Hey all:
i have a question about buying a stone locally vs. buying online. I've provided some background on my situation below, but for the TL;DR crowd, I need to find out how to talk to a local jewler about what he can offer for me buying a stone locally and sidestepping what I assume is fairly common responses to me talking about how AGS ASET images, idealscope images, and the values produced by using the HCA etc make me more comfortable with a rock. He's advocating some GIA stones (I think he mostly deals with canadian diamonds) and while I don't think it will ultimately matter to him if I buy from him or online (he's a setting guy, that's his forte) my lack of knowledge makes me uncomfortable. Anyway, see below:
______
(previous threads)
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-with-setting-w-round-halo-vintage-rose-gold-canada.184463/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-with-setting-w-round-halo-vintage-rose-gold-canada.184463/[/URL]
This is where I start to look at settings and figure out what I want
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-with-tacori-2639-or-custom-made-rose-gold-halo.186541/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-with-tacori-2639-or-custom-made-rose-gold-halo.186541/[/URL]
Narrowed in on a Tacori setting, but want some changes. Ultimately discovered gf only liked certain elements of that setting, so have decided to go custom.
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/thoughts-on-a-round-wf-1-213-ct-i-vs2.186629/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/thoughts-on-a-round-wf-1-213-ct-i-vs2.186629/[/URL]
Started looking at diamonds.
______
So, I've decided that I am going to do a custom setting. I was fortunate to discover that my gf had gone with some of her friends and tried on the Tacori and only kind of liked it, but had some other thoughts more in line with my initial plan for what she wanted (this is why we are together!)
For example, she loves this halo:
(ignore rest of ring besides how the rose gold part looks).
She likes the basket style from the Tacori, but wants something a bit lower, and wants pave with an engraved band.
So, I went into a local custom jewler in my city and was really impressed by his work. He had a few pieces which were pretty much bang on in terms of what I am looking for. I've also contacted an online custom designer (M.T.) to get a sense of the cost differences between doing this in the USA vs here at home in Canada (and to have a second option since my gut feeling is that the online custom guys have way more familiarity with the "modern" diamond industry and sourcing online).
We (local guy and I) started discussing diamonds, and I mentioned that I'd been researching diamonds online and was fairly confident in the specs I was seeking. Sent him the WF link from one of my previous posts to show him an actual stone that matched my preferences.
His response from his gemologist, as I assume is typical with people who aren't comfortable with the internet, was basically that the images that you see on sites such as JA or WF can be deceiving, that most diamonds can show that type of image and the image can vary depending on the angle of the light, which can be manipulated, so that’s why GIA doesn’t approve or utilize this type of evaluation. He's offered to show me through his hearts/arrows viewer how all higher quality diamonds display that pattern if they are cut properly. I had asked for estimates on three diamonds of varying sizes to get a sense of his prices and was provided with these options - (1) 1.01, G, SI1 Clarity (eye-clean), Very Good Cut, $8,200; (2) 1.13, I, VS1 Clarity, Excellent Cut, $8,800; (3) 1.23, I, VS1, Excellent Cut, $9,800). He's asked if I want any of these brought in to look at in person (and confirmed all were GIA certificated).
I did get an overall good gut feeling from this guy and don't get the sense he REEALLY cares to steer me one way or the other, but theoretically is maybe just concerned I don't know what I'm looking for and thinks using his gemologist is going to get me a better stone at a similar price.
If I did get him to bring stones in for me to look at in person, what exactly am I supposed to be looking at? Part of why I trust sites like JA and WF are that I can send you guys the specs available to everyone and get a crowdsourced opinion. If its just me taking some guy's word without having high resolution images to show this site to get an opinion (which maybe I could get, but maybe not?) then I'm way less confident. That said, the prices seem in line IF the stones were of comparable quality. That's the big "if" though!
So, I don't want to discount buying locally (and doing everything through the guy if I'm comfortable with him for the setting too) but I also like everyone else want to maximize the diamond I'm getting and minimize the price I'm paying.
Thoughts? Anyone dealt with this? Is there any sort of guide for "You're relatively new to diamonds and are not shopping online, here's what you should do"? Is it ever advisable to buy a stone through a local custom jewler?
i have a question about buying a stone locally vs. buying online. I've provided some background on my situation below, but for the TL;DR crowd, I need to find out how to talk to a local jewler about what he can offer for me buying a stone locally and sidestepping what I assume is fairly common responses to me talking about how AGS ASET images, idealscope images, and the values produced by using the HCA etc make me more comfortable with a rock. He's advocating some GIA stones (I think he mostly deals with canadian diamonds) and while I don't think it will ultimately matter to him if I buy from him or online (he's a setting guy, that's his forte) my lack of knowledge makes me uncomfortable. Anyway, see below:
______
(previous threads)
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-with-setting-w-round-halo-vintage-rose-gold-canada.184463/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-with-setting-w-round-halo-vintage-rose-gold-canada.184463/[/URL]
This is where I start to look at settings and figure out what I want
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-with-tacori-2639-or-custom-made-rose-gold-halo.186541/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-with-tacori-2639-or-custom-made-rose-gold-halo.186541/[/URL]
Narrowed in on a Tacori setting, but want some changes. Ultimately discovered gf only liked certain elements of that setting, so have decided to go custom.
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/thoughts-on-a-round-wf-1-213-ct-i-vs2.186629/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/thoughts-on-a-round-wf-1-213-ct-i-vs2.186629/[/URL]
Started looking at diamonds.
______
So, I've decided that I am going to do a custom setting. I was fortunate to discover that my gf had gone with some of her friends and tried on the Tacori and only kind of liked it, but had some other thoughts more in line with my initial plan for what she wanted (this is why we are together!)
For example, she loves this halo:
(ignore rest of ring besides how the rose gold part looks).
She likes the basket style from the Tacori, but wants something a bit lower, and wants pave with an engraved band.
So, I went into a local custom jewler in my city and was really impressed by his work. He had a few pieces which were pretty much bang on in terms of what I am looking for. I've also contacted an online custom designer (M.T.) to get a sense of the cost differences between doing this in the USA vs here at home in Canada (and to have a second option since my gut feeling is that the online custom guys have way more familiarity with the "modern" diamond industry and sourcing online).
We (local guy and I) started discussing diamonds, and I mentioned that I'd been researching diamonds online and was fairly confident in the specs I was seeking. Sent him the WF link from one of my previous posts to show him an actual stone that matched my preferences.
His response from his gemologist, as I assume is typical with people who aren't comfortable with the internet, was basically that the images that you see on sites such as JA or WF can be deceiving, that most diamonds can show that type of image and the image can vary depending on the angle of the light, which can be manipulated, so that’s why GIA doesn’t approve or utilize this type of evaluation. He's offered to show me through his hearts/arrows viewer how all higher quality diamonds display that pattern if they are cut properly. I had asked for estimates on three diamonds of varying sizes to get a sense of his prices and was provided with these options - (1) 1.01, G, SI1 Clarity (eye-clean), Very Good Cut, $8,200; (2) 1.13, I, VS1 Clarity, Excellent Cut, $8,800; (3) 1.23, I, VS1, Excellent Cut, $9,800). He's asked if I want any of these brought in to look at in person (and confirmed all were GIA certificated).
I did get an overall good gut feeling from this guy and don't get the sense he REEALLY cares to steer me one way or the other, but theoretically is maybe just concerned I don't know what I'm looking for and thinks using his gemologist is going to get me a better stone at a similar price.
If I did get him to bring stones in for me to look at in person, what exactly am I supposed to be looking at? Part of why I trust sites like JA and WF are that I can send you guys the specs available to everyone and get a crowdsourced opinion. If its just me taking some guy's word without having high resolution images to show this site to get an opinion (which maybe I could get, but maybe not?) then I'm way less confident. That said, the prices seem in line IF the stones were of comparable quality. That's the big "if" though!
So, I don't want to discount buying locally (and doing everything through the guy if I'm comfortable with him for the setting too) but I also like everyone else want to maximize the diamond I'm getting and minimize the price I'm paying.
Thoughts? Anyone dealt with this? Is there any sort of guide for "You're relatively new to diamonds and are not shopping online, here's what you should do"? Is it ever advisable to buy a stone through a local custom jewler?
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