Jeweler lying?????

[ShariMichele]

I took my three H SI1 stones into a jeweler to have them set it into a custom platinum setting for me. The center stone came back looking horrendous, but they are trying to convince me it is an SI1, but cloudy because my cert says "clarity grading is based on clouds not shown" on the inclusion map. It did not look this way when I purchased it, and SI1 is supposed to have inclusions "invisible to the naked eye", so why would he be telling me, in his 28 years experience, that this is an SI1, unless he was lying and switched or damaged the stone? I am having it appraised on Monday for confirmation, but c'mon people, look at it. Clearly not an SI1, and I am trying to arm myself with information while I wait. (note: the two side stones are same color and clarity HSI1). Playing devil's advocate for now, why would he mislead me unless he was guilty?

 

[FB.]

Is it possible that your stone was switched? Does it have a laser inscription on the girdle?

Could the change of mounting be allowing light to enter the stone from a different direction? Sometimes light entering the pavilion can light up the whitish inclusions within.

"Clarity grade is based on clouds that are not shown" is always a deal-breaker for me.
Quite often in SI and lower clarity stones, it implies that the the stone is basically filled with one large cloud, or a couple of large clouds. Quite often, even just having half the stone with cloudiness will reflect around the stone and make the whole stone look hazy. A large cloud under the table running to a good depth can block or disperse all light pathways through the stone.

They are often eye clean, in the sense that you can't see inclusions in most lighting conditions (and many people are attracted to "100% eye clean" SI clarity stones with clouds without realising thr risks).
But the downside of those "100% eye clean" stones is that in some bright lighting, the whole stone turns hazy.
In the case of your stone, the cloud has made the H colour appear fantastically white.

I'm not entirely surprised that the stone shows cloudiness/haziness, especially if your stone is a "low" SI1 bordering on "high" SI2.

If the stone just had one or two small clouds shown on the plot, or if the stone had a comment "clouds not shown", then I wouldn't be so concerned. But clouds as grade-makers can be just as bad as a large black crystal, but in a different way.

 

[denverappraiser]

Don’t jump to any conclusions until we hear what your appraiser has to say. There’s little point in speculation on a photograph when 2 days from now you’ve got an appointment with a pro can actually look at the stone. Was the appraiser hired by YOU or THEM? Who graded it as SI1 originally? Did your appraiser get a chance to look at it before it was set? Who is in possession of the piece now?

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[ShariMichele]

The thing that bothers me most is I looked at it in mulitple lighting conditions before I bought it and saw nothing like this. The apprasier is hired by me (as recommended on the appraisers list on PS), he has not seen the stone yet, so not before it was mounted. It is graded SI1 by GIA, do you want the cert number? I have the stone right now.

 

[ShariMichele]

Also, it does not have a laser inscription, and another jeweler is telling me it doesn''t match the cert. It''s really a long and painful story, I guess I have to wait til Monday for the appraisal..it''s just really eating me up.

 

[ShariMichele]

I still don't understand how it can be SI1 with that kind of cloud. I went with SI1 because I didn't want to see any flaws, but it seems we found an SI1 loophole (unless it's a clarity grade based cloud). I see it in all lighting conditions, but least noticeable in daylight.

 

[denverappraiser]

A cloud that looks like that would not correctly be graded SI1 on the GIA scale. It may be damage, it may be cleaning, it may even be the photograph. Given a GIA SI1 grade, I seriously doubt that what you’re seeing is the ‘cloud not shown’. Again, I don't want to jump to conclusions because you've done the right thing in hiring a pro to inspect it in person and get to the bottom of it. Try to be patient until you hear what they have to say. It should be no problem for them to tell you if it's the correct stone for the report as well.

No, I don’t need the cert number but I’m sure the appraiser will want to see the original report so that he/she can look at the plotting diagram (among other reasons). As I'm sure you know, GIA documents are much more useful than those issued by some of their competitors.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[ShariMichele]

Thanks Neil, I feel better having heard you don''t think this could be a SI1 cloud in a GIA stone. In your experience, have you ever seen a diamond look like this from being damaged while mounting into a setting? It''s been cleaned mulitple times, and it''s not the photo, that''s how it looks. Thanks!

 

[FB.]

Notice that in the photo, the worst of the haziness is on the left and on the right (with much less at the top and bottom) - with the worst areas of haziness on each side being exactly opposite each other.
That suggests that there may be just one or two cloud(s) in an unfortunate location that gets reflected around the stone. Some people call them "reflectors" - one inclusion that is in just the right spot to reflect itself into multiple parts of the stone. Try running a search and see what comes up.

 

[small_paws]

any updates?

 

[exoticisabella]

Date: 12/22/2009 12:08:00 AM
Author: small_paws
any updates?

+1 so very curious

 

[noob2010]

Looks like there''s another post on the same subject:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-my-diamond-looks-different-after-being-set.131974/

 

[ShariMichele]

Yes, sorry, I posted mulitple times and that is the end result. It is an SI1 and that is the cloud you''re seeing (under more yellow lighting conditions). I still can''t believe I bought it, but under white like it looks fantastic. "it''s just the properties of the material" the appraiser said. Having two fabulous side stones next to it certainly doesn''t help it''s cause at all.