Can you help me understand the grading/cert reports?

[Angel7]

Hello All,

We have recently started ring shopping and I have so many questions and pricescope has been such a life saver! I had thought I was very educated - at least more than the boyfriend

but when talking to these jewelers I realize maybe I''m not!

I''m looking at a princess cut for the center stone and this salesperson said I should only pay attention to certain reports.
I forget now, but maybe it was GIA or EGL? I assumed all reports were the same.

Any advice on how to start would be greatly appreciated! I wan to be as educated and informed as I can be!

Thank You!

 

[chrono]

GIA and AGS are strict labs so they tend to grade accurately. EGL USA is all right most of the time. I would never trust IGI, EGL Europe or EGL Israel.

For princess cuts, I prefer to stick to AGS0 rated diamonds because they have been proven for light performance.

 

[Angel7]

Thank you so much Chrono!
Yes, I remember him saying to stick with USA reports when using EGL.
If you don''t mind taking the time to tell me, what are AGS0 rated diamonds?

Thanks again!

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 12/11/2007 4:51:58 PM
Author: Chrono
GIA and AGS are strict labs so they tend to grade accurately. EGL USA is all right most of the time. I would never trust IGI, EGL Europe or EGL Israel.

For princess cuts, I prefer to stick to AGS0 rated diamonds because they have been proven for light performance.

For me GIA is fine as long as there is an ASET image to show the potential light return performance.

 

[denverappraiser]

AGS is the American Gem Society. (www.ags.org)
They have a proprietary grading scale that they use for grading princess cuts that ranks the stones on a scale from 0-10 with 0 being the best. Hence the advice that AGS0 stones rock. They do.

The straightforward way to get an AGS0 is to buy a stone that’s been graded by AGS Lab (www.agslab.com). They’re a competitor of the GIA and EGL brands that your jeweler mentioned. No, all labs are not the same.

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

 

[Angel7]

And here I thought all the reports were the same! Thank you very much Denver and strmrdr. Your input helps me out a lot.
So not all jewelers sell AGS?

Thank you all so much!

 

[Florida Phil]

Who are these People http://www.uglinc.com/

I have been offered a ring with a appraisal from them. Are they a recognised organisation?


This is what I was looking at

http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/jwl/505780434.html


Seems very cheap??? Your opinions please.

 

[urseberry]

Florida Phil, I haven''t heard of UGL. People here on Pricescope tend to only trust GIA and AGS reports. On rare occasions someone will buy an EGL-USA certified stone.

 

[HPLouis]

Date: 12/11/2007 6:53:38 PM
Author: Florida Phil
Who are these People http://www.uglinc.com/

I have been offered a ring with a appraisal from them. Are they a recognised organisation?


This is what I was looking at

http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/jwl/505780434.html


Seems very cheap??? Your opinions please.

Whoa..that thing is huge. Universal Gemological Laboratory is a gem lab out in the Diamond District in NYC. I just had an appraisal done by them. They''re a lab but I would only use them for appriasals since people look for certifications from GIA, AGS, IGI, EGL-USA, etc.

 

[denverappraiser]

The ad says that he want’s $10k for it, that this is approximately what he paid, and that he’s got an appraisal that says it’s ‘worth’ $40k. Worth $40k to who? If he could get $40k for it, surely he would so it must mean something other than that. The excuse of clarity enhancement makes no sense at all. There’s a viable market for CE stones and they should be compared with other similar stones in order to assign a value, just like with untreated natural stones or any other kind of property. $40k for a 3ct. CE princess strikes me as high in any market I’ve ever been exposed to and apparently there was direct evidence to the contrary in the form of an actual transaction involving that particular stone but perhaps there’s something really special about this one. Currently the biggest market for CE diamonds seems to be ebay, which is notoriously complicated for results. You may be able to find completed auctions of comparable UGL graded CE stones to get a feel for what people are getting. Just out of curiosity, why do you say this one sounds cheap? Have you seen other offers?

An appraisal is only useful if it answers the right question and, if you don’t understand the report, call them up and ask them about it. They may not talk to you about it (I wouldn’t; I don’t discuss my clients or their property with a 3rd party for any reason short of a court order or specific instructions from the client to do so) but quite a few appraisers will help you interpret their reports given to you by someone who is using them as an advertisement. If you can’t figure out what the appraiser is talking about by reading the report or the appraiser won’t talk to you, ignore the report entirely. Hire your own appraiser who is working for you, not the seller, ask a lot of questions and insist on understanding their answers. This is what you’re paying them for. There's quite a bit of money at stake.

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