Appraisal out of the US

[laughinggravy]

Please help...does any one know of any appraisers in Belgium or Amsterdam? My fiance have looked everywhere for an independent gemologist to do a check on our lovely new ring.

Nothing doing. Only jewellers,even the insurance company only uses jewellers - so not independent.

The HRD won''t give me any contact details for their graduates, even though it would mean work for them. Very frustrating. Please help if you can.

There is a branch of the IGI in Antwerp, but I''ve been warned off. I gather their certs are unrelaible, but this has a GIA already, we just want verification. Actually, neither of us feel we need it, but it seems like a necessary part of the process.

I really hope someone has a contact around here. Everything is so much easier in the States - you have a consumer driven market there. Here it''s still: ''I''m an expert working in a jewellry store with a reaaallly nice carpet - so just call me God.''

Jeeez

 

[robbe]

dear laughinggravy,
i am here in antwerp: i would suggest you visit the igi. they are very reliable and they're fast.
cheers, robbe

 

[laughinggravy]

Ooooh Robbe - thanks for the quick response.

Why do you think I was warned off the IGI?

A couple of threads suggested they weren't relaible and then an expert in the US confirmed that I shouldn't use their services even for a confirmatory report. What is the draw back of the IGI? Do you work for them?

Thanks for your help.

 

[robbe]

hi, i don't work for igi but i utilize their services as well as hrd & gia.
i manufacure and trade in diamonds.
some people on this forum & elsewhere occasionally say bad things but also good things about igi... i don't know why bad because i can assure you that in many cases igi is stricter or the same than hrd for example.
when i offer stones for sale with igi reports from my stock and the client says "i don't want igi", then i ask if they are used to work with igi? most of the time the answer is "no"(!). this means these people have preconceived ideas but don't really know. furthermore, in the usa, most 'mam & pap'- jeweler will dislike igi because igi is very strong with chain stores. these chains are very powerful competition for those little jewelers...robbe

 

[mtrb]

IGI is used in chain stores because they are cheap and fast. They get a lot of business from the chains therefore they help each other out. IGI generally grades the diamonds higher especially in color and clarity. These stores need to pay their high rents and by distorting GIA standards they can say an inferior diamond is a higher grade than it actually is. Then with a **WINWINK**NODNOD** IGI returns the diamond with their "certification" and the MAUL jewelry store can now sell for much more money. That is what I have found at the chain stores and IGI. They scam uneducated buyers with IGI's help by offering bogus certification. There should be laws. Perhaps we should all just jump up and cheer and go out and buy H color,SI2 IGI graded diamonds now...because they aren't really J,I1's...right IGI?

Oh yeah..if ya buy an IGI graded diamond..just try to sell it later for close to what you paid if you don't believe my rant.

ooh..that felt good..

 

[robbe]

dear mtrb, the large chain stores buy massive quantities. massive! for every diamond that you buy, a chain store buy thousand!
that is why they get the kind of discount you can never dream of as a 'mam & pap'-jeweler (i suppose you are one? also, i wonder why you sound so frustrated especially at the end of your message?...).
i am manufacturing and trading diamonds for over 20 years; the last 10 years i haven't had the chance to complain more about igi than i had to complain about hrd or gia graded stones. all 3 have equivalent error margins accepted by the trade. so yes, do buy those igi's & you'll see there is nothing wrong.
robbe

 

[mtrb]

No, I am just an educated consumer and a mostly a lurker on this site, trying to help others. Yes it is frustrating when you see such a drastic quality difference in the certifications between GIA and IGI. IGI here is out for the best interest of that chain store and not the consumer; probably because of the volume of business, cost and liberal grading. I do not believe your company is objective for this reason. Perhaps it is different in Antwerp, but your certifications in the US are used to lore the potential uneducated people into a bad purchase. Your gradings are extremely liberal here. That is speaking from personal experience…I did not buy one, but I certainly saw it happening at many of the chain stores, luckily I became educated in the matter and ended up with a beautiful stone. Now I just try to share my experiences with others and help them learn.

 

[Richard Sherwood]

I have heard more than a couple dealers say that IGI Antwerp is a decent lab. Enough to make me want to check into it further.

I think a lot of the anti-IGI posts stem from the IGI New York lab, which seems to be liberal in their grading. Perhaps its not as big a problem with the Antwerp lab.

 

[robbe]

dear mtrb,
this is very strange...none of my clients are complaining like you do...but yes, with over 20 years of manufacturing & trading experience with diamonds from 0.50 to over 20 cts, working with buyers in asia, the middle east, europe & the usa, who am i to judge?...robbe