shape
carat
color
clarity

Hate To Be That Guy

zeero3

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 30, 2011
Messages
7
But I would like to hear opinions on a stone. I've visited a few brick and mortars and did some research. However, I do see some outstanding stones with AGS and GIA certs online--from trusted sellers. I just feel like this stone is a great value, albeit an EGL certification. Be brutal, I can take it.

http://jewelry-shopping.padisgems.com/images/products/detail/92276703.JPG

Price is approximately $7.2k.

Pros:
Dimensions seem on par with what I have seen as excellent cut.
Get better clarity and carat weight as compared to similarly priced stones from leading sellers I see on pricescope.
Far exceeds my clarity standards when I saw it under 10x.

Cons:
Crown angle could be a tad less.
Not AGS or GIA.
Don't know how well to trust the quality in cut of this stone as compared to the confidence I would have in the cut of one of the leading sellers I see on pricescope.

I greatly appreciate any and all honest opinions.....
Thanks in advance!
 
Hi, zeero, and welcome to Pricescope!

I think you pose some excellent questions. Here's how I'd evaluate that stone:

Cut: The numbers look pretty good, actually. The crown angle is a little steep, but the pavilion angle *could* work with the crown, depending on how well the rest of the stone is cut. We don't have enough information from the EGL report to assess the minor facets (lower girdles/stars). The overall depth of the stone is not too deep. But based on numbers alone, this stone could be cut well. If you have an Idealscope, and you are able to view this stone in person, checking its performance with an IS and comparing the stone to other diamonds across a wide variety of lighting conditions will help you judge the stone's actual performance.

Hearts and Arrows: I don't know enough about EGL reports to know if the scans shown on the report are from the actual stone or if they are a generic representation of a H&A stone. Bottom line, you don't want to pay extra for H&A without proof (i.e., actual H&A images of the stone) that the stone is indeed an H&A stone.

Color and Clarity: As Swingirl noted, EGL stones have a reputation of being a grade or two (or more) lower than the report states. So, you don't want to pay the same price for an EGL I VVS2 as you would for an AGS or GIA I VVS2. If you are okay with this stone being a J VS2 (or even lower, a K SI1), then you simply check on what WF or another online vendor is charging for a K SI1, and base your comparison of prices that way (as Swingirl has done with the J VS2 she linked for your).

ETA: It appears that the primary inclusions are feathers (?) and they are located near the girdle. You'd want to check to make sure those feathers won't cause any problems with setting the stone and/or that they pose other durability issues. Also, make sure you cannot see them from the bottom or sides of the stone, or, alternatively, if you can see them, that they do no bother you.

Lab report: Swingirl linked you to a WF ACA stone that has an AGS report, and is an H&A stone, with AGS 0 cut. There is value in owning a stone with an AGS 0 or GIA X *pedigree* so you would want the price on the EGL discounted not only on the color and clarity, but also on the basis that it is EGL vs GIA or AGS graded.

Additional services: WF offers excellent "value-added" services to the consumer, such as trade-in and buyback policies, and good return policies. These services are built in to the price. If the vendor offering the EGL stone is not offering similar polices, you would want to see an additional discount on the stone.
 
EGL seems tempting when you start the process of looking. Eventually, I ruled it out because I got sick of saying, "well, it says its xyz, but it's probably more like (insert lower grade here)".

When I stopped even looking at them, the search became much clearer and more precise.

This is just how it went for me, but I've talked with several people that did the exact same thing. :D
 
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