Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Advise on Diamond Necklace?

LOL....a lot of truth right there. Not the way most would put it but succinct.

Thoughts? Sure. Forget the jewelry and surprise her with plane tickets for a trip to somewhere with you, a place that *she's* always wanted to go to. Being whisked away by her man to a never-seen-before magical place with long walks on a desolate, windswept beach, or on some bustling, historic boulevard with countless shops or in the tropics with, romantic, elegant dinners...

I know my wife, and many other women would choose an unforgettable trip with their man and the memories made over some colored stone in a heartbeat. But then, YMMV.

Yep, go for the value. At these ranges, the imperfections are not noticeable with the naked eye or barely noticeable. Who cares if it isn't perfect if it takes 10x to see it? In this bracket, you'll either save money or buy a bigger rock. Size of the diamond will be noticed before color or clarity. If memory serves me correctly, the rule of thumb was for every half carat increase the price nearly doubles.

$$ spent on someone you love is never wasted if you get that smile when they open it...

Check out Ritani, they ship to a store near you, if you don’t like it you don’t have to buy. Bought wifey a really nice diamond ring 💍 through them. Way cheaper. Website explains quality,etc

Thanks all, to the naysayers, my wife did not complain when I bought the new out board, or when I bought it again when I busted the lower unit.

Sperm Nazi?

Lol. Someone’s been in the vodka bottle waiting for the new mower to arrive. I ain’t naming names

I have been researching this same issue lately. I discovered a few things.

Tiffany's and similar are regarded to have a 220% mark up. To some that is worth it. I am an analyst, so it's not.

The online webpages can be good, but can have pitfalls. Blue nile and such. Pitfalls means that you can find good stones, but they are graded in a way that can be misleading. For example the cut of specialty shapes is often lower grade, but clarity and color is up so you think you are getting something that you are not. I skipped those. You have to pay attention. For round stones they are fine if you read grading certificates.

For me a local brick and mortar store seemed okay. The guy seemed on the level. We became chummy and they disclosed how much he was making on the deal. It did not sit well with me so I left.

My approach has been to find a guy who cuts or grades diamonds from home. Ask him if he has a laser. This guy usually designs his own stuff but is too grouchy to run his own shop or is older and semi-retired. This guy usually grades stones for all the pawn shops and is able to offer the very best deals. (you can call the biggest local pawn shops and ask who certifies their stones for GIA) He can also make you anything that you want for about 70% less. He sees a lot of diamonds. For example, my guy found a set of great stones and then covered the inclusions by the prongs or other parts of the ring he made. So, I paid for a lower grade, but it appears incredible. Instead of paying 7k I paid 1k. That is the sweet spot. The guys in my life for this are Kelley Dorn in Baton Rouge and Gene Parker in Monroe, La.

The other sweet spot is auctions. Jewelry stores close up all the time, inventory is taken to auction. When that happens be ready to pounce. One such guy in my neck of the woods is MIke Ackel auctions in Louisiana.

Good luck. It is worth the effort.

Ding ding ding ding... We have a winner!