Funny Vendor Quotes

[katrina_33]

Thought you would all enjoy some stereotypical highlights of my third (and likely final) trip to the LA Jewelry District with my boyfriend today. The other vendors we''ve seen there have been great. This woman was at a store that primarily sells really stunning handcrafted platinum settings. The problem is, they won''t sell the settings unless you buy a stone from them too. Here are some of the more ridiculous things she said to us regarding stones:

"Canadian diamonds are so much prettier than ''normal'' diamonds. There is just something so much clearer and more special about the rough. Maybe it''s the weather there, I don''t know"
Has anyone ever heard anything like this?!?!? This sounds preposterous to me!

"60% depth and 60% table are ideal proportions"
At least I know where this comes from. Maybe she was trying to over simplify for my benifit, but I didn''t appreciate it!

"It''s extremely rare to find a GIA certified stone with ''excellent'' polish and ''very good'' symmetry like this one"
Blatantly not true.

Geesh!

At least no one''s told me that "color controls the sparkle" or "cut means shape" or anything quite so ridiculous yet!

 

[rickyrockranger]

Those silly vendors...

One point is accurate though - there are absolutely differences in rough. I had a conversation with a few cutters, and they told me that rough from certain geographic areas were more difficult to cut/polish. Some rough was "softer" than others, etc...

 

[asblackrock]

LOL

My best quote came from a very upmarket jeweller in Melbourne, Australia when I inquired if they had any H&A diamonds:
"We have hearts, but no arrows"

 

[Jennifer5973]

I ran into a maul chain store recently to have my watch band tightned and while I was waiting, I browsed their "estate section." I asked to see a little solitaire ring that had some character and the woman went on and on about what a great diamond it was and the best quality:

1. It was bezel set and the table was as big as the bezel

2. It had a chip
3. It was hard to miss the black spot on the edge of the table with my naked eye even udner their lighting

I think it was about 80 pts in a VERY flimsy platinum setting--barely had any weight --and they wanted $4,000 for it.

 

[katrina_33]

Interesting - I had never heard that there were differences between rough material...I thought that was all "canadian diamond" marketing hype. If that is indeed the case, does anyone feel that canadian rough actually produces more attractive finished diamonds?

This woman also loudly said "I think she''s worth it!" when we were looking at a 40K, 3 carat center stone ring and speaking quietly to each other about how monstrous it was, knowing our budget and that it would allow for a 1.5 - 2 ct center stone. She was half kidding, but only half, and I still found it very tacky.

She then old me that flouresence is always a bad thing.

It''s just irritating. I''m sure we could ultimately get a fine diamond through her, but it would be so frusturating not to be working with someone we trusted, and for my BF to feel like he has to double check everything she says to him, to wind up with the right stone. They told us they won''t sell their settings unless you buy the stone from them though, so we''ll see. I think if we actually walked in with a stone already purchased they might change their tune!

 

[RockDoc]

RE: Differences in rough diamond material.


Yes, it is absolutely true. Geographic origin has typical characteristics.


From what I''ve heard talking to cutters, the nicest rough is from Sierra Leone... Easy not troublesome to facets and usually high color and clarity rough stones.

Canada is also supposed to have good rough material - relevant to cutting.

Brazilian rough can be troublesome and brittle. A lot of the South African material tends to be in the lower colors.

A lot depends on the crystal structure as well as the orientation of how the cutter or diamond marking person orients the grain. There are great stones in the rough that formed symmetrically, and ones that have very distorted shapes Stress or strain in a diamond crystal is also an important issue when cutting as well.

There are also some issues with sawing occasionally where a rough diamond will have to be cleaved but seems laser sawing has replaced the cleaving process many times. However, laser sawing can make the material more brittle and more troublesome to cut.

Needless to say prices for "troublesome" rough is lower than the "easy" stuff.


Rockdoc

 

[perry]

So, does the brittle rough then translate into less durable polished stones?

How can we tell if we have solid vs brittle stones (other than the canadian certification process - at a significant markup).

Perry

 

[katrina_33]

Interesting! In that case, I eat my words! This lady did still get on my nerves, but at least I learned something new from her in the end!

The Canadamark diamond she showed me didn''t seem too marked up, it was a 1.70 H SI1 ex/vg for 10,800. Nice looking stone, but the color bothered me a little unfortunately.

I''m glad I learned that about rough, I had always thought that the raw material was the same no matter where from.

 

[Blue824]

I know this is an old thread but...

I just got back from a local jeweler. I really don''t know anything about them but I had this silver bracelet I really liked but it was too big on my wrist so last week I went to see if it could be shortened. I went to pick it up this afternoon. I''ve had it for a couple years of minimal use because it was huge on my wrists, but now i was excited to wear it and asked if they could polish it. Well, the lady looked at me like I was nuts and then said "oh no, this bracelet isnt really meant to be as shiny as your other jewelry, its just not meant to be" I was like well...its sterling, and it was much nicer looking when I first got it! and she just looked at me and took out a cloth and rubbed it down once and handed it to me...my mom and I looked at each other handed them their money, didnt even wait for a receipt and walked out. Wtf? Like there are links that are so tarnished, but I was so put off by her attitude for such a simple little project that I won''t be going there anymore. I didn''t really like the guy I dealt with in the first place, thought the lady might be nicer, but nope! Cross that one off my list!!

 

[pyramid]

Some jewellery with recessed patterns are preferred by some to be left tarnished. This is especially true about South Western Silver where I remember a poster posting on another forum that the jeweller had ruined her bangle by polishing it.

 

[DiamanteBlu]

Date: 7/23/2005 8:33:04 PM
Author: Pyramid
Some jewellery with recessed patterns are preferred by some to be left tarnished. This is especially true about South Western Silver where I remember a poster posting on another forum that the jeweller had ruined her bangle by polishing it.

To fix it you just need to reoxidize it by brushing on a liquid sulfur compound [smells great but does the job!]. Then you just buff it on the wheel so that the indentations remain black and you are done.
Blu

 

[Blue824]

Date: 7/23/2005 8:33:04 PM
Author: Pyramid
Some jewellery with recessed patterns are preferred by some to be left tarnished. This is especially true about South Western Silver where I remember a poster posting on another forum that the jeweller had ruined her bangle by polishing it.

Oh, I understand that...but this is just a chain, no pattern, just links. It was about 10x shinier and there are links that are tarnished in between totally shiny ones. It wasnt meant to look that way. It looked dirty gross and dingy because it was unworn for so long because of the size. She was just lazy. We went down the street to another jeweler, and whatever they did to it, it looks perfect now.

 

[DiamanteBlu]

I was in Tiffany''s a couple of weeks ago. I was looking around and noted an interesting ring. As it turns out it was a Legacy seting with a 5.?? carat E VVS2 stone in it. OK, so let''s see it. Well, apparently they couldn''t just take it out of the case to show it to me in the showroom. No, we had to go into a special viewing "room" [comfortable area with tables, chairs, but no door] for me to see the thing. It was beautiful and very well done [and overpriced ]. Well, I commented that my emerald cut diamond also sparkled beautifully in their viewing room and the guy [imbecille] goes: "Oh, this lighting is terrible. It really doesn''t show the stones off well at all." Amazing!! What a nit wit! I had to bite my tongue!
Blu