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questions for: Dave Atlas ,Rich Sherwood, Neil Beaty...

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Dancing Fire

Super_Ideal_Rock
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i''m sure you guy''s get a lot of internet stones that your clients haven''t seen ,because it was shipped direct to you from the vendor . but in my case, i have seen the stone. i still want an opinion from the appraiser. i had my stone shipped to your office and (chris) did an excellent job. he told me it''s one of the best performing stone he has seen. he called the stone H SI1 eyeclean... same as the GIA cert. i asked him if this was a piece of crap, would you tell me to reject it and his answer was ''YES''. that''s what i like to hear from the appraiser. if i send you an ugly stone, i would like to know,so i can look for a better stone plus you wouldn''t be insulting me,because i haven''t pay for the stone yet.is it that hard to tell your clients to reject a ugly stone ? ----------------
 

newenglandgemlab

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Jan 16, 2003
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vtigger,

Not only would you be told if the stone was ugly, but more important whether we agree with the grading or not and why. That is what you are paying for. Not just verification, but an opinion. I had one the other day that I graded hands down as an I-1 but the stone had an SI-2. If I were buying it I would have passed. But the pricing was so good it was a bargain stone and that is what the client wanted. It is just nice to know all the facts and make an informed purchase. Cindy
 

oldminer

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Rarely do we see a diamond graded and represented as "wonderful" turn out to be the polar opposite. Usually it is a diamond that is 'pretty good" that tunrs out to be "pretty bad". Once you get into "iffy" diamonds you can expect dissappointment. The best cut stones are usually excellent in appearance. THat's why Internet vendors who you find on places like Pricescope tend to offer fine cuts. They are way more satisfactory to buy than off-make diamonds.
 

denverappraiser

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vtigger86,

A significant majority of the stones I see come directly from the customer. They prefer to see if it meets their own standards before they decide to pay me to see if it meets mine. I do accept stones directly from the vendors on behalf of clients and regularly do this with out-of-state clients. Vendors will sometimes prefer to send stones directly to the appraiser because it reduces the credit risk inherent in doing business with a stranger.

I agree with Dave, it’s unusual to see a stone that has been advertised as fantastic that is, in fact, terrible. It all becomes shades of grey. Most customers find that they need to compromise in one or more areas in order to end up at the price that they needed. This can be a source of great concern because it’s difficult to balance the various issues without actually seeing the stone. If they took a lower clarity in order to get a better cut, for example, I would expect them to be especially concerned about those two issues. I would not flatly reject an I-1 stone that had a report that called it an SI-2. As long as it’s priced like an I-1, and an I-1 is what the client wanted, this would not be a deal killer. The key is to make sure that the client understands the facts so that they can make an informed decision.

Clients are also often concerned about whether important information about the stone has been omitted from the description. In particular, cut data is frequently the issue. Again the solution it to make sure the client understands the truth and has enough information at their disposal to make an informed decision and to assist them with that decision if they either can’t, or don’t want, to make it themselves.

Neil Beaty, GG ISA
Independent Appraisals in Denver
 

Richard Sherwood

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is it that hard to tell your clients to reject a ugly stone ?
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I don't tell my clients to reject anything. Their idea of an ugly stone might be entirely different than mine.

I just inform them of all the characteristics of the diamond, show them where it falls on the color, clarity & cut quality scales, and then let them make their own decision.

There are plenty of consumers (and diamond connoiseurs) who prefer diamonds which have characteristics falling outside of the traditional norms. One person may turn their nose up at a beautifully cut "M" color diamond while another loves it for its "warmth" and fiery display.
 

Dancing Fire

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Thanks to all the appraisers who reply.

as a consumer i still like to hear the truth. if i was about to pay $10,000 for a ugly stone that is really worth $5,000; i would expect an apraiser to tell me i can do better, instead of making a mistake of over paying. Isn't that the main reason we hire an appraiser?
 

Richard Sherwood

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as a consumer i still like to hear the truth.
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Who's not telling the truth? You're told the quality of the diamond, how it compares to others, and what it's worth.

I don't know many consumers that would pay $10,000 for a diamond after being told it's worth $5,000.

As far as telling a consumer that a diamond is "an ugly stone", I don't think that's the job of an appraiser. Some consumers think Rolls Royce's are ugly, and Ford Mustangs are beautiful. Who am I to try and tell them different?

Some people think an M color SI2 diamond with a killer make is a "piece of crap". Some think it is gorgeous, and within their size/budget criteria.

I just appraised a diamond the other day that had previously been appraised by the consumer's hometown appraiser. The hometown appraiser pronounced it as a "piece of crap". Words verbatim. The customer couldn't believe it, as it looked gorgeous to them.

So they drove four hours to my place for an analysis. Turns out the diamond is a fine quality AGS 0 with great optical performance. Apparently there was some aspect of it this appraiser didn't personally like, but for the life of me I can't figure out what it was.

I showed them where the diamond fell in each of the respective quality scales, and told them what it was worth. They were relieved, and purchased the stone.

I feel my job is to report the facts, make sure the client understands them, and let them make their own decision.
 
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