Vendors with trade up policies?

[MrsJolie]

Are any of you aware of vendors that offer trade-up policies on diamonds and settings NOT originally sold by such vendor?

I have a diamond and a designer setting in excellent condition which I purchased from a small local jeweler. He has offered a fair amount for the diamond and the setting, but I would like to look at diamonds at other places since I have exhausted his inventory and he isn't going on another diamond buying trip until January.

I know this is a long shot. Every policy I have read online states that the diamond or setting must have been sold by the vendor doing the trade up, but I thought I would ask anyway.

 

[solgen]

None that I'm aware of. I don't know why they'd give you the purchase price when they didn't make any profit on that.

On the same note, if say you bought a used ACA would WF allow you to do the trade up and give you the original purchase price credit?

 

[JDDN]

Whiteflash has a trade-up policy on diamonds that weren't originally purchased from them.

http://www.whiteflash.com/about-diamonds/whiteflash-policies/trade-up-program-for-customer-diamonds-1459.htm

 

[kenny]

If the diamond is good enough (report from GIA or AGS and 4Cs that are in-demand) and you are willing to accept a low-enough price I think any diamond seller would accept it.

 

[Rockdiamond]

I agree with Kenny- many jewelers will be interested in a trade.
Remember though that many of the sellers online are not actual diamond companies- rather they are "Virtual Sellers" they provide an internet portal selling diamonds that belong to others. It's less likely a virtual seller would buy a stone.

In general- consumers will have to accept a price which is lower ( sometimes substantially) than retail prices.
An exception would be if the diamond you're trying to trade in is worth a lot less than the diamond you want to buy.
Having a current GIA or AGSL report is in your best interest if it's a desirable, well cut diamond.
If you're unsure if your diamond is desirable and well cut, an appraisal prior to the expense of sending it to GIA may be worth it.

 

[MrsJolie]

Thanks so much for all the info.

Could you maybe give me a ballpark rough estimate of what I may get for a stone like this? If it's not near what my jeweler is giving me then I won't even try to go to another vendor. Im just curious.

0.72 carats
6.50 x 4.59 x 2.77 mm
G
VS1

It faces up pretty large for its weight.

I am looking for an elongated 2 carat cushion in the ~$12,000 range.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Thanks so much for all the info.

Could you maybe give me a ballpark rough estimate of what I may get for a stone like this? If it's not near what my jeweler is giving me then I won't even try to go to another vendor. Im just curious.

0.72 carats
6.50 x 4.59 x 2.77 mm
G
VS1

It faces up pretty large for its weight.

I am looking for an elongated 2 carat cushion in the ~$12,000 range.

The type of transaction is more complex than a simple purchase.
To truly assess the value would require an assessment of the stone being offered to you.
Kind of like trading a car in. It makes a lot of sense to negotiate the best price of the new car first, then the trade in value is more clear.
From your end, it makes a lot of sense to have a GIA Diamond Dossier, which costs less than $100
Who graded your diamond?

 

[MrsJolie]

GIA. I have the dossier report and the diamond is inscribed.

I've searched online vendors for diamonds with the same stats combo and they retail for ~$2100ish. My local jeweler said he would give me $4500 towards another diamond that costs at least double.

Your car buying analogy makes a lot of sense. I just don't want to go through the process of finding a diamond, falling in love with it, and then not being able to have it because the vendor can't give me what I want for my current stone.

 

[ccuheartnurse]

Why not send Jewels By Grace (Grace) or Love Affair Diamonds (Erica) a call about their commission programs. I used Grace & she was awesome to deal with. Erica is also a nice person & others have had great success with her. If you go with Loupetroop or Diamondbistro you do the work but keep all the money. For the small percentage I paid Grace, was great for me. She did all the work.

I must have missed it, is your stone a cushion? Oval? Rectangular cut? Again, sorry if I skimmed the thread to quickly. You have any pictures? There are a few of us here that might be interested in buying it.
So..post a pic. LOL I want to see it myself.

 

[ccuheartnurse]

JDDN..Thanks for posting about Whiteflash, I didn't know about their program. At least another option for someone looking.

 

[arkieb1]

I second the suggestion to get in touch with Grace (Jewels by Grace) and Erica (Love Affair Diamonds) and see what they can do, they both take consignment items and occasionally will take trades as well.

Alternatively consider selling the item yourself via Loupetroop and DiamondBistro and the preloved section on here. You can advertise it and if you have no luck keep dropping the price and worse case then you can go back to your jeweller if you have no other options.

 

[MrsJolie]

Thank you for the suggestions. I am going to look into both options.

I snapped a few pictures of it with my phone on my way out this morning. The sun wasn't really out so they are okay but not great.

 

[MrsJolie]

More that wouldn't fit

 

[MrsJolie]

Last one through the loupe.

It is graded as a VS1 and I've never been able to find any inclusions with a loupe. The dossier report doesn't come with a map of the inclusions so I don't know where they are either.

 

[chrono]

That's a very unusual cut.

 

[Rockdiamond]

It looks like a Daussi ring.
MsJolie- in my opinion the price offered raises a lot of red flags – that's quite a generous offer. Generous to the point of making me question what they're going to charge you for the new ring

 

[JDDN]

I was recently made aware of the tactic Rockdiamond just described. A jeweler will offer you a significant amount for your piece as long as it goes towards an up grade, however, they will greatly mark up what you are interested in.

Just be careful .

 

[solgen]

2 ct cushion in the $12k range may or may not be a good deal depending on the cut. We'd have to see the stone in question and its specs to ascertain a value. It could only be worth $9k in which case you'd only get getting $1k for your current stone.

Your stone is a very unusual cut so do you happen to know what brand it is? While I doubt it would fetch $4k it might get a decent amount given the cut.

 

[MrsJolie]

Rock diamond is correct, it's a Daussi.

 

[MrsJolie]

Since the setting is in excellent condition he offered me $1500 for it as well, bringing the total to $6000 if I trade in the entire ring, so I would be coming out of pocket $6000 if I can find a diamond from him that is around $12000.

The stone I put on hold is a modified brilliant cushion, crushed ice looking, 2.02 carats G SI1 and the price of it is $12,500, bringing my total to $6500. Good deal, or no? I attached a picture of it. The picture doesn't do it justice. I know everyone says that, but this diamond really sparkles.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

Since the setting is in excellent condition he offered me $1500 for it as well, bringing the total to $6000 if I trade in the entire ring, so I would be coming out of pocket $6000 if I can find a diamond from him that is around $12000.

The stone I put on hold is a modified brilliant cushion, crushed ice looking, 2.02 carats G SI1 and the price of it is $12,500, bringing my total to $6500. Good deal, or no? I attached a picture of it. The picture doesn't do it justice. I know everyone says that, but this diamond really sparkles.

Bear in mind that trades are essentially two seperate transactions. You are selling a piece you own and buying a new one. Examine the details of both transactions and make sure they are both competitive. Car dealers and sometimes jewelers will often lump them together to make it harder to analyze the deal. Folks here will help you figure it out if you ask the right questions of the jeweler and gather the info.

It's good to have an idea of what your net budget is - $6.5 k out of pocket may be comfortable to you. But if the right price is $4k, you will be leaving a lot of money on the table.

The new purchase is the key to the transaction. If you understand the actual market value of the new stone, you will understand what you are really being offered for your piece.

 

[MrsJolie]

Thanks for the insight, Texas. To clarify, $6500 is the most I can come out of pocket for my upgrade.

How can I determine fair market value for a diamond? The first thing that pops into my mind is an independent appraiser but wouldn't I have to purchase the stone before I could take it to an appraiser? Are there other ways to determine fair market value?

I just want to say thank you again to everyone who is helping me with this upgrade. I would never have thought to ask some of these things without PS.

 

[Rockdiamond]

MrsJolie- Does the new stone have a GIA report?

 

[Texas Leaguer]

Thanks for the insight, Texas. To clarify, $6500 is the most I can come out of pocket for my upgrade.

How can I determine fair market value for a diamond? The first thing that pops into my mind is an independent appraiser but wouldn't I have to purchase the stone before I could take it to an appraiser? Are there other ways to determine fair market value?

I just want to say thank you again to everyone who is helping me with this upgrade. I would never have thought to ask some of these things without PS.

Best way to start getting an idea of the market for the stone is to post the GIA report and let the folks here start identifying some comparables. If you do not have a copy of the report, post the report number and it should be accessible through the report check feature of the lab. Any additional data such as diagnostic images would be helpful too, but these are not provided by most jewelers.

 

[Rockdiamond]

As an impartial observer- it really does sound far to good to be true, in your favor.
Stranger things have happened- but the internet retail price on a ring like yours is less than he's paying you. Remember, it's pre loved

To your question on determining value, you can use the internet to find what diamond sellers, and jewelers are selling comparable stones for.
In terms of pricing out a 2ct G/SI1 Cushion, using the PS diamond search function up top, search between 2.00-2.10 cts cushion G/SI1
The lowest price is around $13k
The highest price is a bit over $28k
If I remove the filter for GIA/AGS you'll find a diamond that someone other than GIA or AGSL called G/SI1 for less than $9K
Speaking in general ( not commenting specifically on the picture you posted, or the specific PS listing) Based on the realities of the diamond market, a price 30% less than the lowest price from trusted sources indicates a great likelihood of a misgraded stone- possibly has an EGL report.
Could be a K color.
It could still be a very pretty diamond- I'm in favor of people loving K color diamonds properly graded and advertised.

Put those two things together, and the deal just sounds too good to be true if it's a GIA graded stone.
But as I said, stranger things have happened.

Bottom line- I hope it does work out for you.
Make sure the diamond has a GIA report.

 

[MrsJolie]

Ah! I didn't mean to say SI1. I wish! It's an SI2. I've been looking at SI2s to keep the carat weight and color up and the price down. Sorry for the confusion!

 

[Rockdiamond]

Please keep us informed- I'm very interested on how this works out for you.
Even as a G/SI2- the offer for your ring is unusually generous- especially if the seller is offering the new stone at a bargain basement price.
But ( to repeat yet again) stranger things have happened

As far as the G/SI2- make sure you closely examine the diamond to see if the imperfections are noticeable, and if they are a bother.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

Ah! I didn't mean to say SI1. I wish! It's an SI2. I've been looking at SI2s to keep the carat weight and color up and the price down. Sorry for the confusion!

An Si2 with strong fluorescence is likely to be a deeply discounted diamond. It still could be a good stone for you if you understand it's properties and the price is right. Here is an overview of fluorescence that you might find helpful:
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/diamond-flourescence

 

[Rockdiamond]

Good point about the Strong Blue and price Bryan! Strong blue stones trade at a lower price in a G color than stones of None or faint, in general.
It can be a very nice combination for those on a budget - SI2, strong blue - if the stone is a good performer in terms of brilliance, and clarity.
Some SI2's are very nice, others not so much.
About the clarity- try to get a view of the stone in different lighting within the store to see if you can spot, and or are bothered by the imperfections.
It's not possible to say anything about how they look in real life based on the GIA report.
Some Strong Blue stones are amazing, others are ok ( not positive or negative for that reason), and a few are undesirable for that trait alone.
If that's the case, no worries about needing anyone else's help- you will notice it easily. The worst case scenario is a stone that looks "oily" - or hazy.
You want to clean and keep trying with a cloth, but it's just dull.
Again, if that's the case, it's easy to notice

You can add your opinion to a running debate Bryan and I have.
My experience is that some Strong blue stones experience a "bump" in color in normal room lighting- that is to say, room lighting that is bright enough to see the diamond well enough to notice the color.

If you can view the diamond out of the brightest jewelry store lights, it's possible this G might look like an F color. If they have an F to compare to....



But again, good luck

 

[MrsJolie]

To me the stone doesn't appear milky or oily. I have read about the phenomenon you are referring to where fluorescence can make diamonds appear more white. I can't say with certainty that this diamond looks like an F color, but I don't detect any warmth that bothers me so I'm good with the color of it. He leg me take it outside to view in sunlight and it looked pretty white outside.

I think it looks very sparkly in person. But I can't say if it's well cut or not and there are no ASET images.

In terms of clarity, I can find the inclusions without a loupe. I don't know if anyone could find them if they weren't looking, but I can see them because I know where they are.

Here's a video I took of it with my phone: https://vid.me/oeN2

The inclusions are a few black specks on the right edge. There are some under the center of the table but they must be clear or white because I can't see them.


What do you think of it? Worth $12500?