Opinions on Diamonds by Lauren?

[valeria101]

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On 7/22/2004 8:25:27 AM Rank Amateur wrote:

I wonder if it has that tint to the eye in real life.

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Not likely... those are really blue reflections rather than the have of strong fluorescence. Of course in a pic is just everyone's guess. But it just so happens there are a few stones with yellow, blue and green fluorescence on DBL right now - just perfect for a lineup under UW...

There are a few new pages on grading fanc colors on their website - one extra pic with colored fluo may just be the one bit of candy missing

 

[LGail]

Valeria,

I did some looking at a local B&M just to get a better idea to the shape of stone that I prefer, and low and behold, I've discovered a Radiant stone. I believe that the radiant seems to be more similar in shape to the priness but has a completely different type of brilliance. They did not have many Cushion cuts on hand but the ones I saw were too oval for me (I don't mind 1.15 ratio but anything more is too rectangular/oval for my preference). The cushions I saw did not have near the amount of brilliance that the radiants or princesses had but then again I think they were dogs. But now, I still haven't decided. But I do think that I like the Radiant better because of the different sparkle and it looks a little softer around the edges. But one thing I have figured out, I like just about all diamonds!

 

[fire&ice]

Don't know if this is applicable or not - but, I believe fancy colors are not cut for optimal light return, etc - but cut for the best saturation of color.

Could be his perpective.

 

[Rank Amateur]

He runs a diamond orphanage finding homes for all the runts.

He stuff is off the beaten track, but he seems like a good guy - he won't pull you off the track and beat you!

You got to like a guy who's a forum regular knowing that one misstep (even an honest one) can get you roasted (i.e. Wink's DT adventure).

 

[diamondsbylauren]

HI Everyone!

Well, believe it or not, I just found this thread!

First I'd like to express my honor for being spoken about the way some of you have. Thank you.

Since I'm not known for being shy, please allow me to respond to some of the things written.

"decent vendor but um rather quirky on the forum"
THANKS! Actually, if I'm not .....individual, I'm nothing. My motto- BE YOURSELF! Of course this means some people will like you while some might ...not like you. The most important person to be honest with is yourself.OInce I realized that everyone likes no one ( no one is liked by everyone), happiness became less elusive


"I think he uses too much flash in his photos--the settings sparkle as much as the diamonds. It makes me wonder what they'd look like in real life. Would they have any sparkle? I don't know, I've never seen them in person, just in his overlit photos."

I see the diamonds as they are and I try to take, and publish photos that are as close as possible to the actual look of the diamond.

I will add that the critisism of a stone like the 1.03 D/IF Princess Cut is influenced a great deal by my photos. Saying the photos indicate a lack of beauty in a particular stone-, well I guess that's a compliment to the quality of the photos.
I think it looks pretty in the photos. The stone has medium blue and this is indeed visible in the photos.

Moremoremore- I must apologize for anyhthing my stones have done to offend you.
I'm sorry you hate "all my stones"- I feel quite sure that if you actually saw some of them, they might actually win you over.


Mara- I have no problem at all if someone wishes to use a photo and let everyone know where it comes from. I welcome their usage.
I have no problem even if someone wants to use the photo to claim the stone is BUTT UGLY- such as is the case in this thread.

I have a HUGE problem with folks misrepresenting merchandise by using my photos. But this has never happened on Pricescope.

About the 1.03 D Internally Flawless. As is the case with ALL our stones, we did not cut the diamond- we simply possess the diamond.
In this case, I don't even own it- but it's here in my office for the time being.
Do I think it's the best cut princess I've ever seen? No.
Is it a beautiful diamond- absolutely. The depth being 69.5% means it got a good size. The large table ( 76%) means that there are some dark areas in the center of the diamond. Is this a bad look?- not for all people. I mean, I had the stone in my hands 10 seconds before I wrote this, and it has a lot of sparkle and personality.
How many of y'all get a chance to actually see a stone like this- much less have it avaiable to offer?
There's just not a lot of them around.
Would I buy any D/Flawless for my own personal use? Probably never.
I would ( am) consider(ing) owning a Vivid Yellow for my own personal use.
This was also touched upon here.
One of the reasons that some have critiszed me is that I prefer to trust my eye, as opposed to a Sarin, B-Scope, or many other oft touted methods.

I'm lucky, I get to actually hold any diamond I'm considering for purchase.
I've seen AGS 0 stones that did not appeal to me nearly as much as a similar sized 60/60 diamond.If someone is convinced they can buy a diamond based on numbers, then they are probably not our customer.
I don't buy them that way, why would I suggest others do the same?
Yes, I take note of table depth, and a whole bunch of other stuff on the GIA report. But it's a small part of the buying decision for me.
SO- you get a lot of people today who want to be able to use the numbers to either buy, or sell diamonds. The internet makes numbers a natural.
Do I feel it's a good use of the end user's time to try and figure out how the numbers hypothitcally relate to the desirability of a diamond? Generally speaking, no, I don't.

I never meant to imply that folks aren't smart enough- it's not Rocket Science. To truly learn these things takes the time to look at thousands of stones.

I'm sure anyone with the time ,inclination and ability could learn enough to be able to buy dimaonds well. Using the GIA/AGS- and thier eyes.Most end users- "end-user"= the persone buying the diamond for themselves, or as a gift- want to learn enough to feel comfortable buying from a reputable dealer.


There were also some other dealers mentioned.
Whiteflash has an awesome reputation, as does Good Old Gold- and the others mentioned.
In todayus market, prices are going up steadily. If one vendor has a stone for a month, it may seem like a bargain compared to a stone out of the GIA yesterday.
If price is the ultimate consideration, this may come into play.

Otherwise, I believe that it's smartest taking the most effort in selecting a dealer you trust.

 

[diamondsbylauren]

Here's a good stone to use to make a few points.
1) is this stone ugly?
Well, if you wanted maximium light return, yes.
Any Fancy Colored Diamond returns less light than a colorless diamond.
Round Brilliant returns more light than a Cushion- are folks "wrong" if they want a cushion?

2) Must we have a symetrical diamond? This one was rated "Fair" symmetry by GIA . Yet, most of the poeple I've shown it to found the asymetrical nature of the diamond to be chariming.
EVERYONE- went -"oooh"- It's Vivid after all. In the case of this diamond, the color and soft shape are what draws you to the diamond.

My point- buying a diamond simply for brilliance is not everyone's preference.
So if we look at a round brilliant diamond the same way, then the stone returning the maximum amount of light on a machine might not neccesarily be the prettiest diamond.

At 59.7 Depth/60% Table, this diamond could never get an AGS 0.
Plus the symmtry is "merely" very good.
Ok- call me crazy, but I actually prefer a "less organized" facet pattern. When the "arrows" created by the pavillion facets are staggered, I like the resulant sparkle.

That is not to say that H&A diamonds are not beautiful - they are awesome- Sometimes my preference for using other methods to gauge the beauty of a diamond stirs up some controversy- this might actually help to show both sides of the story.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Thank you for "making my day"--in a very non-authorative/non-Clint Eastwood type mannor. For what its worth--and in suggesting the same I acknowledge my "johnny come lately" status--I appreciated your input today. In my mind your reputation or Ebay's (for that matter) was never in question.

In the spirit of continued success

Sharon

 

[Superidealist]

On 7/22/2004 diamondsbylauren wrote:

I have no problem at all if someone wishes to use a photo and let everyone know where it comes from. I welcome their usage.

On 10/18/2003 diamondsbylauren wrote:

If you want to use my photos please email to request such use. These photos are the property of Diamonds by Lauren.

 

[diamondsbylauren]

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On 7/22/2004 8:23:32 PM Superidealist wrote:

On 7/22/2004 diamondsbylauren wrote:

I have no problem at all if someone wishes to use a photo and let everyone know where it comes from. I welcome their usage.

On 10/18/2003 diamondsbylauren wrote:

If you want to use my photos please email to request such use. These photos are the property of Diamonds by Lauren.

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Hi D Riley,
Thanks for bringing up an important issue.
The quote from October 2003 was written before I was aware of "fair Use" and other issues.
In that thread, I learned that the use of photos for educational use, or writings for that matter- under most circumstances is permitted.
As long as it's not for commercial purposes.


After reading the helpful posts of some PS regulars, I re-thought my objections.
It became obvious to me that it was surely a compliment for someone to use a photo accredited to me to prove a point.
SO- My statement of today stands.
I have no problem at all for folks to use my photos for acedemic purposes, with a request for acknowledgment.

Thanks!

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Glad to know you mellowed on the usage of photo's David. (I vaugely remember you blasting me about that issue at the time.)

Re your photgraphing the diamond "as you see it", would you mind explaining the viewing environment that you use to examine a diamond? I am involved in a plan to set up a study and this issue is very important.
Even maybe a photo of you looking at the diamond in each of the places you regularly do it - that would be helpful.

 

[eyesoftexas]

Hey I trust David's eyes. I bought some awesome earrings from David - Fancy Intense yellows and I told him I wanted something that was just beautiful and full of sparkle and very intense yellows. He delivered some stunning earrings that many people in the business even said they were awesome earrings. I have always been into the numbers but when it came to buying the radiants I just let him choose. Worked out great. And he has a great sense of humor as well. I think some of us on Prisescope ding him because he list some lower priced affordable diamonds on his web site and on Ebay. But he can get anything your heart desires.

 

[fire&ice]

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On 7/22/2004 8:23:32 PM Superidealist wrote:

On 7/22/2004 diamondsbylauren wrote:

I have no problem at all if someone wishes to use a photo and let everyone know where it comes from. I welcome their usage.

On 10/18/2003 diamondsbylauren wrote:

If you want to use my photos please email to request such use. These photos are the property of Diamonds by Lauren.

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Do we offically have a new monitor? Or just a Big Brother watching? Geez.

 

[aljdewey]

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On 7/23/2004 9:54:39 AM fire&ice wrote:

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On 7/22/2004 8:23:32 PM Superidealist wrote:

On 7/22/2004 diamondsbylauren wrote:





I have no problem at all if someone wishes to use a photo and let everyone know where it comes from. I welcome their usage.

On 10/18/2003 diamondsbylauren wrote:





If you want to use my photos please email to request such use. These photos are the property of Diamonds by Lauren.

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Do we offically have a new monitor? Or just a Big Brother watching? Geez.
----------------

Good question, F&I......seems there's a lot of that going around lately with him.

It really would be enlightening to understand what his motivation is in trying to trash folks here.

 

[moremoremore]

Hi David....oops...sorry about the pic...won't do it again...it's no biggie...


You haven't 'offended' me...but I just gave my honest opinion about some of the stones I see from you...

Thank g*d I can't be banned from THIS forum for saying that!

 

[Superidealist]

David seemed not to understand why Mara made the comment she did regarding photos from his site. My mysterious motivaion has been uncovered.

My post contained only two quotes from David and my signature. I offer my apologies for "trashing" him.

 

[fire&ice]

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On 7/23/2004 2:09:39 PM Superidealist wrote:


My post contained only two quotes from David and my signature. I offer my apologies for 'trashing' him.----------------

Gee, thank so much for the your altruistic effort in finding the helpful quote from 2003. I'm sure it cleared up much confusion on the topic at hand.

Again, thank you.

 

[Diamondsbybree]

David, It's nice to see you post~! I love your fancy colored diamonds. I hope to some day be able to get into them myself.

 

[diamondsbylauren]

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On 7/23/2004 11:45:48 AM aljdewey wrote:

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On 7/23/2004 9:54:39 AM fire&ice wrote:

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On 7/22/2004 8:23:32 PM Superidealist wrote:

On 7/22/2004 diamondsbylauren wrote:



I have no problem at all if someone wishes to use a photo and let everyone know where it comes from. I welcome their usage.

On 10/18/2003 diamondsbylauren wrote:



If you want to use my photos please email to request such use. These photos are the property of Diamonds by Lauren.

----------------

Do we offically have a new monitor? Or just a Big Brother watching? Geez.
----------------

Good question, F&I......seems there's a lot of that going around lately with him.

It really would be enlightening to understand what his motivation is in trying to trash folks here.

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Hi Everyone-

I'm no big brother at all- I'm a little brother actually- just ask Marc, MY big brother.

If aljdewey is referring to me "trashing" folks- I'm bewildered. Who did I trash?
Seems to me that I'm the one being attacked here- or my stones.
As I've said in this thread, I welcome folks using accredited photos- even if, as is the case here, someone wished to call a stone we offer ugly. That goes for ANY forum we participate in.
I really have nothing to hide.


I've attempted to avoid the reasons that I posted on 10/18/2003- but apparently I need to remind everyone.
I joined Pricescope on that day, 10/18/2003. Why?
Well it IS a worthwhile forum, with great members and a lot of useful info.
BUT- it was the use of one of my photos that precipitated my joining. I actually joined back then to defned myself.

Here's what happened:

A member posted a question- it was something like:
"I'm interested in a diamond, but the vendor says he can't photograph it- what to do?"

A legitimate question, I think.

At some point in the discussion Garry Holliway posted a photo which was obviously mine ( it's actually my avitar) The caption of the photo read something like:
"If it's the vendor I'm thinking of, and he says he can't take a photo, he's not telling the truth"


I confused issues. I was angry that my photo was used in that manner- who wouldn't be? But essentially, I was taught by ( I think aljdewey ) one of the more legally knowlegable members of PS that the use of photos for educational purposes is allowed by law. Furthermore, it's actually a compliment.
The issue of being unjustly accused of dishonesty got me angry- ergo, my since retracted statement that I needed to give permission to use my property.

Garry still owes me a beer for that one-
In the ensuing 10 months I've learned a lot about Garry, I respect him and his work- I respectfully disagree with certain aspects- but I realize the great effort he has put into the work- and I believe Garry to be a well meaning individual.

Who out there would NOT be at least interested in knowing where your work was being shown? Is this "big brother"?

moremoremore- I was simply making a joke. I mean, you said " I've never liked the quality of his pieces" and "I hate his stones, but I think he is probably honest..."
Thank you for the last part. But I really need to ask- have you actually seen our jewelry in person?
As far as "hating my stones" do you hate this one?

I'm extremely proud of this one- I'm thinking of keeping it for personal use.

It's fine if you hate every single stone- it's your perrogative.
I welcome the critisism- If you'd like to discuss ANY stone we ore offering- knock it as much as you want- I'm fine with that- ON ANY DIAMOND FORUM.
If you'd like to include me in the discussion- just ask. IF I see such a conversation, I would like to join, if I might.

TO THE ORIGNAL POSTER: I hope we've served you well. I'm sure that if you are not satisfied with our efforts, Whiteflash, or Good Old Gold - or one of the other excellent vendors- will be able to find exactly what you seek.
If you'd like for us to show you something, please feel free to email me

 

[moremoremore]

David- they were ref'ing to superidealist I believe...not you!

 

[diamondsbylauren]

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On 7/23/2004 3:04:23 PM Diamondsbybree wrote:

David, It's nice to see you post~! I love your fancy colored diamonds. I hope to some day be able to get into them myself.

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I want to adopt you Bree.
As my daughter you get a hefty .00000005% discount.


HEHEHEHE

 

[moremoremore]

oops...I went back and re-read what you had posted. Duh on my part!

Actually, I dislike fancy colored stones...so no, I don't like that one since you asked..sorry...I was really ref'ing to the colorless ones b/c I think that fancy colors are cut differently to really show off the color...? Never been to the store, just going by what I see online...

And actually, I got banned from the other forum for what I believe was being critical about some stones and vendors(not just yours) on that 'other' site...so I don't believe a free and open discussion is welcome there...I had NO issues there with ANYONE...but the vendors I suppose. I am happier here anyway

As for the picture, they are your pictures...So I have no beefs there! (It was clear that it was your though...and I believe the picture is on ebay also, no?) In any event, no more pics from me. My bad.

 

[diamondsbylauren]

I must admit, I can't understand ruling out Fancy Colored Diamonds with such a broad brush- but then I guess anyone who loves something might not "get" how someone else doesn't.



Moremoremore- PLEASE- Feel free to use any of the photos from our web site, or our eBay store- providing that the use is for educational purposes.

All the photos were taken by me.
Garry, I'm trying to figure out a way to hold the diamond, and 2 cameras to take a photo of myself taking a photo.
Maybe use my foot??????


kidding-

Hey Garry- When are you coming to New York???- Or do I have to fly to Australia to get to to pay up on that beer offer?????

 

[Diamondsbybree]

I want to adopt you Bree.
As my daughter you get a hefty .00000005% discount.


David,
You are in luck, I am in the market for a new step daddy~!!

 

[LGail]

Wow, I never thought this question would lead to a lengthy discussion such as this! It has been interesting though. I simply wanted to see what peoples opinions of a particular vendor were, for example, if the vendor is honest, if they deliver what they said they would, if return policies have been fair and if people have had problems, the price vs quality of their stones.

The only reason I thought that this might not be the right vendor for me is because it looked as though they specialized in colored diamonds which I am not in the market for right now. I would definitly be open to hearing what you might have available with my desired specifications.

 

[Diamondsbybree]

Here is my ALL time favorites of Diamondsbyblauren diamonds~!

Please don't get made at me for posting this.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

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On 7/23/2004 3:33:24 PM diamondsbylauren wrote:



All the photos were taken by me.
Garry, I'm trying to figure out a way to hold the diamond, and 2 cameras to take a photo of myself taking a photo.
Maybe use my foot??????


kidding-

Hey Garry- When are you coming to New York???- Or do I have to fly to Australia to get to to pay up on that beer offer?????----------------

Actually David it is you looking at, not photographing the diamonds, so we can see where the light comes from into the diamonds etc.
Someone else (your big Bro?) will need to click the camera

And I have not been back to NYC for 3 years.
Will get there soon, but why not come here for a visit?

 

[diamondsbylauren]

Gail- I would like to express my deep gratitude for your post.
I believe that ANY business is better served when they listen to and hear, critisism.

If anyone would like to contact me to further discuss this privately, please use email

[email protected]

 

[headlight]

To say some of the things about David's product that have been said on this thread are just so uncalled for. As MaryAlaina said, if you don't care for his stones or his mountings, then just say it isn't your thing (or don't say anything at all, given that the original poster wanted input from people who have had experience with DBL, not merely what do you think of his website). Personally, I enjoy David's humor and style, but that is just me, not everyone will like it nor will everyone like me. I happen to love three-stone rings and the style in which he creates his are, IMO, stunning. I love his use of a wide range of side stones (trills, traps, half-moons, bullets, etc.) in very hefty/solid shanks to create pieces that are upscale and individual and not the run-of-the-mill stuff you see on the majority of "build-your-own" sites out there, or the standard DVatche mount or Ingwer pre-fabs, etc. Which brings up another point -- all of his pieces are done custom; he doesn't "order in" stock mountings; for some people this may not mean anything, but for myself as I'm sure for a whole market out there, this is something desireable. Yes, as David has stated, his "niche" is not one of basing a stone on the numbers. Everyone should purchase in the way that suits them best for their hard-earned money, but going by the numbers is not the only way. We all know that PS is not a fan of the 60/60 or of non-H&A stones, but I do love my 61/61 RB and I especially love the way the facets don't line up, which is something that David posted appeals to him, as well. It is actually the fact that my RB posesses a different "look" to it than an ideal or H&A does that makes it unique and appealing to me. I was used to buying based on visual appearance, so I suppose in the ideal diamond "revolution", it was great to find a vendor (aside from the one I purchased my stone from before learning about the diamond boards) who also went for stones based on how they looked to the naked eye, after seeing so many stones throughout his career. Which, by the way, included his sorting of stones for Harry Winston (as in THE H.W. himself), so this was obviously the type of stones they were selling "back in the day"; I don't know what the House of HW is selling now, but I wouldn't shake my head at the opportunity of attaining one of those fine (vintage) HW diamonds -- would you??? Does that mean I'd never want to own a H&A? Of course, not -- it would be fabulous to be able to have the opportunity to call one of those beauties my own. Does it mean that I'm not grateful to have the opportunity of learning from everyone here about going by the numbers and how that translates into a beautiful stone -- again, I am enlightened everytime I log on. But I must admit that I am drawn to the more "off the beaten path" stones, of which I am sure I am not alone in that preference, and if that means that I like "runts", so be it.

 

[Matata]

MaryAlaina,

I agree with your statement that those who do not care for David or his products should just say so and let it go -- what you're asking for is an honest disclosure and it is a fair expectation. However, you state that you are advocating for David and his products from the position of a consumer and neglected to mention that you were once employed by David and consider him a friend. This is not to imply that your opinion is invalid because of those relationships, but rather that you know David on a deeper level than perhaps a one-time consumer might.

My one issue with DBL and you is that you both posted on DT for quite awhile before either of you admitted to that employee-employer-friend relationship and that tainted (for me -- I don't speak for others) the credibility of both of you. It was only when a DTer inquired about a possible relationship that you (or David I can't remember which) disclosed the relationship. You both did the right thing at that point, but it would have meant more to me as a potential consumer if the disclosure would have been voluntary from the get-go.

 

[headlight]

Matata,
Please correct me if I am wrong, as my memory isn't so hot these days, but I thought I recall David making a statement (post) on DT announcing that fellow DTer, MaryAlaina, was going to be working in some capacity for DBL. And then again, when they chose to disolve that association, another post was made to inform DT subscribers.
In either case, it would seem to me that someone who had some sort of former professional affiliation with someone that could/would still speak in favor of that person says a lot.