$50K Engagement Ring Budget

Q:

Good Evening to you Liz,

First of all…Absolutely love your site, very informative and so much fun to read even with a first time diamond searcher like myself. I have an engagement ring budget of about $53,000.00.

Having said that here is my question; kind of fell in love with BGD (because I am all about the cut) but I also don’t want to go to low on Color and Clarity (I am comfortable with F and VS2).

What do you think of his pricing (Average/ High Markup)? As this is an online transaction, are they trustworthy?

Best Regards,

Donald

A:

Hello Donald,

Thank you for your kind words.

Brian Gavin’s diamonds are absolutely stunning. They are all consistently cut to the highest standards and are super brilliant and sparkly due to the cut quality. With this superior cut quality you can choose any color grade and the diamond will sparkle white due to the high performance of the stone. Color saturation will be detected around the ‘J’ or lower color grades for most people. So if you are sensitive to color, you’ll probably want to stick with J or above.

You have a nice budget – what size diamond were you thinking of getting? I’m more than happy to help you.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind Regards,

Liz

Q:

‘Jennifer’ ring from Brian Gavin Diamonds in platinum for $2,950.00

Good Evening Liz,

Thank you for taking your time to respond to my email. Here are two diamonds that I’m looking at:

2.604 G VS2 Black Round Heart and Arrow. Product ID BKAGS-104090535090 $49,889

2.357 F VS1 Black Round Heart and Arrow. Product ID BK AGS-104089113017 $ 50,998

I know they are over the budget that I had in mind but if you think the price and quality is reasonable then I am willing to consider. Please let me know what you think. Oh by the way, I also selected a Platinum Jennifer setting, Product ID 5946P. Do you think it would look nice???

Thank you,

Donald

P.S. I browsed ODBA’s diamond search and noticed that Enchanted Diamonds seem to cost less than BGD. What is their general Cut/Quality??? Again, thank you so much for your time!

Where To Spend Your Engagement Ring Budget: Boutique Diamond Retailer Vs. Traditional Diamond Retailer

A:

Hi Donald,

Brian Gavin’s prices are reflective of their stringent quality control of super ideal diamonds. If a diamond doesn’t meet their expectations it will not be part of their in-house inventory. They own all of their Signature diamonds and from a business perspective you can imagine that this dictates higher margins in order to bring this value of quality, consistency, and transparency to their customers.

Other retailers adopt a more lenient business outlook in which they list diamonds on their website that are still housed with the wholesaler. The wider variance of quality and inventory with less concern of consistency in quality allows for other retailers to market to a wider spectrum audience that aren’t as discerning.

2.604ct G VS2 from Brian Gavin Diamonds

Hence the price difference between BGD and Enchanted Diamonds. It depends on what you are looking for and how precise you want to be in your purchase in terms of overall cut quality.

This is not to say that there aren’t super ideal diamonds being offered on Enchanted Diamonds – they are just more difficult to find and may or may not have the accompanying information you need to fully evaluate a stone to satisfaction.

So, with that being said, of the two diamonds you have listed, I prefer the 2.60ct G VS2: http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/2.604-g-vs2-round-diamond-bkags-104090535090 for your engagement ring budget.

I prefer this diamond as it is larger and the color difference between F and G will not be discernible to your naked eye, yet the size difference (though minute) will be observed. Also the clarity on the 2.60ct is cleaner (I can see the cloud on the 2.35ct).

The Jennifer Setting in platinum is a stunning classic. I love the soft curve and the petite melee diamonds that adorn the side shank. It is an elegant ring that is timeless – well done. 😉

Please let me know if you have any additional questions. It’s been a pleasure!

Also, just a friendly reminder to please click the link to the diamond above from the same device/pc/browser immediately prior to your purchase so that BGD knows that ODBA is your referral source. This is how I’m able to offer fast replies and complimentary diamond advice.

Please keep in touch – I always love to see final pictures and hear what you think when you get your ring!

Best,

Liz

Q:

Good Evening Liz,

What else can I say….You are the BEST so 2.60 G VS2 it is. I will definitely use the link you provided for my order. Again, I greatly appreciate your insight about the diamond industry and prompt response as well. Will let you know how it goes once I get my ring. Cant wait.

Warmest Regards,

Donald

A:

My pleasure Donald! It is very exciting – I know the feeling very well. ;-D

Yes, do please let me know how things go.

Have a wonderful weekend!

All the best,

Liz