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CaughtByTheRiver
Aug 10, 2007

by Y Kant Ozma Post
I've recently been looking at engagement/wedding rings and learning about diamonds so I know what to look out for. I'm going to buy a loose center diamond online and my boyfriend (when the time comes) will buy the setting and wedding band I've chosen. This will ensure that I get the center stone I want and it lessens the financial burden on him (which helps me not feel guilty about my request). We've also somewhat searched for a wedding band for him.

I'll be looking for a 1ct radiant cut diamond, VS2 clarity or better, G color or better, LW ratio <1.05, no fluorescence with a Very Good or better rating on cut, polish and symmetry, and a GIA certification. I'll be trying my best to buy conflict-free/Canadian. Based on the research I've done so far, I think I should expect to spend about $3500-$5500 for the loose center stone, give or take depending on the combination of variables.

My questions regarding diamonds are these:

1) What are the ideal table and depth percentages that will maximize brilliance and the appearance of size of a square radiant cut? I've read several different opinions on this ranging from "Depth 64-76.5%, Table 62-76%" equating a rating of "Excellent", to "Depth 50-65.9%, Table 55-69%" for the same rating. Is this even something I should be worrying about?

2) Is it bad for a stone to have a girdle that is "thick to extremely thick" or "thin to extremely thin"? What is the ideal here? Does a too large or too slim girdle effect light dispersion or is this more a concern when it comes to setting the diamond? Again, is this something I should even worry about?

3) Would I be better off looking for a 0.90ct diamond with the same specifications? Would it look like 1ct, is there even much of a visual size difference? I would be okay with a 0.90ct diamond if it was going to save me a little money and still look like a 1ct stone.

4) I've heard rumors that some radiant diamonds are actually a "princess with the corners cut off" that are labeled as a radiant because then the seller can charge more for the stone. I know the basic differences between a radiant and princess cut (radiant has facets like a round brilliant and princess has linear facets that form an X appearance). Since most online websites don't provide actual pictures of the exact stones they offer, is there any other way to tell if a radiant is a true radiant and not a rebadged princess cut? Or should I just look for a GIA certificate that states the stone is a "cut-cornered modified brilliant" to be sure I'm getting a true radiant?

I have tried looking in jewelry stores for a radiant cut but it appears that virtually no one carries them in-house, they would have to be special ordered in for me to choose from. And it appears to be cheaper to buy loose online than in a jewelry store.

With regards to a men's wedding ring...

My boyfriend wants a tungsten ring with a rounded edge and some small channel set sapphires or aquamarine stones along the top (~8-10 stones). I can't find this anywhere.

1) Is tungsten not easily set with stones other than diamonds (the only thing I've found so far)? Would it be possible to have a ring specially made that would have the sapphire or aquamarine that he likes? Who would I ask about this? How much can I expect to pay for a custom tungsten ring with gemstones?

2) I see that titanium is very similar to tungsten and just a little bit cheaper. Are there any major benefits of one versus the other?

I know it sounds like I'm taking all the romance out of the engagement, but we're both very practical people and we don't want to rush headlong into a purchase without being fully informed, only to find out later that we'd been sucker-punched.

I see the purchase of these rings as both a life investment and a monetary investment, so I want to be sure that I'm getting the best quality for the money. And I don't want to have any regrets that one of us didn't get what we truly wanted.

If you can't answer all of these questions, I understand. :) Thanks for posting this thread!

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Silver Alicorn
Mar 30, 2008

𝓪 𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓹𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓪 𝓲𝓼 𝓪 𝓬𝓾𝓻𝓲𝓸𝓾𝓼 𝓼𝓸𝓻𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮
As far as tungsten and titanium go, they're very very different materials.

Titanium is an elemental metal that is extremely hard to work with compared to other metals. That being said, it's lightweight, has a nice dark luster to it, and can be worked into a variety of shapes.

"Tungsten," on the other hand, refers to tungsten carbide, which is a compound of tungsten and carbon. It has no metallic properties and behaves like a very rigid, very hard stone. It's used for drill bits that are meant to cut through hard rocks repeatedly without dulling. I didn't even know you could set stones in it (though I am not a jeweler). It has a dark, lustrous shine, but it's more like polished silicon or hematite, not the bright luster of a pure metal.

From what I'm seeing, tungsten carbide and titanium look almost identical in online pictures, though in average lighting conditions a tungsten carbide ring will look less "reflective" than a titanium ring.

This is the most impressive titanium ring I've seen and it's a shame that the raw material used to make them isn't made anymore.

FormerPoster
Aug 5, 2004

Hair Elf

CaughtByTheRiver posted:


2) Is it bad for a stone to have a girdle that is "thick to extremely thick" or "thin to extremely thin"? What is the ideal here? Does a too large or too slim girdle effect light dispersion or is this more a concern when it comes to setting the diamond? Again, is this something I should even worry about?

4) I've heard rumors that some radiant diamonds are actually a "princess with the corners cut off" that are labeled as a radiant because then the seller can charge more for the stone. I know the basic differences between a radiant and princess cut (radiant has facets like a round brilliant and princess has linear facets that form an X appearance). Since most online websites don't provide actual pictures of the exact stones they offer, is there any other way to tell if a radiant is a true radiant and not a rebadged princess cut? Or should I just look for a GIA certificate that states the stone is a "cut-cornered modified brilliant" to be sure I'm getting a true radiant?

You've got a lot of content but I can grab the easy ones here.

2) The only truly "bad" girdle is an extremely thin, as a girdle that is extremely thin all of the way around is going to more prone to chippage. A thicker girdle can take a little more punishment. However, above that it gets a little grayer. There's ideal %s just like everything else, especially with round, but it all comes down to looking at the diamond and using your best judgment. For example, is the girdle relatively even all of the way around, or is it wavy like a weird circus tent? The most even girdles are either going to have one rating, ie medium, or two close ratings, ie thin to medium. If you have a girdle going very thin to slightly thick, you're going to have a girdle that's razor thin in one place and much bulkier in another. This can occasionally work if the diamond was otherwise masterfully faceted, but usually detracts from the look.

As for overall thickness, your technically correct girdle would be medium all of the way around, but the diamond isn't going to be impacted if it's thin to medium or slightly thin to slightly thick, or some slim variance like that. The thickness gets worrysome if its too big - in an extreme case, extremely thick all of the way around. Again, nothing is wrong with the diamond, per se, you just have to realize that more of the weight of the diamond is hiding out in the middle section and therefore the spread on the top is smaller. For example, if you have a one carat round diamond with a medium girdle, all other factors being as good as they are, you might have a 6.4mm round. If you have that same diamond, same carat weight and same cut with a thicker girdle, you might find it has a face-up diameter of 6.35 or even lower. Again, this is fine, you won't die from it, but you'll find yourself in the unenviable position of paying for weight you can't see. Purchase accordingly.

4) In the technical sense, there are two kinds of radiant cuts. The Original Radiant Cut, which is a cut cornered modified brilliant cut diamond, is a patented diamond cut that can only be purchased from ORCD vendors (or a jeweler who happens to have one or two lying around). The other kind, the kind everybody talks about, is your standard Radiant cut. Just like there are Royal Asschers and there are generic Asschers, your standard Radiant cut is for all intents and purposes the same as the ORC, just perhaps not cut to the same standard. The facet pattern is going to be similar, the critical angles are going to be similar, and the outline is going to be similar.

What the radiant is not, however, is the princess cut - neither the ORC nor the standard radiant bare any resemblance to a princess cut above the superficial level. Aside from the obvious cut corners, the radiant and the princess have different facet patterns on both the crown and pavilion, different sized girdles, and vastly different crown heights. The difference in crown height is probably the easiest to see. A princess is cut on top to look a bit like an ice rink; there's almost no height from the top of the girdle to the top of the table, and the table itself is far larger than the table on any other commonly cut diamond. This means you can look straight down at a princess and see almost no faceting on top, and straight down into the pavilion. A radiant has a taller crown and a smaller table, and will bear more of a resemblance to an oval on top than it will a princess. Well, not really an oval, but it's kind of an apples to oranges comparison so I'm making a reach here.

The odds that someone is going to try and jam you with a cut cornered princess when you want a radiant is extremely low, given that a) most jewelers are good people, and b) there's not too many cut cornered princesses. I've seen maybe two in my lifetime, both resulting from regular princesses that had to be repaired after a corner got chipped. For what it's worth, they're not bad looking, but they're still a princess on the inside. Therefore, in the highly unlikely event that someone DOES have a cut cornered princess and IS out to sell it without full disclosure, you shouldn't have a big problem telling the difference if you just look at the height of the top half of the diamond and compare it to most other modified brilliants. If you really think a jewelers trying to stiff you, ask to see a regular princess and a regular radiant, and decide for yourself which it looks like more. But like I said, nobody's out to get you, and by and large you shouldn't have to worry. You ask for a radiant, chances are you're going to see a radiant.

EDIT: Looking at the GIA cert also helps since they should say what it is and also show a diagram of what the crown and pavilion look like.

FormerPoster fucked around with this message at 00:48 on Oct 21, 2010

UrbanFarmer
Jun 13, 2010

by Ozma
I'm planning to ask my girlfriend to marry me in a few months. I know she loves the look of the ring pictured below. However, I have no idea how to acquire something like this. Do I have to have it custom made? Is this a common style? What would I even ask for when talking to a jeweler?

I'd like for the main diamond to be around 1.5 carats. Any suggestions on where I might be able to get a ring like this for a good price?

Thanks!

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value-brand cereal
May 2, 2008

I want to get a custom made pendant of two brief cursive words inside a heart shape. Would it be easier to cast this shape in lost wax technique or do it in wire, if that's even possible. Wire seems to break on me, but maybe someone who's worked with metal knows how to do it?

E: this, specifically:

JohnnyRnR
May 16, 2004
Beer Ninja

Wedemeyer posted:

I want to get a custom made pendant of two brief cursive words inside a heart shape. Would it be easier to cast this shape in lost wax technique or do it in wire, if that's even possible. Wire seems to break on me, but maybe someone who's worked with metal knows how to do it?

It could be hand fabricated in wire (gold or platinum), but I believe you'll make a much nicer piece if you have it cast from a wax model. This type of piece lends itself well to either a hand carved wax or one produced via CAD modeling. Did you have a metal preference?

Walrusmaster
Sep 21, 2009
Hi jewelry goons, I need some help finding a christmas gift. My girlfriend likes the style of this ring, but from what she's said she'd like a ring with a larger "presence", which basically means gemstones that have at least a 6mm diameter. I don't think the ring at that link is big enough, and I'm having trouble finding any rings in that style with gemstones larger than 4mm. The diamond accents aren't necessary. She likes Tanzanite and both blue and pink sapphires. Lab-created isn't really a concern. Any idea on where to look?

Monkey Lincoln
Dec 1, 2001
gumshoe

Walrusmaster posted:

Any idea on where to look?

I made this ring a few Christmases ago, with 2 3mm diams on the sides and a larger emerald in the center, we ordered the setting from a catalog. Walk around jewelry stores and find one that has catalogs from casting companies, I could swear I've seen 30 variants on that style in just one book.

scribe jones
Sep 17, 2008

One of the key problems in the analysis of this puzzling book is to be able to differentiate a real language from meaningless writing.
whoa

quote:

I once had a Little Old Lady totter into my store. She was perfectly charming, even adorable, in a sort of Old School way. You could tell that every few days, she went to the hairdresser to have her hair set; she would never leave the house without putting on her face. She wore pill box hats and smart little dresses. A right proper Little Old Lady, perfect in every way. When she showed me the ring she wanted to repair, I turned green.

It was a pearl ring: A single white pearl glued onto a post and placed on a gold band. Simple, elegant and beautiful. The stench that emanated from this ring would kill a vulture. It was encrusted, around the pearl and under her finger, with black goo. The pearl itself was pock-marked like the moon… no, it was worse. There was a massive crater on one side that had scraped a third of the pearl clean away.

Boxman
Sep 27, 2004

Big fan of :frog:


I'm never making fun of my fianceé for taking off her engagement ring ever again. Jesus.

Content; What's the best way to clean a diamond ring, white gold setting? Random Google searches told us a very mild mix of water and dishwasher detergent works fine with a soft bristle toothbrush, and I'm inclined to think the diamond will survive whatever, but I'd rather the setting makes it through too.

FormerPoster
Aug 5, 2004

Hair Elf
That's how I clean all of my jewelry, just water, detergent, and a very soft toothbrush. Diamonds and white gold can be steam cleaned or cleaned in an ultrasonic with whatever fluid is in there (don't remember off of the top of my head), but home cleaning really is just as simple as soap, water, and light scrubbing to get out the gunk.

edit Actually ultrasonic fluid might wear down rhodium over time but most people rarely ultrasonic their jewelry so that should be ok every so often. I'm sure Johnny's got better advice on this than I do.

FormerPoster fucked around with this message at 14:48 on Nov 17, 2010

Monkey Lincoln
Dec 1, 2001
gumshoe

I tell people just that, soapy water and an old toothbrush, dry it with a paper towel. If you want to do one better, get a cheap polishing cloth that will help remove tarnish. The only thing you can really do better than that is take it to a jeweler who'll polish it for you. Anyone can clean a ring, but to actually polish it, as in remove all the haze, scuffs and scratches with a cloth wheel spinning at 4000 RPM will make it look like it just came out of the factory. Probably do that once a year with silver and gold jewelry and steel watches.

JohnnyRnR
May 16, 2004
Beer Ninja
Monkey Lincoln is right - A proper polishing is the way to go if you want the metal bright and shiny again.

But for removing dirt and grime (and hand lotion) nothing is better than heavy steam cleaning or a trip to an ultrasonic cleaner. You can buy small home units in the $300 range that do a bang-up job of both functions. Rootbeer Baron is right that not many people have the machines, but they are an excellent investment.

But not all gemstones can handle those cleaning methods. Some things should never be cleaned via either method: Emerald, Opals, Tanzanite, Zircon or Pearls. Also, avoid putting anything that has been fixed with glue (like pearl rings).

Fraternite
Dec 24, 2001

by Y Kant Ozma Post
To what extent are concerns about wear on an emerald and/or gems falling out of flush settings valid?

My SO and I were about to decide on an emerald-diamond-emerald (flush set) white gold ring (something like this, if you're interested), but we both are really concerned about it being a practical choice that won't get in the way, won't fall apart, won't damage really easily, etc.

Should we be looking at something altogether different?

JohnnyRnR
May 16, 2004
Beer Ninja
That ring should not give you any trouble. The emeralds are well protected by the design. They're also not gigantic emeralds so it wouldn't be too expensive if you did chip one in a few years. I wouldn't worry at all.

AIIAZNSK8ER
Dec 8, 2008


Where is your 24-70?
What are the price thresholds between entry level, mid grade, and fine jewelry? I'm looking around and with a budget of $300-$600 for a ring or a necklace with one gem and little tiny diamonds around it. Is this price level something that I can feel good about spending that will last? Is it better to save up for the $1500-$3000 level stuff that will be around forever and hold it's value.

Fraternite
Dec 24, 2001

by Y Kant Ozma Post

JohnnyRnR posted:

That ring should not give you any trouble. The emeralds are well protected by the design. They're also not gigantic emeralds so it wouldn't be too expensive if you did chip one in a few years. I wouldn't worry at all.

Thanks for the advice.

I know it's not a super fancy ring, but we went ahead and found a local goldsmith and asked him how much he would charge us to make it and it was much, much, much, cheaper than anything comparable online or in a store.

So to anyone else reading this, I totally endorse the advice of finding a local goldsmith instead of hitting the internet or the malls.

FilthyImp
Sep 30, 2002

Anime Deviant
Oh cool, a Jewelry thread!

I bought a cheap ring last month because I thought it was an interesting little item: a black "diamond" (Carbonado, such an interesting name) set between two smaller, similar rocks. Yes, you can laugh at my stupidity. I know it was a dumbass purchase.

It was a liquidation item, and I've noticed recently that one of the faces seems a little off -- either scuffed or scratched or something. It looks ok until you catch a spot of light glimmering against it. I was wondering if it's possible to polish this thing to get rid of that weird side.

Russian Bear
Dec 26, 2007


Cool thread and probably a good time for the holidays. Can you advise on buying pearls? I want to buy a couple of stud pearl earing for my girlfriend this christmas and would like some direction. I googled around learning about them some, but would like your expert opinion. I was looking at Australian south sea cultured pearls(7-7.5mm in size) - can't decide on golden or white yet. What's the market price and how can I smartly negotiate with a local jewelry store for them?

JohnnyRnR
May 16, 2004
Beer Ninja

AIIAZNSK8ER posted:

What are the price thresholds between entry level, mid grade, and fine jewelry? I'm looking around and with a budget of $300-$600 for a ring or a necklace with one gem and little tiny diamonds around it. Is this price level something that I can feel good about spending that will last? Is it better to save up for the $1500-$3000 level stuff that will be around forever and hold it's value.

That's a constant question we get. Should I spend the extra money on better construction, etc? It really depends on the individual piece. Even a less expensive piece can be rebuilt in case of damage provided that it was built well at first.

I know that isn't much help, but it's really hard to advise you without knowing what you're buying.

FilthyImp posted:

I bought a cheap ring last month, Carbonado, such an interesting name) set between two smaller, similar rocks.

I was wondering if it's possible to polish this thing to get rid of that weird side.

I wouldn't dare laugh at your purchase. Carbonados are fantastic, and it most definitely is a Diamond. Carbonados may have imperfections in the crystal structure, and there isn't much you can do about it. It would probably cost a coupe hundred dollars to have the diamond repolished; and I doubt that would be worth it. What I would do is have the funky spot drilled out slightly and have a small polished diamond (or ruby) set in the hole. That would probably look cool.

Russian Bear posted:

Can you advise on buying pearls? I want to buy a couple of stud pearl earing for my girlfriend this christmas and would like some direction. I was looking at Australian south sea cultured pearls(7-7.5mm in size) - can't decide on golden or white yet. What's the market price and how can I smartly negotiate with a local jewelry store for them?

Pearls aren't my specialty, but I can tell you what prices I've seen recently. Know that pearl price greatly depends on quality. For excellent quality 10mm South Sea pearls with excellent luster and very minor blemishes, set in well made gold earrings, you can expect to pay ~$2,050 for the Golden or $1,200 for the White.

Russian Bear
Dec 26, 2007


I wasn't expecting such a steep price. Why are the goldens double the price of the whites in general? Is it just the limited availability of the oyster? I know you said it wasn't your thing

What's generally the best value pearls around? Akoya?

JohnnyRnR
May 16, 2004
Beer Ninja
Golden pearls are in much shorter supply right now than white. But still, South Sea pearls are going to be expensive in larger sizes if you want them to be top notch. Akoyas are very reasonable right now, because the Chinese pearl fields have caught up to the quality of Japan's.

And the reason that some pearls are much more expensive than others? With modern technology it is possible to grow five smaller Akoya pearls per oyster. South Sea pearls must be grown as one pearl per oyster due to their larger size. That's why you'll see the price of larger Akoya be on-par with South Sea in some cases.

I hate to say it, but the problem with buying pearls online is that you never know what you're going to get. I've seen major ecommerce sellers retailing $5 junk bracelets for $300 - They're taking the gamble that their customers won't know they've been sold lower quality goods.

Monkey Lincoln
Dec 1, 2001
gumshoe

I'm not super good with pearls either, but maybe he'd be better off looking around at nameless cultured pearls?
I find that if you're looking for studs anywhere in the $100-800 range, just sticking to saltwater cultured pearls and judging them by sight is the way to go. I've seen $600 9mm mikis sitting next to a set by some unknown company that were easily as nice for a quarter the price.

Eighty Seven
Jun 4, 2010
Just throwing this out there for men looking to propose: It is tradition that the ring be worth one month's salary.

I'm sure this is a bit dated, but at least it gives [most] men with no idea what to spend a reasonable starting point.

Reene
Aug 26, 2005

:justpost:

That "tradition" is actually pretty recent and the result of a dumb marketing campaign on the part of companies like DeBeers. It's silly anyway; just figure out what you want, and shop from there, instead of setting the price tag first.

I've been looking around lately for a good source of loose synthetic sapphires that come in nice shades of green and I cannot seem to find anything that looks both reputable and actually has sapphires in green. Does anyone have any recommendations for a seller?

Chas McGill
Oct 29, 2010

loves Fat Philippe
The 1 month salary ring is ridiculous and I hope to hell that people aren't actually taken in by that.

Backno
Dec 1, 2007

Goff Boyz iz da rudest Boyz

SKA SUCKS

AIIAZNSK8ER posted:

What are the price thresholds between entry level, mid grade, and fine jewelry? I'm looking around and with a budget of $300-$600 for a ring or a necklace with one gem and little tiny diamonds around it. Is this price level something that I can feel good about spending that will last? Is it better to save up for the $1500-$3000 level stuff that will be around forever and hold it's value.

As long as the jewelry you are getting is from a good shop the price point shouldn't matter that much.

Eighty Seven posted:

Just throwing this out there for men looking to propose: It is tradition that the ring be worth one month's salary.

I'm sure this is a bit dated, but at least it gives [most] men with no idea what to spend a reasonable starting point.

If I had spent 1 months of salary on my wifes rings she would have murdered me on the spot. I feel sorry for the people who get roped into that whole idea, or their gf is of the mind set "if he doesn't get me a ring worth X then he doesn't love me". Thank god my wife like small and simple, her engagement and wedding bands where like $500 total.

Backno fucked around with this message at 18:20 on Dec 6, 2010

JohnnyRnR
May 16, 2004
Beer Ninja
The rule of thumb was actually three months salary. Diamonds aren't cheap.

Reene posted:

I've been looking around lately for a good source of loose synthetic sapphires that come in nice shades of green and I cannot seem to find anything that looks both reputable and actually has sapphires in green. Does anyone have any recommendations for a seller?

Synthetic sapphire doesn't really come in a vivid green color unless it's been color treated after the growth process. They come more in a pine needle green from what I've seen. Send me a PM with the specs you need and I'll see what's available.

uberwekkness
Jul 25, 2008

You have to train harder to make it to nationals.

Reene posted:

I've been looking around lately for a good source of loose synthetic sapphires that come in nice shades of green and I cannot seem to find anything that looks both reputable and actually has sapphires in green. Does anyone have any recommendations for a seller?

This is from a website I've been planning on buying from for a long while
http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/nscnet/newsearchresults.aspx

But yeah, they are more of a pine needle green. Perfect for Christmas?

(If the link doesn't work, use advanced search, and for color, select "unique". Green will be on the second list.)

PoliticalMonster
Nov 5, 2010
Anyone know anything about Brilliant Earth?

Any good advice on getting a conflict-free diamond?

madlilnerd
Jan 4, 2009

a bush with baggage

Chas McGill posted:

The 1 month salary ring is ridiculous and I hope to hell that people aren't actually taken in by that.

The ring I like is in Johnny's shop... so more like 6-8 month's salary. I've got the hots for the Etti design with a 1 carat stone :allears:. I also like to think that my boyfriend knows me well enough that he could propose with a goddamn onion ring and I'd still say yes.

JohnnyRnR
May 16, 2004
Beer Ninja

PoliticalMonster posted:

Anyone know anything about Brilliant Earth?

Any good advice on getting a conflict-free diamond?

BE is a company. They use the ethical angle as their unique point of differentiation. There are a few other players in that sector and most of their marketing revolves around a basic principle of "more ethical than the next guy." Some people love it - I see it as crass. They're essentially using dead bodies as a prop to sell diamonds.

A conflict diamond is defined as a diamond not sold through the approved channels; "the diamond pipeline" as we call it. By law, rough diamonds without a Kimberly Process certificate are classified as blood diamonds. Pick a rough diamond up off the ground while vacationing in Africa and the authorities would seize it as an "unauthorized diamond."

The Kimberley Process is solely for the purposes of restricting supply, and even the founder left the organization in disgust. The standard industry rule is that 99.9% of all diamonds in the world are conflict free. Botswana, Canada, Australia, Russia, South Africa, etc: These countries are all major diamond producers without internal conflict

I was a big supporter of Canadian diamonds until uncovering impropriety in their assurance system. I quit selling them when I couldn't guarantee that the diamond was actually Canadian.

madlilnerd posted:

The ring I like is in Johnny's shop... so more like 6-8 month's salary. I've got the hots for the Etti design with a 1 carat stone :allears:. I also like to think that my boyfriend knows me well enough that he could propose with a goddamn onion ring and I'd still say yes.

Thanks! I hope you get both the Etti and the Onion Ring. ;)

PoliticalMonster
Nov 5, 2010

JohnnyRnR posted:

BE is a company. They use the ethical angle as their unique point of differentiation. There are a few other players in that sector and most of their marketing revolves around a basic principle of "more ethical than the next guy." Some people love it - I see it as crass. They're essentially using dead bodies as a prop to sell diamonds.

A conflict diamond is defined as a diamond not sold through the approved channels; "the diamond pipeline" as we call it. By law, rough diamonds without a Kimberly Process certificate are classified as blood diamonds. Pick a rough diamond up off the ground while vacationing in Africa and the authorities would seize it as an "unauthorized diamond."

The Kimberley Process is solely for the purposes of restricting supply, and even the founder left the organization in disgust. The standard industry rule is that 99.9% of all diamonds in the world are conflict free. Botswana, Canada, Australia, Russia, South Africa, etc: These countries are all major diamond producers without internal conflict

I was a big supporter of Canadian diamonds until uncovering impropriety in their assurance system. I quit selling them when I couldn't guarantee that the diamond was actually Canadian.
Wow thanks, I had no idea there was so much corruption. Makes sense though.

EDIT: As a follow up, do most jewelers keep track of the origins of their diamonds? Does that come on a gemological report?

PoliticalMonster fucked around with this message at 21:00 on Dec 8, 2010

loatisaf
Mar 18, 2002

Hail to the Hamster King, Baby
I'm currently looking for an engagement ring. I've talked it over with her, and we're leaning more towards a ring with man-made diamonds, partially because of cost, but more because the :science: involved is fascinating.
Unfortunately, it's been difficult to find impartial information, because it seems every other piece of info we find is something along the lines of "if you don't spend $20,000, you're horrible scum, etc.."

One place we've found that has some pretty nice designs is http://www.diamondnexuslabs.com/, but I'd like to hear from other people that have looked into rings with man-made gems, and what their experiences were.

JohnnyRnR
May 16, 2004
Beer Ninja
It might surprise you, but no. Jewelers generally have no idea where their diamonds came from. The gem labs are unable to identify the origin of a diamond except is very rare cases. Diamonds from one region are generally indistinguishable from those in another region; especially once they're polished.

Diamonds are not generally a country of origin product, but treated as more of a financial asset. It's important for me to know the quality and value of my diamonds, but not the origin unless an unusual combination of quality and origin adds extra marketing value.

If a cutter wanted to buy rough diamonds that would cut down to .10 carat round brilliants then he goes to a market and buys a box of diamonds that meets his criteria. Diamonds from all sources would be sorted to meet the order, and origin is immaterial to the end result of making beautiful earrings.

JohnnyRnR
May 16, 2004
Beer Ninja

loatisaf posted:

I'm currently looking for an engagement ring. I've talked it over with her, and we're leaning more towards a ring with man-made diamonds, partially because of cost, but more because the :science: involved is fascinating.
Unfortunately, it's been difficult to find impartial information, because it seems every other piece of info we find is something along the lines of "if you don't spend $20,000, you're horrible scum, etc.."

One place we've found that has some pretty nice designs is http://www.diamondnexuslabs.com/, but I'd like to hear from other people that have looked into rings with man-made gems, and what their experiences were.

Diamond Nexus Labs does not sell synthetic diamonds. They sell nothing more than cubic zirconia with a fancy name and misleading marketing. Another product you'll see bandied about is Better Than Diamond. I believe that that is a type of CZ with a thin layer of synthetic diamond coating. They make bold claims, but the data I've seen says it adds nothing to the quality of the stone.

Synthetic diamonds just aren't available right now. They still cost more to make than natural diamonds cost to mine. Very soon they should be available in the market... Gemesis is claiming to have finally gotten the costs down to match natural diamonds, and Apollo Diamond has very limited availability. If you call them they might be able to sell you one direct.

I've been trying to get synthetics to resell for three years and have had no luck at all beyond one or two stones.

Fire In The Disco
Oct 4, 2007
I cannot change the gender of my unborn child and shouldn't waste my time or energy pretending he won't exist

loatisaf posted:

I'm currently looking for an engagement ring. I've talked it over with her, and we're leaning more towards a ring with man-made diamonds, partially because of cost, but more because the :science: involved is fascinating.
Unfortunately, it's been difficult to find impartial information, because it seems every other piece of info we find is something along the lines of "if you don't spend $20,000, you're horrible scum, etc.."

One place we've found that has some pretty nice designs is http://www.diamondnexuslabs.com/, but I'd like to hear from other people that have looked into rings with man-made gems, and what their experiences were.

Have you considered moissanite? Reasonable price, gorgeous fire in the stone, and definitely fits the bill for :science:. I personally adore my moissanite engagement ring and wouldn't trade it for anything.

Candyann
Dec 27, 2008
I am not sure if you have heard of Canadian Diamonds or have anything similar in the US. Diamonds mined and sold in Canada that have serial numbers lazered in along with a canadian goose or polar should be conflict free, no?
I have 3 beautiful Canadian mine diamons that are serialed with the canadian goose along side. That was the best I could come up with regarding conflict free as the term conflict free just wasn't good enough for me. Business lies all the time so you never know. Besides its hard to tell where the diamonds really come from as they are smuggled out and sold from other countries right?

Russian Bear
Dec 26, 2007


I'm googling around to find local jewelry stores to hunt down some pearl earring and was wondering if Jareds is lumped in with the mall stores(insane markup, charge for everything etc)?

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Queen Of Spades
Jul 5, 2004

by Y Kant Ozma Post
If I was looking to get a moissanite ring custom made from a jeweller and they dont carry them in store, should it be pretty easy to have them order one for a ring? Or am I better just trying to find something online?

Ive been looking at something like http://www.moissaniteco.com/round-moissanite-modern-designer-style-engagement-ring-p-9074.html but being in Canada has me worried about crazy custom fees and duties. Would I be able to get one even made for that price, or is that going to be roughly the best I find?

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