Dimend Scaasi - DS Prefered Diamonds

[tyhoward08]

Hello everyone. Long time lurker, first time poster.

I'm looking at making my engagement ring purchase with Dimend Scaasi and have been reviewing their loose diamond selection via their website. There are two stones I'm interested in seeing:

http://www.dimendscaasi.com/diamonds/diamondDetail.asp?stockNum=225619

http://www.dimendscaasi.com/diamonds/diamondDetail.asp?stockNum=143358


My understanding is that the diamonds DS lists are not in house. Does anyone then have an idea how a DS preferred cut diamond is determined since it would seem they haven't seen it? Is this diamond perhaps an exception and kept in house? Because from a numbers standpoint the cut of the second diamond looks better (Table,Depth in the 60-65%). I really want to get into DS to look at both stones side by side, but I'm not sure it will be possible. I always read on hear that numbers are more for eliminating bad stones than comparing the good. I will request IS and ASET for both diamonds but do you think DS's claiming one as preferred and the other not is a realistic indicator of the quality of each cut or more business related?

Thanks for your opinions.

Tyler http://www.dimendscaasi.com/diamonds/diamondDetail.asp?stockNum=225619 http://www.dimendscaasi.com/diamonds/diamondDetail.asp?stockNum=225619

 

[Lorelei]

double post

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 12/6/2009 11:12:28 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 12/6/2009 11:08:22 AM
Author:tyhoward08
Hello everyone. Long time lurker, first time poster.

I'm looking at making my engagement ring purchase with Dimend Scaasi and have been reviewing their loose diamond selection via their website. There are two stones I'm interested in seeing:

http://www.dimendscaasi.com/diamonds/diamondDetail.asp?stockNum=225619

http://www.dimendscaasi.com/diamonds/diamondDetail.asp?stockNum=143358


My understanding is that the diamonds DS lists are not in house. Does anyone then have an idea how a DS preferred cut diamond is determined since it would seem they haven't seen it? Is this diamond perhaps an exception and kept in house? Because from a numbers standpoint the cut of the second diamond looks better (Table,Depth in the 60-65%). I really want to get into DS to look at both stones side by side, but I'm not sure it will be possible. I always read on hear that numbers are more for eliminating bad stones than comparing the good. I will request IS and ASET for both diamonds but do you think DS's claiming one as preferred and the other not is a realistic indicator of the quality of each cut or more business related?

Thanks for your opinions.

Tyler http://www.dimendscaasi.com/diamonds/diamondDetail.asp?stockNum=225619 http://www.dimendscaasi.com/diamonds/diamondDetail.asp?stockNum=225619

Hi Tyler

I am only guessing but it is possible a diamond gets DS Preferred if the proportions fall within certain range, you would need to ask them what criteria they use. Going by the info we have, the first diamond might be worth calling in, if DS can provide the images you list above and the crown height from a Sarin scan that would be very helpful.

 

[tyhoward08]

Lorelei, thanks for the quick reply. My original thoughts were along the same lines as yours. My main issue is that DS is telling me that in order to prepare a ring for Christmas I would need to come in Monday, but I am reluctant to take the day off to make the visit knowing that there is a good chance they will not have either of these diamonds available for me to view in such a short time frame. I''m hoping maybe someone on her has experience working with DS and their preferred diamonds and can tell me if they kept in house. Additionally if you read about DS preferred it says "hand picked". Maybe I''m reading into this to make it say what I want .

On a separate note, can you see the cavity called out in the first diamonds report? I don''t know if it is my computer or the copy of the report, but I can''t clearly see anything on either of the two diagrams.

Thanks,
Tyler

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 12/6/2009 11:38:59 AM
Author: tyhoward08
Lorelei, thanks for the quick reply. My original thoughts were along the same lines as yours. My main issue is that DS is telling me that in order to prepare a ring for Christmas I would need to come in Monday, but I am reluctant to take the day off to make the visit knowing that there is a good chance they will not have either of these diamonds available for me to view in such a short time frame. I'm hoping maybe someone on her has experience working with DS and their preferred diamonds and can tell me if they kept in house. Additionally if you read about DS preferred it says 'hand picked'. Maybe I'm reading into this to make it say what I want .

On a separate note, can you see the cavity called out in the first diamonds report? I don't know if it is my computer or the copy of the report, but I can't clearly see anything on either of the two diagrams.

Thanks,
Tyler

You are most welcome Tyler. The cavity shouldn't be an issue in VVS clarity, it might not have scanned on the report when uploaded. I can certainly understand you don't want to take time off without having any diamonds to see, I would contact them and ask them if they can have either of these diamonds available for you to see or not, they will be able to tell you if they are in house stones and immediately available or not. I would also take ' hand picked' to mean they have physical access but to avoid a wasted journey I would ask them.

 

[tyhoward08]

You are most welcome Tyler. The cavity shouldn't be an issue in VVS clarity, it might not have scanned on the report when uploaded. I can certainly understand you don't want to take time off without having any diamonds to see, I would contact them and ask them if they can have either of these diamonds available for you to see or not, they will be able to tell you if they are in house stones and immediately available or not. I would also take ' hand picked' to mean they have physical access but to avoid a wasted journey I would ask them.

Lorelei, I spoke to Alexa at DS yesterday and she was the one that informed me that I would need to come in Monday if I wanted it by Christmas. I could kick myself for not asking her then whether she could have those diamonds by Monday(live and learn). Reason being I'm supposed to go on a business trip tomorrow and won't return until Friday. So I would be not only asking for Monday off, but actually I'd be changing my flight as well to visit DS. I guess this is all a part of the memory that will become my quest for the right diamond . I've emailed Alexa and she told me she gets her mail on her blackberry so hopefully she will be able to give me a little insight into my decision in time to plan my actions.

Back to the GIA reports, would you be at all concerned with the depth and/or fluorescence of the first stone or is that something that can only be determined visually? From a paper/numbers standpoint those two characteristics seem to me to be more favorable for the second stone but again this is based on paper/number theories and not the actual performance of the stone whatever that my count for.

Thanks,
Tyler

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 12/6/2009 12:42:25 PM
Author: tyhoward08

You are most welcome Tyler. The cavity shouldn't be an issue in VVS clarity, it might not have scanned on the report when uploaded. I can certainly understand you don't want to take time off without having any diamonds to see, I would contact them and ask them if they can have either of these diamonds available for you to see or not, they will be able to tell you if they are in house stones and immediately available or not. I would also take ' hand picked' to mean they have physical access but to avoid a wasted journey I would ask them.

Lorelei, I spoke to Alexa at DS yesterday and she was the one that informed me that I would need to come in Monday if I wanted it by Christmas. I could kick myself for not asking her then whether she could have those diamonds by Monday(live and learn). Reason being I'm supposed to go on a business trip tomorrow and won't return until Friday. So I would be not only asking for Monday off, but actually I'd be changing my flight as well to visit DS. I guess this is all a part of the memory that will become my quest for the right diamond . I've emailed Alexa and she told me she gets her mail on her blackberry so hopefully she will be able to give me a little insight into my decision in time to plan my actions.

Back to the GIA reports, would you be at all concerned with the depth and/or fluorescence of the first stone or is that something that can only be determined visually? From a paper/numbers standpoint those two characteristics seem to me to be more favorable for the second stone but again this is based on paper/number theories and not the actual performance of the stone whatever that my count for.

Thanks,
Tyler

You might get a reply soon Tyler if Alexa sees your email but I am a firm believer things happen the way they are supposed to, the road to finding your diamond might not be quite what you expected but you WILL find it!

The first diamond looks promising as far as can be told by the depth and table and the polish and symmetry, although this only gives a chalk outline of the diamond it is well worth further investigation from the basic info. Faint fluorescence, highly unlikely you would even notice it. The second stone has a table which is larger than the depth, usually the reverse is preferred. Although this can work well in some cases as a rule of thumb it is preferable to have the depth greater than the table. If you can get the crown height for both stones too that would be very helpful, DS might have to do a Sarin scan on the diamonds to get this info. Ultimately it comes down to images in order to properly evaluate the cut quality and the faceting etc and your own eyes and personal taste.

 

[tyhoward08]

Back with an update.

I''ve been talking to Alexa of DS through email today. I have to say so far her support is A+. Despite being off of work, she has responded to all my emails via blackberry giving me a very good first impression of her and DS.

Anyways, what she told me is in order to meet my deadline she would have to get working on my setting tomorrow. She offered to show me the two settings I''m debating over their "innerview" video conference system. The stone I listed above (DS preferred) is located in New York and would have to be called in (arriving middle of the week). However, in order for them to call it in I have to pay for it. If I don''t like it I can be refunded, but the refund is in the form of a store credit so I''d have to find a new diamond through DS as well.

To make things more complicated, a local jeweler called me today to say they had three new EC stones in that met what we had discussed. I went and looked at them and one caught my eye (in comparison to the others), but all were quite over priced (1.1 ct E, VS1 = $7,000 / 1.04 ct, E, VS2 = 6,500 / 1.02 ct, D, VS1 = $6,700 **stones only). Additionally, the stone which caught my eye was not preferred dimension (D>68, T<65) making me wonder if it looked good possibly because of the bad cuts of the others?

My questions for the the PSers would be, would you ever buy a stone of lower clarity, less desirable proportions (according to standard 60-65% Table and Depth, and a higher price because it looked good in person? Also can the cuts/angles of the facets impact the appearance of the stone more than the table and depth %?

I know I''m a difficult customer. I''ve always been very picky when making big purchases. I''m starting to wonder if I''m going to have to give up on proposing during the holidays so I''m not forced into making a decision I don''t feel 100% confident in.

Thanks for your opinions,
Tyler

 

[tyty333]

Tyler,
I am one who thinks its not a good idea to rush to get the ring in time...its just too important and too much of your
hard earned money to possibly make a bad decision due to time constraints. Can you shoot for New Years (probably still
a rush) or maybe Valentines day?

tyty

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 12/6/2009 7:58:15 PM
Author: tyhoward08
Back with an update.

I've been talking to Alexa of DS through email today. I have to say so far her support is A+. Despite being off of work, she has responded to all my emails via blackberry giving me a very good first impression of her and DS.

Anyways, what she told me is in order to meet my deadline she would have to get working on my setting tomorrow. She offered to show me the two settings I'm debating over their 'innerview' video conference system. The stone I listed above (DS preferred) is located in New York and would have to be called in (arriving middle of the week). However, in order for them to call it in I have to pay for it. If I don't like it I can be refunded, but the refund is in the form of a store credit so I'd have to find a new diamond through DS as well. I would much rather be free to hunt with multiple vendors than to take a chance and have my money tied up with one if you didn't like the stone.

To make things more complicated, a local jeweler called me today to say they had three new EC stones in that met what we had discussed. I went and looked at them and one caught my eye (in comparison to the others), but all were quite over priced (1.1 ct E, VS1 = $7,000 / 1.04 ct, E, VS2 = 6,500 / 1.02 ct, D, VS1 = $6,700 **stones only). Additionally, the stone which caught my eye was not preferred dimension (D>68, T<65) making me wonder if it looked good possibly because of the bad cuts of the others?

My questions for the the PSers would be, would you ever buy a stone of lower clarity, less desirable proportions (according to standard 60-65% Table and Depth, and a higher price because it looked good in person? Also can the cuts/angles of the facets impact the appearance of the stone more than the table and depth %? Yes it is possible but you need to have a good idea of what you are looking at, if you haven't seen many diamonds and particularly EC's even bad or mediocre cuts can look good if the lighting is right.

I know I'm a difficult customer. I've always been very picky when making big purchases. I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to have to give up on proposing during the holidays so I'm not forced into making a decision I don't feel 100% confident in. Tyler it will come together but I wouldn't rush into making a decision if you aren't happy, it is a big purchase and you don't want to be forever wondering if you could have done better.

Thanks for your opinions,
Tyler

 

[tyhoward08]

Thanks for everyone''s thoughts. I''I just keep moving forward. If things work out with my preferred timeline that''d be great, but if not I decided I can live with that too.

I''ve attached the Sarin Report for the DS preferred stone. Please give your thoughts.

I can have this diamond shipped directly to me to look at or have it sent to DS and get a ASET/IS. I''m thinking without other diamonds to compare it to (I''m on a business trip for the rest of the week) it might make more sense to have it sent to DS and get an ASET/IS.

Please give your thoughts.
Tyler

 

[tyhoward08]

attached

 

[tyhoward08]

From what I''ve read, the depth and crown height seem not horrible but not the best. Any further input?

 

[Lorelei]

Tyler it looks fine on paper but that only gives us a chalk outline of the stone which doesn''t account for cutting variations or let us know how effectively the diamond '' works''. Personally I don''t like the idea of being tied to one vendor should this diamond not work out but its up to your preference and comfort level.

 

[tyhoward08]

Thanks everyone.

I spoke to Isaaac at Diimend Scaasi about my reservations in bringing in a diamond and being stuck to purchasing a diamond with them afterwards. We worked out an agreement so that I don''t get stuck in this position. Now I''m just wondering if I should have them call this in or another stone. Just from what I''ve read on here I''d think I would want a bit shallower stone with maybe a slightly higher crown, but I realize that is being pretty picky. Alexa is running a search for me to see what is out there, but if nothing comes up i may go look at this stone.

I''m also considering the below stone from WF. Any thoughts on the basics of this stone? More or less desireable generally speaking? I like the depth a bit more but I''m just basing that on the AGA standards whatever that is worth. The inclusions seem to be well located as well (lost in the facets).

http://www.whiteflash.com/emerald/Emerald-cut-diamond-2179492.htm#

As always I appreciate everyone''s input.
Tyler

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 12/8/2009 9:40:45 PM
Author: tyhoward08
Thanks everyone.

I spoke to Isaaac at Diimend Scaasi about my reservations in bringing in a diamond and being stuck to purchasing a diamond with them afterwards. We worked out an agreement so that I don''t get stuck in this position. Now I''m just wondering if I should have them call this in or another stone. Just from what I''ve read on here I''d think I would want a bit shallower stone with maybe a slightly higher crown, but I realize that is being pretty picky. Alexa is running a search for me to see what is out there, but if nothing comes up i may go look at this stone.

I''m also considering the below stone from WF. Any thoughts on the basics of this stone? More or less desireable generally speaking? I like the depth a bit more but I''m just basing that on the AGA standards whatever that is worth. The inclusions seem to be well located as well (lost in the facets).

http://www.whiteflash.com/emerald/Emerald-cut-diamond-2179492.htm#

As always I appreciate everyone''s input.
Tyler

Hi Tyler

Thats good that DS has worked things out if the diamond isn''t to your liking. The WF diamond has potential but would need to be called in for evaluation as it is a virtual stone by the look of it.

 

[tyhoward08]

Thanks again Lorelei. I got the ASET, IS, and picture of the WF diamond. I''d love to hear your thoughts.


Report

 

[tyhoward08]

Sarin

 

[tyhoward08]

Standard pic WF

 

[tyhoward08]

ASET WF

 

[tyhoward08]

IS - WF

 

[tyhoward08]

In addition to the WF stone, Dimend Scaasi found the following stone for me. They provided a Sarin as well which I''ll post next. As alwayts any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[tyhoward08]

DS - Sarin

The table measurement is off. Supposedly because the machine is setup for rounds? They claim the other measurements should be correct though

 

[Lorelei]

It looks like a nice EC but the centre is showing darkness in some of the images, ask for Bob at WF to look at it and advise if this darkness shows in reality and if so how much and under what conditions. With a Sarin some measurement variance is normal.

 

[tyhoward08]

Here is the ASET for the DS diamond. Thought in comparison to the WF stone?