branded vs nonbranded AGS0

[gobears]

I''m wondering what people''s opinions are regarding branded diamonds.

Are they (Hearts on Fire, Superbcert, ACA H&A, etc) worth the premium over a non-branded AGS0 with ex/ex sym/polish, but not necessarily H&A?

Is there a noticable difference visually? Is this all based on person''s preference?

Thanks!

 

[Caratz]

You will probably get a variety of responses to your question. Here's how I see it:

With the naked eye, you probably cannot tell the difference between a D and an E, or between a G and an H.

With the naked eye, you probably cannot tell the difference between a IF and a VS2.

With the naked eye, you probably cannot tell the difference between a "generic" Tolkowsky cut and a branded H&A.

Is it worth paying more for something you may or may not be able to see with the naked eye? That's really up to you.

 

[Hest88]

Uh, depends. If the symmetry is truly excellent and light performance is realy good, no. Also, you can get an unbranded H&A that's every bit as perfect as a branded.

A brand name, IMO, is nothing more than a reassurance to consumers that they are getting a certain level of quality. (If I buy a Coke I expect to get something that tastes like a Coke.) Up to a certain premium, I think it *is* worth it for that extra peace of mind, and since most consumers do not have the time or inclination to thoroughly research even a purchase as large as a diamond, branded diamonds serve their purpose. That goes for Lazare diamonds as well as branded H&As. An educated diamond buyer, though, could probably find a great stone without having to pay a massive premium, unless he or she decides, for some reason, that it's worth it to them.

 

[DiehardSearcher]

I would suggest getting in touch with Jonathan at Good Old Gold, or Jan & Brad at Diamond Brokers of Florida for nice examples of un-branded H&A stones. I personally went that route and feel that I got more for my money.

Honestly, once you get to a certain point in quality, I don't think there is any visual difference between the minutia of details between the excellent cuts.

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

I think that there are two important points in this.

First, how are you going to make a distinction between a branded and an unbranded ideal or super-ideal. I know that the whole exercise of buying a diamond is confusing, but you are already mixing up terms like AGS-0, GIA-EX-EX and H&A. Maybe, you will be able to grasp all the specifics and their importance, but stil, it will be very difficult to judge their importance. And regardless of whether a stone is branded or unbranded, there is a clear and distinct difference to observe between the best super-ideals and, say, the average ideals, while we are not even speaking about the mass of medium- and lower-quality stones.

Second, if you are buying from a dealer like the ones mentioned above, you are in a sense also buying their brand, since they will offer you the guarantee of their experience and their pickiness in selecting stones for you.

Finally, a brand-name is not necessarily synonimous to a higher price. Of course, there are brands that are just premium-machines, but there are also brands, that see their branding as a way to ease their selling at equal or even lower prices.

Live long,

Paul

 

[DiehardSearcher]

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On 4/7/2003 4:36:49 PM Paul-Antwerp wrote:

Second, if you are buying from a dealer like the ones mentioned above, you are in a sense also buying their brand, since they will offer you the guarantee of their experience and their pickiness in selecting stones for you.

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That is an incorrect statement. By buying something that is actually branded, you are buying the name along with the product itself. That name has a value. That value has a price.

By buying a similar unbranded product from the dealers mentioned above, you may be paying more for their service, you are not paying for the brand. You indeed may find that the overall prices are comparable, I did not.

I merely mentioned the two names as a starting point to examine a more like-for-like comparison of what the branded stones would be worth to him vs. a similar non-branded stone. In my opinion it is much easier to gauge value if the item's similarities are small.

Give me 2 diamonds on opposite ends of all spectrums, and the value of individual characteristics are hard to determine. Give me 2 identical diamonds (other than one single characteristic), and I can probably do it in my head.

 

[Hest88]

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On 4/7/2003 5:45:43 PM DiehardSearcher wrote:

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On 4/7/2003 4:36:49 PM Paul-Antwerp wrote:

Second, if you are buying from a dealer like the ones mentioned above, you are in a sense also buying their brand, since they will offer you the guarantee of their experience and their pickiness in selecting stones for you.

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That is an incorrect statement. By buying something that is actually branded, you are buying the name along with the product itself.
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Actually, I understand what Paul means enough to have actually made that point myself.

I know some consumers like wading through Pricescope to compare diamonds, but I don't. So I've found a vendor I trust and expect that when she recommends a stone to me it is of the highest quality. So, in essence, her name is my chosen brand.

I've found that certain branded diamonds, such as ACA, compare favorably in price to some unbranded H&As, so when choosing my jeweler for her "brand" or choosing ACA for their brand, I'm not necessarily overpaying--just putting my money toward something I trust.

I know it's semantics.

 

[DiehardSearcher]

I did not intend to say that his point was not valid, I just intended to say that the actual brand does indeed effect value and price. The brand sellers would say it effects quality as well, and possibly it does, but in the minutia of the details that are different, I could not visually make the distinction. I believe that is what his original question was asking.

Go to a mythical resale shop and see whether there is a price difference between their used EightStar diamonds, and their used GOG super-ideal non-branded diamonds. The brand name has a value, the brand name has a price.

So to sum up, you have 2 opinions that seem to suggest the non-branded premium stones have no visual difference, but do have a value/price difference.