GHI Labs? I already bought the ring and I need some damage control!

[navy_pilot]

Hello!

I bought a ring online from a pretty reputable jeweler; it has not arrived in the mail as of yet. The vendor I bought it from offers a 10 day 100% money-back guarantee. The ring comes with a "GHI" certification. They do not have the most credibility (obviously not GHI or AGL) but I am wondering why that matters... and also IF ANYONE HAS ANY EXPERIENCE with GHI? They do have a website... www.ghilab.com but it is weak at best. Should I send the ring back solely on the basis of the GHI cert. it comes with? ANY ADVICE IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!

In reality, if the ring appraises well, what do I really need cert for anyway?

THANKS AGAIN!

 

[Griffin]

You say you bought it from a "reputable jeweler". Reputable or just well-advertised? They are two VERY different things. Any jeweler that uses GHI exclusively would probably fall very squarely into the latter, and that would worry me more than anything else.
I wouldn't send it back based solely on the GHI certification, but I would be very interested in getting it to an appraiser quickly.
If the ring does appraise well, the cert isn't important as you have already pointed out.

BTW, was this an AAFES/Exchange purchase by any chance?

 

[Mara]

Yes interesting that you note it was a reputable jeweler but they are using a lab is not that credible. Why did you buy from this company? Did they give you a 'great deal'?




Your subject line also is quite interesting, damage control? Did you rush into something? It sounds from your post that you are having some serious doubts about the company, the lab, etc and want some positive affirmation. Only an independent appraiser can tell you if the stone is good and what you paid for. As for the lab...my primary question before I bought the stone would have been...why is this 'reputable' company using a lab like this to certify its stones. Maybe because a different, more truly reputable lab would not grade it quite so attractively?




Definitely get the stone appraised. Make sure it's within that 10 day return policy...that's a pretty short time window. Hope you did your homework and spent your money wisely. Good luck!

 

[valeria101]

Could not agree more...

Not that I wouldn't hope grading labs to be all great, and hope this one is some hidden treasure, but there is little proof for this. I would rather expect at least 1 grade slackness in color and clarity, as a rule. Anything more than that and it would be something beyond "lenient grading". If there is a right price for anything, including diamonds with questionable grades, this stone should still be an acceptable buy even if BOTH color and clarity slip one grade down, and still a good deal if either grade slips. Regardless of price, who needs such guessing? I hope the seller was not dumb or desperate enough to actually provide his customers with true bargain-priced diamonds on daily basis. Why on Earth would he?

 

[navy_pilot]

Thank you for your replies!

By 'reputable,' all I meant is that I was referred to him by someone I was talking to in passing, and that an online search turned up pretty good results. I might have indeed rushed into it- time will tell.

I am not familiar with the AAFES/Exchange...

Yes, I did buy from this company because I felt like I was getting a great deal... however the deal was not particular to me. I asked him if the price was negotiable and he said that it was not... I didn't get the feeling he really needed to sell it or that he was catering to me.

I am also wondering if the ring appraises well, what do I really need cert for anyway? What good is that GIA cert if I still get a good appraisal? Is the cert really only for insurance pruposes?

Thanks again, I sinerely appreciate your replies...

 

[valeria101]

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On 2/3/2004 11:32:04 AM navy_pilot wrote:



I am also wondering if the ring appraises well, what do I really need cert for anyway? What good is that GIA cert if I still get a good appraisal? Is the cert really only for insurance purposes?
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Only for insurance, you may not need a lab report on the diamond at all. These reports are really the best way to get the closest thing to a universally recognized identification of a gemstone. Even if may obtain a casual indication of what the color and clarity of the diamond are for your information, if you want to resell the piece or get it's market value recognized at some point in time, the authority of a top lab report is not really replaceable. Otherwise, the requirements of your insurance company is all you need to fulfill. and the appraisal value depends more on which appraiser you choose (and their practice and business policy) than on precise grading. Actually, the "appraised" value is often up to twice the current market (or replacement) value of the piece for different reasons you may find detailed on previous PS posts, so my least worry would be that the ring may not get a high enough appraisal value. This is just a word anyway, good for some uses (such as insurance) and not for others (such as resale).

Funny that a recent thread was asking just the opposite: why having a graded diamond appraised... I guess it goes both ways, after all.

 

[Mara]

The lab grading report is not necessary if the diamond appraises well...but in my opinion, I wouldn't even bother to consider a stone that was not graded by a lab I felt comfortable with. Why? Because there ARE lab differences. There are well known, well reputed labs...and those that are spoken of in more hushed tones. I would wonder..hmmm...why would this seller have a stone that was certed by some random lab that hardly anyone has heard of....instead of selling a stone that was GIA or AGS certified. What is possibly being hidden in that lab cert? Would GIA or AGS have given it a stricter color or clarity grade? e.g. GHI gives it SI2 but GIA would give it I1. A *huge* pricing difference between the two. Seller would certainly have an easier time selling GHI SI2 to the unsuspecting customer. The bottom line is that to have a stone certed by GIA is not by any means a hard thing. I would wonder why they would use a less reputed lab.




But since you already bought it doesn't matter as a selling point...too late to really do anything now but see the stone when you get it, get it appraised and make the decision then.

 

[fire&ice]

I don't think it's a necessity to buy a certified diamond. It is, however, necessary to pay for a correct grading of the specifications of a diamond. An independent appraiser is sufficient enough.

That said, I would be quite leary of & call into question the accuracy of GHI certs. It stands for Gem House International. Their website has been under construction for about a year with virtually *no* information about them. Doing a google search, some very well respected & well known independent appraisers have never heard of them.

Again, to be certain you are paying for the correct specifications of a diamond, you need to have it independently evaluated.

 

[navy_pilot]

Thank you all.

I suppose I will see what the independent appraisal yields. Is it possible to send a diamond ring in to GIA or AGS and get them to map it and give me a certificate?

If my appraisal is positive, I will probably just keep the ring... however, just out of curiousity's sake... is there any type or market for new rings being sold by private owners? (Obviously there is probably not much market for a GHI diamond) Just wondering...

Thanks again... take care.

 

[Mara]

Not really. It's almost like driving a car off the lot. You lose 50% of your value just by letting your return policy expire on a stone. Resale is maybe around 50% if you are lucky. Esp if you don't have contacts, etc to help you move the stone.

 

[icelady]

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On 2/3/2004 12:07:29 AM navy_pilot wrote:
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"Is it possible to send a diamond ring in to GIA or AGS and get them to map it and give me a certificate? "


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GIA will not certify a diamond in the setting, it has to be loose to do all the necessary grading and plotting. For example, color is graded with the diamond face down. It might be impossible to see all inclusion for plotting with prongs in the way etc.

 

[diamondlady]

I have purchased 2 seperate diamond rings from a jeweler who uses GHI (Gem House International). I would suppose that maybe one of the reasons that jewelers may use someone other than GIA, EGL, etc. is because it''s less expensive. I myself am very pleased with the Rings. I had them both appraised by a jeweler that I deal with on a regular basis who does custom work for me. The GHI report states clarity and color as well as weights and measurements and he stated that although he could not verify the accuracy of the information regarding clarity, they could be a grade lower and said that he was not able to detect any flaws under 10X magnification and the other he said that the clarity was not as good but that it seemed to be in line with what the certificate stated. I was told that diamonds are graded under 10X magnification. He agreed with the report on the colors of the diamonds. I told him what I paid and he was very surprised. He told me that I paid about $2500 less than what they would probably sell for wholesale. I decided to sell one of the rings and took it to an auction warehouse and was told that I would probably get about $7000 if I was lucky. I had the ring appraised by another independent appraiser who also told me that I would probably get about $7000 if I sold it. I ended up selling it for $2500 more than what I paid for it. I wouldn''t hesitate to accept an appraisal from them. Their appraisals appear to be accurate and come with very detailed information. I just wonder if the jeweler who sold the rings to me have an idea of what he could be getting for these rings? My lips are sealed!

 

[pearcrazy]

I have only encountered one company that uses GHI as a grading lab. Navy pilot do you mind telling if the company was MDC Diamonds? I got the distinct impression that GHI was their "in-house" grading lab. I wouldn''t get too upset if I were you. You do have a 10 day window to return the ring if the appraisal isn''t satisfactory and who knows, maybe you got a real bargain. The diamond is for an engagement ring and not as an investment. As long as it is pretty, worth what you paid and you feel like she''ll be happy with it that''s really all that matters. There''s nothing that says that just because a stone isn''t certified by GIA, or EGL it is inferior.

 

[pearcrazy]

OK, I just noticed that this thread was started in FEBRUARY!! I'm sure Navy Pilot has decided on his ring already. It sounds like Diamondlady came on, did a search on GHI and then wanted to see what came up. So, I'll pose the question to you Diamondlady, are YOU talking about MDC diamonds?

 

[alexah]

Pear, diamondlady pulled this post from February so likely navy's not going to answer you....

Edited to add: you're too quick for me pear

 

[pearcrazy]

Quick and just a little skeptical! I''ve been hanging around PS for too long!!

 

[diamondlady]

Hi Pearcrazy,
Yes, I purchased these rings from MDC diamonds on ebay auction. I believe you may be right about the GHI lab being an in house lab. I have been trying to raise the money to attend GIA to become a gemolosist but it is very expensive. That is why I believe that some independent jewelers may use other labs other than GIA because they probably charge a fortune to grade their diamonds. I never would have considered buying these diamonds from this jeweler if I hadn''t had an opportunity to send them back within the 10 days that was offered to me.
The 2nd ring that I bought is beautiful and it the cert says that it is a 1.01 ct, heart shape, VVS2, "J" color. I understand that the grade may be off since it is being graded by a lab other than GIA, (especially if it is being graded by the seller) but since I have had it looked at, every jeweler that has seen it has stated to me that they can not see any flaws or inclusions. I have seen many diamonds and compared the color of this diamond to other GIA certified diamonds and the color seems to be correct. It was not quite as white as an I, nor was it quite as yellow as a K, so that''s is why I made the statement about the GHI lab. I have so far had 2 good experiences with the information that they provided. And, if the clarity is not correct, then it may graded as a VS1 if it were graded by GIA. Either way, what I paid was a heck of a lot less than what I would have paid anywhere else.
Just in case anyone is interested, I am selling another ring, for less than what I paid. Only because I have run into some extreme financial problems. I hurt my back and was fired from my job and then my car was repo''d, so I will be trying to sell it, though I know that I will not be able to get what I paid for it ($2,900)
I had it listed on ebay for $2,750 but it did not sell, why I don''t know since it was the least expensive diamond and of better quality than other diamonds I saw that were priced much higher. I just need a car, otherwise it makes me sick to have to sell it.
Have a great day everyone...