Concierge service worth it for lab diamond search?

[TinsieCat]

Hi all! Thanks in advance for your help. This forum has been so informative!

I’m looking for an Emerald cut diamond, around 2.5 carats, D-F, best cut/quality, at least VS1. Budget is $20K.

I’ve come to the conclusion lab diamonds are probably the most economical for what I want however I learned how much I actually DON’T know after searching online and in person for around a year.

Im currently checking out Ada Diamonds in SF, and they have amazing reviews.

My question is...is it worth it to go through a concierge service? My concern is that I’ll accidentally purchase a lab diamond with flaws like brown/blue, phosphorescence, poor cut, the streaky effect from sped up growth, etc. I understand that ECs tend to show more flaws and more care is needed when choosing.

However it seems many ppl have found great diamonds on their own and/or through the help of the lovely ppl on pricescope. Are ECs something that warrant that level of service?

 

[123ducklings]

Search engines like rarecarat can help you narrow your search.

Ultimately you’re the only one who knows it makes sense for you to use a concierge service. If you go that route you are paying for someone else to use their time and expertise to source a stone for you. When you do it on your own, you are saving that fee by spending your own time to develop the knowledge you need and then time to search out your stone.

There’s lots of great info freely available on Pricescope and elsewhere on the internet. Some people like getting deep into the nitty gritty and selecting their perfect stone, others prefer to pay for convenience. No wrong answer; it’s just a matter of what works for you.

 

[poshmommy]

Did you see the 3 ct E VS1 lab diamond that distinctive gems has? Jonathan has always been very choosy with his inventory from what I can tell. It's in budget at $16,500. Inquire quick if interested.

 

[RJLongLong]

I have been searching for an EC as well, and did a virtual appointment with VRAI earlier this week. What I liked about the virtual visit is that they were able to show me inventory that's not available to the public yet, so you wouldn't find it online. They also showed me additional details available within their system that you wouldn't find online, including gemologist notes on potential tints, and they showed me prices. I felt it was very transparent, and worth my time. I didn't look at anything over 2.8cts, so I don't know if they had a stone your size with that nice of a color. Anyway, I think it could be worth your while to do a virtual visit and see what they have

 

[jaysonsmom]

Did you see the 3 ct E VS1 lab diamond that distinctive gems has? Jonathan has always been very choosy with his inventory from what I can tell. It's in budget at $16,500. Inquire quick if interested.

I was just going to say...with a healthy 20K budget you can get a cut to order emerald cut with lab grown rough that is carefully selected by Jonathan at
Distinctive Gem.

 

[TinsieCat]

Search engines like rarecarat can help you narrow your search.

Ultimately you’re the only one who knows it makes sense for you to use a concierge service. If you go that route you are paying for someone else to use their time and expertise to source a stone for you. When you do it on your own, you are saving that fee by spending your own time to develop the knowledge you need and then time to search out your stone.

There’s lots of great info freely available on Pricescope and elsewhere on the internet. Some people like getting deep into the nitty gritty and selecting their perfect stone, others prefer to pay for convenience. No wrong answer; it’s just a matter of what works for you.

Thank you for your response! I feel like I've been doing so much "research" that I now have info overload and I am questioning every little spec. I started emailing around to different places as well to be able to compare options

 

[TinsieCat]

Did you see the 3 ct E VS1 lab diamond that distinctive gems has? Jonathan has always been very choosy with his inventory from what I can tell. It's in budget at $16,500. Inquire quick if interested.

Hello! Thank you for looking out! I will email him right now about it.

 

[TinsieCat]

I have been searching for an EC as well, and did a virtual appointment with VRAI earlier this week. What I liked about the virtual visit is that they were able to show me inventory that's not available to the public yet, so you wouldn't find it online. They also showed me additional details available within their system that you wouldn't find online, including gemologist notes on potential tints, and they showed me prices. I felt it was very transparent, and worth my time. I didn't look at anything over 2.8cts, so I don't know if they had a stone your size with that nice of a color. Anyway, I think it could be worth your while to do a virtual visit and see what they have

Hello! Seems like VRAI really gave you a lot of insight into their inventory, along with transparent info. I like that! I am going to check out their site right now.

 

[TinsieCat]

I was just going to say...with a healthy 20K budget you can get a cut to order emerald cut with lab grown rough that is carefully selected by Jonathan at
Distinctive Gem.

Hi! Just caught this now! Do you have any experience with going that route? I've never even knew that was an option.

 

[jaysonsmom]

Hi! Just caught this now! Do you have any experience with going that route? I've never even knew that was an option.

Yes, my 20th anniversary ring is an 2.80 ct OEC that was custom cut from Jonathan's private reserve Lab Grown rough. I wanted to hit a specific carat weight and color, so he was able to source the lab grown rough that was able to yield the OEC I wanted, I also got a customized my setting, which was inspired by one of Jonathan's designs, but with some alterations to the shank, prongs and milgrain. The entire process took about 3.5 months, and Jonathan kept me updated on stone and the setting design the whole time. It was a wonderful experience.

 

[Papillion]

Does anyone know if they are cutting lab grown Octavia asschers at Distinctive Gems?

 

[OcnGypZ]

Does anyone know if they are cutting lab grown Octavia asschers at Distinctive Gems?

Enquire with Yoram directly at Gem Concepts. A poster here had one cut.

 

[lovedogs]

Enquire with Yoram directly at Gem Concepts. A poster here had one cut.

He is willing to cut them, but the entry point for pricing is ~14k (I just emailed him about it).

 

[monipod]

My question is...is it worth it to go through a concierge service? My concern is that I’ll accidentally purchase a lab diamond with flaws like brown/blue, phosphorescence, poor cut, the streaky effect from sped up growth, etc. I understand that ECs tend to show more flaws and more care is needed when choosing.

However it seems many ppl have found great diamonds on their own and/or through the help of the lovely ppl on pricescope. Are ECs something that warrant that level of service?

If you're not an experienced buyer of stones online and you haven't done much research to know what to look for then a concierge service makes perfect sense.

I had wanted an Asscher forever but couldn't afford most mined stones over 1ct (and they are too small under 1ct). By the time I realised that a lab Asscher was a good solution, I knew exactly what I wanted specs wise so didn't feel the need to use a concierge. I finally found the one and while it was a lower colour than I wanted, everything else about it was amazing. Of course, no one knows until they have it in hand, but fortunately for me, my stone was beautiful. I didn't have to exchange etc. If I ever get that 3+ct OEC however, I'll go through a concierge as it's just that big an investment that it's worth a professional opinion.

I think as long as you are getting your stone from a reputable seller, you won't come across lab stones with obvious stria and other lab-related issues. Some people love blue nuance and the brown/pink tint so I don't really see them as flaws. They are easy enough to avoid mind you. Yes, with step cuts, aim for a VS1 or VS2. A concierge would come in handy if an SI stone grabbed you and you needed a professional opinion. Like Asschers, ECs can differ greatly from stone to stone so you need to know what you want from an EC. Good luck!

 

[MMtwo]

I asked Jon to help me with stud earrings. They are still in process, but we chatted about his process. He picked out a pair of diamonds for my studs (1.81 ctw) for me, and they will go to him for inspection before they head my way.

I tried to do this on my own and realized I just didn't have the skill set to make sure I had a sparkly, well-cut match by buying from the big box operations. I spent hours and hours comparing size and shape and certificates. Many of the lab diamonds have a sketchy cut. Add to that the strain issues...

You know, it was so nice not to worry. In my case, worth it!

 

[TinsieCat]

I asked Jon to help me with stud earrings. They are still in process, but we chatted about his process. He picked out a pair of diamonds for my studs (1.81 ctw) for me, and they will go to him for inspection before they head my way.

I tried to do this on my own and realized I just didn't have the skill set to make sure I had a sparkly, well-cut match by buying from the big box operations. I spent hours and hours comparing size and shape and certificates. Many of the lab diamonds have a sketchy cut. Add to that the strain issues...

You know, it was so nice not to worry. In my case, worth it!

Thank you!!! I did reach out to him and he found me a beautiful diamond, and gave me a ton of good info on his process and answered all my questions. I feel kind of bad because I just kind of dropped off the face of the earth with him and now I’m a bit embarrassed to go back lol. Life took over and I got overwhelmed with the diamond buying process. I’m also overthinking the part about a potential price drop on MMD due to the tech becoming better and more plentiful. It would hurt my heart to see something like that drop so fast in value. And as for mined diamonds, I’m wondering the same thing due to changes in buying habits of the next generation. Anyways I’m taking a small hiatus from the diamond shopping. It’s stressful dropping so much money that knowingly has zero intrinsic value, but I still want cause it makes me giddy! One could argue the same about my bfs purchased artwork though.

 

[MMtwo]

Thank you!!! I did reach out to him and he found me a beautiful diamond, and gave me a ton of good info on his process and answered all my questions. I feel kind of bad because I just kind of dropped off the face of the earth with him and now I’m a bit embarrassed to go back lol. Life took over and I got overwhelmed with the diamond buying process. I’m also overthinking the part about a potential price drop on MMD due to the tech becoming better and more plentiful. It would hurt my heart to see something like that drop so fast in value. And as for mined diamonds, I’m wondering the same thing due to changes in buying habits of the next generation. Anyways I’m taking a small hiatus from the diamond shopping. It’s stressful dropping so much money that knowingly has zero intrinsic value, but I still want cause it makes me giddy! One could argue the same about my bfs purchased artwork though.

It's hard to know how to choose in the mined vs lab. Not sure there is zero value Hard to know what resale value will be. People haven't been selling their lab diamonds often yet. Mined diamonds also take a hit, so what to buy? Trust me, I had to think about this too. In the end, I will love them either way.