Just got the independent appraisal....good news for all you EGL buyers! read on...

[alicat]

Ok, so I got the independent appraisal yesterday on my EGL graded ering. For all of you people in the boston area, Martoni Diamonds and Gem Lab in Peabody is a great place to go and Linda is a wonderfully knowledgable, friendly appraiser who knows her stuff and explains everything to you as she goes along. She was trained by the GIA and takes her time analyzing the diamond. I highly receommend her to anyone Here is how it all turned out.

Here is how the EGL cert compared to the ind. appraisal:

EGL Independent Appraisal
weight 1.64 1.64 estimated due to mounting
dim 7.5-7.55x4.7 7.48-7.50x4.67
depth 62.8% 62.78%
table 55% 54.8%
girdle medium-thick slightly thick
culet none very small
fluor. none none (low)
color "I" "H"
clarity "VS2" "SI1"

also, the inclusion map matched exactly what was on the cert so i know i got the right stone. Overall, I''m EXTREMELY happy with how the EGL(NY) cert held up. I even had her double check the color twice and she said it was definitely an "H" and not an "I" which was what it was graded by EGL as being. It was lighter than the GIA "I" sample she had. I was so psyched because i just KNEW it was whiter than an "I". on the flip side, the clarity was a grade lower, but its an entirely eye-clean stone so whether its an SI1 or a VS2 is of little concern to me. the money we saved by going with an EGL stone was worth it, at least in my case, and to find out that they graded my stone a LOWER color than it actually was was a nice surprise.

just thought you''d like to hear something GOOD about EGL for a change.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Was that EGL uSA or Israel?

 

[alicat]

It was an EGL USA cert, specifically, EGL Ne York.
Why?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

It would have been rare for an Israeli EGL to be accurate.
EGL USA certs have a tarnished reputation because of their overseas affiliation.
EGL uSA certs can be very good value.

 

[69gm]

----------------
On 8/6/2003 2:37

5 PM Cut Nut wrote:

It would have been rare for an Israeli EGL to be accurate.
EGL USA certs have a tarnished reputation because of their overseas affiliation.
EGL uSA certs can be very good value.
----------------

hey cutnut,

what's the difference between "EGL USA" and "EGL uSA"? how can one tell? thanks!

 

[Richard Sherwood]

I think he meant to say that EGL-Israel has a tarnished reputation, because it certainly does.

That's great to hear, Alicat. I've also seen many EGL certs which were graded as conservatively as GIA or AGS. The EGL-USA (New York) lab is a good one.

 

[fire&ice]

Interesting, My EGL cert held up the same as you. Better color/ Worse clarity. I have heard of another EGL cert w/ the same results.

Why would they undergrade the color & overgrade the clarity?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Hey F&I a ? for you.

Why or who under and over graded?
EGL USA or GIA?

Do you see that you have assumed that GIA is God, and they are not - they employ people to sit in darkened rooms and do a dead boring job. Guess what - they too have retention and training problems. It is quite common to see missgraded GIA stones, the only difference is they do not get hammered as much on the price.
It is a strange world.

 

[fire&ice]

----------------
On 8/7/2003 7:11:32 PM Cut Nut wrote:

Hey F&I a ? for you.

Why or who under and over graded?
EGL USA or GIA?

Do you see that you have assumed that GIA is God, and they are not - they employ people to sit in darkened rooms and do a dead boring job. Guess what - they too have retention and training problems. It is quite common to see missgraded GIA stones, the only difference is they do not get hammered as much on the price.
It is a strange world.

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

To the contrary Garry, I think EGL gets a bad rep & are quite the values. My EGL stone was *significantly* less than a comparable GIA stone with the extra added value of being the "prettiest" stone I viewed. The clarity was in question; but, the price reflected this. Plus, EGL provides more cut information than GIA.

Remember, I'm also the renagade that doesn't think one needs a cert - only an independent appraisal. You are buying what you are buying. At the end of the day, it is was it is. The paper means nothing to me *unless* I was planning on selling the stone, which only over my dead body.

I will defer to the experts on EGL-Israel; as, I have no experience with those certs. But, I would not hesitate to buy a lower priced EGL-USA stone. GIA does not have cart blanche on "pretty" stones.

My question was one of curiosity. 3 EGL certs = better color/worse clarity. Difference in grading color/clarity or just plain "human" coincedence?

 

[joy]

I was just wondering- how can you tell where your EGL certificate is from (meaning, is it an Israel cert. or one from NY, USA, etc.)

I have an EGL certified diamond that was purchased from the Diamond Vault, and after looking at it's certificate I cannot tell which place it came from.

Thanks in advance!

 

[sylvesterii]

F&I,

While i would agree with you to a degree and say that if you are going to send a diamond to an appraiser any way that a certificate is uneccessary, the grading and certificate allow one to weed out thousands of diamonds and hone in on what you are looking for, at least for someone who is not a trained gemologist. Therefore, if what you really want is a D IF Ideal cut, looking at EGL certed or non-certified diamonds may save you money because of the cert, but what happens when all five diamonds you like come back with lower grades from the appraiser, and then you have wasted $300-400??

If a wholesaler or jeweler knows a diamond is going to get a D IF, why would they bother sending it someplace else? it just seems kind of odd.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

If it is EGL USA it will be very clear, if it is not then it is an imported EGL, most likely Israel or Antwerp and might not be worth the paper it is written on.

Israel has a 6 digit # but I forgot what it starts with????
Any help?

 

[fire&ice]

----------------
On 8/9/2003 9:31:21 PM sylvesterii wrote:

F&I,

the grading and certificate allow one to weed out thousands of diamonds and hone in on what you are looking for, at least for someone who is not a trained gemologist. ----------------

Yes, for pouring through internet stones, the cert is *extremely* helpful. If one is enlisting the aid of a trusted jeweler & specifies what specs they are looking for, I do not think a cert is necessary. That said, an independent appraisal would be in order.

 

[alon3232]

EGL Israel stone # is all numbers - no letters. I think it is 10 digits with the first 2 digits telling the year the certification was issued:

2003 = 23
2002 = 22

etc...

So if the EGL number is something like this:

23XXXXXXXX

It is EGL Israel certification made in 2003

Hope I am, right

 

[jenibear]

So glad to read about your EGL experience. I am looking at an EGL diamond and had concerns the color and clarity would be way off the charts - but after reading the appraisal comparison I feel a little better. I am in Massachusetts and will need an appraiser. Thanks for the tip. Where did you get your stone?

 

[alicat]

The diamond is from Barmakian Jewelers in Boston. They were great and their prices are surprisingly reasonable. I'd recommend them to anyone.

 

[highendgems]

actually, as long as the EGL was done in the USA and during late 2002-2003, chances are they are on the money. they have become much more strict (USA) especially on quality stones VS2 and higher. buying an EGL USA cert. stone is the only way to get a good buy on a diamond.

 

[highendgems]

EGL USA certs. say EGL USA at the top. Israel ones only say EGL

 

[Giangi]

Not too long ago I sent them a stone... They gave it H and VS 2. It's DARKER than my J.

The VS 2 is correct, though. So I think it's a case by case situation. Some EGL reports are great, others aren't.

 

[aljdewey]

----------------
On 1/5/2004 12:29:26 PM highendgems wrote: buying an EGL USA cert. stone is the only way to get a good buy on a diamond.

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

Not if you know what you're doing.....good buys can be had on AGS and GIA diamonds, too, for those who know how to shop smart.

Where are you getting all this misinformation, highend....you still haven't replied.

 

[Giangi]

And you keep on promoting EGL? Are you a grader at EGL NY?

 

[aljdewey]

Hi, Giangi....I seriously doubt he's a grader of anything based on a few other posts he's written.

I think someone's just given him very poor information to date.

 

[Giangi]

----------------
On 1/5/2004 12:45:51 PM aljdewey wrote:

Hi, Giangi....I seriously doubt he's a grader of anything based on a few other posts he's written.

I think someone's just given him very poor information to date. ----------------

He he he! Now I remember... H being yucky yellow

 

[strmrdr]

All three color, clarity, and size were off and its good news??
Or did the diamond shrink .02 .05 and .03 ? :}

Also it is smaller in all dimensions as measured by the appraiser.
Hmmmm whose weight is off?
Or is it one of those magical diamonds that shrinks and gets denser also?

Did you just get lucky and it came out in your favor sorta if you prefere color over clatrity?
As long as you paid the right price for what the diamond actually is its kewl I guess but it sure doesn’t make me confident in recommending them.