Appraisal came in, does this sound ok?

[beau13]

I will post this again, in hopes that someone can tell me if this all sounds good or not? I received the appraisal for my ring yesterday, and I''m not sure what some of it means (if it''s good or bad)? I was told by the salesgal, that the diamond was H in color, and an SI-1 with a VERY good cut. So, the appraisal states it was graded as a "SI-1, I color, compared to GIA master stones" It was appraised mounted, so weight, color and clarity must be considered as estimates". I get that, but it also states: "a good cut, with a medium thick faceted girdle" Not sure what that means, about the girdle. Should I stick with the diamond? The cost for the ring was around the $11 000 mark, and appraised at $ 20 000.

 

[oldminer]

AN "appraisal" provided by a seller may be good enough for obtaining insurance, but reliance on it for other purposes should be done with great caution. It is not likely that something typically sold for $20 K just happens to get sold to you for $11K. THings are just not that bad as much as we may complain.

Many sellers use appraisals as sales tools to convince you that you have made an exceptional deal eventhough you have been treated fairly, but the bargain you have been led to believe in is mostly smoke and mirrors. It soulds like you could seek out independent advice or, alternatively, just not worry over it and enjoy the diamond. Likely as not, you don''t really need to cover the ring with so much more insurance than what was paid. You''ll be wasting money on insurance premiums every year if you go that route. You might ask for a more realistic appraisal figure and see what they say.
Maybe they will give you some options which won''t cost you anything....and maybe they won''t.

 

[beau13]

Thanks oldminer, I am not concerned about the amount of the appraisal, I was just wondering how a diamond stated as H in color, and with a VERY good cut, turns out to be I in color with just a GOOD cut, on the appraisal. Is this because it was graded mounted? Is that why there is a difference? Thanks (The appraiser''s credentials include GIA an other certification, he is a gemologist/diamond grader, according to his title)

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Hi beau,
Was the diamond ever graded by the store or independently by a lab before it was mounted?
I would ask the store. If not, then a split color grade H-I is not uncommon for a mounted diamond.
A split grade is used because it''s not always possible to say with great certainty that a diamond is an
"H" or an "I" if it is mounted. The mounting affects the ability to grade with 100% certainty.
Assigning a cut grade is also sometimes difficult when a diamond is mounted.
If you''re not comfortable with the information that was given to you, then it might be a good
idea to have the diamond evaluated loose or pass on the ring. Better to purchase a diamond with a
GIA or AGS report for peace of mind and accuracy.

www.metrojewelryappraisers.com

 

[oldminer]

Souds as if the appraiser is hedging down the sunny sales pitch of the salesperson. Since you noticed the discrepancy, it might be interesting to question "why?" Of course, the appraiser states the reason is because the diamond is mounted, and that is a good excuse which I use myself. It is very difficult to know the color of a mounted diamond. Although we rarely believe it, it is quite possible that you have gotten a very honest opinion by the appraiser that really differs very little from what the salesperson stated up front.

Sometimes our suspicions are not true. Occasionally, we can''t recognize the truth because of our suspicious natures. I can''t tell you for certain if you have discovered a problem or found an honest appraiser with a valid second opinion.