Seeking advice on diamond "reworking"

[Snickerdoodle]

A local jeweler showed me an oval that I am seriously considering.

Oval
1.34ct
G
I1
8.18 x 6.33 x 3.66
Girdle: Medium to Slightly Thick faceted
$2700

It is a very pretty stone, but it is not certified. It does have a couple of black inclusions that can likely be laser drilled out. She said she would make the sale contingent upon my satisfaction with the results of the laser drilling. In addition to the "facelift" I would also like to have it sent out for liposuction. The L/W ratio is 1.29 and I would like it to be closer to 1.4, which would mean taking down the width to about 5.9 mm. It would also undergo a little body sculpting along with the lipo to improve the cut and polish. And, if it hasn''t already been away too long, I may finish up the makeover with a spa day at GIA getting certification.

Does anyone have a rough idea of how much time and money this would involve? Any idea of how much weight it would lose during the recut? Should I have an appraiser look at it and give their opinion before sending it out? Is all this worth the time, money, and effort, or should I find a better stone that''s already certified, even though it would likely be .35-.50 ct smaller to fit into the budget? I''m trying to find a happy balance between size, quality, and my boyfriend''s budget.

I appreciate any advice or opinions. Thank you!

 

[Lorelei]

Snicks, I would keep looking personally until you find the right diamond. There are a lot of ifs with this stone with doing what is proposed, and also with the cut tweaking it could possibly affect the cut quality for better or worse if the goal is to alter the shape slightly and there could be loss of carat weight- of course it is up to you but if you decide to pursue this avenue, then get an independant appraiser's opinion on the diamond and what is planned before the sale is final. Also just a caveat, sometimes with any recutting on a diamond, there is a small chance of damage or the unexpected happening, would the seller take the hit if something did happen? This is an unlikely scenario for a diamond to be damaged but not unheard of.

 

[Snickerdoodle]

The laser drilling would be done before we decide to purchase it. Unfortunately, the recutting would be done afterwards, so it would be us taking the hit on any damage, no the seller.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 9/22/2008 12:26:58 AM
Author: Snickerdoodle
The laser drilling would be done before we decide to purchase it. Unfortunately, the recutting would be done afterwards, so it would be us taking the hit on any damage, no the seller.

I would keep looking Snick, too many unknowns, you want to be able to purchase your diamond without risk or fear and enjoy it in my opinion without having to go through all this. The right stone is out there!

 

[oldminer]

Don''t do it. There are many diamonds much closer to what you want which you can find. You may not like the end result and you will be obligated.... No way..

 

[denverappraiser]

Don''t do it. If the stone could be improved by a bit of rework then it would benefit THEM to do it. There’s no reason to let them pass this task and the related costs and risks off on you. They can send it off to do whatever they want and, when it’s done, they can show it to you for consideration. If it indeed is improved then they can make a few extra bucks for their trouble and if''s not they will have wasted some time and money. It''s their call, and apparently their decision is that they would prefer that YOU do it.

Buy a diamond for what it is, not what it might become.

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

 

[Lorelei]

Good advice Dave and Neil!!

 

[Snickerdoodle]

Wow, I guess it''s unanimous. I''ll keep looking.

I just realized in re-reading the original post that I forgot to mention that the jeweler got this stone from an estate dealer, hence the low price.

 

[Kelli]

Keep looking. I am having my diamond recut now and it is a loooooooooong process. Plus, the laser drilling sounds scary to me. It might be just fine of course, but personally, I''d rather have a stone that wasn''t treated for it''s inclusions. In my head it kind of takes away from the authentic beauty in a stone. Maybe that''s kind of weird, but knowing inclusions had been drilled out of my diamond would bother me. You should be able to find a stone that better suits your needs. Good luck!