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Help please! Ripped off :(

M

mrsdiamond

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 12, 2012
Messages
21
Hi PS!

I need some help/advice. Sadly we were sold a 1ct diamond that was supposed to be H, Si2, good+. Sadly it turned out to be I, I1 and the worst part... The cut is poor. I am so upset because it's not like we got a deal on it! I can't sell it because I won't get my money back.... I am at a loss as to what to do. I was thinking of putting the diamond in a halo setting to bling it up and hopefully make me fall in love with it again but it is very hard when you thought you were purchasing something else. This diamond was an upgrade from my original .75 F, SI2, very good cut diamond which was beautiful and sparkly however that was sold so we could afford the uograde!

Can anyone give me advice and what are the thoughts of putting the diamond in a halo? I am worried that will make the diamond look even more dull with other diamonds next to it?

Any help/advice would be great. It's going to be difficult to get a new one as we just bought a house and thought I had my dream ring as I knew there would be no upgrades for some time!

Thanks
 
Where did you buy the diamond from? Isn't there a return policy? Did you get the grading in writing from the seller before you purchased it?
 
First, I think that you should post this is the Rocky Talky forum instead of here on SMTB. Just hit the report a concern tab and ask the moderators to move it. There will be trades people that can also weigh in and offer advice.

I think that I would go back to the store where you purchase the ring and explain to them what you have found out, and ask if they can help with a resolution. A good vendor will want to help make a customer happy than risk damaging their reputation by being unwilling to reach a resolution. There was thread here not too long ago were a PSer purchased her diamond way back in November I believe and decided recently that she was unsatisfied, after a lot of back and forth with her vendor they were able so reach a satisfactory conclusion. I hope that this happens for you too.

I know that hind sight is 20/20 but this is way we always recommend purchasing diamonds with GIA or AGS report, and at the very least uncerted diamonds that come with an independent appraisal.
 
Thanks for responding, I have moved the post as you suggested. I am new to this so thanks for the direction.

We have gone back to the vendor and have even had it in a court hearing but we have no joy because stupidly we trusted the seller and purchased without a trusted grader. We purchased my old ring off them too and it turned out to be GIA and was beautiful so we just trusted them. Unfortuantely getting my money back or resolving with the seller is not going to happen. I would love to be able to purchase a new one because as sad as it sounds every time I look at my ring I am reminded that we got ripped off... I need to do something if anyone can help?

I dont think I will barely get anything back if I tried to sell it?

Thanks
 
Are you in a position to be able to purchase a new diamond? If you are I would say go for it. You aren't happy with this one and it seems to be making you miserable.

If you do decide to buy a new one you should post your requirements on Rocky Talky and let the prosumers help you find a beautiful stone that you will be proud to wear. :))
 
I am so sorry to hear this happened - this is my worst nightmare in spending considerable funds. I have faith that the experts here can help salvage things for you. Again, I'm really sorry.
 
mrsdiamond|1338672285|3208029 said:
Thanks for responding, I have moved the post as you suggested. I am new to this so thanks for the direction.

We have gone back to the vendor and have even had it in a court hearing but we have no joy because stupidly we trusted the seller and purchased without a trusted grader. We purchased my old ring off them too and it turned out to be GIA and was beautiful so we just trusted them. Unfortuantely getting my money back or resolving with the seller is not going to happen. I would love to be able to purchase a new one because as sad as it sounds every time I look at my ring I am reminded that we got ripped off... I need to do something if anyone can help?

I dont think I will barely get anything back if I tried to sell it?

Thanks
Click to expand...
How much did you pay for the new diamond? What was the outcome of the court hearing? Who graded it an I I1? Do you have any photos of the diamond? We need more information before we can give you advice.
 
So sorry to hear of this frustrating purchase, Mrsdiamond. How nasty! :nono: Is there a Better BUsiness Bureau in your area or a Jewellers society or vendor/merchant agency you could report them to?

Hopefully others will chime in with suggestions. We don't know all the specifics but it doesn't sound good without a return policy, especially if you've already been to court....

As Maisie said, could you purchase a new diamond - with the help of PS on your side this time? You could post this one on DB - being totally upfront about what it is - but it would be at a loss. At least a sale helps to recoup some of the money... and you will probably NEVER end up liking this stone no matter what you do to it. The phrase "dont throw good money after bad" comes to mind - know what I mean?

Sorry for this experience :((
 
Have you considered having another appraisal done? The two are only off by one color grade and one clarity grade, which doesn't seem completely out of line to me. I'm not sure if your interested in investing even more money into this diamond, but you could send it off to GIA for grading, this will give you the most accurate impression of the ring, it would also be helpful if you decide to sell it on the secondary market. I feel horrible that you're going through this, I would be heartbroken!
 
I'm really sorry this happened to you. If returning it is not an option, have you considered getting it recut? I'd get in touch with someone like Brian Gavin and at least see if its an option. Should at least be cheaper than getting another stone.
 
alene|1338684566|3208089 said:
I'm really sorry this happened to you. If returning it is not an option, have you considered getting it recut? I'd get in touch with someone like Brian Gavin and at least see if its an option. Should at least be cheaper than getting another stone.
Click to expand...

this is a nice idea. It would be worth getting Brians opinion anyway! =)
 
Did you use a credit card for all or part of the purchase? You might be have some recourse with the credit card company since the stone was totally misrepresented. There are deadlines for filing claims, so look into it asap if you did use a credit card. Good luck to you and sorry to hear you had this happen!
 
Wow you are all a great support, thank you for the response.

The diamond cost $8000NZD. The outcome was that it was on us to have purchased a diamond that is not certified. It was graded by the most reputiable company near where I live. I do have some pictures, I will try and find them and upload them for you to take a look at.

At the moment we are not really in a position to purcahse another one however we might have to start saving again and hopefully can work towards getting a new one.

Can you tell me more about re-cutting? I am guessing I will loose the size of the diamond in doing this?

As you can imagine it is the most awful feeling and I am not sure how I am going to fix it. I think we will have to purcahse a new diamond, I will certainly be asking PS to help me this time but it may be a while before we can do this.

How much will I have to pay for something 1CT+ with good+ cutting? I believe it is the cut grade letting it down so much?

Thanks again it is helping me feel a bit better! x
 
does anyone have any idea what price I would get for it on the secondary market?

Thanks
 
mrsdiamond|1338685698|3208102 said:
does anyone have any idea what price I would get for it on the secondary market?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Without really knowing the specifics of your diamond it would be difficult to say. I think the suggestion about checking with your credit card company is a really good one too.

It's possible that you wouldn't lose a lot of weight, of course this will depend on how poorly cut the stone is now, but Brian is amazing and I've seen him do re-cuts where the owner only lost 4-5 points and it made an enormous difference in the performance of the diamond. Cut is the most important aspect of the diamond directly affecting it's light performance. It's what makes a diamond flashy and blingy. Many people incorrectly assume that a diamonds brightness comes from it's color or clarity but the truth is that a J color SI2 diamond can look much brighter and blingier than a stone that is graded F VS1 and is poorly cut. But we can get into all that when you get this resolved and are ready to begin searching for a new diamond or have this one re-cut.
 
Did you love the diamond before you got the appraisal done? If so, try to forget about what the paper work says if there is no refund policy and no way out. The diamond is yours now and if you loved it before ... the diamond itself has not changed but only your perception of what it is.

There was a recent thread about what color/clarity/cut grades people actually have given that many people don't have GIA/AGS diamonds. Most people don't even know what they own because they base it on what they are sold.
 
I, too, am very sorry this happened. This is why we consistently tell people here to never buy any stone without an unconditional return policy, and preferably only buy GIA (or AGS) excellent cut stones. Did you have the stone appraised immediately after the purchase? Did you know they didn't allow returns? If there is no recourse, I certainly would be posting about the experience on every jewelry/diamond forum on the internet to warn people

The I1 clarity probably brings down the value a good bit. I am seeing 1 ct. I color, I1 clarity, GIA Good cut diamonds selling for $3200-3400 US. I am afraid I do not know what this means in NZ $. (The clarity also may prohibit the stone from being recut depending on the type and location of the inclusions.)
 
8,000 NZD is approximately $6,000 US. So, yes, it appears that you did pay over double what a comparable stone from an online vendor would cost. However, it's my understanding that diamonds in Europe, Australia and New Zealand are much more expensive than they are in the U.S. So the price you paid may be in keeping with what other jewelry stores charge in your area.

Without knowing the type of inclusions in your stone (feathers, crystals, etc.) it's hard to say if it's the cut quality or the size and number of the inclusions that are making your diamond appear dull. Going from an F color to an I is quite a large jump, too.

As for recutting your stone -- yes, the stone may lose some diameter and weight in the recut. And, not every diamond is a good candidate for a recut. The nature and placement of the inclusions in your diamond may pose a problem for a recut. Also, you'd need to ship the diamond to the U.S. (unless you could find a diamond cutter in New Zealand).

If you decide to sell your stone, you could probably get (optimistically) $1500 - $2,000 selling it on the preloved forum on this site, depending on the cut quality and the nature and type of inclusions. You may be able to get a bit more than that on ebay, but selling on ebay internationally comes with a fair amount of hassle and risk.

So, for these reasons, I agree with Charmy -- if you loved your diamond before you received the "second opinion" on the stone, then do your best to forget about the appraisal, and enjoy your upgrade. An I I1 is only one grade different from an H SI2, as someone else pointed out. And unless your stone was graded by AGS or GIA, the I I1 grade is just an educated guess by an appraiser, not a lab grade. We have no idea what GIA or AGS would grade your stone.

As an aside, I used to own a 1 carat I I1 diamond. It was truly a beautiful diamond. I let the AGS lab grade "get" to me, and I traded it in for a smaller G VS2. The G VS2 could not hold a candle to my I I1 in certain lighting conditions -- especially low lighting. I regret trading in my I I1 stone. Each stone is different, and some diamonds are beautiful despite their paper "specs"!
 
Hi PSers

I really appreciate the advice. I have tried to forget about the specs but to be honest its not the specs that bother me it's the fact that it's a reminder if being ripped off when I believed I was buying my dream ring so I feel that I need to purchase a new one and let this beauty go to a new home where someone has paid the right price for her and will love it.
How do I go about listing it for sale and what price do you recommend?

Can I also ask for some advice on what I would have to spend to get a diamond of most importantly very good cutting? I am willing to sacrifice colour and clarity as long as it faces up white and is mostly eye clean?

I have tried to find a diamond cutter near me and it seems I would have to send it to the US to have this done and seems a lot of hassle and worry with shipping etc. I do believe we pay a lot more for diamonds here sadly as my aim is to get a 1.5-2ct when able to but hubby thinks it might be worth just saving and waiting to buy the big one.

If anyone knows of any for sale between 1-2ct please let me know as I would like an idea of how much we need to come up with.
 
i don't buy this...you posted back in february that you had a 1.03 RB that was "stunning" and you were looking for an upgrade to a 1.5 - 2 carat and now you suddenly find out it's less quality than expected and you don't like it? And you don't know the specs or anything on it yet you've been a PSer for 4 months and you know how everyone here talks about how NOT to get ripped off? AND you want to sacrifice color and clarity yet you are unhappy with the color and clarity of this diamond which you have no specs for? AND you want the diamond to find a new home for someone that wants "this beauty?" you just said it was a crap diamond. it just doesn't add up...sorry but what's the real story here?
 
Hi Dana,

I never said the diamond was crap. I am disappointed that I have been ripped off and sadly I feel this diamond does not suit me because when I look at it all I remember is how I have been ripped off.

I was looking to upgrade my diamond however we purchased a house instead and decided it could wait. Now that I have the valuation grades of this diamond I am unhappy and I am simply asking PSers for some advice.

I don't mean to sound rude but I think your post was a little unfair and rude on your part. I get your confusion but there are certainly nicer ways of asking these questions.

I feel you should read my post again as I never said I was unhappy with the colour or clarity, what I said is that it is not what I purchased. I am very offended by your post, it was extremely nasty and has almost put me off speaking out on PS.
 
Mrs. - i'm not calling you a liar or saying you're not happy with the stone. My point was that when you posted 4 months ago while looking for an upgrade, you said the diamond was stunning. But now you're upgrading again and you find out it's less in quality- you said poor cut so I think that's a crap diamond but when the knowledgeable people here offer you advice you can't give them answers? I just for get what happened that's all. It doesn't add up. If you mean to say "I went to upgrade and found out I was ripped off and now I can't upgrade like I want" then I get it. But you called it a beauty in February. Again today. If you were really ripped off then how is there no recourse? I feel like maybe you think you were ripped off but really you just don't like a diamond you now know the specs of - but cant share - when tou said you loved it in feb and now want to unload it but can't because it's worth less than you paid. You even say tou wont get any of your money back. So is it a beauty or crap? Look, I would never want to be screwed over or unhappy with a diamond I bought so I get it. It's just that your post sounds less like ripped off and more like unhappy when being told the truth.
 
Hi Dana,

To be honest I dont think any diamond is ugly and it is offensive to people with poor cut diamonds that you just said that you think that it is crap. Having an opinion is fine but I thought PS was all about being fair and not putting down other peoples jewellery. What answers have I not given? I have given the answers that I have, unforatuntely I am not an expert this is why I am asking for help, I have answered the questions to the best of my knowledge. I had the diamond valued for insurance purposes and found out that it is not what I purchased and I paid far more than it is worth and it does mean that I cannot upgrade because I have lost so much money from this one that I cannot afford to upgrade as I have to pay alot more than I imagined. I do believe the diamond is a beauty, along with all diamonds, they are all beautiful! As per my post I have gone through the avenues we have avalible to get the issue resolved, including court but because I did not get the correct grading done unfortunately it was my own fault and I lost out. You clearly dont understand how it feels as you have just made me feel worse and insulted my diamond and others in the process. Thank you for your post but please do keep some of your opinions to yourself.

I hope you have enough information but you must know that you have offended me and made me feel worse about the situation instead of supportive. Some of your questions I understand you asking however there are much better ways of asking these questions.

Take care.
 
I'm sorry for what has happened. We had a similar experience with our first ring. We purchased an EGL diamond. The cert said G VS2. At an independent appraisal it came back as a J SI2... I wasn't happy. I called the jeweler. Be use we had purchased it six months prior and it had been in a safety deposit box they agreed to take it back if I purchased my replacement there. We didn't have to spend double... But I wil tell you... I paid too much for an AGS 000 diamond but it's mind clean... And the peace of mind is a priceless

Is there any chance they would work with you or did the court case put too big a gap in the ability to work together.
 
your right, mrs. i didn't ask certain questions in a not nice manner so i apologize. no one would ever want to get ripped off and it's definitely the worst thing that can happen. I guess my point was if you loved it before you knew the real specs, can't you let that go? I mean i understand that you're not going to get the value for it in upgrading but if you have no recourse then what can you do other than sell it or trade it in for as much as you can? maybe turn it in to a different piece of jewelry? i mean the diamond still holds sentimental value regardless of how much you overpaid for it no? it seems like your only options are to take a hit on the stone and move on or maybe learn to love the diamond you seemed to have loved before. that's why i was asking the things i was asking before because while your position is an unenviable one i feel like you just learned this while trying to upgrade it not just because you randomly found out the specs and now you hate the stone because of it. so if it's the specs that are bothering you, can't you just let it go? plenty of PSers and people in the world overpaid for something they love. so i guess the question really is "do you not like the stone because of the specs, the money you overpaid, or because it doesn't look good to you anymore? (even though you say it does look good)
 
Danaviles|1338706473|3208202 said:
i don't buy this...you posted back in february that you had a 1.03 RB that was "stunning" and you were looking for an upgrade to a 1.5 - 2 carat and now you suddenly find out it's less quality than expected and you don't like it? And you don't know the specs or anything on it yet you've been a PSer for 4 months and you know how everyone here talks about how NOT to get ripped off? AND you want to sacrifice color and clarity yet you are unhappy with the color and clarity of this diamond which you have no specs for? AND you want the diamond to find a new home for someone that wants "this beauty?" you just said it was a crap diamond. it just doesn't add up...sorry but what's the real story here?
Click to expand...

I think it's very easy to get caught up in the moment when you first buy or are given something. I have a 0.47 that I have a love/hate relationship with. I loved it when I was first given it. After the first couple of months that reaction wore off and I noticed that my uncertified G-H with SI1 was yellow to my eyes and I thought I could see visible inclusions. I refuse to get it graded, absolutely refuse. From a recent trip to the appraiser for another piece, I have a feeling that it'd come back as a K/L and I1.

Certs can sway you. Right now it's somewhat mind clean as an unknown. If I knew that it was lower than I was told, I'd be terribly upset that the seller either accidentally or purposely mislead us. So yep, this type of thing does happen! Some days I think it's beautiful and sparkly, other days not so much. It's a mindclean issue for me and sounds like it is for OP as well.
 
MrsD - can you resell it on the 2nd hand market, perhaps through an outright sale to another jeweler or consignment? If so, then you could take that money and buy another diamond, again on the 2nd hand market, with the money. Yes, you're likely to loss money, but diamonds aren't an investment as some people like to claim anyhow! If not, then I say just wear it on the days that you can enjoy a pretty, perhaps sentimental piece, and wear just your wedding band on days when it bugs you.
 
I 100% agree with Rhea. I too have owned uncerted diamonds before, that I thought were beautiful, until I had the opportunity to see what a well cut diamond looked like, and then I found that my diamond was lacking and my opinion of it changed. The fact that OP was a PSer for four months doesn't make her an expert. There are many PSer here that are more interested it the eye candy than about what makes one stone a better performer than another. I've been here for a year a wouldn't consider myself to be an expert on anything, and continue to learn something new everyday.
 
Yes thats exactly how I have felt since I got the appraisal back. Some days I can really see the inclusions and get really annoyed with what happened and others it doesnt get to me as much. Thank you ladies for reassuring me that I am not alone. I do agree I think I will just have to take the hit and get a new diamond. I really would never wish this feeling on anyone else and sadly being a PSer for 4months I was doing exactly what Christina said, I was admiring the gorgeous eye candy not realising that its the importance of doing research and getting advice from knowledgeable trust worthy people before I buy. With my next purchase I will be certainly asking PSers for advice.

:)
 
I am very sorry you are not loving your diamond and feel like you were ripped off. I can certainly understand the feeling as a similar situation happened when I went to upgrade for our anniversary. I was told the stone we bought was a certain color and clarity and when I had my new setting done to accomodate the new larger stone (it was a halo setting) that is when I realized something was off with the diamond color because it looked really milky and dull around the F color diamond halo setting. So I took the ring to an independant appraiser here in NY. That is when I found out the truth about the stone the vendor sold me. The appraisal came back 2 color and 2 clarity grades off. I was so unhappy and couldn't sleep for days. I felt like we really got ripped off. My husband then contacted the jeweler who sold us the stone and the jeweler offered us a credit to buy another stone but we refused and asked for a full refund. The vendor did refund us our money thank goodness! But it took me 2 months to get our money back. We were persistent and kept telling the vendor we did not want another diamond from him. Afterall this drama, we did get our money back and now I am just taking my time and enjoying looking at different stones until I decide what I want.

Now with all the knowledge I have gained from PS I will never buy a stone without checking it out completely away from the store in different lighting, certificates, scopes, pictures, etc.

Good luck and hang in there. Hopefully there will be a happy ending to your story.
 
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