Proposal Ring - Part 2

[EricMagnusLensherr]

57 facets is the round brilliant that you will normally find in most stores.
IGI have a name of it's own and very popular in European country similar with HRD and their presence is worldwide as well. You can verify the report of your diamond online as well.

About the size, is it .30ct? of somewhere around to .35ct? or .36 to .39?
if it is around .30ct to .35ct and you are saying comparable to a .40ct then you must be very careful, the diamond could probably have a shallow depth and wide a table.

If only the color and "size" of diamond is your concern, then it is a good buy as the size that you are having is a around .40ct while you are only paying for a size of .30ct.

What I can suggest is for your to ask the same store to show a diamond certified by another lab with the same carat or almost the same size, color, cut, clarity as your baseline of comparison.

Those are good points to consider, and if you have the chance to find a similar stone from another lab to compare that would be best.

Also, the size in mm is normally printed on the cert, can easily tell if its as big as a .40. If you can post the cert number or a picture of the cert we can provide additional feedback.

IGI certs are not as good as GIA or AGS. They are known to be less strict. I was told that IGI diamonds should cost like 40% cheaper than GIA or AGS. I reckon you should try go for a more reputable cert.. For an IGI diamond, the price is on the high side.

This really depends on where it was graded. As bro Hollander mentioned, IGI is very well regarded in Europe and IGI Antwerp is at least as strict as gia. A side by side comparison can be done to confirm this. I have found IGI Antwerp to be even stricter then gia when grading color and clarity, and have seen super ideal cut diamonds with excellent hearts and arrows, asset and idealscope graded by IGI Antwerp.

The only retailer I know which carry's IGI would be love and co, for their signature line (true hearts or true love or something, I forgot...), and the last I saw they are very well cut based on arrows, aset and idealscope image. No way to view the hearts as the ones I had access to were mounted, but based on this I can say they were if not super ideal, at least ideal standard. I forgot which branch of IGI they were graded by. In addition, they are all but to very specific proportions to attain a specific look, meaning that in terms of numbers and proportions, they have smaller variations then even JP who has to cater to different tastes.

If there are other retailers which carry IGI, please let me know. Thanks.

Finally, I do not agree that IGI should be sold at a 40% discount, and the price seems fair if you consider 500 for setting and 1500 for the diamond inclusive of gst and its from a normal retailer, assuming the diamond is ideal or signature line cuts. If its a normal stone, then yes, it is expansive. If its from a private jeweller then yes. I would expect a discount as well simply because people are misinformed so there is lower demand for IGI. If I can get a better stone for. Lower price, why not? But even then probably a discount of 10 to 15% at most... 40% is still simply too much.

 

[hollander]

hmm~ i got a sapphire as gift...how to see if the sapphire is good or not?
never had sapphire before... curious to know if any one can help~
now don't even know if the sapphire is real~ fake also nevermind since is a gift at least i know hehe~

It would be very difficult to know for Sapphires, the best thing is to consult an expert jeweller, having it certed is much more expensive than diamond.

 

[Draculav]

IGI certs are not as good as GIA or AGS. They are known to be less strict. I was told that IGI diamonds should cost like 40% cheaper than GIA or AGS. I reckon you should try go for a more reputable cert.. For an IGI diamond, the price is on the high side.

Those are good points to consider, and if you have the chance to find a similar stone from another lab to compare that would be best.

Also, the size in mm is normally printed on the cert, can easily tell if its as big as a .40. If you can post the cert number or a picture of the cert we can provide additional feedback.



This really depends on where it was graded. As bro Hollander mentioned, IGI is very well regarded in Europe and IGI Antwerp is at least as strict as gia. A side by side comparison can be done to confirm this. I have found IGI Antwerp to be even stricter then gia when grading color and clarity, and have seen super ideal cut diamonds with excellent hearts and arrows, asset and idealscope graded by IGI Antwerp.

The only retailer I know which carry's IGI would be love and co, for their signature line (true hearts or true love or something, I forgot...), and the last I saw they are very well cut based on arrows, aset and idealscope image. No way to view the hearts as the ones I had access to were mounted, but based on this I can say they were if not super ideal, at least ideal standard. I forgot which branch of IGI they were graded by. In addition, they are all but to very specific proportions to attain a specific look, meaning that in terms of numbers and proportions, they have smaller variations then even JP who has to cater to different tastes.

If there are other retailers which carry IGI, please let me know. Thanks.

Finally, I do not agree that IGI should be sold at a 40% discount, and the price seems fair if you consider 500 for setting and 1500 for the diamond inclusive of gst and its from a normal retailer, assuming the diamond is ideal or signature line cuts. If its a normal stone, then yes, it is expansive. If its from a private jeweller then yes. I would expect a discount as well simply because people are misinformed so there is lower demand for IGI. If I can get a better stone for. Lower price, why not? But even then probably a discount of 10 to 15% at most... 40% is still simply too much.

I came across IGI certified diamonds before and decided against it.. I've asked about IGI from different jewelers and it does seem that they all don't carry it.. basically, their excuse was that it was a lousier cert and the benchmark is lower compared to IGI.. That's why people stick to the safer option of GIA or AGS..

If you think about it, branded diamonds Cartier, Destinee, etc, all use GIA and AGS cert only. None of them use IGI.. When I was diamond hunting, IGI diamonds was cheaper than GIA diamonds, even though the specs on the cert were the "same".

 

[jxyang888]

Thanks for the advice!!*

The one that I saw was a 0.3, when I say its comparable to a 0.4 I mean that it does not look that much if the difference in terms of the size. They did not let me see the cert fully, but I catch a glimpse of it. I am not too sure the specs for depth, table etc.. *I didn't ask them to provide a cert from another lab for a similar stone to compare. Anyway I was told they are certified by IGI only.*

Eric - I am not too sure if they willing to give me the cert number.The price is attractive but I am abit concern about the quality in the sense that am I paying for good value? This ring came with 18 karat white gold, and feels light when I hold on to it. Yet to visit JP but I am quite impress that they will show u the cert.. images for for the diamond. Do they give u even u don't commit that u will buy? The retailers I went to don't provide me that.*

 

[Draculav]

hmm~ i got a sapphire as gift...how to see if the sapphire is good or not?
never had sapphire before... curious to know if any one can help~
now don't even know if the sapphire is real~ fake also nevermind since is a gift at least i know hehe~

Got pic to see? I doubt any of us can tell you if it's real or fake from a photo.. but it might help

Best is for you to send to a gemologist to have it appraised..

 

[hazel_ice]

Got pic to see? I doubt any of us can tell you if it's real or fake from a photo.. but it might help

Best is for you to send to a gemologist to have it appraised..

here you go~

gemologist charge how much ah~

 

[EricMagnusLensherr]

Thanks for the advice!!*

The one that I saw was a 0.3, when I say its comparable to a 0.4 I mean that it does not look that much if the difference in terms of the ,size. They did not let me see the cert fully, but I catch a glimpse of it. I am not too sure the specs for depth, table etc.. *I didn't ask them to provide a cert from another lab for a similar stone to compare. Anyway I was told they are certified by IGI only.*

Eric - I am not too sure if they willing to give me the cert number.The price is attractive but I am abit concern about the quality in the sense that am I paying for good value? This ring came with 18 karat white gold, and feels light when I hold on to it. Yet to visit JP but I am quite impress that they will show u the cert.. images for for the diamond. Do they give u even u don't commit that u will buy? The retailers I went to don't provide me that.*

I have no idea why they don't let you see the cert. All places I have been to, private jeweller or retail shops all happily let me see the cert. But I asked them directly to see the cert. If you ask them and they don't show then I would say better not buy ba... That's buying totally blind. But if you are talking about scope image, then ya, most won't provide those and its a value added service by JP

Value I think its very decent, not the best but definitely not bad. There are other stuff like post sales service etc to consider. Regarding ring weight, yeah, there are more solid and lighter ones. But most rings about 4 to 5 grams? Given the price of gold majority of the cost still workmanship.

 

[ange1yn]

Hello!

Congratulations on getting a wonderful diamond!

Could you share how much JP charge you on the ring, compared to bluenile.sg price? While I am aware that JP can import diamonds from overseas, I am not sure about the price difference we have to pay. Of course, we must bear in mind that for most online retailers like bluenile and JA, we must pay GST + a token sum(admin fee) to Fedex.

If the $150 is a small amount compared to the price of the diamond, then it is very worth it to get from JP. Resizing and replating cost about $30 each time I think.

Sorry for the late reply. Buying from bluenile will cost SGD6150 after gst, I pay only $150 more buying from JP for the same stone

 

[ange1yn]

Gong xi gong xi!

What's the difference between the 4x replating and lifetime cleaning and polishing?

I think replating means putting on another coat of 18k white gold once the white gold has tarnished over time. Cleaning and polishing just means cleaning and buff your ring.

 

[Draculav]

here you go~

gemologist charge how much ah~

That looks like a ruby? lol

 

[EricMagnusLensherr]

I came across IGI certified diamonds before and decided against it.. I've asked about IGI from different jewelers and it does seem that they all don't carry it.. basically, their excuse was that it was a lousier cert and the benchmark is lower compared to IGI.. That's why people stick to the safer option of GIA or AGS..

If you think about it, branded diamonds Cartier, Destinee, etc, all use GIA and AGS cert only. None of them use IGI.. When I was diamond hunting, IGI diamonds was cheaper than GIA diamonds, even though the specs on the cert were the "same".

Yep like I said, lower demand allow the customers to bargain for a better price. I didn't say all IGI was good, mainly the ones from their headquarters in Antwerp, and the love and co series which I have viewed.

When choosing less consistant labs, you not only have the lab branch before looking at the specs. Many people think all EGL diamonds are trash, but this is not true. Those from EGL HK are infact very good. Unfortunately most of the EGL diamonds we encounter are from other branches which are indeed less strict, as Hong Kong and China consume most of the EGL HK stones. In fact some signature stones of retailers in hk are only graded by EGL HK. Where as their normal stones are GIA.

Disclaimer, the following is just my opinion :

In fact since it is accepted that GIA is stricter in color and clarity and AGS is stricter in Cut and Light performance, would that mean that Cartier stones focus on color and clarity and not cut ? What happens if the same stone is certified by AGS, is it now focusing on cut and not color and clarity ? In the end it is still the same stone. Color, clarity and cut you can see for yourself with your own eyes using loupes and scopes. Yet when people walk in to a branded shop, how many will ask to see those images. Practically non, why ? The reason is simple.

When you get a branded diamond, you are paying for... the brand. Thats why it is called branded. Despite all their patented design etc, if you get a private jeweler to replicate a design and its well replicated, no one will know the difference, but YOU will know its a replicate. Its one of those I know mine the real deal so i feel good kind of things. Given the high premium people pay for these branded products esp brands like Cartier, they could easily have certified it with both labs but they don't, cos to their target clients this certification is more or less just a formality.

 

[jxyang888]

I have no idea why they don't let you see the cert. All places I have been to, private jeweller or retail shops all happily let me see the cert. But I asked them directly to see the cert. If you ask them and they don't show then I would say better not buy ba... That's buying totally blind. But if you are talking about scope image, then ya, most won't provide those and its a value added service by JP

Value I think its very decent, not the best but definitely not bad. There are other stuff like post sales service etc to consider. Regarding ring weight, yeah, there are more solid and lighter ones. But most rings about 4 to 5 grams? Given the price of gold majority of the cost still workmanship.

Actually I did not request to view the cert on my end. And the sales just explain briefly that it's international recognized and it's by IGI. Most of the retailers offer upgrade within 2 yrs as they absorb full value of your diamond, free polishing..etc this particular retailer still offer vouchers for wedding bands and stuff toys etc.. Which I am abit tempted truly speaking, when they offer 2K for the specs. But I yet to visit JP, which I will be meeting them soon. Still trying to find the best value within the budget haha

 

[EricMagnusLensherr]

Actually I did not request to view the cert on my end. And the sales just explain briefly that it's international recognized and it's by IGI. Most of tehe retailers offer upgrade within 2 yrs as they absorb full value of your diamond, free polishing..etc this particular retailer still offer vouchers for wedding bands and stuff toys etc.. Which I am abit tempted truly speaking, when they offer 2K for the specs. But I yet to visit JP, which I will be meeting them soon. Still trying to find the best value within the budget haha

Hahaha definitely love and co ba. Hahaha.
If you have time its a pretty good idea to shop around

 

[EricMagnusLensherr]

Actually I did not request to view the cert on my end. And the sales just explain briefly that it's international recognized and it's by IGI. Most of tehe retailers offer upgrade within 2 yrs as they absorb full value of your diamond, free polishing..etc this particular retailer still offer vouchers for wedding bands and stuff toys etc.. Which I am abit tempted truly speaking, when they offer 2K for the specs. But I yet to visit JP, which I will be meeting them soon. Still trying to find the best value within the budget haha

Hahaha definitely love and co ba. Hahaha. If you have time its a pretty good idea to shop around JP might be able to pull something off within your budget, but obviously won't have the wedding band vouchers etc. Last I heard they were giving a free half eternity, but that happened to be gss and their anniversary promo or something. Is that still on or back to discount vouchers? If still on. Given the price of your ring, plus the half eternity super worth it. Hahaha

 

[little_rilakkumar]

TIffany and Co is a gd choice

 

[utorz-]

I bought a 0.37 carat, E, VS1 diamond ring for $2985.
Should have done a little bit more research before committing but just wanted to know if i kena tok anot lol.

 

[jxyang888]

Hahaha definitely love and co ba. Hahaha. If you have time its a pretty good idea to shop around JP might be able to pull something off within your budget, but obviously won't have the wedding band vouchers etc. Last I heard they were giving a free half eternity, but that happened to be gss and their anniversary promo or something. Is that still on or back to discount vouchers? If still on. Given the price of your ring, plus the half eternity super worth it. Hahaha

Hahaha yup u r right! I still got some time and will be looking around. Nope they never give half eternity(I assume is wedding band) just vouchers haha.If don't have the half eternity still ok? Lol

 

[hollander]

I bought a 0.37 carat, E, VS1 diamond ring for $2985.
Should have done a little bit more research before committing but just wanted to know if i kena tok anot lol.

Hi Bro,

Was it a super ideal stone? and what is the setting?
Very vague to compare just by the carat, color and clarity if you can add more details on it.

Base on your price we can only compare below stones.

Blue Niles Signature Ideal:
0.40-Carat Blue Nile Signature Round Diamond

White Flash Expert Selection:
Diamond | 0.448 ct D VS1 Expert Selection Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 2949570

Brian Gavin Signature:
AGS 0.438 carat Brian Gavin Signature Hearts and Arrows Round Cut Diamond

 

[EricMagnusLensherr]

Hahaha yup u r right! I still got some time and will be looking around. Nope they never give half eternity(I assume is wedding band) just vouchers haha.If don't have th.e half eternity still ok? Lol

Yep. They were giving a wedding band. With wedding band would have been super worth it. Without its still not bad. About the best you can get from a retailer. Only other retailer which might be cheaper would be meyson. But no free things and no bargaining. I believe love and co still maybe got chance to bargain a bit. Plus I find love and co feels more professional to me. Love and co's value add such and ring box for both ring and wedding bands al look very nice to me. But that is personal and depends on your taste. Hahaha


Do check out JP as while they don't give free gifts, you can check with them if they can give you a better price for their wedding bands, and compare with the price of the wedding band you are considering at at love and co. If prices about the same, then the vouchers no point.

Another benefit of JP would be able to customize your design which love and co can't do for you. And lastly, check if love and co have ideal cut melee for their sidestones and wedding bands. The last time I ask them they don't have. I also asked JP before and they have ideal cut melee. I never buy wedding band from JP so not sure if they default will give normal cut melee or they will automatically give ideal cut. You can confirm this with them if you see any wedding bands or e ring design with side stones you like. If you find out please share the info and let us know as well. cheers

 

[EricMagnusLensherr]

I bought a 0.37 carat, E, VS1 diamond ring for $2985.
Should have done a little bit more research before committing but just wanted to know if i kena tok anot lol.

As bro Hollander mentioned. Not enough information. Based on this, assuming super ideal or modified cut with plain setting, still seems correct. If its anything else then need more info.