Hearts & Arrows: why would they EGL cert?

[bargaincrazy]

Hi all,

I''ve been lurking like a banshee for about a week. I won''t get into my backstory right now...gotta get the kids out of this house.

I was browsing around and saw this ~19K Hearts & Arrows 2.4 C I VS1 EGL certified diamond:
http://www.abazias.com/database/NewDiamondInfo.asp?stock=2685262

Is it a big red flag that a supposedly Hearts & Arrows diamond is EGL as opposed to GIA/AGS certified? I would think they are trying to hide something even though the numbers are ideal, polish & symmetry are EX EX. The price is only around 19K, which is a good 10K less than I thought I''d have to spend for a hearts & arrows around 2.5 Carat diamond.

Abazias seems to have A LOT of EGL cert diamonds that seem much more reasonable than their GIA/AGS counterparts. I''ve read posts about how EGL is less stringent with their grading, but some of these prices are just ridiculously low IMHO.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. I''m early in the buying process and I promised myself I wouldn''t jump the gun, so I''m not seriously considering buying it or anything. Just curious and intrigued.

 

[starr]

When i was looking for a diamond, I too saw some on their website with prices considerably lower than what they go for elsewhere. Some of them had AGS certs also.

However, on every single one I inquired about, i got back " we don''t have that diamond anymore" here are some similars ones which ended up being much more in price.

I ended up buying from elsewhere.

 

[belle]

you could try ebay diamonds as well but i wouldn''t advise it.
trust your gut. if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is.
and curiosity killed the cat!

 

[marriahlyn]

There cert is EGL Israel and I wouldn''t trust it for a 2nd. I had an EGL Israel D SI2 diamond that was recerted GIA to F I2. I also got a lot of "we don''t have that diamond in stock but we have these etc etc" from abazias so I think they use a little bait and switch with these lower price diamonds to get you interested. Just an observation.

 

[bargaincrazy]

Whoa!! I didn''t realize there was an EGL Israel distinction. I did not even see that. The ole bait and switch...explains a lot. Thanks for your replies.