Hey there, just wanted to share my e-ring purchase journey with those who were just about as clueless as me when I first started. The whole process actually requires EFFORT on your part (for the guys), and if you are one of the lucky ones who just have to be responsible for the financial aspect of it, I’d say your easiest way out (to get the missus satisfied) is to head down to JP, as many here would have already attested to. Otherwise suck it up and take comfort in the fact that this will be a once in a lifetime experience (hopefully!).
A little bit about me: I’m someone who wanted bang for buck, but that being said. I didn’t need to get the absolute best value in terms of the physical product alone. Service is just as important to me, especially for a purchase which I claim no expertise in. Also the other half of the e-ring is the setting/design, which I also wanted to focus on, rather than just the diamond. So it was important for me to understand the different types of design which worked with the different stones.
If you’re here I’m guessing that you are already be prepared to put some form of effort into your research, so some sites I found really helpful:
http://beyond4cs.com - Local guy who has been GIA certified, lots of useful information for starters, though he seems to be promoting James Allen
http://www.buzzfeed.com/alisoncaporimo/put-a-diagram-on-it#.mhy8dPnRv – Pictorials to make it easier to not get lost in the sea of information
https://diamondforher.wordpress.com/2012/02/06/diamond-purchase-and-ring-setting-guide/ - Good blog with lots of relevant details. Pretty comprehensive and works with beyond4cs as a good starting point!
Online sites:
Prices here are of course more attractive (I would say about approx. 20-50% difference depending on specifications), but the trade-off is that peace of mind that you would give up.
Blue Nile
Blue Nile seemed to be the most popular at first glance, but after doing some reading online, I didn’t feel comfortable that you were not able to see the actual diamond that you were purchasing
James Allen
They offered pretty comprehensive designs, and some of them are really quite pretty. Online checks also showed them to be reliable and responsive.
However, I decided to go with a physical shop instead of the following reasons:
- It’s stressful enough as it is to decide on the design and price. I didn’t want to further complicate matters by having the possibility of returning the ring (due to re-sizing, flaws, etc) and worrying about logistical matters. Not that you would have to do that, it’s more of the chance of that happening if you were suay and got a lemon.
- You can actually see designs in real life (this refers to the setting not diamond), as some of you may have already known when you do online shopping – purchases may turn out to be different from what was depicted in the picture. Big ticket items like this, I would rather not take a chance.
So I decided to venture to brick and mortar shops, which I have loosely classified into 3 types:
Big Retailers (Tiffany, Soo Kee, etc)
Definitely not the best of deals. This is for people who mainly want the brand/convenience.
Smaller retailers / Diamond dealers (Canary, JP)
These are good for people who want to get the most bang for their buck, and who have done some sort of online reading (like what you are doing now), but need more advice in terms of recommendations .
Small shops (Fairy Inc, Josie Gems)
These guys do not carry wide selections, simply because of cost. They focus either on providing the best price, or the customised setting, rather than variety. Go to them if you have a better understanding of what you want.
Shops I went to:
- Josie Gems @ Park Mall (Very friendly people, and stones here were about 10% cheaper than JP, but they didn’t offer 3D rendering of designs)
- Fairy Inc @ Delfi (Nice ladies as well, who focused more on the designs of the setting, and do not carry as broad an inventory as I would have liked. But the sales rep was attentive and asked me questions about my other half to help with the design process)
- JP @ Far East (see below)
(I skipped retailers for obvious reasons)
I feel that even if you don’t want to do any online research, you should think about some questions before going down to these shops (remember EFFORT!) so that they can better help you with your decision making process:
- Is your girl more of a stones person or overall design person?
- Will she have a tendency to be rough with the ring?
- Does she lead an active lifestyle? Is the ring for everyday wear? Etc etc.
In the end I too, decided to pull the trigger at JP. Not because they were the cheapest, but because of the following reasons:
1) They know what they are talking about, where diamonds are concerned.
Just ask any forummer here, and you’ll get the same response where their technical knowledge of diamonds are concerned.
2) They have a huge selection of stones, and designs
If you need actual inspiration for designs or to compare, these guys have a huge inventory and you can go down to see, touch and feel (which I think is extremely important)
3) They offer 3D rendering of customised designs
I would say that this is a major deal clincher for me. If I were to spend a hefty sum on a purchase, I would definitely need to see some semblance of the end product before I commit.
4) They give very viable alternative/solutions for your queries
You can ask them to provide suggestions on popular queries like “how to make the ring look bigger”, “should I add side stones”, “what colour band should I be going with”, etc. I’m sure you’re smart enough to identify a BS answer when you hear one. Again, these guys know their stuff.
5) They do not hard sell, and are as patient/friendly as heck
My first session with my sales rep, Jerome lasted about 3 hours (he's the dude in the video in post #8566 above, and comes highly recommended by the way). And I walked away without committing to anything. He never once gave a buay song face or pressured me into making a decision. Much appreciated as a customer.
Of course other places such as Canary might be in a similar spot with JP. But after going down to JP and doing the necessary background checks on them online, I didn’t feel that there was a need to further compare. Of course you can say that I may not be squeezing every cent out of my dollar, but I do feel that they have distinguished themselves in terms of the extra services that they provide, which is important for me as a reassurance on such a big ticket item. They will even give a scope for you and your lady to take a look at the arrow cuts from above (you can’t see the hearts once the stone is set).
Hope my journey will help some of you clueless blokes out there to make a more savvy and informed decision!
. Mine is taking around 2 months and actually I've advised them not to rush because I can wait. Collecting the ring this weekend. Will post it up and share with all forumer
