Need help with diamond wedding band
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Hi. I just pulled up Leon's site and see he's located on 47th Street in NYC. I live in NYC and have been trying to avoid that whole "scene". I know the jewelry on the street is very competite but I don't enjoy that type of shopping. Is his store different than the shopping I've experienced there? tia.
I sympathize with you. Once you try Tiffany's, it is hard to find anything that matches it, but not impossible. It will take some legwork and homework (specs etc). I will say that I tried identical specs with a pair of earrings from Tiffany's and Blue Nile in a bezel setting and the Tiffany ones sparkled more, I could not figure it out and I was not as educated as I am now and I truly believe now that it had to do with the cut.
After my research, I'm finding the same thing. The GSI ratings doesn't take into account the cut. Even if I save a lot using Blue Nile, I'm afraid of the customer service if there is a problem. Plus...trying on the rings in different stores the different settings make ahuge difference with comfort.
bluenile has 30 day return policy no? and their customer service is known to be excellent. i know few girls who got their e-rings from them with no problems and they are soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sparkly! my fiance and I also got our loose diamond from them and seriously considered their setting since it was so much more affordable.
overall, our experience with bluenile was impeccable and it seems the same sentiment goes for all of my friends who recommended me bluenile. they also own several earrings from bluenile and they all seem very very very sparkly. though i think we all went for their signature ideal cut diamonds.... not so sure whether the earrings were also signature ideals though.
the only thing is if you need things fixed or cleaned through bluenile it does take i think about 2 weeks turn around time. once finished being worked on though they send it over by overnight shipping.
overall, our experience with bluenile was impeccable and it seems the same sentiment goes for all of my friends who recommended me bluenile. they also own several earrings from bluenile and they all seem very very very sparkly. though i think we all went for their signature ideal cut diamonds.... not so sure whether the earrings were also signature ideals though.
the only thing is if you need things fixed or cleaned through bluenile it does take i think about 2 weeks turn around time. once finished being worked on though they send it over by overnight shipping.
Honestly, I'm a Tiffany's girl but I wouldn't shy from Blue Nile. Their customer service is pretty good if there would be a problem. I wouldn't send off my ring for gleanings and all that, but they do sell quality jewelry.
After my e-ring debacle of my future IL's wanting my fiancé to buy my e-ring through "their guy" in Chicago, they've realized that they can still do better online and you don't need to do the old way of buying diamonds. An ideal cut diamond's gonna look right. Online offers better prices and a printed upgrade policy. Their guy made a HUGE mistake by going back on his promise to let MIL trade in her 4ct towards a 5ct. They ended up getting a very nice custom canary RHR custom made by Blue Nile instead and are very happy with their purchase.
After my e-ring debacle of my future IL's wanting my fiancé to buy my e-ring through "their guy" in Chicago, they've realized that they can still do better online and you don't need to do the old way of buying diamonds. An ideal cut diamond's gonna look right. Online offers better prices and a printed upgrade policy. Their guy made a HUGE mistake by going back on his promise to let MIL trade in her 4ct towards a 5ct. They ended up getting a very nice custom canary RHR custom made by Blue Nile instead and are very happy with their purchase.
Now I'm really confused. Leon M. came in w/ a price 6,500 for the 3.5 carat shared prong ring. Visited a local jewelry store today and they had a 4.21 in white gold that he would give me for 10,000 for H and Vs2. Leon's site says that platinum is the only way to go. How do you compare the bling/sparkle factor? Bluenile has a 3.7 carat in ideal cut, which I assume is equal to the Tiffany cut but it's 12,500.
Several years ago I bought an eternity band at Tiffany - alternating diamonds and sapphires. It was about $8k, and I felt like a fool for paying that much for it. So I ordered the same thing from Blue Nile at about 1/4 the cost. They were identical, except of course the Tiffany band had 'Tiffany' stamped on the inside. While I had both rings in my possession, I showed them to several people who are very knowledgable about jewelry, and asked them to tell me which was of higher quality. They looked at the rings from varying angles and in different lighting situations. I only asked that they not look inside the band (to see the branding). No one could tell the difference. I returned the Tiffany ring and no longer felt like a marketing victim.
The reason you got such a high (ridiculously high) price from the local, was that he has more overhead, he has a showroom, he has a big staff, he has rent. Leon does have a staff and a suite to pay for but he has no showroom. He's appointment only. And does a lot of work from outside of town via phone and online.
The quality of work is where I feel Leon is worth the money, and he's right, Plat is the way to go unless you have an aversion to it. He knows it well. He does it well. And he would most certainly use very well cut stones in that band, where with the local guy there's no guarantee you will get well cut stones.
Blue Nile would sell you a lovely band, and since they have a great return policy, you can always go with it and return it if you are not satisfied. Leon would be trickier to return to as he doesn't accept them unless he messed up.
Sounds like a good next step to me. IF you are making an appointment he can show you some lovely stones. I have never once heard or read a complaint regarding the quality of his diamonds.