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Buyer''s Remorse

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mig22

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 19, 2007
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Hi,

I have a hybrid question that includes insurance. I know zero about diamonds and the more I research and read the posts on this site the more I realize I am clueless. Diamond specs are below.

I recently purchased a diamond and band from Jared. The hook that caught me was their diamond insurance. They will replace or repair your diamond if it chips, breaks, or is lost during normal wear (you can''t lose the whole ring). The only stipulation I can find is that you must come in every six months to have an inspection.

I was too overwhelmed with planning the proposal, and I didn''t do enough research on diamonds or vendors. I have found similar diamonds priced significantly less through the online vendors listed here as well as Costco. I can get a plat. band including the same diamond specs at Costco for cheaper than I paid for just the diamond. I have considered buying the ring+diamond from Costco and just throwing away that plat. band in favor of the Jared band. I don''t understand how it can be that much cheaper. Now I am starting to think I overpaid. The benefit to Jared is the diamond insurance, but from what I understand it won''t cover the diamond if the entire ring is lost. I don''t really need to spend less money but I would like to get the most out of my money with a budget of 10-12K.

What''s the likelihood of a diamond falling out of platinum prongs if it is inspected every six months?
Since Jared''s doesn''t cover anything if the entire ring is lost then I think I should probably get independent insurance, right? If I get independent insurance, then maybe the Jared insurance becomes irrelevant. Is that a fair assumption? Did I overpay for the diamond? (don''t feel bad for telling me b/c I am still within the 30-day refund policy)

I haven''t had the diamond appraised yet but the I.G.I. cert specifies:
Shape/Cut: Round Brilliant
Measurement: 6.21-6.22x4.044mm
Weight: 0.96 CT(S)
Color: Colorless (F)
Clarity: VS(2)
Polish/Symmetry: V.Good/V.Good
Treatment: None
Cost: $8,500



Thanks in advance,
Mig
 
Oooooof. Yes. I think you overpaid. 10-12K is a VERY nice budget and you can get a super ideal cut over 1ct stone graded by a top lab (GIA or AGS) in a platinum setting WITH private insurance for that amount by shopping on line.

The "diamond only insurance" is silly/a waste (imo) because you'll be in effect paying TWICE for the same coverage when you add the ring to a homeowners or private jewelry policy (to get it covered in case of theft or loss) ... those places won't let you insure for JUST theft or loss -- it will INCLUDE damage to the stone *anyway*. Also, those mall jewelry stores will void guarantees if you miss a 6 month appointment ... & probably not send reminders like the dentist .. HA! It's just a "selling point" for them -- marketing strategy ONLY ... not truly a benefit to most educated consumers who will be purchasing private insurance anyway.


ETA: The stats of the stone as provided by I.G.I. may be higher than the same stone would rate on a GIA or AGS lab report ... so that stone my be similar to a GIA/AGS "G/H" color .. "SI1/2" clarity ... & G/G polish/sym. An independent appraiser could confirm ... but WHY even bother. You can get a much better & larger & more ideal stone for your budget FOR SURE!
 
Can you return this ring? Take a bunch of pictures of the setting before you do though and maybe we can help you find one very similar to it. That way you will get a quality diamond (for a LOT less than what you paid) plus a setting that you love too.
 
You overpaid. And the insurance isn't worth much when MANY MANY places (actual insurance companies!) will sell you ring insurance that will cover EVERYTHING including loss or theft.

Please return it if you can and we will be more than happy to help you pick a winning stone AND insurance to go with it!
 
Date: 8/19/2007 5:27:12 PM
Author: neatfreak
You overpaid. And the insurance isn''t worth much when MANY MANY places (actual insurance companies!) will sell you ring insurance that will cover EVERYTHING including loss or theft.

Please return it if you can and we will be more than happy to help you pick a winning stone AND insurance to go with it!
Click to expand...
Ditto.
 
I don''t know much but I can share my own experiences. I have had a diamond solitaire fall out of it''s platinum setting. (platinum head, gold band) I''ve actually had the prongs fixed three times. I do have the six month inspection thing, and even then I was charged for the labor. I used to wear it very hard. I kept it on cleaning, working outside, horseback riding, everything. Since it''s last repair, I don''t wear it constantly and have had no further problems. (I''ve had it for 9 years.) My mother has had a solitaire in platinum for nearly thirty years, never inspected, and only recently had her stone loosen. In upgrading, I chose to go online. I did put insurance on it. My jewelry insurance costs $9 per $1000 value (yearly). I have my jewelry scheduled with my home insurance. It covers loss, damage, theft, etc. with no deductible for repair or replacement.

As far as the diamond itself, you could run it through HCA, but you''re lacking some info. If you have a GIA cert, please post it, and then the PSers can give you an idea of your stone''s value.

You can research Costco here. Just type it in the SEARCH and you should be able to find some threads.

Oh, and here is a diamond I found on whiteflash. It''s a little larger than yours and the color is just a bit less. But, it''s a beautiful, sparkly, and is the hearts and arrows cut. Just another avenue to look down.

Good Luck!
35.gif
 
She may want to keep the ring and band, so I might just need to look for a diamond.

Ring $1,650
Plat head + sizing $275
Wed band $400 (not pictured)

Thanks for all of your replies.

Bride's input:
I am looking for the same cut and want to spend around the same amount of money ($8,500). But judging by everyone's replies, we should be able to find something from the internet much better for the same cost. Yes, we will insure through our homeowner's policy. We are just weary of purchasing online and don't want to be ripped off (again). What are the most reliable websites to purchase from and can anyone provide references?

mig22 ring.JPG
 
Great places to purchase:

Whiteflash
Good Old Gold
Engagement Rings Direct
James Allen

To start the list off. We have all purchased from these vendors time and time again and they consistently perform. My fiance purchased my ring from ERD and we are absolutely thrilled.
 
For references ... you can type any of those vendor's names into the search bar & turn up hundreds of stories. Since there's not private messaging here, you won't be able to contact them *personally* though. The vendors themselves may give out *personal* references (people who've agreed to be contacted)?? You could also "google" search blogs for the names too ... I've seen writeups about Whiteflash & almost all fave pscope vendors over on Wedding Bee.

On the contrary ... search "Jareds" and you'll find quite a bit of reading material too.
23.gif
Which is why you *might* consider switching out the setting & band as well. But that's just my opinion. It looks very pretty in the picture you posted!!!

SQUEE -- i'm kinda excited because I think you're going to end up with an OVER 1ct super ideal stone that will blow your mind!!!


Here are a few ...

This is a 1.2 carat Hearts & Arrows, A Cut Above brand (super ideal) with an AGS cert ... "G" color (prob same as your IGI "F") that is GET THIS .. 6.84 x 6.87 wide ... WOW. It's *almost* in budget w/ the pricescope discount. (5%??) $8864 ??
 
Do YOU like the ring? If so then keep it. Yes, I think you overpaid but if your girl truly likes it then who really cares where it came from? If she's not in love with it, or if she hasn't seen it yet and you're not in love with it then return it and keep searching. As has been pointed out, there are plenty of vendors recommended on PS that will be able to give you a bigger, better quality stone at a lower price. Good luck!

ETA: My hubby got my ring made at a mall store (way before I knew about PS), with the "insurance" and we've not had any problems. Ever. No lost stones, chipped stones, poorly placed prongs, blah, blah, blah. I wear my wedding rings pretty much all the time - not to bed or in the shower. I wear them bathing the dogs, at work, gardening, swimming and have not had a single problem. They've taken a fair amount of abuse and the craftsmenship has held up really well.

I don't even take it in every six months for the inspection and I've never been denied services - sizing, prong-tightening, etc. I do, however, have them cleaned and inspected whenever I'm at the mall and have had minor work done - resizing and prong-tighening.

It's worth pointing out though that we only deal with the store manager and have a great relationship with them in general.

Jess
 
Did the diamond cost $8,500 or the whole thing?

Either way, you overpaid, it''s just by how much. There was a 0.96 F VS2 with a non GIA/AGS cert (it was EGL) listed by three vendors: from $3765 to $3891. AGS and GIA are the industry standards; anything else (generally) is priced lower because the grading is assumed to be more lenient (e.g. "F" when GIA would call it "G" or "VS2" when GIA would call it "SI1").

WhiteFlash, GoodOldGold, JamesAllen, etc. -- these are highly recommended vendors who will work with you personally. The first two have lifetime upgrade policies, so if in five years she decides she wants a bigger diamond, it''s a piece of cake. Many PriceScope junkies work with them to get the best cut stones there are and to have personalized service.

Mondera and BlueNile are like the Amazon.com''s of jewelry, especially BlueNile. If you are nervous about working with a vendor who specializes in Hearts and Arrows stones or catering to the over-educated internet consumer
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, then I would at the very least recommend looking into them.

For example, on BlueNile I can take a setting just like yours, add a beautiful 1.12 F VS2 AGS0 stone, and come in at under 10k for the whole ring. This stone is 0.16 carats bigger than yours, graded by a more reputable lab, given an "ideal" cut rating by the same lab, and scores a 1.4 on the HCA.
 
Mig22, several of the others have made some excellent recommendations. Once you consider that your F/VS2 on an IGI cert is equivalent to a GIA G/SI1, it opens up the field a bit. In fact, the size you can easily afford might surprise you.

Perhaps take a look at this one on BlueNile: it rates their superideal cut and comes in at 1.26 carats for $8291. http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?pid=LD01112128

Oh, and just as a point of comparison on pricing, I found the following at Whiteflash; its GIA cert of G/SI1 very good/very good makes it very similar to your stone from Jared, the PS discount brings it down to somewhat similar $8900, and as for size... well, it''s 1.51 carats. http://www.whiteflash.com/round/Round-cut-diamond-289918.htm

As for trusted online sellers, I''d select any of the one''s on neatfreak''s list without hesitation. If you''re concerned, you can always arrange an independent appraisal during the return policy period (or even before, sometimes).
 
Even though you like the setting, I''d take it back. That is way too much for a F VS2 of that size. Do you have the angles/specs to run it through the HCA tool?


I so sorry, but I feel you''ve way overpaid. I know I said that twice...but...well, you can get a much better deal just as everyone has stated.
 
The linked diamond was gorgeous. That is about the price range we are looking, and I saw somewhere on this site that ACA ("a cut above?") receive 5% discount from whiteflash.


Choice #1

Choice #2

Thanks to everyone on this forum who has helped us out, we now know that the right choice is to get a different diamond. We''ve narrowed it down to the two diamonds above. Choice one shows some type of marking in the AGA report near the center of the diamond. Anyone know if we will see this with our bare eyes? Choice two is less carats, but is better quality and clarity. Any thoughts on which one we should purchase?

Also, we love the setting we have, but can''t find the same one on any of the online retailers referenced on this site. It is a 5/8CTW, 14 white gold, from Jared (pictured above), but that is about all the info we have. If anyone knows where we can find this same band (or in platinum), please let us know. We''ve seen very similar ones, but they are smaller and don''t have the extra gap of space between the baguette setting and the portion of the band that sits on the finger.
 
Both stones look good to me. Word to the wise ... if you're interested in them contact Whiteflash ASAP ... there are thousands of lurkers online and sometimes stones get featured in a thread only to be swooped up before the person decides or contacts the vendor. Not p-scope regulars (who aren't usually e-ring shopping any longer) but 1st timers or lookie-loos.

Don't panic though ... if you need more time to make up your mind, there will be other awesome stones!

Re: the setting ... I know it's a popular style. Dimend Scassi has a version but it's pretty expensive $2900 in white gold, $3900 in platinum???

It's possible Whiteflash would set their stone into a setting you provided for them. I *think* I've heard of that before ... just ask. Other vendors might agree to also.

Good luck. I think you're on the right track!!



ETA: I also found this similar setting at Facets/Signed Pieces (where I bought my husband's wedding band) ... I can't find the price for the 18K white gold version though ... the carat weight on the bags is higher than your original & it has that cathedral height you're looking for ... it's an exact match ... but similar *shrug*
 
The difference in the size of the stones when you look at their diameters really isn't that much. I'd call WhiteFlash and ask for their honest opinion. There have been many reviews where WF did not recommend the more expensive stone, so you don't have to worry about that. WF has quite a selection of ACA and Expert Selection stones in the 1.10 to 1.28 F-G VS1-VS2 range, so they may even recommend a different stone. You really can't go wrong with their H&A stones.

Also, don't forget to ask for the PriceScope discount (5% off). You can see how the prices are adjusted to reflect the discount if you look up the stones here: https://www.pricescope.com/sift.aspx

#1 $8864
#2 $8714

ETA: I see you already mentioned the discount. There's a discount on all of their stones, I believe, just maybe not 5%. If the stone is listed through the search engine here at PS for less than on their site, then you know it receives a discount. You can get a slightly larger stone for the same price if you go to their expert selection stones (like this 1.276 F VS2), so you might consider those as well. (Discount is for 3% off on this stone, it looks like)
 
Alright, this is the deal. You can''t compare Jared prices to online prices. You are not going to find any store that carries diamonds as cheaply as online. They are a store with overhead, and employees to pay. I don''t think Jared is bad. I think it all depends on what you''re getting from there. I personally wouldn''t buy a loose diamond from Jared. I DO think they are way overpriced and not cut that great. I mean the loose diamonds they carry that are just thier normal selection (which would be the only thing I could afford) I don''t think have the best cut AND they are IGI certified. I don''t know much about thier LEO diamond or thier certified Ideal cut stones, except they are horrificly priced, but I do think thier Ideal stones are AGS certified. I priced some stones there and I wouldn''t of been able to of gotten the size or quality of stone that I got online from my budget.

Now that i''m done with that. My stone is in a semi mount setting from Jared and I love it. My new wedding band is also from Jared. The semi mount has to small round diamonds next to the center stone and 2 small bead set ones on eithier side. I don''t know anything about thier cut, but they are goergous. Even when I don''t clean my ring for a long time they stay nice and sparkly. My setting was on sale for $400.00 (white gold) and my new wedding band which is 3 sided pave or bead set (I don''t know honestly) was $500.00. Since I know it''s easy for antique designs like mine to loose a stone I got all their diamond insurance things that you got as well.

Now it seems like your torn on if those policies are good or not. This is how it works. You take it in every 6 months and I personally don''t see if as a bad thing. They look it over to make sure no prongs are loose, no stones or anything, then they clean it and you are on your way again. should you miss 6 months your policy is not void. It works like this. Lets say you bought your stuff this month, August. Your next check date would be February. So from now till February if anything happens to your rings you are covered. When you go take your ring in February and get it checked then you are covered until next August. Now lets say next August you forget to take it in, and you take it in in September instead. All that means is that should something happen in the lapsed time period, like in August then you are NOT covered. But if nothing happens and you take it in September then you are covered again from September until February. Most of my jewelry pieces have these policies on them and i''ve never had an issue with it.

If you could return your stuff to Jared, and would like more bang for your buck so to speak I would. However if your looking at settings or wedding bands, I don''t think Jared is bad. I am very happy with my settings, but then againn they are white gold, LOADS cheaper than plat. What it comes down too is if you think you can get what you want somewhere else, just as good and cheaper then go for it.
 
Ooh I actually saw that by the time I made my post there was some more replies.

I think choosing to take at least the stone back is a GREAT idea. I think you can find something absolutely STUNNING on here!

Af for the setting and wedding band if your looking for specs on them the sales person should be able to tell you as long as they have it in stock. Each sticker tells them at least the color and clarity of the diamonds used. When I was getting a new wedding band I immediatly liked 3:

1. .50cttw $395.00 (white gold)
2. .30cttw $500.00 (white gold)
3. .50cttw $700.00 (white gold)

I REALLY liked 2 & 3. But was confused on why 2 had a lower carat wght but was pricer than 1. I was told that they were priced in terms of quality in the stones. Band 1 had a lower quality than the other 2. I immediatly set 1 aside and was torn between 2 & 3. The greedy diamond hoarder in me wanted as high of a carat wght I could get. BUT #2 went better with my setting and the diamonds in it were H/SI1. Not bad for $500.00. Plus I just liked it. I love my setting and band and i''m highly impressed with it. People NEVER believe that I got it from Jared. Just do what your fiancee will be happy with. I think changing out the center stone is prudent but if you wanted to keep the setting and band then don''t feel bad over it.
 
Choice #1
Click to expand...

The clarity rates a VS2 but the AGS report looks like it has many imperfections in the center of the diamond. I''m not familiar with how difficult AGS grades. Is there a way to tell from the AGS picture how these markings will affect the actual look of the diamond in-person?

I can''t figure out a way to shrink the AGS report and retain its quality for this website. The link above should take you within one step of the AGS report.

Thanks in advance,
Mig
 
Mig ... I know it sounds crazy ... but just call them ask ASK how it looks. Say you're got a pricescope thread going & you want a real live person to look at the inclusions and tell you how far away you have to be to see them: 2 inches, 4 inches etc.

Possibly they're white inclusions that are not visible from the top at all (even though they look damming on the plot ... I don't know that I didn't look)

Also, if you care, ask if you can see any inclusions from the SIDE -- clarity is graded top down, most folks don't care about side view but some do ... they'll tell you that as well if you ask.

Whiteflash, among others, is used to finiky Pscopers calling with their kooky questions. It's easier for them to just tell you their opinion than we can guess from any pix.


ETA: YIKES I hope you reserved it because it's marked as "reserved" now!! BTW -- I can't see anything on that magnified picture. I bet it's eye clean regardless of the plot ...
 
I agree with deco....give WF a call.

For what it''s worth, I have a VS2 cushion cut diamond and all of the inclusions are in the center as well.....I can''t see a thing though. One time I squinted real hard and THOUGHT I saw a feather...but it was a piece of fuzz. lol.
 
I am the one that reserved it. I called them this morning and I got the impression that the person only had the specs available, but I thought of more questions after the phone call. I was unaware that it is difficult to tell from the plot. I''ll give them a call and ask them to visually inspect it.

Also, are the appraisers listed on PS''s website recommended by PS?
 
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