How to effectively search a stone?

[flyingangelet]

Hi everybody here,

I post my first article couple of days ago. After getting the comment from the guys here, I changed the criteria a little bit. Now what i want is a stone:
AGS idea / GIA excellent cut,
G color
around 1 carat
clarity >= vs2, no inclusions on the table, eye-clean
no fluorescence.
My budget now is around $5500.

I spent couple of days searching stones at pricescope, jamesallen, whiteflash, and bluenile. However I haven't found the one I want yet.

Many stones (especially whiteflash, >=50% stones) do not have the grading report with it. I have to contact with them and usually it take one to two days to send response. And Every time I can only request at most 3 reports!

I was also trying to contact the consults at these websites to help me to find the stones. But usually I am not satisfied with what they provide.

Finding a stome is so time consuming !

Anybody give me some suggestions on how to effectively find the stones? Or recommend some stones or consultants of above website? Or share with us your experiences of stone seeking?

BTW, which ventors have trade-up policy?

Thanks a lot.

 

[strmrdr]

budget is unrealistic for those specs.
Your either going to have to increase your budget or lower the requirements.

 

[Regular Guy]

You might ask for an IS of this one.

Also, see below my signature...

 

[Mrs W]

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1248052.asp

Best I could find within your budget and criteria

 

[stone-cold11]

Upgrade policy, as far as I know.

JA, you will need to double the value of the diamond.

WF, GOG, HPD, NiceIce are more lenient but their stones are more expensive because of this service.

For your present budget and specs, I found some from JA. Looks good, but ask for IS image.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Premium-Cut-Round-Diamond-1227855.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Premium-Cut-Round-Diamond-1249030.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1256308.asp

 

[flyingangelet]

Thanks for all replys.

I researched pricescope and find an interesting thing: it seems to me the stones at solomon brothers are much cheaper than others? Usually i only check the stones at james allen/white flash/blue nile and never went to solomon brothers. Is solomon brothers a well known vendor? Is it trust worthy? what is its trade in policy? and why the price is lower than others?

thanks again.

 

[Regular Guy]

Flying,

I''m not sure. I thought I found the same when I''ve searched recently before, so I did just go to check it. I went to see if the diamond I posed above from JA was cross listed by Solomon. It doesn''t seem to be showing on this board (Pricescope your diamond), but if you go to the Solomon site, it does seem to be there...here...costing more than both JA, and the others...(WF, etc,) who cross list it under Pricescope your diamond. Not sure what this is due to. It may be the difference is, as you''d see in comparing this diamond IF it were in the Pricescope your diamond in comparison to JA...is that the listed price may not yet be showing with the Pricescope discount...which does come through when you link to the JA site. Again...not sure.

Other things to consider...Solomons probably won''t offer options like examination under IS, nor upgrade features. And...as you''ve noted...they''re not mentioned here a lot. That just speaks for itself.

But...as you''ve also generally observed...a diamond available at one vendor, as noted above, IS frequently at another. If it''s the same, different, diamond, and you do find it significantly less expense at Solomons...I see they DO offer at 25 day return policy, and especially if you should see that an IS and such may be posted at a competitor site, helping you to evaluate it in advance...it would only be reasonable to consider them.

My 2 cents...

 

[Mrs W]

Date: 9/13/2009 10:32:12 PM
Author: flyingangelet
Thanks for all replys.

I researched pricescope and find an interesting thing: it seems to me the stones at solomon brothers are much cheaper than others? Usually i only check the stones at james allen/white flash/blue nile and never went to solomon brothers. Is solomon brothers a well known vendor? Is it trust worthy? what is its trade in policy? and why the price is lower than others?

thanks again.

are the soloman brothers diamonds EGL graded, if so those are cheaper than GIA/AGS diamonds and EGL stones are not reliable as far as grading color and clarity.

 

[swingirl]

You seem to have lowered your budget since your last post.

Here is something close. I am no expert but it scored decent on the HCA. 0.96ct G VS1

Solomon Brothers carries stones graded by AGS GIA as EGL.