Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Does anyone live in the US and has had the experiences with buying a diamond overseas?

B

blingblingdiamond

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jun 1, 2017
Messages
108
Hi there,

I am considering buying a diamond overseas with no return policy. It is a lot of money, so I really have to think twice and need your opinions/advice before making the decision.

Just wanted to give a little background before talking about the diamond i am eyeing on. 2 years ago i was looking for a diamond for my engagement ring. I found it - IDJ helped me to get it and I loved it (i still do). But Diamond Shrinkage Syndrome is real! I would never thought i wanted to upgrade to a bigger stone. Below is the diamond i currently have. A very stunning stone.

AGScert.jpg4.pic.jpgAGS 104095290003-Hearts-01.jpgAGS 104095290003-ASET black (Fancy)-01.jpg

Then I stumbled upon this new diamond. I posted a thread about it before. Thanks @lovedogs @OoohShiny @Karl_K @MRBXXXFVVS1 @flyingpig @ringo865 for giving me some thoughts and advice.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/how-do-you-think-about-this-diamond.250323/

HCA: 0.9 - Light return: Ex; Fire: Ex, Scintillation: Ex; Spread: Very good

Spec: Table: 58%, deep:61.6% CA: 34.5; PA: 40.6

- This diamond is a K again, but a larger diamond, 2.5+ carat with strong flour
- The site that listed this diamond says that it is eye clean (There is a black inclusion on the table though)
- Yekutiel said he is not big fan of this diamond and doesn't think it is PS quality. (I was confused because i thought it was a pretty stone)
- This is located overseas, no return/upgrade policy, and i have to deal with US Custom myself.

Questions:
- How does this new diamond compare with my current 1.66K when it comes to light performance? I saw some green area in the ASET, does it mean that part is not going to perform well?
- The heart and arrow picture of the new diamond doesn't look as good as my current one. Does it affect the light return?
- I enjoyed my 1.66K, but would it be a total different story when it comes to a K of a bigger stone? I have seen a lot of 2.5+ K on PS and they are all very beautiful. One thing is that they seems to be all ideal/super ideal. They are either WF, BGD, or CBI. This, unfortunately isn't from any of the brands mentioned and i can only afford a bigger stone that way.
- Most importantly, does anyone know how should i deal with US Custom? Is the diamond subject to duty/taxes and what is the percentage? Is there any paper work i have to do beforehand?
DF830BF1-942D-4070-83F9-4B48EC95CE51.jpegdiamond2.jpgdiamond3.jpgdiamond1.jpgD24-KAR-501683.jpg

Thank you so much!
 
Last edited:
It looks decent to me... but I would not be comfortable with a No Returns policy for that sort of money.

There are always new stones coming onto the market - if you can hang on for a while longer, something else will come up that suits, with better Returns policies. :)
 
Ok so this isn’t a diamond you are ordering through a Yekutiel, but one you would be ordering from an overseas vendor on your own? I would not do that with no returns policy and the price that high.

ETA: I think maybe there aren’t customs fees on loose diamonds?
 
Last edited:
I think your existing stone and the potential upgrade will have different personalities. Yes, they both have the same CA & PA's but the table is considerably smaller on your existing stone (54.6 vs 58 ). Consequently, look at the crown height. Your current stone is 15.6% vs 14.5% of the proposed new stone.

Effectively the larger table is flattening out the stone more, if that makes sense.

I think your existing stone will likely be more firey than the new one, but the new one might have more pin fire and/or more white light return. That's neither good or bad, but a preference thing. The ASET and IS images you have of the proposed stone shows it has good light return.

The bigger question that looms in my head is what makes this diamond so special that it's worth the risk of not being able to return?

Is it at such a spectacular price you can't pass for a different stone? And if the price is that good, then you have to ask yourself why.

What happens if the strong fluor causes a sleepy or hazy stone? What if you don't like the personality difference of the two stones? What if this K stone isn't as white as your existing K stone (remember, you will get some range in a K stone, so all K's aren't equal)?

Yuekitel is trusted by many here and is advising you not to do this. Why would you want to supersede his expertise? Are you really cool with trading a proven AGS000 stone for a GIA XXX stone that at best has funky rounded & averaged values?

To me, it seems you have several reasons to pass on this stone. But you are attracted to it. So again, is that attraction/reward worth the risk you have to take if you purchase? If it's not, then walk and find a different stone.
 
Time for a master class cuz my mind is on overload on cnc spindle design for today and I need some fun.

The biggest difference in the stones is not the table size or crown height.
It is the lowers the first stone has lowers that average 76% and based on the heart image there are some 77% on there.
Base on the heart image the new stone has a lgf% in the 73-74 range rounded to 75 on the gia report.
There is no space between many of the Vs and hearts in the heart view meaning in this combo they are well under 75.
That means it has more contrast(bigger arrows) than the other stone and is not considered h&a(no separation of the V and heart) but has high levels of optical symmetry.

This means it will have bigger flashes off the mains, somewhat better soft light fire off the mains but smaller flashes off the lowers under the table. The smaller flashes off the lowers is offset by the 58% table some what.

The ASET shows one set of lowers has a bit of painting/digging but since the images are based on scan data it could be an artifact of the scan.
The IS which is an actual image does not show signs of it being an issue. It does not always show that well in IS but there are usually subtle signs if its a large issue and I am not seeing that.

In person these 2 diamonds would have obvious differences in personality across a bunch of lighting conditions but I would not classify it as bad.

That said there is a clarity question and the cut/performance/personality is different than what you are used to which has to be taken into consideration when deciding to buy a stone without a return policy.
 
Last edited:
Part 2.
The pavilion in the gia grossly rounded 40.6 range and the short lowers is going to make for a diamond that pops the arrows to a greater extent than many h&a ideal cuts and would make for a contrasty diamond.
Some like that, some dont.
 
Honestly, there are so many diamond options in the US with a return policy, that I would keep looking. I'm sure PS can help you find another stone! If you like the idea of upgrading, I'd recommending going with a vendor that has a generous upgrade policy like Whiteflash!
 
Based upon all of the information you’re getting, here, I’d pass.
Depending on the state in which you live, you also must consider the tax required for this stone.
When DH & I purchased from GemConcepts, we paid customs, and state tax. My suite of 7 vintage cut Asschers cost a portion of the money you’ll be spending. Yoram has a return policy. I didn’t need it, but I was thankful he had one...just in case. He is based in Israel. It was a significant exchange, even at a smaller price.
All advice attached to this thread is pointing toward backing away, and finding something with more security attached to it.
You have to decide with what you are comfortable.
 
I agree with Yeukiteil here and would pass. It's so risky to buy a stone without a return policy. Many stones from IDJ will come with a full return policy and much less risk.
 
denverappraiser said:
Do not buy a diamond sight unseen without a right of return. Period.
Click to expand...

This.
When you’re looking for 5+ carat stones... pickings tend to be slim.
You’re not looking at a rare size or colour combination.
There is just no reason to take the risks of an overseas purchase of a stone that your trusted vendor doesn’t prove of without a return policy.
 
There is absolutely no chance that I would make this move. Stuck is a hard place to be and that's exactly what you would be if you didn't love the diamond.

Have you tried IDJ again for a larger stone?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top