First post here! I read through a lot of forum posts and you all are a knowledgeable bunch! Thanks in advance for any help in my search.
I’m shopping for an engagement ring and mostly have browsed online. I stopped by three stores in DC today (all local, no chains), and was a bit disappointed in the selection as well as the sales presentations. Each salesperson tried very hard to scare me out of purchasing a diamond online, claiming that it could appear cloudy and have other characteristics not captured in the GIA report. I’m skeptical of this for several reasons, but also understand that there are certain intangible elements that cannot be quantified in a lab report.
For example, I have found one stone online from a reputable vendor that seems priced too good to be true. It is a round 1.83 carat H-IF with strong blue flour and priced at $14k. Each in-store sales person today told me that this stone will not look good in person (even after showing them the GIA report) and that the price is too good to be true. They said the stone is likely cloudy and will not show well. They each played up the “low” color rating and the blue flour as huge negative elements.
So my questions for you all:
1) is H color really that bad? I’ve seen several H stones in person and they look fine.
2) is blue flour in an H color stone bad? I thought it could actually boost the whiteness from table view, but these salespeople say otherwise.
3) is it likely that this stone is cloudy or unclear?
4) not a single salesperson in-store offered to show me a GIA report for their stones, or offered to show me ASET or Ideal Scope images. When I asked if they had an ASET image, one of them offered me a loupe. Is this normal, or are they dodging the question?
5) should I stay away from online vendors, or be weary of their stones looking much different in person?
Thanks in advance for any and all help!
I’m shopping for an engagement ring and mostly have browsed online. I stopped by three stores in DC today (all local, no chains), and was a bit disappointed in the selection as well as the sales presentations. Each salesperson tried very hard to scare me out of purchasing a diamond online, claiming that it could appear cloudy and have other characteristics not captured in the GIA report. I’m skeptical of this for several reasons, but also understand that there are certain intangible elements that cannot be quantified in a lab report.
For example, I have found one stone online from a reputable vendor that seems priced too good to be true. It is a round 1.83 carat H-IF with strong blue flour and priced at $14k. Each in-store sales person today told me that this stone will not look good in person (even after showing them the GIA report) and that the price is too good to be true. They said the stone is likely cloudy and will not show well. They each played up the “low” color rating and the blue flour as huge negative elements.
So my questions for you all:
1) is H color really that bad? I’ve seen several H stones in person and they look fine.
2) is blue flour in an H color stone bad? I thought it could actually boost the whiteness from table view, but these salespeople say otherwise.
3) is it likely that this stone is cloudy or unclear?
4) not a single salesperson in-store offered to show me a GIA report for their stones, or offered to show me ASET or Ideal Scope images. When I asked if they had an ASET image, one of them offered me a loupe. Is this normal, or are they dodging the question?
5) should I stay away from online vendors, or be weary of their stones looking much different in person?
Thanks in advance for any and all help!