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Am I Being Swindled? Cat 1 vs Cat 2 Diamonds

mb80233

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 15, 2016
Messages
12
Hi Everyone. Hoping a few experts can help me out. I was working with 'a guy' who came highly recommended. We were discussing budget and diamond characteristics (cut, clarity, color, carat, etc) and I linked him a few diamonds from James Allen as examples. He then went on a long rant about how James Allen (and ALL online diamond retailers) only sell Category 2 diamonds, which means they have structural defects within the diamond material which makes it susceptible to breaking/chipping, or it has flaws that are progressive and will worsen over time and eventually permanently damage the diamond.

He went on to say online retailers are all perception and smoke and mirrors, and you can't tell from an AIG or AGS report that they are Cat 2 diamonds because you need to run very specific gemological tests to verify. He said you can have what appears to be a near flawless diamond, but it's actually junk without having the proper tests run. He said they only sell Category 1 diamonds, doing pre-purchase evaluations through an independent gemologist.

I googled category 1 vs category 2 diamonds and couldn't find any information online. I find it hard to believe there wouldn't be any information about this is were in fact true. Is there any truth to what he's saying, or is he full of it and trying to rip me off by selling a 'higher quality' diamond at a higher price point?

Thanks!
 

Snowdrop13

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Messages
2,960
I think you have answered your own question.......
 

lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Messages
18,023
posts like this make me so upset for people like the OP! :angryfire: :angryfire:

This vendor is 100% BSing you, and you should RUN AWAY! Brick and mortar stores often dislike online stone vendors since it is possible to get better deals online. And particularly dishonest B&M vendors will tell you these kinds of lies in order to scare you away from shopping online. The people on this forum can help you find the best diamond/ring within budget from trustworthy vendors who sell quality and won't BS you to make a sale.

Glad you posted about this before buying, and I wish you the best in finding the best stone you can! :wavey:

PS. If you are comfortable please share the name of this vendor so others can know to avoid them.
 

denverappraiser

Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
Jul 21, 2004
Messages
9,150
Nonsense.

That said, I think I can tell a little bit of where this comes from. Diamonds do have a 'type' that are called type Ia, Ib, IIa and IIb. It has to with the crystal structure and the amount of nitrogen in the matrix. It ranges from low to insanely low. It's pretty arcane stuff and he's correct that it takes special tools to even tell. He's also correct that this does not appear on any of the standard lab documents. It's flatly wrong that this has anything at all to do with durability.
 

Bron357

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 22, 2014
Messages
6,532
Yes, he's talking rubbish. The flaws that might undermine the durability of a diamond would be very visible. Diamonds do not spontaneously implode. Any diamond could chip or crack if it sustains a blow and that's nothing to do with it being a "caterogy 1 or 2". Diamonds are hard in relation to their ability to resist scratching or wear by another gem. Hardness doesn't relate to ability to withstand a blow from a hammer. And diamonds are millions of years old, any thought that a diamond is suddenly going to detoriate in the 40 or 50 years that you own it is a totally ridiculous proposition.
 

ChristineRose

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Aug 5, 2012
Messages
926
...they have structural defects within the diamond material which makes it susceptible to breaking/chipping, or it has flaws that are progressive and will worsen over time and eventually permanently damage the diamond.

Diamonds range in age from 500,000,000 years to 4,600,000,000 years. If there's anything about them that gets worse over time, neither him nor you are going to be around to notice it.
 

kenny

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 30, 2005
Messages
33,225
mb80233|1471283717|4066281 said:
Hi Everyone. Hoping a few experts can help me out. I was working with 'a guy' who came highly recommended. We were discussing budget and diamond characteristics (cut, clarity, color, carat, etc) and I linked him a few diamonds from James Allen as examples. He then went on a long rant about how James Allen (and ALL online diamond retailers) only sell Category 2 diamonds, which means they have structural defects within the diamond material which makes it susceptible to breaking/chipping, or it has flaws that are progressive and will worsen over time and eventually permanently damage the diamond.

He went on to say online retailers are all perception and smoke and mirrors, and you can't tell from an AIG or AGS report that they are Cat 2 diamonds because you need to run very specific gemological tests to verify. He said you can have what appears to be a near flawless diamond, but it's actually junk without having the proper tests run. He said they only sell Category 1 diamonds, doing pre-purchase evaluations through an independent gemologist.

I googled category 1 vs category 2 diamonds and couldn't find any information online. I find it hard to believe there wouldn't be any information about this is were in fact true. Is there any truth to what he's saying, or is he full of it and trying to rip me off by selling a 'higher quality' diamond at a higher price point?

Thanks!

Oh Boy! :roll:
Now I've heard it all! :lol:

Run away, don't walk, from this charlatan.
 

rubybeth

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 12, 2007
Messages
2,568
Total scam. Run, don't walk.
 

Texas Leaguer

Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
Jul 27, 2009
Messages
3,760
Top labs like GIA and AGS are organized around the purpose of consumer education and protection. The lab reports contain the basic information that a consumer needs to know to make an informed purchase. Those reports combined with a knowledgeable expert who can help you interpret the information and match the diamond's attributes to your particular needs, represents all that is needed to make a sound buying decision. There are other evaluations that can augment the information in a lab report, and some of it is very important to shoppers interested about cut quality and light performance. And you are much more likely to find that additional information provided by online retailers than brick and mortar stores.

There is no truth to scare tactics suggesting that online merchants offer goods that are inferior to brick and mortar stores. In fact, most of the diamonds being sold online are from the very same pool of virtual inventory accessed by brick and mortar stores. Very few retailers offer production runs of their own exclusive diamonds, and those that do generally also offer a virtual inventory in addition.

As DenverAppraiser explained, there is diamond typing that is important in research and for high level identification and detection purposes. It has nothing to do with durability or any other practical concerns for the average consumer. Anyone using such a ploy in an attempt to gain your trust should be immediately suspect.
 

Dancing Fire

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 3, 2004
Messages
33,852
mb80233|1471283717|4066281 said:
I googled category 1 vs category 2 diamonds and couldn't find any information online. I find it hard to believe there wouldn't be any information about this is were in fact true. Is there any truth to what he's saying, or is he full of it and trying to rip me off by selling a 'higher quality' diamond at a higher price point?

Thanks!
Yup, he is full of B.S. :!:
 

arkieb1

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
May 11, 2012
Messages
9,786
He sounds like a Category 1 Bulls@#* artist. Run, don't walk away and please do not go back there.... If you give everyone your budget and the rough specs of the diamond you are looking for the people here will make suggestions of the best stones for free. No categories involved. :D
 
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