Ebay diamonds

[Ausmerican]

I want to know what people think about buying diamonds off ebay. I''m not talking about any random "too good to be true" auction, but one with good feedback, certification, money back guarantee, etc.

I bought my princess cut stone off there and have been told by many individuals that it was a great deal - it''s a 1.07 carat/I/SI1 and I paid $1600 US for it. In retrospect I took a decent risk buying it (even if I did have a money back guarantee) and I was wondering if it would be foolish to think about doing it again for my next ring.

Would any of you buy a stone from ebay, given that you could return it for the expense of shipping?

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Welcome Ausmerican

Before you proceed...did you ever have your 1.07 ct. evaluated by an independent appraiser to verify the color, clarity, cut, etc?

You mentioned "individuals" said that it was a good deal. Be careful. You will find a bunch of threads regarding Ebay diamonds if you do a search here.

www.metrojewelryappraisers.com

 

[Ausmerican]

Yes, I''ve had it independently appraised for insurance purposes - I purchased it as an H and the appraiser determined it was an I. The size was initially double-checked by my jeweler before it was set, and the clarity was covered by the appraisal. The cut is nowhere in writing, however the appraiser told me she would put it somewhere between good and very good (it''s cut too deep to be considered very good).

The people I mentioned have been various jewelers I''ve spoken to over the last few days regarding my interest in obtaining another diamond. They seem to think that the price I paid was quite deal for the stone I received.

Thanks so much for your response! I''m guessing you would be not so keen on ebay?

 

[Rod]

No matter what the sellers ebay rating is, I would personally NEVER purchase anything so expensive as a diamond from Ebay. There are just too many better options available through wonderful online sellers such as GOG, Whiteflash, James Allen, and the list goes on. Plus, like most, I would want the option to upgrade at some point and the chances of that option from an ebay seller is remote at best. And, as you already pointed out in your own buying experience, you bought an H, but got an I. Too many people have too many horror stories from buying through ebay sellers.

Just my .02 worth.......

 

[MustangGal]

I bought my latest diamond on ebay. As long as your are willing to potentially loose the amount of money you are paying, or go through a long legal battle if necessary, I''d say go for it.

 

[Small]

I would NEVER buy a diamond off of ebay. I''ve had my own bad experiences with ebay...enough to know that trusting feedback isn''t ANY guarantee that you''ll get what you are paying for. Good luck

 

[littlelysser]

For what it is worth, I wouldn''t put too much credit in the money back guarantee. I know of at least one PS member that had a horrible time with a vendor that promised money back. THere are a few vendors on ebay that seem a bit legit...but that is such a risk.

That having been said, maybe you got a good deal...but I wouldn''t count on lightening striking twice...

 

[Christa]

Remember that talking about "buying a diamond on eBay" is very much like saying "buying a diamond on the internet". Ebay isn't the seller, and there are good eBay sellers and bad ones, just as there are good internet vendors and bad ones, good B&M stores and bad ones, etc.

There are great deals to be had on eBay, you just have to be VERY careful. 100% feedback is no guarantee of a good seller, but a seller with a long track record (hundreds or more) and a very high positive rating is going to be pretty safe. Look the seller up at Toolhaus.org, ask lots of questions, always pay with a credit card, and make sure you know what you're getting before you bid, don't just "hope".

 

[codex57]

Date: 9/12/2006 11:10:57 AM
Author: MustangGal
I bought my latest diamond on ebay. As long as your are willing to potentially loose the amount of money you are paying, or go through a long legal battle if necessary, I''d say go for it.

That''s the key. My cutoff for eBay is in the $300-500 range. I''m too spooked to spend over that amount on eBay. So, for any decent sized diamond, eBay is out for me cuz I''m not willing to potentially lose that much money. Plus, for diamonds, I wanna see the thing before I buy. Highly doubt an eBay seller would ship it to me for inspection before I bid.

 

[kenny]

eBay?

Never
Never
Never.

Not one cent.

Never
Never
Never

 

[ForteKitty]

I bought several diamonds on eBay, but i was *extremely* careful.

All of them had GIA reports that matched, were laser inscribed, and I was able to inspect the bigger ones before handing the money to the seller IN PERSON. Awesome deals, but I got WAY lucky!

0.90 E/VVS2 Marquise in .68 pave plat. mount for $2100.
1.15 H/SI1 Oval in plat. solitaire for $1425.
0.43 D/VS2 Ideal RB w/ ruby sidestones for $700.

Cool, huh!

 

[Beacon]

Did you see the thread that was just shut down - where some dumb guy was trying to promote his Ebay diamond to this forum? I mean really bad looking diamond and he posed as a consumer to get us to look at it. That is so dishonest plus stupid since people here really *look* at the diamond and see the sad truth and aren''t afraid to say it.

That could be the kind of guy you are buying from on Ebay - bad risk.

Wouldn''t buy on Ebay for any big ticket thing. I have sold hundreds of items on ebay (not jewelry) and bought tons too, but I wouldn''t buy anything over say $200-300. Not worth the trouble.