Did this jeweler pull a fast one on me? (EGL vs GIA debate)

[flyingpig]

1. Follow the guidelines DS2006 posted.
2. The 1.7c J VVS2 is slightly outside the ideal ranges DS posted. It is 60/60 style. Great light return, but potentially reduced fire and sparkle. Still great stone by its own right. Check with the vendor and ensure there is no negative effects from strong fluo. Also, some people do not like J/K on a halo/pave setting, while others dont mind. You need to be the judge.
3. The setting you posted. Most vendors eill carry a similar style at a similar price.
https://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/e...four-prong-diamond-engagement-ring-item-22612
Get the entire ring done at one place.

 

[msop04]

The original setting is here: https://www.laurenbjewelry.com/1-75-ct-round-diamond-18k-white-gold-engagement-ring.html
I was quoted $1800 for it and they can ship it to me. I don't think I'd pay $3000 for a setting, I was actually hoping to get it under $1500 since the setting is actually quite common.

Would it make sense to have it delivered to me and then find a jeweler that can set the diamond? Seems like a lot of work from 3 separate places, has anyone gone this route personally?

Thanks again for all the posts and sharing similar settings, this forum is awesome!

Hi, branxs2.

I just read through this thread, and I agree with the others who stated that you should not deal with this jeweler... I also agree that you should buy online and get a much better stone for the same price as the EGL.

Regarding the LaurenB setting... although beautiful, it is a very standard setting that could easily be made by David Klass for much less than going through LB. I would email him at [email protected] with links to the setting and ask him for a quote. He is very easy to deal with, his work is very nice, and his prices are more than fair. Good luck to you!

 

[msop04]

I wanted to add that I think you should not go below I in color. That setting will give a full view of the side of the diamond and you WILL see tint in a J.

 

[tuffyluvr]

You have a lot of great advice here, and I agree that you can do much better with your budget. The lighting in a jewelers is designed to make diamonds look great. I very much doubt those EGL diamonds would look so great in other lighting.

I knew a girl who just wanted a big rock. Didn't care about anything but size. She could've had a gorgeous 2ct GIA, but she got a massive 4ct EGL with poor cut. The thing looked like a hunk of grey glass on her finger. It was dull and ugly.... but she got her big, giant rock!

 

[AEmgee]

branxs2, I think that your EGL stone looks nice, although not Ideal cut per GIA requirements. If your eyes like this particular diamond, I don't see a problem! If you are planing re-selling/trade up one day, better buy GIA diamond... If you are buying for yourself, judge with your mind AND you eye and heart!
flyingpig, I sent my diamond to GIA, not because I don't trust the EGL certificate, but because if one day I decide to re-sell this diamond, GIA sells better. I prefer to have the GIA certificate prior to set my diamond in a setting. I will be also glad to post the EGL vs GIA comparison when it's ready
"Very thin" girdle is an issue, that's right, but bezel setting could prevent chipping.

@EvaEvans, just out of curiosity could you tell us the results of your GIA report of your EGL-USA graded stone?

 

[PreRaphaelite]

Did you get a refund?

Wishing you all the best.

 

[LaylaR]

I hope you get your refund. Your story reminds me of one of my clients. A cautionary tale.

She would like to upgrade her diamond for her upcoming anniversary. She has a 2 carat EGL diamond graded at G VS1. Her husband had a strong preference for going back to the original vendor to do the upgrade through them.

She started to feel concerned when she looked at their website in detail-- and particularly the fine print. It says right on their website that any diamond that is not GIA graded could be 1-4 color grades off and that they had no liability for that. Her husband was not informed of this by the vendor at the time of purchase. He was told about the amazing cost savings EGL provided instead.

Then she noticed that there was a stipulation that, for trade-ins, the vendor would not honor the pricing of the diamonds on their website. And so she called and was informed that trade in's were charged a 10% increase over the prices on the website. Nowhere was this disclosed to her husband. And it is not in their paperwork. And it is not transparently stated on the website.

And then when she asked what their actual upgrade policy was (the paperwork just says that they have one, and the website only says that they don't have to pay double), they told her 'it depends on the diamond you are trading in and the diamond you are buying.' And would not be pinned down further. So they have no idea what they would have to do or what they would have to spend to upgrade through their original vendor.

When she asked me if we could make an offer to purchase the diamond from her, the EGL paperwork created a situation where we could not just take a look at the paperwork and give her an offer the way we could for a GIA or AGS diamond. She would have to send the diamond in since we don't know what her diamond really is on a GIA scale. EGL was dropped by Rapapport. And her diamond could be a J or a G. Big price difference.

Plus it doesn't look like the EGL diamond will qualify for a GIA 3X, despite the fact that the EGL lab report says it is an 'ideal cut.' But we don't even know that because the EGL report doesn't list the angles. So, there is an unfortunate chance the diamond is not even worth what they originally paid, or even close. If her diamond is a true GIA J, the retail value of the diamond would be $7,000 less than they originally paid. That's the retail value. Not what we could offer to pay for it. And if it is an I color then the retail value would be roughly $5,000 less than what they paid originally. Again retail value (you can look that up easily on BN or JA: 2 carat GIA I and J at VS1 with very good or ex cut)

She is very much regretting their choice of their original vendor. They didn't know enough to ask the right questions like "what is the exact upgrade policy on this diamond, and can I have that in writing." And the vendor took advantage.

Unfortunately this is a common story. Fortunately for you, you caught the transparency concerns early, and you can get your money back. Get everything in writing. A reputable vendor will not only disclose everything to you before you put any money down. But they will have no issue with giving you everything in writing. And they should have enough confidence in the quality of their product to offer you a good trade-in policy. And a good return and buy back policy as well. In writing.

 

[Stephan]

This 1.71 I VS1 has a critical flaw, very thin girdle, which is a chipping hazard.

That's perhaps why the ring is included, to hide a chip with a prong?

 

[kmoro]

just noticed the thread is from April 2017 ... probably too late to advise the OP lol ... but it would still be interesting to find out the comparison between the GIA and EGL grading ... (the reason it was revived)

 

[sledge]

Unfortunately this is a common story. Fortunately for you, you caught the transparency concerns early, and you can get your money back. Get everything in writing. A reputable vendor will not only disclose everything to you before you put any money down. But they will have no issue with giving you everything in writing. And they should have enough confidence in the quality of their product to offer you a good trade-in policy. And a good return and buy back policy as well. In writing.

I am curious how this works out for your client, and I am crossing my fingers for the best results. What a crappy situation to be in for both you and the client. That is not news anyone wants to deliver or hear.

Has the client agreed to have the stone regraded through GIA? If so, can you post the original EGL cert and updated GIA cert as a reference point for those that may find this thread later?

 

[Rockdiamond]

just noticed the thread is from April 2017 ... probably too late to advise the OP lol ... but it would still be interesting to find out the comparison between the GIA and EGL grading ... (the reason it was revived)

The issue is that EGL is inconsistent with GIA.
This means we can't reliably predict how far off the EGL grade will be.
So, while each individual case may be interesting, there's simply no way to plot the disparity.

 

[LaylaR]

I am curious how this works out for your client, and I am crossing my fingers for the best results. What a crappy situation to be in for both you and the client. That is not news anyone wants to deliver or hear.

Has the client agreed to have the stone regraded through GIA? If so, can you post the original EGL cert and updated GIA cert as a reference point for those that may find this thread later?

After the holidays we'll see what direction they want to go in. There's no real incentive to send it to GIA though, so that's not likely. Wink can do a full evaluation of the diamond at HPD, get color, clarity and proportions with a Sarin, and then use the ASET to see the light performance. Alternately a good appraiser can do the same (including the Sarin) and they can get what they need that way, so those are the most likely routes to evaluating the diamond. From there... who knows what will happen.

My client is wonderful, so I really want her diamond to be one of the 'good' exception diamonds from EGL. I'm rooting for a true H and VS1 and complimentary angles and nice light return. The thing that makes me worry is the vendor. If the EGL stone had been from a PS quality vendor (some of the vendors used to carry EGL) then they would have selected ones that were close to the GIA color grade and then told the client what they felt the true GIA grade is. But, that's not the case here. So the risk is higher.

Unfortunately, most people learn the hard way how important vendor selection is.

 

[EvaEvans]

@EvaEvans, just out of curiosity could you tell us the results of your GIA report of your EGL-USA graded stone?

GIA: I, VS1
EGL: H, VS1
AGS: H, VS1