Should I purchase a ring and diamond separately?

Get the diamond separate to get the diamond that you really want. Most jewelry stores carry medium to low grade gems only. Buy your diamond separate if you want better quality; that's what my husband did and I have a flawless diamond. When I get it cleaned at the jewelry store, the jewelers always oohh, aahh over it and they ALWAYS come out to ask me where did I get it. Good luck

I did (last summer) what you are wanting to do. Find an "independent" jewelry store, NOT one of the big chain stores (eg, Zales, Jareds, Kay, etc.) He ordered a small batch of 5 loose stones for me to choose from. Then, he showed me what he had in stock for rings, PLUS a massive catalogue of rings. Take a picture of the ring you're looking for. A good jeweler will find it. I saved about $1400 -- $1500 this way. Advice: In choosing a stone, look for cut and color above clarity. IT'S A F--KING ROCK. So what if it has a "minor" flaw. Seriously. Especially when you're looking at stones over 1 carat weight. Have fun shopping!!

When they didn't have anything for me, I went to a ring show. They had a special event come where they had over 4 million in diamonds and over 50,000 settings. Look at a big event like that. If you still didn't see the right one, they should arrange something for you. We bought the diamond and the jeweler contacted a gold smith to do it for us. I wanted the prongs to have the look of one setting but diamonds on the side like another setting. They contacted the goldsmith and worked it out. I've had several friends who got their rings custom made. They contacted a gold smith on their own and had drawings of what they wanted the band to look like. My diamond is like that and to be honest, near perfect diamonds like that one are just too rare and not in the normal price range the clients are looking at. Most jewelry stores just don't carry things like that. My husband had driven nearly the entire east coast looking for a diamond of that caliber. The diamond expo is the only way to find something like that.

Most jewelry stores that have a Platinum smith can come up with something verrrrry close to that. Show them a picture and ask about delivery time, labor costs, etc. If it were me, I would have everything done at the same place. I would never trust getting the diamond at one place and having another place set it in the ring. If *anything* were to go wrong, it's too easy for finger pointing. * * *

I would take the picture to a jeweler and ask them first. Its the easiest and cheaper alternative. Try going to Jared, they do settings and diamonds and from the sounds of the ads you can customize a ring, so they could probably be the best place to help you.

Go to a wholesale diamond shop and get the diamond (try craigslist as well) and then pick out the setting or have one made it can get costly but if you have the money then its well worth it!

Dear user, I suggest you to go directly to Rothem. They are the source for this twist design. I am sure you will receive a great price offer from them.