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Is This Diamond Worth $2550? Or Am I Getting Ripped Off?

H

HyBoNiX

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 11, 2017
Messages
62
Hello everyone, first thread here. I have been looking to buy an engagement ring and I like to be an informed buyer with any big purchase. However, I heard from many close friends they had good experiences at Shane Co. I decided to go to them to look for a ring and I loved their customer service. They were really nice and let me look at about 7 different diamonds. I even got some good education on diamonds as well. I was in the diamond high and ended up buying a .53 carat stone for $2550. This diamond is GIA certified as well. With that being said, I started doing more research online and feel like I may have spent too much. :(2

Blue Nile, White Flash, and James Allen all showed diamonds that were the same size (or bigger) at a cheaper price. I am not sure, but do you think I should look at BN, White Flash or James Allen instead of Shane Co? I loved their customer service, friendliness, and options for my budgeting. The setting was around $600 which seems to be about the market price (looked online). Can you tell me if the below diamond is worth the $2550?

Shape and Cutting Style ........................................... Round Brilliant
Measurements ............................................... 5.31 - 5.34 x 3.11 mm
Carat Weight ........................................................................ 0.53 carat
Color Grade ........................................................................................ D
Clarity Grade .................................................................................... VS2
Cut Grade ............................................................................. Very Good
Polish ................................................................................... Very Good
Symmetry ..................................................................................... Good
Fluorescence ................................................................. Medium Blue
Clarity Characteristics............................................................... Crystal

Depth: 58.5 %
Table: 62 %
Crown Angle: 32.5°
Crown Height: 12.0%
Pavilion Angle: 41.2°
Pavilion Depth: 43.5%
Star Length:55%
Lower Half: 80%
Girdle: Thin to Medium, Faceted, 3.5%
Culet: None

Note: Shane CO says this diamond is Shane Classic Cut as well. The diamond looked beautiful in person and I only saw two inclusions on the diamond. They were on the sides and not directly on the viewing table (very hard to see with a magnifying glass).

I appreciate your time reading this thread and I hope to learn a lot from the community here. I have already gained some valuable tips from other posts.
 

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Rip off, My opinion.

I just bought a crafted by Infinity diamond at High Performance Diamonds: .56 G SI2 (eye clean) for about $1700 and it is a super ideal, cream of the crop diamond.

Please return yours. We can help you do better.
 
I think you are asking a loaded question when you ask if "the diamond is worth $2550?" Are you happy with the ring and diamond? If so then yes it was worth it. Some people (like me) usually buy on the re-sale market in which the price is much cheaper but we usually do not get perks such as trade in, trade up policies. Today I just slightly damaged a custom made platinum ring by dropping it. The damage is not evident unless you loupe it- but if I tried to re-sell the ring I would take a huge hit on price. My point is- buy what makes you happy and life happens. If you are in the return period and you are not happy then return the diamond ring. If you are happy with it then enjoy it.
 
second what @whitewave said. Please return and come back for suggestions on good diamonds.
 
Take it back while you are still in the return period!
 
You could get this one: http://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD9269

.62 F SI1 crafted by infinity for $2594 and its measurements are
5.51 x 5.53 x 3.39
IMG_3588.jpg

The one you bought on the left and the super ideal better and bigger HPD diamond on the right for the same price.
 
Hey guys, thanks for your opinion. I thought I was happy with the diamond, but I started looking online and had second thoughts. The ideal proportions of this diamond do not meet the guide listed here:

http://beyond4cs.com/shapes/round/ideal-proportions/

Thoughts on this website and its analysis?
 
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I think you answered your own question. You can get a super ideal stone with the same color/clarity and better cut/polish/symetry at the same price. Why settle? It's like choosing from a car on a lot that doesn't have quite all the extras you want or ordering the exact car you want with everything you want for the exact same price. Return ASAP imo.

What is your budget and what are you looking for (stone & setting)? Is there a reason for such a high color? Do you want to upgrade down the road? There are pros to each of the vendors you've mentioned, just depends on the the experience you're looking for and what you really want in the end.
 
HyBoNiX said:
Hello everyone, first thread here. I have been looking to buy an engagement ring and I like to be an informed buyer with any big purchase. However, I heard from many close friends they had good experiences at Shane Co. I decided to go to them to look for a ring and I loved their customer service. They were really nice and let me look at about 7 different diamonds. I even got some good education on diamonds as well. I was in the diamond high and ended up buying a .53 carat stone for $2550. This diamond is GIA certified as well. With that being said, I started doing more research online and feel like I may have spent too much. :(2

Blue Nile, White Flash, and James Allen all showed diamonds that were the same size (or bigger) at a cheaper price. I am not sure, but do you think I should look at BN, White Flash or James Allen instead of Shane Co? I loved their customer service, friendliness, and options for my budgeting. The setting was around $600 which seems to be about the market price (looked online). Can you tell me if the below diamond is worth the $2550?

Shape and Cutting Style ........................................... Round Brilliant
Measurements ............................................... 5.31 - 5.34 x 3.11 mm
Carat Weight ........................................................................ 0.53 carat
Color Grade ........................................................................................ D
Clarity Grade .................................................................................... VS2
Cut Grade ............................................................................. Very Good
Polish ................................................................................... Very Good
Symmetry ..................................................................................... Good
Fluorescence ................................................................. Medium Blue
Clarity Characteristics............................................................... Crystal

Depth: 58.5 %
Table: 62 %
Crown Angle: 32.5°
Crown Height: 12.0%
Pavilion Angle: 41.2°
Pavilion Depth: 43.5%
Star Length:55%
Lower Half: 80%
Girdle: Thin to Medium, Faceted, 3.5%
Culet: None

Note: Shane CO says this diamond is Shane Classic Cut as well. The diamond looked beautiful in person and I only saw two inclusions on the diamond. They were on the sides and not directly on the viewing table (very hard to see with a magnifying glass).

I appreciate your time reading this thread and I hope to learn a lot from the community here. I have already gained some valuable tips from other posts.
Click to expand...

I spent that much on a Brian Gavin Signature stone which was .833. Now, I did get a J so it depends on your colour sensitivity, but long story short you can probably do better for your money through another vendor. If you are happy with it though, that's worth something IMO. I find diamond shopping stressful and in a way I wish I'd just stuck with the first order I made (online via adiamor). Depends if you want to go back to square one, and if your partner would like a bit more size.
 
It is a HCA 3.0 and we recommend staying under 2.

You can do MUCH BETTER for the price you paid. Much better.

Even if you didn't go with a super idea, you could get even bigger.
 
Why did you go with such high color and clarity?
 
whitewave said:
Why did you go with such high color and clarity?
Click to expand...

I picked a high color and clarity because that was the "best" quality diamond Shane Co had at the shop. They just didn't have any Diamonds with my range. I am looking for the following specs:

Color: G - D
Clarity: VS2 - Flawless [Will consider going to SI1]
Cut: Very Good - Excellent
Size: .5 - .8 carat

Thanks for all the help. Everyone, I don't care about the buying experience. I just want the best diamond for my future fiance and a company with a good policy. I refuse to overpay unless I am desperate.
 
HyBoNiX said:
Hello everyone, first thread here. I have been looking to buy an engagement ring and I like to be an informed buyer with any big purchase. However, I heard from many close friends they had good experiences at Shane Co. I decided to go to them to look for a ring and I loved their customer service. They were really nice and let me look at about 7 different diamonds. I even got some good education on diamonds as well. I was in the diamond high and ended up buying a .53 carat stone for $2550. This diamond is GIA certified as well. With that being said, I started doing more research online and feel like I may have spent too much. :(2

Blue Nile, White Flash, and James Allen all showed diamonds that were the same size (or bigger) at a cheaper price. I am not sure, but do you think I should look at BN, White Flash or James Allen instead of Shane Co? I loved their customer service, friendliness, and options for my budgeting. The setting was around $600 which seems to be about the market price (looked online). Can you tell me if the below diamond is worth the $2550?

Shape and Cutting Style ........................................... Round Brilliant
Measurements ............................................... 5.31 - 5.34 x 3.11 mm
Carat Weight ........................................................................ 0.53 carat
Color Grade ........................................................................................ D
Clarity Grade .................................................................................... VS2
Cut Grade ............................................................................. Very Good
Polish ................................................................................... Very Good
Symmetry ..................................................................................... Good
Fluorescence ................................................................. Medium Blue
Clarity Characteristics............................................................... Crystal

Depth: 58.5 %
Table: 62 %
Crown Angle: 32.5°
Crown Height: 12.0%
Pavilion Angle: 41.2°
Pavilion Depth: 43.5%
Star Length:55%
Lower Half: 80%
Girdle: Thin to Medium, Faceted, 3.5%
Culet: None

Note: Shane CO says this diamond is Shane Classic Cut as well. The diamond looked beautiful in person and I only saw two inclusions on the diamond. They were on the sides and not directly on the viewing table (very hard to see with a magnifying glass).

I appreciate your time reading this thread and I hope to learn a lot from the community here. I have already gained some valuable tips from other posts.
Click to expand...

I second what @whitewave said... If it were me, I'd get a non-super ideal and have a larger diamond for the money. I'd also consider lower color (still white) and eye clean SI clarity. JMO. ;)

FWIW, a VS2 in should be eye clean (ESPECIALLY in that sized stone). If I was paying for VS2, I'd insist on an eye clean one.
 
HyBoNiX said:
I picked a high color and clarity because that was the "best" quality diamond Shane Co had at the shop. They just didn't have any Diamonds with my range. I am looking for the following specs:

Color: G - D
Clarity: VS2 - Flawless [Will consider going to SI1]
Cut: Very Good - Excellent
Size: .5 - .8 carat

Thanks for all the help. Everyone, I don't care about the buying experience. I just want the best diamond for my future fiance and a company with a good policy. I refuse to overpay unless I am desperate.
Click to expand...

Just saw this... good idea! I'd go to H as well... even I color will be white. But if that makes you nervous, I'd stop at H -- which will be white.
 
check upgrade policies too.

With BN you have to spend 100% more whereas with places like white flash and high performance diamonds, you just have to spend more.
 
You also might take into consideration the tradeup deals that the companies offer.

BlueNile and James Allen - spend 2X original cost of stone (you get 100% of cost of stone for trade in)
Whiteflash - spend same amount or more (you get 100% of cost of stone for trade in)

If you might upgrade in the future than Whiteflash has the best trade in policy (these are Super Ideal Stones/Expert Selections)
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3840000.htm
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3839999.htm
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3059454.htm

If you are not concerned about future trade in value then BN/JA would be good options.

EDIT...BN possibility (hold shift key down when you click on link)
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD09003163
(just went back and read part of the thread...I think I like the stone that WW posted better)

Edit...WW and I were posting the same thing
 
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.77 I VS1 $2760
.71 D VS1 $2710 (im guessing this is priced so well due to the fluoro)
.71 E VS2 $2660 (same ^ Def have it checked out to make sure it's not hazy or milky due to the fluoro)
 
HyBoNiX said:
With that being said, I started doing more research online and feel like I may have spent too much. :(2
Click to expand...

OP, if you're already emotionally attached to the ring you've bought, my best recommendation would be to stop reading any more of this thread.

Shane Co is not a bad diamond retailer, relative to its competitors. Unfortunately, with the economics of operating a mall store the way it is, you will undoubtedly be able to find a better or cheaper diamond online.
 
HyBoNiX said:
Hey guys, thanks for your opinion. I thought I was happy with the diamond, but I started looking online and had second thoughts. The ideal proportions of this diamond do not meet the guide listed here:

http://beyond4cs.com/shapes/round/ideal-proportions/

Thoughts on this website and its analysis?
Click to expand...

OK, I see from your other comments that you are not attached to the ring you bought. Good. I read a lot of beyond4cs when looking for a diamond, and I found their advice useful.

One thing about cut. Here are the statistics for diamonds being sold between dealers now:
John Pollard said:
From RapNet data in June: GIA graded RBs for sale, 0.30ct-3.00ct.
EX 68% (3X 56%)
VG 24%
GD 7%
FR 0.9%
PR 0.1%
Click to expand...
So a full 68% of GIA diamonds sold are GIA excellent, and 56% of GIA diamonds are GIA triple excellent. That means that a very good stone would fall in the lower third of GIA diamonds when it comes to cut quality. That doesn't mean a very good stone can't be very nice. There are plenty of great examples of very good stones. But just some additional data to ponder.
 
If you like a D VS2 this https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3766234.htm is a great option . It's cheaper and is a super ideal with better cut, polish, symmetry for example. I personally like a high color and can appreciate a D. Do get an idea of whether you'd be ok with going lower in the colourless (DEF) or near colourless (GHIJ) ranges as it could save you money. I would have to agree with most other members and say that you can do better if you want to online and PSers WILL help. Color and clarity is a personal preference though and people will respect your minimum requirements as long as it's what you are happy with!
 
Thank you everyone! I cannot modify my original post, but I am looking for the following:

Color: G - D [Possibly will go F]
Clarity: VS2 - Flawless [Will consider going to SI1]
Cut: Very Good - Excellent
Size: .5 - .8 carat

Budget: $2000-$2500

Would like an option to upgrade in the future for cheap.

Also, how does ring maintenance work if I choose an online vendor? What if there are issues with the ring and I choose WhiteFlash?
 
Last edited:
HyBoNiX said:
Thank you everyone! I cannot modify my original post, but I am looking for the following:


Color: G - D [Possibly will go F]
Clarity: VS2 - Flawless [Will consider going to SI1]
Cut: Very Good - Excellent
Size: .5 - .8 carat

Budget: $2000-$2500

Would like an option to upgrade in the future for cheap.

Also, how does ring maintenance work if I choose an online vendor? What if there are issues with the ring and I choose WhiteFlash?
Click to expand...

What about something like this? https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...g-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2785583 (may want to ask the gemologist if it's eye clean, but the scope looks good).

In terms of maintenance, James Allen offers lifetime minor maintenance (prong tightening, rhodium dipping, etc.) but you're responsible for the $30 shipping charge.

Whiteflash offers completely free maintenance, but only for one year: https://www.whiteflash.com/confidence/one-year-service-plan

Whiteflash has a great upgrade policy, in that they'll credit 100% of the purchase price no matter what the new stone costs. James Allen's is also pretty good, but they require that the new stone be 2x the cost of the old one.

Between the two, if you know for a fact you want to upgrade in the future, I'd go with James Allen personally because James Allen just offers a much larger stone selection. If you know for a fact that you want to upgrade to a super-ideal in the future, then Whiteflash isn't bad either.

One thing to note is that the depreciation on settings is in most cases even worse than the stone, so I would go for a relatively inexpensive setting if you know for a fact you're going to upgrade.
 
HDer said:
What about something like this? https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...g-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2785583 (may want to ask the gemologist if it's eye clean, but the scope looks good).

One thing to note is that the depreciation on settings is in most cases even worse than the stone, so I would go for a relatively inexpensive setting if you know for a fact you're going to upgrade.
Click to expand...

Would I have to hire my own gemologist? How does that work?

Also, this is a very good choice! I like to have clear color or visibly clear. I think with the money, I'd like to go a little bigger than .5ct now. I want to shoot for maybe a .6 or .7, my girlfriend has tiny fingers so that will look pretty big on her. lol

I am being picky on the center stone because the setting will be very basic in style. The solitaire setting most likely. She wants vintage, but vintage is difficult. lol
 
You just call JA and ask for a gemologist to check it.
 
HyBoNiX said:
Would I have to hire my own gemologist? How does that work?

Also, this is a very good choice! I like to have clear color or visibly clear. I think with the money, I'd like to go a little bigger than .5ct now. I want to shoot for maybe a .6 or .7, my girlfriend has tiny fingers so that will look pretty big on her. lol

I am being picky on the center stone because the setting will be very basic in style. The solitaire setting most likely. She wants vintage, but vintage is difficult. lol
Click to expand...

Calling works, like @whitewave said. During business hours, James Allen will also have a button just to the right of the "buy" button that you can click to chat with the gemologist.
 
I really like the one @HDer suggested and the WF stone is always a great choice - they will have fire on fire.

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...h-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-3229142 (.7 H VS2, If you drop to H color, there is this really nice one. There is a cluster of very faint inclusions at 7'oclock. You'll have to decide how you feel about it, but if you zoom out to 10x, they are lost in the sparkle. )

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...g-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2785583 {VVS1 .65 carat, but may have leakage based on the video.}

Blue Nile Options
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD09003163 {.72 G VS2}, recommended by @SimoneDi
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD08689574 {.7 G VS2}
 
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