Buy ring overseas

[rahan]

Hi !
2 or 3 days ago, i asked here an advice about a diamond certified IGI in France.
Some people told me to stick on GIA and AGS certification.
So i looked for stones with thes certif but in France it is difficult to find it. Moreover it is difficult to have choice as the online sellers are not numerous...

So i decided to have a look overseas (in USA) and i found good opportunities thanks to this forum and members.

I studied this sellers :
- Blue Nile (still waiting for a response about international shipping),
- WhiteFlash,
- Abazias,
- James Allen.

They have a good choice and prices would maybe allow me to have a better stone (even with the french 19,6% VAT...

).
But now i''m wandering about their liability concerning overseas selling.
Did anybody do the experiment ??
I know this is risky cause of the lack of international laws but i reckon on their rigour and popularity.

Moreover, once i will get the stone, how can i easily identify if the stone on the ring is the one i have chosen and figuring on the certificate ?
They certainly are serious but for an order like this (engement ring) i wanna be abolutely certain it''s ok.

Could you please give me advices ??
If you have another reliable online sender who ship overseas, don''t hesitate to tell me...

Thanks

 

[neatfreak]

I can''t speak for the others, but many people on PS have used Whiteflash internationally with great acclaim. I wouldn''t hesitate to buy from them at all.

 

[rahan]

Any other opinion ?

Other question, i discovered the PriceScope engine search and some of the stones have a priced with an asterisk.
It is said : "Prices marked with * are specials for Pricescope visitors only!"
How can i get the price anounced on this list ? Do i have just to tell it when i order ? Is it sufficient ?

 

[denverappraiser]

I’m seeing an increasing amount of business from international clients who are buying a stone from a US vendor and want to get it inspected before it leaves the country. I suspect the other appraisers are seeing the same. The client will choose a stone, have it sent to me for inspection and the report is delivered by email. They then decide if they want to buy or not and instruct me to either return it to the dealer or forward it on to them or send it to a second dealer to be mounted. Even with dealers who have agreeable return policies it’s difficult to get your VAT and import duties back out of the customs people and for major purchases into high tax countries, this can be an important concern.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[rahan]

Do you think it is important to have a report from an independant appraiser when you buy from a seller like WhiteFlash and they give you a GIA certificate ? Is it not enough ?
If you can determine it the good stone, what''s the matter ? If there is no serial laserscribed or something like that, i would understand it will be used to determine the stone is the good one.

Otherwise, on your last sentence you talk about VAT and import duties. I knew about VAT of course, but nothing about import duties. Could you explain me what it is ??

Thaks for your help

 

[denverappraiser]

Matching a diamond to the correct report and determining that it’s undamaged is not difficult, even without the laser inscription. It’s done using the plotting diagram and by taking careful measurements and observations of the stone. Many jewelers are well qualified to do this and can do it within a few minutes.

Many customers have additional requirements beyond what appears on the lab report and a simple verification that it’s the correct stone is not sufficient to make their decision. Your need for additional services will depend on how much information you already have and how much you want to document will depend on what your dealer has already provided you and what you require in the form of documentation. The dealers you listed do not all offer the same sorts of information to their shoppers. Several can give nothing more than a scan of the lab report and the opinion of an unidentified ‘expert’ who has never even seen the stone on which to make your decision. If you require more than this, it’s usually convenient and less expensive to get it from a US source.

I don’t know the rules in France but several countries have a special import tax on special items, including diamonds. This is above and beyond sales and VAT taxes. The customs office will be able to tell you if there are any special taxes that relate to importing of diamonds and/or jewelry in your jurisdiction (loose diamonds and finished jewelry are usually in different categories and may be taxed differently so be sure to ask the right question). If you import an item, pay the tax and then return it for whatever reason, you are usually entitled to a refund of the taxes paid although most tax collectors are far more anxious to get your money than to pay it back and will make the refund process difficult and slow.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 6/6/2007 7:03:01 PM
Author: rahan
Any other opinion ?

Other question, i discovered the PriceScope engine search and some of the stones have a priced with an asterisk.
It is said : ''Prices marked with * are specials for Pricescope visitors only!''
How can i get the price anounced on this list ? Do i have just to tell it when i order ? Is it sufficient ?

Welcome

The price marked with a * is the price you would pay as as you saw the diamond on the PS website. You get this price by paying for the diamond with a bank wire transfer ( completely safe) and telling WF you are from PS.