a huge rock, too good to be true ?

[winston26]

I came across a 2.02 ct G SI3 round brilliant diamond yesterday at a local B&M. It had a nice sparkle to it. I''m sure it''s not top cut although he claimed it was "close to ideal". Price: $6500

Concern: Has a "natural" they left in the stone (I personally best describe it as a verrrry small chip) on the edge with some feathering. Could very easily be hidden with a prong. Jeweler claims the cutter could have easily buffed that inclusion out but then the carat weight would drop, and since everyone always wants a 2ct, that''s why they left it in. Mind you, this is a very nice jeweler recommended by a family friend who has worked with him for 30+ years as well as my cousin getting her ER there.

Obviously, the stone is priced with that inclusion in mind. But...Does a chip-looking inclusion make it worth even less than the $6500? I would never have considered it except (1)it did have a nice sparkle, (2)the inclusion won''t be seen once set, and (3) I could never afford a 2ct otherwise.

 

[diagem]

Date: 5/20/2007 9:30:46 AM
Author:winston26
I came across a 2.02 ct G SI3 round brilliant diamond yesterday at a local B&M. It had a nice sparkle to it. I''m sure it''s not top cut although he claimed it was ''close to ideal''. Price: $6500

Concern: Has a ''natural'' they left in the stone (I personally best describe it as a verrrry small chip) on the edge with some feathering. Could very easily be hidden with a prong. Jeweler claims the cutter could have easily buffed that inclusion out but then the carat weight would drop, and since everyone always wants a 2ct, that''s why they left it in. Mind you, this is a very nice jeweler recommended by a family friend who has worked with him for 30+ years as well as my cousin getting her ER there.

Obviously, the stone is priced with that inclusion in mind. But...Does a chip-looking inclusion make it worth even less than the $6500? I would never have considered it except (1)it did have a nice sparkle, (2)the inclusion won''t be seen once set, and (3) I could never afford a 2ct otherwise.

First of all..., It is not HUGE!!!!

Second..., you know the saying: "You get what you pay for".

Good luck

 

[ladykemma]

SI3 always a red flag.

 

[neatfreak]

You do get what you pay for, and there are quite a few red flags here.

1. SI3 is not a real diamond grade. It really means I1.

2. Is the stone certified by AGS or GIA? If not, you can almost guarantee that the REAL clarity and color will drop by a few grades if you had it professionally appraised.

3. Do you have any angles, measurements, SARIN reports, Idealscope images, etc for the stone? That''s the only way to really evaluate whether it is an "ideal" cut or not. Ideal is thrown around a lot but to be honest, it realy has NO meaning here unless the numbers back it up.

Unless your stone has a GIA or AGS cert (which is doubtful with the SI3 clarity grade) AND you can get the info I mentioned in #3 and bring it back here for us to evaluate, it''s probably not a good deal at all. CUT is what will really make this diamond sparkle and he hasn''t given any indication that it really is an amazing cut other than his word. Not reliable.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 5/20/2007 10:14:21 AM
Author: neatfreak
You do get what you pay for, and there are quite a few red flags here.

1. SI3 is not a real diamond grade. It really means I1.

2. Is the stone certified by AGS or GIA? If not, you can almost guarantee that the REAL clarity and color will drop by a few grades if you had it professionally appraised.

3. Do you have any angles, measurements, SARIN reports, Idealscope images, etc for the stone? That''s the only way to really evaluate whether it is an ''ideal'' cut or not. Ideal is thrown around a lot but to be honest, it realy has NO meaning here unless the numbers back it up.

Unless your stone has a GIA or AGS cert (which is doubtful with the SI3 clarity grade) AND you can get the info I mentioned in #3 and bring it back here for us to evaluate, it''s probably not a good deal at all. CUT is what will really make this diamond sparkle and he hasn''t given any indication that it really is an amazing cut other than his word. Not reliable.

Yeah, I thought EGL was the only one that used that grade. But I could be wrong...

Great points to ponder. To be honest, if it were me, I''d go down in size and go up in clarity with a really well cut stone. And with someone who upgrades.

 

[NYCsparkle]

is the stone graded? si3 sounds pretty iffy to me...i''d pass on a stone with a chip, even if it could be hidden with a prong....$6500--theres a reason its so cheap.....you get what you pay for...just because a jeweler is nice, doesn''t mean he won''t screw you for $$. I''d keep looking if i were you. get an awesome CUT stone from a vendor that has an upgrade policy so when you can afford a great cut 2 carat--you upgrade. no one is going to ooh and aah over a dog of a 2 carat stone like they will over a super sparkly 1 carat.

 

[jaz464]

"Close to ideal" sounds quite fishy to me. Please consider cut before you think about size or clarity, unless a big rock is truly the only real priority you have. An excellent cut will make a RB sparkle like crazy and also look bigger than lesser cut diamonds. You say it did sparkle, but have you seen a real ideal cut diamond? I am quite sure there would be no comparison if you saw that diamond beside one with an AGS ideal grade. For me, I would not consider an SI3. That diamond sounds like it could be at risk of breaking if it was knocked just right.

 

[denverappraiser]

SI3 means I1. Undocumented SI3 regularly means I1-I2.
Undocumented G means G-I
‘Ideal’ means very little when taken out of context. Close to ideal means nothing at all. Depending on your perspective, the Earth is quite close to the Sun while some might call it rather far away. The difference is in the usage of the term, not in the distance.

Use the tool at the top of the page titled ‘pricescope your diamond’ to look up some offers of superficially similar stone. Lots are available. Even if you have no intention of buying online this is a handy tool for looking at offers. Your price seems to be about right, especially if the grading is even a little bit off. Do a few different searches with slightly different parameters and you can get a good feel for how these things change when you tweak the various grades. If you're serious about the stone, consider having it graded by a grader who is working for YOU, not for the seller. The difference is important.

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

 

[diamondseeker2006]

A chip with feathering sounds like a crack in the stone to me. I wouldn''t pay $2000 for such a stone. I''d really rather have a decent 1 carat stone over this one.

 

[surfgirl]

I always get a red flag in my mind when someone tries to con me into believing that there is even such a thing as "SI3" because, as others have said, there isn''t. Aside from that, I can get a 2ctw I/SI1 at a local B&M in my area for about $12.5K so your price and stone are very suspicious. If it''s too good to be true, it is. Especially when it comes to diamonds!

 

[laplacz]

If its too good to be true...........

 

[MWG]

With $6500 to spend you can get a fantastic diamond from a vendor that allows lifetime upgrades and one day you can get that 2 carat plus ring and price and pace you can afford.

My opinion.....skip on this stone

MWG

 

[pricescope]

SI3 - means the diamond wasn''t graded by GIA or AGS. If color and clarity are accurate it might be a good deal. If it is H/I1 or less, it is not such a good deal anymore.

On another hand, even if it is an G/H and inclusions do not bother you, it might be a good stone for you.

Ask your jeweler more questions: e.g. what is diameter of the stone (measurements)? Maybe he can help you to verify the color against master stone set?

Also, how bad is the chip? can it be a durability issue? What setting you are going to use (bezel or prongs)?

Have you considered checking it with an independent gemologist?

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Has the stone been enhanced in any way?

cheers--Sharon

 

[kcoursolle]

I tend to stick with AGS/GIA for the peace of mind. You really don''t want anything to be wrong on a purchase this big.

 

[fabcrab]

Everything has a nice sparkle under jewelry store lighting but in reality a huge spotlight will not follow the ring everywhere you go.

 

[diagem]

Date: 5/20/2007 3:33:37 PM
Author: surfgirl
I always get a red flag in my mind when someone tries to con me into believing that there is even such a thing as ''SI3'' because, as others have said, there isn''t. Aside from that, I can get a 2ctw I/SI1 at a local B&M in my area for about $12.5K so your price and stone are very suspicious. If it''s too good to be true, it is. Especially when it comes to diamonds!

Surfgirl,

No one is trying to con anyone!!!
There is such a grade called SI3..., Like Pricescope mentioned: SI3 means the Diamond was NOT graded by either GIA or AGS.
But SI3 is an existing grade when it comes to Diamonds. Its just based on an in-between SI2 and I1 grade since the price-drop is tremendous between them.

Now if the Diamond in subject is an SI3 is a different question...

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/20/2007 10:21:43 AM
Author: Ellen

Date: 5/20/2007 10:14:21 AM
Author: neatfreak
You do get what you pay for, and there are quite a few red flags here.

1. SI3 is not a real diamond grade. It really means I1.

2. Is the stone certified by AGS or GIA? If not, you can almost guarantee that the REAL clarity and color will drop by a few grades if you had it professionally appraised.

3. Do you have any angles, measurements, SARIN reports, Idealscope images, etc for the stone? That's the only way to really evaluate whether it is an 'ideal' cut or not. Ideal is thrown around a lot but to be honest, it realy has NO meaning here unless the numbers back it up.

Unless your stone has a GIA or AGS cert (which is doubtful with the SI3 clarity grade) AND you can get the info I mentioned in #3 and bring it back here for us to evaluate, it's probably not a good deal at all. CUT is what will really make this diamond sparkle and he hasn't given any indication that it really is an amazing cut other than his word. Not reliable.

Yeah, I thought EGL was the only one that used that grade. But I could be wrong...

Great points to ponder. To be honest, if it were me, I'd go down in size and go up in clarity with a really well cut stone. And with someone who upgrades.

EGL invented the SI3 grade and are the only ones to use it. Personally if you like the look of this diamond, get a good independant appraisal as Neil said - one who is working for you - to check also for durability issues, before completing the purchase. Some do prefer a larger diamond for their money, otherwise 6k will only get you around half that size. Also diamonds with an AGS or GIA report are going to be more expensive, EGL might be the way to go. Does this diamond have an EGL USA report, if not, where is the EGL lab located - Israel, Antwerp, Europe etc. Also check this diamond out in different lights to make sure you still like the look of it. Mainly here we see consumers wanting the GIA or AGS graded Superideal type of diamond, however there are buyers to whom size matters as long as the diamond looks pretty to them. Also EGL grades crown and pavillion angles in percents which aren't as accurate as angles, so not as helpful to judge cut. This probably isn't the greatest diamond, bear in mind too that a 2 ct can cost easily 15 - 20 k and up, but if it checks out with an appraisal and you feel your money is well spent, then that is all that matters! If it was worth more then it would be selling for more, but you might feel this is a good buy for you.