EGL buyer beware?

[pyle112]

1.59 ct G SI1 Round
. Report: EGL
. Shape: Round
. Carat: 1.59
. Depth %: 60.2
. Table %: 56
. Girdle: M-
pavillion 43 %
crown 14 %
. Measurements: 7.55-7.59X4.60
. Polish: Good
. Symmetry: Very Good
. Culet: None
. Fluorescence: Medium Blue

Cutadvisor gives it a 0.8.
Price is about $6500.

Should I stay away from a diamond with these specs? Is it the fluorescence that makes it so undesireable? the EGL cert? or could it posssibly be the diamonds condition (closer to an si2 than a vs2 in the si1 range)?
Dont want to pass up a good deal because of my current state of ignorance, but don''t want to jump onto something that cost as much as my first car without gathering a comfortable amount of information.

-Bryan

 

[jayreneepea]

Is it EGL USA? Have you seen the stone? Is there a return policy? It''d be a good idea to have it independently appraised.

 

[luckystar112]

Alright...first of all, fluorescence in a diamond shouldn''t be a turn off. Very rarely, it can make the diamond look milky...but most of the time it''s fine. I''d confirm it doesn''t make it look milky with the vendor.

EGL has a tendency to be a little off on color and clarity. This stone could very well be an H SI2 by GIA and AGS standards. The fluorescense will help it look whiter (face up) if it is.


I would ask about the clarity, and exactly where the inclusions are and what type they are.

Can''t advise you anymore on cut, (there are others that are more qualified to do so) but the score on the cut advisor tool is good!

 

[pyle112]

Haven''t seen the stone. 10 day return policy. EGL-Israel.

I plan to appraise it, but only if its worth looking into with these specs.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 7/31/2007 10:30:23 PM
Author: pyle112
Haven''t seen the stone. 10 day return policy. EGL-Israel.


I plan to appraise it, but only if its worth looking into with these specs.

If cut advisor gives it a .08, then it might be worth it. BUT EGL Israel is known for being the most lax of all the EGL labs, so buyer beware. Just make sure to get it appraised before purchase so you know you are paying a fair price.

 

[neatfreak]

Oops double post!

 

[pyle112]

Thanks for the quick reply everyone.

Considering EGL-Israel is so lax, this means I will be putting my faith in an appraiser''s abilities and assesment. Makes me realize why theres a premium for GIA or AGS.

Now to find an appraisal service in Manhattan

 

[WorkingHardforSmallRewards]

this looks to me like one of thsoe situations where even if the diamond is an H SI2 you are being overcharged, if it is H SI1 its a pretty good deal, and if it is GSI1 its fabulous. The real key is going to be how many if any color grades it is off and perhaps most importantly if it is an SI2.

Can we get angles on the abovementioned?

It is also hard to determine how accurate the grade might be without knowing who is selling it. If whiteflash had looked at it and were selling it for that price I might make think it to be about an HSI1 and say grabbed it up and have it appraised, if it is a local BandM I would be wary of it being an HSI2 Either way I say be very wary of visible inclusions.

And for me, the uncertainty of the grade, combined with Good polish (I assume EGL-isreal at least gets polish consistently right?) and the crappy return policy would def be a deal breaker for me. Maybe if you had 30 days return I would say keep checking it out, get some photos and find out more info, but with a 10 day return window, I say forget about it.

and as mentioned above, fluo is not a problem, in particular MEDIUM fluo is a total nonissue. It is not going to affect your diamond in any truly noticeable way unless you go to the clubbing and the only real cases of murkiness are in VERY STRONG fluo, certainly not in medium. I think they are often called over-blues and as the name implies, you won't find that much fluo presence or it wouldn't be a medium to begin with. But it never hurts to ask/look

 

[Haven]

Just wanted to add my experience.

BF and I are currently looking at a cushion with an EGL Israel cert. I posted a topic a few days ago and got some great advice:
EGL Israel Cert--Is It Worthless?

In our particular case my trusted local jeweler presented this diamond to us, so I have good reason to trust him and the choice he made to bring this stone in. After reading about EGL Israel certs on PS I called my jeweler and he brought me in to look at the stone again. We sat down and compared GIA stones of a variety of colors with the same MB fluor that the cushion had, and I was satisfied that the EGL color grade was accurate. We looked at it under the microscope again, in direct sunlight, inside my car to see that lighting, etc, and he spent as much time as I needed to be satisfied that *I* liked the stone.

What I''m trying to say is that an EGL Israel cert isn''t cause to rule out a stone completely, but you should do some serious examination and have it appraised by a third party once you receive it.

Read that thread I linked to, a lot of excellent PSers responded there.