I''ve been shopping, need some help

[DMcD]

Well, im going to pop the question sometime soon (after I figure out the whole diamond situation) but I think I need some help. I have done some extensive searching on this site as well as some others regarding the diamond, as well as a few visits to a local diamond shop here in the area.

The jeweler that I have been dealing with (really nice guy) has a bunch of diamonds, and he can get me pretty much anything I want. I think I have it narrowed down (1.5+ Princess cut), but researching the whole GIA vs EGL thing here has me going crazy. My "diamond guy" says if I give him some time and trust him, he will find me the best diamond he can for the best price. I told him I was pretty set on going with GIA because of everything I read, but he says he can save me a lot of money if I went EGL. I want to trust him, but is he just trying to make more $''s? He is in the process now of finding me a few more diamonds to compare to one another. Right now he has (and I looked at) a:
(dont remember all the details off the top of my head)
-1.52 G, VS1, GIA cert for about $10,900
-1.53 G, VS2, EGL cert for about $9,000

They both looked really really good, and it was very hard to tell the difference.

He said he will look for an F, VS2 EGL and could save me even more. I have read here, that I shouldn''t buy based on the paper, but rather the diamond, and that''s is what I want to do. He is also making the setting for me, and said that he stands behind his work and will find me a great diamond, and I shouldnt worry about the cert. He is a certified gemologist in GIA and EGL, and said he wouldnt get me an EGL diamond that wasn''t as good as it''s grading.

Sorry for the blabber...any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jdneal22]

Fairly new at this myself, but from what I hear, the GIA is the way to go. If money is a concern within your budget...You can shoot for an H or an I color, with a well cut stone, and probably save a few bucks. With D, E, and F being colorless, and G, H, and I being near colorless...it probably wouldn''t hurt to research a GIA with an excellent or ideal cut, and dropping the color grade 1 or 2 notches...

Just an opinion....


good luck!

 

[DMcD]

That is the weird part jdneal, I''m not really looking to save the $. I told the guy that if he can save me money on a great diamond that would be great, but if we are talking $1500 i''d rather just get the best diamond. He is telling me that $1200-$1500 is so much money and it is definitely worth him picking out an EGL.

 

[jdneal22]

OK. Then you are in a good situation then. If your jeweler doesn''t work out, I just purchased my first diamond from a jeweler in the NYC diamond district. Superbcert. You can view thier diamonds on exceldiamonds.com. they have some great GIA, AGS, and thier own cuts of Superbcert Diamonds. They are priced great and I have not met a more informative pair of jewelers than, Barry (owner) and Judah (his son). They have hundreds of testimonials, youtube information, and great guaruntees! Check them out. It can''t hurt...

Check out my topic "Is it big enough" I have my ring I purchased from them.

 

[jdneal22]

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/diamond/71113.html

Check this one out. I bought one of thier Superbcerts recently for my upcoming engagement.

 

[jdneal22]

They come with a brilliance scope report, GIA, and plenty more. And if you email Barry and exceldiamonds... he will tell you anything you need to know. He has all diamonds in stock and non are of conflict. And dude, I am no salesman...for any company. I only rave about this company and pass on thier company name because of my great experience dealing with them.

 

[belle]

welcome to ps dmcd!

have him bring in an ags0 princess to compare to the other two that he is suggesting and make your decision from there.

 

[jdneal22]

AGS0 are great as well. If he has some of them...check them out. Excel carry a good selection of them as well..

 

[Hest88]

If I purchased from someone I knew---such as one of the PS vendors I''ve known for years---I''d have no qualms about having them choose an EGL for me, or even one without a cert. However, if I wasn''t sure if the guy knew his stuff I''d insist on at least a GIA, or a generous-enough eval period where I could send it to a trusted appraiser.

 

[DMcD]

Date: 7/24/2007 11:48:13 AM
Author: Hest88
If I purchased from someone I knew---such as one of the PS vendors I''ve known for years---I''d have no qualms about having them choose an EGL for me, or even one without a cert. However, if I wasn''t sure if the guy knew his stuff I''d insist on at least a GIA, or a generous-enough eval period where I could send it to a trusted appraiser.

Yeah, I don''t know this guy, but I have been in to see him a lot and he has taught me a lot. Like I said, he seems trust worthy and I really want to trust him. I also brought my brother and his fiance in, and he is making her wedding band for a really good price.

 

[Regular Guy]

Date: 7/24/2007 11:40:53 AM
Author: belle
welcome to ps dmcd!

have him bring in an ags0 princess to compare to the other two that he is suggesting and make your decision from there.

DMcD,

In the particular case of princesses...despite GIA's advantages...you'll at least want to do as Belle says, and consider against AGS0 options. AGS has done special research on Cut, establishing an accountable category for ideal, which no other certifying agency has done.

Read about them here, doing a search.

Get one of these, if you'll go without. (edited to add...I meant to point you here to the ASET scope...but I see the tutorial, while saying ASET is better for fancies than the IS...only seems to give examples of IS output. You may have to google ASET to get one, but you can buy one for $50 ish).

But...G0G has 4 you might well like to consider, priced from $9201 - $13,9. These are seen on the Search by cut...

Also, as JDNeal says, Excel has several they can call in, one of which is this one.

BN is sometimes an attractive source for these, but not to my eyes, today.

Warm regards,

 

[dunndeal]

Hi DMcD,

It is true you can find EGL diamonds that are graded correctly but my first reaction is stick with a GIA cert. It is nice that he is showing you a few side by side so you can judge the color grade for yourself if EGL is the route you want to take.

Good luck,

Sean

 

[DMcD]

Thanks for the replies, just bumping for anyone else that may have some input.

Thanks

 

[angeline]

Maybe EGL might look like a better deal because it''s a softer lab so on paper the stone looks better than what it is? I never trust someone that says'' trust me'' if I don''t know them REALLY well.

Good luck.

a

 

[jdneal22]

I agree with angeline. That''s a sales pitch to suck you in. And sometimes people are vulnerable and gullable to those words, "trust me". I don''t trust anyone with my money. I became educated on diamond over a 6month period of time, did my own research through various vendors and others sources... Then I chose my own diamond. You feel better about the diamond knowing you did the work to find it. And as far as the reports... I am not as educated in those areas. Only to know that GIA, AGS are the way to go...

 

[DMcD]

I found the details on the diamonds Please tell me what you think.

Total Price $10,925.00
Carat 1.52
Shape PR
Color G
Clarity VS1
Depth 74.5%
Table 72%
Girdle STK-VTK
Culet N
Polish VG
Symmetry G
Fluorescence N
Measurements 6.54 X 6.23 X 4.64
Comments
Certificate GIA


Total Price $9,755.00
Carat 1.53
Shape PR
Color G
Clarity VS2
Depth 73.1%
Table 76%
Girdle THIN
Culet POL
Polish N
Symmetry VG
Fluorescence VG
Measurements
Comments
Certificate EGL

 

[Regular Guy]

One opinion...

 

[DMcD]

Date: 7/24/2007 8:36:00 PM
Author: Regular Guy
One opinion...

So the table % is useless or I want to keep the table % under the depth?

 

[DMcD]

Bump

After some more searching, it looks like the way to go is to have the depth a little bit higher % than the table. If this is correct, than the 1.52 GIA princess looks like it is the way to go.

 

[SpldRotten]

DMcD, I''m also in the process of looking for a stone, and the ''diamond dealers'' my fiance and I have spoken to have all suggest dropping a grade in clarity, rather than color. As far as I''ve been told, the color is easier to see with the naked eye than the clarity...

 

[Hest88]

Date: 7/25/2007 10:34:52 AM
Author: DMcD

After some more searching, it looks like the way to go is to have the depth a little bit higher % than the table. If this is correct, than the 1.52 GIA princess looks like it is the way to go.

Yes, on paper that one looks better than the other, but that''s really not enough info to tell if it''s a nice stone or not. At minimum, crown height would be good, but that usually also comes with all the other stats that can help determine if a stone is lively.

As an example, here''s a GOG. Check out the pictures and the stats.
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/2858/

See if you can get your guy to send out the GIA stone to get ALL the relevant stats you''d need for a proper evaluation.

 

[DMcD]

oh no, do I now need to start looking at AGS 0 Princess cuts? This is too much work,hahah.