Disclosure of previously owned diamonds

[warheadwl]

Hi all,

First time poster here.

I found what looks to be a pretty good stone with an AGS certificate with a date of 4/11/2011 on James Allen.

My questions are the following:

1) Since the rock was certified in 4/2011, could this mean that the rock could have been pre-owned (and sold/upgraded)? Maybe I'm paranoid, but I'm concerned that previous owners may have been damaged the rock during daily use (diamonds aren't indestructible -- as other PS postings have shown).

2) Is it an industry standard to disclose rocks as pre-owned if they are?

3) Am I worrying too much?

4) Could a normal appraiser determine whether there are any hairline cracks in the diamond crystal lattice?

Thanks!

 

[rubybeth]

Hi all,

First time poster here.

I found what looks to be a pretty good stone with an AGS certificate with a date of 4/11/2011 on James Allen.

My questions are the following:

1) Since the rock was certified in 4/2011, could this mean that the rock could have been pre-owned (and sold/upgraded)? Maybe I'm paranoid, but I'm concerned that previous owners may have been damaged the rock during daily use (diamonds aren't indestructible -- as other PS postings have shown).

2) Is it an industry standard to disclose rocks as pre-owned if they are?

3) Am I worrying too much?

4) Could a normal appraiser determine whether there are any hairline cracks in the diamond crystal lattice?

Thanks!

1. Maybe, but if it was traded in with James Allen's upgrade policy, they would have thoroughly inspected it to make sure it still matched the old certificate, and if anything changed, they would have sent it for a new certificate.

2. Not as far as I know, that would be kind of weird; again, if a stone is re-polished or re-cut and the clarity changes, it would be sent for a new certificate. You may never know your diamond previously had an SI1 grading that was later polished out and is now a VS2. Edited to add: it's not like diamonds are works of art or historical artifacts with provenance. Stones get re-cut sometimes, and then they'd get a new certificate to match.

3. I think so.

4. You *could* have the diamond appraised loose before having it set to ease your mind, but if it's an upgrade trade-in James Allen has, I'm sure, inspected the stone thoroughly to make sure it matches the older certificate.

 

[denverappraiser]

Damage is one of the things that a good appraiser is going to look for. It's also one of the things that the gemologist for the seller is going to look for. On the grand scale of things, 4/11 isn't particularly old but if you're concerned, first, ask the seller if they took it as a trade-in or otherwise have reason to believe it's been previously loved. Second, have THEM take a look at it and make an assessment. Other paths include using an independent appraiser or even sending it back to the lab for an 'update'.

 

[VRBeauty]

Just to complicate matters, a "younger" certificate doesn't guarantee a new stone either. An older stone could have been re-certified before it was offered for sale...

 

[oldminer]

Nearly all cut diamonds in new condition are composed of material which is hundreds of thousands of years old. Only recently man-made diamonds are relatively young. Whether a diamond has been on someone's finger for 50 years or 3 days does nothing to change the inherent nature of the carbon forming the diamond so long as the consumerworks with a seller who properly describes the quality and condition of the stone as it currently exists. The fact that it was previously owned is irrelevant, but what condition it is currently in is the opposite and completely relevant and subject to disclosure.

A second hand diamond can be offered sometimes for a somewhat lower price than a newly cut stone. It all depends on the motivation of the seller combined with how much below regular market value was paid. Not all second hand diamonds are bargain priced, but some definitely are. Truthfully, you can find a few bargain priced new diamonds too, but you might not even appreciate the slight differences from full price. It might be a 1% or 2% bargain and really difficult for a consumer to understand the "bargain" price a dealer might be claiming. Whre profits are narrow, bargains are not generally deeply discounted.

I see no harm in a consumer understanding a diamond was previously owned, but sellers might hesitate to mention much about that fact even if they know and many would not know at all.

 

[webdiva]

Bottomline : stick with a reputable vendor. Many vendors offer upgrade policies where you can upgrade to a larger diamond or different shape diamond when you're ready. Those vendors will take those diamonds back, inspect them, repolish if needed and resell them. Usually this is not disclosed because they're in the exact same condition as when they were first sold. I know that my diamond has been owned by at least two other women - one of whom's threads I found on PS. My diamond is beautiful and in great shape, and having been pre-owned doesn't lessen it's beauty at all! In fact, I felt reassured prior to receiving it after reading the previous owner's threads about how she upgraded from this one and regretted it.

 

[kenny]

I think no matter how fresh the report or how reputable the dealer, we all have to face the fact that we may be buying a used diamond.
Your vendor may have never even be told, or the four other hands it passed through before your vendor got it.

Diamonds don't get thrown away after a death or divorce.