Is this a good price for this diamond?

Lugus · Jan 17, 2003

Ok, so I know its not a good price because it's from "the mall". But, I don't think the price is set in stone.

1.51 ct
color: F
clarity: VS2
Depth: 62.5%
Table: 57%
Girdle: med
Flr: none
cullet: none
cert: GIA
polish: ex
symetry: ex
price: not excellent

price: $21,999

I've seen the stone, and it is gorgeous.

The question is, how much should I expect to pay for this stone from a retail store? I know I can get a better price off the net, but the salesman I'm dealing with sold me the first piece of jewelry I ever gave my girlfriend 3 years ago, and since I'm sentimental, I thought I'd give him a chance to offer a competitive price.

Also, the table/depth ratio seems pretty good to me. Is there any way the numbers could be improved? Does anyone have any comments on the stone?

ccuheartnurse · Jan 17, 2003

The diamond seems like a nice one, too bad about that price. Sorry to tell you but you need to get over the sentimental journey & buy more informed. They are selling that stone for about 8-9K more than you could find here or online. Have fun shopping.

Judy

jetcaptain · Jan 17, 2003

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On 1/17/2003 6:43:34 PM Lugus wrote:

Ok, so I know its not a good price because it's from "the mall". But, I don't think the price is set in stone.

1.51 ct
color: F
clarity: VS2
Depth: 62.5%
Table: 57%
Girdle: med
Flr: none
cullet: none
cert: GIA
polish: ex
symetry: ex
price: not excellent

price: $21,999

I've seen the stone, and it is gorgeous.

The question is, how much should I expect to pay for this stone from a retail store? I know I can get a better price off the net, but the salesman I'm dealing with sold me the first piece of jewelry I ever gave my girlfriend 3 years ago, and since I'm sentimental, I thought I'd give him a chance to offer a competitive price.

Also, the table/depth ratio seems pretty good to me. Is there any way the numbers could be improved? Does anyone have any comments on the stone?

----------------

Looking at the pricescope price stats, a 1.51 carat, F, VS2 hearts & arrows average price would be about $13,000. I don't really know how much you should expect to pay for a similar stone from a retail store. The real question is, just how much extra are YOU willing to pay for the sake of sentimentality? Is it really worth $9,000 to you? Is sentimentality even worth an extra $900? Nobody on this forum will be able to answer this question for you; you'll have to decide this for yourself. But in my opinion, you owe it to yourself and your girlfriend to get the best diamond you can find for whatever amount of money you choose to spend. If your salesman buddy can do that for you, great! If not, then I suggest that you buy elsewhere. Others on the forum may have a different philosophy to share.

Lugus · Jan 17, 2003

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm SOOOOO nervous about making this decision. Needless to say this is quite a lot of money for me.

How much more am I willing to spend for sentimental reasons? It really depends on how much more I should expect to pay for this stone.

I guess my question really is, how much do I allow a retail store to mark up the stone before I feel ripped off? I don't mind paying a bit more, but I'd hate to be taken advantage of.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looking at the pricescope price stats, a 1.51 carat, F, VS2 hearts & arrows average price would be about $13,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had also done some searches, and most of the stones with better prices had good or very good symetry or polish. Or they had a cullet, or a florescence or all of these. If you find a comparable stone in the 1.5-1.9 range (or better one!) can you please link it to this page? If Kay Jewelers doesn't get anywhere near the price I'll just go buy that one

texas_26 · Jan 17, 2003

You may want to try this one -

https://www.pricescope.com/origin.asp?id=114736&sh=8&prc=12731

or this

https://www.pricescope.com/origin.asp?id=116737&sh=8&prc=12946

Yet another
https://www.pricescope.com/origin.asp?id=68078&sh=8&prc=13403

All 9G's less than the one you are buying. All with better depth %. Your depth seems a *tad* deep for the table, but we would have to know the pavilion and crown angles to know for sure. Kay will get 10% off rap, triple the price, and then mark it down 35-40% off suggested retail.

To confirm something you said, yes you can do MUCH better online. Better stone, for better price. Sentimental value is something sales guys put in your head so you keep coming back.

I doubt she is going to look at 1.5ct rock and say "But did you buy it from Bubba at Kay's?"

I think she will love it no matter what.

John

lacina · Jan 17, 2003

Hi Lugus,
I can tell you are a man of RARE qualities,
Why Am I saying that? You understand how important is for you to keep a great relationship with your Jeweler!,...

I would LOVE to have you as my customer,... You know,.. My price is about $50 lower than the store you deal with,... But the slight difference is you will get a stone that is over 2CARAT! I will even set it in Plattinum for you , no charge!

Wouldn't you agree you would look like a hero to her?
(just teasing)...

Best
George

Lugus · Jan 17, 2003

More thanks for the continued feedback. I cannot tell you how frustrating this all has been for me. I'm putting so much presure on myself to make sure that the stone is perfect, that to some extent cost hasn't been a deciding factor for me. This is probably a good time to point out that there's no way in h*ll I'm going to pay an extra 9k to buy it at Kay. I'd rather put that money into a stone that's a bit larger.

Someone mentioned that the depth seemed a tad large. Do the rest of you feel this way as well? I called about the crown and pavillion angles and the jeweler only had the GIA cert which he said didn't have that information.

This a huge amout of money for me and Kay is nice because of the financing they'll provide (no interest 1 year). Are there reputable online dealers that offer financing options?

Ugh, I'm feeling very lost, and I just want everything to be perfect.

lacina · Jan 17, 2003

Hi Lugus,

This is exactly how the stores get the high prices "financing" is the key
to it. I am sure if you offered cash sale, the price gets to be more realistic. If you think of it, 1 year or interest means roughly $1200 and there is no doubt someone has to pay for it. Do you know who the person paying for it is? You got it right! Its you!
And if you don't pay it off in a year,... the interst starts piling up like crazy, month by month,..
Did you ever think of going to your bank and ask for personal loan?
The rates are very reasonable today , and I bet if you finance the stone and buy it cash from a wholesaler you will be better off!
think about it!
George

Richard Sherwood · Jan 18, 2003

The mall stone is a rip-off. Even for mall store prices.

I know the financing seems attractive, but a couple years down the road you'll grow to hate it.

The last thing you need to do in an engagement-marriage relationship is go into debt. It will be the start of a pattern that will plague you your whole marriage, and possibly end it.

Buy a smaller stone that you can afford to pay for cash. If it's a third of a carat, so be it. If your fiancee is the right one for you, she'll love it, as well as the fact that you are financially responsible.

jetcaptain · Jan 18, 2003

----------------
On 1/18/2003 7:57:11 AM Richard Sherwood wrote:

The mall stone is a rip-off. Even for mall store prices.

I know the financing seems attractive, but a couple years down the road you'll grow to hate it.

The last thing you need to do in an engagement-marriage relationship is go into debt. It will be the start of a pattern that will plague you your whole marriage, and possibly end it.

Buy a smaller stone that you can afford to pay for cash. If it's a third of a carat, so be it. If your fiancee is the right one for you, she'll love it, as well as the fact that you are financially responsible.
----------------

Lugus,

May I make a suggestion? You know your financial situation better than any of your friends here on Rocky Talk. Considering the responses you've gotten so far, perhaps if you give us some direction, we can help you find some alternatives that you can compare to what you've already found at the mall. Although I think Rich's advice about paying cash is sound advice, your financial situation MIGHT allow you to assume a SMALL amount of debt in order to purchase that special stone. If you can give us a maximum dollar amount and the characteristics that are most important to you, we will help you find some diamonds to consider. Also, the type of setting you are planning on might be useful information too. Of course, as an alternative, we could suggest internet sites where you could do the shopping yourself, but you're going to have to ask us to do that specifically. Some forum members are offended by that type of suggestion if the original poster doesn't specifically ask for it.

texas_26 · Jan 18, 2003

Lugus -

If you look around online and scan all the diamonds that are ideal/H&A/etc, you will find that with most of these stones, the table+depth=~117. They seem to vary from about 116 to about 118.5. As the table rises toward 57-58, the depth should be coming down to somewhere around 60. This isn't the only important thing however. You need to have the pavillion and crown angles to make sure the cut is good.

This is just what I have found while researching, and if you check on sites like niceice, GOG, and whiteflash on their "A cut above" you will see this is a pattern for great stones.

If you have too much depth for the table, you are losing some diameter on the stone, making it smaller on top.

Overall, I have been told these are the *BEST* percentages, angles to stay in.

Total Depth - 59-61.8
Table diameter - 53-57 (the total of these two should be roughly between 116-11

The critical factors -
Crown angle between 34.3 - 34.8 degrees
Pavilion angle between 40.5 - 40.9 degrees

John

lacina · Jan 18, 2003

Rich,
From the bottom of my hearth, I agree with you. Debt carryied over to a relationship is not a good idea.
It is to my understanding that any man looking for a $20 000+ diamond ring knows what is he doing,... If Lugus says it's a lot of money for him. does not mean he does not know what is he doing or can't afford it. I mean My dear wife owns a couple of rings and each of them is worth small fortune for me and anybody on the planet . Sometimes I wonder how did I manage buying such expensive items, was it necessary?
Well some people say that a good measure of how expensive engagement ring you should buy is three times of your monthly income. Some say 5 times,...
Therefore for any young man three months of income is not a lot on the paper, however it is alot to save it up and buy cash,..
And even if the guy is a milionaire with variable income, may consider taking advantage of free financing, I mean why not?... The nature if consumer is to save as much as you can no matter what your finantial status is. My point was this is a gimmick used by mall stores . It allows them to sell the financing with the diamond and make money on both. And guess what? People go gor it knowing they will pay a bit more,... The question is how much more? In this case $9000 proves this is something to consider, because if you are thinking spending three months of your income, five weeks of it is gone into the financing and the stores proffit.
Believe me, many people are nervous to shop over the net,..
And I think this can also be the case,...
They forget there are laws that protect them, and also internet services
set up to make on line transactions 100% safe.

George

Lugus · Jan 18, 2003

----------------
On 1/18/2003 8:58:44 AM jetcaptain wrote:

Lugus,

May I make a suggestion? You know your financial situation better than any of your friends here on Rocky Talk. Considering the responses you've gotten so far, perhaps if you give us some direction, we can help you find some alternatives that you can compare to what you've already found at the mall. Although I think Rich's advice about paying cash is sound advice, your financial situation MIGHT allow you to assume a SMALL amount of debt in order to purchase that special stone. If you can give us a maximum dollar amount and the characteristics that are most important to you, we will help you find some diamonds to consider. Also, the type of setting you are planning on might be useful information too. Of course, as an alternative, we could suggest internet sites where you could do the shopping yourself, but you're going to have to ask us to do that specifically. Some forum members are offended by that type of suggestion if the original poster doesn't specifically ask for it.
----------------

I was really expecting to pay about 17k for the diamond. However, MUCH more importantly, I wanted the best looking 1.5-1.8 diamond that could be found. I don't want a diamond higher than F in color, or VS2 in clarity. Of course the cut has to be perfect. Excellent polish and symetry really seemed to make the diamond I looked at stand out above similar stones, so those features are important as well. I believe I'd also like a traditionally cut round diamond. At one time in this process I had really considered a LEO diamond, but something just didn't feel right about it. The sparkels seemed "different" than traditional stones.

As far as buying over the internet, I'm a programmer so I wouldn't be opposed to making the purchase from a reputable dealer.

Regarding the cost of the diamond, this amount is a large percentage of my yearly income, but I am in the unique situation where I do not have many bills. I will be able to pay the ring off by the time we get married, since she wants a 1 year engagement to plan plan plan. I appreciate the concerns of starting those who said not to start off the marriage with debt, and I wholeheartedly agree.

jetcaptain · Jan 18, 2003

I was really expecting to pay about 17k for the diamond. However, MUCH more importantly, I wanted the best looking 1.5-1.8 diamond that could be found. I don't want a diamond higher than F in color, or VS2 in clarity. Of course the cut has to be perfect. Excellent polish and symetry really seemed to make the diamond I looked at stand out above similar stones, so those features are important as well. I believe I'd also like a traditionally cut round diamond. At one time in this process I had really considered a LEO diamond, but something just didn't feel right about it. The sparkels seemed "different" than traditional stones.

As far as buying over the internet, I'm a programmer so I wouldn't be opposed to making the purchase from a reputable dealer.

Regarding the cost of the diamond, this amount is a large percentage of my yearly income, but I am in the unique situation where I do not have many bills. I will be able to pay the ring off by the time we get married, since she wants a 1 year engagement to plan plan plan. I appreciate the concerns of starting those who said not to start off the marriage with debt, and I wholeheartedly agree.
----------------
[/quote]
Lugus,

Are you saying that you would like some suggestions from the forum about specific web sites and/or diamonds to look at for the sake of education and comparison?

Lugus · Jan 18, 2003

----------------
On 1/18/2003 4:45:41 PM jetcaptain wrote:
----------------
Lugus,

Are you saying that you would like some suggestions from the forum about specific web sites and/or diamonds to look at for the sake of education and comparison?
----------------

yes please. Help me find the diamond that'll outshine all others. I know this board even gets owners of some of the more honest stores. Let me know what you guys have.

jetcaptain · Jan 18, 2003

Lugus,

Are you saying that you would like some suggestions from the forum about specific web sites and/or diamonds to look at for the sake of education and comparison?
----------------
[/quote]

yes please. Help me find the diamond that'll outshine all others. I know this board even gets owners of some of the more honest stores. Let me know what you guys have.

----------------
[/quote]

Okay, before I make my suggestions, I want you to understand that I am not trying to make you think that I am a diamond expert. I am not associated with anyone in the diamond business. I enjoy reading here on Rocky Talk because I find diamonds interesting. My motivation for posting here is that I want to share my two cents worth with others to help them in their search for that wonderful diamond for that special someone at a price that makes both the buyer and the seller happy. Is this a sufficient disclaimer? Anyway, I suggest that you visit www.goodoldgold.com. Poke around this website and consider all the information that it has to offer. I picked out three diamonds in your price range that you might want to pay extra attention to. The largest is a 2.11ct, I/VS1. In a yellow gold setting the I color should be fine. It's listed price is $16,950. Next is a 1.70ct,G/VVS2 for $17,200. Or, if you would rather save $1,600, how about the 1.61ct, G/VS1 for $15,600. I doubt you could really tell the difference in size or the one step up in clarity. There are undoubtedly others to look at and consider among the thousands of diamonds available on the internet and at the brick & mortar stores in your area. I just wanted to offer you a reasonable place to begin/continue your search. Maybe others will offer their own suggestions, or critique those I have offered, which is just fine with me. Good luck with wherever your search takes you.

Richard Sherwood · Jan 18, 2003

Now you're talkin! Lugus, you're in good hands with JetCaptain and the others. They'll save you thousands with their direction.

All (3) stones J.C. listed sound like decent buys, and you won't have to worry about the cut knowing Jonathan. He is a fanatic when it comes to cut. In all fairness, several of the vendors posting on these boards are, and have equally excellent prices.

A stone equivalent to what you were looking at in the mall would probably cost you about $13-14,000 through vendors here, and have a better cut.

The problem (I think) you're going to run into though is that vendors here are selling at prices which don't allow them to offer long-term financing. The fact that mall stores are willing to "hold the paper" is one of their major attractions. As you can see though, it's clearly not worth it.

As George pointed out earlier, you're much better off getting a conventional loan and purchasing an internet stone than going the "high credit/high markup route". Even an 18-20% credit card purchase of an internet stone would put you far ahead of what you would pay out for an "in-store high-retail" stone.

Compare these two scenarios:

Mall purchase of stone you mentioned earlier (1.51 F/VS2)-
$22,000 + tax ($1540?) + 1 years financing at 22% average mall financing:
$28,718.00 total cost

Internet purchase of same stone with a rip-off credit card rate of 20% -
$13,500 + no tax + 1 years financing:
$16,200.00 total cost...

A "using your head" purchase saves you $12,500. A "following the mindless herd" purchase costs you $12,500.

That, my friend, is serious money.

You were content to buy a high quality 1.5 stone originally. Why not stick to that game plan, at a savings of $12,500? You're happy, you're fiancee's happy, and your bank account's happy.

Richard Sherwood · Jan 18, 2003

Richard Sherwood · Jan 18, 2003

-----------
My point was this is a gimmick used by mall stores . It allows them to sell the financing with the diamond and make money on both. And guess what? People go gor it knowing they will pay a bit more,... The question is how much more? In this case $9000 proves this is something to consider, because if you are thinking spending three months of your income, five weeks of it is gone into the financing and the stores proffit.
-----------

This is good advice George gave you.

By the way, the "recommended guide line" on how much to spend on an engagement ring used to be 2 months salary. As George points out that has now "risen" to 3 months (with some people saying up to 5 months- too much, too much). Three months seems more than reasonable as a guideline

For someone making $48,000 per year for example, the range of "accepted" expenditure would be:

$8000- 2 months, based on gross salary (or $6400 based on net salary)
$12,000- 3 months, based on gross salary (or $9600 based on net salary)

jetcaptain · Jan 18, 2003

----------------
On 1/18/2003 9

2

4 PM Richard Sherwood wrote:

Now you're talkin! Lugus, you're in good hands with JetCaptain and the others. They'll save you thousands with their direction.

All (3) stones J.C. listed sound like decent buys, and you won't have to worry about the cut knowing Jonathan. He is a fanatic when it comes to cut. In all fairness, several of the vendors posting on these boards are, and have equally excellent prices.

A stone equivalent to what you were looking at in the mall would probably cost you about $13-14,000 through vendors here, and have a better cut.

The problem (I think) you're going to run into though is that vendors here are selling at prices which don't allow them to offer long-term financing. The fact that mall stores are willing to "hold the paper" is one of their major attractions. As you can see though, it's clearly not worth it.

As George pointed out earlier, you're much better off getting a conventional loan and purchasing an internet stone than going the "high credit/high markup route". Even an 18-20% credit card purchase of an internet stone would put you far ahead of what you would pay out for an "in-store high-retail" stone.

Compare these two scenarios:

Mall purchase of stone you mentioned earlier (1.51 F/VS2)-
$22,000 + tax ($1540?) + 1 years financing at 22% average mall financing:
$28,718.00 total cost

Internet purchase of same stone with a rip-off credit card rate of 20% -
$13,500 + no tax + 1 years financing:
$16,200.00 total cost...

A "using your head" purchase saves you $12,500. A "following the mindless herd" purchase costs you $12,500.

That, my friend, is serious money.

You were content to buy a high quality 1.5 stone originally. Why not stick to that game plan, at a savings of $12,500? You're happy, you're fiancee's happy, and your bank account's happy.

----------------

Lugus,

Since I don't know you or your financial situation, I can't really get too involved in the financing details. I can suggest some alternatives to the ridiculous rates at the mall and on a typical credit card. My first and foremost source of funds when I was a (much) younger man was Mom & Dad. Zero percent interest, and a sympathetic ear if repayment was a little slow. This may not be a possibility for you, or you may not want to get family tied up in this process. I'm cool with that, but for some people this avenue might work great. If you've got significant equity in a home, a home-equity loan MIGHT make sense for this large a purchase. Take the interest off of your federal (and perhaps state and local) income tax if you itemize? If you've got a significant amount of money in a 401(k) retirement account and your plan allows you to take out a loan against it, this might be another great way to finance the ring. In my company's plan, for a $50 processing fee, you can borrow up to 50% of your 401(k)'s value up to $50,000, and pay interest back to YOURSELF into your 401(k) for a term up to five years. Sweeeeet. Of course, you could go to your bank or credit union and apply for a loan. Surely you can do better than 20-22% there! If you absolutely must do the credit card financing, at least find a card that has an interest rate in the 12-15% range (or lower), and preferably one that pays you 1% cash back on your purchases. Remember, these are just ideas to get you thinking of possibilities, since I don't know anything about your financial situation. I hope others will offer some additional financing ideas too!

texas_26 · Jan 18, 2003

I just purchased a diamond from niceice.com. H&A, Ideal cut,etc.

I am EXTREMELY pleased with this stone. Took it and compared it to hearts and fire, and it was every bit as good.

I worked with goodoldgold as well, and they seemed equally as nice, but I ended up going with niceice since they had exactly what I was looking for.

John

Rhino · Jan 18, 2003

Thanks for the kind words Texas. It was a pleasure to be of service.

While the advice in this thread is very sound ... lacina ... you may want to read more carefully the guidelines on this forum. There are many people who come on these boards looking for help and advice and while I would love to do what you are doing and show people diamonds I have available for sale it is clearly against the policies of this forum for you to steer a client away from one place and lead them to yours. If consumers come on here and give recommendations that is one thing but we can not, as vendors, solicit people here on the forum unless Leonid changed the rules.

Please don't take my post in the wrong tone lacina. We welcome your participation but if it is to sell, sell, sell our product then this is (to my understanding) going against the policies involving participation on this forum.

Peace,
Rhino

optimized · Jan 18, 2003

being a 1.68 ct. F, VS1 diamond listed at $15,960.

I would hasten to add that there are many fine and reputable dealers that can be found by searching here and elsewhere. As mentioned above, Jonathan's Good Old Gold has one of the best reputations I personally have heard of on the forums, and his diamond pages are simply filthy with information about the stones he has for sale. I almost wish I'd contacted him myself, if only to experience some of the great service I hear about from everybody else around here. Maybe I'll have to think up some new jewelry purchase to give me an excuse to contact him.

A key piece of advice though is to be as patient as you can, and try not to get caught up in the hype. There are an awful lot of diamond vendors in the world (online and IRL), and a lot of them will use tactics that are less than noble in order to try to separate you from your cash. I know you're already aware of this, but it bears keeping in mind at all times.

Good luck in your search!

-Tim
[/u][/u]

Mara · Jan 18, 2003

Lugus, you are in good hands with Texas, Tim, and JetCaptain's advice..they know what they are talking about when it comes to shopping! Definitely check out GoodOldGold, WhiteFlash..and the others like NiceIce and USACertEd, etc. The more info you can get on the online stones, the more comfortable your purchase will feel.

When I was searching for stones, I knew to stay away from mall jewelers, but priced them out anyway just for fun. One that stuck in my mind particularly was a 1.5c H, SI1 very sparkly stone that was priced at $17k. Ridiculous! I have seen people get much better deals online.

Also my two cents is that the 'typical' amount that people say you should spend is ridiculous as well--whether its 2 months or 5 months (HAH!). I definitely second Rich's comments on interest. My bottom line is that you should really think twice before going into debt for a year to finance a luxury item like a ring.

A few months might be reasonable if you are willing..but a year is a long time and interest will rack up fast. If possible, maybe think about something less debt-friendly..you can always upgrade later when you win the lotto. My opinion anyway...

Anyway regardless of your budget, definitely view the recommended online jewelers' sites. You will see some spectacular deals, some excellent tools and reports..and all of it FREE to view and much more informative than your local mall jeweler can give!

Lugus · Jan 18, 2003

Thanks for the wonderful advice guys. I was literally making myself sick worrying about doing this the right way, for the right price. The more I think about it (and get away from the sales pitch of Kays), the more I'm thinking the prices at Kays wouldn't allow me to afford the diamond of my (and her!) dreams. Tomorrow I'm planning on sneaking away and requesting a diamond like the following.

Size: 1.68
Color: E
Clarity :VS2
Depth: 60.8%
Table: 57%
Cert: GIA
Girdle: 1.4
Culet: none
Poish: ex
Sym: ex
Flr: no
7.64x7.68x4.66
$14814

if they don't step up to the plate and get within 10% then I believe I'll purchasing my diamond elsewhere. The one above seems much nicer than the one I saw at Kay, and at a fraction of the cost. Anyone have any comments on that one, or point me to an even better one?

In response to those who have raised concerns that I said it's a lot of money for me. I've heard of the 2 or 3 month salary rule, but for me getting the right stone is much more important. I've already informed my girlfriend that I will probably be paying off the loan up until we are married, and she is fine with that. We have money tucked away for a house and furnishing already. For me, so long as I don't start the marriage with debt and I'm getting the stone I want, everything else will be just fine. Plus, now that I'm not planning on getting ripped off, I'll end up with a stone that's worth what I pay for it

Once again, I just want to thank the posters SOOOO much. I'm sure many of you know what I'm going through right now. The advice so far has been wonderful. Keep it coming so I can spend my time worrying about planning the perfect proposal

lacina · Jan 19, 2003

There you go Lugus,
Nice stone!
Lucky Lady that gets to enjoy it!

Rhino ,
As far as my last post goes,.. I have decided to remove it. True, I neglected the rules of your forum. Honestly my intent is not to stear one away from anyone. That post did not nave another replies to it,...
I specialize in Fancy colored diamond and Sapphire import and wholesale.
And do not feel I am in direct competition with anyone on this forum.

Best
George

jetcaptain · Jan 19, 2003

Please allow me one more tidbit. It may seem like it would go without saying, but I'm going to write this anyway just in case--have whatever diamond you choose independently evaluated and appraised BEFORE you commit your money! If the seller won't agree to do this, my advice is to go look elsewhere.

And also, although we concentrate alot of our electrons here on Rocky Talk discussing internet diamonds, sometimes the best deal has been found at a brick and mortar store. That's where I ended up buying the center stone for my wife's 20th anniversary present, and believe me, I shopped the internet thoroughly. But my situation is somewhat unusual, since the store is an independent jewelry store in a small town. The stone was uncertified when we first saw it, which of course made it much less expensive(10-15%)than comparable certified stones. After several viewings, the store offered to have the diamond GIA certified at no additional cost, with no obligation on our part. With nothing to lose, we agreed. The certification confirmed that the diamond was not only as good as they claimed, it was even one color grade better than expected. So, the point of all this is to give you one more avenue to consider during your search. If you resolve to have any diamond you've found independently evaluated before you buy it, even an uncertified diamond becomes a potential way to either save money or get more diamond for your money.

texas_26 · Jan 19, 2003

Lugus -

That stone you have there appears to have great potential. The measurements are great, the table and depth percentages are great, and color and clarity are above what you initially were looking at! Don't you love the internet?

As long as the crown and pavilion are close to the numbers I listed above, this stone will be excellent.

If you found this on the pricescope listing, I am SURE Jonathan at Goodoldgold, or Todd at niceice would be able to find it, run it through all their tests, and be able to sell it to you for an excellent price, and give you the peace of mind knowing it is a quality stone.

Good luck on your quest! And as long as you stay with the select few dealers listed in this thread you should have no problems, and no need to worry! I worried myself sick about the stone I got for my wife, and once I started talking to Jonathan of GOG and Todd of Niceice, my mind went at ease, and the only I worried about was coming up with the $$$.

I am proud of the one I got, so I am posting a couple pics

. I got this at niceice.

John

lacina · Jan 19, 2003

Hi Jetcaptain,
True,... You can find a deal anywhere, If you look for it,...

I am in the business of supply to the retail industry and I can tell you there is not a lot of money to be made on diamond sales IF the seller is trully legit or offers legit diamonds.
The brick/mortar stores need to make a larget proffit than the internet sellers. At least 30% more this is what brings their prices to different levels. If I loose an account, witch rarely happens, there is allways something fishy behind it.
The good deal may turn out to be not as clean as you may think it is,...
I know a store manager that was fired for selling diamonds under the table for cash. Investigation unrevieled that the diamonds were broad into the country thorough illegal channels.... Sure this is where you get a great price, because someone is in need to sell for cash even with a loss . Can you be proud of buying such item??
For that matter I think it is safer to look for certified stones that surely are comming from reputable labs and legit cutters/ dealers.
Ig you find a stone on the net from a reputable dealer, it does not mean the price advertized is final,.. Try to Make an offer! If you buy durring the slowest times of the year and find someone who is over stocked, you just may be lucky to get a clean deal! This ofcourse applies to all diamond sellers carrying stock. Timing is everything!

Best
George

optimized · Jan 19, 2003

Texas,

of my fiancé's diamond in the near future. What type of camera/lens/lighting/exposure did you use?

Thanks,

-Tim

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Is this a good price for this diamond?

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