Help please….GIA certs (does the DATE really matter???)

[IceQueen2014]

Still looking for the perfect stone (sigh)…unfortunately Pricescope has been a blessing and at the same time a curse (obviously WAY MORE of a blessing). I think I'm being way too picky and overanalyzing every little detail of the stones stats and certs…and I've found something wrong with pretty much everything I'm finding! I've been patiently (well maybe not so patiently) waiting for "the one" to hit me over the head but that just isn't happening.

I don't live in an area that has many large stones (I'm looking for a 4-5 carat emerald or oval) so I've been scouring the internet in hopes to find some stones to call in and pick from there but I'm struggling (more likely being ridiculous)….

I've found a couple stones I'm intrigued by but the GIA certs are all 1-2 years old. I would think that if it was a stellar stone it wouldn't be gobbled up quickly and wouldn't be in the market that long. Am I crazy to exclude stones with older dates? What do they mean?

Thanks a million for any thoughts or advice!!

 

[crans223]

Still looking for the perfect stone (sigh)…unfortunately Pricescope has been a blessing and at the same time a curse (obviously WAY MORE of a blessing). I think I'm being way too picky and overanalyzing every little detail of the stones stats and certs…and I've found something wrong with pretty much everything I'm finding! I've been patiently (well maybe not so patiently) waiting for "the one" to hit me over the head but that just isn't happening.

I don't live in an area that has many large stones (I'm looking for a 4-5 carat emerald or oval) so I've been scouring the internet in hopes to find some stones to call in and pick from there but I'm struggling (more likely being ridiculous)….

I've found a couple stones I'm intrigued by but the GIA certs are all 1-2 years old. I would think that if it was a stellar stone it wouldn't be gobbled up quickly and wouldn't be in the market that long. Am I crazy to exclude stones with older dates? What do they mean?

Thanks a million for any thoughts or advice!!

Heya Icequeen, I just wanted to say I was in the same boat, but the thing that separates us pricescopers from regular consumers is the fact that we are looking for quality, and over-analyzing is, in my opinion, the best quality of the community here. Diamonds aren't something to decide on right away and need the time and care choosing the right one, as it takes the same amount of time and precision to cut the diamond we are seeking.

I wouldn't worry so much about a cert that is 1-2 years old, primarily because there are a LOT (if not the majority) of consumer that purchase diamonds pre-set from retail merchants looking to make the highest profit for the lowest quality (not all, but most) and since there are more diamonds being cut than there are people to buy them, it's very likely that it just wasn't chosen by someone merely because they haven't seen it yet or it was out of their price range, etc.

My diamond, which I love, was certified Sept 2014 and it is the most beautiful diamond I've seen in my price range (and beyond it at some points). There are so may carat weights, clarities, colors, etc that are out there, and only a few years won't make a difference, especially when some are looking for 1.5 or 2.0 or 0.75.

If you are having trouble, I recommend giving I.D. Jewelry a call in NYC and asking Yekutiel to find a diamond with what you're looking for and tell them that Ed from Pricescope referred you. Once you're known to be a price scoper with some of our vendors, the quality chosen for you is immediately realized and they look for exactly what you're looking for. That being said, I think he looks to find the perfect diamond for someone regardless,but well understands how important the perfect or ideal diamond is to someone on here, who spend their time researching, and over-analyzing.

Don't worry too much unless the cert is like 10 years old, because 1-2 years is fairly fresh imo.

 

[IceQueen2014]

Thank you so much for your response Ed…really makes sense and puts things into perspective for me! So thankful for such a great community of people willing to take the time to help each other out!

 

[pfunk]

I'm completely speculating here but I would guess that stones in that size range move more slowly than those of more common carat weights. So stones in that 0.5-1.5 carat range probably turn over much more quickly than stones that weigh 4-5 carats. It is therefore more common to see stones of larger carat weights with a little bit older reports. At least that is my guess, but hopefully someone more experienced can chime in.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

I'm completely speculating here but I would guess that stones in that size range move more slowly than those of more common carat weights. So stones in that 0.5-1.5 carat range probably turn over much more quickly than stones that weigh 4-5 carats. It is therefore more common to see stones of larger carat weights with a little bit older reports. At least that is my guess, but hopefully someone more experienced can chime in.

Very true. Especially in fancy shapes. As you go up in size and value the number of buyers decreases. As a result diamonds this size tend to stay in inventory longer than average, and much longer than the quick turning items. Nothing wrong with older certs. You will want to have the diamond verified by an experienced independent gemologist, to make sure the diamond is in original condition and that nothing has changed since the stone was in the lab.

 

[lilysweet]

Did you pursue the emerald diamond that the person on PS was selling that was his mom's?

 

[JoshuaNiamehr]

You can always have the GIA cert updated by the GIA - never hurts!

 

[IceQueen2014]

I'm completely speculating here but I would guess that stones in that size range move more slowly than those of more common carat weights. So stones in that 0.5-1.5 carat range probably turn over much more quickly than stones that weigh 4-5 carats. It is therefore more common to see stones of larger carat weights with a little bit older reports. At least that is my guess, but hopefully someone more experienced can chime in.

Makes sense!! I kinda thought that too…but then I thought there was a chance that it isn't necessarily the case b/c of the fact that even though the "pool" of people looking for those size stones is much smaller, so is the "pool" of stones that size! I was just talking myself in circles….hence why I came here for expert opinions like yours!!

 

[IceQueen2014]

I'm completely speculating here but I would guess that stones in that size range move more slowly than those of more common carat weights. So stones in that 0.5-1.5 carat range probably turn over much more quickly than stones that weigh 4-5 carats. It is therefore more common to see stones of larger carat weights with a little bit older reports. At least that is my guess, but hopefully someone more experienced can chime in.

Very true. Especially in fancy shapes. As you go up in size and value the number of buyers decreases. As a result diamonds this size tend to stay in inventory longer than average, and much longer than the quick turning items. Nothing wrong with older certs. You will want to have the diamond verified by an experienced independent gemologist, to make sure the diamond is in original condition and that nothing has changed since the stone was in the lab.

Thanks TL!
Would you recommend an independent appraisal for all stones after a purchase like this? Or only ones with "older" certs?

 

[Rockdiamond]

The considerations for a store and a private individual are different IMO

An older GIA on a stone for sale in a store or on a site might present a problem to some buyers.
If you're buying it to keep, and appraisal to make sure the stone has not been damaged since the original GIA report might be a good idea.
What's the date of the report?

 

[IceQueen2014]

Did you pursue the emerald diamond that the person on PS was selling that was his mom's?

Yes, I've been following it since the beginning of Feb…but I decided a G was as low of color as I really wanted to go in an emerald. I think an I would just be too warm! It looks amazing though, I'm interested to see what they end up doing and how much they get (I was hoping to be in the 90K range….100K for the "perfect stone").

 

[Texas Leaguer]

I'm completely speculating here but I would guess that stones in that size range move more slowly than those of more common carat weights. So stones in that 0.5-1.5 carat range probably turn over much more quickly than stones that weigh 4-5 carats. It is therefore more common to see stones of larger carat weights with a little bit older reports. At least that is my guess, but hopefully someone more experienced can chime in.

Makes sense!! I kinda thought that too…but then I thought there was a chance that it isn't necessarily the case b/c of the fact that even though the "pool" of people looking for those size stones is much smaller, so is the "pool" of stones that size! I was just talking myself in circles….hence why I came here for expert opinions like yours!!

Instead of a pool, think of a river. Larger fancy cuts are narrower and deeper river running slowly. Small to medium size rounds are a wider and shallower river with rapids.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

I'm completely speculating here but I would guess that stones in that size range move more slowly than those of more common carat weights. So stones in that 0.5-1.5 carat range probably turn over much more quickly than stones that weigh 4-5 carats. It is therefore more common to see stones of larger carat weights with a little bit older reports. At least that is my guess, but hopefully someone more experienced can chime in.

Very true. Especially in fancy shapes. As you go up in size and value the number of buyers decreases. As a result diamonds this size tend to stay in inventory longer than average, and much longer than the quick turning items. Nothing wrong with older certs. You will want to have the diamond verified by an experienced independent gemologist, to make sure the diamond is in original condition and that nothing has changed since the stone was in the lab.

Thanks TL!
Would you recommend an independent appraisal for all stones after a purchase like this? Or only ones with "older" certs?

With a purchase of this magnitude I think a consultation with a fully credentialed independent expert is must, regardless the date of the cert. By independent I mean the the gemologist should not be connected with the sale or the seller. If you have trouble finding such a person in your locality, there are some very good ones that frequent this board.

 

[IceQueen2014]

I'm completely speculating here but I would guess that stones in that size range move more slowly than those of more common carat weights. So stones in that 0.5-1.5 carat range probably turn over much more quickly than stones that weigh 4-5 carats. It is therefore more common to see stones of larger carat weights with a little bit older reports. At least that is my guess, but hopefully someone more experienced can chime in.

Makes sense!! I kinda thought that too…but then I thought there was a chance that it isn't necessarily the case b/c of the fact that even though the "pool" of people looking for those size stones is much smaller, so is the "pool" of stones that size! I was just talking myself in circles….hence why I came here for expert opinions like yours!!

Instead of a pool, think of a river. Larger fancy cuts are narrower and deeper river running slowly. Small to medium size rounds are a wider and shallower river with rapids.

LOVE this analogy!!!

 

[IceQueen2014]

I'm completely speculating here but I would guess that stones in that size range move more slowly than those of more common carat weights. So stones in that 0.5-1.5 carat range probably turn over much more quickly than stones that weigh 4-5 carats. It is therefore more common to see stones of larger carat weights with a little bit older reports. At least that is my guess, but hopefully someone more experienced can chime in.

Very true. Especially in fancy shapes. As you go up in size and value the number of buyers decreases. As a result diamonds this size tend to stay in inventory longer than average, and much longer than the quick turning items. Nothing wrong with older certs. You will want to have the diamond verified by an experienced independent gemologist, to make sure the diamond is in original condition and that nothing has changed since the stone was in the lab.

Thanks TL!
Would you recommend an independent appraisal for all stones after a purchase like this? Or only ones with "older" certs?

With a purchase of this magnitude I think a consultation with a fully credentialed independent expert is must, regardless the date of the cert. By independent I mean the the gemologist should not be connected with the sale or the seller. If you have trouble finding such a person in your locality, there are some very good ones that frequent this board.

Thanks so much for your thoughts and opinions. I'm live in Minnesota….but guessing I will likely end up calling in a variety of stones to NYC for viewing and then picking one out there. Do you have any independent appraisal experts that you'd recommends in either of these two cities?