Did I make the right choice?

[cdndman]

I have decided that it''s time to pop the big question... so I did my fair share of research into diamonds. I knew exactly what my girlfriend wanted for setting as she has showed me many times so that wasn''t hard. I also knew the jeweler that I would have the ring designed and made at. This jeweler is one that my family has used for over 50 years and is very reputable.

The one thing I didn''t take into account is the time it would take to make a custom ring... as the jeweler makes the ring base on the diamond so that the entire ring compliments the diamond in every way possible.

When I went to the jeweler I was shown numerous stones.

I was looking at between .5 and .7ct for center stone.

The 3 that the jeweler had in this range and in decent color, clarity and cut where as follows.

1. .56ct certified canadian G color, Si1, good cut and good symmetry
2. .58ct GIA certified G color, Si1, good cut and good symmetry
3. .65ct non-certified E color, VS1, excellent cut and excellent symmetry

I was kind of worried about the 3rd choice since it was not certified... however to the naked eye I could tell it was superior. This was backed up when we looked at 10x magnification.

What i know about this stone is that it was cut/polished in antwerp, belgium and it came from a mine in Africa that is part of the kimberly process.

Still being a little worried about no certification I inquired about how it was graded.... The jeweler said and showed me forms from a gemologist in antwerp and from one that is local. They even encouraged me to get a independent gemoligist of my choice to view the loose diamond. All three came to the same conclusion about the stone....

I know for a fact the jeweller would not rip me off and they said they could bring in a certified .65ct with the same specs... however that would delay the ring by 2-3 weeks... and i''m planning on doing the proposal on an upcoming trip..... So I ok''d the non-certified diamond...

we did compare the non-certified to two certified''s that where of same clarity, cut and color (however bigger and smaller sizes) and it looked identical.....


Did I make the right choice???

 

[honey22]

I usually don''t answer ''loaded'' questions such as these as I don''t want to offend, so please accept this answer as simply my opinion.

I would have certainly passed on the first two, with only a very good cut grade. And if forced, I would have picked the one you picked. However, I wouldn''t purchase an uncertified stone as you can never be sure of the correct colour and clarity. Even a single colour grade or clarity grade can effect the price dramatically, so I would want to be certain that I am getting for what I am paying a premium for.

I would suggest you make the sale final on an positive independent appraisal if you can do that. If an appraisal comes back with different specs, then you may be able to swap it or seek some kind of compensation back from the jeweller.

On a more positive note, you have seen the stone with your own eyes, and if you love the stone and you are happy to pay the asking price, then that''s all you need.

Don''t forget to post pics! (says the slack poster who is yet to do so

)

 

[cdndman]

I have had an independent appraisal done and it came back with the same specs..another one will be completed when the ring is completed.. I don't think I would buy a non-certified from another jeweler but I know for a fact that if anything disputes the quality of this stone they will replace it. As I mentioned this jeweler has been doing work for my family for over 50 years now and it wouldn't be a issue...

Thanks for the kind words

I tried to keep it as short as possible... however just saying I bought a non-certified diamond wouldn't have told the entire story

 

[cdndman]

Here is what the setting will look like....

 

[dockman3]

Hi, and welcome to Pricescope!

That is a gorgeous setting, and she''ll love it! (Of course, she picked it out, so she better!)

As to your stone, like Honey said, please take this as only my opinion. I, personally, wouldn''t buy a non-certified stone. That''s just more for my peace of mind than anything else, even if I knew the jeweler and had gotten an independent appraisal (more on that later). E VS1 is a great combo, and I''m sure its a nice white diamond. The thing to remember with diamonds is that cut is king! The cut is what makes the diamond perform and color and clarity only add to the overall look. A well cut K I1 will outperform a poorly cut D Fl any day! That''s why I prefer a graded diamond, because I want all of that cut info, like table %, depth %, girdle thickness, crown angle, pavilion angle, cutlet, things like that. Those are the important characteristics and those are the numbers I''d want to know before I bought.

However, with all of that said, you were able to do something that we are not. We were not there to see this diamond in person and compare it to graded diamonds. It sounds like you only compared it to lesser cuts, so maybe if you compared it to a truly ideal cut diamond, you would change your mind. Maybe you can ask him to show you an AGS000 (AGS triple zero) diamond next to yours and see what you think. AGS000 are excellent cut diamonds based upon the AGS grading system and are guaranteed to be great diamonds. That would be my suggestion if you are having second thoughts. Ask to compare it to GIA Ex cuts and AGS000 diamonds. I know you want to propose on an upcoming trip, but to me, personally, its more important to get the ring right than to get it quickly.

Not to change the subject, but when you said you got an independent appraisal, was it truly independent? Or was it just another jeweler who does appraisals? I''m also not sure how accurately an independent appraiser can assess the cut without some sophisticated measuring techniques. The numbers that I mentioned before are difficult to measure and require optical techniques for the best accuracy. Without those numbers, they can''t assess the quality of the cut, other than by just looking at it. The major grading labs have the equipment and use it to give a judgment of the cut.

In closing, of the 3 you had to choose from, yes, I believe you chose the best of the bunch. However, I can''t say whether or not you its the best you could have done because I don''t have your budget or your limits in color and clarity. Here''s an example I found using the cut quality search at the top of the page:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4342/

This is a really nice stone in your general size, cut, color and clarity. You will pay more than this at a local store, even if they are old family friends, but this will give you an idea of what to expect. Like I said before, please don''t take anything I''ve said personally. I''m just trying to help you find the best diamond possible for your girl. Its great that you are taking the time to research this so much and you sound like a great guy. But from one guy to another, its worth the wait to find that perfect stone. Don''t just settle with the first thing you see. Good luck with your search, and keep us posted!

 

[cdndman]

Thanks for the great info!! luckily this jeweler is a 5 minute walk from my office so I gave them a call and i''ll be going in, in a hour to do a good comparison.. The one thing that I like is that he is not pushing me into this stone... he is going to do a color tray and get a variety of different certified cuts to compare to. I think that will ease my mind.

As for the appraiser that looked at the diamond he works out of one of the more prestigous and well known jeweller''s in my city. He examined the diamond without any knowledge of what the diamond has been previously graded at. He not only uses his experiance to look at the physical characteristics but he also uses a isee2 machine to confirm. I was impressed that he came up with the exact same grading considering he didn''t know where the diamond was from or what it had been originally graded at.

I''ll let you know how it goes

 

[dockman3]

That''s great to hear! It sounds like this jeweler is a good guy and you are going to be fine working with him. It also sounds like your appraiser was a good choice as well. I guess you are all set! Come back with any other questions you have and let us know how it goes!

 

[cdndman]

Just got back from the jeweler... and I''m satisfied with my choice. as you suggested I compared the cut to a couple GIA excellent''s and to my eye I couldn''t see a difference... I can see the difference between a very good cut and I have what most people would consider a good eye for detail. I also got to see the sketches of the ring and i am very impressed and it was very reassuring that he was taking the time to show me and let me compare to other diamonds.

 

[cdndman]

I think I did make the right choice in the end... here''s the completed ring....

 

[Lorelei]

It looks great, would love to see some more pics please!

 

[dockman3]

Yes, more pics please! It does look fantastic from that one shot though!

 

[Tuckins1]

Oh wow... This ring is gorgeous!!! Great job!

 

[cdndman]

Here are the two other good ones I could take

 

[dockman3]

That looks great!! What a fantastic ring! She is going to love it!