Diff in appraisal and seller description. Do I keep?

[vinjewels]

I just bought this beautiful art deco ring. The specs according to the seller were
Center diamond
.67 ct OEC
SI 1, H/I

Surrounding diamonds
approx. 1.75ct. OECs
SI 1, H/I


I got it appraised while having it sized and the appraisal came back with:
Center diamond
.63ct OEC
SI 2, H/I

Surrounding diamonds
approx 1.25 ct
SI 1, H/I

I asked why the center was graded an SI 2 and they told me there was a tiny feather on the side but not near the surface (it doesn't affect durability of diamond), nothing else. Do I need to contact seller? Is this an insignificant difference? If it isn't a big difference (the carat weigh of the surrounding diamonds and the clarity of the center), I don't want to waste my time. However, I definitely don't want to wonder if I have been taken advantage of.

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[Merefrank]

This is a highly personal issue, I'm betting the answers will be across the board. If I really liked the ring,( and it IS unique,) and was happy with the price I would let it go mainly because you won't have many options. If she agree's to take the ring back and refund your money would you be happy or would you miss the ring ?

(Reading back I'm not sure what kind of seller it is. That would make all the difference. B&M store ? Craigs list ? E-bay ? Online vendor ?)

 

[vinjewels]

It was an online seller, but they have an ebay store. I bought it on the online store. They have a very good reputation. I am not sure its a "highly personal" issue that I am asking about. The personal part is easy. I love the ring. Its why I bought it. I guess the title is misleading. My question is about difference in value with the grade differences. It was a good value as an SI 1, 2.3ish carat ring.
I just don't know if SI 1 vs. SI 2 and the difference in carat weight is significant enough to effect the value.
If you were buying something off of louptroupe or ebay, would this difference be insignificant? I have been through the ringer with jewelry lately.

 

[JulieN]

One grade off in any direction, while mounted, without a report from a major lab, is more than acceptable IMO.

 

[distracts]

I'd consider all of those acceptable. The iffiest thing to me is the total carat weight BUT I don't think you can know for sure who is more right without unsetting and weighing the stones. And the difference of the center stone isn't all that big, and the difference of the sidestones isn't all that big when you consider that there are twelve of them, so per stone it is also like four points off.

If I loved the ring, I wouldn't bother worrying. If I liked the ring and would keep it at the right price, and only at the right price, I'd engage in a dialogue with the seller and copy him on your appraisal info. But I'd also be prepared, in that case, to return the ring if a compromise can't be reached. *shrug*

 

[junebug17]

If I really loved the ring, and felt I had paid a fair/reasonable price for it, the descrepencies wouldn't bother me.

It's a beautiful ring!

 

[vinjewels]

Okay, thanks! That helps. From what I understand, color is pretty subjective across labs and appraisers, but didn't know how much clarity was. My mind just started going when I thought about it being an SI2. If one grade off isn't a big deal, I am good. The weight thing is probably not a big deal either. It would be different for a single stone that is bigger I suppose? I could probably have a third person appraise it and come up with a totally different weight as well.

I was so conflicted when I let the french cut band go, being mind clean is everything. I think I am just having a little remorse for using the budget for it to buy something else.

Thanks again...I will sleep better

 

[WinkHPD]

I just bought this beautiful art deco ring. The specs according to the seller were
Center diamond
.67 ct OEC
SI 1, H/I

Surrounding diamonds
approx. 1.75ct. OECs
SI 1, H/I


I got it appraised while having it sized and the appraisal came back with:
Center diamond
.63ct OEC
SI 2, H/I

Surrounding diamonds
approx 1.25 ct
SI 1, H/I

I asked why the center was graded an SI 2 and they told me there was a tiny feather on the side but not near the surface (it doesn't affect durability of diamond), nothing else. Do I need to contact seller? Is this an insignificant difference? If it isn't a big difference (the carat weigh of the surrounding diamonds and the clarity of the center), I don't want to waste my time. However, I definitely don't want to wonder if I have been taken advantage of.

Thanks in advance!!!

In the trade we say that the diamond is expected to be within one grade, up or down. Some will go so far as to say within one grade of the actual grade. I have always found this somewhat odd, because If I say it is an SI2 and you say it is an SI1, do I have the actual grade and you are wrong but within an allowed margin of error, or do you have the right grade and thus someone else can call it a VS2 and still be in the margin of error? Am I then a curmudgeon for downgrading your perfectly good SI1.

Oh, we have no idea. So that's it then. It might be an SI1, or it might be an SI2. Unlikely that it is actually an I1 or we should most probably see the inclusion that the appraiser is saying makes it an SI2. Probably not a VS2 either since even the person with the vested interest in it being better is calling it an SI1.

Now, there is somewhat of a price difference in a top quality cut round brilliant SI1 and SI2 but no where near the difference that there would be with the lower grade being an I1. In a .67ct OEC I would expect the difference in price to be not that great. In reality, I think this is a non issue. You have a respected vendor on Ebay and a respected local appraiser, either one of whom could actually be right and very little difference in potential value regardless of which one is correct. You did not mention the appraised price, but I am guessing it was at least as much as you paid or you would have.

You have told us that you love the ring. To my way of thinking, then you should probably be happy to wear it with joy.

Wink

Edited to add that with mounted goods the margin of error is actually two grades.

 

[vinjewels]

Thanks Wink. That's exactly what I was wondering.

I went to pick up the appraisal and ring. I discussed it further with them and, to be fair, Kubes did it. I know I swore I would never go there again, but after the fiasco with a bench trying over and over to patch up my last ring, I knew they were a sure thing as far as craftmanship (sizing and putting a horseshoe) and being as tough or tougher than GIA goes.

The appraisal was about 40% more than what I paid, so I am good there. They even admitted to grading much more harsh than most places (Gee..thanks). I am sure it made it more tempting after they found out it was bought via the internet and not in their store. I left in tears a couple of years ago after they absolutely insulted the diamond I brought in. I have heard similar from others. So I am assuming it is SI-2 AT WORST....

It will be interesting to compare when I have to have it re-appraised in a couple of years.

Thanks everyone for your time!!

 

[tyty333]

I think it depends on how much you paid for it. I love the ring too. Its a really beautiful design.
My only issue would be with the half carat difference in side stones. I think I would contact the
Seller and see what they say.

 

[vinjewels]

Tyty3333, I paid around 3k for it. It was appraised at 5k with the questionable grading of the center. I don't believe it's an SI2 still. But that's really not a problem b/c I can not see anything even with my loupe.

I chatted with my husband about it this morning.

I think what it boils down to (the doubts...all of them) is that I am still really upset about having to take my band back to the seller. I was trying to explain it to him in a way he'd get it...like buying a rare antique car that needed to be rebuilt and finding the muffler rubber cemented to the underside of the car, plexi glass windshield, etc. OMG, the diamonds rattled and they didn't see anything wrong with that! He sees it as a blessing that they took it back...It WAS a financial blessing, but I want a time machine to go back and buy those diamonds and run as fast as I can to some that knows what they are doing with these stones. Financially, I was made whole. Emotionally I was not. They were my find. An amazing one.

Back to the ring. I keep wanting to put it on my left hand. It has a very fancy presence on the hand. I am afraid it's a rebound ring, but I think I am going to give myself 6 months or so to wear it and enjoy it. Do I need therapy?? Lol.

 

[pyramid]

Was the story about the diamonds in the band that they were all different diameters, if I remember correctly. If so they were no use for the band they were in. I wonder though if you do just want those diamonds. Has someone else bought them now, would that bother you. I know your husband thinks it was sense to return them so you need to take that into account which you would do ofcourse. Sometimes I think the art in things, being a jewellery lover too, sort of overtakes the value of the item. You just want what you do want.

Regarding the carat weight of the new diamonds, that would not bother me at all. Before I came to pricescope, I bought a few rings from a well known jewellery chain in the UK all were solitaires with no other side stones, one of the better ones, although expensive, and all their diamonds came within a few points, e.g. a 0.45 was same price as a 0.47 but a 0.48 came in the upper bracket of a half carat (0.50). One of my rings was on the website of that company as a 0.41 but when I got mine it was 0.44. Previously I had a 0.37 and the website said the ring was to be a 0.39. I got to speak to the manager and asked her about it and she said that the diamonds differed and it may be that my 0.37 was a bit more colourless than the 0.39s they had. Now I don't know if I believe that as they were just putting the stock they had bought into categories, but it shows how their diamonds were not all the same size but were all the same price.

Also we all know here that estimating weight of a set diamond is not the same as weighing it.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Your ring is beautiful!

I'm not sure if I'd contact the seller...since the diamonds are mounted and you bought it without having certified diamonds, I'd be a bit more aware that the all the C's might be a bit off...I would be sort of annoyed about the ct weight of the surrounding diamonds, however, since the ring is so pretty, I'd *personally* keep and enjoy it!

 

[vinjewels]

The stones were the same (maybe one or two hundredths off at most) measurements. The problem was that the girdle to culet or pavilion (?) depth was different. So some stones were a little off and when they went to channel set the diamonds, some of the deeper stones made it difficult to secure the ones with shallower pavilions. I hope I am using correct terms here. The difference was not much but enough that they kept taking it apart and rearranging the stones, then I asked if that was a good idea, so they started adding metal and 'prongs' to hold the shallower stones in place. It was a mess.
I wanted to tell them to take the stones out and give them back to me, but that was not an option. All I wanted was the stones. The band was useless.

Thanks Gypsy. Now that I am really addressing it, I don't think its worth contacting the seller. Like ya'll said, they were mounted, not certed, so I knew there would be some varied measurements. And given who did the appraisal, I think what I have is worst case scenario. They are self admittedly harsh and don't make any excuses about it.

^^^I do think the depth thing is something to learn from. I just assumed the diameters being the same made for matching diamonds. Not in antique stones. Especially deep stones.