1st Diamond purchase

[KevinB]

Okay so im a newbie when it comes to diamonds but i have been searching around local stores for a ring for the proposal. I have found a jeweler who we are happy with as far as the designing of the ring is concerned. However the main stone price seemed a bit high and I asked if the stone was GIA certified. They said they would certify the entire ring themselves (store cert not GIA Cert) but that really doesn''t mean anything to me, i couldnt tell if a rock was what they said it was, i dont have a trained eye so that is why i was looking for a GIA cert.

They were going to find a rock that was G/H SI1 or better stone of approx .70 points and charge me $2500.

I did some searching around the net and found a certified GIA .73ct VS2/F on Ebay. I am a little hesitent to purchase a rock without actually seeing it in person but the GIA cert is more comforting, and it is about $700 less than the local jeweler.

I definately want a GIA certified rock in order to put my mind at ease. Local stores without those certs can screw me just as bad as an Ebay purchase. What are your thoughts on interenet sales without seeing the rock.

The seller on Ebay has over 2000 positive feedbacks which is encouraging. http://stores.ebay.com/DIAMONDBOYS-FINE-JEWELRY

Anyone have any advice on this?

 

[KevinB]

This is the one I was considering:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=10211&item=4908762397

With an emerald cut the quality is pretty important since you can see right through the diamond fairly easily.

 

[researcher]

I wouldn't buy an Ebay ring personally (unless it was from Diamonds by Lauren). Have you tried using the PS link https://www.pricescope.com/repscope.asp? Oh, and I DEFINITELY would not purchase a stone that was graded by the vendor only. You're smart to stick with a GIA/AGS certificate!

 

[nicknomo]

Well, with Ebay you should expect to have a decent percent chance of being scammed. If I buy a diamond from a reputable dealer, I get a GIA cert. All i have to do is buy a similar diamond of lesser quality, and sell it with my cert on ebay. Most people wouldn't know the difference.

 

[Magnum]

Are you specifically looking for an emerald cut? The first post didn't specify, and it's not entirely clear. I would be wary of buying a diamond on e-bay. There is the possibility of a random good deal here or there, but they are usually pretty hard to find. There have been a lot of negative reviews of e-bay purchases in the past, and it seems like most times if the deal sounds too good to be true, it is. Buying on the internet can be worth it if you find a trustworthy vendor that gives you a lot of information on the stones they carry, so you can make an informed decision. i would suggest reading some old posts and try to get a feel for which vendors get good reviews. Another thing to consider is that there is a price/carat price jump at 0.7 carats, so if you can find one just under that magic number, you'll save a little money. Here's an example of a really nice ideal cut round stone that's just shy of 0.7 carats, but will most likely be impossible to tell any size difference between this one and another 0.7 carat stone (one other thing to consider, rounds look bigger than stones of other shapes, and tend to have the best sparkle of all the different shapes):

Dirtcheapdiamonds AGS0 0.661 G VS2 $2,194

 

[phoenixgirl]

BlueNile.com has a bunch of "signature emerald cut" stones in your range.

Here's an example:

0.63 H VS1GIA cert for $2k

 

[KevinB]

Thanks,

Yes I am looking for an emerald cut, that is what she wants

The ring is going to be a 3 stone emerald ring with an antique look band with 3 rounds wrapped in the band down both sides. The Center emerald i was looking at around .70+ and the two side ones at around .30. I was going to go with the local shop for everything except the center diamond and see if i could get a better quality diamond from an online vendor for either the same price or better.

The one think i have noticed with the emerald cuts is that I have been able to see any inclusions in the diamond pretty easily with my eye since you can see right through the rock. So color and clarity are pretty important.

The only other thing i was a bit concerned with going with a vendor online is that the 3 stones would end up not matching. Do you think that is a concern or at .30 i probably wont be able to tell?

 

[KevinB]

Dirtcheap diamonds decent vendor?

http://www.dirtcheapdiamonds.com/diamond_detail.cfm?did=2511538&ref=PS622

This one fits the budget.

 

[researcher]

Plenty of people rave about DCD. I've never done business with them, but have seen some amazing rings they've produced!

 

[pqcollectibles]

DCD is very reputable. The owner is extremely honorable and the staff is very knowledgeable. DCD is a great company to work with.