I just walked out of Robins Bros over diamond price. Any thoughts?

[Marine0241]

Well after 4 hours it finally came to an end with me walking out the door and the salesman saying "that is the best I can do". Here are the specifics:
.905 cw
SI1
E
Table 55
crown 34.4
Pavill 40.8
Facet 1.1-1.8
Depth 62.1
Ideal cut
Ideal polish
Ideal Sym
The price on the tag was 8250.00
Thanks to the people on this site I went in with H&A diamond selections from different vendors. All were from .90 to 1.0 cw. After various discussions about the ring (Jaffe, full bezel) we started to discuss diamond price. With ONE trip to see "the man" he came back with the following proposals: $6189 with a warrantee or $5875 w/o a warrantee.
I actually got on his computer with him there and showed him other (almost exact matches) diamonds for much less to include the graph found on this site that showed price per carat.
He honestly (used lightly) said that he has never seen anyone come in with as much information and this well informed before but his hands were completely tied. That was the bottom price and he could go NO lower.
I honestly would have done the deal if he knocked a few more hundred off and gave the warrantee with the final price but I didn’t want to put an extra thousand in his pocket.

The overall RB experience was a fairly good one but it did seem at time I had to pry information out of this manager about things such as warrantee, return policy, credit info, etc...

Any thoughts??

Todd

 

[Kaleigh]

Buy online. www.whiteflash.com and www.goodoldgold.com

 

[Marine0241]

I actually went in with a folder of information which included specific diamond print outs from Whiteflash and James Allen. Both proved to be very powerful negotiating tools.
I am actually not sure if the salesman had actually reached his bottom dollar but it would seem to me that a thousand dollars over the price per carat chart is a little excessive.

 

[dialover]

As stated overall, buy online, or pay the retail BM markup. This is not a terribly bad price for this stone at a BM retailer, especially for an ID/ID. But, after taking up 4 hours in a BM, you have to understand that the store is there to make a profit to pay the overhead, which includes the salesman''s time. Good luck.

 

[Marine0241]

I completely understand the mark-up for the BM store. I also believe that more that one person has walked in there and paid sticker price.

I guess I am answering my own question. Because I was so well prepared and dead set on getting a good deal I really had no reason to go into the store to begin with knowing that they wouldnt even come close to the price per carat quote.

Keep the insight coming...Im like a sponge over here!!

 

[strmrdr]

What you expected to happen , happened.
What was the question again?

 

[goldengirl]

Date: 12/18/2005 7:21:18 PM
Author: dialover
As stated overall, buy online, or pay the retail BM markup. This is not a terribly bad price for this stone at a BM retailer, especially for an ID/ID. But, after taking up 4 hours in a BM, you have to understand that the store is there to make a profit to pay the overhead, which includes the salesman''s time. Good luck.

Agreed.

Rock-bottom price or the ability to walk in and look at stuff. You get one or the other, but you can''t have both.

If you like the other prices, then buy through the online vendor, Todd. I don''t understand what the question is. The B&M will never be able to touch the price-per-carat of an online retailer; they have too many overhead costs.

 

[Marine0241]

I guess what I am waiting to hear is that I messed up in some way. So far from the feedback (for the first 30 minutes) that I have gotten, I wont be hearing that.

Any thoughts on what I should get a diamond with those specs for either on line or in LAJD. From what I figure 5500 would be about the ceiling.

Thoughts?

 

[gailrmv]

I don''t think you messed up.
You have to decide, is it worth the convenience to see things up close in personal, talk with salesman in real time, and take advantage of other things down the line (like sizing, polishing, prong checking, warranty, trade up if they have one...), and have them order stones/settings for you to look at without having to pay anything out of your pocket...

The warranty seems a little pricey depending on what it covers. Most places will do cleaning and prong check free. However if you bought the ring there I wouldn''t feel bad about going in every week if you so desired. If the ring is from elsewhere they might not want to do it that often.
Anyway, I am off track.

These reasons are why you shop a B&M. If you want the best price go online. I bought my stone through a family member who is a jeweler who lives out of state. He got me a bigger better diamond than I could have dreamed of for the budget my husband had. However, it took a lot longer than it would have locally and we had fewer choices. When I was choosing my setting I had to do it based on photos. When there was a problem with the setting, I could either pay to get it fixed locally or be without my ring a long time while sending it in the mail. Because the problem recurred, I eventually had to do both.

In retrospect, was it worth it? Yes for the diamond. No for the setting. I am savvier now and would have had it set locally if I were doing it over again.

 

[skphotoimages]

Did you love the diamond? How far do you think it was overpriced vs. if you found it online?
I am one of those that would pay a little extra to buy locally where I can see the diamond. I also like the idea that I can go in whenever I want for checks and repairs. Also, it may be convienent to trade up in the future. Part of me wishes I would have gone with WF or GOG, trusting them to find me the best looking diamond, but buying locally and using my own eye just fits me better. My jeweler also made a comment about my diamond knowledge, which pales in comparison to others here, but that just shows what they are used to. I''m off track now, sorry.
The psychologist in me says that you must have realy liked that stone, and are regreting not getting it. Why? If you are out for the best price and you didn''t get it, then wouldn''t you be more than happy to look elsewhere? Or is it that you liked that stone and are here hoping that someone will say, "well.. it was close"? You could always call tomorrow and ask to speak to the manager. Ask him to throw in the warrentee with the purchase price. (now what does the warrentee cover?) . They did come down quite a bit from sticker. And they probably figure with Christmas coming so soon that it will sell to someone no problem.
Did that last comment make you anxious, or nervous, or upset? If so then you messed up (your words not mine)

No, really, if so then I think you are emotionally vested in this stone, and you should get it. That is unless you really are out for the rock bottom price. Then shop online.

 

[Marine0241]

I think your last comment hit it right on the head. I am not looking for rock bottom, just a little better than 1k over what I thought I should pay. I was honestly willing to take the 5800 deal if he threw in the warrantee. Its just the man wouldn’t budge and he wouldn’t even go see “the man upstairs” to check. Maybe my hard headedness got the best of me at that point. It was just the man didnt even try.
Yes I also agree that it is the season and I’m sure they will have no trouble selling that stone to someone else at a much larger markup than what they were going to sell it to me for.
You are also correct in saying that I am probably emotionally attached to that stone. I do my best to take emotion out of all major decisions in life so to not look at a situation with clouded eyes. I would have loved to have gotten the diamond, but let’s face it a 5k diamond isn’t exactly hard to find in this world. Sure it may have spoiled my master plan but I am not deterred. I will simply regroup and attack in a new direction.
Thanks for the insight and advice. I’m all ears!

 

[Lorelei]

Marine welcome

I truly think to get the best diamond for your money it is best to shop online. The vendors are brilliant, expert and professional and truly go out of their way to make their customers happy. As you have probably realized their markups are lower than a B&M as their overheads are lower. Buying online can require a leap of faith but there are many many delighted purchasers as you will see here! Vendors have a good return policy and are very honest about each diamond, it benefits no one to have diamonds shipped back and forth so they will do their best to meet your needs. I hope this helps a bit, good luck and keep us posted of your progress and if you need any more help.

 

[Waited2Long]

i feel your frustrations. In my search for the ring I got edumacated real quick here on PS and learned everything I felt I needed to know about diamonds and their attributes. I had already decided that I was going to buy from a PS vendor. But, I had a problem in that I didn't know relative sizes of the stones. How big was a 3/4 carat or a 1 carat? How would a certain-sized stone look mounted? So I went to Robbins Bros just to see the stones in person. I thought the markup was huge too, and I didn't care for the high-pressure sales efforts.
I have purchased a stone from WhiteFlash. For almost exactly Robbins Bro's best on the stone you mentioned, I got a 1.23c F/SI. Unlike a B&M place, I don't have the option of choosing from an array of stones and picking the one I like best. But it is an ACA, so it should be among the cream of the crop, hand-selected by professionals, and I'm fairly confident that this means I will not be disappointed. Stay tuned for more; our ring should be here on the 21st! Good luck!

 

[valeria101]

Well, if the things you want (price & quality) are to be found online somewhere, sure enough you will not be stuck with a diamond you do not want (i.e. there is such thing as a return policy) and within the same delay of the return you could also weight choices. It my not be the same scenario as local shopping, but in the end, you would have still seen a range of diamonds and chosen one for looks, not just numbers and price.

Was the diamond at Robin's also H&A? If so, these do have a strong family resemblance. It would just mean even less left to the imagination for shopping the Net.

Best of luck

... besides, even for these H&A cut, $5800 sounds like allot. How about these:

.92 E-SI1 - $5000 (citing the price on the database above, on the seller's site it is $300 more - probably due to different payment methods assumed).

If you look on a list of ideal/H&Arounds of about .9cts, the diameters go from 6.1 to 6.3mm or so. That isn't much variation, IMO and it happens that some diamonds with less than .9 cts weight also fall within that interval. For example, THIS (.84cts, E-SI1, $4k).


For close to 6k, it could also be 1 ct F-G. A couple came up first hand: G-SI1 (ACA) and G-VS2.

There should be more...

 

[phoenixgirl]

1.06 E SI1 H&A for $6014 (PS search engine price) scores 1.1 on the HCA

Or up color, clarity, and size, and still pay less:

0.92 D VS2 for $5314 1.0 on the HCA

As others have said, there are pros and cons to buying online versus in store. It''s up to you.

 

[skphotoimages]

I really agree with what "waited2long" said, Had I gotten a post like that, I may have been swayed to buy online after all.
Have you thought of calling WF or GOG and having them look over what they have in your price range? Then you could probably see pictures on line.
GOG:
0.91 F VS2
0.92 G VS2
1.02 G SI1
White flash ACA:
1.01 G SI1
If you aren''t interested in H&A, and just want a REALLY well cut diamond, try WF''s expert selection section
expert selection
Here is a nice one: 0.92 D VS2
another: 1.02 E SI1
and don''t forget to ask for the pricescope discount.

 

[devientdrow]

Marine like a few people said I think you already know the answer to your question......do you want the best quality/largest size for your money or the convience and security of a local B&M? You just need to decide whats more important. I really don''t think for the size of that stone what they were asking is all that crazy....someone will definatly buy it. You could also call and ask for the manager specifically and tell him you would of purchased it right then and there for the lower price with the warranty thrown in and whats the worse he can say....No? You''ve already been told that! It would be worth a try! If you don''t mind having to pay for repairs somewhere or shipping the ring out then go with an internet dealer. I don''t think you''ll be sorry with what you recieve.....I know its hard. I did the same thing...I sat and looked and diamonds online and what I would pay and I when I went to the B&M I couldn''t get it out of my head that I would be paying less for an equal quality slightly larger stone....and I made my choice. I went with James Allen...of course I got to cheat because I live in MD and he let me drive up and see the stone....but afterwards I seriously felt stupid. He had the stone I liked and another he picked out in our price range to compare it to and they were both gorgeous and I felt like a tool for not just ordering online. I would reccomend him.....I know everyone speaks highly of WF too but I can''t help it...i''m partial to the James Allen.......

 

[kevinyonker]

.85 H&A Brilliant
F
VVS2
Cut AGS 0 Ideal
Polish GIA Excellent
Symmetry GIA Excellent
BrilliantScope 3 VH''s
Depth 61.5
Table 55.1
C/A 34.4
P/A 40.9
Girdle 1.5
$4,958
GOOD OLD GOLD