Am I being shammed???

[tlcdasha]

I found a square-emerald/asscher online and they even sent the diamond to me local so I can see in person before I bought it. The GIA cert. is attached and I saw the diamond and thought it was a beautiful stone until I noticed a crack if you look at the stone sideways with my own eyes and not through a 10X loupe.
I have done my reading and have found that a good VS2 stone should look clean all around to the naked eye and inclusions should be seen under 10X magnification? Am I wrong in this assessment? The jewler said this rule only applies if you look through the table.

Secondly the price was listed as $7422 (I talked to the wesite owner who obtains the diamonds and he was willing to negotiate the price once I showed hesitancy). Today I am supposed to give my final decision about the stone and I noticed on-line the price was changed to $7565.

Given the price change, and the stone is not eye-clean from the side, should I pursue other venues, or am I blowing this out of proportion since I intend to have it appraise and I have a 30day $-back gurantee and mounting the ring will "disguise" the flaw.

 

[mike04456]

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I have done my reading and have found that a good VS2 stone should look clean all around to the naked eye and inclusions should be seen under 10X magnification? Am I wrong in this assessment? The jewler said this rule only applies if you look through the table.
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In *very rare* instances, it's possible to have an eye-visible inclusion in a VS stone, and this might be one of them. Visibility is only one part of the clarity grade, which is an overall score based on several different factors.

From the plot, that could be a VS2 stone, though you'd need to see it in person to be sure. A lot of little feathers on the pavilion, if they are not visible face up, would not be that much of a concern to me.

But you're the one buying the stone. If having an eye-visible inclusion is going to bother you, keep looking. There are plenty of better VS2 stones out there.

 

[Lugus]

A VS2 stone should not have any visible cracks, from any angle. The jeweler is full of crap. Do flawless diamonds have inclusions all over the bottom, not visible through the table? I think not.

The price thing is kind of strange too - did you confront the dealer on this? I would be very wary of dealing with this jeweler. Who is offering the stone?

 

[Mara]

Actually an emerald stone will show things up way more readily than will a round or another stone with more facets. an emerald is considered a very 'honest' stone in that it will show flaws pretty readily. GIA grading says that yes..VS2 should be entirely eye clean up until 10x mag..but it seems like with fancies such as the emerald step shapes..that you can see sometimes flaws at VS2 and many times at SI1/SI2. So this doesn't sound ENTIRELY implausible. I have heard that with emeralds people should focus on a higher clarity grade.

Also note that grading is done from the *top down* (looking into the table of the stone) and not sideways or upside down. If the flaw is not seen from the face down, that may be why it got the VS2 grade. Plus grading is subjective so maybe in one person's eyes this was a VS2 but really it is a borderline SI1.

If you aren't happy with it, I wouldn't buy it. There are plenty other stones out there. Specify you want 100% eye clean regardless of what the cert says. Maybe you need to look at VS1s only.

 

[mike04456]

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Also note that grading is done from the *top down* (looking into the table of the stone) and not sideways or upside down.
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This isn't precisely correct. Diamond graders look at a stone from all directions, and in fact spend most of their time looking at it from the side. Holding the stone in the tweezers table-to-culet allows you to get a much better view of the interior. However, you're correct that it's the top-down view that is most important in setting a clarity grade. If those feathers were not visible face-up, I can see giving that stone a VS2, though it would depend on how large they were. It defintely does look like a borderline stone.

 

[Mara]

LG--yes I agree the grader will definitely look at the stone from all angles, but the final grading is usually done from top down, as noted in my GIA course materials anyway! From my perspective, it seems as though the grades given for rounds or princesses or those cuts with more facets don't really apply to something such a an emerald. The difference is astounding. too bad there isn't a separate clarity grading curve for something such as the step cut stones. Would probably be less confusing.

 

[mike04456]

Mara, keep plugging away on your courses. It takes a while to get the "big picture," but it's a fascinating and rewarding field once you develop some expertise.

I think emeralds--effectively--get held to a higher standard. One more reason more people should "look beyond the round" if they want something really distinctive.

 

[Mara]

Yes I would love to develop expertise! I'm waiting for GOG or Whiteflash to move out here to create their California branch

 

[mike04456]

Well, maybe you could pitch them a business plan.

Though this isn't really the best time to be starting a new business.

 

[StevL]

Quote;"I saw the diamond and thought it was a beautiful stone until I noticed a crack if you look at the stone sideways with my own eyes "

We can't see what your talking about but this could be the girdle reflection and you think it looks as though it is cracked.

 

[Lugus]

Mara, give me a holler if you want help playing with diamonds all day at a CA branch

 

[justme]

Here is an example of the girdle reflection (although in a round) that StevL posted about.

Pic from GOG site

Justme