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.40 points GIA 3x for $500 30 of them

4Moonlite

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My local jewelry shop offering me as the title. The color is G or H and clarity is SI2. They are for my custom bracelet 4 prongs 6 1/4” , it’s 18k white gold about 1600-1800 setting 30 diamonds are included if I buy diamonds from them. What do you think? Should I go forward or any questions should I ask before putting down 5000 deposit. They are in our area for 30 years in their business.
Thank you so much in advance for all advice.
 

kenny

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3x is a term that's short for 3 grades of Excellent for Polish, Symmetry, and cut, from GIA.
Using this term implies all the diamonds were graded by GIA itself.:think: :snooty:

But ... who exactly is claiming those specs, the jewelry store, or does each diamond have an individual grading report from GIA?
I suspect the former because of the remote odds of finding 30 diamonds, all with identical specs.
Also GIA's cheapest report is $59 ... 59 x 30 = $1,770.

If the answer is the store, know this:
Even if the jeweler has the prestigious Graduate Gemologist degree from GIA that's not the same as, or as legit as, actual individual reports from GIA.
Such diamonds are not worth as much as those with reports.

Diamond value depends on specs, and the believability of those specs depends on who/what is claiming the specs.
In USA GIA and AGS are the most believable of all gem labs.

I'm not saying don't buy them.
I'm just saying don't be fooled into thinking you are getting the same thing for a lower price.
You're not.
Also if there are no reports I'd be suspicious of this jeweler.
If they lie about this. what else might they be lying about?

All that said I really doubt, short of a million dollar piece from Graff, you're going to find tennis bracelets with 30 GIA reports.
 
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4Moonlite

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3x is a term that's short for 3 grades of Excellent for Polish, Symmetry, and cut, from GIA.
Using this term implies all the diamonds were graded by GIA itself.:think: :snooty:

But ... who exactly is claiming those specs, the jewelry store, or does each diamond have an individual grading report from GIA?
I suspect the former because of the remote odds of finding 30 diamonds, all with identical specs.
Also GIA's cheapest report is $59 ... 59 x 30 = $1,770.

If the answer is the store, know this:
Even if the jeweler has the prestigious Graduate Gemologist degree from GIA that's not the same as, or as legit as, actual individual reports from GIA.
Such diamonds are not worth as much as those with reports.

Diamond value depends on specs, and the believability of those specs depends on who/what is claiming the specs.
In USA GIA and AGS are the most believable of all gem labs.

I'm not saying don't buy them.
I'm just saying don't be fooled into thinking you are getting the same thing for a lower price.
You're not.
Also if there are no reports I'd be suspicious of this jeweler.
If they lie about this. what else might they be lying about?

All that said I really doubt, short of a million dollar piece from Graff, you're going to find tennis bracelets with 30 GIA reports.

They inquiring/buying 30 GIAs along with 30 certificates, and all need to have inscription on them.
What do you mean by $59....59 = $1,770?
They can be mixed of SI2-SI1 and G-H.
I assumed .40 points will be difficult to see the inclusion. I don’t want to believe other jewelry claims their stones ratings AT ALL without GIA certificates.
Please let me know your thought.
Thank you
 

MollyMalone

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They inquiring/buying 30 GIAs along with 30 certificates, and all need to have inscription on them.
What do you mean by $59....59 = $1,770?
They can be mixed of SI2-SI1 and G-H.
I assumed .40 points will be difficult to see the inclusion. I don’t want to believe other jewelry claims their stones ratings AT ALL without GIA certificates.
Please let me know your thought.
Thank you
I'm confused. 1 point is just 1/100 of a carat, so a .40 point stone (less than 1/2 of 1 point) will be really teeny. GIA doesn't even issue lab reports on stones that weigh less than .15 carat (or 15 points).
 

headlight

Ideal_Rock
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SI2's?? No thanks.
There are decent SI2s (don't know how easy to find 30 of them in that size). Don't think high clarity is essential for a bracelet unless it interferes with its sparkle... color definitely more of the priority IMO, especially for a bracelet.
 
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headlight

Ideal_Rock
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I'm confused. 1 point is just 1/100 of a carat, so a .40 point stone (less than 1/2 of 1 point) will be really teeny. GIA doesn't even issue lab reports on stones that weigh less than .15 carat (or 15 points).
I'm confused... is each stone a 40-pointer (.40 ct)?... or is the ctw of all the diamonds 40 points (.40 tctw)???
 

headlight

Ideal_Rock
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My local jewelry shop offering me as the title. The color is G or H and clarity is SI2. They are for my custom bracelet 4 prongs 6 1/4” , it’s 18k white gold about 1600-1800 setting 30 diamonds are included if I buy diamonds from them. What do you think? Should I go forward or any questions should I ask before putting down 5000 deposit. They are in our area for 30 years in their business.
Thank you so much in advance for all advice.
What is the 1600-1800 amount for and what is the 5000 deposit???
 

4Moonlite

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I'm confused. 1 point is just 1/100 of a carat, so a .40 point stone (less than 1/2 of 1 point) will be really teeny. GIA doesn't even issue lab reports on stones that weigh less than .15 carat (or 15 points).
Sorry Molly It’s 40 points and I asked them for GIA report, they said yes!
 

headlight

Ideal_Rock
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Sorry Molly It’s 40 points and I asked them for GIA report, they said yes!
Each stone is 40 points (.40) or the total weight of all the stones equals 40 points???
 

4Moonlite

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What is the 1600-1800 amount for and what is the 5000 deposit???
They estimated 1600-1800 and for 18k white gold to make the bracelet size 40 points 6 1/4” length not 7”. 5000 for deposit so they can short it out from their supplies and order.
Thank you so much for all your input.
 

4Moonlite

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Each stone is 40 points (.40) or the total weight of all the stones equals 40 points???
Each stone is 40 points multiple 30. I think total weight will be 12 ctw. I don’t like to buy from Costco or Blue Nile or IDJ because I don’t know what actually quality I get. I don’t want to spend too much on quality because of bracelet and I like to have a big size stones.
 

headlight

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I really apologize if I'm just having a brain malfunction or lazy Sunday or just plain stupid, but I think I'm understanding this now as follows:
The cost will be $1600-$1800 (I'm assuming they will need to see how the metal weight comes out?) which will provide a bracelet in 18k white gold, in 6-1/4" length that has diamonds (G or H color, SI2 clarity), that is a TOTAL CARAT WEIGHT of diamonds equal to 40 points (aka .40 ct.).
Do I have this correct?
If yes, then why in the world do they need a deposit of $5000??? That makes NO sense whatsoever.
Usually a jeweler takes a deposit of like 25% to 50% of the estimated job total. NOT more than DOUBLE the cost as deposit!
Also, if the TOTAL carat weight of all the stones is .40 ct, there is no way they are GIA 3X stones, as @MollyMalone already pointed out, GIA doesn't issue reports for stones (melee) that small. And, as @kenny already pointed out, even if GIA did issue reports for that size, the cost for each report would be incongruous for the type of piece it is... unless you are getting it from someone like Graff, in which case the stones WOULD be more like 40 points EACH!!!
 

headlight

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Each stone is 40 points multiple 30. I think total weight will be 12 ctw. I don’t like to buy from Costco or Blue Nile or IDJ because I don’t know what actually quality I get. I don’t want to spend too much on quality because of bracelet and I like to have a big size stones.
OKAY, so they are EACH 40 pointers, not 40 points TOTAL. So they are charging you a TOTAL of $500 for all 30 stones that are .40 ct each???
Or is each stone $500?
 

headlight

Ideal_Rock
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So if they are 40 points each, then it is conceivable that you could get a GIA report on each one, but I really have not heard of that for something like a bracelet but what do I know.
You need to make sure that they do a good job of MATCHING stones. Given their very sizable weights, you want to make sure they all face up similarly (which means they might not all be 40 points... i am sure that was a approximate as frame of reference but you should ask all the questions). They should be similar in table size and girdle thickness... it is not just about matching color (which is obviously very important, as well). But stones with noticeably different table sizes or girdle thicknesses will stick out rather than having a completely seamless line of diamonds.
 

4Moonlite

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OKAY, so they are EACH 40 pointers, not 40 points TOTAL. So they are charging you a TOTAL of $500 for all 30 stones that are .40 ct each???
Or is each stone $500?
$500 x 30 = $15,000 30 for diamonds. I am sorry, I’m confused you because I don’t understand what is the difference between points and pointers.
 

headlight

Ideal_Rock
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$500 x 30 = $15,000 30 for diamonds. I am sorry, I’m confused you because I don’t understand what is the difference between points and pointers.
Okay, so each stone is $500. So you have $15,000 total for all 30 diamonds.
What is the $1600-$1800 for? Is that for the actual bracelet part, or is that the fee to set the stones into the bracelet?
I don't know if $500 for a .40 ct stone of G/H, SI2 is a good price. You can do some comparison shopping online and just figure it will be higher given it is a retail store.
I now understand why they want a deposit of $5000 given the cost of this bracelet.
Make sure you know what the cost is to set all those stones.
 

4Moonlite

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So if they are 40 points each, then it is conceivable that you could get a GIA report on each one, but I really have not heard of that for something like a bracelet but what do I know.
You need to make sure that they do a good job of MATCHING stones. Given their very sizable weights, you want to make sure they all face up similarly (which means they might not all be 40 points... i am sure that was a approximate as frame of reference but you should ask all the questions). They should be similar in table size and girdle thickness... it is not just about matching color (which is obviously very important, as well). But stones with noticeably different table sizes or girdle thicknesses will stick out rather than having a completely seamless line of diamonds.
Thank you for your advice I’ll ask them try to match as you said.
 

4Moonlite

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Okay, so each stone is $500. So you have $15,000 total for all 30 diamonds.
What is the $1600-$1800 for? Is that for the actual bracelet part, or is that the fee to set the stones into the bracelet?
I don't know if $500 for a .40 ct stone of G/H, SI2 is a good price. You can do some comparison shopping online and just figure it will be higher given it is a retail store.
I now understand why they want a deposit of $5000 given the cost of this bracelet.
Make sure you know what the cost is to set all those stones.
The cost to set all those 30 stones are included in 1600-1800. Out of the door is 1800 + 15000 =16,800 on higher side.
 

OoohShiny

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IIRC BGD, CBI/HPD and WF all sell AGS000 from 0.2ct (20 point) or 0.3ct upwards - you should ask them all for a quote before committing.

Use the search bar at the top to look for GIA XXX (and AGS000) - use the Filters to select 'Excellent' on the HCA Score section to sift out what should be amongst the best performing stones.

You could also ask Yukutiel (spelling?) at IDJewellery to quote for 30 GIA XXX stones in 'Pricescope quality'.
 

4Moonlite

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IIRC BGD, CBI/HPD and WF all sell AGS000 from 0.2ct (20 point) or 0.3ct upwards - you should ask them all for a quote before committing.

Use the search bar at the top to look for GIA XXX (and AGS000) - use the Filters to select 'Excellent' on the HCA Score section to sift out what should be amongst the best performing stones.
I searched that way and not much resulting in my 500 range.
The vendors above are making very quality diamonds, therefore with 40 points each, I don’t think I can afford.
 

D&T

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I would do what you are doing, although I would probably source my own diamonds just for the fun of it and as funds becomes available by purchasing piecemeal. The price to set and metal work for the bracelet itself sounds reasonable as well from a consumer standpoint . I can see someone asking for a deposit if they are old school jewelers or maybe without memo from a vendor plus asking for a certain level of commitment from a client. It cost money for people to bring in diamonds and have to send it back out of pocket. The jeweler doesn’t sound like he’s upcharging 2-3 or more times like others would for lower quality especially if you’ve already done some homework on trying to look for these diamonds on your own. Overall I don’t see this as a horrible deal at all. The total diamonds sounds magnificent 12ctw:shock::love:
 
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MollyMalone

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I searched that way and not much resulting in my 500 range.
The vendors above are making very quality diamonds, therefore with 40 points each, I don’t think I can afford.
I'd contact them anyway; it costs nothing to ask what they would charge you. Both WF's and BGD's "branded" melee will be of excellent quality; there's no chance they will even remotely resemble "frozen spit." And your smaller wrist size works to your wallet's advantage.

Are you able to see the diamonds that your local jeweler orders before he sets them; if you don't like them in real life, can you reject them? I imagine the parcel is likely to be a non-refundable purchase -- especially since you've asked that the stones be accompanied by GIA reports -- but better to clarify that now than to be surprised later.

Have you seen the kind of bracelet they would produce for you; will they tell you the dram weight or gram weight of the bracelet before the diamonds are set; are they fabricating the bracelet or using a Stuller bracelet mounting (which would be of known quality and weight)? The reason I ask is because $1600-1800 to precisely set 30 stones, plus the cost of the bracelet itself (gold is 25% higher today than it was a year ago), almost sounds too good to be true.

ETA: I would not make procuring the diamonds a DIY project as D&T proposes. We consumers simply do not have access to the wholesale inventories of these smaller stones that those in the trade do. And trying to suss out which stone(s) will match whatever I've already purchased sounds like a huge headache to me. Your jeweler is doubtlessly much better positioned to acquire 30 stones for your purpose. ;))
 
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Bron357

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Are you going to be able to view them all prior to setting? So you can be sure with “your eyes” that the colour, colour match and clarity meets with your satisfaction? I think you should get that confirmed.
If one or more diamonds aren’t quite right to your eyes will they order in more or are you “stuck” with all 30?
There’s Si2 that’s looks perfectly ok to the eye and there’s Si2 that might have visible black carbon flecks or a “crushed ice” look. You want to view the diamonds to make sure they are right.
Will be an amazing bracelet.
Have you looked at pre loved btw?
 

MollyMalone

Ideal_Rock
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Haha I’ve done this with emeralds all GIA three different vendors while it was pain and emeralds have more variations than rounds it was still a fun project if you have the time. James Allen will only let you purchase 4 at a time/per order.
I ordinarily think of myself as enjoying "the thrill of a (shopping) hunt," but I can't imagine I'd ever have the patience to assemble a small boatload of matching (or close-enough) EC diamonds!
 
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4Moonlite

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I'd contact them anyway; it costs nothing to ask what they would charge you. Both WF's and BGD's "branded" melee will be of excellent quality; there's no chance they will even remotely resemble "frozen spit." And your smaller wrist size works to your wallet's advantage.

Are you able to see the diamonds that your local jeweler orders before he sets them; if you don't like them in real life, can you reject them? I imagine the parcel is likely to be a non-refundable purchase -- especially since you've asked that the stones be accompanied by GIA reports -- but better to clarify that now than to be surprised later.

Have you seen the kind of bracelet they would produce for you; will they tell you the dram weight or gram weight of the bracelet before the diamonds are set; are they fabricating the bracelet or using a Stuller bracelet mounting (which would be of known quality and weight)? The reason I ask is because $1600-1800 to precisely set 30 stones, plus the cost of the bracelet itself (gold is 25% higher today than it was a year ago), almost sounds too good to be true.

ETA: I would not make procuring the diamonds a DIY project as D&T proposes. We consumers simply do not have access to the wholesale inventories of these smaller stones that those in the trade do. And trying to suss out which stone(s) will match whatever I've already purchased sounds like a huge headache to me. Your jeweler is doubtlessly much better positioned to acquire 30 stones for your purpose. ;))
I want to see the diamonds before they set. Hopefully they have no problem to say no.
I don’t know they are ok if I rejected some diamonds and ask them to reorder. They are already told me it’s a lot of work for them to sort it out 30 diamonds from many suppliers.
I just showed them a photo of bracelet and wanted them to make. They have a very small one in similar style just a basic 4 prongs bracelet.
They will order bracelet part and I don’t know how many gram yet. I will ask them once they tell me the cost.
 

4Moonlite

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Are you going to be able to view them all prior to setting? So you can be sure with “your eyes” that the colour, colour match and clarity meets with your satisfaction? I think you should get that confirmed.
If one or more diamonds aren’t quite right to your eyes will they order in more or are you “stuck” with all 30?
There’s Si2 that’s looks perfectly ok to the eye and there’s Si2 that might have visible black carbon flecks or a “crushed ice” look. You want to view the diamonds to make sure they are right.
Will be an amazing bracelet.
Have you looked at pre loved btw?
Thank you for your reply I couldn’t find pre loved section. I remember seeing it somewhere in this forum before.
 

4Moonlite

Rough_Rock
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_3308.jpeg
IIRC BGD, CBI/HPD and WF all sell AGS000 from 0.2ct (20 point) or 0.3ct upwards - you should ask them all for a quote before committing.

Use the search bar at the top to look for GIA XXX (and AGS000) - use the Filters to select 'Excellent' on the HCA Score section to sift out what should be amongst the best performing stones.

You could also ask Yukutiel (spelling?) at IDJewellery to quote for 30 GIA XXX stones in 'Pricescope quality'.
I contact IDJ their cost is $20,000 without Gia certificates with F color SI1 41 points each. I don’t know are they really F, SI1 or G,H and SI2 may be some SI1. I’m not an expertises on diamond and can’t tell their ratings without GIA certificates report.
 

KKJohnson

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I would definitely ask WF what the cost of a 12ctw would be for SI1s G-H color, when comparing paying 16k for the current selection even if they charge 2k more I honestly believe it would be worth it.
 
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