GIA vs EGL? what do you think?

[going2bbroke]

Hello everyone,
I have been reading these post for a whle now and finally decided to post. After 8 years of dating i think its time to buy the ring! i have been doing lots of reasearch and have gone to my local jewleary districe. (downtonw L.A.) so i have an idea of what i want and what price range i should be in. what can you guys tell me about abazias.com? i found two diamonds that i like, but oone is EGL, and i was told that EGL is not what i should go for. what do you think?

Shape: Round
Cut Grade: Ideal
Carat weight: 1.51
Color: F
Clarity: SI1
Depth %: 61.2
Table %: 57
Symmetry: Excellent
Polish: Excellent
Girdle: -
Culet: N
Fluorescence: F
Measurements: 7.29x7.35x4.48
$8100 (EGL)

or

Shape: Round
Cut Grade: Ideal
Carat weight: 1.50
Color: D
Clarity: SI1
Depth %: 60.9
Table %: 58
Symmetry: Excellent
Polish: Very Good
Girdle: -
Fluorescence: N
Measurements: 7.32x7.35x4.47
$8400(EGL)


can someone recomend any other good websites? i''m looking for a F or G, SI1, 1.5-2.0, ideal cut for around $8500 =-$1000
does this sound resonable?

 

[jaz464]

You really need to know if the lab is EGL USA or somthing different. USA is considered the most reputable but personally, I would stick with GIA or AGS anyway. Some people here do have gorgous EGL graded diamonds however. If you know what you are looking for and get an independent appraisal on the diamond before purchase (or within the return periond) then you can save some $$ with an EGL diamond.

2 of the best online dealers are:

http://www.whiteflash.com/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/

 

[Lorelei]

Jazmine is right, if you go for an EGL diamond, make sure it is USA - and get an independant appraisal before the return period is up to make sure the diamond checks out. It is said that sometimes the colour and clarity grading of these diamonds is less strict than GIA or AGS, but if you find a great EGL and it does check out, you can save some money for sure.

The crown and pavillion angles are also needed to assess cut quality, you should be able to find these on the EGL cert, actually they are normally percentages, not as accurate as angles but give you some idea.

You can use the search tool as many of the vendors are listed with consumer experiences who have purchased from them, this should help. I have an EGL USA certed diamond and I am delighted with it, you can find a real bargain if you shop carefully.

 

[diagem]

EGL is fine...

 

[diagem]

Date: 3/22/2006 1:47:10 PM
Author: Lorelei
Jazmine is right, if you go for an EGL diamond, make sure it is USA - and get an independant appraisal before the return period is up to make sure the diamond checks out. It is said that sometimes the colour and clarity grading of these diamonds is less strict than GIA or AGS, but if you find a great EGL and it does check out, you can save some money for sure.

The crown and pavillion angles are also needed to assess cut quality, you should be able to find these on the EGL cert, actually they are normally percentages, not as accurate as angles but give you some idea.

You can use the search tool as many of the vendors are listed with consumer experiences who have purchased from them, this should help. I have an EGL USA certed diamond and I am delighted with it, you can find a real bargain if you shop carefully.

EGL is EGL and it is short for (European gemological labratory)..., I dont agree with this statement "make sure it is USA".
GIA is stricter, but it doesnt mean they are right, remember its based on opinions (not a guarantee!!!)

You can probably get a slightly lower price for an EGL reported diamond, and i think it is fine... (unless you purchase diamonds for investment purposes) and i would not recomend that...

GIA "standards" have been marked with a questionmark since their "bribery scandal"!!!

Good luck

 

[going2bbroke]

Thanks for the info. everywhere i have looked i only see EGL, never does it say USA. lets say eveyrthing on the diamond is about the same. depth, table, crown... and i have an EGL that is D or E vs a GIA that is or G. but the EGL is about $1500 cheeper, should i go with GIA or EGL? i would like to upgrade this diamond in the future (10 years)

 

[going2bbroke]

in both of these, the crown or pavilion was not mentioned. should i ask them what it is before i purchase? will it make that big of a diffrence?

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 3/22/2006 1:54:44 PM
Author: DiaGem

Date: 3/22/2006 1:47:10 PM
Author: Lorelei
Jazmine is right, if you go for an EGL diamond, make sure it is USA - and get an independant appraisal before the return period is up to make sure the diamond checks out. It is said that sometimes the colour and clarity grading of these diamonds is less strict than GIA or AGS, but if you find a great EGL and it does check out, you can save some money for sure.

The crown and pavillion angles are also needed to assess cut quality, you should be able to find these on the EGL cert, actually they are normally percentages, not as accurate as angles but give you some idea.

You can use the search tool as many of the vendors are listed with consumer experiences who have purchased from them, this should help. I have an EGL USA certed diamond and I am delighted with it, you can find a real bargain if you shop carefully.

EGL is EGL and it is short for (European gemological labratory)..., I dont agree with this statement ''make sure it is USA''.
GIA is stricter, but it doesnt mean they are right, remember its based on opinions (not a guarantee!!!)

You can probably get a slightly lower price for an EGL reported diamond, and i think it is fine... (unless you purchase diamonds for investment purposes) and i would not recomend that...

GIA ''standards'' have been marked with a questionmark since their ''bribery scandal''!!!

Good luck

In many threads from the professionals it is recommended to stick to EGL USA only - and this seems to be the opinion around here. My opinion is that it is best after reading up for some time and buying an EGL USA diamond is that it is best to proceed with caution regarding the other EGL labs.

To get back to topic, good luck with your purchase going2bbroke and I hope you find the info you need to make an INFORMED decision.

 

[going2bbroke]

how do i know if it is EGL USA?
here are two that i love!
what do you think?
http://www.whiteflash.com/round/Round-cut-diamond-2014559.htm
http://www.whiteflash.com/round/Round-cut-diamond-2014480.htm

all it says is EGL.
is price to high, or just right? think i can find a better deal elsewhere?

i''m so lost and confused!!

 

[diagem]

You are confusing yourself.

If you can, and you probably can get an EGL report on a diamond you purchase for less than what you would have to pay for the "same" grade GIA stone, i would suggest do it....

Who knows where GIA reputation vs. EGL will be in let say 10 years from now.

As to price..., i am sorry it would not be ethicall on my side to comment...
Do your homework, and try not to confuse yourself to much...

As far as EGL-USA..., in my "profesional" opinion, I would not grade any of my diamonds with them..., simply because in my opinion they are not ethicall to try to differentiate themselves from other EGL labs..., EGL labs were pioneered in EUROPE!!! not the USA.


Good luck

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 3/22/2006 2:23:32 PM
Author: DiaGem
EGL labs were pioneered in EUROPE!!! not the USA.

Yes I am aware of that

Here is what I would do for what it is worth. Like I said earlier, you can find an EGL certed diamond for less money, read up on the tutorials under knowledge at the top of the page and learn the best proportions for a well cut round diamond. Once you know what to look for, use the info to weed out lesser performers if you can. You can use the Holloway Cut Advisor tool at the top of the page too if you like to get an idea of performance, then see what the vendor thinks of each particular diamond as to it's suitability for you. Once you have made your purchase, get an independant appraisal during the return period ( which you should do in any case, regardless of the cert) to make sure the diamond checks out.

Also please don't get too concerned over this, it is best to be as educated as possible when buying a diamond - as you would with any major purchase - the info you need is all here in the forums, use the search tool to answer any questions you may have and ask if you can't find the answer - people are glad to help. Relax, take your time and start reading and doing your homework, it will be time well spent when you find that gorgeous rock. Also online vendors are a great bunch and will help you every step of the way, use their expertise!

 

[SuzyQZ]

Get the EGL cert number for the stones you are interested in. You can then go to the EGL website and plug in the cert number and you''ll get all the additional information you''ll need to make a more informed choice. Here is the link to their online service.

http://www.eglusa.com/customerlogin.html

Call or email the vendor to get the EGL numbers for the diamonds you are looking at. I believe this website only has a database for EGL-USA certified stones in Los Angeles and New York. I could be mistaken. Either way, it couldn''t hurt to check it out. Plug in the numbers and see what you get. You can always call EGL directly. The phone numbers are listed on the website.

 

[Small]

I have an EGL graded marquise. My husband originally told me it was GIA and then after finding PS I dug out my report and sure enough it is EGL. He doesn''t know the difference only knew it was certified. I''ve never had my stone appraised to find out if the grading is correct. I''ve had a few GIA graduates look at it and tell me the color and clarity and they both gave me the exact specs. I never told them what the specs were or how it was graded.
My point is EGL can represent a good value IF you do your homework and get a nice stone. If you say you want to upgrade I''d check with the vendor/b&m that you purchase from. Alot of what I''ve read about upgrade policies is that EGLs aren''t included. But you should check anyway.
I really don''t care that my marquise is EGL graded. It looks nice and I get lots of compliments on it. My suggestion would be if you are really interested in one then have it sent to an independent appraiser for verification to make sure you are getting what you are paying for. Good luck!