Can the experts please tell me their definition of a Good Quality Diamond

[sparkles]

I was told that I need to buying minimum 1ct G/H VS1/2. Anywhere below these parameters means I have a crappy diamond that won''t keep up with the increasing diamond prices and certainly won''t be heirloom quality. SI stones are 1 gazillion times more available than IF-VS2 and therefore are virtually worthless. It was also said that no vendor would buy back any SI stones without loss to me, the consumer - not even WF.

Its nice to know that all i have are crap stones and I had better get to it and upgrade my .45 @ HSi1 studs, my 1.04 JSi1 and my HSi2 pear (real piece of crap),,,,,,I''m so crosss

 

[ladykemma]

uh, where did you get this information?

 

[richipat]

Sparkles....my goodness...what is going on? Who told you that?
Concerned.

 

[Ellen]

Hogwash.

 

[pricescope]

while we were tracking historical trends (2000 - 2006), diamond prices with higher color, clarity and carat did increased/vary more. (see e.g. Price hike a Hype? or
Price stats update - April 2005)

It doesn't mean lower carat, color, and clarity = lower quality. It's just market price trend (supply and demand) may vary for different categories.

 

[sparkles]

Thats 2 jewelers so far that have asked me why I am buying so low quality diamonds. Asian mentality I guess. I guess I should expect comments from jewellers when I take outside stones to them to be set. Obviously they would rather I bought from them in the first instance. But their prices aren''t competitive and they don''t offer 100% lifetime upgrade. So I am lowly and not worthy if I am not buying D IF. One jeweller told me that GIA far outweighs AGS in Asia....AGS grading is too soft and not really worth the paper...I tried very hard to keep a straight face......

 

[Ellen]

Date: 5/23/2007 10:09:15 AM
Author: sparkles
Thats 2 jewelers so far that have asked me why I am buying so low quality diamonds. Asian mentality I guess. I guess I should expect comments from jewellers when I take outside stones to them to be set. Obviously they would rather I bought from them in the first instance. But their prices aren''t competitive and they don''t offer 100% lifetime upgrade. So I am lowly and not worthy if I am not buying D IF. One jeweller told me that GIA far outweighs AGS in Asia....AGS grading is too soft and not really worth the paper...I tried very hard to keep a straight face......

Yes, although it''s not right, it does happen.


AGS is not as recognized as GIA in Asia, but it is gaining.

You have lovely stuff, enjoy.

 

[denverappraiser]

As has been mentioned, this is hogwash but I though I would point out a few specific details.

Heirloom quality.
What makes an item an heirloom is the ownership history of the piece. In fact, MOST diamonds from the early part of the last century are what would, today, be considered very low in color. M-N-O colors are not unusual. This is because of the mines that were in production at that time and mines produce whatever God put there. Families all over the world are proud to have these stones as heirlooms and it’s crazy to say that they are somehow wrong in this because current fashion favors something different. What your great granddaughter considers to be a valuable piece of their history has a huge amount to do with you and almost nothing to do with diamond grading.

Selling back to jewelers.
Many jewelers will buy back things that they have sold while others won’t. The details of what they will and won’t buy depends far more on the contractual details of the original purchase than the grading of the stone. In the absence of a contractual agreement, many jewelers are still happy to buy directly from consumers and they ALWAYS want to pay less than they expect to resell it to somebody else for so yes, you will probably take a loss on the resale of any diamond. This difference is what keeps them in business and it makes no difference is we’re talking about IF or I1. How much of a margin they expect will depend on the business model of the store but they would be fools to decline to buy an SI stone if they are in the business of selling SI stones. As you point out, SI goods in the colors you’re discussing seem to be selling pretty well for a lot of jewelers at the moment. It’s always a problem to predict what will happen in the future but if the past few centuries is any clue, this seems likely to continue.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[RockDoc]

Date: 5/23/2007 4:34:44 AM
Author:sparkles
I was told that I need to buying minimum 1ct G/H VS1/2. Anywhere below these parameters means I have a crappy diamond that won''t keep up with the increasing diamond prices and certainly won''t be heirloom quality. SI stones are 1 gazillion times more available than IF-VS2 and therefore are virtually worthless. It was also said that no vendor would buy back any SI stones without loss to me, the consumer - not even WF.

Its nice to know that all i have are crap stones and I had better get to it and upgrade my .45 @ HSi1 studs, my 1.04 JSi1 and my HSi2 pear (real piece of crap),,,,,,I''m so crosss

I think you''ve gotten some incredibly biased information rendered to you in the hopes of scaring you away from what is factual.

As far as SI clarity grade is concerned - there are some incredibly nice SI stones, and some which are borderline lower. It is a stone by stone call. For someone to state SI-2 are "a real piece of crap" sounds ludicrous, unless they actually are gemologists, and examined the stone properly, on an independent analysis. This also depends on who issued the SI-2 grade in the first place. More often than not, if the initial grading was done by a seller, there is a strong chance that the clarity was overstated. If done by GIA or AGS, then the grade is fairly reliable of being a "decent quality" stone.

The retail diamond market, like anything else is very "cost" driven. It is factual that finer quality diamond increase in value more than average or poor ones do. But most items, there is more interest in buying lower priced items as far as consumers are concerned.

To wit, KIA is not the quality car that Mercedes is. Mercedes probably retains it''s resale value better, but KIA or less expensive cars are most likely sold in far greater numbers. A $ 3000.00 diamond will have more buyers than a $ 10,000. diamond will. The availability of differing qualities in the market also has an affect.

The opinion of GIA being more stringent than AGS is simply folly. I think you already know that.

Rockdoc

 

[kcoursolle]

I know many "heirloom quality" pieces that are warm in color and SI in clarity. Bottom line is that diamonds really should be appreciated for their appearance and how much you wear them rather than their investment potential. Get the diamond you want, not the diamond you think you are going to be able to sell for the most someday.

 

[Richard Sherwood]

I personally like I color or better, SI1 clarity or better diamonds with very good to ideal makes.

I know what you''re talking about with the "Asian mentality" though. Asians typically like very high quality diamonds, G color, VS2 clarity or better.

 

[MWG]

This is why I like Pricescope......The information is put out there for you to understand, read it, and learn from it.

The jewelry industry has misled the public consumer far too long. I vote for Pricescope for PRESIDENT!!!!

MWG