Any diamond / ring experts out there?

[Drippingwithdiamonds]

Help me!
I'm replacing my wedding and engagement ring with one single ring.

I went to a lovely studio today ( they are quite big and long-established) and had a quote for a bespoke ring.

TBH I feel it's expensive. But my real problem is that I cannot compare with other places like Tiffany because she quoted me the stone sizes in millimetres, not points/carats.

The quote was for 7 stones- 3 x 1.5 mm brilliant cut, and 4 x 1.5 mm baguettes, all high quality, set like an eternity ring in 18ct gold. Cost was around £2.5K.

I've emailed to ask for carat weight/size so I can compare with other brands.

Can anyone help or say whether this sounds expensive? I'm thinking of going back for another design session and seeing what single stone I could get for that price.

mothermirth. Canadian Ice Diamonds are totally clean although they do carry a premium. A conscious free Ring. It's also easier these days to find diamonds with complete traceable histories, but they are not always reliable and usually carry a premium. I wouldn't always trust diamonds that are described as conflict free. Mine are all meant to be, i have all the paperwork, but I am not naive enough to be one hundred per cent certain.

Hmm just retread my post. I should have clarified that branded Canadian Ice diamonds would deffinitly be conflict free and I would be 100% certain of it. . Same goes for Australian diamonds etc.

I would buy this with no worries

Personally, I'd always go for brilliant cut round diamonds.

I tried on a baguette and brilliant cut before xmas and the baguette didnt sparkle as much.

Have a look at the Cool Diamonds website. You can look at various styles and play around with the 4 Cs, to get an idea of relative costs. You can also see how much they are charging for loose stones too.

I don't think those diamonds you've been quoted sound very good quality and think you could get better value elsewhere.

Here is the link.

www.cooldiamonds.com/jstock/v5/web/eng/diamond-rings.jsp?cDi_NE&imgRef=-&mac=true&saf=true&is_gecko=false&moz=false&ope=false&is_ie=false&is_fb=false&is_fx=false&is_ios=true&net=false&country=GB&lang=ENG&curr=0&screenWidth=1024&phone=020%207405%205322&email=services&currTxt=Pound&msieVer8=false

Thanks LeanderBear

THE most important aspect of buying diamonds was mentioned by Leanderbear
in her post this morning.
About "enhanced " diamonds.
Follow her advice. Wiki it , Google it and learn all about enhanced.

I had a ring made a couple of years ago, sort of eternity, by a small local designer, I felt it was a bit expensive in the end, but I do like it a lot. It is palladium - that's really why I wanted to post, to say have you considered a palladium ring, I was persuaded by the jeweller it was better than having white gold but still half the price of platinum. It has a hallmark now too.

Thanks all for your help.

Just to add- the jeweller confirmed that the casting/setting is made from scratch just for me and from solid metal not a hollow band.

The workshop is on the premises, so I would/could see it being made in theory anyway.

I suppose I thought that they might be cheaper than high st chains etc as their overheads may be lower.

Have you searched for ring designers in etsy? Know it is us based but there are some in the uk. I had a gorgeous ring designed and made -very different in style to your though 'rugged' platinum with sapphires set randomly my fingers are tiny so I always have to have them custom made. I 'saw it being made in stages and it cost 1k. Not sure how diamonds will affect that though and the guy i used whose name is escaping me right now I will check doesn't work in gold.

Thanks- no have not heard of them so will take a peep.

My friend designed her engagement ring, went to Ernest Jones for a bespoke service, the quoted 3.5k she the went to an independant one, tiny shop beem there years and quoted 1.3k with bigner diamonds, sadly not in London but she saw it at every step of the way.

Lurking to see the lovely stones and rings. I love the style that you are looking at, Dripping.

I bought a ring from US (diamond solitaire) and it has more than doubled in value in 3 years. Not sure how that happened, but I had to have it valued recently for insurance purposes and almost fainted when I got the valuation.

I found this website helpful when I was researching buying a ring.

drippingwithdiamonds. You do realise we will be expecting a picture of your ring once it's finished. . So we can all gush over it and be all

Dripping, if the casting is done from scratch that's what will be bumping up the price.
It's still high though, so I'd shop around a bit. I'd personally rather pay a bit less and have the same ring on a pre-cast mount.

Try this lady

www.racheljeffrey.co.uk/

Not all white metals are rhodium plated, as a previous poster stated, only white gold. You could have the ring made in palladium, which is part of the platinum group of metals, and has that white metal look without rhodium, and is a bit cheaper than platinum. Ironically, platinum has recently come down in price and there isn't as much difference between it and 18ct as there used to be.

Where I work, for custom made rings,the price of the ring is dependant on diamonds used, ie; the design/making/metal is a price that won't change, but what quality of diamonds you have can vary, and this is where you can make the ring to suit your budget.
The place you have been to sounds good, go back and ask for a break down of the cost, that way is you decide to find other quotes, you have something to compere it too.
I work in an independent jewellers on the south coast, we custom make jewellery, and use cad design for quite a few. message me if you would like to know which one.

I'm working today though, and won't be able to check back til tonight!

Am taking all of this on board!

I really want 18ct white gold.

I am willing to go for a pre-made cast - if that's the right term.

I am thinking about Hatton Jewellers but a bit concerned that their actual showroom is in Hatton Place which looks like a dodgy back alley on google street map- and if you buy like that, how do you know the stuff is genuine?

I'm going to go to London to have a good look around, including the fair trade places mentioned here.