The Beautiful Ring

After 2 weeks of waiting, the proposal ring is finally ready! Yesterday, I made my way down to The Canary after attending DT’s housewarming. I was pretty excited but abit afraid at the same time, worrying that it may not turn out as good as I have hoped to be. The feeling of waiting for them to bring me the ring is almost the same as waiting for the doctor to fetch me my medical report after a health screening.

It looks brilliant! I heaved a sigh of relief. It turned out exactly how I have imagined, perfect. After the setting, the diamond does not look that small afterall hah. In fact, I think the size is really just nice, as it is not overly big (sometimes, a big diamond may not look too good on the finger) and not too small. I was really very satisfied with the final product hah. And the diamond looks great, bright and shiny. They then brought out the 40x magnifying scope to show me the serial number of the diamond again, to ensure that it is still the same diamond.

Beautiful

The final price I got was less than the initial price quoted, a pleasant surprise for me. It was packaged in their ring box but the cherry wood box I got from whiteflash.com looks much better hah. Before leaving the shop, they said “Congrats! And we hope you will be back for the wedding bands.”

Yes, The Canary will definitely be one of my top choices.

 

Ring Setting In Progress

Last week, supposed to have an appointment with Vivo Diamonds to enquire about ring setting. However, it had to be cancelled as I could not get off work in time. It was rescheduled to the next day but I failed to make it again. Maybe it is all fated hah. I thus decided to have my diamond set at The Canary instead, the very first jeweller I checked out and was pleased with.

Finally on yesterday, I drove to The Canary at Orchard Delphi with my diamond and the AGS certificate.

The Canary at Orchard Delphi

I told Alson (the sales representative who served me when I first visited) the design that I wanted – the 6-prong classic Tiffany style. He then brought out the 40x scope to show me the laser inscription of the AGS serial number on the girdle. He will show me this again when I collect the ring. This is to make sure the diamond is not swopped.

He then asked for the ring size and I produced a sketch of a ring outline hah. I managed to get hold of her ring at her house (while she was showering) and use a pencil to trace the inner circumference of it. This is the size of her middle finger and after comparing against a chart of ring sizes by Alson, it was determined to be a size 7. As it was abit loose on her middle finger, and the ring finger is usually smaller, we decided that a size 6 should be good. Anyway, the first resizing is free hah. I just hope that it will be big enough to slip onto her finger!

I paid a deposit of $100 and all was done. The ring will be completed in approximately 2 weeks!

 

The Quest for Ring Setting

After work today, I went to 2 jewellers that forummers have positive feedback about – The Canary Diamond Company (Delphi Orchard #01-12) and House of Hung Jewellers (Far East Shopping Centre #01-23). I have also made an appointment for next Monday with Vivo Diamonds. Unlike the above-mentioned 2, Vivo Diamonds does not have a proper shop front. It mainly deals online, though it has a showroom at Far East Shopping Centre #12-08. Of course, there are other jewellers that forummers recommend, such as Fairy’s Inc Diamonds, Richard Hung Jewellers and Yuen Tung (Wah Kee) Gems and Jewellery. However, I do not have the time to drop by all as most of the them close pretty early.

Anyway, after a chat with both The Canary and House of Hung, I am more or less decided on the design – the classic 6-prong Tiffany style setting. It looks good! Simple yet classy. Both unanimously recommended classic solitaire design instead of one with side diamonds. One reason is because it is timeless. Another reason is that it will go better with an eternity or diamond wedding band if she decides to wear both on the same finger. And both also recommended me to go for 18K white gold as it is not worth it to go for platinum since its only advantage is that it will remain white. 18K white gold beats it hands down in terms of price (more than 2 times cheaper), resistance to scratches, and ease of resizing. Both quoted me exactly the same price and offered me one time free resizing.

Personally, I prefer The Canary, mainly because of its more glitzy shop front hah (OK I am superficial). And also that the guy who served me seemed knowlegeable and honest in his dealing. However, I will decide only after Monday’s appointment with Vivo Diamonds. I will be bringing the rock down and will get it set on that day at either The Canary or Vivo Diamonds. The setting takes about 2 weeks and I am so looking forward to it hah!

 

From Diamond to Diamond Ring

It’s about time to get the diamond set into a ring. Again, I relied heavily on forums to find out from people (who have experienced the whole proposal ring headache) which jewellers are credible and reputable to do the setting. I have also gone to several large jewellery chains to enquire, but many of them do not have such service for diamonds not bought from their shops. Lee Hwa is the only one I came across that provides this service. However, the price quoted seems abit too high (for just very simple, classic designs), designs are very limited and the waiting time is way to long (2 to 3 months to set a diamond? come on.). Hence, probably will go to one of those private jewellers recommended by forummers.

I have been considering between the classic solitaire ring design, or the more elaborated setting with side diamonds. I am more inclined towards the former though, for its simplicity and timeless appeal. Also, without the side diamonds, the focus will be on the only diamond, and it may seem bigger than it really is hah. Browsing through the different designs from various sources online, the classic 6-prong Tiffany style setting appealed to me most.

Classic 6-prong Tiffany style

There are also platinum or 18K white gold to choose from. Both have its good and bad. Platinum is more expensive, looks whiter, may be more prone to scratches, and is more difficult to resize. As for white gold, it may turn abit yellowish with time, and will need replating to become white. Some people may also be allergic to it due to alloy metals being used. But it is cheaper and easier to resize. I have not really decided which to go for, probably will discuss with the jeweller and also have to consider my budget.

With only about 2 months left to the big day, I really need to get the diamond set soon. I guess I have to take a day off some time next week or so and get it settled hah.

 

The Package Arrived

Have been looking forward to the package the whole day! I was told that it will be delivered from 3-5pm, but at 5.30pm there was still no sign of it arriving. I thus called Fedex to check. And shortly after, the Fedex delivery guy called to say the package is here. Finally! And I realised it was written on the package “To deliver before 6pm”. Oh well.

 

Anyway, it was a huge box! Luckily I brought a carrier that is big enough for it hah. Could not wait to reach home soon to open it.

The big box

Inside the big box, there is a medium box.

The medium box

And within the medium box, there is a padded envelope. Experiencing the thrill of opening a present hah.

The padded envelope

And finally, I reached the contents of the package. There is a diamond toolkit which contains a WF viewer, a diamond tweezer and a piece of cloth.

The diamond toolkit

There is a folder which contains the original (and a duplicate) AGS certificate, a verfication report by an independent appraiser as well as the invoice.

The folder

There is also a cherry wood ringbox, which I requested for in place of a diamond box (loose diamond is usually being packaged in a diamond box and you will only get a ringbox if you purchase a ring). It was good that they are flexible to do a switch hah.

The ringbox

I wonder where is the diamond! I then found it wrapped and stashed at the cover of the toolkit box. It certainly looks brilliant and beautiful. But I thought it looks abit too small hah. Hopefully after it is set, it will look bigger!

The 0.724 Carat

I am generally very delighted with the purchase. The whole experience was smooth and a breeze. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who ask for my opinion! I wrote a thank you email to Traci for the whole effortless and pleasant diamond-buying experience. One task down!

 

Package Safely in Singapore

So I was wrong. Fedex managed to deliver the package on time afterall, at 11.52am to be exact. However, there was no one at home to sign and receive the package. Hence it was being sent back to the Fedex facility in Pasir Panjang. I could either self-collect it there or they will attempt to deliver again the next day. But since there will not be anyone at home again tomorrow in the afternoon, I called them to arrange for delivery to my office instead.

So yup, tomorrow I will be expecting the much-awaited package from 3-5pm!

 

Shipment Tracking

As promised, once they received the funds I have transferred via wire, they arranged for the shipment of the package. An email was sent to me to confirm the receipt of funds and a few hours later, another email was sent to inform me that the package has been shipped via Fedex. I was also given the tracking number to track the shipment.

As of now (22 May 7.40pm), I can see that the package is now in transit. It departed the Fedex location in Anchorage early this morning.

Fedex shipment tracking

The package is expected to be delivered by tomorrow 12pm. I wonder if that is possible as from the news flash on Fedex website, there was apparently some slight delay in Memphis hub due to thunderstorms. But well, since I am not in hurry to receive the package, I am totally fine with it.

Very excited and cannot wait to receive this package!

 

Money Out

A couple of hours after confirming my order, I received the order confirmation email.

Order confirmation

Next step is to arrange for wire transfer. This is something I have not done before. So just now during lunch break I headed down to DBS to find out more. I was told it is a transaction that can be done through ibanking and there is a handling fee of about S$20 – S$30. But it is OK as whiteflash.com actually gives a 5% discount for wire transfer. So in fact I saved much more hah. However, too bad they do not accept credit card, if not I could have earned so many points! This got to be my single largest purchase in my 25 years of life!

Anyway, the wire transfer is now completed. It can be done easily online and within minutes, it is all set. Once whiteflash.com received the funds, they will ship out the package via Fedex. Looking forward!

 

It is Confirmed!

After another brief chat with Traci, the sales representative (or what they call diamond consultant) from whiteflash.com (this is my 3rd correspondence with her already hah), I finally confirmed to get candidate 1! I hope I have made a great decision. Traci reassured me that it is a beautiful diamond!

Buying from whiteflash.com is a breeze and the sales representatives are very professional and helpful. They give good advice as well to help you choose the best diamond within your budget! But of course, it is still too early to judge since I have not receieved the diamond yet. But I certainly hope things will go smooth and well!

 

Shortlisted Candidates

I spent many nights browsing through online diamond retailers. In the end, I found 2 rocks that I like a lot on whiteflash.com. Introducing the below 2 candidates:

Candidate 1: 0.724 Carat, F Colour, VS2 Clarity, Whiteflash ACA (A Cut Above) Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut

” Our “Whiteflash A Cut Above” ® (ACA) Hearts and Arrows brand is arguably the finest round ideal cut diamond in the world. To achieve ACA Hearts and Arrows status the diamond must be certified as an AGS Ideal, specifications must fall within a narrow subset of AGS ideal parameters, and the diamond must also pass stringent light performance image testing. These images are available for each ACA on our website, clearly demonstrating the superior craftsmanship, fire and brilliance of these elite diamonds. Whiteflash ACA is the most “Visually Balanced in the World” ® ” 

Candidate 1

Candidate 2: 0.717 Carat, F Colour, VS1 Clarity, Whiteflash ACA (A Cut Above) Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut

Candidate 2

Both are brilliant diamonds (Cut grade: AGS Ideal 0 for light performance, polish and symmetry) and the price difference is very slight. Another difference is in clarity where candidate 1 is VS2, a grade lower than the VS1 of candidate 2. Finally, candidate 1 has HCA score of 1.5 while candidate 2 has HCA score of 1.4.

” The Holloway Cut Adviser (HCA) estimates a round diamonds appeal based on its potential Light Return, Fire, Scintillation and Spread. A score below 2 (Excellent) means you have eliminated known poor performers (more than 95% of all diamonds). HCA gets no info on symmetry, polish and minor facets; use it only to reject likely bad performing diamonds to narrow down your final selection. “

Personally, I am more inclined towards candidate 1 due to its slightly bigger size hah. I believe she cannot notice the difference in clarity and HCA score. But, a slightly bigger carat size may make her smile a bit more I guess hah.

However, I am kind of worried 0.724 Carat is not big enough for her big hand (oops!).  And so I was considering a close to 0.80 carat diamond instead. However, choosing that would mean I have to compromise on the cut (with my budget, it is not that possible to get an ACA diamond that is 0.80 carat). But I was assured by some friends who I asked, and who confirmed that 0.70 should be a good enough size. Hence, I decided that I will sacrifice the carat for a much better cut, which makes it a more brilliant diamond.

Probably will make the purchase later, before it is gone hah. So exciting!

 

The Bling Bling Headache

A diamond ring is a must for wedding proposal, and hence that is the first thing I need to settle. In the past 2 weeks, I have been pouring over loads of forums and relevant websites to understand more about the rocks that all girls love. There are countless resources available freely online and forums (such as hardwarezone) are a great source of information as well. Some good sites include: proposalring.com, thediamonddictionary, Holloway Cut Advisor on ideal-scope.com, pricescope.com (it has very good forums too), bluenile.com, whiteflash.com, among others.

So after some crash course, I have learnt somthing about the 4Cs of diamond – Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat. To me, the cut of the diamond is the most important as it largely determines the brillance (the white light brilliance, its brightness and contrast), fire (the coloured light that comes from the diamond) and scintillation (the sparkle caused by the movement of the diamond or the viewer) of the diamond. In essence, the cut determines how bling bling the diamond is. I would not go for anything less than a triple ideal on AGS (or a triple excellent on GIA). The carat comes second for me as it directly affects the size of the rock, which is visible to naked eyes. I am looking for something like 0.70-0.80 carat, big enough to look good, but not that big to cost a big hole in my pocket hah. Colour is best to be as colourless as possible. Who wants a yellowish diamond for proposal? Pure colourless like D, E, F are good, but not necessary. G colour will be good for me. And finally, clarity is something which I believe can be compromised, though the least I would accept personally is a VS2 – which means it takes some efforts to see the inclusions under 10x magnification. To me, as long as it is eye-clean, it is good enough.

Oh and a very important 5th C is Cost hah. Some people say a proposal ring should cost the man 2x his monthly salary. Some say 3x. Some say need not spend too much, especially if the girl is not very into diamonds and cannot tell a D colour from a G colour, a VVS1 from a VS2. To me, I would think that the money can be better spent somewhere like a nice vacation. But having said that, I wouldnt stinge too much on something as important as a diamond ring. I am prepared to spend more than one month of my salary (which is equivalent to approximately 6 months of my cash savings) on it.

Beyond the 5Cs, there are many other details to look out for in a diamond. Stuff like fluorescence, girdle thickness, Holloway Cut Advisor (HCA) score, the ideal scope image, ASET image, and more. Apparently, to pick a perfect diamond is very challenging. A great diamond is hard to come by, but I think we need not be overly-obsessed with the technicalities of the diamond. As long as it brings sparkle to the eyes of the girl and touches her heart, it has fulfilled its role and that is all it matters.

After knowing some basics of diamond, the next big question is – where should I get my diamond? In the past 2 weeks, I visited some of the major jewellery chain stores like Lee Hwa, Goldheart, Soo Kee and Meyson. I didnt bother to venture into Tiffany and Co. as I know that is way out of my budget hah. The diamonds I saw that were within my budget were not too spectacular. And doing a quick calculation on ideal-scope.com, some HCA scores were as bad as 5 (ideally, HCA score should be less than 2)! The diamonds seem too expensive for their quality and grade. It is obvious that the mark-ups were too much. But that is understandable, as the cost of store rental, marketing/advertising, sales etc are being passed on to the consumers.

After reading the forums and asking around, buying diamond online from reputatable and credible websites or going to a private jeweller seems like popular choices these days. Personally, I know of a colleague who bought his diamond ring from bluenile.com and was deeply pleased and satisfied (so were his wife-to-be ha). I also have friends who swear by private jewellers for the fact that it is more value-of-money and that designs can be customised. Of course, I want a big bang with my bucks. And hence I eliminate the large jewellery chains (despite having a friend working at Lee Hwa who can get me 50% staff discount).

From the forums, I read many rave reviews of online diamond retailers (reputable ones include bluenile.com, whiteflash.com, goodoldgold.com and jamesellen.com) from users who have bought their diamonds from them before. In fact, I have not seen any negative comments about online purchase. Bluenile.com is even listed on NYSE and has appeared on numerous business publications. Advantages of buying diamond online include much much more value for money, a much bigger pool of diamonds available for selection, excellent client service and support, as well as fuss-free process. I was tempted indeed. But I have reservations about making such a big purchase online, and also the fact that I cannot see and touch the diamond before buying.

However, rave reviews from forumers and a personal friend, their 30-day money back guarantee, the fact that all diamonds come with a AGS or GIA certificate, and my very pleasant interaction via chat with their service representatives put down my worries. I am confident buying diamond online is the way to go.