Help- I need an appraiser or diamond expert to pick out this 4ct with me!

[samanthalee]

I am going to go ring looking this weekend. I am going to to look at my 3.87 E, SI1, princess cut and then some other ones near that range.

But I thought, maybe I should pay someone to come look at these rings with me - like a consultant- someone who knows what the cut looks like, someone that can help me see if its a good ring or not.

Maybe there are people out there, that can just come and look with you. I would pay them for a consultation fee!
Does that exist?

 

[samanthalee]

Why can''t I just pay someone to shop with me?

 

[ringabling]

You''re in Houston, yes?
Wish I still lived there!!! I''d LOVE to shop for diamonds again so soon!
Where are you shopping?

 

[supersash]

I''m fairly new to this site, but most people here pride themselves in learning as much about diamonds, so that they themselves can judge the diamonds. (I hope that makes sense, sorry, I''m always too wordy!!!)

If you spend time reading on this board, you should be able to judge the stones for yourself. The most important things the experts on here talk about it CUT! Also, be sure the diamonds are certified, with GIA being the #1 out there for certifiers.

I''m sure the others will chime in soon! Good luck, and have fun checking out the stones!

 

[Cravin My Emerald cut]

I know it''s an intimidating purchase, but there''s tons of info on princess cuts on this site. I would especially research what good ideal scopes, etc of the stone look like, that way you don''t have to worry about being mislead by the jeweler. Not that they would mislead you, but it never hurts to educate yourself so you can at least come across as knowledgable which IMO makes you a less likely "target."

Also, that''s what independent appraisals are for.

 

[samanthalee]

I am studying, beleive me I am studying! I am up all night, seriously studying about diamonds. This cut thing is the one that is the hardest. Yes I can look at the graph and I have. I know the ideal numbers for depth, and crown and pavilion angles. I guess what I am getting so far, is to look at depth to be able to determine brilliance. But then the whole "warped" thing comes in.

I do appreciate your comment- and I will keep reading and studying until the weekend. It just seems like I really need a trained eye.

Thank you for the cold hard truth!

 

[Sparkalicious]

Date: 1/16/2008 3:21:43 PM
Author: supersash
I''m fairly new to this site, but most people here pride themselves in learning as much about diamonds, so that they themselves can judge the diamonds. (I hope that makes sense, sorry, I''m always too wordy!!!)

If you spend time reading on this board, you should be able to judge the stones for yourself. The most important things the experts on here talk about it CUT!

I agree with the above poster. AGS is another lab that has strict grading like GIA.

I would recommend educating yourself so that you can become an accurate judge of diamond quality.

Since you are in Houston, you may wish to consider going to Whiteflash ... you can find more info at www.whiteflash.com as they carry well cut stones and have great customer service.

 

[Regular Guy]

Two suggestions:

1) I would check with Christine York, who is not far from you.

2) I would buy your own ASET scope, to help you with your own shopping.

 

[samanthalee]

Ira , thank you so much I have heard of Christina York- and was going to use her as one of my appraisers. Thanks a lot. I will contact her.

 

[Kay]

Date: 1/16/2008 3:34:18 PM
Author: samanthalee
I am studying, beleive me I am studying! I am up all night, seriously studying about diamonds. This cut thing is the one that is the hardest. Yes I can look at the graph and I have. I know the ideal numbers for depth, and crown and pavilion angles. I guess what I am getting so far, is to look at depth to be able to determine brilliance. But then the whole ''warped'' thing comes in.

I do appreciate your comment- and I will keep reading and studying until the weekend. It just seems like I really need a trained eye.

Thank you for the cold hard truth!

Whoa, step away from the Fred Cuellar book/website. Do a search on here for Fred -- he has a reputation for calling diamonds sold by people other than his company "warped."

Depth is just one factor of cut that determines brilliance. You can use the cut grade charts, your eyes and an ASET to initially determine whether a diamond is well cut and brilliant. AGS grades cut on princess diamonds -- if you can find an AGS0 princess, that is one shortcut for finding an excellent cut.

Make sure any store you buy from has a good return policy and then take your purchase to an independant appraiser (one who does not sell diamonds) for a professional opinion within your return period.

Since you are in Houston, I would call Whiteflash. I have purchased two diamonds from them via phone/internet and have been very pleased with the quality, service and price. I wish I lived nearby and could actually visit them.

 

[samanthalee]

I am working with whiteflash, along with another four people some who have stones I want to look at and some who do not.
I think you are right, because when I met Fred he wanted to sell me an I color stone, but said that it was really an G or H, but Gia he said was just a very week system, but he uses stickter criteria.

Anyway, I will keep following the leads you guys have sent me and I do follow each and every one . Thanks.

 

[ringabling]

make some notes on a little card to keep handy to refer to - it''ll keep your mind clear.
And give yourself some credit, trust YOUR eyes!

If you write down the idea table, depth, crown, etc. . . that you need to try and get close to, you can use that as a guide.
If the cut, clarity, color, etc. . . looks good to you, don''t nit pick.
People get obsessed w/ teh specs . . . this really can be over the top to try and find a "perfect stone on paper and looks good to YOUR eyes. If the paper/certs look good and your eyes are in love, follow your instinct, you''ll do fine!

 

[solange]

I bought a beautiful 4 carat ring from Whiteflash. They did not have exactly what I wanted in their inventory but Lesley found the perfect stone for me and had it sent to them for inspection. Then they sent it to a respected appraiser of my choice. He confirmed that it was everything Whiteflash said it was and was a great stone at an excelent price.

Since you live in Houston, you can tell them what you are looking for and have them call you when they find something that meets your requirements.

i am sure you will get excellent service if you make an appointment and the most honest advice about the stone from Brian who is a cutter.

Good luck.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Truthfully, I''d do exactly what Solange did. Tell WF the specs I am looking for, and let them search out the best cut stone with those specs. That way it is easy to get a great cut stone!

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 1/16/2008 11:08:07 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
Truthfully, I''d do exactly what Solange did. Tell WF the specs I am looking for, and let them search out the best cut stone with those specs. That way it is easy to get a great cut stone!

Ditto! WF sourced my diamond for me and I couldn''t have been happier with their service and expertise. Plus it''s doubtful that you''ll find a diamond at a lower price from somewhere besides Whiteflash unless you check out other online vendors.

 

[Lorelei]

Since you live in Houston, you can tell them what you are looking for and have them call you when they find something that meets your requirements.

That is absolutely what I would suggest!

 

[solange]

I was just wondering whether you found what you wanted and whether you got all the help you needed.
Since you live in Houston, I would certainly pay a visit to Whiteflash if you have not yet found what you want. Many Pricescopers take long trips to get there and are very pleased. Sparkles recently travelled there and bought a 5 ct ACA.

 

[samanthalee]

Date: 1/19/2008 9:01:31 AM
Author: solange
I was just wondering whether you found what you wanted and whether you got all the help you needed.
Since you live in Houston, I would certainly pay a visit to Whiteflash if you have not yet found what you want. Many Pricescopers take long trips to get there and are very pleased. Sparkles recently travelled there and bought a 5 ct ACA.

Thank you so so much. I have appointments with four dealers today- whitflash has sent me some stuff too, i just can''t justify paying to see diamonds when I have so many other people bringing them in for free- I''m going to use them as my last resort unfortunately for that sole reason.
Thanks - open to your comments

 

[solange]

We live in Manhattan and I spent many weeks going through the upscale stores such as Tiffany and Harry Winston. I was looking for a stone in the 4-5 carat range.

Then I went to several highly recommended jewelers in the Diamond District to see how the prices compared. I found that I was getting a lot of misinformation and was getting very confused.

I then called several Pricescope vendors and decided that I would work with Whiteflash. It took a while but they found a great stone for me. The agreement was that they would send for the stone and if it did not meet their standards, I was under no obligation to pay for the shipping. They would send it back. I found that their prices were far more reasonable than the dealers I went to in the Diamond District where they can call in stones with no shipping cost.

Whiteflash had it sent to a Pricescope listed appraiser and he felt that the stone faced up at least one or two colors above the grade. He said it was a gorgeous stone and an excellent value for the price.

When I submitted all the information incuding Sarin, Gia report and all the other information Whiteflash supplied, I received a call from the company that handles all our insurance, Liberty Mutual. I wanted to insure the ring for the purchase price but they said that they could not possibly replace the stone for that price and I had to raise the insurance value by about $6,000.

Prices on large stones are going up and I recently had it reappraised by the same appraiser. I was amazed at how much the stone had gone up in value in about 2 1/2 years. I feel I got an excellent buy and great service and advice from Whiteflash. Perhaps your local jewelers are giving you a good deal and good advice. I wish you luck whatever you decide to do.