Does any jeweler tell the TRUTH?! :-)

[sunshine14]

So my bf and I are starting our search for the perfect stone. Of course, I''ve been looking for quite a while longer than him!! So I have my heart set on a stone from WF that I''ve been eyeing for a while, but as we are in Canada, my bf is a little nervous about it, and even more nervous about the J colour.

I''ve showed him every picture I can of J stones, both from WF and on this site, but he is nervous because he''s never seen an ideal J in person, and everyone he mentions the colour J to says "oh no...you can''t get a J. It will be yellow!"

So he wanted to call a "diamond guy" (wholesaler) that my family knows, and another so-called gemologist here in Toronto.

First, the "gemologist" said that we definitely didn''t have to go with an ideal stone, and that we could NEVER get a J without it being yellow. She recommended a 1.55 G SI1 for 9600 cdn. When my bf asked if it was certified, she said "uhh uhh...well of course! It comes with a GemScan certification" and that GIA and AGS certs are not that important.

Next, he called the wholesaler, who also said that I was too hung up on specs, and that a very good cut stone will save us 15% and be just as beautiful. So, with him knowing the specs we wanted (i.e. as low as J, eye-clean, cut a priority, and around 1.5 carats), he called us back with a very good cut G VS1 for $18,000!!!! When we told him that we''d seen something for much less, he said "is it one of those online stones that disappear before you buy it?" haha

So hopefully all of this will convince my bf that an online vendor is the way to go!

 

[indecisive]

Good luck with your bf! WF is so great because they do tell the truth. If I was getting a round from them it would definitely be an I-K ideal cut. I hope everything works out!

 

[Lorelei]

Oh my goodness, I hope you can convince your BF to buy online

You know you have been told some twaddle here, putting it bluntly, one thing you could do to convince your BF that well cut J's which are reputably graded are not yellow, is to see if you can see any in person. This would mean similar size and cut quality and graded - GIA or AGS. That might be your best shot at convincing him if you can arrange this. I would trust WF's opinion of any diamond in a heartbeat.

 

[Ellen]

To answer your question, yes, some do. Have I ever gotten to meet one in person? No.

I have purchased from both Whiteflash and GoodOldGold. I would recommend either in a heartbeat.

I came to them after trying to buy locally. Between 5 jewlers, I was lied to by every one. Almost ripped off by one, and came to find out that a purchase from a few years back, we were indeed ripped off.

Tell your boyfriend no fears, when going with a reputable online company!

 

[oldminer]

Jewelers do tell the truth. As a group, we probably are more honest than what you will find as an "average". However, you''ll find honesty and integrity often don''t pay as well as lying and cheating. The temptation to tell a tall tale versus telling the truth is something consumers must always be aware of. This has to do with any major purchase, such as real estate, cars, and other luxury items.

At least with diamonds you can find the truth out for yourself these days.

 

[gail013]

Hi Sunshine-

I too had several issues with jewelers who try to discount the online jewelers,and make you think you''re getting ripped off. It is because they are so threatened by the fact you have more knowledge than they want you to. They also try to talk you out of GIA and AGA certs. Stay sway from those jewelers!

I did end up purchasing my stone from a local jeweler, who was able to help me find a beautiful eye clean SI2, that I had been searching for 2 months to find. They found it in two days. But what I did know, was that because of the knowledge I have gained here, I was getting a great stone at a great price. You don''t have to pay more to buy your stone and setting at a local place, but it''s like anything else, if you don''t know the pricing etc, you can get taken advantage of. For me it is working our great, because going online to find a setting and looking at a picture of the wax vs actually trying it on, doesn''t work for me.

There are tons of options out there, I guess you just have to feel a comfort level with what you do.

 

[gail013]

By the way my stone is a J with med blue fluor and it is beautiful. It is not yellow face up. They may be referring to a stone that should really be graded a K or lower, that does not have a cert. And as you know, cut is very very important.

 

[Madam Bijoux]

Hi! If you decide to buy from a jewelry store, please make sure that it''s a reputable jeweler who provides GIA or AGS certificates with the rings. That way, they have to be honest about the stone. Don''t let them try to force something on you that you don''t really want. The salespeople might try to rush you into buying sooner than you planned to by saying that someone else (usually a doctor or a lawyer) was just looking at the ring and is interested in buying it. They might also say that they were planning to ship the ring to another store if it isn''t bought in x number of days. Be aware of the mind games that salespeople try to play.

 

[sunshine14]

Date: 11/17/2006 11:18:30 AM
Author: Lorelei
Oh my goodness, I hope you can convince your BF to buy online

You know you have been told some twaddle here, putting it bluntly, one thing you could do to convince your BF that well cut J''s which are reputably graded are not yellow, is to see if you can see any in person. This would mean similar size and cut quality and graded - GIA or AGS. That might be your best shot at convincing him if you can arrange this. I would trust WF''s opinion of any diamond in a heartbeat.

Haha I hope so too! It''s not easy because Ideal cuts don''t make it to Canada as often as the states...which I guess is why both sellers were trying to sell us on the "very good is just as good, just cheaper" aspect!

I''ve tried to say "why don''t we just get the one from WF and if you think its too yellow (not like that will happen), we can send it back?!"

We''ll see!!

I''m just surprised at what people will say to sell diamonds. And these aren''t even maul store people. When the first "gemologist" told me that "colour was the most important thing" I almost died.

So we''ll see...probably by the time I get my bf on board...the stone will be gone! I''ll cross my fingers that it isn''t though!

 

[anchor31]

You''re in Toronto, right? Have you tried Diamond Exchange Toronto (diamondexchange.ca)? Another PSer called Bichon has a gorgeous 1.2ct D-VS1 ideal cut (or something like that) from them, it''s gorgeous! They have prices comparable to the PS vendors prices. I wanted to get my stone from them and communicated with them a few times, they were very nice and helpful. I did a search for diamonds with the specs you''d like and found this one:

1.55ct I-SI1 AGS ideal (unfortunately, the numbers aren''t listed, but if you email them, call them or visit them, they''ll be happy to show you the cert)

They may have more in-house... I''m sure it wouldn''t hurt to pay them a visit.

My FI wasn''t comfortable with buying sight unseen though, so we went local instead (we''re in Montreal). We paid a little more, but still got a gorgeous stone. My jeweller "got" my obsession with specs!

Good luck!

 

[sunshine14]

Date: 11/17/2006 1:24:58 PM
Author: anchor31
You''re in Toronto, right? Have you tried Diamond Exchange Toronto (diamondexchange.ca)? Another PSer called Bichon has a gorgeous 1.2ct D-VS1 ideal cut (or something like that) from them, it''s gorgeous! They have prices comparable to the PS vendors prices. I wanted to get my stone from them and communicated with them a few times, they were very nice and helpful. I did a search for diamonds with the specs you''d like and found this one:

1.55ct I-SI1 AGS ideal (unfortunately, the numbers aren''t listed, but if you email them, call them or visit them, they''ll be happy to show you the cert)

They may have more in-house... I''m sure it wouldn''t hurt to pay them a visit.

My FI wasn''t comfortable with buying sight unseen though, so we went local instead (we''re in Montreal). We paid a little more, but still got a gorgeous stone. My jeweller ''got'' my obsession with specs!

Good luck!

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I will do my best to convince my bf! Anchor, thanks for doing that search for me. I had found that site and done some searching but not a lot of info comes up and they still seem to be quite a bit more expensive...but I will definitely give them a call and see if we can go take a look at some stones. That 1.55 does look quite nice though!

I''ll keep everyone posted on my progress!

 

[codex57]

There''s a difference btw "truth" and "opinion". When asking for advice, people can offer their opinions as fact. You just have to recognize when something is actually just an opinion and whether you trust that opinion or not.

For stuff like how a diamond looks, it''s subjective. It''s like someone telling you a painting is ugly. You won''t really know until you see it for yourself.

You need to look at some of these stones yourself. That gives you a baseline to judge your two contacts'' opinions and whether they match your own feelings.

 

[anchor31]

Date: 11/17/2006 2:43:42 PM
Author: sunshine14

Date: 11/17/2006 1:24:58 PM
Author: anchor31
You''re in Toronto, right? Have you tried Diamond Exchange Toronto (diamondexchange.ca)? Another PSer called Bichon has a gorgeous 1.2ct D-VS1 ideal cut (or something like that) from them, it''s gorgeous! They have prices comparable to the PS vendors prices. I wanted to get my stone from them and communicated with them a few times, they were very nice and helpful. I did a search for diamonds with the specs you''d like and found this one:

1.55ct I-SI1 AGS ideal (unfortunately, the numbers aren''t listed, but if you email them, call them or visit them, they''ll be happy to show you the cert)

They may have more in-house... I''m sure it wouldn''t hurt to pay them a visit.

My FI wasn''t comfortable with buying sight unseen though, so we went local instead (we''re in Montreal). We paid a little more, but still got a gorgeous stone. My jeweller ''got'' my obsession with specs!

Good luck!

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I will do my best to convince my bf! Anchor, thanks for doing that search for me. I had found that site and done some searching but not a lot of info comes up and they still seem to be quite a bit more expensive...but I will definitely give them a call and see if we can go take a look at some stones. That 1.55 does look quite nice though!

I''ll keep everyone posted on my progress!

Keep in mind that if you order from the States you''ll have to pay around 25% duty taxes unless you smuggle it across the border. Allycat knows someone who got caught doing that...

So the price difference may not be very big in the end.

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 11/17/2006 11:55:39 AM
Author: sunshine14

Date:

Haha I hope so too! It''s not easy because Ideal cuts don''t make it to Canada as often as the states...

HI:

As a Canadian who spent many months shopping for a diamond upgrade and seeing a myraid of stones, I cannot corraborate this statement. Depending on where I shopped, I found AGS 000''s and GIA XXX''s were there for the asking; and if not readily on hand in a particular size, they were certainly "available".

cheers--Sharon

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 11/17/2006 3:35:55 PM
Author: anchor31

Date: 11/17/2006 2:43:42 PM
Author: sunshine14

Date:

Keep in mind that if you order from the States you''ll have to pay around 25% duty taxes unless you smuggle it across the border. Allycat knows someone who got caught doing that...

So the price difference may not be very big in the end.

HI:

25% duty? Since the excise tax on jewellery etc. was abolished in May 2006, I believe the only taxes one would have to pay on items purchased across the border would be the GST & PST on the exchanged rate.

cheers--Sharon

 

[Kit]

Sunshine, this is kind of a weird idea, but in order to convince your bf...what about ordering a .5 ideal J colored stone from Blue Nile? They have such a generous return policy, you could basically use the experience to show bf that J stones can face up white. Then return!

Good luck

 

[sydney]

I am from Canada and bought a beautiful diamond from WF. The whole thing was a teeny bit nerve-wracking but only because I have never done it before. I will never buy another diamond from a B&M!

 

[sydney]

And one more thing- about the whole J thing- I know I am colour sensitive and would not feel right buying it without seeing it. But that is only my personal preference.

 

[CaptAubrey]

Date: 11/17/2006 11:11:33 AM
Author:sunshine14

First, the ''gemologist'' said that we definitely didn''t have to go with an ideal stone, and that we could NEVER get a J without it being yellow.

When my bf asked if it was certified, she said ''uhh uhh...well of course! It comes with a GemScan certification'' and that GIA and AGS certs are not that important.

Next, he called the wholesaler, who also said that I was too hung up on specs, and that a very good cut stone will save us 15% and be just as beautiful.

When we told him that we''d seen something for much less, he said ''is it one of those online stones that disappear before you buy it?''

Look, in fairness, none of the above constitutes a "lie."

-For a lot of people who handle diamonds every day, a J will indeed appear visibly yellow.

-There are a lot of jewelers who think the whole "grading culture" is overblown and that, indeed, the fact that a stone has a GIA or AGS report doesn''t automatically make it better than one that doesn''t. This is a matter of opinion, not fact.

-Likewise, most jewlers nowadays have dealt with too many "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" consumers who are, in fact, too hung up on the numbers and not willing to trust their own eyes.

You can argue with the correctness of these opinions, but I think the title of this thread is unfair.

 

[sunshine14]

Date: 11/17/2006 5:51:21 PM
Author: CaptAubrey

Date: 11/17/2006 11:11:33 AM
Author:sunshine14

First, the ''gemologist'' said that we definitely didn''t have to go with an ideal stone, and that we could NEVER get a J without it being yellow.

When my bf asked if it was certified, she said ''uhh uhh...well of course! It comes with a GemScan certification'' and that GIA and AGS certs are not that important.

Next, he called the wholesaler, who also said that I was too hung up on specs, and that a very good cut stone will save us 15% and be just as beautiful.

When we told him that we''d seen something for much less, he said ''is it one of those online stones that disappear before you buy it?''

Look, in fairness, none of the above constitutes a ''lie.''

-For a lot of people who handle diamonds every day, a J will indeed appear visibly yellow.

-There are a lot of jewelers who think the whole ''grading culture'' is overblown and that, indeed, the fact that a stone has a GIA or AGS report doesn''t automatically make it better than one that doesn''t. This is a matter of opinion, not fact.

-Likewise, most jewlers nowadays have dealt with too many ''a little knowledge is a dangerous thing'' consumers who are, in fact, too hung up on the numbers and not willing to trust their own eyes.

You can argue with the correctness of these opinions, but I think the title of this thread is unfair.

Thank you everyone for your advice.

Canuk-Gal That is good to know that you were able to find ideal stones in Canada...were you working mostly with dealers, or actual retail stores? Hmm...that is good news!

Sydney Thanks for your input...It''s always good to hear of another Canadian who had a good experience with WF and the whole cross-border thing!

CaptAubrey As for the title of my thread...I was not intending to cause an issue with it...just making a joke as to the different information that is put forth by different diamond sellers. Also, I thought that because of the inclusion of both the happy face and the winking guy...that it would be pretty clear that it was not intended to be a bashing or hurtful title.