Loose Diamond at Jared''s

[betternotbiggerdiamond]

I know, I know, I've read some horror stories about them on here and I even posted about this stone once before... but...

I was able to get some more specs from them (shocking I know) regarding the stone and now I'm seriously considering it.

Specs:

.64 ct
F color
VS2 clarity
5.54 x 5.57 x 3.4mm
Depth: 61.3
Table: 55
Crown Angle: 34.6
Pavillion Angle: 40.6
Girdle: Med-Sl. Thick, faceted
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good

HCA: .7 Excellent, crosshairs come within both boundaries

Price: $2,700 (I think this may be too much)

The stone is very clean, has awesome fire and brilliance in person... and now I want your opinions. Does it seem like a good stone by the numbers and is it a good price or do you think it's too much? Also, the "cert" is IGI so how reliable are they when it comes to the grading?

*sigh* Seems like a really nice stone to me, so should I claim it or pass it up?

ETA: This stone seems to have better cut and symmetry than some of the 10 or so loose stones I've looked at with my private jewelers. Seems odd to find a "better" stone at Jared's!

 

[MoonWater]

Similar, but bigger, and from a better company. Sorry, I''m really against Jared''s.

http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-471573.htm

 

[betternotbiggerdiamond]

I understand alot of PSers are but.... I do not wish to purchase online. I will not be having Jared''s set the stone or do anything else to it. Just purchase the loose stone and take it to my private jeweler. In my mind, it''s a diamond... they don''t manufacture the goods, they just market them. If it''s a nice stone and a good deal.. does it really matter where it''s purchased from?

I''m not intending to offend anyone here, I am just asking for opinions on the specs of the stone. I''ve never purchased a diamond before, just done alot of homework and want to make a good purchase.

Thanks for looking.

 

[surfgirl]

Look, for the money, I'd go ANYwhere else to buy a diamond instead of Jared's. If you do a search here you'll learn why nobody would buy from them. It's not a B&M vs. online thing, it's a "shady lame scammer policy that is not in the customer's favor vs. non scammer high quality diamond" policy that we're advocating. If you're on the West Coast, I'd recommend going to Ben Bridge and getting one of their Signature diamonds over anything at Jared's, simply because of the quality and customer service.

ETA: YES! It DOES matter a lot where you purchase a stone from. If you think you'll want to upgrade in the future then you want a store that has a good upgrade policy. If you buy a stone and it appraises for less than what you paid for it, you want a store that will stand behind their stone, and either refund you the difference or allow you to return the stone, period. The issue so many have with Jared's is that there have been a lot of stories where they've either not stood behind their stone or people's stones have been damaged in cleaning or setting and Jared's wont take responsibility. So yeah, WHERE you buy is just as important as WHAT you buy. Absolutely.

 

[marcy]

If you love the stone, I would get it. The specs looks good.

 

[betternotbiggerdiamond]

Thank you, this is what I am looking for. I am new to this so I just need a little reassurance that I can trust my eyes when I see a nice stone. I realize everyone has their opinions regarding Jared''s but I would only be purchasing the stone. Nothing else. Their settings are ugly and cheaply made anyways.

I wish that this stone was at my private jeweler, but the stones that they have shown me are not what I''m looking for. The one at Jared just happens to be what I''m looking for. I''m not sure on the pricing though.. seems like it may be a little high compared to some stones of the same specs online.

 

[marcy]

Jared''s prices run high. You can find better deals online.

 

[icekid]

Date: 11/12/2007 1:01:28 AM
Author: betternotbiggerdiamond
Thank you, this is what I am looking for. I am new to this so I just need a little reassurance that I can trust my eyes when I see a nice stone. I realize everyone has their opinions regarding Jared''s but I would only be purchasing the stone. Nothing else. Their settings are ugly and cheaply made anyways.

So what you want is people to tell you what you want to hear? I don''t think that''s going to happen here. I would not buy this stone either. IGI? no way, and certainly not at that price.

 

[jaz464]

Some Jareds carry AGS ideal cut diamonds. If you really want to purchase at a B&M, I would consider those. Personally, I would never buy an IGI graded diamond. What state do you live in? Someone may be able to recommend a jeweler to you.

 

[Diamond*Dana]

Yes, the price is high, and they will not work with you on that. At Jared, the price is what it is, period.

 

[MoonWater]

Date: 11/12/2007 12:50:36 AM
Author: surfgirl
Look, for the money, I'd go ANYwhere else to buy a diamond instead of Jared's. If you do a search here you'll learn why nobody would buy from them. It's not a B&M vs. online thing, it's a 'shady lame scammer policy that is not in the customer's favor vs. non scammer high quality diamond' policy that we're advocating. If you're on the West Coast, I'd recommend going to Ben Bridge and getting one of their Signature diamonds over anything at Jared's, simply because of the quality and customer service.

ETA: YES! It DOES matter a lot where you purchase a stone from. If you think you'll want to upgrade in the future then you want a store that has a good upgrade policy. If you buy a stone and it appraises for less than what you paid for it, you want a store that will stand behind their stone, and either refund you the difference or allow you to return the stone, period. The issue so many have with Jared's is that there have been a lot of stories where they've either not stood behind their stone or people's stones have been damaged in cleaning or setting and Jared's wont take responsibility. So yeah, WHERE you buy is just as important as WHAT you buy. Absolutely.

I agree with all of the above. Especially the "ETA" part. I'm not sure why it's not important to this person to ensure the diamond they are receiving is of great qualtiy, from a great company, with a great price. It's not "just the stone" in fact, it is the stone that is the most important part in most cases. What happens if the grade report is incorrect? Or you have any issue with the stone, are these things not important? Jared's as a company sucks, why would you ever make a huge purchase from a company that does not back up their stones or policies? And no one is forcing you to buy online, you just shouldn't but at Jared's. You're basically screwing yourself over. A smaller stone, (and probably not as great quality), for a larger price...why?

and then its the fact that you wrote this in another thread:

Date: 11/7/2007 10:11:43 PM
Author: betternotbiggerdiamond
Well, these stones are at Jared's so they do not have 'certs', but after reading so many horror stories here about them and then tonight the sales lady, who was the 'diamond manager' looked at me like I had 3 heads when I asked about crown/pavillion angles. She told me 'everything you need to know is right here.' So, I am put off by them. We're going to have the private jeweler locate some nice stones for us. I told them specifically what I am looking for and they will gather some up for me to look at tomorrow. I'd rather buy a stone from someone I can trust. Probably end up with a better deal, too. Thanks.

Why have you changed your mind? They sales people there tend to be idiots, I am not kidding. I've had my own personal experience with them. Why wouldn't you trust a reputable online dealer over Jared's is beyond me.

 

[oldminer]

Jared's is making a large advertising campaign in the Philadelphia area this season. I began to notice the frequency of the ads during my morning, mid-day and evening commutes back and forth to workplaces. They are promoting the LEO diamond and a diamond with two certs, The Peerless (sp). They are the first major seller in our area to push Light Performance measurements on certain categores of the diamonds they carry. I don't know much at all about Jared's, but I believe they are exactly right in promoting the measured performance of diamonds in this manner to the public. They are going to meet with a good degree of success using this timely approach while traditional, mom and pop stores who just go on doing business the old way are going to slowly fold up their tents. Internet sellers have already learned how to promote "cut" as a highly important characteristic. Now, we will see how a B&M in my own region does promoting Light Behavior to the mass audience. IGI is unappreciated in my region, so that may prove a negative.

The 700+ chain of stores of Friedmans and Crescent have been using Light Behavior presentations on their top stones since early 2006 with some degree of success. The pendulum for a new approach to selling diamonds has already begun to swing in the direction of more factual data to keep ahead on sales.

Compare what Jared has to offer against the best of the web which you will find on Pricescope. If the difference is found in personal, face-to-face service, or in application for credit terms, then maybe Jared's will be viable for some people. Many others find the balance of service to price more beneficial via the Internet. B&M stores are going to be around for quite a few more years, but many important diamond purchases will go to Internet sellers.

 

[:)]

IGI is not reliable, so you may be overpaying by even more than you realize (for example if the stone ended up actually as an H SI2). What state/city are you in so that you can possibly get jeweler recs in your city?