Once the sales attendant knew about our intentions to buy an engagement ring, we were quickly ushered into a “private” room where we could comfortably sit, sip a cup of coffee and had the selections brought over from the showroom for our viewing. You can read this article I wrote on this topic for more details. I am about to pull the trigger on a Harry Winston 2 carat ring but would LOVE your opinion on it before I buy it. G color, VS2 clarity). Well, it’s probably OK if the ring is a little loose as you can still slip it on the lady’s finger during the proposal. I prefer same size or higher from my old one. I’m sorry… Did you just shoot yourself in the foot? Could you guess what the Cartier’s sales staff reply was? The display of products in feed mode is active. Given the limited selections available, I’m very sure there are many other customers who face the same problem we had encountered. You might want to get her friends/family members to help out here. Includes box. Cartier London boutiques are temporarily closed but remain available for home delivery and virtual appointments. Now, did you remember we were told that Cartier employs “specialists” to select diamonds from their suppliers? $162.25. In contrast, the 2-3 hours of shopping experience at Cartier will only slowly fade over time. In terms of value, I would say that diamonds don’t hold value well regardless of where you buy them from. For non-famous pieces of branded jewelry, I would say that most pre-owned jewerly shouldn’t cost more than half its original price. You need to understand that every single GIA “Very Good” cut grade diamond receive the particular rating for some reason/s in cut deficiency. For the kind of ridiculous premium Cartier is charging you for their jewelry, one would expect only the top tier GIA triple excellent diamonds to be used. Since we were looking for a simple and classy ring setting design, the signature Cartier 1895 setting was the most obvious and safest choice. Clearly, the sales staff has no idea how diamonds are graded at GIA because I did questioned him whether he knew about the GIA’s grading procedures. However, Cartier seems to think otherwise and have no qualms about doing so. Trinity ring, small model: Trinity ring, small model, 18K white gold, 18K rose gold, 18K yellow gold. For example, plain solitaire settings like 1895 or Cartier d’Amour solitaire can have more leeway in size alterations. Some jewelers claim that they don’t negotiate, but I have heard that Cartier does. With these kinds of standards, it’s no surprise you probably won’t find exceptionally well-cut diamonds at Cartier. doesn’t necessarily means that it is of better quality, GIA Cut Grade Estimation Tables for Standard Round Brilliant Cut Diamonds, http://diamondcut.gia.edu/pdfs/Estimating-a-cut-grade-booklet.pdf, http://www.diamondcut.gia.edu/pdf/cut_fall2004.pdf, make use of the ASET reference charts here. As someone who had help thousands of readers around the world buy diamond rings online, I have absolutely no problems in helping people cherry pick the best possible diamond for any given budget. Any references ? To get a quote for your diamond ring and to sell it, go over to this page here. The three interlaced and mobile bands, open for interpretation by the wearer, are the timeless inspiration behind an iconic collection, a symbol of style and elegance. I believe they said free polishing for wedding band but my hubby went with a Tiffany band so wont be using that service. During our visit to the store, we were recommended a GIA Very Good cut grade diamond by the sales staff and this diamond was based in Paris. Get in touch with me via the contact page! I would have to give credit to the sales staff for his convincing sales presentation. To me, this is a huge red flag and something you need to beware of especially if you are buying a Cartier engagement ring with small sized solitaire diamonds (e.g. I wish I lived near a Harry Winston so I can see how their service is. At Cartier, the minimum diamond clarity you will find is VS2 and the minimum color available is H. In some ways, the pre-filtered criteria are quite similar to Tiffany & Co’s and other high end boutiques like Harry Winston. At the 4K-6k price range you are better off going to diamond district or zales. It may vary depending on the country you are in. The ring has inspired the full Trinity collection, a timeless testament to life's most memorable loves. We ended up paying an additional premium for a VVS1 clarity and purchased a diamond smaller than 0.50 carats. One of the most incredible things about the Trinity ring is that it remains utterly contemporary. any additional information beyond a grading report. Can You Tell The Differences Between the Color Grades? You can also make use of the ASET reference charts here for comparison. I am looking for a ring with lots of smaller diamonds by the sides. It depends on how much sparkle you expect to get from a diamond. In total, shopping for a super-ideal princess cut diamond at WhiteFlash.com would cost you only $3,262 ($1,824 + $1,438). Here’s another Cartier diamond ring listing on the secondary market and I am using it purely as an educational example of the kind of quality you may expect to find: Without the need to see this diamond in person, I can immediately identify a huge number of issues based on the diamond’s grading report. Feel free to click the images below for more details about the listings. If branding is important to you, I suggest you stick with Cartier or Tiffany given that they are recognized for branding. They were also the pioneers of using platinum in jewelry and made it one of the most popular material choices in present day. My wife’s happy because I can get her more jewelry (with better quality) for the cost of getting one at Cartier. While these are properties that are “rarer” in nature, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are more beautiful. Representative ASET image of round diamond we bought. Hello, Plus I wanted something that shined every angle ;) The experience was great. Nevertheless happy wife is a happy life? Besides the Solitaire 1895 you reviewed, what about the other engagement ring designs like the Cartier Destinée, Cartier d’Amour, Trinity Ruban, Ballerine, C de Cartier and Honeymoon designs? Will I loose a lot of value by resetting it at an independent jewelers in a similar style vs going back to Cartier to change the setting? For more details about ASET images, click this link. The plan was to maximize the diamond’s carat weight (>0.5 carats) without a strong emphasis on high color and clarity ratings. As long as the diamond faces up white and is eye-clean, that’s what really matters to my friend (i.e. Tiffany, Harry Winston), you are definitely going to pay a lot more because of the branding and it really depends on what the name is worth to you. I had sat through similar sales presentations countless of times and I know better than to blindly believe whatever a sales person says. Sure. When Do You Start Noticing Size Differences? Like any other premium jewelry brands (e.g. If someone is simply looking for a diamond ring for practical reasons or looking for a stone with top of the line optics, branding would probably not be able provide a tangible aspect to what they need. 5) Polish rating is only Very Good. Replies 25 Views 1K. Also, there is a separate desktop lamp with white fluorescent lighting that can be used for jewelry inspection. The fact that the sales staff had the audacity to say Cartier’s diamond quality is consistent and among the best in the industry while trying to sell us a “Very Good” cut diamond makes me infuriated. In this particular scenario, my friend is pretty set on a Cartier ring and he understands that Cartier is going to impose a huge premium on their jewelry pricing. I had seen it happened on multiple occasions where people make impulsive purchases only to realize they bought a diamond with poor cut standards. Samie Collection 3 Band Interlocked Trinity Russian Rolling Ring Wedding Band for Women in 18K Tri Color Gold Plating, 3mm, Size 5-10 3.0 out of 5 stars 1 $31.98 $ 31 . Here’s the latest fancy yellow diamond ring I bought for her! We were told that Cartier has such “high standards” and “selection criteria” for their diamonds that the majority of diamonds from their suppliers are rejected and only the “best” gets picked. Otherwise there would be no brands, nor any sustainable business. Inside the private room, the sales staff started off by showing us a few Cartier engagement rings with different carat sizes and begins preaching about Cartier’s diamond quality. So, you will see the variations in diamond quality for these rings as well and the quality isn’t necessarily better or worse. Anyways, if you are thinking of shopping at a Cartier boutique store, do make use of the “private” room even if it’s just for the coffee. If brand and prestige did matter, which jewelry house would say offers the best value? As a testament to this, there were only 2 possible diamond choices within the Cartier’s Set For You program based on our own experience. Granted, Cartier offers free ring resizing within 3 months of your purchase but you need to bear in mind that ring resizing requires 10-15 working days. Great article glad I read it before I went to the boutique. Let’s take a look at what happens when the table size is 63.0%. Thereafter, they use a piece of pre-moulded wax seal and simply stick it over the hot wax. This was an insightful post but I just wanted to say that I used the Cartier “Set for you” and my salesperson was able to pull the diamond I wanted within a week for me to look at personally before purchasing. Trinity rings . Before I continue with the review on Cartier, I want you to be fully aware that I’m a person who couldn’t care less about branding when buying jewelry. In our case, my friend needed a diamond ring urgently because he was flying off to Australia in a week’s time and had made plans to propose during the trip. Add to Cart. However, when it comes to the crunch, it is the quality of the product that really matters and whether their diamonds are truly well-cut. I don’t know whose to blame on this but i may say that lee hwa ring although the diamond is good but the ring itself is not that sturdy to hold the big diamond. Trinity ring, small model, 18K rose gold. Check out this screenshot captured directly off their website. We did get the Cartier card, so not sure if that matters or not and we are located in the US. It’s a ring that has three intertwined bands in yellow, white and pink gold.See these famous versions of trinity jewellery over the years: Trinity … This levels the playing field and allows you to critically review diamonds for their light performances. The ring has inspired the full Trinity collection, a timeless testament to life's most memorable loves. Once you start looking carefully into how Cartier selects their diamonds, you will realize that their marketing pitch may not be in-line with their actual practices. The proportions aren’t fantastic and the diamond runs a heightened risk of chipping due to its “Very Thin” girdle. Width: 2.8mm. For example, if a GIA “Very Good” diamond is polished to excellent proportions and receives a rating of excellent for both polish and symmetry, this means the diamond FAILED the visual inspection tests for brightness, fire and scintillation for an excellent rating during the grading process. This has been a lot to take in, but well worth the time. You will end up in a Honda. Cartier does a decent job in craftsmanship and I put them on the same level as many of the better online retailers here: https://beyond4cs.com/best-place-to-buy-engagement-ring/. On the other hand, if the ring is too tight and can’t be fitted onto her finger, wouldn’t this cause some awkwardness when a guy is down on his knees? For beginners who find it difficult to discern cut differences in glaring spot lightings of jewelry stores, I recommend using an ASET or Idealscope. As someone who is trained at GIA, I’m familiar with the technical aspects of cut and can tell you flat out that a diamond with GIA “Very Good” cut is mediocre. For the record, there is no lack of top-tier GIA excellent cut diamonds available in the market today. However, when shopping at Cartier, the available options would probably boil down to a measly 2-3 diamond options if you are super lucky. I bought a Cartier watch for my husband's 40th birthday: the Santos Dumont Blue LARGE for $ 3,900.00 through a Chicago … While Cartier claims that this is a criteria on their website but I’m glad it wasn’t enforced. You probably knew that Cartier is going to charge you an arm and leg because of their branding. Would you say Cartier settings are of a high quality? What immediately came to my mind was the vintage looking wax seals that were hand-stamped in the olden days. https://beyond4cs.com/truth-about-gia-triple-excellent-diamonds/. Obviously, he couldn’t afford the ridiculously long waiting time for the ring to be resized if it was needed. There’s absolutely no reason to start selecting diamonds from the “Very Good” cut grade tier if you are really looking for quality. It is an unusual movable ring composed of three interlinked bands in yellow, white and pink gold. If you didn’t know yet, Cartier is famous for their well-designed watches and fine jewelry collections. Your considerations about proportions are interesting and I didnt really look at angles or anything like that which now makes me feel a little bit worried. WHAT!!?? When my friend first told me about his budget of $6k, I estimated he could get a super ideal cut F/G color diamond between 0.60-0.70 carats if he shops for an unbranded diamond. How much does a cartier engagement ring cost if it were on a second hand market? Here’s a screenshot of the email to show you what I was quoted with. Anyways, an overly thick girdle will cause the diamond to face up smaller. B. On a last note, I would love to hear your thoughts about buying diamond jewelry from branded establishments. © Copyright 2021, Beyond4Cs.com, Cartier Diamond Rings Review – Good But Not Great, Our Pre-Set Criteria And Budget For The Proposal Ring, My Full Review of the Cartier Shopping Experience Begins Here…, Problems With Shopping At Cartier – Limited Diamond Choices, More Problems With Shopping At Cartier – Ring Size Constraints, Set For You By Cartier Service = Buy Blind Online. Based on our budget of $6,000, the sales staff showed us 3 diamond rings with the following center diamonds: 0.30 D color VVS1, 0.42 E color VVS2 and a 0.46 G color VVS1 (most expensive and slightly over our budget). I loved your article, it really is a ‘refreshing gem’. One being a G color 0.50+ carat “Very Good” cut diamond and the other, having similar specifications to the G color VVS1 0.46 carat diamond that was already in-store. With limited selection choices, we also had to compromise on our initial specifications. Go back to Cartier if branding and prestige is something you are willing to pay for. Besides round diamonds, I also did an inquiry into princess cut diamonds to see if the absurd margins were similar across the board. You didn’t discuss much about the quality of the settings. To be honest, if I was someone with zero knowledge about diamonds, he would probably be able to convince me that Cartier’s diamonds are the best in the world.