I finally received my e-diamond from USA Certed!

[Detox]

I finally received my e-diamond from USA Certed (Martin Sheffield) and it looks absolutely, stunningly beautiful. (experience below) I keep wanting to take it out and play with it, but the stress of dropping and losing it is overwhelming.

Specs
0.80 GIA Round Brilliant
6.00 - 6.04 x 3.67
SI1 Clarity
G Color
Pol – EX
Sym – EX
Sarin
Table – 56.3%
Depth – 61%
Crown – 34.6 degrees (15.2%)
Pavilion – 40.9 degrees (43.2%)
Cutlet – 0.8
Girdle – Thin to medium faceted

HCA score of 1.6

This purpose of this post was to provide MY diamond buying experience. Specifically this experience may be of interest to those living in and around Toronto area. As I discovered during my experience there are limited options for Canadians to purchase quality diamonds at Pricescope comparable prices.

My research began about 6 months ago when I started patrolling the various diamond forums trying my best to become an informed consumer. Armed with ‘some’ knowledge and excitement I checked out a couple of the higher end jewelry stores (Birks etc) in Toronto in search of the perfect diamond. I immediately realized two things; 1. I still needed to do more research and 2. Their price was way more than I was willing to spend.

I decided to start with researching Pricescope vendor prices and immediately noticed that diamonds were being sold much cheaper online than I could find them for in B&M stores in Toronto. Once my friends heard that I was searching for a diamond, everyone “knew” someone who could get me “better than wholesale”. Prices. I followed up on a few leads and although their prices were better than most, the stones weren’t GIA or AGS graded and the prices were about 30% higher than those listed with Pricescope vendors (for non-AGS/GIA stones)

I decided to follow-up with PS Vendors. From this site, I discovered that Martin Sheffield of USA Certed diamonds actually works out of Toronto (close by even). I was really nervous about purchasing a diamond online and not actually meeting the vendor in person to go over the stone with me. Martin was a great fit here, although I was purchasing from “the internet”, really I wasn’t. I was able to meet with Martin at his office and view the diamond in person.

When I first contacted Martin by email I knew exactly what I wanted. He immediately responded with a list of diamonds that matched my criteria. I decided to minimize any chance for disappointment and went with the advice of diamond forum members to stick with only GIA or AGS graded stones only. I then narrowed down my choice. I requested that a SARIN report be run and that the stone was inspected to ensure it was eye-clean etc. After punching the SARIN numbers into the HCA, several emails back and forth and reassurance from Martin that it was a great diamond, I decided to proceed. Still being uneasy about the whole process, I requested that the diamond be sent to an independent appraiser first so I could have the stone verified and get an independent look at the stone. Martin agreed to this, so I requested the stone be sent to D.Atlas and Co.

The service at D.Atlas was great, they verified the stone, and ran a LightStar report to evaluate the stone’s brilliance etc. (All I really wanted to know is, does the stone sparkle?”) All indications were that it definitely did, so I decided to proceed and have the stone shipped to Canada. Martin was in the background constantly answering my questions and concerns. I had the stone shipped to Martin, so that I could pickup the stone at his office and we verify the stone together with his equipment. When I arrived we opened the FedEx package together and went through the contents and continued to answer my questions. All emails were answered promptly, never showing he was annoyed and at no time was there any pressure to purchase the stone. Martin was open, honest and accommodating. And I would highly recommend his services to anyone (especially if you live in the Toronto area).

Also, thank you very much Pricescoper’s for all of your information throughout the process. I couldn’t have done it without you too!

I tried my best to take some pictures over the weekend but I failed miserably. I was using a newer digital camera and tried the macro/no flash etc settings and I think the diamond just had to much sparkle because the camera would not focus.

On to the setting……………………..

 

[aphisiglovessae]

My center diamond also came from USA Certed and we couldn''t be happier. Martin was SO nice and the stone is perfect. Too bad my fiance''s budget wasn''t just a little higher.

 

[TimeTraveller]

I definitely had a differeny experience. I have sent two emails to them asking about a diamond and not a single reply came back to me. As far as I can tell, they don''t even exist beyond their website. Not even a quick: This diamond is not in stock reply.

Nothing. Nada. It''s like sending email to a void.

I certainly am not impressed with USACert. Very strange.

 

[zdrastvootya]

Congrats detox! My experience with USA-certed was quite positive - I''m in Toronto too.



It''s always disappointing not to have email answered. Using email isn''t foolproof - they can get lost, and some people are more phone oriented than email oriented. A place that is busy probably focuses available time on phonecalls. I think USA-certed is quite busy, and Martin is more phone-oriented. I would say they''re worth phoning.

Z.

 

[Giangi]

Congrats detox! smashing numbers on that stone!

enjoy it!

 

[aphisiglovessae]

Unlike the others, I live in Florida, a long way from Canada. I agree that Martin may be more phone-oriented. My fiance said that he initially emailed him a few times with no answer, but finally got one after a while. He said that it was because Martin was always so busy and didn''t always have time to check his emails. I think a quick phone call would be the best way to get quick results. He has a toll-free number, so give it a shot! He''s a really nice guy and he''s pretty quick to return calls. When I had to call him for anything he usually called me back within the day.

 

[igs]

Dear Detox,
Glad that everything worked out well for you. It was a real pleasure serving you. My apologies to Time Traveller. I am trying to figure out how it is that you wouldn''t have received an email. We get approximately 3 to 4 hundred emails coming in daily. Half of them are junk email that is deleted from our inbox. I try to answer all client''s emails within 24 hours. Sometimes an email can accidentally be filed into a client''s ''junk'' or spam control email file and consequently the client will never receive a return email. Honestly, your best bet is simply to call me and then I''m right there at your service. To Time Traveller, if you haven''t already purchased a diamond then please call and I''ll go all out for you. Once again Detox it was a real pleasure and best of luck to you and your fiancee.

 

[Detox]

TimeTraveller,

It is really too bad that USA Certed was unable to make contact with you. I completely agree that little things like not returning emails in a timely fashion can have a very negative impact. Martin was very good at returning my emails but I will agree that I think Martin is much more ''phone oriented''.

To be completely honest the service was incredible, even though I know my purchase was much smaller than what a lot of serious diamond buyers would buy it was a big purchase to me and I felt like I had his attention as if I were buying a $20k stone. That went a long way in my books and I am sure I will be back to him in the future. It is definetely a no brainer for anyone living in Toronto.

The stone is absolutely gorgeous and I can''t wait to proprose. It is being set right now as we speak! I can''t beleive it is finally going to happen.

Cheers,

Detox

 

[Daniela]

I love to see fellow Canadians get great deals on beautiful diamonds. Glad to hear your experience was a positive one!

 

[TimeTraveller]

Hi Detox,

I don't doubt your experience with USA Certed, as I have read other posters who have posted their good experiences with USA Certed. I'm glad you had a positive experience with USA Certed. Good luck with your proposal and long live your marriage!

Part of the reason I initially gave USA Certed a try was because of some of the posts I've read on here. But I can only talk about my own experience and it was quite different from many of the other posters here.

I've gone ahead and PMed Martin here at PS and will see if he'll respond.

Frankly, it surprised me greatly that I received no response from my two emails. Generally speaking, no merchant wants to ignore potential patrons unless that said patron has done something specific which makes the merchant not want to do business with the patron. I hadn't done anything to USA Certed and infact said in my email that I was giving USA Certed a try because of the positive posts I've read on here. That's what made this situation particularly strange.

I have since been in contact with several other respected merchants on here and so far WF has by far been the best at responding to all my emails. GOG has responded to some, but NOT all of my emails. One email to GOG for an AGS report for one of their *in house* H&A diamond has not been acted upon for over 48 hours (we're talking about working business days, not weekend time). I know this constrast greatly with many others who will swear by GOG's great customer service, but so far my own experiences allows me to rate White Flash the best by far.


Again, I'm not trying say Detox didn't have a good experience with USA Certed. I'm only saying I had a very different experience with USA Certed.

TT

Date: 8/23/2005 8:17:26 AM
Author: Detox
TimeTraveller,


It is really too bad that USA Certed was unable to make contact with you. I completely agree that little things like not returning emails in a timely fashion can have a very negative impact. Martin was very good at returning my emails but I will agree that I think Martin is much more 'phone oriented'.


To be completely honest the service was incredible, even though I know my purchase was much smaller than what a lot of serious diamond buyers would buy it was a big purchase to me and I felt like I had his attention as if I were buying a $20k stone. That went a long way in my books and I am sure I will be back to him in the future. It is definetely a no brainer for anyone living in Toronto.


The stone is absolutely gorgeous and I can't wait to proprose. It is being set right now as we speak! I can't beleive it is finally going to happen.


Cheers,


Detox

 

[aljdewey]

He may be more phone oriented, but his follow-through is lacking from my perspective.

I spoke to him a few months ago; told him what size/color, etc. stone I was looking for. He emailed me a list of 5 stones that might fit my criteria. I phoned him and identified two of them as potential candidates and asked him to provide grading reports to me via email.

He never responded, and he lost the sale.

 

[Detox]

To be honest, Martin told me that he does not spend as much time on Pricescope as he would like. It could take him longer to respond then you anticipate. Personnaly I would just call him, he is extremely friendly.

After contact was made and a list of diamonds with my criteria was presented, I chose a couple I a liked and asked for the particulars, GIA report, AGS report, SARIN etc. I received these reports via email quite quickly. I think that all of these places get flooded by so many emails that telephone is generally the best way to go.

Anyway,

I can''t wait to see my stone set, I am so pumped I can''t beleive I am finally getting engaged. And the best part is she will be completely surprised.

Cheers,

Detox

 

[aljdewey]

I''m not sure it was clear in my last post, so just to qualify....

I did phone him. We spoke on the phone. He was very pleasant and helpful on the phone, but didn''t do the follow-up he promised.....to email the grading reports for two diamonds I was considering.

I can appreciate how difficult it is to keep up with email inquiries, but when you''ve spoken on the phone with someone and promised documentation follow-up to be sent via email, that should happen.

 

[noobie]

Hee, hee

I just had to laugh, someone telling aljdewey to pick up the phone and call. Detox, I guess you haven''t been around long enough to know that''s alj''s line

Seriously, the vendors are good but no one is perfect. I''ve spent significant sums with five of the vendors here and all but one has dropped the ball in way to perhaps warrant a rant here, but they try.

Congrats on the purchase Detox!

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 8/24/2005 12:49:02 PM
Author: noobie
Hee, hee

I just had to laugh, someone telling aljdewey to pick up the phone and call. Detox, I guess you haven''t been around long enough to know that''s alj''s line

LOL - I was thinking that too! I have always been the proponent of "don''t rely solely on email, pick up the phone."

BUT.....I''m also a stickler for follow-through.

Once we''ve spoken on the phone, I expect promises to be kept, and I expect the vendor to be candid in what he can do. If you say you''ll get back to me on Tuesday, that''s what I expect. If you say I''ll email grading reports, I expect it to happen.

 

[Detox]

Well I can''t argue with that.

If the same happend to me, the vendor would lose the sale. I am happy the experience was good for me though.

I can''t wait to post pics of the final ring. I am extremely nervous, basically I handed over my new diamond, along with some photos of different settings I liked and how I wanted certain attributes from each setting combines together. The setting is pretty simple so it should be fine, but I am still REALLY nervous.

Buying a house should be easy compared to this. At least if you don''t like the house you just move, and engagement ring is with you FOREVER.

Cheers,

Detox

 

[Detox]

**Update**

It has was a very busy week! I picked up the ring from the jeweler and the ring was absolutely beautiful. I brought my ideas to Simon Bonin (look diamonds) as recommended by Martin. Simon crafted the ring exactly as I wanted and it was stunning. Choosing a size was a challenge and made me really nervouse but it worked out fine.

With the ring tucked away in my backpack my GF and I travelled up to cottage country for some hiking. I picked a trail that had a really high lookout point (it looked out over miles and miles of nature) When we arrived at the perfect spot I took her hands, said my thing, and then got down on one knee and asked her to marry me!

SHE SAID "YES"

In all of the that sunlight the diamond truly looked on fire! It was absolutely perfect. We sat on the ridge and drank champagne and enjoyed our moment together. Finally after several months of research it is all over. I will try to post some pics of the ring soon.

I can honestly say though the ring is getting a lot more attention from friends and family than I anticpated. I must have done well.

WooHoo!

 

[jaz464]

I am looking at a USA Certed stone tomorrow and I have to say that Martin was nothing but extremely promt with me. In fact, I never waited more than 1/2 hour for an email response. My potential diamond is sort of on the expensive side so perhaps he was a little influenced by that. I definately think vendors tend to discriminate in that way.

 

[Detox]

I received very good service from Martin. He always answered my emails promptly and always answered the phone. It should be noted that I only bought a 0.80ct diamond which is probably less expensive than most but I was treated very well.

The ring is stunning and I really should post some photos when I get a chance. She is a small girl and it looks huge on her finger (I am glad I didn''t go 1.0ct).

Good luck with your new purchase..................it was all worth it when I slipped the ring on her finger and she loved it!

Time to plan a wedding!

 

[Detox]

Pricescopers,

Where is the love! After all of my research and planning I finally proposed and not a peep from anyone.

 

[Logan Sapphire]

Congrats and best wishes to you and your fiancee! It sounds like a very lovely proposal! Where are hand pics??

 

[belle]

congrats detox! you know we need some pics!

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 9/15/2005 9:50:37 AM
Author: Detox
Pricescopers,

Where is the love! After all of my research and planning I finally proposed and not a peep from anyone.

HI:

Where are the pics??????

We need photo''s man!! Oh and congrats--sounds wonderful.

cheers--Sharon

 

[MissAva]

The love will be stronger the more pictures you post! Take some shots, I promise to return and comment.

 

[Detox]

Ahhh feeling better now!

I took some hand pics from our special day, not sure hwo they turned out but I will try to post them this evening. Those things sure are hard to photograph (even with a digital camera) I wanted to take a whole bunch of photos but she is kind of getting annoyed at me constantly asking her to take it off.

Our favorite place now is the elevator in my building. Inside the elevator there is a huge mirror, combined with super high intensity pot lights shining down from the ceiling makes the ring sparkle like crazy.

Photos tonight................I promise.

Cheers,

Detox

 

[ame]

See we can''t give AS much love without photos....

The ring sounds gorgeous though and I cannot wait to see it. That is a great proposal spot.

 

[yellowfan]

Congrats on your engagement! What an exciting time for you and your soon to be wife!

...........Now on with the photos! we need our diamond fix!!!!!!

 

[Detox]

Ok, one photo is where I proposed and the other is the ring.......hopefully better pictures coming soon!

 

[Detox]

And the spot

 

[MissAva]

That spot is lovely! Do you have any close ups of the ring?