friends, can you tell me which is your choice if you are me...?

[caesarsalad]

Hi PS friends...
happy labour day! can you give me your opinion?? thanks!

Question (1)
Which is your choice? Which stone looks best?

(a)
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-IF-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1201144.asp

(b)
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1247451.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131

(c)
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VVS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1193874.asp

Question (2)
Also, is WF''s ACA better than JA''s true hearts?? which will you prefer?

(actually i am still waiting for BG to find me a beautiful stone.. currently there is nothing ideal yet, so i am browsing around and saw the above)

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 9/7/2009 11:01:17 AM
Author:caesarsalad
Hi PS friends...
happy labour day! can you give me your opinion?? thanks!

Question (1)
Which is your choice? Which stone looks best?

(a)
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-IF-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1201144.asp

(b)
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1247451.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131

(c)
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VVS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1193874.asp

Question (2)
Also, is WF's ACA better than JA's true hearts?? which will you prefer?

(actually i am still waiting for BG to find me a beautiful stone.. currently there is nothing ideal yet, so i am browsing around and saw the above)

Need the hearts images for each as they are sold as h&a before I can comment, so if you could request those that would help. Also need the Idealscope image for the second one. They all show promise from what I can tell at this stage.

 

[elle_chris]

I like #3 the best. Should be a gorgeous stone.

As far as WF vs JA, it depends. If you''re looking for a true branded H&A, WF is the way to go. With James Allen stones, it''s a hit or miss, and without the hearts images, it''s impossible to tell.

 

[luckedup]

Date: 9/7/2009 11:22:49 AM
Author: elle_chris
I like #3 the best. Should be a gorgeous stone.

As far as WF vs JA, it depends. If you''re looking for a true branded H&A, WF is the way to go. With James Allen stones, it''s a hit or miss, and without the hearts images, it''s impossible to tell.

Hit or miss - if I wanted to mine for diamonds I would pick up a shovel !!!!

I quickly grew weary of JA - they dont bother to get 90% of their stones straight for IS images and way too many appear leaky and are greater than 62% depth. Then if you find something promising you have to request further images. There are just too many other websites that post all of the images and information on every diamond they sell. No point in going through all that trouble with sites that don''t.
This comparison can be made between e-tailers in just about everything from computers to duct tape. Some list all the specs, all the information, all the prices,

and some just don''t

. Can you guess which ones I do business with.

 

[jet2ks]

All three are excellent diamonds. If you are wanting a true H&A, the cut precision on #1 and #3 is a little better than #2 based on the hearts images, but that is really nitpicking--you would never be able to notice the difference with the naked eye. (Lorelei, when you open the box with the photo and loupe, just click the Hearts button and the images are up for all three. Must be a very recent update from JA) Both IS images that are posted are excellent, as well.

Date: 9/8/2009 3:39:37 AM
Author: luckedup

Hit or miss - if I wanted to mine for diamonds I would pick up a shovel !!!!

I quickly grew weary of JA - they dont bother to get 90% of their stones straight for IS images and way too many appear leaky and are greater than 62% depth. Then if you find something promising you have to request further images. There are just too many other websites that post all of the images and information on every diamond they sell. No point in going through all that trouble with sites that don't.
This comparison can be made between e-tailers in just about everything from computers to duct tape. Some list all the specs, all the information, all the prices,

and some just don't

. Can you guess which ones I do business with.

Before you jump all over a respected vendor, look at what segment of the market they are trying to serve. James Allen has a model for doing business that works well for them--they are not trying to compete with smaller boutique vendors, they are competing more against mega drop shippers like Blue Nile. Somehow they are able to provide more information than their direct competitors and still be competitive on pricing. The recent changes that allow diamond buyers to click through the photo, IS and hearts images (as on #1 & #3 above) is a great feature, they just haven't had time to get all the information posted for every diamond yet. I'd say it's a great job by Jim and his staff for being able to do all this.

WF has a slightly different business model that also works well for them. They put more time and effort into information on their in-house stones (ACA & ES) and retail prices reflect the extra time and labor expense. Both companies are excellent in what they do and from what I have seen are very responsive to changes in technology and customer requests, it is just that their business models and target markets are slightly different, but both seem to be working. Keep in mind that the vast majority of online diamond sales happen without all the information the cutophiles on PS like to see and a vendor cannot cater to just this market.

We all have preferences about who we want to do business with, just please state those in a positive way without bashing someone else.


EDT: Lorelei, you are killing me with the cute avatars. Where do you come up with those?

 

[luckedup]

Jet my intent was not to be offensive. I gave an answer to the OP''s question number (2) re: WF ACA v. JA TH where opinions were solicited. I am quite certain JA is a respected vendor as well as a successful operation. If it aint broke for them they don''t need to fix it.
Though I have yet to buy diamonds, I make 90% of my semi-major to major purchases via online. It happens to be a big pet peve of mine when websites leave more questions than answers, expect people to purchase with only a tiny picture, and hardly provide a modicum of specs. Sombody must be buying merchandise from such sites but it wont be me.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 9/8/2009 10:23:35 AM
Author: jet2ks
All three are excellent diamonds. If you are wanting a true H&A, the cut precision on #1 and #3 is a little better than #2 based on the hearts images, but that is really nitpicking--you would never be able to notice the difference with the naked eye. (Lorelei, when you open the box with the photo and loupe, just click the Hearts button and the images are up for all three. Must be a very recent update from JA) Both IS images that are posted are excellent, as well.


EDT: Lorelei, you are killing me with the cute avatars. Where do you come up with those?

Who knew?? Thanks Jet, thats very kewl with the new image set up, great job Jim!!!!! My thoughts are the same as yours on these diamonds, 1 and 3.

Hehehe! While I am prowling the web if I see any cute avatars on my travels I save ' em!

I find them all over the place!

 

[haagen_dazs]

I have a question about James Allen H&A diamonds.
If the diamonds are not advertised as H&A, does that mean very very most likely does not have a H&A cutting (<1% of diamonds) OR is it because they just have did not test for it?

 

[stone-cold11]

Maybe they just do not own them. From what I understand, a lot of the stones JA has are virtual stones, shared and advertised by several online vendors. The true hearts are probably their in-house stones that they have tested.

 

[jet2ks]

Date: 9/15/2009 6:00:05 PM
Author: haagen_dazs
I have a question about James Allen H&A diamonds.
If the diamonds are not advertised as H&A, does that mean very very most likely does not have a H&A cutting (<1% of diamonds) OR is it because they just have did not test for it?

Could be either. I am not sure how JA selects their H&A diamonds. Some vendors use a specific cutting house for their branded cuts, so will not put the brand on a diamond that is just as well cut but from another supplier. Others evaluate each diamond and go from there. Try contacting Jim at James Allen and he would be able to answer the question for you. I would guess the answer is what Stone references--that the TrueHearts are in-house diamonds.

 

[stone-cold11]

For example, this ISee2 stone. Listed on JA as an Ideal but from what I see of of the cut quality of ISee2 stones on GOG, probably a H&A stone.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1260011.asp

 

[haagen_dazs]

For example, this ISee2 stone. Listed on JA as an Ideal but from what I see of of the cut quality of ISee2 stones on GOG, probably a H&A stone.


http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1260011.asp

Please help clarify.
I read on GOG that ISEE2 does not sell stones directly to the consumer.
Do they cut their diamonds, engrave them with the ISEE2 logo and the distribute it through the network of wholesalers hence resulting in this particular stone to appear in JA inventory?

 

[stone-cold11]

yap, they are not only selling it through GOG but also through other vendors and some of these vendors put it in the virtual stone database to advertise it.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 9/16/2009 5:50:26 AM
Author: Stone-cold11

yap, they are not only selling it through GOG but also through other vendors and some of these vendors put it in the virtual stone database to advertise it.

Actually, they're not. I contacted Jon about that Isee2 showing up in JA's inventory, because I was under the impression GOG was the only one selling them. Long story short, we don't know why they have it, but Isee2's are only sold to/by B&M stores. So JA is not "carrying" Isee2's per se, they just have a few random stones for "some" reason.

 

[Lula]

Date: 9/16/2009 9:05:21 AM
Author: Ellen

Date: 9/16/2009 5:50:26 AM

Author: Stone-cold11


yap, they are not only selling it through GOG but also through other vendors and some of these vendors put it in the virtual stone database to advertise it.

Actually, they''re not. I contacted Jon about that Isee2 showing up in JA''s inventory, because I was under the impression GOG was the only one selling them. Long story short, we don''t know why they have it, but Isee2''s are only sold to/by B&M stores. So JA is not ''carrying'' Isee2''s per se, they just have a few random stones for ''some'' reason.

Trade-ins?

 

[stone-cold11]

OIC.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 9/16/2009 9:07:32 AM
Author: sarap333


Trade-ins?

I dunno. I suppose it''s "possible".....

 

[Ellen]

Date: 9/16/2009 9:27:42 AM
Author: Ellen

Date: 9/16/2009 9:07:32 AM
Author: sarap333


Trade-ins?

I dunno. I suppose it''s ''possible''.....

Now that I think about it, I don''t think that''s it, as I saw one other on there a long time ago, and forgot to ask GOG about that one. So, that seems rather unlikely.

 

[haagen_dazs]

newbie question
i am not sure what the industry norm is

1) do online vendors sell trade in stones?
2) are trade in stones sold at full price or at discounted prices ? (eg consider the case of NEW VS refurb ..... or NEW NEW vs OPEN BOX NEW )
3) how did the ISEE2 diamond get into JA ''s inventory ??