help me before I bite the bullet!

[tigerbaby]

Hello Pricescope experts!
I have been reading and reading your sight for many months. I began by looking for setting styles and now I found a setting I want at a local store (a long process in itself) and am ready to buy the diamond. The setting has a diamond in it already that is very pretty and if I am using the HCA right gets a score of 1.3. My question I suppose is how much should I pay for this diamond, I am trying not to get ripped off, it is the jewelry business afterall, buying a diamond feels so much like walking on thin ice, one bad move and you''ve fallen in and been taken.

So the original price on the diamond is $9,000 (to much) and now the offer is $6,500. Which seems fair. I can order a fist full of similar diamonds for this price from JA,Whiteflash, and GOG without the 8.25% tax in our city.
(I am sweating the tax)
Also it is an EGL not GIA or AGS, something else to consider in. Also the depth is 62.1 a fraction out of bounds I think. The diameter could be a little closer also, 6.51 - 6.43.

Do you think I should try to talk him down to $6,004 to wave the tax? or lower? What would you do? I am hoping that he can see I have other options than buying from him and that he might cut me a deal, I am working with him because he has a custom designed setting that I like, I''m hoping to work something out. A penny saved is a penny earned.

Here are the specs, how do they look, buying advice needed!! break it down for me! THANK YOU!


EGL CERTIFIED - february 2007
1.03 round brilliant G color VS1
"excellant ideal cut"
6.51 - 6.43 x 4.02
depth 62.1%
Table width 57%
Crown Height 15%
Pavillion depth 43%
Girdle: medium, faceted

ex polish
ex symmetry
culet none
slight blue flourescence


Please sound any alarms!

 

[Todd Gray]

Date: 9/9/2009 12:48:31 PM
Author:tigerbaby
So the original price on the diamond is $9,000 (to much) and now the offer is $6,500. Which seems fair. I can order a fist full of similar diamonds for this price from JA,Whiteflash, and GOG without the 8.25% tax in our city.

Are the diamonds listed by the other vendors which you are using as a comparison graded by the EGL or are they graded by a top tier laboratory such as the AGS or GIA? Because most of us in the trade (here on PS) do not consider the EGL franchise laboratories to be on the same level of consistency and accuracy of the AGS and GIA laboratories and would not attempt to use them as a basis for price comparison... Also keep in mind that since EGL is a franchise laboratory that there is arguably some difference in the grading between the facilities and thus a diamond graded by EGL Israel would not be considered a viable "comp" to one graded by EGL USA and so forth.

"Technically" you're probably required to declare out of state purchases of this magnitude on your state income tax anyway

 

[tigerbaby]

I am going to buy from this guy because his money is being made more so in the diamond than the setting so I was hoping he''d bargain a bit if i buy both; the setting is $2,500. kinda pricey but pretty. I am hoping to get them both for $7,000.

This is not my first diamond the first time 5 years ago we got a wedding set and overpaid, (it''s ugly and has visible black) so this time I hope not to do that, thanks for the heads up on the taxes, I''m not inclined to dealing with money and laws! bother.
I''m not slow, I just choose not to engage in such things under the protection of my husband. He says he''ll take care of it but I fear he will overpay to make me happy.

I don''t see anything about Isreal nor USA on the certificate copy it says E.G.L. European Gemological Labratory and a non-legible signature.

I compared it to a GIA or AGS heart and arrow H - VS2 for pricing.

Is this a true heart and arrow with these measurements? 62.1%. I thought it was 58-62.

 

[tyty333]

Date: 9/9/2009 1:19:35 PM
Author: tigerbaby
I am going to buy from this guy because his money is being made more so in the diamond than the setting so I was hoping he''d bargain a bit if i buy both; the setting is $2,500. kinda pricey but pretty. I am hoping to get them both for $7,000.

This is not my first diamond the first time 5 years ago we got a wedding set and overpaid, (it''s ugly and has visible black) so this time I hope not to do that, thanks for the heads up on the taxes, I''m not inclined to dealing with money and laws! bother.
I''m not slow, I just choose not to engage in such things under the protection of my husband. He says he''ll take care of it but I fear he will overpay to make me happy.

I don''t see anything about Isreal nor USA on the certificate copy it says E.G.L. European Gemological Labratory and a non-legible signature.

I compared it to a GIA or AGS heart and arrow H - VS2 for pricing.

Is this a true heart and arrow with these measurements? 62.1%. I thought it was 58-62.

No, these numbers will not tell you its a true H&A.

 

[Todd Gray]

Date: 9/9/2009 1:19:35 PM
Author: tigerbaby
I compared it to a GIA or AGS heart and arrow H - VS2 for pricing.

Is this a true heart and arrow with these measurements? 62.1%. I thought it was 58-62.

AGS / GIA can not be used to accurately comp out an EGL graded diamond, it''s like trying to compare apples to oranges.

The only way to determine whether a diamond exhibits a crisp and complete pattern of hearts and arrows is to view the diamond while unmounted through a Gems Fantasy Scope - it is not possible to determine whether a diamond exhibits a Hearts & Arrows pattern by the numbers because those only represent the outer shell or rather the outline of the side profile and does not provide insight into the actual facet-by-facet structure and/or alignment of the facets...

 

[tigerbaby]

Thank You Todd,
That is why I asked, no matter how much I read on here i learn something new every time.
I do not know where to find EGL stones (not on pricescope I reckon)

My best bet so far has been to price it down one in cut color and clarity to GIA to get a guestimate price.
I made an offer to the store for 4,700 plus 1,800 for the setting (which is also overpriced) i''ve been comparing.
I didn''t break it down like that just made a blunt price offer for the whole shebang.

I remembered to inform them that looking at a mounted diamond through idealscope does little good and that I''d have to collect images of the loose stone and present them to a professional in order to determine the cut, though it simply states Excellant Ideal because it is not the heart and arrow cut that they are claiming. So stressful.

I am disappointed that they told my hubby that it is heart and arrow just cause you can see the shapes in there, and let them know that I knew better than what they were saying. They will probably keep the ring and hope a fool buys it for an inflated price. This store is the "fancy" place to shop in our town. People without knowledge buying something for the box it comes in. The rings are high quality and custom but at the end of the day I''d rather wait for the right diamond at the right price than buy a really expensive box.

On the other hand it was pretty and I hope they take my offer, Ha! Craziness!

Thanks for responding
Tigerbaby,

 

[stone-cold11]

Use pricescope your diamond above with the search all button, and then select just the ''others'' lab.

Found a similar specs stone, no other info on cut, no fluor, priced from 6.1-6.3k.

 

[tigerbaby]

Thank you, I found some egl with that advice, and think I was close on my guestimate. I know Egl is a naughty word on pricescope but as long as I know what I''m buying, and get the appropriate price for it, I''ll be ok. Once I buy one I won''t sell or trade it so as long as it''s not a turd, I''ll be happy, lol, I don''t like this anymore!! It''s supposed to be fun right?

There is nothing cut and dry about choosing a diamond.