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I NEED ADVICE QUICKLY!! GOT TO DECIDE TONIGHT!

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mikieguns

Rough_Rock
Joined
May 27, 2004
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Hi people! This web site is great. I have been shopping around for an engagement ring for a few weeks in the Chicago area. I found one at a Rogers & Hollands in a mall that I really like and they are offerring at a discounted price to me (month end). Is this a good deal?? It is a bit voer my budget so I am reluctant! I got to decide tonight so please- I am looking for some advice quick!! thanks in advance. I really appreciate it: Here are the specs:

1.22 carot, H-I color, SI1/SI2 clarity, IGI certified
measurements: 6.64 by 6.68 by 4.52

thanks so much!!
 
woops! you need the price!!! $6699. thanks!!
 
We actually need to know a lot more than that:

Total depth:
Table diameter:
Crown angle:
Pavilion angle:

And a copy of the plotting diagram would be really helpful.

Is IGI "split grading" now?!?! So like they couldn't make up their mind as to whether the diamond was an SI-2 or an SI-1 or an H color or an I color? C'mon, are you serious?!?! If that's what the lab report says, we're not going to be able to stop laughing!
rolleyes.gif
 
Which is it

H or I color?
SI1 or SI2 clarity?

You're missing other specs to make a good guess, but I'd say you could get a 1.5ct EGL certed diamond with similar specs or a 1.25ct GIA/AGS with similar specs for under $7k.

These are just broad generalizations, though. Don't be rushed into a decision. A poor salesman hurries you in a decision this big. I don't even rush into buying a TV. I always walk away and collect myself first.
 
The most important point here is:




NEVER RUSH THIS TYPE OF PURCHASE




I agree- it's a horrible sales technique to use a line like "end of month, HURRY BUY NOW!!!"




how much more does the stone go up to next week?




PS- the price is terrible- even given an "End of Month fire sale"
 
Agreed with the others -- it's a tacky sales technique to put you under time pressure. Walk away.

And besides, you can get a nicer stone that you will know more about for the same money from many online vendors.

ex: 1.22
H
VS2
62.2%
55%
AGS
tn-stk
no
id
id
no
6.84x6.88x4.26
$5559
$6781*


Do a search on the pricescope engine above to get a feel for what's out there and how what you've seen compares. The above stone is better clarity, pretty much the same price and carat weight as yours, but will look bigger -- look at the difference in diameter. I don't have all the key specs on it, but with an AGS cert they would be easy to get. And AGS is one of the strictest grading labs.
 
really? $6699 is terrible? I did some comparison shopping (other mall jewelers, diamond district) and it is pretty competetive. actually it was a good $1,000 cheaper than most other mall stores had. in fact, I saw some 1 carots for the same price in other stores. by the way, the price goes up back to the regular price next week $7699. I know I shouldn't rush things but what can I say- the $1000 off is good until tonight. It is a very pretty stone and the price includes a platinum mounting and a white gold band. the salesperson was actually very nice. she saw that it was above my price range and offered some other suggestions that she said normally they are not allowed to tell people (ship it out of state to avoid sales tax and if I can find something to trade in I get 20% off).
 
let me add one thing- I am not buying online. I know there are a lot of good reasons to do so but I am just not gonna do it. that being said- thanks for the feedback so far. I continue to ask for some more input about the ring mentioned here!! the more advice, the better! thanks so much!
 
I agree--not a good price at all! Just for reference purposes, I recently bought a 1.37 carat round brilliant H&A SuperbCert for $6,775. It is graded by the GIA as an I color VS2 stone with dimensions of 7.18-7.22 x 4.39 and it's gorgeous. I'd pass on this stone unless you're absolutely in love with it!
 
Walk away Mike...
Do some research on Pricescope and get a little education. You are where I was a couple of months ago. Slow down and save yourself some money for a better stone, or at least one with more information.
Good luck
Murph
 
There are stones listed above with comparable diameters (less carat weight -- carat is a weight -- not a visible size) for $1000 less than what you are looking at. Mall stores are higher because they have more overhead, so this might be competitive for mall stores, but if you choose to shop elsewhere, you can do better.
 
Sounds sketchy. Mall stores are notoriously overpriced. The tactic that the setting is included in the price usually means you're overpaying for the setting. Some settings are very inexpensive, even plat. ones.

SI1 or SI2 you should examine very closely with a loupe, preferable a gemscope if they have one on premises. The fact that its set already may mean, they're hiding a doozy under one of the prongs.

Can you trade in ANYthing and get 20% off? That's sounds odd too.

I didn't really want to be bothered with learning all this diamond hooey at first either, but it comes rather naturally once you get the hand of it.

You do what you like, but this sale would make me nervous. Make it contingent on an independent appraisal with a full money back refund no questions asked.
 
if it's a mall stone, forget it. I am a firm believer that nothing good can come from the mall. You don't have to buy online...but maybe you can see if any PS vendors are close by to you... and when i'm told a stone is H/I...Si1/Si2...it's NEVER a good sign. Run.
 
I like that idea about the independent appraisal with a full money back refund no questions asked- if I buy it today that is. do these appraisals cost money? any suggestions for who to go to in chicago?
 
how do I search for vendors here on ps? I did a search and all it returned were online vendors.
 
The refund on appraisal is common practice. Many retailers will give you something like 2-4 weeks.

Here a link to an appriaser in Chi-town.

If they balk at this suggestion, then you know they're up to no good and we all reiterate, caveat emptor (sp?).
 
Let's respect his decision to not buy online. All he can do is arm himself with the knowledge to make a good decision. Once he starts learnin' himself, chances are he may come around to shopping online, but that's up to him.
 
It's not a great deal. IceStore.com has comparable stone (actually, I'm sure it's much better) with a GIA cert.

(#ICEP1700)
Carat: 1.23
Color: H
Clarity: SI2
Depth/Table: 60.6/56
Polish/Symmetry: VG/VG
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 6.92x6.94x4.2

It costs $4,752 ($1,947 less)
 
mikie- just b/c they are online vendors doesn't mean they don't nec. have a store that you can visit...for example, Good Old Gold is crazy online..but also very much a real B&M store! Check out the sites to investigate!
 
thanks. so how does this work. once I get the appraisal what do I do? as long as it is appraised for higher than I paid I am ok?
 
AND... there are some good things that come out of the maul.

Starbucks
Those yummy warm pretzels
Chick-Fil-A
 
The appraisal is to very not only the price, but to make sure the goods are what they say they are.

It will cost you money to have it appraised. It all depends on the office. It's usually based on the hour and the weight.
 
----------------
On 5/27/2004 3:20:59 PM mikieguns wrote:

the salesperson was actually very nice. she saw that it was above my price range and offered some other suggestions that she said normally they are not allowed to tell people (ship it out of state to avoid sales tax and if I can find something to trade in I get 20% off).----------------
Click to expand...


Nice and honest enough to help you commit tax evasion. Yea, real reputable! That aside, look, we can appreciate the fact that you don't want to buy a diamond on-line, lots of people are apprehensive about that and we can appreciate how they feel about that. The truth is that we never intended to sell diamonds on-line, but we do sell a lot of diamonds on-line and thus are obviously biased to that regard.

What concerns us about the information that you've provided is the swing between the clarity and color grades. Which is it? SI-1 or SI-2? H color or I color? Diamonds are valued based upon the characteristics and the recognized accuracy or inaccuracy / inconsistency of the lab which graded the diamond. The fact is that GIA and AGS graded diamonds are considered to be more accurately graded and thus worth more than diamonds graded by other laboratories.

If the store is running a legitimate advertised sale, then they have to return the selling price of the item to the normal price when the sale ends, but if this is just a "special if you act now" type of price then it's nothing but marketing hype to push you into buying today to make a hasty uninformed decision. We know that you're going to buy a diamond in your local market, that's fine, but sites like ours and PS were designed to educate people like you and you're going to be a whole lot happier with your purchase in the long run if you do a little research beforehand, even if that research is crammed into a few short hours between now and this evening... Nothing stings more than the realization of research done after the fact and the feeling of being taken by a retail salesperson who pushed you to a quick decision so that she could close out her month $7K higher
2.gif
 
Beware, Mike! That’s a very common pressure tactic in mall stores to tell you to buy immediately or the price will go up. BTW, you don’t have to buy a diamond sight unseen from an online vendor. Many PS vendors will send the diamond to an independent appraiser in your area with whom you can view the diamond and be assured you are getting a good stone before you purchase it.
 
hi mikieguns,

don't feel pressured to buy from this place. your comparison shopping you did was comparing from people who were all over charging in the first place.

on top of that, you simply don't have enough information on the stone to make an educated purchase at this time. would you buy a CAR without knowing ANYTHING about it, ie. what kind of engine, how many can you seat comfortably, what sort of accessories does it come with, etc.? of course you wouldn't. so don't buy a diamond without educating yourself. you'll find that knowledge is power when it comes to buying a diamond. you want to get the best your money can buy, right?

their "hurry and buy" tactics are like a car salesman. don't fall for it. there is no "diamond sale". the pricing for diamonds simply doesn't work that way. it is strictly a tactic. whatever dollar amount is being knocked off is just how much they were overcharging in the first place.

please don't get us wrong. we're not scolding you in any way. we just don't want to see you get taken advantage of. you shouldn't be paying a mercedes benz price for a chevrolet.

please just slow down, educate yourself a bit more, then try to find a fair jeweler if you don't want to buy online. at the very least, the education will allow you to haggle the price if it sounds too high. the jewelry store, if it's a good one, will haggle if they know you've done your homework.

good luck and let us know if we can be of more help!
2.gif
 
----------------
On 5/27/2004 3:43:13 PM mikieguns wrote:

thanks. so how does this work. once I get the appraisal what do I do? as long as it is appraised for higher than I paid I am ok? ----------------
Click to expand...


You really want the appraiser to evaluate the stone more the the price IMO. You want him/her to independently tell you what the specs are, what the pros and cons of the stone are, as well as what it should sell for. (And what it should sell for is often different than a full retail appraised value, so don't get sucked into that -- you want a realistic value.)

If you love the sonte and are comfortable with the appraisel, then you've done well. If you find it isn't what they say it is, or there is a problem like an inclusion that breaks the surface, or you find it doesn't sparkle like you thought it would once you got it away from the bright store lights, this kind of deal protects you. Make sure you are clear of the terms and process of the store.

And, yes -- you'll typically get better quality and more for you $$ from shopping online, but everyone has to decide what they are comfortable with. Just be smart about it.
 
I completely understand where you are coming from and the feedback is appreciated. thanks! here are some of the fruits of my research. below are some diamonds I found that I liked. what do you think is the best value? (from a few different stores- not just mall ones):

1 $4,900 H SI1 GIA
1.03 $5,299 G/H SI1/SI2 IGI
1.04 $5,299 H/I SI1/SI2 IGI
1.01 $5,299 G/H VS2/SI1 IGI
1 $5,500 H VS2 GIA
1 $5,950 F SI2 EGL
1 $6,000 I SI2 IGI
1.27 $6,500 H SI1 GIA
1 $6,600 D SI1 GIA
1.22 $6,699 H SI1 IGI
 
EASY big fella...slow down....there is NO way to tell....you need numbers man, numbers!
 
umm, i think it's safe to assume you can eliminate the IGI ones...what the HECK is a G/H anyway?
 
Hi Mike,

The regular PS vendors are wonderful to work with and sell exceptional stones. Their praises are well merited. Buying online has become more acceptable these days given the increased transparency and money back guarantees associated with these sales.

That being said, if your personal preference is to buy from a B&M in your area, you may want to check out S.A. Peck & Co. I personally do not know anything about them BUT they are a listed vendor here on ps (please see the vendors link at the top of the page) and their B&M store is located on North Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Just another possibility for you to consider.
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Hope this helps.

Kindest regards always,
Linda
wavey.gif
 
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