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2 Great Diamonds bought via the Internet

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thelostgarden

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 5, 2000
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3
I want to share a very positive experience in buying a pair of matched loose diamonds over the Internet. First, I scoured the Internet for information on diamonds and was amazed and pleased to find the depth and detail of information on just about everything one needs to know about these sparkling and mysterious icons of beauty, love and riches – including the history, industry, market, the 4 C’s, purchasing, vendors, appraisals, settings, and even insurance. I am grateful to all who are willing to share their knowledge and experiences. The Internet and its countless contributors are an amazing and heretofore unobtainable resource that seems perfectly suited to search for your perfect diamond.After using a number of databases from various vendors and www.Pricescope.com, and soliciting interest from eight different dealers via e-mail, I settled on USAcertedDiamonds.com I followed the owner’s advice (Mr. Martin Sheffield) and retained a third party, whom most of you know as the Rockdoc (DiamondClearingHouse.com) to evaluate and appraise the stones. The stones are 1.76 ct each, color I, clarity VS2. Although not true Hearts and Arrows, the Rockdoc’s alphascope clearly showed a strong pattern resemblance of near symmetrical albeit elongated hearts. I was prepared to settle for SI1 clarity, but felt these two were a great value and better quality for about the same price. Bill considers both to be very well-cut and proportioned stones – especially for the purchase price. The Rockdoc not only verified that the stones met their respective certificates (one was GIA, the other AGS), but also provided copies of Firescope, Alphascope, Gemex Brilliance Scope, Gemprints, and other powerful microscope images of each and both, side by side. Even in highly magnified and static views, the stones look identical.I received the information in color, via e-mail. Rockdoc’s services and additional shipping and insurance added to the cost of the purchase, but I believe his work was very important and necessary for me as a first-time buyer of diamonds over the Internet. He provides much more information than the standard GIA or AGS certificate. I now know Martin Sheffield to be a very honest, knowledgeable, responsive, and reputable dealer, but I would still recommend the services of Bill Lieberum (the Rockdoc) for anyone contemplating such a major first-time purchase. FYI, both stones cost something north of twenty thousand dollars. I don’t believe I could touch the quality of these stones for less than an additional 60-75% in a traditional retail jewelry store. I know Tiffany’s and Cartier’s would charge double what I paid for these fabulous gems – and the quality would not have been any better, nor the stones as closely matched as the pair Martin found.After agreeing to purchase the stones, I was understandably concerned regarding the large pre-payment by wire transfer, shipping and insurance. I can truly say that Martin Sheffield and Bill Lieberum are very honest and responsive individuals. I would trust them completely were I ever to purchase diamonds again. I received the diamonds, as promised, four days (which included a weekend and holiday rush) after the wire transfer. In regards to insurance, I took the advice of several experts on the various message boards, and ordered coverage for an “Agreed Upon” (rather than “Replacement” or “Actual Cash”) value approximately 25% greater than the purchase price. I know it would not be easy to match these stones for the price I paid. For “Agreed Upon” coverage, the annual premium runs about 1.27% of the value.We had Nordstroms, which is headquartered here in Seattle and has a nice jewelry department, set the stones as stud earrings. We considered 3, 4, and 6-prong settings, and the “Boundless” setting by Ambar. We decided on the 3-prong platinum setting as the least obtrusive and most balanced setting. At these weights and diameters (they average 7.85 mm or 3/10” across), the stones would tend to droop down in the traditional 4-prong “basket.” The 3-prong setting and a tight, wide backing presents the diamonds in a more perpendicular and balanced position on each ear. The backing is referred to as a “French” or lock nut back and is very secure as well as balanced.Oh yes, did I mention that my wife loves her rocks, and that both she and they look stunning together. This is a very special gift for the most special person in my life. Thank you Martin and Rockdoc. Again, their respective web-sites are:USAcertedDiamonds: http://www.independentgemservices.com http://www.usacerteddiamonds.com http://www.ags000heartsandarrows.com http://www.canadiandiamondservice.com
mailto:[email protected] (800) 252-1476Rockdoc: http://diamondclearinghouse.com/
(561) 392-4054
 

lawmax

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Dec 31, 1999
Messages
1,317
Glad you had such a great buying experience! I bet those earrings are gorgeous.
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lawmax
 

pricescope

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 31, 1999
Messages
8,266
Thelostgarden,Great story! Congratulations with the great rocks! Thumb up for Martin and Bill!Could you post the pictures here?Thanks a lot for sharing it with us!
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bacon

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 15, 2000
Messages
72
Congrats on your pet rocks!!!!!!!La Pusete posts and backs?those are gorgeous
 

StevL

Brilliant_Rock
Trade
Joined
Dec 31, 1999
Messages
598
Congrats on your purchase!!------------------
 
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