EGL stone from Israel??

[fuzzypill]

I''ve found a radiant that I really like but.... it''s from Israel with an EGL cert.

Now, I''ve read here that EGL is not reliable, especially if it''s from Europe or overseas. I saw the stone and it looked great to me but I''m a total amateur at diamonds. (Pretty much any diamond looks great to me...

)

Would you buy a stone like that? Should I have it certified by GIA/AGS??
I''ll try to post the specs on the radiant when I get a copy of the cert.

Any advice would be great. Thanks!

 

[marriahlyn]

I had an EGL Israel cert diamond and the specs were 2 grades off on clarity and color each. I wouldn't recommend it.

Edited to say that's according to the GIA regrade.

 

[Jennifer5973]

I have an EGL Israel-certed diamond and it is dead-on what it says. I almost walked away because of the cert...but I loved the stone, trusted my jeweler (local guy) and had it appraised.

If you love the stone, get a local appraiser to look at it. It is true that EGL overseas can be more unreliable than GIA, AGS and EGL-USA, but my personal philosophy is that if you see the stone and love it, don''t dismiss it because of the cert--get it appraised and know for sure. You should get any diamond appraised anyway, regardless of what paper it''s written on, so it''s a no brainer.

Good luck.

 

[ootthibo]

Unfortunately, GIA is the only one you can REALLY trust. But if the price is right and you love the stone then buy it. Really, its no different then buying an uncertified stone.

When my ex and I were looking for stones we went to a very reputable jeweler in our area and almost bought a really nice pear shaped diamond that didn''t have a cert. It was very nicely proportioned, looked like an F and I was told weighed 1.15. The seller was a GIA graduate gemologist and the store had been in business for over 20 years with tons of devoted customers.

Well, needless to say I asked them to have it certified for me (just because I wanted to make sure I got what I paid for). The stone came back from GIA as a 1.1 carat, G SI1. So they were right on with the clarity but the color was way off (going from colorless to ''near-colorless'') which can drop the price a few hundred dollars.

If I were you, and you are having doubts I would ask the jeweler to send the stone to GIA. They will probably make you pay the cost to send it there. In my case we declined to buy the stone and payed nothing. If the jeweler won''t send it then I would venture to bet they think the stone is a little "less" then what the GIA would grade it as too and I wouldn''t buy it at all.

Best of luck

 

[diagem]

Just one thing, remember all gemological labratories offer you their opinion.

All of them make istakes too, people make mistakes, its not a mashine that scientificly grades you diamond, remember its an OPINION...

 

[moremoremore]

I don''t care if a stone is graded in my buddy''s basement....as long as it is what it is supposed to be. That''s all that matters. SO, you must make sure you are using someone reliable and trustworthy and you can get 100% of your money back...not an exchange...but a REFUND if it comes back off.

 

[fuzzypill]

So most of you say that I should have an outside person appraise or certify the stone.

What is the difference between appraisal and certifying?

 

[Jennifer5973]

Date: 10/31/2004 4:56:36 PM
Author: fuzzypill
So most of you say that I should have an outside person appraise or certify the stone.

What is the difference between appraisal and certifying?

Yes. And I think saying GIA is the ONLY lab you can trust is wrong. GIA is recognized as the most reputable and consistent lab, but AGS is another excellent lab and EGL-USA is getting much better at consistency.

The certs done by one of these major labs helps put a "face" on the diamond and facilitates the sale since it is a fairly objective way for vendors to price diamonds. Labs are theoretically impartial but sometimes, they make mistakes or are lenient on borderline stone grades. But the appraiser only has YOUR best interests at heart, and is therefore unbiased in evaluating the stone. But it is even possible that 2 appraisers might disagree.

While not as common, GIA has "misgraded" stones...I''ve seen GIA grade a stone a H that EGL graded a J! Also, the other posters''s claim that going from an F to a G is "huge" is not the most accurate statement. One color and clarity grade is not that uncommon between different labs. It shouldn''t happen but people--as in humans--grade these stones and sometimes, inconsistencies occur.

I will not negate that the foreign EGL certs can be among the most inconsistent, but if you truly love the stone, get the appraisal. If not, walk away and find another stone, but you should have any stone appraised regardless of the paper.

When I chose my latest stone, my jeweler had an array of GIA, EGL-Israel, and AGS graded stones...and the one I loved on sight was the EGL. I almost walked away just becasue of the cert...and that would have been a big mistake on several fronts. I love my stone and I got it at a really great price.

 

[laney]

Date: 10/31/2004 4:56:36 PM
Author: fuzzypill
So most of you say that I should have an outside person appraise or certify the stone.

What is the difference between appraisal and certifying?

An apprasial is what you will do with any stone you buy. You will find a 3rd party (read - not associated with the store you bought it from) apprasier with appropriate credentials to look at your diamond. They will inspect it, plot it''s inclusions, weigh it, test the color - and even make sure it''s real, etc. Then they will provide you with a written appraisal that describes your diamond and the "market value" of the stone or the stone in the setting. This appraisal is helpful during the buying process - if you have an adequate return period to make sure you are getting exactly what you think. They can also help you build an approprate view of the stones value ( so you aren''t paying too much) etc. Secondarily, you will use that apprasial to get insurance. (it costs aprox $75-125..ish)

The "cert" from GIA, ACS, EGL is from an agency that provides the seller and you with paperwork, a registration number, and generall description of the stone. This is used as a representation of the diamonds attributes -- but does not contain any "market value" pricing information. And yes, as you will read here - certain "labs" have different reputations.

The guidance of your trusted jeweler - and expertise of a credentialed apprasier should help you feel confident in your purchase no matter where the "cert" is from.

Good Luck!