Diamonds off the internet- Need your help

[tinkerbell]

Hello everyone, I really need your help!!!! Hubby just got a raise that was unexpected and said that the upgrade of my ering will be much sooner than planned.

However, we live in Germany and do not want to buy the diamonds on the local economy as the euro makes them almost double

Upset because I like to see the diamonds in person before we buy. So we will be buying them from a vendor off the internet...looking into whiteflash because of the good customer feedback on this site. My question is: How do I know if I will get a diamond that I will like in person? I am very worried about buying without being able to see in person? What do you guys have to say about this process? I need a 1 ct and a .5 ct for my ring. The stone I have now is .49 ct, I color but faces up very white (local jeweler asked if it was a F/G) VS2 and I love it

Thanks,

Jennifer aka Tinkerbell

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Hi,

I think buying online is better because you can judge the diamond for yourself in the privacy of your own home. First, you pick one you like based on ideal scope images and enlarged microscopic images and then can have the diamond sent to you for viewing. When purchasing in person in a store, generally, the lighting is such that the diamond may appear more fiery and brillant than it truely is AND you''re also bombarded with sales'' people talking and convincing you that this is the stone for you.

If you find a stone you like, line up an appraiser and have the stone verified that it matches the report and then take a look at it under various lighting situations and study the stone and see what you think. Buy from a well-trusted vendor who has an excellent return policy and you''ll be safe.

Good luck!

 

[tinkerbell]

Thanks for the info. However, I am worried about shipping a diamond to Germany. Will the pictures show where the inclusions are?

 

[perry]

Shipping the diamond to, and potentially returning it from, germany will add to the cost (about $100 US each way), but is highly reliable.

In your case, working overseas, I would deal exclusively with companies that only stock the "best of the best" like NiceIce or Good Old Gold. The other option is to deal with certain lines from some of the other companies WhiteFlash "A Cut Above" and Superbcert are the two that come to mind. These companies all have good reputations for international sales, and the diamonds mentioned are in stock and have gone through an "expert selection" process. In all of these cases you will ge getting a fantastic looking diamond. However, "A cut above" diamond and a NiceIce diamond may look different, and will be noticable if you have a lot of experience with diamonds. If you are looking for a specific look - then you will have to look to verify; and bear the cost of shipping it back.

I would also run it by a US appraiser - and you need look no further than the ones that are active on this forum to get ones who have a understanding of you situation and internet purchasing: Please check out the websites for: Dave Atlas, Richard Sherwood, RocDoc, Neil (denver apprasial).

Hope this helps,

Perry

 

[solange]

Your best bet would be to call one of the vendors mentioned here(they are all extremely reliable) and tell them what you want.
I bought my ring from Whiteflash and was very pleased with the quality, service and price. They have stones in stock including ACA and Expert selection- Not quite ACA standards but great buys.
If they do not have what you want they can get it for you. They do not drop-ship. Brian the cutter examines every stone to make sure it meets their standards. Then he will discuss the stone with you at length. Before any stone is shipped, it is sent to an appraiser, at no cost to you, to make certain that it is the same stone as on the certificate and that it has not been damaged. You will also get a value for insurance purposes.

I did have my ring sent to an appraiser where I could see it and it was exactly as Brian described it. He is really an expert and very highly regarded. He also will not try to sell you something more expensive if he feels a lower priced stone has some preferable features. They are very honest and easy to work with and deserve the excelent reputation they have on Pricescope.

The other vendors mentioned are also very reliable and highly regarded.
Best of luck.

 

[Deputy74]

I don''t know about WF, but I know that GOG, goodoldgold.com, does show magnified pics of their diamonds and circles where the inclusions are in red so you can see them. I was very skeptical about buying a diamond I couldn''t see, but I honestly think this way is better. You can browse multiple diamonds, check out the specs, rate them yourself without ANY pressure from a sales person trying to sell you junk. You get to look more at the 4Cs of the diamond and shop around. Also, GOG''s website also shows an animated image of the diamond called a Brilliant Scope analysis. It kinda shows what your dimaond would look like if you were to rottate it to make it sparkle.

I got my ering from GOG and was sooo scared it wasnt going to be what I really wanted. Was it going to sparkle enough, was it big enough, was it going to look okay? I was worried up until the day I got it. then it took my breathe away. I have never seen one so sparkly and beautiful before. All other diamonds I had seen previously were from "maul" stores.

I think I am more satisfied buying a diamond over the net because #1, instead of being suckered in by a sales tactic and by the big sparkly rocks, I got to look over the specs first, decide which specs I liked that met my requirements and then got the best bang for my buck.