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Forevermark without markup?

Ledknees

Rough_Rock
Joined
Mar 6, 2016
Messages
3
I know the usual critique of the Forevermark diamonds - isn't a lab, that uses unknown criteria, paying a premium for marketing, etc - and usually I only go for the GIA. The idea of paying more for a Forevermark over a GIA diamond has always seemed ridiculous to me. Especially when it comes set in something that cost more because of a designer name, it is obviously a bad buy IMO.

However, what about buying a loose Forevermark diamond for the same price as a GIA diamond? The retailer has offered to get a GIA cert, with the implied guarantee that it will get the same grade as from Forevermark, on whatever I buy. I am not looking at one particular diamond, there are a variety available to choose from. Some are GIA and others are Forevermark, but the cost is the same for either and extremely competitive.

Opinions?
 

denverappraiser

Ideal_Rock
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Jul 21, 2004
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9,150
Forevermark grading is mostly pretty solid but I'm a little curious about the heart of your question. Are you looking for the Forevermark branding or do you not care? Do you want a GIA pedigree? Put another way, all other things being equal, including price, would you prefer to have a diamond with the Forevermark brand?
 

Ledknees

Rough_Rock
Joined
Mar 6, 2016
Messages
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denverappraiser|1457305096|4000734 said:
Forevermark grading is mostly pretty solid but I'm a little curious about the heart of your question. Are you looking for the Forevermark branding or do you not care? Do you want a GIA pedigree? Put another way, all other things being equal, including price, would you prefer to have a diamond with the Forevermark brand?

I have no preference for Forevermark or GIA. My question is: if the price per carat is the same between a GIA and Forevermark diamond, is one a better buy than the other? Or perhaps better stated, is the Forevermark diamond worth as much as a GIA diamond?
 

Paul-Antwerp

Ideal_Rock
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Sep 2, 2002
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2,859
I think that rephrasing your question gives you the answer.

If you have 2 GIA-graded diamonds with identical grades and identical pricing, will one be a better buy than the other? I think that you will agree the odds of both being equally valuable are low. There will always be one better liked, looking better or preferred in some way, which will result in that one being the better buy.

If such is the case comparing GIA-graded stones only, it must be when comparing GIA-graded to Forevermark-graded. Which one it will be depends on the stone, not on the accompanying paper.

Live long,
 

denverappraiser

Ideal_Rock
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Joined
Jul 21, 2004
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9,150
What sets the pricing on diamonds is a bit complicated. It includes the obvious 4C's type topics but there are also issues around location, branding, settings, marketplace details, financing and so on. That is to say, there are a fair number of non-gemological properties that go into it. In the end it's the buyer who agrees to shell out the money who is deciding what is or isn't valuable.

Forevermark tends to sell in high end stores in snazzy places. They sell good stuff, they're quite consistent, and they both charge and get good money for it. That's clearly adding 'value', whether it's of interest to you or not.

Adding GIA paperwork and brand to a stone nearly always makes it sell both faster and for more money and it makes buyers more satisfied with their purchase. That's clearly a value add as well.

The same can be said for nearly any brand. Indeed this is much of the point of branding, whether we're talking about diamonds or anything else. They're saying that their name stands for a bundle of benefits that range from easier shopping to better warranties and that you should buy into it because it's 'worth' more because of the brand. The secret is that doesn't stand in isolation and it's not the same for every customer. Some people demand kosher. Others don't care. Rather few object. So is kosher food 'worth' more? In some cases, absolutely. In others not so much. Rarely is it a negative although I suppose it's possible.
 

Ledknees

Rough_Rock
Joined
Mar 6, 2016
Messages
3
Thank you for the replies, I think I understand now. Obviously one would be making a big mistake to pay the same for an EGL (especially Israel) diamond vs a GIA diamond. I wanted to make sure that buying the Forevermark wasn't like that and obviously while GIA is still the gold standard, it doesn't seem to be.
 
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