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Help me get my ducks in a row please - Going back to Robbins Bros for Price Guarantee

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Caseywan

Rough_Rock
Joined
Nov 28, 2007
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Well, I just bought an E ring 2 weeks ago from Robbins Bros in Schaumburg IL and just proposed this past Saturday (she said yes, of course!). While I was extremely happy with RB services compared to several other places I had shopped before RB, their Price Guarantee got me curious and I started searching for average pricing on the diamond and ring I had purchased and came across this website. Here are the specs on the diamond I purchased:

IGI cert
Princess Cut
4.78 x 4.60 x 3.42 MM
.63ct
Color grade H
Clarity SI2
Cutting Style modified brilliant
Good polish
Very good symmetry
Depth 74.3%
Table 70%
Crown Height 8.0%
Pavilion depth 61.5%
Girdle Thick to Very Thick
Cutlet None
Fluorescence None

At RB I paid $2250 for this diamond, which I''ve come to find through this site seems to be a little high. I am going to go back to RB about their Price guarantee and show them one or more of the following diamonds:

0.60 Carat G-VS1
0.60 Carat E-SI2
0.62 Carat F-SI1
0.62 Carat H-VS1
0.63 Carat E-VS1
0.64 Carat G-VVS2

I am most inclined to show them the 0.62 Carat F-SI1 one (the 3rd link above) because it is the closest in size and has better specs in all areas other than it being 0.01 carat smaller and is over $1000 cheaper.

I also would like to see if I can find a better price the ring too, but can''t really find much about it. On RB''s website it does not show a pic but here is the link, it is a Solano .49ct TW. Any help here would be awesome too.

http://www.robbinsbros.com/ProductSearch/productDetail.asp?prod_id=32083&pType=ring&intIsJewelry=0

This is my first diamond purchase, actually my first jewelry purchase over $100, so I just want to make sure I have all my ducks in a row before I go back to RB and need some advice. Thanks in advance!
 
I was under the impression that the price guarantee did not apply to internet sale prices. Would she be willing to give up the diamond and you come shop with an online vendor?

Also with an IGI certificate, Iwouldn't think the quality could be guaranteed to be a true H SI2
 
What is it you are looking for? Do you want to keep the diamond and just have RB give you money back? I dont think they will do that for internet diamonds. You are probably better off taking them up on their refund policy if you want to get a less expensive diamond, if the fiance is willing to part with it while you make the switch.
 
Well, the paper I signed says that if I find a similar item within 30 days of purchase anywhere else that is in their estimation a better value they will refund either the difference or full amount. I consider "anywhere else" to include the internet, although maybe they don't.

I'm just looking to save some money, I mean $1000 is quite a chunk of change! Ideally if RB would give me the difference that would be great, but it looks doubtful that they might do that. If I'm saving that much money I think my fiance would be willing to part with it for just a little bit.

Date: 11/28/2007 5:55:50 PM
Author: Sizzle
Also with an IGI certificate, Iwouldn't think the quality could be guaranteed to be a true H SI2
Click to expand...

What exactly do you mean by that Sizzle? Like I said this was my first purchase and I'm not fully up on all my diamond information. Are those diamonds I linked above not as good as the one I have somehow or what?
 
What Sizzle means is that the IGI lab is not a very tight certification lab, so they may have graded your stone H, SI2, but in fact, it may be a I or J color, and may actually be a I1 inclusion stone.

Can you get your money back and return it if you decide to do so?
 
Date: 11/28/2007 6:18:10 PM
Author: cinnamon013
What Sizzle means is that the IGI lab is not a very tight certification lab, so they may have graded your stone H, SI2, but in fact, it may be a I or J color, and may actually be a I1 inclusion stone.


Can you get your money back and return it if you decide to do so?
Click to expand...

So then the diamonds I linked above are actually much better and better, "tighter" certifcation then? Sorry, I''m a total newb to this.

I should be able to get my money back if I decide to, it''s been less than 2 weeks since purchase.
 
Also, I don''t know that much about princess cuts, except that inclusions are easier to see, and the symmetry needs to be great or the diamond won''t look quite as beautiful as one that has ideal symmetry. And the lower color is easier to notice in a princess shaped stone over the color of a round. You should look for an AGS0 princess stone.

http://www.whiteflash.com/aca_princess/A-Cut-Above-Princess-cut-diamond-284241.htm# With the PS discount, this one would be just a smidgen over what you paid and larger. (WF and other PS vendors give a discount to folks who mention this board and another discount to folks that wire the money to them).

http://www.whiteflash.com/aca_princess/A-Cut-Above-Princess-cut-diamond-336525.htm# If this one is eyeclean, it looks great. A bit higher even with the discounts, but larger.

If you want to save money, there are lots of stones to consider beyond these.
 
If you are unhappy with the ring that you purchased and believe that you could do better somewhere else, I would return the ring and go somewhere else. If you are happy with the ring and are upset that you could have found a better deal online, then I would say forget it and get over it. You said that you were very happy with the service that they provided you, shouldn't that also come into consideration with the price? If you went to another vendor that offered you a lower price, would you have been as happy with your experience than at RB? The other question I have for you is that you are only comparing 3 c's and leaving out the most important, cut. How do you know that the cut of your diamond isn't superior to the ones you are comparing for the lower price? I would find it kind of insulting if I was your FI and you went and to get a price adjustment on a ring. It symbolizes your love for her, its not a carton of eggs. Good luck!
 
Date: 11/28/2007 6:22:42 PM
Author: Caseywan

Date: 11/28/2007 6:18:10 PM
Author: cinnamon013
What Sizzle means is that the IGI lab is not a very tight certification lab, so they may have graded your stone H, SI2, but in fact, it may be a I or J color, and may actually be a I1 inclusion stone.


Can you get your money back and return it if you decide to do so?
Click to expand...

So then the diamonds I linked above are actually much better and better, ''tighter'' certifcation then? Sorry, I''m a total newb to this.

I should be able to get my money back if I decide to, it''s been less than 2 weeks since purchase.
Click to expand...
Not necessarily, but highly likely. One of the stones you linked to was only fair cut. As I understand it, cut and symmetry is really important in a princess, so I would exclude that stone out of the mix right away.

Is your goal to save money, get a better stone, a bigger stone?
 
Date: 11/28/2007 6:33:52 PM
Author: awenuts
If you are unhappy with the ring that you purchased and believe that you could do better somewhere else, I would return the ring and go somewhere else. If you are happy with the ring and are upset that you could have found a better deal online, then I would say forget it and get over it. You said that you were very happy with the service that they provided you, shouldn't that also come into consideration with the price? If you went to another vendor that offered you a lower price, would you have been as happy with your experience than at RB? The other question I have for you is that you are only comparing 3 c's and leaving out the most important, cut. How do you know that the cut of your diamond isn't superior to the ones you are comparing for the lower price? I would find it kind of insulting if I was your FI and you went and to get a price adjustment on a ring. It symbolizes your love for her, its not a carton of eggs. Good luck!
Click to expand...

I am not at all unhappy with the ring I purchased and neither is my fiance, but I am unhappy that I purchased a diamond that I could have gotten for $1000 cheaper online. I was very happy with the service I got at RB, but not happy enough to give a $1000 "tip".

If I went to another local vendor and purchased the exact same ring for a cheaper I think I would have been just as happy with my purchase. Reason I loved RB was that they had no pressure and was very comfortable purchasing experience and they were very informative. However, I am not the kind of person that will purchase when a salesman puts me under pressure, I will just walk away and get my facts straight. I never purchase under impulse or being uninformed, so even if I had purchased elsewhere, even if their service was less and were pushy and uninformative, I would have been just as happy because I absolutely wouldn not have purchased under pressure or out of impulse without getting the facts.

As for the cut, I was under the impression that the color was determined by the cut. IE, if it has a clearer color or is colorless (J-D), that means it has a good cut. Maybe I am wrong on that??

I don't feel that I am comparing her ring to a carton of eggs. I will never sacrifice quality for price, ever! I am the kind of guy who shops for the best deal I can find without sacrificing quality. I am by no means wealthy and if I could have gotten the same diamond for $1000 cheaper I am game. Before I even started looking for a better price I talked to her and asked her if she would be offended if I looked for a better price since RB gave us the price guarantee, and she said not at all as long as it would be the same or better diamond. I am by now means rich or wealthy and we both have bills to pay and will be moving into a house that needs $5k-$10k of repairs over the next couple years and could use any extra money we can get, but that does not mean I will "skimp" on my display of love for her in the ring and diamond I purchase.
 
They didn''t educate you enough. Return the ring and you can get bigger and better online. I hate Robbins Brothers. Go back there are tell them you are dissatisified with their price...I''d be interested to see how their "customer service" is then.
 
Date: 11/28/2007 6:36:08 PM
Author: cinnamon013
Not necessarily, but highly likely. One of the stones you linked to was only fair cut. As I understand it, cut and symmetry is really important in a princess, so I would exclude that stone out of the mix right away.


Is your goal to save money, get a better stone, a bigger stone?
Click to expand...

Yeah, good idea to rule that one out.

My main goal is to save money while keeping the same quality we have now in the stone, as she is completely happy with the stone she has now and does not want any bigger or better. The two I am looking at most are:

Same size as her stone now, same color, same cut, higher clarity, $780 cheaper.
0.62 Carat H-VS1

Same size as her stone now, slightly better color, same cut, same clarity, and over $1000 cheaper.
0.62 Carat F-SI1

Not only that but if I ordered through James Allen, I would save another $200 because there would be no sales tax.
 
Date: 11/28/2007 7:24:17 PM
Author: TravelingGal
They didn't educate you enough. Return the ring and you can get bigger and better online. I hate Robbins Brothers. Go back there are tell them you are dissatisified with their price...I'd be interested to see how their 'customer service' is then.
Click to expand...

Not taking offense at all, but where did you infer that I am not educated enough on the matter? I know I am uneducated in this, just curious as to what I am wrong about?
 
Casey, unfortunately you are very very misinformed as to what makes a good cut. Color has NOTHING to do with cut, cut is something all on it's own. And your fiance is very happy with her ring now, but I GUARANTEE you that if she saw some better quality (i.e., better cut) princess diamonds she would change her tune. There is a MAJOR difference in sparkle between something that has a poor cut and something with an incredible cut. And my guess is that her stone isn't that well cut...not to mention that an IGI "certificate" isn't worth the paper it's written on.

Color is something that a diamond has when it's mined. It can be a number of different colors or color grades. Basically, degrees of colorlessness. And cut is man made.

If she can part with her stone you can get a diamond that will knock her socks off for the same price or less. Check out Whiteflash and their ACA princess cuts....
 
Date: 11/28/2007 7:39:16 PM
Author: neatfreak
Casey, unfortunately you are very very misinformed as to what makes a good cut. Color has NOTHING to do with cut, cut is something all on it''s own. And your fiance is very happy with her ring now, but I GUARANTEE you that if she saw some better quality (i.e., better cut) princess diamonds she would change her tune. There is a MAJOR difference in sparkle between something that has a poor cut and something with an incredible cut. And my guess is that her stone isn''t that well cut...not to mention that an IGI ''certificate'' isn''t worth the paper it''s written on.


Color is something that a diamond has when it''s mined. It can be a number of different colors or color grades. Basically, degrees of colorlessness. And cut is man made.


If she can part with her stone you can get a diamond that will knock her socks off for the same price or less. Check out Whiteflash and their ACA princess cuts....
Click to expand...

Hmm, so how then do you determine the quality of cut? Is there a scale or terms to refer to? If I can find a diamond for the same or less that has the same or better color, clarity and a much better cut, I''m definitely game.
 
Cut is all about the numbers game. To make it easy, stick with an AGS 0 princess cut. That means it got the top grade from the top grading agency. Otherwise, stick around here and learn a LOT. But really, it''s easier to just get something that is AGS0 and a LOT less time consuming. If you''re willing to put hours and hours of research into it, you might be able to save a couple hundred bucks more, but really, it''s not worth it.

Buy from WF, again no sales tax unless you''re in TX, and you will be DAZZLED. Trust me. You can do a search for WF in the box if you want, they are an awesome vendor. And make sure to ask for your PS discount when you order if you''re paying by bankwire transfer!!!
 
Wow neatfreak, thank you so much for the help and links! If an AGS 0 Princess cut is really that much more sparkle she will be thrilled! Cause with the diamond she has now, she just sits and stares at and and says "it''s so sparkly, it just sparkles and sparkles". I can''t imagine how ecstatic she would be with even MORE sprakle!
 
Date: 11/28/2007 7:52:13 PM
Author: Caseywan
Wow neatfreak, thank you so much for the help and links! If an AGS 0 Princess cut is really that much more sparkle she will be thrilled! Cause with the diamond she has now, she just sits and stares at and and says 'it's so sparkly, it just sparkles and sparkles'. I can't imagine how ecstatic she would be with even MORE sprakle!
Click to expand...

Trust us. Offer her slightly bigger, and tons more sparkle, and she will be a happy lady. Return the ring and get her something better, AND save money. Can't lose right?
2.gif


Oh and we have a rule around here, you must bring back pictures!

ETA: Like I mentioned, Whiteflash also offers a discount to PS members if you pay by bank transfer (i.e., cash instead of CC). So when you call, make sure to tell them that you are a PS member to get your discount.
 
Date: 11/28/2007 7:39:11 PM
Author: Caseywan

Date: 11/28/2007 7:24:17 PM
Author: TravelingGal
They didn''t educate you enough. Return the ring and you can get bigger and better online. I hate Robbins Brothers. Go back there are tell them you are dissatisified with their price...I''d be interested to see how their ''customer service'' is then.
Click to expand...

Not taking offense at all, but where did you infer that I am not educated enough on the matter? I know I am uneducated in this, just curious as to what I am wrong about?
Click to expand...
Caseywan, sorry it took me a bit to get back to this thread....

Glad you didn''t take offense!(phew!) I didn''t mean anything by what I said to YOU...I was just meaning that Robbins Brothers is horrible at giving all the info to their customers, so I meant it offensively to them! Sorry if I sounded rude!

Neatfreak covered what I meant...I was talking about your understanding of "cut."
1.gif
 
One more question: I''ve been searching Whiteflash''s website that past few minutes and I see AGS, but I don''t see AGS 0. If it says AGS does that mean it''s AGS 0?
 
I read through all of the posts and I didn't see this question answered: but does your fiancee really love the ring? You mentioned that she was spending a lot of time staring at her ring and apparently thinks it's beautiful. Would she mind you perhaps changing the ring? I do understand your wanting to get the most bang for your buck, but what are her feelings on returning the ring? Maybe she thinks it's perfect the way it is and doesn't need anything changed.
 
Date: 11/28/2007 8:23:57 PM
Author: onedrop
I read through all of the posts and I didn''t see this question answered: but does your fiancee really love the ring? You mentioned that she was spending a lot of time staring at her ring and apparently thinks it''s beautiful. Would she mind you perhaps changing the ring? I do understand your wanting to get the most bang for your buck, but what are her feelings on returning the ring? Maybe she thinks it''s perfect the way it is and doesn''t need anything changed.
Click to expand...

Yes, she really does love the ring. More than the diamond, she really loves the design and style of the ring. I''ve talked to her about it, and not just a flippant quick talk - a serious talk, cause I don''t want her to be offended if we change the diamond to save some money and get better quality. She is perfectly ok with it as long as she keeps the same ring.
 
Edit: Never mind my above post about the AGS 0, I see its in the ACA princess cut section on their website.
 
Neatfreak, do you know of any nationwide chains that might be local to me who carry the ASG 0 diamond?? I really want to go and see it in person if a Helzburg or Zales or somebody might carry it.
 
Date: 11/28/2007 9:40:25 PM
Author: Caseywan
Neatfreak, do you know of any nationwide chains that might be local to me who carry the ASG 0 diamond?? I really want to go and see it in person if a Helzburg or Zales or somebody might carry it.
Click to expand...

If Hearts on Fire (go to their website to find a dealer) sells princess stones, that is where I would start. The markup is HUGE, but you'll be getting the same quality. Otherwise, I would think that a local place, not a chain, would be your place to start. I know Jared's brand name stones are often AGS0's at least for their rounds...so you could try them too.


Best thing to do is just ask-and don't listen to any of their crud about AGS not being the best, whatever. They will say anything to get you to buy from them. So just make some calls, ask if they sell AGS certed stones, and if so, ask if they have any AGS0 princesses in stock. If not, move on. If so, make an appointment.

You'll be amazed at the difference in performance. And make sure to ask to see it in natural daylight too because jewelry store lights will minimize the difference in cut quality, but sunlight will tell a whole new story...
 
If you are the type of guy that shops around for the best quality for your money, then you wouldn''t be in this situation. It sounds to me that you decided to start doing research AFTER you purchased the diamond. Before you told the sales person you should have had a very good idea what price range the size diamond you were looking at. My suggestion to you would be this. Go back to Robbins bros and return the ring, you are probably not going to find a good deal there. Next thing you do after you get your money back, spend as much time you can on this site reading the tutorials and looking through these forums and EDUCATE yourself. If you are looking for round brilliant stones, purchase an Iscope to determine whether the stones you will potentially be looking at have excellent symmetry. If you are looking for a great diamond for a economical price, check out sites such as whiteflash and goodoldgold where many people here swear by. They have far better prices,quality, and customer service than any RB that you go to. Post any questions you may have and seek help of the people that post on this site to help you find the best diamond for your girl. That is the only way you are going to get a quality diamond for a great price. Otherwise it is just a shot in the dark. Definitely educate your self on CUT though. It does not only refer to the shape but the proportions of the diamond which in my opinion is far far more important that the other 3 c''s.
 
Date: 11/28/2007 5:43:00 PM
Author:Caseywan

I am most inclined to show them the 0.62 Carat F-SI1 one (the 3rd link above) because it is the closest in size and has better specs in all areas other than it being 0.01 carat smaller and is over $1000 cheaper.
Click to expand...

Good plan. Let us know what they say.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver
 
Date: 11/29/2007 6:56:06 AM
Author: awenuts
If you are the type of guy that shops around for the best quality for your money, then you wouldn''t be in this situation. It sounds to me that you decided to start doing research AFTER you purchased the diamond.
Click to expand...

Very true, however I *thought* I had been educated enough to make the purchase, that is until I found this website. I was very leary of purchasing a diamond off the internet but I not found any of the websites like whiteflash.com or jamesallen.com. Jeez, I really wish I would have found this website a few weeks ago.
 
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