hmmm... ERD vs. GOG for the Cushion I almost bought!

[Jumpman22]

Just saw that GOG posted a 1.70 H VVS2... the EXACT one that i was about to purchase from ERD through Gary.

Here is the link to my post about the ERD stone
Here is the new link to GOG''s stone posted.


Very interesting considering Gary offered me the exact same stone for a lot less... well over $1000 less!

I guess the analysis, pix, sarin, helium all come at a price.

 

[Jumpman22]

pic of ERD stone

 

[Jumpman22]

pic of GOG stone...

 

[honey22]

I checked out your first post, and it was dated mid July. Maybe the prices have gone up since then? I don''t know if that would account for such a big difference?

Also, I am not sure of ERD''s upgrade policy, but Good old gold have a great upgrade policy etc. I am sure benefits like that are factored into the price somehow.

Which vendor would you prefer to purchase it from? If you prefer GOG for setting, upgrade reasons whatever, have you considered calling them and seeing if they will negotiate on the price considering this offer from ERD?

 

[Jumpman22]

I actually purchased a stone from JA, since i was concerned about the H color...

I just thought it was funny that GOG, i guess "took into their inventory", a stone that ERD took in as well... and the price difference was a lot.

The stone itself was on bluenile.com and Gary brought in the stone to look at at ERD.

Upgrade policies, etc, do play a major role in the pricing, but i didn''t think by that much.

 

[Rhino]

Hi Jumpman,

Just to fill you in one some other details you are perhaps not aware of. We call in cushions all the time. There are certain specs we look for on paper but cushions specs on paper are inconclusive to determining beauty and light performance in a cushion. If I am purchasing for inventory and I am personally in the market for particular sizes oftentimes I have to call in and pay shipping on 5-15 diamonds to find *one* I like, particularly in the realm of cushions. For example when I call in 10 diamonds for inspection that cost over 10k I''m looking at roughly $100 per diamond on a round trip ticket. Multiply that by 10 and you have my shipping bill *just to look*. This is not to mention I personally have invested over 100k in lab equipment for critical examination, have a genunine bricks and mortar store and a full time internet staff to do all the exams, photography, videography, scanning, settings etc. to help our clients make the most educated purchases possible.

Take away the store, the staff, the lab equipment, the shipping expenses (I actually purchase for inventory while most diamonds on the web are listed "virtually") and brokering a diamond in this price range for less is not hard for me to do at all. In fact when folks contact us I give them 3 options when proceeding with a purchase because we can broker for as cheap as the next guy. Hope this helps.

Peace,

 

[neatfreak]

This happens very often. While I love ERD, we bought my cushion from Mark, GOG also provides excellent service and does provide more info on the stones like the scans,professional pictures, etc. that ERD doesn't usually provide. Prices do go up as well...I am sure there are many factors here. Often your vendor of choice will work with you on price if the stone is virtual and being offered elsewhere for a lot less.

I do also think there is a bit of a markup when a stone is actually in inventory at GOG, WF, etc. because they then took a lot of time to "pre-select" it for their inventory as Rhino said.

 

[purrfectpear]

Look at the difference in picture quality

It''s a good thing, no, a great thing that ERD is known for picking quality cushions. I swear if buyers depended on the ERD pictures I don''t think they''d manage to sell even one

 

[elmo]

It is added value + product differentiation and is a major key to success in this business.

 

[Jumpman22]

Date: 8/9/2008 4:41:11 PM
Author: purrfectpear
Look at the difference in picture quality

It''s a good thing, no, a great thing that ERD is known for picking quality cushions. I swear if buyers depended on the ERD pictures I don''t think they''d manage to sell even one

that is very true... i may have bought the stone from ERD if the pic was better, despite not having all the "lab tools (diamxray, gemadvisor, etc)" to prove that it was a great stone.

very nice to know that GOG and ERD picked a good stone... and hats off to ERD for picking a great stone without any tools needed.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 8/10/2008 8:22:09 PM
Author: Jumpman22

Date: 8/9/2008 4:41:11 PM

Author: purrfectpear

Look at the difference in picture quality

It''s a good thing, no, a great thing that ERD is known for picking quality cushions. I swear if buyers depended on the ERD pictures I don''t think they''d manage to sell even one

that is very true... i may have bought the stone from ERD if the pic was better, despite not having all the ''lab tools (diamxray, gemadvisor, etc)'' to prove that it was a great stone.


very nice to know that GOG and ERD picked a good stone... and hats off to ERD for picking a great stone without any tools needed.

Yeah if you can just trust Mark and Gary you''d realize they have wonderful eyes and will pick winners everytime. But for those who need some extra assurance or can''t have the stone sent before purchase, GOG''s services certainly come in hand!

 

[stone_seeker]

Most brokers charge 5% above what the owner/manufacturer is selling the stone for. GOG may be a bit more to cover overhead and other expenses in which you get the bells and whistles that may help you make a more informed decision. I learned pretty easily all the people have access to the same inventory and you need to pick someone you like working with and they can pretty much match the price. There is a lot of mark up built into the stone price.

Some vendors that own some stones can give you better prices. For example, there was a stone that I saw direct from the owner and a few weeks later, ERD had pulled that stone for me and their price was 5% more. Because they need to make $ so they clearly cant sell it for what the owner is willing to sell it for.

Just find someone you like and have them get the stone for you. Having 2-3 people work for you works against you since these stones get tied up and its best to see as many as you can with the same person.