: »

Samara james have no high street retailers so can keep costs lower by only selling online...this has advantages if you know exactly what you want without trying it on or seeing the rings before you buy
lots of people have had good experiences with the company so from that point of view they are a recognised internet provider of jewellery..what you dont however get is the personal service that your local jeweller would provide....buying independantly may give you more peace of mind and possibly some aftercare of your jewellery....what you could do if you still wanted to buy from your local jeweller is ask if they price match the price at samara james...its worth a go!
The choice and price you pay is up to you but its my guess that the ring is cheaper online as they have no high streer overheads... HTH

Many thanks for the above. Really helpful. Going to see the jeweller tuesday and will try my luck at price matching

london00

Hi everyone. First post here and I'm looking for a bit of help.

I bought an engagement ring for my girlfriend this weekend and since I've got home, I've noticed the sparkle isn't as vibrant as it was in the shop. That old lighting trick. The cut is only a good. When I was looking online, I wanted GIA Excellent or Very Good and ended up buying under a bit of pressure. I've got a nagging feeling an excellent or very good cut would sparkle much more.

So... some questions:
- Does the shop legally have to offer a refund? I suspect not. I rang them, they said no but they could make me a new ring to my specifications and I pay the difference.
- Can anyone give me more details on 'good' cuts? Would an excellent or very good GIA cut make a big difference?
- Do diamonds tend to sparkle better in daylight or under normal lightbulbs?

Other than my doubts about cut, the ring is lovely and i know my girlfriend will love it. It's just me being the pedantic one because it's so much money and it's for life.

It's a 0.50ct, vs2, F, round cut, platinum compass setting, good cut grade.
Depth is 64.8%, table is 61%, polish and symmetry are very good and fluorescence is none.
It cost me £1460 from Carlo Jewellers in Hatton Garden and I'm worried I paid too much for what I got.

Thanks for any help.

sharpee

Mosy High St jewellers normally offer a 30 day gaurentee return. Ring them up and ask

LEJC

If you know your girl friend will love the ring....give it to her and enjoy making wedding plans!
It seems to me that you have bought something that you wouldn't normally buy and are therefore a little out of your comfort zone...but just remember why you have bought the ring...presumably it is a token of your love and commitment to the woman you want to spend the rest of your life with...
keep that thought in your mind when you propose not what the table polish or symmetry of the ring is!...
I couldn't possibly or anyboby else here give you advice as to what you have bought being good value etc...but would suggest that if you really feel that you are unsure over your purchase then take it back to the shop and explain your concerns...
You will always find the lights in jewellers shops are much brighter than the standard lightbulb...and yes you will also find that a different cut may sparkle more in certain light...a brilliant cut for example sparkles well in candlelight...whilst there are other cuts that refract better in daylight...generally if there is a larger surface to the diamond you are less lightly to get a sparkle than one that has many facets to it...this is because the more facets there are the more light that can bounce off each one...
Perhaps you could return to the jeweller and ask to see something of a higher quality or different cut to see how that compares with what you wanted to purchase...even if only to put your mind to rest...
you have clearly spent a good budget and got a ring your girl will be proud to wear...enjoy your proposal....the technical specifications of the ring should not bother you....the answer she gives you to the question should be what you concentrate on....

london00

Thanks for such a thoughtful reply, LEJC.

I rang the shop. They don't do refunds but I explained my worries and the guy seemed very decent. He's sourced the same spec diamond as the one I bought but a cut grade better and I'm going to pop by tomorrow lunch to compare the two. Either it'll put my mind at rest and I'll be happy keeping the one I've got, or I'll pay a small price to upgrade. It's within my budget so all's good.

The funny thing is, she'll be happy with any nice ring she knows I've put thought into. I'm doing my usual thing of over-research so I don't focus on the scary amount I'm spending. ;-)

Nice tip about candle light. Think I'll incorporate that somehow in the proposal.

LEJC

let me know how it goes....diamonds are a minefield!...my genuine advice to you would be go with what you like...you can get hooked into the 4c's etc but at the end of the day there are so many people who are happy to tell you you need this or that out of a diamond...if we all followed their advice we'd be paying millions...a diamond that is cherished is what matters.

rjtyrell

Like many people on here i am about to enter the minefield that is ring buying.

I am based in berkshire, Slough and have about £2500 to spend on a ring.

I the majority of people say stay clear of High Streets etc. But being based where I am where would be suggest reading the other day and this was suggested http://www.polarbeardiamond.com/index.html

I am planning on asking the question on her birthday as we are going away to Devon for a few days, all ready booked a massage for the morning and a table for the evening.

So just leaves popping the question and getting a ring!!

LEJC

If you have never bought a diamond before..I would say the high street is a great place to start looking ...if only from a fact finding point of view...to see what styles and differences there are...
With a budget like yours you will most certainly get a special ring!
There are plenty of companies on line to buy from but if you are unsure about exactly what you want I would definately suggest that in the first place you actually look at what you will get for your money and then jiggle around with the combinations of colour clarity etc once you have established what exactly you are after...

I am a great believer in the independant jeweller and as such would recommend that you follow that route on the high street as opposed to the main chain retailers...you will find that an independant company will usually have both a range of pre set rings and loose diamonds to choose from which is probably more extensive than a chain jeweller....you will also get a level of aftercare for your ring that you may not get if you purchase online....having said that ..if you know exactly what you want there are some really good online retailers that offer excellent value for money as they do not have the overheads associated with running high street shops and are able to buy in bulk...

If you are able to travel a little in your search then you could think about hatton garden in london or indeed the lanes in brighton...but I am sure that wherever you are based there is a good quality jeweller not far away....the sales staff should be more than willing to show you different combinations to help you get an idea of what you are looking for....it is a considered purchase and as such I wouldnt expect there to be any pressure for you to purchase on your first visit...most jewellers will be extremely helpful and obliging

Best of luck with your search...I'm sure you'll get a super ring...

rjtyrell

Thanks for your good response, had a quick look online and for the budget a few examples are:-

Round Brilliant Engagement Ring - £2598 inc VAT


Metal: Platinum,
Carat: 0.6,
Colour: F - rare white,
Clarity: VVS2 -very, very minute inclusions
IGI/GIA Cert

Diamond Set Shoulder Engagement Ring - £2232 inc VAT


Metal: Platinum,
Carat: 0.9, Colour:
G - rare white,
Clarity: VS - very minor inclusions
The centre stone is cert but not the smaller shoulder stones.

These prices seem about right?

Thanks,