Ritani Review – Engagement Rings And Loose Diamonds
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Based in New York and Seattle, Ritani was founded in 1999 by current CEO Brian Watkins. Interestingly, even though Ritani only has a decade of business operations in the jewelry industry, they had quickly risen through the ranks and established themselves as a premium brand amongst consumers.
What sets Ritani apart from other online vendors is their seamless integration of online shopping and physical retail operations. With a unique “clicks and bricks” approach, Ritani’s network of curated partners has expanded across the entire United States and you can easily find a Ritani authorized jeweler near your location. In fact, their success was so phenomenal that Forbes named them as one of the top 40 most promising companies in 2014.
In this review of Ritani, I’m going in-depth to do an analysis of the company’s services, products and policies. Will Ritani stand up to the test or are they simply over-hyped and pure marketing fluff?
Let’s Get Started – A Review of Ritani.com’s Policies
Excellent Shipping Practices
For international shoppers, it would please you to know that Ritani ships to more than 70 countries globally for free. To put your mind at ease, Ritani also offers free return shipping in the event of a refund within their 30-days money back guarantee.
If required, Ritani is also able to ship your order to an alternate destination for pick-ups. Alternatively, you could also get your item shipped to one of their in-store preview partners where you can walk-in to collect your purchase. Personally, I love their generous shipping policy as it eliminates the risks that are often associated with online purchases.
An overview of the shipping process at Ritani.com
Lifetime Jewelry Warranty
In the online diamond jewelry industry, it is the norm for vendors to provide lifetime warranty for a consumer’s purchase and this typically covers all forms of manufacturing defects.
Ritani offers the same and does it even better by allowing you to drop off your ring at any of their retail partners at a location near you. The jewelry partner will then be responsible for sending the ring back to Ritani for repairs. Do note that one-way shipping costs are still borne by you and Ritani will bear the other one-way costs.
Trade In & Upgrades
Ritani offers a lifetime upgrade where you can receive a 100% credit towards a new purchase. The terms for this upgrade are that the new diamond must cost at least 50% more than the value of your original diamond. You can also have the option to keep your original setting or trade it in for credit towards a new setting.
Financing & Buying On Credit
Ritani does offer some financing plans to help consumers buy jewelry. In my opinion, there’s nothing fancy or special about their offerings and they are pretty much the same type of credit plans offered by other vendors. You can choose to pay off your purchase within 6 months and enjoy 0% interest on your installments.
Ritani Engagement Rings And Wedding Bands Overview
In my opinion, Ritani made their claim to fame in the jewelry industry as a result of their beautiful and unique ring settings. Unlike many other jewelry businesses where the manufacturing is outsourced and mass produced in 3rd world countries, Ritani’s jewelry production is all done in-house.
With state-of-the-art facilities in New York and highly skilled bench jewelers, every single item is carefully made to the finest craftsmanship standards. From the Ritani settings I had seen and examined upclose, I would say that they all had a very consistent quality and are some of the best I had seen.
The most impressive feature about Ritani’s settings is the micro pave setting technique they pioneered (a micropave is a series of melee diamonds mounted in extremely close proximity). Speaking from a mechanical engineer’s point of view, it is extremely difficult to automate the manufacturing process to create these rings. That’s the reason why Ritani’s rings are all handmade as intricate features and detailing can only be achieved by extremely skilled bench jewelers.
You can actually see their signature micro pave technique in many of their designs. In the example to showcase the exquisite setting technique, there are 3 rows of micropavé diamonds in the 18kt white gold wedding band.
Popular Diamond Ring Settings & Wedding Band Designs
Ritani Endless Love Review
The Endless Love collection is a series of wedding eternity bands with exquisite rows of micropave diamonds lining the entire ring.
A classic eternity ring design to commemorate your love for someone.
Ritani Romantique Collection
The Romantique collection features antique styled ring designs with hand carved Grecian leaf motifs.
This beautiful vintage ring design features surprise diamonds along the shanks.
Ritani Bella Vita
The Bella Vita collection is basically a nice name for a halo engagement ring where the center stone is surrounded by round melees.
This halo diamond ring is crafted to extreme precision and quality.
Ritani Anadare Collection
The Anadare collection is a series of ring designs with distinctive twisted and coiled shanks. Anadare means “tie together” in Italian and the double helix design symbolizes the unity of 2 people’s love coming together.
You can get more details about this ring setting here.
Ritani Masterwork
This collection showcases designs that are handpicked by Ritani’s master designers. You’ll find some of the most outstanding works made by Ritani over the years here.
A hand-casted split ‘V’ pavé ring to hold a cushion cut diamond in the center.
Free In-Store Preview & Virtual Gemologist Services
If you didn’t know yet, most online retailers work with a virtual inventory listing where they don’t own the diamonds. To keep costs low, some vendors even dropship the diamonds from their suppliers directly to their customers without ever seeing the diamond.
Ritani’s approach to selling diamond jewelry is very consumer orientated and vastly different from the usual practices of online vendors like BlueNile. It’s true that Ritani works with a virtual inventory as well but their competitive edge lies in the partnerships they have with local jewelers.
Ritani understands that there are some people who aren’t comfortable buying a diamond online without seeing it in person. Their free in-store preview allows you to view a made-to-order engagement ring or loose diamond in person at a local partner’s location without any obligations to make a purchase.
The other aspect of Ritani’s outstanding customer service is a feature called the Virtual Gemologist.
This is a unique service that benefits uneducated shoppers who aren’t sure how to make a diamond selection. What happens here is that you can shortlist up to 4 diamonds you are interested in and speak to a professional who will guide you through the pros/cons of the individual diamonds.
Through this consultation, you can get access to HD videos, images and an analysis for free. Do note that this is not a magic pill for people who are looking to buy a diamond with the best possible cut quality. I’ll show you how to do that in a moment…
Website Functionality And Diamond Search Capability
Ritani’s website is beautiful and remarkably easy to navigate. Kudos to their web design team for coming up with such an awesome layout. Overall, the website really sets you in the right mood for diamond jewelry shopping.
An intuitive and straightforward diamond search panel
The diamond search interface is easy to use and allows you to filter your choices based on different parameters. If you are familiar with the rest of the content on Beyond4Cs.com, you would know that I recommend using these functions to cherry pick diamonds.
As a guideline, you can also use these recommended proportions as filtering parameters if you are buying round diamonds. This will help you quickly weed out 90% of the badly cut diamonds.
One thing I love about Ritani’s interface is that they allow you to filter their inventory using a length-to-width parameter. Believe it or not, the majority of other vendors don’t offer such a feature! When it comes to buying fancy cut diamonds, this l/w parameter can instantly help you sort out diamonds based on the kind of outlook you are looking for.
It Isn’t All Fine And Dainty At Ritani
While some selected listings have HD videos incorporated, the majority of diamonds DO NOT have videos or even basic images. It’s a bummer. You should never base your purchasing decisions on a grading report alone because this is a very risky way to buy diamonds.
A generic computer generated image for their virtual inventory.
To be fair, Ritani.com is still a lot better than the majority of online retailers because they are willing to gather the additional information upon request. Though it’s inconvenient for a consumer to wait a couple of days, it still beats buying a diamond blind.
Now, Ritani has gotten many aspects of their website usability right. However, they apparently “forgot” to work on their video interface. The problem I have is that the diamond video interface isn’t intuitive and is difficult to use. Apart from choppy videos and slow loading times, it’s a hassle to rewind or forward the video when interacting with the diamond.
Don’t believe me? Test it out for yourself here and try pausing the video to examine the diamond at different angles.
Try controlling the video with a ridiculously tiny blue bar indicated by the red arrow.
Now, compare this user interface with James Allen’s videos. You’ll immediately notice a huge difference in the video rendering and also the ease of which you can drag and turn the diamond.
Straightforward and excellent interactive controls with James Allen’s video technology.
Ritani Reserve Diamonds Review
There’s a lot of hype about how awesome Ritani’s reserve diamonds are. These diamonds are supposedly the “cream of the crop” and have achieved the best cut grades possible issued by AGS/GIA. If you are interested, you can read up on their marketing sales pitch here.
It sure sounds impressive if you have zero knowledge about diamonds. However, once you start looking at the details and inspect the cut quality of the reserve diamonds in-depth, you will start to see it doesn’t live up to its hype.
In my opinion, Ritani’s standards for categorizing their “Reserve Diamonds” leaves a lot to be desired. I’ll explain why by using some random examples of diamonds from their inventory below…
A Disastrous Dug-Out Diamond in Ritani Signature Collection
You can view the diamond directly with this link and download the grading report directly here.
Well, let me tell you that I would classify this diamond as being scraped from the bottom of the barrel of AGS 000 diamonds. When rating a diamond as the “best of the best”, I expect every single aspect of the diamond’s cut to be the best.
Wait, I know are probably thinking: “Hey, isn’t an AGS000 supposed to be the best rating a diamond can receive for light performance and it guarantees the best optics?” Well, I’m sorry to say that this isn’t true. The problem here is that NOT all AGS000 or GIA triple excellent diamonds are made equal.
Now, I sent in a request for more details about the diamond and the Sarin scan actually estimated the diamond’s GIA cut grade to be “Fair”. Yes, you read that right. This AGS 000 didn’t even deserve an Excellent or Very Good cut grade at GIA because it will get severely penalized by its dug out girdle.
FYI: Digging is a weight retention technique employed by cutters to save weight on the rough stone. It also causes the optical characteristics of the diamond to be completely changed and results in an awkward scintillation pattern. In many scenarios, jewelers are able to get away by sending the diamond to AGS for grading because AGS doesn’t penalize the stone as heavily for girdle digging.
Source: Painting And Digging Out, GIA
What Should You Look For In A Ideal Cut Diamond Instead?
To show you an example of an extremely well-cut diamond, refer to this example from Whiteflash. This should be your benchmark for cut quality when shopping for “super ideal” diamonds. In contrast to Ritani’s diamonds, the WhiteFlash diamond is worlds apart in terms of cut precision and optical performance.
You can verify the details through the Idealscope, ASET and Hearts & Arrows scope images.
Wait, What About The AGS Lab Scintillation Report?
First of all, I want to go on the record saying that I love the AGS lab for their consistent grading standards and their ASET light performance evaluation report. There’s actually nothing much you can learn from the Scintillation report itself since the ASET from an AGS grading report offers more details about the diamond’s performance.
To sum it up, the AGS Scintillation report can be considered a marketing gimmick created as a sales tool for Ritani. In my opinion, it is just as “useful” as the overly inflated appraisal documents offered by other jewelry companies.
It’s Not A Fluke. There Are Many Other Examples In Ritani’s Reserve
What’s surprising is that I found even more examples of lower-tier AGS 000 stones within Ritani’s “top-of-the-line” reserve diamonds. If you always thought of Ritani’s diamonds as being tip-top, this revelation will shock you.
Diamond #2 – Yet Another Mediocre Stone
This diamond has an overly steep pavilion angle and dug out girdle. The ASET image shows a mediocre performance of the diamond. You can view the diamond at this link and download the grading report directly here.
Diamond #3 – High Crown And Leaky Diamond
This diamond has substantial light leakage under the table facet and will show up with less brilliance. This is evident in the ASET image as the area under the table appears dark. You can view this diamond here and download the grading report directly here.
Diamond #4 – Epic Fail GIA Diamond
You can view this diamond here and download the grading report directly here.
This GIA graded diamond in Ritani’s Reserve Collection is perhaps the worst of the lot. With a depth of 63.2%, this diamond faces up smaller for its weight and has achieved a cut grade of “Very Good”. Seriously, what were they thinking when selecting this diamond as part of their signature collection?
Now, I could go on and continue to list more examples here but I think you get the point.
Plowing Through The Entire Reserve Diamond Collection
Given Ritani’s reputation for delivering fine jewelry, I wanted to make sure I did a thorough review. In fact, I spent 2 hours looking through every single diamond in their reserve inventory (131 to be exact and I did the review during Dec 2014).
Sad to say, I only found one single diamond that met my selection criteria based on proportions and ASET data. To make things worse, this was a diamond that didn’t have video and image details in its listing.
You can click this link to view the listing at Ritani.com
Price Comparisons of Diamonds Against Their Competition
JamesAllen.com vs. Ritani.com
The James Allen TrueHearts 1.23 carat diamond costs $9,400 while the 1.21 Ritani Reserve costs $9,520.
WhiteFlash.com vs. Ritani.com
The White Flash Expert Selection 1.05 carat diamond costs $7,633 while the 1.02 Ritani Reserve costs $8,030.
In terms of pricing, I would say that Ritani’s diamond prices are fair and comparable to other online vendors. As you can see above, I had used diamonds with similar specifications of the 4Cs in the comparisons and the differences are not significant.
However, if you really think about it, Ritani’s diamonds can be considered slightly more expensive to James Allen and WhiteFlash because they are not cut to the same level of precision.
How to Shop For A Ritani Engagement Ring The Smart Way
Ritani is most well-known for their fantastic craftsmanship and setting designs. I fully agree with that view as I had seen Ritani’s settings in real life and the quality is outstanding. However, the problem with shopping for a diamond ring at Ritani.com lies in the cut quality of their Reserve diamonds.
You need to be extremely picky and know exactly what to look out for.
Luckily, there’s a way around this issue. You see, Ritani has partnerships with authorized dealers where you can purchase their setting for the same exact prices shown on Ritani.com. This means it isn’t compulsory to buy your diamond from Ritani.com for their setting. Coincidentally, one of my recommended vendors for super ideal cut diamonds, WhiteFlash, happens to be their authorized jeweler.
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39 Comments
Short Version: Customer service is beyond abysmal.
Long Version:
Problem 1: Ritani promised that the ring I purchased would be completed and shipped on certain day and then blew that schedule by 5 days. This was a huge problem because I was leaving the country to visit my Fiance, who was on a 4 month assignment in Europe, and propose. I got the ring on my way to the airport but it almost ruined the whole plan.
Problem 2: When getting the ring resized Ritani recommended that I go to one of their affiliate stores instead of sending it back. The affiliate store (in Dulles Town Center, Great DC metro area) just mailed it to Ritani anyway. When Ritani mailed the ring back the affiliate lost the ring, causing my fiance to have a near nervous breakdown. They eventually found it. How do you lose a $10k ring?
Problem 3: One of the small diamonds in the ring fell out shortly after resizing.
Problem 4: I sent the ring back to Ritani to have it repaired. They told me they would notify me when the ring was ready and ask me where I wanted it shipped. I never heard anything and emailed them. They said “oh, the ring shipped yesterday. Let us know if you don’t get it today.” 1. Where did you ship it? 2. What’s the tracking number? It turns out they shipped it to my apartment. Of course I’m not going to be there to pick it up because I have a job… Now I have to go out of my way to a big Fedex distribution center to get it.
This was the worst buying experience of my life. Like others, i had buyers remorse after buying thru Ritani. One of the stones was loose upon arrival, and I ended up having to go to my local jeweler to get it repaired. Ritani customer service was out on holiday and I had just a week left before leaving for my trip where I was planning to propose. When I was at a local jeweler, I learned I actually over-paid for my diamond by about 15%. I ended up spending another $650 to get my diamond re-set. Avoid Avoid Avoid!
Sorry to hear about your experience. You have to be careful about letting another jeweler reset or work on the diamond ring as it may void any warranties. Also, $650 does sound a little pricey for a re-set job.
I cannot speak to Ritani’s services for full rings. However, I was VERY pleased with their system for allowing a customer to buy a loose stone. I purchased my fiance’s center stone from Ritani a little over a year ago. It arrived promptly, and I was pleased to see that there really wasn’t a catch or some hidden expense or obligation. I had the absolute right to send it back, no questions asked.
Fortunately, I’d done my research well and the stone I selected was exquisite…..AND about HALF the price of comparable stones at physical retailers like Zales and Kay. The stone arrived with its GIA certifications so I felt comfortable knowing I was getting a quality diamond for the ABSOLUTE best price on the market. After I purchased the stone, I ended up working with the local retailer it was delivered to, to have my ring custom designed (which was actually not NEARLY as expensive as it sounds). Again, I can’t speak to their rings….but if you want to go my route by finding a stone and then searching for or designing a setting. Ritini is legit and hands down the way to go.
Hi Paul,
Thank you for all your emails. I read them with a lot of interest.
I found your very informative review about Ritani only in your search option window after inserting “Ritani”.
No headline about the Ritani Review in your Reviews menu. As a frequent reader If I don’t know, I wouldn’t have found your post.
Why haven’t you shifted your Ritani diamond review into your reviews menu? Is there a reason for it?
Best regards,
Torsten Kroeger
That has to do purely with website navigation and aesthetics. As you can see in our review section, there’s more than 20 different vendors we had reviewed. It’s simply impossible to list everyone and cramp them into the navigation panel without creating too much clutter.
History of a nightmare: Saturday I ordered a classic solitary (around 800 $) from Ritani website with a great help from a local jewelry employee. Is my first engagement ring so I needed to be sure that nothing can go wrong. The delivery date was the Wednesday and it was perfect because Thursday I will have to fly back to Italy. Purchasing done and I received the e-mail with the reference code and all the data. And until now all was fine, I was really happy, is a big step for me!
Monday I received an e-mail from RITANI there were some problems because of my italian credit card (Mastercard). I’ve bought many things (and with higher value) in US without a problem. The billing team said that they not accept foreign credit cards and I have to pay with a US credit card or a bank wire transfer. I answered to the e-mail asking why the credit card was accepted from the system? Of course if they have these “policies” they can write it in a note and anyway when they accept the online order the information that was a foreign credit card was already there. I wrote them that for me wasn’t a problem to do the bank transfer but I needed the bank details and only if they confirm the delivery date on Wednesday. No answer. They sent me another e-mail asking me how I want to proceed. I answered again… no answer. I’ve sent another e-mail today but after having wait a little bit I’ve decided to call RITANI. They never received/read my e-mail. I’ve told them that they can charge my credit card because I don’t need a preview but I want to buy the ring. They’ve said to me that was not possible for their “policy”. Of course now there is no time to do the bank transfer because they can process the order only when the money is officially on their account (it takes a couple of day usually).
I was looking forward to give the engagement ring during a perfectly planned holidays… but thanks to RITANI that will not happen!
The only positive thing is that I will give my money to a company that deserve it.
Hoping that you will not have these problems and at least they will read your e-mails!
Luca
Sorry to hear about your troubles. To be fair, most other online vendors don’t accept foreign credit cards as well. Admittedly, the speed at which they handled your case could have been prompt and they would have manage to retain you as a customer.
I’m curious what it is that makes Ritani’s “best quality” diamonds actually low quality? Is it that their cutting/polishing operation just isn’t that good? Or is it that the rough they’re sourcing isn’t good? Why is it that the stones end up being bad quality per your review? Thanks!
It’s how the cutters decide to polish the diamonds and the standards that they curate the “best diamonds” with. It is possible to find well cut diamonds but you need to know what you are doing and be prepared to put it a lot of effort to weed them out.
Now I’m worried. Just bought my first engagement ring from Ritani. Round brilliant, .90, H, VVS2, Excellent cut grade, polish, and symmetry. Faint fluorescence. The GIA report is a year old. Should I get it appraised when it gets here to see what the value is or just walk away at the preview. I have no idea what the proportion numbers mean and thought the GIA grading information was good enough information to go by.
It is possible to find well cut diamonds at Ritani if you employ the methodology of selecting diamonds here: https://beyond4cs.com/step-by-step-guide/
Very informative. Thank you Paul. My diamond scored over 5 on the HCA calculator. Now I’m second guessing my ritani diamond purchase. I was planning on proposing this weekend but I’m not sure what to do now.
Well, a 5 is definitely Not going to be a stone I would ever consider buying. It’s a little late to regret and change things with the proposal coming up so soon. You could propose with the current ring first and make plans to return it/change it to a better cut diamond after the proposal.
That sounds like the way to proceed although she’ll probably fall in love with it and won’t want me to replace it.
That’s fine. If she loves it, don’t brood over it. Enjoy the Ritani ring!
I requested more images for a couple diamonds that scored below 1. It would be great to see some aset and ideal scope pictures to see if they’re actually worth getting. I know from reading your work that I can do better than the current diamond I have. If they can’t provide more information then I’ll look at diamonds from the 2 companies you think highly of or stay with what I have.
Is it only possible to judge diamonds when they’re loose or can you get some idea of the cut quality after it’s been set?
You will definitely be able to see differences between really well cut diamonds and just decent stones. The brightness and sparkle factor will be pretty obvious.
I visited a local jeweler that said they didn’t have an ideal scope or aset. They did have a magnifying cylinder where you could look at the top and bottom of a loose diamond. It was only about 5 or 6 inches tall. She showed me what she said was a really good cut diamond and one that was so so. I could really see the 8 black arrows and their perfect alignment on one of the diamonds and was wondering if buying a diamond that looks good on this type of magnifying tool is good/ bad idea or is an ideal scope and aset device always needed to confirm the cut quality? I am also looking for a swirly and twisted shank ring design if that matters.
It’s extremely unlikely that the diamond is as well cut as you think it is.
https://beyond4cs.com/hearts-and-arrows/
Vendors who sell truly well cut diamonds will have the ASET/Idealscope tools in place instead of just the h&a scope. The reasons for doing this are pretty obvious. Very likely, once you see the data with your own eyes, you will start question why they look like that and flaws of mediocre diamonds will show up immediately.
If you are shopping for spiral or swirl diamond engagement rings, click on the link to see a list of designs I’ve put together as well as where they can be bought. It should offer some inspiration and creative ideas on what’s available.
Paul,
I’m glad I found this article. I’m about to buy a ring from Ritani in a few days. I did notice that I like James Allen better than Ritani but I’m buying a ring for about 10-12k and may upgrade to a different ring next summer. I like that Ritani’s upgrade is 1.5x and James Allen is more at 2x. In this aspect of comparing ritani vs james allen, the former comes up as the winner.
I don’t want to commit to a $20k ring during the upgrade. Budget is tight cause I just bought a new truck and also moved a lot of liquid cash into my trading account.
I would like to get something good now to propose and great next summer. Please advise.
Thank you
Also,
Which one is better to choose to sacrifice a bit the clarity or color?
I was going to go with VS1 and above for clarity and I and above for color.
If I drop one lower on either I can save a lot and get a great price on a loose diamond.
Please advise. I got a deadline of next Friday to propose so I need to order something in the next day or two.
I would say you should be able to go down to VS2 and stay eyeclean. That should shave about 10% off the diamond’s price. Let me know how things go with Ritani.
paul,
I need a bit of advise between ritani and brian gavin. I previous only search for diamond in ritani because the in store preview give me a lot of security over buying diamond online vs brick store. It lessen my pressure of obligation that my money is hold in other people hand , while I am not sure what I will get; and in case if I don’t like it, the trouble to return the diamond and the whole waiting for my money to be return. It is my anxiety.
I am looking for something 1.2-1.5 range, eye clean, got brilliant spark with S/VS florescence. Then I think shall I have gone with ritani reserve ideal diamond for the spark since I don’t go to nightclub and will barely going to see the florescence anyway. While I am juggling those idea, I read some article online for brian gavin signature blue, it get more question to my head.
1. does diamond with or without florescence perform better under regular white office light?
2. I am currently looking at below 3 diamond, they all sem to have a HCA score of lower than 2. which one do you think is the best buy for a budget around 9000 (diamond alone). i want one that will have the best spark and the white appearance (with florescene in consideration)
https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.233-h-vs2-round-diamond-ags-bl-104096091003
https://www.ritani.com/diamonds/round-diamond-1-24-Carat-H-color-AGSL-certified/D-9JMWQ7
https://www.ritani.com/diamonds/round-diamond-1-53-Carat-G-color-GIA-certified/D-5JF9YK
3. For stone that is SI1 and up, will it post risk in damage during setting if I plan to get the setting from local jeweler?
since I only own two low quality diamond, I am one of those average consumer whom cannot really tell much on diamond. but I hope you can shred some light on how to balance the carat size vs max spark for me.
previous own stone:
1) GIA triple good, I, SI1, 1.55cart
2) no cert, very dull, possibly I2
1) No it doesn’t. Cut quality would really matter as brightness is predominantly the characteristic your eyes see in a diffused lighting environment.
2) If you want a better cut diamond that faces up whiter in many commonly found lighting conditions, I would recommend this diamond: https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.233-h-vs2-round-diamond-ags-bl-104096091003
The stone is top notch.
3) When you see a truly well cut diamond like the Brian Gavin diamond above, you will easily tell differences between a diamond with exceptional cut quality and one that is just well cut. The SI1 clarity is of no consequence for durability. Cut is.
For me, it’s very easy. I place cut quality as the utmost priority. Once I have clarity (eyeclean will do) and color selected (personal preference), I will go as large as my budget would allow me in carat size. It’s that straightforward.
Paul,
thanks for your advise, I expand the search a bit with higher budget and comes across a 2nd brian blue diamond, can you compare both
https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.320-f-si1-round-diamond-ags-bl-104095888001
new diamond
https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.233-h-vs2-round-diamond-ags-bl-104096091003
same one you recommend above
1. will that vs floresence make that F color appear more white (e or d) or do you think it just gonna add a blue hue to it?
2. since they said brian check it to be eye clean, I guess that center inclusion on 1.32 ct is really not going to matter once it hit the light right?
1) No it won’t. The blue hue is not going to be seen unless you are in specific lighting conditions like strong UV light. In typical environments like an open sun in the afternoon, you won’t see a blue hue as the UV from the light is not strong enough to trigger the effect compared to one in a specialized UV light box that labs use for grading. I hope I make sense here.
2) The stone is eyeclean. Even in a diffused lighting setting (i.e. office lights) where inclusions are most likely to be seen, I would say that it is extremely difficult for the unaided eye to see the inclusions. So, yes. This diamond is eyeclean.
Paul,
which one will you said best out of the 2 ?
https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.320-f-si1-round-diamond-ags-bl-104095888001 would be the better buy. It offers better value for money and the small price increase is well worth it for the size and color upgrade.
Paul,
it is sad to said someone seem to beat me to that 1.32 F diamond. It seem to be gone from the page already. I did not even have a chance to talk to my husband about my diamond finding. Now it gets my mood really down.
It happens all the time. If you need time to think or procrastinate, it would be in your best interest to put a diamond on hold.
My fiance’ purchased my engagement ring from your Ritani a few years ago. Today I contacted Ritani chat now to try to upgrade my diamond due to discoloration and cloudiness, as I thought a man picked this diamond he did not know how to choose. I have been saving the money to upgrade the diamond for a year now. When I contacted the chat and told the ladywhy I wanted to change out the diamond she told me that My diamond should not be yellow or cloudy because what we paid for was a F color diamond with a VVSI clarity. She said that an F color diamond has No visible color and can only be told apart from D or E grades by a gemologist and that VVSI meant that the diamond had very minimal and probably not visible to the naked eye inclusions. I am now really upset because neither of these things is the case with this diamond. Did we get scammed buying a diamond over the internet? This diamond is indeed yellow in color and cloudy Tiffany also told me in order to upgrade I would have to F, or IF clarity and D or E color now. I don’t know what to do at this point and am very saddened by all this as is my Fiance who now feels like we were taken advantage of.
What the service staff said is true. There is absolutely no reason for the diamond to be discolored or become cloudy. Diamonds are inert and will not change with respect to the environment. It sounds like you have a dirty engagement ring. Get it cleaned.
On the other hand, the Tiffany staff is outright misleading and has poor knowledge. The things that they say are outright rubbish and this is a consistent observation I noticed with salespeople.
Hi Paul, thanks for the quick reply on another post .As you see, I’m still searching online for diamond stud earrings and your review about ritani came up. Before doing any research, I was going to buy a pair at tiffany since my engagement ring is from them and its so bright and beautiful. However, I could use the savings by purchasing them online. I visited Zales to take advantage of their trade in/upgrade policy. The best diamond they have is called diamond select. Upon searching online for similar quality, Zales is overpriced. So bottom line, which online company do you recommend above all the rest?
The searching is wearing me out…. My last resort is to visit the diamond district on 47th street. But I’m afraid of the vultures..
Zales is pricey because of brand premiums. I personally don’t think their diamond quality (especially in terms of cut) is of the highest standards.
The diamond district is a shopper’s trap: https://beyond4cs.com/reviews/nyc-diamond-district/
This is an updated list of vendors I would recommend: https://beyond4cs.com/best-place-to-buy-engagement-ring/
I have a concern, my boyfriend ordered an engagement ring that was customized. And I understand that customized rings are non-refundable. But let’s say, he made an impulsive mistake that caused him to return the ring (knowing it was nonrefundable), is he able to get the ring back? Because to my knowledge, he returned it, and so now he gave up his rights to the property, but he still has to pay for it?
Where did he ordered the ring from? Different vendors have different policies on their refund practices. While a customized setting is non-refundable, I think the center stone can be refunded in its cost. If he bought the ring from chain stores or a brick and mortar store, chances are really slim as these businesses have sucky practices.
If he ordered online and from those stores that I frequently mention here, there would likely be some recourse available. And this is a reason why I always say that the choice of vendor is important.
BAIT and SWITCH
Purchased a loose round diamond, the order goes through and they charge my card. Less than 24 hours later they send me an email stating the vendor no longer has this stone available (even though it was still listed on their website). They said the only stones they have available with the same specifications will cost me more than double my original purchase price.
This is a classic Bait and Switch, STAY AWAY from this company.