I know this is lenghly but I need some help...

[skizer41]

I am very new to this forum but by reading through the posts I can tell there are a wide variety of people on here from people who prefer online and people who prefer in store buying. Here is my dilemma. I found one diamond at a local mom/pop jeweler, it will be in tomorrow for me to view(I guess he had to get it off polygon) and I found one on-line at Blue Nile. Here is how I feel about both. I talked to a lady named Gina at Blue Nile, they don''t work on commission she just gave me her extension so I can call her with any questions. I feel very comfortable with Blue Nile but the only negative is I can''t see and feel the diamond and compare it to one at my local jeweler unless I shell out the $$$. Then if I decide to go with the stone at the jeweler I have the hassle of sending the Blue Nile diamond back. The local jeweler pro''s and con''s are that I was first dealing with a regular salesman but when I felt I wasn''t getting the best information I went to he owner. He learned I was interested in a Blue Nile diamond and has since been the one that I am working with. I feel he is very knowledgeable about the stones but I also feel that he may be giving me in accurate information regarding some of the characteristics not in the 4 C''s realm (depth/table, length/width). I was honest with him I told him about the diamond on BN as far as GIA cert, and price. He then told me he would call me back if he had something I might be interested in. Well an hour later, he called with a comparable stone and price. Here are some of the characteristics of the stones. I want a fair and honest opinion so I won''t tell you which stone is from which place. This will put the honesty of jewelers to the price and value of the online shopping to the test. If after you give me your opinion you want to know where the stone you suggested was at. But I just feel that in order for me to get an unbiased opinion I have to keep that a secret for now. Here they are:

Diamond #1 Diamond #2
Carat: .91 Carat:.91
Color: F Color: F
Clarity: VS2 Clarity:VS2
Cut: Ideal (princess) Cut: Very Good (princess)
Depth and Table: 68.3%/72% Depth and Table:68%/81%
Fluorescence: None Fluorescence: None
Length to Width: 1.04 Length to Width:1.00
Culet: None Culet: None
Symmetry: Very Good Symmetry: Very Good
Polish: Excellent Polish: Very Good
Girdle: Thick Girdle: Info not available

The bottom line number with both of these diamonds is with in $312 of each other so that really isn’t an issue. Both of these diamonds are GIA cert. The only problem I honestly have with diamond #2 is the Table percentage of 81%. Is this a big deal? Any inputs anyone gives me would be great. Thank you in advance for your help!

Josh

 

[windowshopper]

number 1 --mainly b/c of the table on 2

 

[chrono]

If I only had these two choices, I will pick #1 as well because of the table (and not knowing the crown height).

 

[belle]

josh,
well, to give a more accurate picture, we would need more #''s (crown, pavillion angles) to reallly give them a side by side comparison. that being said, if you really like the store diamond, you should get it. you sound like you''ve done your homework (i.e. knowing the 81% table is pretty big) and you know what you''re looking for. the $$ difference isn''t significant and you have the benefit with working with a local jeweler. you can''t beat being able to see a diamond in person, especially a princess..............

 

[windowshopper]

thats true--crown % would be very helpful----------if somehow #2 had a thin girdle with a higher crown it could possibly be more brilliant than if ..........#1 with its thick girdle had a shallow crown

 

[Hest88]

#1, though it really isn''t enough info to tell if it really performs much better than #2.

 

[reena]

do you happen to have the measurements of the two stones

 

[skizer41]

Wow...You guys are quick. I am safe in assuming that there is now HUGE difference in these two diamonds meaning once they both were in a setting would I be able to see a noticeable difference? If not I would go with the store diamonds for the purpose of feeling secure and a place where I can go if anything goes wrong.....

 

[skizer41]

All I have is crown height for diamond #1 = 9.1%

 

[Hest88]

That 9.1 crown height is not ideal, but certainly not bad either. Could be a nice looker.

Larger tables give stones a really glassy look I dislike. An 81% table is just too big.

 

[windowshopper]

not incredible but really pretty good for a princess i think

 

[belle]

we don''t know if there would be a huge difference because we don''t know what either of them look like. you can''t tell what a diamond will look like by it''s cut, especially in fancy shapes. #''s give an idea of good proportions, not performance. my advice is, if you''ve seen at least a few princess, and you like this one, get it. your eyes are the best indicator. (just make sure you look at it, and others in lighting other than bright jewelry store spots!!)

 

[valeria101]

You may want to consider a couple of examples of what those table & depth numbers tell and what they do not. It is really unfortunate that these labels of "Ideal" and "Very Good" cut or what not are thrown around without much explanation of what they mean.

70% depth & 88% table

73% depth 71% table

72% depth 71% table and AGS1b

It really takes more than those numbers to pin down the looks of a princess.

Nothing wrong with a schetchy presentation - but why call those "Ideal" due to just two numbers that may or may not make any difference from one case to the next ? I bet that once the AGS cut grades for princesses are out, those stones will be sold at a serious premium over these ideals

 

[solange]

Blue Nile will not send a stone out to an appraiser for you to see it before you pay for it. Many Pricescope vendors will.
I bought my ring from Whiteflash. They arranged to send it to an appraiser where I could see it. Whiteflash then arranged to have the stone shipped back to them for setting. A setting had to be made to accommodate my stone.
I did not pay Whiteflash anything until the day the ring was ready to be shipped. They sent me pictures of the ring in the setting and I then paid them. I received the ring the next morning. Many of the vendors here will send a stone to an appraiser before you pay. It was a very easy procedure since the vendor takes care of arranging all the shipping and packing. You will have to pay the appraiser and a small shipping fee if you want the stone to be sent back to be set. If you do not want the stone, you are under no obligation to buy it.
The other thing is that many of the vendors on here have an upgrade policy where they will let you trade your ring in for the full price you paid and apply it toward a more expensive purchase. I don't think Blue Nile has this policy.
If you are pleased with the stone your local jeweler got for you, then go ahead. But if you want to look further,do a search on Pricescope and see if you can find a stone that meets your requirements and can be sent to an appraiser before you pay for it.

 

[skizer41]

Interesting.....I haven''t seen either of the diamonds in person yet but I will be honest, from what you are saying the Table % on diamond #2 is too big and that worries me, but I am not sure how much it affects the brilliance or if both diamonds are side by side how much I would notice the difference. Diamonds #2 is the diamond from the Jeweler and Diamond #1 is from Blue Nile. The out the door price for #1 (including the $125 I have to pay the jeweler to set the diamond because that is where I purchased my setting) is $5224. If I went with diamond #2 which is at the jewelers, he said he wouldn''t charge me to set it I would pay $5520. So this is where I am at, everyone said Blue Nile, should I just by #1 and forget it, or should I buy the Blue Nile just to compare it to the jewelers and if I don''t like it I have the hassle of sending it back and waiting for my account to be credited, or is the difference in the Table % not enough to worry about and should I just buy the one at the jewelers ( if I am satisfied when I see it) and be done with it. Thanks for everyone’s help......Any comments?


Josh

 

[chrono]

I''m sorry to say that when it comes to fancy cuts which includes Princess stones, the numbers do not tell everything. Sure, it helps, but it isn''t a guarantee. Therefore, I''d recommend having both diamonds in front of you to make that decision. The setting fee should be around $50 and I think it is worth the hassle for shipping/sending back the stone (if required) to make sure you get the best stone for your $$$ and efforts. At least, that''s what I would do.

 

[belle]

if you are going to buy either of these stones without seeing them, you will not notice the difference!! again, princess (and other) fancy cuts are tricky. you cannot go by the #''s alone. that''s not to say you wouldn''t like either, hey, they''re still diamonds, and they are going to look pretty darn good. but, if you want to compare them, you must have more information, or at least a scope image. if you want to keep talking about noticing the difference between the two, then you have no choice to have them side by side.

 

[skizer41]

Belle,
I think your right. I think I am getting ''too deep'' into this and both are going to be beautiful diamonds so if I like the jewelers diamond when I see it, I am just going to go with it.....

Josh

 

[reena]

i vote for the side by side comparison!

 

[skizer41]

Thanks for all the great info. Diamond #1 is the diamond from blue nile. I bought it today and should be here by Thursday at noon. I will then take it and do a side by side comparison of the diamonds. Wish me luck!!!!

 

[Rhino]

Hi Valeria,

We just posted those stones for educational reasons amongst a lot that we had picked up. Once the season is up I''ll be using some of those examples (among others) in a tutorial i''ll be featuring "Everything you ever wanted to know about Princess Cuts". Too bad our friend didn''t find the PS vendors here sooner. He could have saved himself alot of running around/shipping expenses back and forth on 2 stones that are *iffy*.

skizer... you''re doing a good thing by looking at these 2 side by side however you''re still not viewing what is perhaps a princess cut with optics that could possibly blow both of these stones out of the water. Good luck!

 

[valeria101]

Date: 12/14/2004 8:16:51 PM
Author: skizer41
Thanks for all the great info. Diamond #1 is the diamond from blue nile. I bought it today and should be here by Thursday at noon. I will then take it and do a side by side comparison of the diamonds. Wish me luck!!!!

Good Luck, by all means !

Just curious: the local jeweler only has that one stone for you to look at ? I wouldn''t be asking for 100 options, but one ot two should be feasible

While this is not costless for the jeweler, it is probably less hard for him to bring in a couple of stones than it is for you to purchase one online just to have any option at all.

 

[skizer41]

I went in a couple of weeks ago and he had three that I viewed. Granted I only like one of them and I didn''t get down into the major deatails such as table and depth, girdle, etc. I just checked out the four C''s. Well at that time I was just LOOKING becuase I didn''t have all the cash yet. I called late last week and he sold that stone. That is when I looked into Blue Nile more and found a few stones that fit into my expectations. So as I was doing preliminary research I wanted to call the jeweler because I had already bought my setting there. When he found out I was thinking about a diamond at Blue Nile he suddenly said he could get a diamond(which is diamond #2 in the comparison off polygon I am sure) for $5200 plus tax. But all the other diamonds he was trying to sell me were about $6500 and I know they were pretty close to diamond #2 because I gave him my spec''s. I don''t know it just kind of rubbed me the wrong way and I feel like he would do anything(possibly even mislead me) to sell me one of his diamonds. For example he said that since the diamonds one Blue Nile is a 1.04 it is not square and tried to say that Blue Nile was lying to me. Well when I said that I thought GIA considers anything between 1.00 and 1.05 square he said that wasn''t true. THe more research I do I find that GIA does consider that square. Also with the Table %. I didn''t like the fact that his diamond had a table % of 81%. He said that for a princess cut 81% is ideal. But when I post the info on here it seemed everyone agreed with me that the table was too big. I just get a weird vibe(not 100% telling the truth) so I decided to purchase the Blue NIle diamond so I can have it with me when I look at his....Side by side...Most brilliant wins....I would say that is the farest thing right? I just know that no matter what he is going to point something out in the Blue Nile diamonds and say his diamond is better....Thanks Valeri any imputs?


Josh

 

[belle]

i don''t like the sound of the jeweler guy!! personally, i wouldn''t do business there. you never know what he''s going to try next! i know it''s better to do business locally, there are lots of benefits, but that guy doesn''t deserve the business! have you looked around at some of the pricescope vendors? there are several sites that offer image scope views of princess diamonds. at least that way you''ll have a better idea of how the diamond will perform.

here''s one i found:

www.exceldiamonds.com/diamond/197.html


good luck josh!!!

 

[solange]

This advice may not be welcome. I would not buy a stone from your local jeweler for obvious reasons. I doubt that he will be objective about the Blue Nile stone as compared to his based upon his past attitude.
I would not trust my own eyes to compare just two stones which may not be optimal and make a selection.
I would suggest that, since Jonathan of GoodOldGold has come forward and is aware of your situatiion, you call him and see what he can come up with and how it compares with the Blue Nile stone. Frankly, I would trust his judgment over the phone over my own eyes in evaluating stones. He is extremely knowledgeable and very highly regarded here. Why not find out what he has to offer andhow it compares with the Blue Nile stone?