Why stay away from EGL

[AllieLuv83]

It seems as though the consensus is to stay away from diamonds graded by EGL...I was looking on abazias.com and almost all of their stones are EGL and the prices seem really good. If I go with a VS2 I colored diamond, can I expect it to be eye clean? I know that color will most likely be a J at best but that is not what concerns me.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 10/9/2007 11:15:58 AM
Author:AllieLuv83
It seems as though the consensus is to stay away from diamonds graded by EGL...I was looking on abazias.com and almost all of their stones are EGL and the prices seem really good. If I go with a VS2 I colored diamond, can I expect it to be eye clean? I know that color will most likely be a J at best but that is not what concerns me.

Hi Allie,

To say would only be guessing. If you''re interested in trying an EGL stone out, I would recommend buying it only if they have a good return policy, and immediately have an independant appraiser check it out with you. Then you can decide if it''s worth it.

 

[mamalala]

Hi Allie, my old stone (which you can find under the thread entitled "My shiny!") was EGL-USA I/VS1 and it was absolutely stunning. Most people were very surprised when I told them it was an I, even I couldn''t believe it. Hopefully wherever you purchase your diamond from can send you pictures of the actual diamond. If you absolutely love how a stone looks, I wouldn''t worry too much about the cert (as long as it IS certified by AGS, GIA, or EGL).

 

[gemgirl]

I am sorry to say that I have a strong negative opinion about EGL graded stones. They are known to be lenient in their grading and from personal experience, having bought a carat and a half pear shaped EGL graded diamond from Blue Nile years ago, EGL is sloppy in their assessment of quality. I bought what was supposed to be a G color, SI 1; but my now more learned opinion is that the stone was probably an H color at best and an I 1 or I 2. Never mind the small inclusions that were only noticable with a 10X loupe, the thing had a big black glaring blob of carbon at the 4:30 position. Clearly the cutter should have rethought cutting this into a pear and should have opted to make it a VS 2 round. The inclusion was so obvious, it was embarrassing AND TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, my salesman at Blue Nile thought the stone was beautiful and tried very hard to convince me to keep it. It was then that I decided to turn my ten year interest and study (on my own) of diamonds into a serious endeavor and learn the RIGHT way. I enrolled in the Graduate Diamonds Program at GIA and got the education of a lifetime. Now, no five and dime dopey uneducated smooth talking saleman can fool me.

I''m sorry but I am VERY passionate about quality. Though I am not a rich person by any means, I want and NEED to have the very best quality that I can afford. GIA sets the standards for diamond grading for the world. I wouldn''t buy any stone unless it had made it''s way through the GIA diamond grading labs and has a legitimate "birth certificate". This is especially true for fancy cut diamonds. I should say however, that years later I hunted down, chose and bought "the twins" (what my diamond broker called them). Two nearly identical (off by 2/100ths of a mm) round .39 pt each GIA certified G color, VS 2 clarity diamonds that are also AGS 0s.

If you''re buying a fancy shape, definitely go with GIA only.
If you''re buying a round, go for the GIA/AGS combo and you''ll know EXACTLY what you''re buying- no questions asked.

 

[Diamond*Dana]

EGL is not very popular around here, but I will say that I had a stunning EGL certified 1.25 ct emerald cut H/VS2 and it was beautiful, right on the mark with the cert. Shop carefully, and get a second opinion. Good luck!

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 10/9/2007 11:42:35 AM
Author: Ellen

Date: 10/9/2007 11:15:58 AM
Author:AllieLuv83
It seems as though the consensus is to stay away from diamonds graded by EGL...I was looking on abazias.com and almost all of their stones are EGL and the prices seem really good. If I go with a VS2 I colored diamond, can I expect it to be eye clean? I know that color will most likely be a J at best but that is not what concerns me.

Hi Allie,

To say would only be guessing. If you''re interested in trying an EGL stone out, I would recommend buying it only if they have a good return policy, and immediately have an independant appraiser check it out with you. Then you can decide if it''s worth it.

I agree witn Ellen Allie.

 

[jayreneepea]

To confuse matters even more, there are different EGL labs. Steer clear of EGL Isreal. If you find an EGL USA, do as Ellen suggested. But before you buy, be sure you know how to shop for a well CUT diamond as cut is the most important C.