Could I get help with a 3 ct OEC ?

[bubba1]

Hello all. Any help on this would be appreciated.
I have a diamond that was passed down to me about 10 years ago and it has been tucked away until today. I have wanted to put this in a ring but in 10 years I haven't done it so maybe it's not meant to be. I'll include a photo if I can.

I've read many posts on here today and have decided that although you are never to old to learn it does start to hurt more as the years go by.

What I know:
Appraisal done in 1985 by local jeweler reads as follows
Diamond: 3.00 Ct solitaire approx. wt.
Quality: VVS
Color: I
Cut: European
Value: $18,000 (I'm aware that is most likely insurance dollars not real world but will include here for reference)
$19,500 with chain and setting.

I was headed to a local gemologist for a grading and appraisal but after spending most of the day going over posts here, that may not be the way to proceed. I see for instance GIA will laser a matching report number on the diamond. Also that one grading standard is better than another, I think I read that somewhere.

My questions are, and lets assume for now that the appraiser got the color and clarity right:

1 If I decided to sell would the GIA grading be better than a local "Certified Gemologist"? My first thought was local so that a buyer could talk to them but a laser number with a matching report might be better. Thoughts?

2 What would be a range of value (real world), again assuming the 4C in the old appraisal are correct. If it's only worth 1 or 2 thousand I wouldn't want to spend a few hundred for a grading but if it's several thousand then sure.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for the poor quality of the photo. The focus was just not working right

 

[Coralfish]

Hello.

1. Yes, definitely.

2. The best way to determine value is to look for like for like comparisons.

The below links will show you a rough retail value, but you must bear in mind

i) You will not get retail value for your diamond, as a private individual wishing to consign or privately sell.
ii) You will see that the price varies quite a lot for seemingly narrow parameters - just one colour grade, or one clarity grade can cause the diamond to leap or fall in price. This reiterates the importance of a GIA certification (or AGS).
iii) Be prepared for the GIA to grade your diamond more strictly than your local appraiser has, so it may be judged to be lower than I in colour, and lower than VVS1 in clarity. (Of course the reverse may also be true, but tends to be rather less likely). Just so you can take a broader perspective when perusing 'like' diamonds.

Here are a couple of links as promised:

http://www.oldworlddiamonds.com/viewdiamonds.php?ITEM=diamond&SHAPE=EU
http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/loose-diamonds/3-01-ct-and-up.html

 

[ForteKitty]

Unset it and send to GIA. Even if it grades as M-N, VS, it's still worth way more than just a couple of thousand dollars. I see a small table and clean looking girdle. Cut looks decent. Color is probably much lower than I, but I think there is a lot of potential. At 3ct, you'll pocket a decent amount. Once you have a GIA, you can sell it to a vendor or on one of the preowned sites if you want to deal with it on your own. I'd probably opt to consign it. Good luck!

 

[bubba1]

Thank you ForteKitty and Coralfish.

Do most have the GIA report number Laser Inscribed? Looks like thats another $35 or so on top of the $250 for the grading. I would think that having the report number on the stone would be a good thing for a buyer.

I see from the links that this could be a $10k + diamond?

 

[arkieb1]

I agree with the others, it has a small table and is probably a decent cut but we can't see it properly because it is hidden in the setting it is currently in. If it is a J/K/L coloured diamond at 3 carats with a good clarity it's worth way more than $10 000USD, if it is really a GIA graded I even a J and a VVS clarity you have something worth $25 000 to $30 000+ to sell, so it is worth spending the money and time and effort sending it to GIA to find out exactly what you have.

Old cut diamonds have gone up substantially in value since 1985 when the last valuation was done, back then they were not considered worth as much as modern cuts, now they are sort after.

 

[ForteKitty]

I personally prefer laser inscriptions. Some buyers are able to match up inclusions to the plots, but a lot can't and they rely on it. I think it's worth the $35. And yes, you can be looking at $10,000+, depending on the grade. Get it done, and take some pictures of it loose before you send it in to GIA. I want to see more pics!