Did my friend actually get a good deal in the L.A. DD?

[TravelingGal]

Hello everyone!

Against my advice, my friend went to the LA diamond district to find a ring to propose to his girlfriend of 4 months. He''s happy, so I guess in the end it worked out.

Here is what he bought...price seems a bit low from what I''ve found, but the diamond actually looks OK, I think?

1.07 carat RB (says it''s a tolkowski ideal cut)
Color F
Clarity SI1 (he says it''s eyeclean)
6.51x6.47x4.01
Depth 61.8%
Table 57%
Crown 15%
Pavilion 43%
girdle medium
polish good
symmetry very good
culet no
Fluorescence none

Graded by EGL-International

He got the diamond, plus a white gold setting with two bagettes on either side for $4700 total. I know EGL-International diamonds are less, but I''ve done some searches, and the diamonds alone are coming up a bit more than what he paid for the entire ring. I don''t have any pics yet, but I told him to take a picture and send them over. I think the bagettes on each side must be about .20 each.

Any thoughts? Did he actually manage to get a good deal?

 

[belle]

the price is certainly reasonable based on the information that you have provided. glad your friend is so happy with his purchase!

 

[TravelingGal]

Thanks Belle...I know without the crown and pavillion angles, it can''t be said for sure whether this is a well cut diamond or not, but it does seem OK. It''s just so much cheaper than a equivalent GIA certified diamond!

 

[codex57]

Nothing wrong with the diamond district. Bought my wife''s e-ring there. Price was pretty close to online prices, but I had great service and could keep visiting to see different diamonds over and over again. The convenience more than made up for the little diff in price. More importantly, the workmanship was fabulous. My wife still gets thrilled everytime she cleans her ring and sees the workmanship of her ring. It''s just a plain Tiffany style platinum solitaire, but the guy spent nearly 1 hour setting and polishing it. Prongs were set right btw the arrows, ends of prongs beautifully capped and smoothed and polished, etc. Didn''t realize just how good their work was until we went looking for diamond earings and pendant for her and visited a ton of other jewelers.

The sketchy DD jewelers all tend to be on the ground floors. Mine was up in the 7th floor of some building. Didn''t even know you could go up there when I was wondering around outside. Never would have found it were it not for this sight.

 

[TravelingGal]

Thanks Codex...which one did you go to? I''ve heard of Oscar''s and Rondel''s here....

My friend''s diamond scored well on the HCA, so I am hoping it''s really a good diamond and a great value. However, it was probably one of those ground floor guys that he bought from. I''m always wary when people say "I''m going to give you a *special* deal." What makes me different from another schmoe on the street that warrants such love?

I''m actually a bit concerned about the appraiser he went to as well, who appraised it for "double the purchase price." Hm.

 

[mrssalvo]

The HCA isn''t as reliable when using percentages so it''s really hard to know how well cut the stone is. The price seems in line for an EGL stone so I''m not sure he necessarily got a good deal, but seems he got what he paid for. If they love it and are comfortable with the price then they did good.

 

[TravelingGal]

Thanks Mrs. Salvo, I did note that about the HCA. However, he doesn''t have the other info for me.

I think he paid a fair price for it, which at the end of the day is all we can ask for. I''m never out to get the "best" price...just what I want to pay for something I like and not get ripped off. He and his fiancee love it, so I think he did great.

The jeweler told him to buy white gold because platinum is too soft and scratches. That did raise my eyebrows a bit. I did explain the patina thing to him, but agreed with the jeweler that plat is at an all time high right now, and if you have a budget, it might make sense to go white gold and spend more money on the stone.

I gotta respect any guy that goes out on the hunt for his girl''s ring...this whole process must be so daunting sometimes!

 

[codex57]

Date: 5/2/2006 1:12:32 PM
Author: TravelingGal
Thanks Codex...which one did you go to? I''ve heard of Oscar''s and Rondel''s here....

Bought from Oscar''s. I remember I checked out Rondel''s, but nothing came out of it. Can''t remember why.

Oscar''s is kinda strange. Oscar is the owner obviously, but he''s like the antithesis of the pushy dealers on the ground floor. When I first met him, I didn''t know if he was blowing off all his new customers and only talked to repeat ones or what. Turns out, it''s just his personality. He doesn''t push anything. You certainly have to come in knowing exactly what you want. He doesn''t educate all that much. You have to initiate everything and ask all questions. He''ll be upfront and honest, but you gotta ask the question first. He doesn''t offer much info or opinions on his own. Once you get to know him and he knows what you''re looking for, then he''s much more helpful. But, that obviously means it seems like he''s much more helpful to repeat customers and will talk to them more and kinda aloof to new customers. It''s just that he knows what the repeat customer is looking for or likes and can point out suggestions.

As I kept coming back to keep checking out stones, he got more and more talkative and helpful since I was narrowing down my search. But, I loved how there literally was no pressure. He''d let me sit there for an hour or whatever just comparing 2 or 3 stones. Or, I''d be sitting there with my ideal scope and him and his sales girls would come by and check it out. Then, they''d let me play with all their instruments and tools like their heart and arrow viewer, the super big microscope, etc.

When I finally picked a ring, they let me go to the back of the store where they have their shop. I watched the guy set the ring, asking him all these questions, with him showing me what he was doing and stuff. Very educational. Didn''t talk to the polisher guy too much, but did see him spend 20-25 min polishing and repolishing the ring.

Later on, I went back to the DD with my wife and mother-in-law to find a new setting for my ma-in-law. Bought a cheapy one on the ground floor somewhere. The person who reset that ring spent a tiny fraction of the time that the Oscar''s people did. Later on, after buying other pieces of jewelry, I found out that Oscar''s is a rarity in the amount of time and effort they put into their work.

 

[TravelingGal]

Thanks Codex for your helpful reply. Seems like the DD would be an interesting place to just go peeking around!

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 5/1/2006 1:20:13 PM
Author:TravelingGal
Hello everyone!

Against my advice, my friend went to the LA diamond district to find a ring to propose to his girlfriend of 4 months. He''s happy, so I guess in the end it worked out.

Here is what he bought...price seems a bit low from what I''ve found, but the diamond actually looks OK, I think?

1.07 carat RB (says it''s a tolkowski ideal cut)
Color F
Clarity SI1 (he says it''s eyeclean)
6.51x6.47x4.01
Depth 61.8%
Table 57%
Crown 15%
Pavilion 43%
girdle medium
polish good
symmetry very good
culet no
Fluorescence none

Graded by EGL-International


Any thoughts? Did he actually manage to get a good deal?

well....

he got a 1.07ct stone with a 1.00 ct diameter.

 

[TravelingGal]

Dancing Fire, I did think the stone was on the deeper side, but it didn''t seem too far from the mark. With the medium girdle, I was wondering how the spread may be. I haven''t compared this stone to a spread of a well cut one carat, but since he''s happy, I guess I don''t have to research it much. Plus the return policy is exchanges only within 7 days.

I''ll have to see the diamond. But there''s no point in making a guy feel bad if it''s not the perfect diamond or deal. I''m just curious for myself what may be wrong with the diamond, if anything. He went and did it and they''re happy...so I guess that''s what counts, eh?

 

[Houseparty]

Date: 5/1/2006 1:20:13 PM
Author:TravelingGal
Any thoughts? Did he actually manage to get a good deal?

This is impossible to say without seeing the stone. The value of EGL stones varies dramatically. Just run a search and you can see how inconsistent EGL prices are...

Did he really get an F Si1, or would it be graded an H Si2 by GIA/AGS? Perhaps something in between, big difference. No information on the angles or minor facets, make proper cut grading incomplete.

No distinction between the price paid for the setting and the stone further blurs the issue.

I bought my first stone from the LAJD before the internet and did not make a wise purchase. Recently, I completed thorough research online, identified my top contender and went to the LAJD to see if anyone could beat it, not even close.

Finally, "propose to his girlfriend of 4 months", well he''s decisive. Some people on Pricescope spend longer shopping for a center stone

Sincerely,
David

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 5/2/2006 7:20:39 PM
Author: Houseparty

Date: 5/1/2006 1:20:13 PM
Author:TravelingGal
Any thoughts? Did he actually manage to get a good deal?

Finally, 'propose to his girlfriend of 4 months', well he's decisive. Some people on Pricescope spend longer shopping for a center stone

Sincerely,
David

LOL, this is true. But I have to make the correction...he told me they've been going out for SIX months.

It's more of a work client than a friend, otherwise I'd probably be more blunt. I just got off the phone with him talking shop and he mentioned the diamond again. He says the guy is great and will give me a great deal. Then in the same breath, as an example of how great he is, he told me on of the little diamond on the setting popped out and they guy replaced it, no problem. I asked him "I know those things can get loose, but already??? You've only had the ring for 3 days!" He didn't seem concerned. He also had to take it back to get cleaned because his girlfriend was cooking with it on and "parts of it turned yellow." I guess she isn't as particular as some of us about keeping rings clean.

ETA, he said the setting was $800 out of the $4700 he paid. A "deal" from the $1300 they were asking for the setting. It's 18K white gold with some baguettes, I guess. I found what must be a similar setting on dirtcheapdiamonds that was, guess what...$800.

 

[Houseparty]

Hi,
Thanks for your kind reply. We all get what we works for us. I was telling a friend what a "great deal I got with my internet diamond", and he said "maybe, but when you consider the value of the time you spent researching (too much to admit) you paid a fortune".

Some of us are obsessive, other are not... It''s pretty clear that many people on this forum are obsessive personalities (not just about diamonds). That''s why I love you beautiful people

Sincerely,
David

 

[codex57]

Date: 5/2/2006 7:53:04 PM
Author: Houseparty

Some of us are obsessive, other are not... It's pretty clear that many people on this forum are obsessive personalities (not just about diamonds). That's why I love you beautiful people

Hahaha, yeah, on here, I'm not weird, I'm normal.