Going to BGD! Advice Appreciated ...

[rak4me]

After a lot of research and assistance from PS, I have narrowed my e-ring choices down somewhat and am fairly set on buying from BGD. Luck and circumstance have me traveling to Texas next week for business (a big deal, because I live in Wisconsin), and I''m trying to arrange some time to make the drive to Houston to visit BGD in person. Anyone who has insight, please advise on the following questions:

1. Do you feel there is much variance in overall cut quality across the entire stock of BGD Signature H-and-As? My sense is that to the naked eye, they should all be almost indistinguishable in terms of cut performance. I have crunched the numbers on several options and have compared the images. Just wondering if I should expect the cut performance to vary much at all among his Signature stock (all of my finalists are Signature H-and-As).

2. Any pointers or advice from people who have been there in person? (Do I need a reservation? Can I ask to meet with Brian or Lesley? I know they''re busy, but they also seem extremely customer-focused.)

3. Does BGD offer a PS discount? If yes, how much and what is necessary to request it?

4. Does anyone have a sense of how often Brian adds diamonds to his Signature stock? I’m wondering if it’s likely he’ll add any new ones in the next couple of weeks.

5. Perhaps most important: What is the best way to gauge the performance (brightness/fire/scintillation) in person? I know that you want to view in different lighting, but is there a specific "circuit" of lighting environments anyone would recommend? If there are several types of lighting in and outside their location, which do you think are the most important to test?

Thanks!

 

[legallyspoiled]

Hi Rak4me!

I live in Houston. I had the opportunity to visit BGD and Whiteflash (they are in the same building) last month. I hope that I can help answer some of your questions!

1. I only looked at H&A stones. I did not see any noticeable variance. They were all stunning. He placed two stones in temporary settings on my finger and proceeded to cart me around the store and expose those stones to various types of lighting (very dim, pinpoint, daylight light bulbs, etc.) Maybe a variance would be noticeable to well trained eye but not mine!

2. Yes, you will definitely need an appointment. Brian is very busy and isn't there all the time.

3. Yes, BGD offers a PS and wire discount. I can't remember off hand how much. Maybe someone else can chime in here.

4. I believe someone said that Brian would be getting new diamonds in at the end of May.

I hope this helps!

 

[caroleena]

Going in person is pretty exciting! I''ve dealt with them (but purely by phone and email) and they''ve been very responsive and great to deal with.

I don''t know enough to comment on most of your questions, but I can let you know that

3. They do offer a pricescope discount if you pay by wire, so mention you found them through pricescope

4. I''m not sure how often they add diamonds, but from something I read in another thread (I believe it was for dreamer_d), it seems like they''ll be getting some new stock at the end of May, but I''m sure they''ll let you know if you ask

Good luck and I hope you find the one you''re looking for!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 4/26/2010 5:21:49 PM
Author:rak4me
After a lot of research and assistance from PS, I have narrowed my e-ring choices down somewhat and am fairly set on buying from BGD. Luck and circumstance have me traveling to Texas next week for business (a big deal, because I live in Wisconsin), and I''m trying to arrange some time to make the drive to Houston to visit BGD in person. Anyone who has insight, please advise on the following questions:

1. Do you feel there is much variance in overall cut quality across the entire stock of BGD Signature H-and-As? My sense is that to the naked eye, they should all be almost indistinguishable in terms of cut performance. I have crunched the numbers on several options and have compared the images. Just wondering if I should expect the cut performance to vary much at all among his Signature stock (all of my finalists are Signature H-and-As).

There is lttle variance. In this case I really think you can pick with your eyes!

2. Any pointers or advice from people who have been there in person? (Do I need a reservation? Can I ask to meet with Brian or Lesley? I know they''re busy, but they also seem extremely customer-focused.)

Call and make an appintment, they will meet you in person, or at least Brian will, and walk you through your purchase. I am jealous, I would have LOVED to go there to pick my diamond!

3. Does BGD offer a PS discount? If yes, how much and what is necessary to request it?

They offer 5% total if you pay by wire. Just tell them you want the PS discount.

4. Does anyone have a sense of how often Brian adds diamonds to his Signature stock? I’m wondering if it’s likely he’ll add any new ones in the next couple of weeks.

From what I have heard as I have been waiting for my own diamond, they get in smaller shipments fairly regularly -- a new batch of stones just went up this week (seemed to me to be about 20 stones? Including mine

). Brian also goes to Antwerp every 3 months or so for a larger batch I think, and I was told his next trip will be in May. So I would expect a LARGE influx of stones at the end of May (Last time it was around 80 stones). He also keeps in touch with the factory so if you are looking for somethng in particular he can always look for it that way.

5. Perhaps most important: What is the best way to gauge the performance (brightness/fire/scintillation) in person? I know that you want to view in different lighting, but is there a specific ''circuit'' of lighting environments anyone would recommend? If there are several types of lighting in and outside their location, which do you think are the most important to test?

Honestly, I would not worry about this type of thing since you are looking at BGD signature diamonds. Basically you are going to view Ferrari''s of the diamond world, they are all awesome, so just focus on picking the color and clarity and size you want. Brian will take you around to look at different lighting I am sure.

What specs are you looking for?

 

[btrflygrl23]

Never been in person but I WISH! Have dealt with Brian and Lesley over the phone in a word they are both AWESOME! Super sweet polite classy people helpful to a fault. They are honest and just want to help people make a good choice and be happy.
They do offer a PS discount I believe the in the same percentage offered by many other PS vendors when you pay via wire.

I think you''ll have a ton of fun how exciting! Congrats!

 

[cemrn]

Legally spoiled I didn''t know you lived in Houston too!
OP-You definately need an appt. I will say you will probably have better luck getting an afternoon or early evening appt. And remember they close early on Fridays. I met with Brian everytime I went (3-4). Prepare to get a good education. I really like his laid back style.

 

[luv2sparkle]

How cool that you get to go in person! Brian will probably tell you that all the stones are a little different. He told me ''they are like your children, all different, but you love them all the same''. My first diamond
had a different look that the one I upgraded to. It was from Brian''s Whiteflash days and had the distinct pinwheel effect in the center. I have noticed, not a lot of Brian''s new stones have that. Whiteflash''s still do.
(Sorry, to all the experts if there is a name for that!) But I have to say, my new stone sparkles more than my old one. But it is really true, they are both awesome, but also a little different.

You cannot go wrong getting a stone from Brian. The man knows diamonds, and you can trust him. It doesn''t get better than that!

 

[rak4me]

What specs are you looking for?
*** Dreamer ***
Without being too specific (fear of lurkers), something in these ranges:

BGD Signature H-and-A (definitely)
Carat: 0.9 to 1.1
Color: F to H
Clarity: VS2 to SI2

What a nice bonus it was to hear that, in essence, a superior cut can make the other 3 Cs seem even better than their lab grade (better cuts often appear more colorless, can appear larger than less well-performing cuts of the same size, and the light performance can possibly obscure inclusions somewhat). I was sold on precision cut *before* reading this, which only drives the point home more emphatically.

I was originally intent on F / VS2, but now I''m gladly willing to bend a bit on those because of how amazing (I''m told) the BGD Signature cut is--pretty much regardless of the individual diamond you select from that group.

Can''t wait to go there this weekend!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

they will be gorgeous. I have a little one (and it''s a k) and it''s amazing!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Those specs are in the range where there will always be a nice variety to choose from at BGD. I don''t see any reason to wait as long as you can see them in person and something fits your budget. Let your eyes choose, you are in a *very* enviable position!

 

[Phoenix]

rak4me, you are one lucky devil! I wish I could go to Houston and meet up with Brian and Lesley. They are such darlings and their diamonds are really out of this world. I wish I could go there and play with and droooooool over their H&A inventory, LOL!

I think you've already been given some great advice. I'd like to reiterate that you should definitely make an appointment before you go there.

Have fun and do come back and show us your new gorgeous acquisition.

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 4/26/2010 7:07:25 PM
Author: luv2sparkle
How cool that you get to go in person! Brian will probably tell you that all the stones are a little different. He told me 'they are like your children, all different, but you love them all the same'. My first diamond
had a different look that the one I upgraded to. It was from Brian's Whiteflash days and had the distinct pinwheel effect in the center. I have noticed, not a lot of Brian's new stones have that. Whiteflash's still do.
(Sorry, to all the experts if there is a name for that!) But I have to say, my new stone sparkles more than my old one. But it is really true, they are both awesome, but also a little different.

You cannot go wrong getting a stone from Brian. The man knows diamonds, and you can trust him. It doesn't get better than that!

That's very interesting. I had ACA's from Brian's WF days and now have BG Sig H&A stones. I must say I haven't noticed any difference. But my eyes are obviously not as sharp as yours, LOL!

Could you possibly elaborate this "pinwheel" effect a little more? Do you by any chance happen to have a pic of the two side-by-side?

 

[Laila619]

How fun! You're so lucky. Please post pics of the beauty you end up choosing.

By the way, I think the PS wire discount is 5%. Just tell them you're a PS member.

 

[luv2sparkle]

Hey Phoenix, I will try to post a couple pics. I don''t have a side by side, because I traded the first ring in and the diamond was sold. Basically the center of Brian''s new stones are darker. Not all, but at least my mine
is. Not bad, just different. Here is the whiteflash-the center is lighter and you can see the little pinwheel. I could clearly notice this on my hand and I loved it.

 

[luv2sparkle]

Brians new photos are too large and I can''t size them. But if you pick out one of his stone the center is usually darker.

 

[Telethia]

Hi rak4me

I actually had the pleasure of meeting Brian last week in person. It was quite an experience, and most enjoyable. Brian is floating between 3 locations, and we met him at the ''workshop'' location (suite 290). I don''t know if your meeting will be exactly the same structure, but he pulled all the diamonds that I was interested in looking at, and placed them on a tray. We walked around in different lighting environments. He has various track lights, color corrected, pinpoint, fluorescent, etc. to help you view your diamonds.

He laid all the diamonds out without telling me their specifics and asked me to choose the one that most appealed to me. They were all lovely and I couldn''t easily choose one out of the bunch. I ended up going with one of the diamonds on special, so I don''t think the PS discount was applicable. he did at the beginning of our meeting inquire how I heard about him, and after mentioning PS, he acknowledged that there is a PS discount.

He got several calls during our meeting which lasted about 2.5 hours. I felt bad for keeping him, but he was very patient and made me feel I was his first priority. He has a very quirky, but adorable sense of humor. I do hope your meeting goes just as well if not better.

 

[Sizzle]

You definately can''t go wrong with Brian, and a signature stone FABULOUS!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 4/27/2010 11:06:43 AM
Author: Telethia
Hi rak4me

I actually had the pleasure of meeting Brian last week in person. It was quite an experience, and most enjoyable. Brian is floating between 3 locations, and we met him at the ''workshop'' location (suite 290). I don''t know if your meeting will be exactly the same structure, but he pulled all the diamonds that I was interested in looking at, and placed them on a tray. We walked around in different lighting environments. He has various track lights, color corrected, pinpoint, fluorescent, etc. to help you view your diamonds.

He laid all the diamonds out without telling me their specifics and asked me to choose the one that most appealed to me. They were all lovely and I couldn''t easily choose one out of the bunch. I ended up going with one of the diamonds on special, so I don''t think the PS discount was applicable. he did at the beginning of our meeting inquire how I heard about him, and after mentioning PS, he acknowledged that there is a PS discount.

He got several calls during our meeting which lasted about 2.5 hours. I felt bad for keeping him, but he was very patient and made me feel I was his first priority. He has a very quirky, but adorable sense of humor. I do hope your meeting goes just as well if not better.

So what did you pick?

 

[Telethia]

Date: 4/27/2010 12:08:47 PM
Author: dreamer_d

So what did you pick?

Not intending to thread jack, but I got this one

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-1040395470001

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 4/27/2010 12:25:36 PM
Author: Telethia

Date: 4/27/2010 12:08:47 PM
Author: dreamer_d

So what did you pick?

Not intending to thread jack, but I got this one

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-1040395470001

Oooohhh, great looking stone and a great price! Did you pick it from the lineup or was the pricepoint a drawing factor? Curious if you just gravitated to the J color... I am waiting for my own J shortly

Sorry for the threadjack rak5me!

Can''t wait to hear how your meeting goes!

 

[Telethia]

Date: 4/27/2010 12:33:49 PM
Author: dreamer_d

Oooohhh, great looking stone and a great price! Did you pick it from the lineup or was the pricepoint a drawing factor? Curious if you just gravitated to the J color... I am waiting for my own J shortly

Sorry for the threadjack rak5me!

Can''t wait to hear how your meeting goes!

I liked the size, my boyfriend came along with me, and he really liked the slight warmth. Brian let us compare all the stones next to each other critically and my boyfriend still liked the J best. This wasn''t because of price since I was paying for the stone (he''s in school). I''m fairly blind, and apparently not as color sensitive as I thought. Brian said that he likes warmer colors himself because he feels in the south, we''re warm/friendly people.

Haha.

Oh rak4me, I think you will really like seeing the hearts and arrows through the viewer in person. It was very impressive for me and online pictures do not do them justice. Hope you have a great time.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 4/27/2010 12:51:36 PM
Author: Telethia

Date: 4/27/2010 12:33:49 PM
Author: dreamer_d

Oooohhh, great looking stone and a great price! Did you pick it from the lineup or was the pricepoint a drawing factor? Curious if you just gravitated to the J color... I am waiting for my own J shortly

Sorry for the threadjack rak5me!

Can''t wait to hear how your meeting goes!

I liked the size, my boyfriend came along with me, and he really liked the slight warmth. Brian let us compare all the stones next to each other critically and my boyfriend still liked the J best. This wasn''t because of price since I was paying for the stone (he''s in school). I''m fairly blind, and apparently not as color sensitive as I thought. Brian said that he likes warmer colors himself because he feels in the south, we''re warm/friendly people.

Haha.

Sorry, I hope I wasn''t making it seem like price was the only thing that mattered

! I am glad that you have a diamond you love!

 

[Telethia]

Date: 4/27/2010 12:56:34 PM
Author: dreamer_d

Sorry, I hope I wasn''t making it seem like price was the only thing that mattered

! I am glad that you have a diamond you love!

I''m sorry. My word choice may have made me sound harsher than I meant to be. All the stones we selected were all around the same price point and all of the stones were gorgeous, so we went with the largest one which happen to be a great value for its size. Actually, I was following your thread about your J stone before I went in to see Brian (and trying to look through all the J stones on this forum for that matter) because I wasn''t sure how color sensitive I was. Your purchase actually helped reaffirm mine.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 4/27/2010 1:04:59 PM
Author: Telethia

Date: 4/27/2010 12:56:34 PM
Author: dreamer_d

Sorry, I hope I wasn''t making it seem like price was the only thing that mattered

! I am glad that you have a diamond you love!

I''m sorry. My word choice may have made me sound harsher than I meant to be. All the stones we selected were all around the same price point and all of the stones were gorgeous, so we went with the largest one which happen to be a great value for its size. Actually, I was following your thread about your J stone before I went in to see Brian (and trying to look through all the J stones on this forum for that matter) because I wasn''t sure how color sensitive I was. Your purchase actually helped reaffirm mine.

LOL! I''m glad it helped! You are so lucky to have seen your diamond in person before buying, I will anxiously await my own diamond for another few weeks!