is it too late?

[helloall1]

I already purchased my diamond (gia) from reputable dealer I know, but I would like to get it looked at by another professional.

The thing is, it is already set -does that matter? I am curious about the crown % and the pavillion.

please let me know - I live in NYC, so if you know anyone that can do this, please let me know.

 

[denverappraiser]

It shouldn't be a problem. Search the 'find an appraiser' link at the top of the page for an independent appraiser in NYC. You can also use the search feature on the front page to find discussions about the various possible appraisers.

Neil Beaty, GG
www.gemlab.us

 

[helloall1]

so I went on the list provided on the site and made an appt. for tomorrow afternoon. In any case, the appraiser told me it was $195 per hour or $100 for a half hour. He expects it to take btw. 45 and 1:15. Does this price sound like a lot. I called IGI in New York City as well and they told me they charge 150. The thing is - with them I actually get "real" paperwork.

Please advise - THANKS

FYI - the diamond is:
Asscher - 1.84
F - VVS2
Table - 56
Depth - 65
L X W - 1.045
Pol and sym - both VG
Flor - strong blue (not that noticeable - SO FAR!)

Thoughts?

 

[denverappraiser]

----------------
On 8/4/2004 8:44:04 PM helloall1 wrote:

The thing is - with them I actually get 'real' paperwork.

Please advise - THANKS

Thoughts?----------------

I'm not actually sure what you mean by 'real' paperwork but I'll try to answer that I think is the question.

The quote from the appraiser is pretty typical. I charge a little bit less than that but I'm in Colorado where life is a little cheaper than NYC. There area others who charge more. Assuming that the purpose of the appraisal is to confirm that you bought what you thought you bought and to arraange for proper insurance replacement in the case of a loss, there are quite a few qualified appraisers, including IGI. The process isn't actually as easy as people seem to assulme. If by 'real' you are refering to the IGI Diamond Quality Report, they aren't able to issue it on a mounted stone. This was your first and only requirement. If you feel an IGI appraiser is best suited to your needs, go for it. I'm sure they will appreciate your business. Just out of curiosity, who did you select and why do you feel that their work product is inferior?

Neil Beaty, GG
www.gemlab.us

 

[Regular Guy]

Helloall1,

Sorry to say, I am just a regular guy, and I'll happily defer to Neil, but...despite the fact that you've made your appointment, if you haven't determined this already -- if it is your expectation to learn the crown and pavilion angles specifically in your meeting with your appriaser -- I would ask him if he/she will be able to do this for you, before you start your session. I had understood that once set, you won't get this. Further, unless they have proper equipment (sarin or something technically similar, perhaps OGI), they won't be able to get you that info, even UNmounted.

Regarding your specific question about cost, it may be higher than average, but not exceedingly so (in DC the cost of $150 - 175 per hour I paid also seemed higher than average, but the appraiser seemed well regarded, and I just regarded it as the cost of doing business. However, since you do know what you want (i.e., angles, it seems), don't be disappointed going in, if you can know in advance you won't be able to get this info.

Depending on how specifically important that info is to you, if I'm right, you can at least determine the cost to unset, get appraised, and have set again your diamond...and see if that is worth it to you.

Let us know what happens.

 

[Regular Guy]

Sorry, Neil made a second post, while I only briefly commented on his first one. In his second, he clarified sufficiently, I think, except I think what IGI can't do, your local appraiser probably won't be able to do either. Alternately, the expectation -- as Neil reviewed above -- is that the appraiser can confirm that the diamond you have is the one you thought you bought.

Sounds like that's not exactly what you're going for, though you'll need some kind of appriasal regardless, for insurance purposes. For that reason alone, albeit not the originally stated one, you may want to go ahead. That is how it rolled out for me, anyway.

 

[denverappraiser]

Regular Guy is quite correct that it is not possible to get a Sarin report on a mounted stone. This is the reason that IGI and others are unable to issue an accurate DQR. It is also not possible to get an exact weight although you can make a pretty good estimate based on various measurements. A skilled appraiser can make a decent guess at crown and pavillion angles on a mounted stone but won't get anything like the precision possible on unmounted goods. I'm sure IGI has some capable apprasiers but my taste when hiring professionals is to put more emphasis on the skills of individual doing the work than I put on the firm the firm. Obviously there are others who disagree. IGI outsells me by a factor of a thousand.

In most cases, removing and reseting the stone isn't all that difficult. Talk to the jeweler who set it in the first place. Your appraiser may be able to arrange for this as well, if the original jeweler is unavailable. It all boils down to deciding what you are trying to learn.

Neil Beaty, GG
www.gemlab.us

 

[helloall1]

Thank you all for your help. I now understand I can not get some of the information I would like. I trust my dealer - but I would have liked to know the angles and such for my own peice of mind. I am going to go ahead with the appriasal - it can't hurt.

Thanks again for your help