Let me start by saying that i have dreaded the thought of shopping for a diamond for quite some time. There are so many ways a guy like myself can mess this up. But after spending a few weeks on this site, i am actually "into it" and looking forward to the purchase. You all provide a valuable service and it''s very much appreciated!
I have found a local jewelry store that has been around for a long time and has a good reputation here in town. I found a salesman who actually seems to know his stuff and i believe he is being honest with me. With that being said, i also realize he shows up to work every day to make money... and the more money the better. After seeing what he had to offer, i checked out some of the online stores that you all talk about. It wasn''t difficult to quickly find ideal cut stones with the same cut, color, and clarity ratings that he was showing me, but for significantly less money. Like i said earlier, i have developed a pretty good relationship with him, so i printed off a few examples and took them in to show him. He quickly pointed out that all of my examples were EGL certified. He told me that EGL reports can frequently be off by more than an acceptable margin, in fact by several colors and clarity levels. He also told me that of course he was just going from past experience, but he was willing to lay a pretty hefty sum of money on the table that we were not comparing apples to apples here. What do you folks think? Do i really need to accept nothing less than GIA when buying online to get what i''m looking for? Is it common when purchasing online to not get what you''re expecting? Just to give you some background, I''m looking for a 2 carat round stone, VS2-SI2, H-I in color, ideal cut. If i do buy a stone online, what should i do once i get it? Take it to have it appraised to see if it''s infact what the cert states it is? What kinds of questions should i ask an online seller before making a purchase? Any help or advise would be greatly appreciated!
I have found a local jewelry store that has been around for a long time and has a good reputation here in town. I found a salesman who actually seems to know his stuff and i believe he is being honest with me. With that being said, i also realize he shows up to work every day to make money... and the more money the better. After seeing what he had to offer, i checked out some of the online stores that you all talk about. It wasn''t difficult to quickly find ideal cut stones with the same cut, color, and clarity ratings that he was showing me, but for significantly less money. Like i said earlier, i have developed a pretty good relationship with him, so i printed off a few examples and took them in to show him. He quickly pointed out that all of my examples were EGL certified. He told me that EGL reports can frequently be off by more than an acceptable margin, in fact by several colors and clarity levels. He also told me that of course he was just going from past experience, but he was willing to lay a pretty hefty sum of money on the table that we were not comparing apples to apples here. What do you folks think? Do i really need to accept nothing less than GIA when buying online to get what i''m looking for? Is it common when purchasing online to not get what you''re expecting? Just to give you some background, I''m looking for a 2 carat round stone, VS2-SI2, H-I in color, ideal cut. If i do buy a stone online, what should i do once i get it? Take it to have it appraised to see if it''s infact what the cert states it is? What kinds of questions should i ask an online seller before making a purchase? Any help or advise would be greatly appreciated!