Just bought engagement ring from Robbins Bros..

[stone-cold11]

no, HCA score just below 2 is good for further evaluation, after that you will require images such as Idealscope/ASET image.

EDT:
BN is avoided because they are a drop shipper that never have their hand on the stone to evaluate it, do not produce images on request, price is higher than comparable JA stones. So no point going to them unless you really can't find anything on JA or other online vendors for your budget.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 7/2/2009 2:20:55 PM
Author: brianlitt

Date: 7/2/2009 10:06:53 AM

Okay, I read every page. They lost me a bit on the percentage stuff, but if I understood correctly I don't need to get all that, I just need to know how to interpret the HCA. I get I want less than 2 and that closer to 0 is better? That is unless it's an H&A.

I don't see pricescope grabbing stuff from bluenile.com. Is that a bad website?

No, the aim is to score below 2 with the HCA, a lower score is not better than a higher one, also the HCA is used for elimination not selection. Stones which score below 2 are then evaluated with ASET and Idealscope images.

This page explains further,

http://www.highperformancediamonds.com/index.php?page=education-performance

BN are a reputable vendor but they are what is called a drop shipper and do not have access to most of the diamonds. Also they do not supply the images that discerning buyers want such as ASET and Idealscope images.

 

[brianlitt]

Date: 7/2/2009 2:31:05 PM
Author: Stone-cold11
no, HCA score just below 2 is good for further evaluation, after that you will require images such as Idealscope/ASET image.


EDT:

BN is avoided because they are a drop shipper that never have their hand on the stone to evaluate it, do not produce images on request, price is higher than comparable JA stones. So no point going to them unless you really can't find anything on JA or other online vendors for your budget.

Thanks for the clarification! I really like JA.. This is all such great information.

it's fun to be able to look at the diamond and recognize the flaws now, why did i get an I1 again?

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 7/2/2009 2:37:04 PM
Author: brianlitt


it''s fun to be able to look at the diamond and recognize the flaws now, why did i get an I1 again?

You did the best you could with the knowledge you had at the time, now you have a whole lot more options and tools you can use to make a better decision.

 

[Moh 10]

brianlitt, with what you know now I'm sure your are going to end up with a good stone at a great price no matter where you buy it.

Information is power.

BTW, a bigger "sin" than getting an I1 diamond is getting a poorly cut diamond.
In fact some highly-educated buyers carefully choose a lower clarity diamond for a variety of very legitimate reasons.

Good cut, not high color or clarity, is what makes a diamond turn light into a beautiful light show.

 

[brianlitt]

UPDATE: So i went to robbins brothers and returned every bit of what they sold. They set me up with a manager before i could return and she "explained" a couple things to me. However, I was clear that I wa snot comfortable doing business with them right now and would NOT spend money that day on them, if ever.

When I said "This is an IGI cert, that''s no good".
Response: "Everyone gets trained at GIA at then goes to different companies. All the certs are the same"

When I said "The cut is not even good... It''s not even LISTED on this IGI cert!"
Response: "Well the cut is based on the symmetry and polish...." I was really confused on that one.. I told her I thought those were less significant and as a rule of thumb you want VG.

I had to fight a little bit, but managed to return all my money.

F robbins brothers. Lost a customer for life.

Brian

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 7/3/2009 5:48:37 PM
Author: brianlitt
UPDATE: So i went to robbins brothers and returned every bit of what they sold. They set me up with a manager before i could return and she ''explained'' a couple things to me. However, I was clear that I wa snot comfortable doing business with them right now and would NOT spend money that day on them, if ever.

When I said ''This is an IGI cert, that''s no good''.
Response: ''Everyone gets trained at GIA at then goes to different companies. All the certs are the same''

When I said ''The cut is not even good... It''s not even LISTED on this IGI cert!''
Response: ''Well the cut is based on the symmetry and polish....'' I was really confused on that one.. I told her I thought those were less significant and as a rule of thumb you want VG.

I had to fight a little bit, but managed to return all my money.

F robbins brothers. Lost a customer for life.

Brian

Hi Brian,

Thats great you returned that ring - cut based on purely symmetry and polish if indeed that is the case is not good! And all grading reports are NOT created equal.

Anway put it behind you and you have a fresh new start, let us know how you want to proceed and we will be with you every step of the way if you want us to be!

 

[Lula]

Congratulations, Brian, on returning a ring you didn''t feel comfortable with. Ditto what Lorelei said on the fresh start. I''ll be watching for your posts to see what you choose!

 

[AprilBaby]

Great story so far. I can''t wait to see what you do with your knowledge. I am sure you will pick a beauty!

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 7/3/2009 5:48:37 PM
Author: brianlitt
UPDATE: So i went to robbins brothers and returned every bit of what they sold. They set me up with a manager before i could return and she ''explained'' a couple things to me. However, I was clear that I wa snot comfortable doing business with them right now and would NOT spend money that day on them, if ever.

When I said ''This is an IGI cert, that''s no good''.
Response: ''Everyone gets trained at GIA at then goes to different companies. All the certs are the same''

When I said ''The cut is not even good... It''s not even LISTED on this IGI cert!''
Response: ''Well the cut is based on the symmetry and polish....'' I was really confused on that one.. I told her I thought those were less significant and as a rule of thumb you want VG.

I had to fight a little bit, but managed to return all my money.

F robbins brothers. Lost a customer for life.

Brian

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 7/2/2009 9:49:35 AM
Author: brianlitt
Okay, so FYI here''s the measurements, this site says it is a very good cut actually.

Depth: 64.1%
Diam: 57%
Crown 16.5%
Pav: 43.5%
SL THICK to THICK

too deep!!

 

[Ms.Goggles]

Hi Brianlitt,

I am by no means a diamond expert, but my fiance and I were in a similar position last year so I thought I'd chime in. When we decided to ring shop, we automatically assumed we could trust the places we see all over the place- namely Robbins Bros as well as some other "reputable" stores in the mall that our friends and family had purchased from. We saw some stuff that we thought was gorgeous and had no idea what was a reasonable asking price for any of it. We just assumed that we could trust them. I never would have bought online. It sounded so risky, so "Buyer Beware." I wanted to see my diamond with my own eyes, even if I didn't know what it was I was looking at.

I found Pricescope and did my homework. Then I showed what I had learned to my now fiance, who also took the time to read up. We learned about cut (which everyone until that point had told us was the SHAPE of the diamond

) and we were able to make an educated decision. Everyone here really cares about education and I think that's what distinguishes them from the salespeople at these other stores who are simply out to sell you a diamond that they don't even know anything about. It shocks me that after 1 year of studying up, I can go into one of those stores now and know more than the salespeople. We felt more in control of a very important and expensive purchase!

All of the vendors PS recommends, I believe, are top notch. We wound up going with a Chicago-based vendor, Dimend Scaasi. They also sell online and let clients who can't get to their office see their diamonds through something they call "Innerview." My Crafted by Infinity H&A kicks butt, it's so sparkly! My fiance can't believe that I still stare at it as much as I do, but it's mesmerizing, especially on a cloudy day! Bottom line, do your homework, get educated, come here for help. You want the best diamond, the most sparkly diamond, that you can get your girl for your money. You came to the right place. Don't be afraid of buying on the Internet. It's not about store vs. Internet, it's about buying from a vendor who cares about selling you the best product and informing you about that product.

I am definitely excited to follow your story and see how it turns out! Your girlfriend will be THRILLED with the final product!!! I've attached a picture of my sparkly just so you can see how beautiful a great cut can be. This is on a really cloudy day- can't see the sparkles, but you can see the depth and change of color and, of course, the arrows! It looks even better in person.

Good luck!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 7/3/2009 5:48:37 PM
Author: brianlitt
UPDATE: So i went to robbins brothers and returned every bit of what they sold. They set me up with a manager before i could return and she ''explained'' a couple things to me. However, I was clear that I wa snot comfortable doing business with them right now and would NOT spend money that day on them, if ever.

When I said ''This is an IGI cert, that''s no good''.
Response: ''Everyone gets trained at GIA at then goes to different companies. All the certs are the same''

When I said ''The cut is not even good... It''s not even LISTED on this IGI cert!''
Response: ''Well the cut is based on the symmetry and polish....'' I was really confused on that one.. I told her I thought those were less significant and as a rule of thumb you want VG.

I had to fight a little bit, but managed to return all my money.

F robbins brothers. Lost a customer for life.

Brian

HAHAHAAHAA... those are GREAT responses that really show why you don''t spend thousands buying diamonds at a place like RB! Oh my, I can''t even breath I am laughing so hard!

The best thing about PS is that you will get a beter diamond for less money! So take your time and enjoy finding a great diamond what you will LOVE!

 

[Moh 10]

So glad to hear you are getting a fresh start.

 

[joey_v]

The Robbins Brothers in Oakbrook, IL closed down. It''s a combination of the economy and poor business practices such as this which contributed to this.

Poor form.... lies and bad information.

I, too, initially bought from Robbins Brothers - then I read about pricescope and in 2 days I went back and returned my diamond.