I was looking at a diamond and the cert was from June of 2002 - is there a chance this could be a returned diamond, or are there any other disadvantages of buying a diamond that old?
That diamond you were looking at is probably around a billion years old. A year in a jewelry display case is not going to have a lot of effect on it. Diamonds don't have expiration dates.
Maybe it was returned. Maybe the supplier sat on it for a while. Who knows. Why don't you ask the jeweler?
There are several issues for which you need the answers..
1. Why didn't it sell yet ?
2. Is it a diamond that was returned for a problem?
3. Was it already purchased and worn?
4. Is there wear, chips, nicks or other damage to the stone?
Get an independent appraiser to check it. It may be a fine stone, but you should get as much disinterested information - so your purchasing decisions are made by being well informed.
Old? Old? Most diamonds are between several hundred Million and 3 Billion years old! Another year on the shelf after polishing matters little.
Returned? Returned? Every time a diamond is handled or touched by a client and handed back to the seller it is "returned". The diamond really doesn't mind, and it is not spoiled.
The shelf life of a diamond is loooong.
It might get stolen, lost, traded, and bought and sold numerous times. Or not.
As long as a polished diamond lives up to an accurate cert. and an independent appraisal the date on it is of little importance.
If you don't like the date on a cert, resubmit it for grading, but you shouldn't do yourself a disservice by missing out on a great stone based on the cert date. This is not a good criterion for rejection.
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