Looks small for 2.53 ct?

[pyramid]

I do not feel this is an unfair call out.

I do recognise though that only Good Old Gold and Whiteflash have asset, idealscope etc posted on their sites, which customers also pay more for. Other sites can get them when asked though and the James Allen site does provide 3 when asked. I also realise this is just before Xmas and so perhaps Good Old Gold is in the OP's area.

I have noticed though that Diamondseeker2006 does post a recommendation for Good Old Gold in nearly every reply. I also notice her diamond was bought from him. Now with 37000 posts that is a lot of recommending Good Old Gold.

Realise there are not many vendors, but I did not buy my diamond for a large amount of money to then spend my time recommending my vendor about 10 times a day. This does not look odd to newbies coming here? I have been a long time on this board but if I came new and watched her posts for a couple of weeks, I would believe she was a shill. Which I definitely know she it not. I just wonder though if vendors are giving posters other perks besides the award from Pricescope on 10000 posts.

We are all entitled to our own views. As Kenny says people vary.

 

[canuk-gal]

I'm not un-happy per se, I just don't really know if I should be happy. I'm underwhelmed, but I never look at diamonds, so I don't know if that's just because I'm surprised something so small could possibly cost $24k or because it's truly underwhelming.

I was not able to secure ASET images because in order to order it in time to be able to return it and get another one in time for a Dec 23 proposal (which I'd need in hand Dec 20 since I leave DC the morning of the 21st for Alabama) I needed to order it. However, I'm now faced with the same situation really, and the original merchant (Blue Nile) probably can't get me anything else in hand by Dec 23.

I have this on hold:
http://www.ritani.com/diamonds/cushion-diamond-2-71-Carat-G-color-GIA-certified/D-MMP7WB

I've got no real preference for an F over a G, but in the cushions I saw I did much prefer G to H. Can anyone tell anything about the light performance of that one? I believe Ritani could get that to me by Dec 23 in Alabama.

Anyone else able to suggest a vendor that would be able to do quick work with a stone I could verify the light performance of? Very much appreciate all help.

Budget is a fairly tight $25k all in (I'm not gonna moan about 25,7 or something, but I'm not really willing to go up to 27-28+).

HI:

It appears that this stone has been sold--presumably to you? Good luck on your proposal and let us know how it all unfolds.

cheers--Sharon

 

[pyramid]

The first picture posted is in indoor lighting. Can you post a picture in daylight? I do not see the diamond as smaller in the picture posted. Can you see light leaking around the edges of the stone? A radiant is going to be smaller than a round of the same weight. I have a round 2.5ct from whiteflash an a cut above and it is 8.8mm, for a well cut. I would not like to see you returning the diamond to get another and see no difference. In the box my diamond is larger but not that much larger looking than yours so I am not convinced that your stone looks small for it's weight.

 

[pyramid]

This is a consumer forum so you only get consumers views.

Although people come on here and ask for a reply from the experts, the people who are qualified do not comment on other vendors posts. On another forum there used to be appraisers which answered questions like that and other vendors used to comment. Now however, vendors do not take as much an active part and the people giving advice and recommending are called prosumers, in other words people who have bought and have this as a hobby.

I do not see your diamond posted as leaking light around the edge much and I think it is down to the lighting, a radiant is not going to look like a round. I asked you if you could see it leaking light as I don't, I think it is just the contrast between the crushed ice look in the centre and the less faceted edges which this shape has. People here don't like the crushed ice radiant but I happen to like them okay although I may not buy one.

Would like to see a proper photo of this diamond though in daylight or in proper controlled lighting.

 

[Mayk]

I do not feel this is an unfair call out.

I do recognise though that only Good Old Gold and Whiteflash have asset, idealscope etc posted on their sites, which customers also pay more for. Other sites can get them when asked though and the James Allen site does provide 3 when asked. I also realise this is just before Xmas and so perhaps Good Old Gold is in the OP's area.

I have noticed though that Diamondseeker2006 does post a recommendation for Good Old Gold in nearly every reply. I also notice her diamond was bought from him. Now with 37000 posts that is a lot of recommending Good Old Gold.

Realise there are not many vendors, but I did not buy my diamond for a large amount of money to then spend my time recommending my vendor about 10 times a day. This does not look odd to newbies coming here? I have been a long time on this board but if I came new and watched her posts for a couple of weeks, I would believe she was a shill. Which I definitely know she it not. I just wonder though if vendors are giving posters other perks besides the award from Pricescope on 10000 posts.

We are all entitled to our own views. As Kenny says people vary.

If she's had a favorable experience with GOG more than once.. why is it a crime to recommend him.. she trusts him.. I've recommend vendors... I've used because I trust them.... that's the idea...

 

[pyramid]

Well in the UK a one page advert costs about £2000 over $3000 so I would think people reading these recommendations when they are being recommended for years by the same person and bringing in
Thousands of Dollars to the vendor every week, must obviously think that there is some pay off somewhere.

I mean vendors are paying a lot to advertise on this site and then all the hard work gets done by consumers who receive nothing but one ring with diamond which they had to pay for themself.

Something not right.

I may like diamonds but I am not working for nothing with no commission. Would Good Old Gold work for us for no money?????

 

[pyramid]

This site used to be about educating customers and learning them what to look for in diamonds to make a good purchase. Not about recommending vendors with links to exact diamonds.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I believe somewhere in the policies here it actually says to post your recommendations based on experience. Over the past 7 years, I have bought 4 diamonds from Good Old Gold and had extensive communication with them. I know they carry one of the highest quality selections of diamonds anywhere in the country. They also carry a variety of types (shapes) of diamonds. I also have bought 3 pair of ideal cut diamonds for studs from WhiteFlash and one pair of diamond hoops, and my daughter's e-ring came from there. Yes, it is easy to see that those are my personal favorite vendors because I have had a lot of contact with them and am very familiar with their inventories and believe they offer extensive inventories of top cut quality stones. There are times that I post stones from other vendors based on budget and availability of stones. If someone is in a hurry (like in this case), they need to buy from a vendor who has stones in stock or who can access them and provide the ASET or idealscope images quickly. I do sometimes recommend stones from James Allen. BUT, they do not have many of the stones they list in-house and we have seen it take days sometimes for them to get the ASET or idealscope images from stones in another country. I never recommend stones from drop-shippers that provide no images because I don't believe in spending thousands on something I can't see. Good Old Gold offers the additional service of offering a video comparing 3 or 4 stones in various lighting which I have personally had done, and it was the thing that absolutely showed me which stone was the best. It is especially helpful for fancy cuts such as cushions, asschers, etc.

Jewelry is my hobby. I enjoy helping people find stones. I naturally recommend the vendors that I think are best or who have the best quality stones for the person searching. There is a thread right this minute where I recommended a pair of stones from Brian Gavin due to finding out they were having a sale, and I directed someone else's nephew to go to ID Jewelry to look for a setting in the last few days, so I do recommend other vendors when I think they can best meet needs. I love Pearlman's for designer settings, and I love both Victor Canera and Steven Kirsch's custom work. This is a consumer forum and I cannot do anything but recommend the best vendors based on my personal experience. And if I have had a negative experience from a vendor, I generally do not recommend them or the item that was unsatisfactory. Everyone else here is free to do the same.

 

[Dreamer_D]

This site used to be about educating customers and learning them what to look for in diamonds to make a good purchase. Not about recommending vendors with links to exact diamonds.

The prosumer guidelines in RT actually suggest that we should not recommend vendors or diamonds to consumers unless they explicitly ask for recommendations, and state that we should not try to sway a buyer to work with a vendor other than the one they have already chosen. I like to follow those recommendations, personally, for all the reasons you stated earlier.

 

[Niel]

the OP actually did ask for recommendations

Anyone else able to suggest a vendor that would be able to do quick work with a stone I could verify the light performance of? Very much appreciate all help.

 

[UberClaire]

I do not feel this is an unfair call out.

I do recognise though that only Good Old Gold and Whiteflash have asset, idealscope etc posted on their sites, which customers also pay more for. Other sites can get them when asked though and the James Allen site does provide 3 when asked. I also realise this is just before Xmas and so perhaps Good Old Gold is in the OP's area.

I have noticed though that Diamondseeker2006 does post a recommendation for Good Old Gold in nearly every reply. I also notice her diamond was bought from him. Now with 37000 posts that is a lot of recommending Good Old Gold.

Realise there are not many vendors, but I did not buy my diamond for a large amount of money to then spend my time recommending my vendor about 10 times a day. This does not look odd to newbies coming here? I have been a long time on this board but if I came new and watched her posts for a couple of weeks, I would believe she was a shill. Which I definitely know she it not. I just wonder though if vendors are giving posters other perks besides the award from Pricescope on 10000 posts.

We are all entitled to our own views. As Kenny says people vary.

My ring came from Good Old Gold, and I recommend them every chance I get. Why? Because they did an awesome job helping my now husband find something beautiful on a very limited budget. From our personal experiences, they have great customer service and provide a great product. I've never worked with Whiteflash or James Allen or Brian Gavin, so I can't provide a personal recommendation for those companies. Plus, this poster is looking for a fairly large cushion -- something Good Old Gold is known to carry/source. I don't think it's fair to call out people for recommending a company that they've had good experiences with.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

the OP actually did ask for recommendations

Anyone else able to suggest a vendor that would be able to do quick work with a stone I could verify the light performance of? Very much appreciate all help.

Thanks, Niel. And up until that point, I had only posted links to two ideal cut rounds to show him how rounds and cushions differed in size since he was concerned about how small the stone looked. After he made that post asking for vendors that could verify light performance, I then suggested cushions from GOG and recommended he contact them.

And the forum policies say this:

"Recommendations given within the Pricescope community should be done in a good faith as genuine opinions based on personal knowledge and experience and not influenced by any commercial interests."

 

[smilligan]

This site used to be about educating customers and learning them what to look for in diamonds to make a good purchase. Not about recommending vendors with links to exact diamonds.

The prosumer guidelines in RT actually suggest that we should not recommend vendors or diamonds to consumers unless they explicitly ask for recommendations, and state that we should not try to sway a buyer to work with a vendor other than the one they have already chosen. I like to follow those recommendations, personally, for all the reasons you stated earlier.

I think this is being taken out of context a little bit. People generally come to this forum FOR recommendations and reviews. They want help finding a great diamond at a great price, and personal experience with vendors is a huge factor for many people when deciding who to work with. Very few people would be willing to work with a vendor that has never gotten reviewed or had any positive feedback. I think that the above guideline is referring to negative opinions regarding vendors. Don't you search for reviews on a product/company before making the decision to buy from them? I know I do. If DS's recommendations are being misinterpreted, it's by people who have become overly sensitive and see bias everywhere. Granted, everyone is biased. An opinion, by nature, is biased. But this is a forum and that's why people come here. I haven't been on PS that long, so I can't speak for any change that may have occured over the years, but I certainly don't feel like veteran posters are promoting products/vendors for their own benefit. I for one appreciate DS's (and everyone else's) input and willingness to help. Ultimately, it is up to the OP to decide what to do.

 

[TC1987]

Been watching certain posts for weeks/months now. A 2.5ct diamond is clearly a lot of money. Il just find it a bit unfair that certain biased pricescopers can influence newbies to buy from their preferred dealers. I mean it is a lot of money. I realise that people are loyal to who they got good service from, I bought a diamond from whiteflash and although I am very happy with my purchase, I don't go around recommending them to people all the time in order to sway sales their way. I mean I am not on commission or anything.
This is going on all the time now, and it has really turned me off Pricescope. I also happen to like Good Old Gold and would buy from them if they had what I wanted, infact I hope to get a Brellia sometime from them.

Do other posters really think that it is fair, or is it just like recommending a shop to your friends. Thing is there are far more people on here and big dollar amounts. I don't see the same person all the time recommending whiteflash or other posters on nearly every post. Maybe if I do that I will get a discount though.

Just getting a bit fed up with it, everytime I read thinking oh it will be good old gold recommendation again and honestly it is almost
100% of time.

I love my vendor but not this much, I mean I paid them a lot of money, they didn't hand it to me free.

This is going on all the time now, and it has really turned me off Pricescope. (eta: When has this NOT been going on all the time here???) Perhaps then, stop obsessing over it so much? I think it's fair. The PS vendors and administration are the ones who dictate policy here. Pricescope has fostered the prosumer community. If PS doesn't like what's being said by the community and the prosumers, then PS is the one to change that, not you.

Personally, I recommend GOG because I have bought 2 diamonds from them, the amount of testing and information they provide an online buyer is superb, their web site is a wealth of information, they are very fast to respond to inquiries, and I had good experiences buying from them, twice. I don't do it to get myself a discount, because afaik, there isn't one. And I don't do it to "sway business their way," because I expect buyers to always do their own comparison shopping and analyze and advice given, and then either use it or discard it as they deem appropriate. If newbies don't think for themselves or do any of their own research, or comparison-shop, it's not my problem.

I have also had pleasant dealings with Brian Gavin Diamonds. And Wink. I have never bought anything from WF, but there's no saying I won't someday. I just typically never recommend anything that I have not had personal experience with, and when I do, I qualify that with "others have recommended ..." or "others have bought some nice diamonds from ... in the past," etc.

 

[yssie]

I do not feel this is an unfair call out.

I do recognise though that only Good Old Gold and Whiteflash have asset, idealscope etc posted on their sites, which customers also pay more for. Other sites can get them when asked though and the James Allen site does provide 3 when asked. I also realise this is just before Xmas and so perhaps Good Old Gold is in the OP's area.

I have noticed though that Diamondseeker2006 does post a recommendation for Good Old Gold in nearly every reply. I also notice her diamond was bought from him. Now with 37000 posts that is a lot of recommending Good Old Gold.

Realise there are not many vendors, but I did not buy my diamond for a large amount of money to then spend my time recommending my vendor about 10 times a day. This does not look odd to newbies coming here? I have been a long time on this board but if I came new and watched her posts for a couple of weeks, I would believe she was a shill. Which I definitely know she it not. I just wonder though if vendors are giving posters other perks besides the award from Pricescope on 10000 posts.

We are all entitled to our own views. As Kenny says people vary.

Whoa.

I just read this and I had to stop and respond.

Having known DS for several years on PS, having met her in-person, and having talked to her offline, I am completely confident that she recommends based on her personal assessments of what will best help the OP meet his priority goals. I am completely confident that there are no backstreet dealer incentives on the table, and I'm completely confident that she would categorically refuse to accept any paper bag exchanges for her participation and reviews here on PS (actually, I'm rather insulted on her behalf). The fact that she has 37,000 posts is a testament to how much time and effort she's invested into this community and if that number suggests to newbies that her opinions are to be particularly respected, well, frankly, IMO it's merited. And I may not always agree with her recommendations and that's perfectly okay - if I don't agree I have two choices: to either stew in silence or voice my own opinion and state why, and give the OP something more to chew on. The latter is obviously much more useful.

BTW the 10k award was abandoned a long time ago. As it should be - these days it'd be easy enough to rack up 10k posts without saying much of substance.

Well in the UK a one page advert costs about £2000 over $3000 so I would think people reading these recommendations when they are being recommended for years by the same person and bringing in
Thousands of Dollars to the vendor every week, must obviously think that there is some pay off somewhere.

I mean vendors are paying a lot to advertise on this site and then all the hard work gets done by consumers who receive nothing but one ring with diamond which they had to pay for themself.

Something not right.

Here's the thing... when you think about it, something's not right about any of this. Why on earth would people with other interests and responsibilities spend hours and hours typing tens of thousands of posts helping new buyers through the process of buying a diamond? For free, and with no compensation besides personal satisfaction - learning something about something you're interested in, sharing that experience with others who enjoy the same? Why are YOU here, if not for exactly those reasons?

I totally agree with you and Dreamer re. jumping into a thread and immediately recommending specific stones right and left without thought to whether the OP has requested suggestions, whether the OP has already chosen a vendor or purchase medium, without consideration of OP's stated priorities... and honestly, we DO see quite a bit of that on RT and it irritates me no end. So do assertions without support, facts without explanations, opinions without details, people parroting others' opinions without any experience or thoughts of their own... I know that complaining about those things won't change anything - I know that (and OTOH, it's rewarding to recognise that) the only thing that will force change is to practice what I preach. You've been around for a really long time so you must have some really interesting insights into how the fora have changed over the years! I know the PS party lines have shifted quite a bit since I started lurking in 2008...

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Aww, thanks, Yssie! I guess some people have difficulty understanding this as a hobby! But it is what it is! I think there are a few others here that can relate!

I read reviews on almost everything I buy... Amazon, Consumer Reports, electronics sites, watch forum, you name it. I figure that in every hundred reviews on Amazon, a few high ratings could be from the company promoting the item and a few low ones can be from competition. So I allow for those and look for the majority to be solid 4 and 5 star ratings. I certainly came here 7 years ago knowing nothing of these vendors and made my own choices based on reviews I read here from others. I also learned a huge amount from the knowledge section and posts on PriceScope as well as from the educational information and videos from Good Old Gold.

 

[m-2-b]

Speaking from personal experience, I happen to know for a fact that DS is definitely not a "schill." She has invested a lot of time over the years as a consumer to help both newbies and regulars with no monetary benefit. She has helped me with several of my ongoing jewelry projects and has not once tried to sway me to purchase exclusively from GOG. She is one of the reasons I have stayed on PS--I hope she continues to actively participate on this forum!!!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Thanks so much, mom2boys! And thanks to everyone else who has posted in regard to this. I am truly thankful for the all the friends I have made here!!! That is the REAL benefit to me for having been on the forum all this time!