Am I wrong on this????

[jackaroe]

I went out today to take a look at different cuts, etc,etc. I like to look and put into practice what I’ve learned from so many of you here and see how the dealers react. Well at this one store I pulled out the Idealscope, and said I’d like a look at the stones using it. She knew what it was and said, “well go for it but it means nothing when looking at fancies” OK!!! I figured that it’s not as great a device as compared to looking at rounds, but come on, I thought it was something that I should look at nonetheless. I’m getting ready to leave and she’s asking how interested I was. I told her I would only make a final decision after an appraisal even if I were. She replied that they have a GIA grad on site and that an appraisal was not needed. I looked back in amazement!! She went on to say that GIA was as safe as could be and wouldn’t need to know anything else. Needless to say I was a bit shocked.

She did mention that I could not send a loose diamond to an appraiser. I would have to send it in the setting because you cannot get a loose stone insured for that process to work. Was my reaction crazy or was she off here? Also, how would an appraisal process work out anyway? I thought I could send a loose stone, have it appraised and then decide.!?!

 

[Nicrez]

Absolutely you can get a loose stone appraised. A stone can BEST be appraised for it's worth without a setting, because color, cut and clarity can be tested in a MegaScope (or Sarin), and all that jazz.




Having it in a ring makes that process much harder. You can't measure angles while it's set, and it makes it harder to see through an idealscope. She is just using her sales pitch to dupe you.




Best way to verify anything is ask a reliable, third party appraiser. Many post here, perhaps they can answer you as well. This lady's off her rocker. GIA grad does not mean they WORK for GIA. It just means they studied there... Hey, I can be a Harvard grad, that doesn't make me a professor there...




Smack her for me, will ya? I hate people who try to sell by duping customers!

 

[jackaroe]

Thank You!! - I walked out of that place steamed

 

[pqcollectibles]

I borrowed this Ideal Scope image from a White Flash Expert Selection Princess cut. Good Old Gold, Nice Ice, Dirt Cheap Diamonds Signature Selection, and WF Expert Selection Princess diamonds are evaluated using the Ideal Scope. Vendors and appraisers use the IS to evalute Fancies.

You can go either way on a diamond, loose or mounted, for the appraisal. You need to go loose to get a Sarin or OGI. If you already have the Sarin/OGI, an experienced appraiser can work around the stone being mounted.

Appraisal prior to or after purchase depends on the Vendor. Some Vendors will allow you to have a diamond independently appraised prior to purchase. Others won't. In that case you can state in writing you will return the diamond if you do not get a satisfactory independent appraisal within a reasonable, specified period.

 

[jackaroe]

Thanks pqcollectibles - and by the way the stones I viewed didn’t come close to the IS pic you posted.

 

[pqcollectibles]

NP, Jack! Happy hunting and have fun with your Ideal Scope!!

 

[hoorray]

You are right, she didn't have the full story, and it sounds like she had attitude.

My understanding is that most insurance companies will only insure a set stone. (There are a few exceptions, but this is the norm). Thus, for insurance purposes the stone must be set. However, it is easier and you can get a much more thorough appraisal on an unset stone, and most appraisers will then issue you an insurance appraisal once the stone is set, assuming you keep it, as part of the overall process. They do their work on the unset stone, and if you are using the appraisal process to help you decide if this is "the" stone, it is the only way to go.