Feb. 5, 2007 Hi Barry, hope you are doing well. Everything went great and she said Yes :-). She loves the diamond :-). I think she has decided that she wants a different style setting than the Tiffany though. Even though she thinks it's beautiful she has her heart set on a different style, so I will confirm with her today, since I think today is our 10th day, and see what she wants to do. I love the simplistic elegance of the Tiffany and the fluted prongs, and the way it draws attention to the center diamond, but I guess she's the one that has to wear it. Since we have been looking at settings the past few days it has given me a chance to compare the Superbcert with all of the other diamonds on the market that claim to be the best in the world, and the Superbcert blew them all out of the water!! I was able to compare it to the Leo, Peerless, Solasfera, Hearts on Fire, and AGS000 and GIA EX EX ideal cuts. The Superbcert gave off more light than all of the other diamonds, even though they were loose and hers is mounted. It was most apparent while the diamond was moving. One thing that really stood out to me was the color difference. Even when we would compare it to an equivalent F VS2 the Superbcert was noticeably whiter against all of the best branded cuts out there. It even looked whiter than the E's we saw. It was particulary impressive when the Superbcert was better than an equivalent size Hearts on Fire that cost $30,000 vs. $11,800 for the Superbcert!! We took the ring to be appraised by a Gemologist that has been doing appraisals for 34 years, and he said that it was cut as closely to ideal as you can get, and he appraised it for $18,000. At all of the retail stores in the mall that we saw, a similar diamond would have been at least $6,000 to $10,000 more. So we are both very happy, and I think that not only did we get the most beautiful diamond there is, but we got it at a phenomenal price. Also, everything that we received was top notch quality and class. The ring box is beautiful and really complimented the diamond and platinum. I also enjoyed the toolkit and I spent at least several hours being fascinated with examining the Superbcert and the two CZ's. Even the brochure was great! She wanted to know why I was so obsessed with comparing the diamond to all of the other ones out there, and one night she read the brochure and then understood why, because I wanted to get her the best because she is the best :-).
I proposed at the Drake hotel in downtown Chicago. The Drake is an older hotel with much history and is very elegant and romantic. She thought we were just going there for a weekend getaway, and thought that I would propose on Valentine's day instead. When we first arrived we went for afternoon tea which is a tradition at the Drake. They have a harp player there and the setting is relaxing and beautiful. Afterwards we had to find a store that sold camera cards because she forgot hers, and I was a little nervous walking around downtown chicago knowing that I had the ring in my pocket. We got back to the room and got ready for dinner, which was a surprise since she didn't know where we were going. Right before we left I told her I had a surprise for her and I gave her a box of gold covered chocolates (I saw them on one of Judah's blog posts, and even though they were ridiculously expensive, I thought it would make for a memorable experience. Thanks Judah :-)). With the chocolate was a card that said "Happy anniversary, I want to show you how much I love you so go to www.joeloveslisa.com and watch and listen. This was a website that I made for her that had pictures and songs of us throughout our dating. You have to click the heart to start the slideshow playing. After she watched the slideshow I told her that I had something else for her. I then presented her with a long white box. She opened it and saw a preserved rose plated in platinum. It was in a presentation case and on the top of the case I had a plaque inscribed with "I love you endlessly and eternally, Will you Marry Me? Joe" She didn't see the plaque at first and when she turned it over she got the shock of her life :-). I then knelt down and asked her to marry me and presented her with the ring and she said yes. After that I then told her I had one more thing. She had always jokingly said that if I ever proposed that her dog needed a ring too, LOL, so I found a stuffed dog toy engagement ring in a stuffed toy box and presented it to her with pictures of my dogs inside, LOL, and we got a good laugh out of it. After that I told her where we were going for dinner which was the Green Dolphin jazz club where we had first met. I then told her that not only were we eating there but that Lynne Jordan, her favorite singer, would be there, so she was very happy. We had dinner and then we went and listened to Lynn. Lynn made an announcement that we had just got engaged, and she dedicated a song to us that we got up and danced to alone in front of everyone there. We then stayed a while and listened to music and had some champagne and apple martinis. We got back to the room and opened the door, and she saw a trail of rose petals that led to the bed and they were arranged in a heart pattern on the bed. I had the concierge arrange it while we were gone :-).
I really appreciate all of the help and honesty that you and Judah gave me, and I appreciate the extra effort you guys made in getting the ring done so that I could present it to her on the special day that I had planned. Even though I bugged you guys mercilessly with questions on diamonds, settings, and when the ring would be done, you never lost patience with me and were always willing to help and talk. I have an industrial equipment business that has a website, and I have learned a lot from dealing with you guys about how to bring a personal touch and excellent customer service to such an impersonal medium as the internet. I'm starting to incorporate these things into my business and I'm already seeing positive results from it. Who knows, maybe with incorporating the things that I learned from you guys it may pay for the ring, LOL.
I'll confirm with her today what she would like to do about the setting. If we decide to return the Tiffany is it 70%? I'm hoping that whatever setting that she finds that we can get it without the side diamonds so that we can get them from you and have you set it so that it will match up well with the Superbcert. She is looking at a setting that we saw that is very similar to this one http://www.steindiamonds.com/product_settings_details.asp?product_id=1169. Is this one that you guys could custom make?
Thanks,
Joe
P.S. I'll send the pics in a separate email in case the size is too big. Also, I'll post a testimonial on Diamond talk tomorrow so that everyone can know what a great diamond and buying experience I had :-) » See our testimonials
1. Is it safe to buy diamonds and jewelery on the internet from you? Yes. Please check our Affiliations. We are members in excellent standing with the JVC (Jewelers Vigilance Committee) and Truste. Your information is held in the strictest confidence and is fully protected. Our shopping cart is Verisign protected with the latest SSL encryption technology. In addition, we provide you with a comprehensive array of quantitative and qualitative Reports on all of the diamonds we sell. We are for full disclosure and want you to be comfortable and secure with complete information. You know exactly what you're buying from us. All reports and photographs are the original and specific to the listed item. All of our SuperbCert diamonds are owned by us and in-house and we can therefore easily and quickly provide you with additional photo collages upon request. 2. How long have you been in business? We have been in business for close to 30 years and our website for 7 years. We are 4th generation diamond cutters and manufacturers. Read more in About Us 3. Do you own the diamonds you sell and are they in your physical possession? Yes they are. All of our SuperbCert diamonds listed on our site are of our own manufacture and in our possession. We can therefore immediately answer any specific questions you may have and provide additional information and photos. The database diamonds we do not own are always shipped in to us for examination prior to sale. Once the merchandise is sold, every diamond gets shipped out from our address. 4. Are the diamonds you sell clarity enhanced, laser drilled, or fracture filled? Furthermore, can I be assured that they are Conflict-Free? All of the loose diamonds we sell are guaranteed to be non- clarity enhanced, laser drilled, fracture filled, or otherwise artificially enhanced in any manner. We also guarantee our diamonds to be conflict-free and secured through legitimate sources not involved in funding conflict and in compliance with United Nations Resolutions. Excel Diamonds is extremely sensitive to these issues and we do our utmost to insure that we act in accordance with the Kimberly Process and the USA Patriot Act. 5. Why are the diamonds you sell so much better priced than the diamonds I have seen in the jewelry stores? I know what you must be thinking...what's the catch?..right? Sounds too good to be true..right? Why are we selling diamonds for so much less than in the stores? Click on our video link and find out why! 6. Do you charge Sales Tax? No. We do not charge Sales Tax on items shipped outside the State of New York. 7. Do you charge for shipping? Shipping is free to all of the United States. Because of high shipping/insurance costs, there is a nominal $25.00 Shipping charge to our Hawaii and Alaska customers. If you decide to return your loose SuperbCert diamond to us for setting, all subsequent shipping and insurance costs are paid by you. Cost of International shipping and insurance starts at $100.00 and is paid by you. International Customers are responsible for paying all of their Country's Customs, VAT, GST taxes, etc. as applicable. Contact your Fedex or Customs Office to determine the exact amount. The final total cost for shipping and insurance will depend on your Invoice of the items purchased. 8. Are your diamonds laser inscribed? All of our signature SuperbCert diamonds are laser inscribed. The inscription is our trademarked SuperbCert Logo and the GIA or AGS Report number, as applicable. 9. If I purchase diamond and setting from you do I pay an extra fee for setting the stone?
No. We do not outsource our settings but have our own factory and therefore can maintain excellent Quality Control. Your price for the diamond and ring includes all labor. 10. What payment methods do you accept? We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover (Credit Cards) and Bank Wire Transfer for all US domestic orders. You receive a 2% discount off the list price for bank wire payment. We do not accept AMEX at this time. On International orders we accept Bank Wire Transfer payments only. Our shopping and Checkout Cart is protected with the latest secure SSL encryption technology. Your checkout is secure, fast, and easy and you will receive immediate e-mail confirmation of your order. 11. How soon will I receive my loose diamond or jewelery? Loose diamonds are shipped the same day we receive your funds. SuperbCert Rings and Settings may take from 3-14 days depending on our workload and heavy seasonal orders. Vatche rings and Vatche settings between 2-4 weeks. 12. Do you provide appraisals or insurance coverage? No we don't. We see this as a clear conflict of interest. What do you expect the jeweler who has sold his diamond and setting to you to say regarding his merchandise? How can you be sure that the Appraisal is not inflated causing you to pay higher insurance premiums than necessary? Basically, we believe it is unethical to offer a "free 3rd party" diamond or jewelry appraisal to our customers like some other diamond and jewelry companies do. These companies are often colaborating with the "3rd party appraiser" to provide you with these "feel good", inflated, and essentially worthless appraisals. We strongly advocate for you to have your loose diamond appraised by a competent, and completely independent jewelry appraiser of your choosing. We have policies in place that are designed to facilitate this for you either before or after you make your diamond purchase with us!! 13. How do you ship your diamonds and jewelery? We ship via UPS or Fedex Priority Overnite with full insurance coverage. For your protection, we will only ship our merchandise to a local FEDEX or UPS holding station where you will be able to pick up your package. A proper signature and photo ID will be required for the package release. 14. What is your return/refund policy? We give you a 10-day examination period which begins from the day you receive your diamonds and jewelry. If you wish to return the item you must contact us during this 10-day period for instructions on return shipping. Read Our Guarantee for more detailed information. 15. What kind of customer care can I expect after purchase? If you have purchased your diamond and setting from us, we give you a Lifetime Guarantee on the ring if we did the setting. Any necessary subsequent work on your ring will be free of charge. If someone else sets the stone in our ring, we will charge for all labor involved in fixing the ring. This Lifetime Guarantee also holds for all Vatche rings and settings IF Vatche does the setting of your stone. 16. If I buy a diamond from another jeweler can I still purchase your beautiful ring settings, or Vatche settings? You sure can! We are also happy to set your diamond into one of our exclusive ring creations. Setting fees are as follows: Up to 1 CT = $65.00 1.01-1.50 CT = $75.00 1.51-2.00 CT = $85.00 2.01-2.50 CT = $100.00 2.51-3.00 CT = $125.00. We will also ask that you cover the portion of insurance related to the value of your diamond in the return shipment. This amount is calculated by the Invoice amount of your diamond and your shipping location. We ship via Fedex or UPS Priority Overnight Service. Indicate this information for us in the Instructions Box on the Checkout Page. 17. I see that your SuperbCert Signature Diamonds have either GIA or AGS Certs. Why? GIA and AGS are the top diamond grading laboratories in the world. They are known for their very strict color and clarity grading and for their consistency. Indeed, GIA is the foremost educational and gemstone research organization in the world. A GIA Lab Report allows you to buy with confidence. 18. Do you have an Upgrade Policy on your diamonds? Yes. We give you a Lifetime Upgrade. Use your original purchase price towards the upgrade and just pay the difference. Please note: Upgrades are a minimum of 50%. and apply to all diamonds listed on our website. 19. Can I only "see" and buy your diamonds and jewelry from your website? Shop with us in our beautiful showroom in our New York City Diamond District offices where we see clients by appointment. 20. What does your SuperbCert brand stand for and why do you believe it's better than other ideal-cut branded and un-branded diamonds on the market? Our SuperbCert brand, in a word, stands for Consistency! SuperbCert is a Super-Ideal Hearts and Arrows Cut diamond that is consistently and uniformly excellent both in it's Cut precision and Brilliance. Any company can say that their diamonds are the best but do they back up their talk? We back up our talk with clear proof by giving you a host of Lab Reports, full color-photo's, and Optical Light Performance results. We eliminate the guesswork and uncertainty by providing you with comprehensive information showing you that our SuperbCert brand stands for the highest quality! Read more about what sets our "Super-Ideal Cuts" SuperbCert Diamonds apart from all other diamonds, in our "why buy SuperbCert" section. 21. Barry, I read on the Internet that fluorescence in a diamond is a bad thing and should be avoided. Is this true?
This is not true. The fact is that less than 1/2 of 1% of all polished diamonds display fluorescence (reaction to UV light) that makes the stone look hazy, milky, or oily. In just about all cases, especiallly in well-cut diamonds, fluorescence has a positive effect in the diamond's face up appearance. As a matter of fact, years ago, fluorescent diamonds were known as "blue-white" diamonds and sold at significant premiums. GIA back in 1997 did the definitive study on the effects of fluorescence on diamond transparency and their results will really surprise you! A MUST READ! The link is here: 22. Will You Be Able To Resize My Ring If Necessary? Of course! We offer free resizing for rings returned to us within 20 days of receipt and only when the size discrepancies are within 1 size of what you ordered and received. Rings returned after 20 days will be resized with a charge for the labor and costs.
With so many companies competing for your business, why should you choose ours? The answer is very simple: We offer the highest quality merchandise on the Internet, with the most comprehensive level of information and data, at extremely low prices! The 'Bricks & Mortar" jewelry stores cannot compete with us on quality, selection and most of all, PRICE. Many of our competitors on the Internet do not provide the same level of diamond information that we do. We offer a better selection, better prices, and more actual data and information than many other websites on the Internet! Unlike many companies selling diamonds online, we do not engage in blind "Drop-Shipping" of the diamonds we sell. Rather, we personally inspect and evaluate every diamond prior to your purchase so that we can be confident of its quality and value. We have earned a sterling reputation on the Internet. We have many thousands of happy customers to our credit. We are absolutely focused on achieving the highest level of customer service and support! Try us and see for yourself! The Gutwein name has been synonymous with diamonds spanning four generations. We use the latest technology to let you see our loose diamonds, diamond engagement rings and wedding rings with full documentation and photographs on every one of our Loose diamonds and beautiful engagement ring settings. Our Ideal Cut diamonds and our hand-crafted Tiffany replica settings have garnered praise from thousands of satisfied customers who have appreciated the superb level of service, attention, information, and value they have received from us. We are a family business with a commitment to the same old world values shown by our parents and grandparents. We work intensively with each one of our clients to find their most suitable diamond and diamond engagement ring and are honored and gratified to be part of such an important purchase and momentous occassion! Loose Round 2.5 Carat G SI1 diamond - Diamond Value GuaranteeUpon doing your research for diamonds online you will find many vendors boasting a diamond database of anywhere from 70,000 to 100,000 diamonds. Many times the same diamond listing will appear on multiple websites from different vendors. Truthfully, none of these vendors owns the loose diamond, much less have it in stock. They merely act as a "drop-shipper" to sell diamonds from diamond wholesalers. When an order is placed on the website the diamond is shipped directly from the manufacturer to you, the customer. These diamond vendors never physically see the diamond and offer you little help with any questions you may have about the stone. Indeed many of these online diamond merchants have very little knowledge about diamonds altogether. Below is a diagram that we have put together to illustrate the drop ship diamond method: 
At ExcelDiamonds.com we are the home for our Exclusive Collection of SuperbCert Hearts & Arrows Super-Ideal Cut Diamonds which are manufactured by us and are here in house. These are not drop shipped diamonds and are only available through our company. You will not find these magnificent diamonds on any other diamond website. We are also a family owned and operated business of diamond cutters and experts in our field. We know diamonds intimately and look to supply our customers with the very best diamonds at excellent values. Added Value With ExcelDiamondsOn our website you will find in addition to our exclusive collection of branded ideal cut diamonds, we also offer databases with thousands of wholesale loose diamonds from many different manufacturers. There are however a few major differences between us and many of our competitors who similarly provide lists of thousands of loose diamonds for your consideration:
You will get all of our amazing services including the most extensive scientific qualitative and quantitative reports and photos immediately at your finger tips, plus the very best price on the diamond! The choice is easy and we hope you will shop with us for your dream diamond! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
General Specifications
