Need Advice! Planning Big Purchase and I Know NOTHING!

[need_help]

First time posting. Any help/input you might have would be greatly appreciated!

I am buying an engagement ring for my beautiful girlfriend of five years. This ring will be by far the biggest purchase I have ever made. She likes "cushion" cut diamonds, and I think I have found one in my price range, but would like feedback/input from some experts (that''s where you come in).

So, here is the information...

It comes with a GIA Certificate and an EGS Appraisal. I haven''t seen the appraisal but dealer said it was about $15,500.

GIA Information
Shape and Cutting Style: Cushion Modified Brilliant
Measurements: 6.48 x 5.72 x 3.70 mm
Carat Weight: 1.01 carat
Color Grade: G
Clarity Grade: VS1
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Good
Fluorescence: None
Comments: None
Table: 58%
Depth: 64.7%

Ring Information
14k White Gold Cathedral Setting
12 Round Brilliant Cut Diamonds
Total Carat Weight: 0.60 Carats
Color, Clarity: G, VS

Price: $4,850 (or $4,100 for diamond only)

Questions
The most important part to me is a good shine (I want it to "bling" when she moves her finger). I only know what I have read in the last couple weeks about diamonds. Your thoughts would be great!

1. What are you thoughts about the quality of the diamond?
2. Can I trust the GIA Certificate to be 100% truthful about the diamond''s quality?
3. Is the symmetry being only "good" bad? (will it effect my need for a good "bling"?)
4. Dealer said "cut" is "Signature Ideal Cut Diamond". Shouldn''t that be listed on the GIA Certificate? I''m guessing that is a good cut, and I heard cut is the most important for my wanting shine. True?
5. Fluorescence is "none" - do I want fluorescence?
6. Thoughts on the price - good, bad? Would I be better off just buying the diamond and getting it mounted somewhere else?
7. This is an online dealer (sight unseen!

). This means I don''t get the normal "warranties/guarantees" that a mall jeweler would be able to give. (cleaning, erodium, etc.) Is this really bad? If I buy the diamond, and have it mounted at a mall jewelers, I at least get the free cleaning, erodium, etc. - is it that big of a deal? [Note: there is a 14 days no questions asked return policy if I don''t like it]
8. Anything else I should know?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Seriously, I''m very nervous about this purchase. It feels like I''m buying a car when I''ve never even sat in one before. So thank you in advance for all of your help!!!

ALSO ... picture of the diamond is attached (if that helps at all).

 

[CaptainCarat]

Hi, I''m no expert but just bought a diamond and had some of the same questions so I''ll answer what I can!


First, I would be very suspicious of that appraisal...take it for what it''s worth. The dealer is telling you that you are getting a $15k ring for $5k. This probably isn''t the case! That doesn''t mean you are being ripped off or anything, I would just not take the appraisal into account at all.

1. can''t answer this as I don''t know much about cushions...I would say, however, that you might want to look for a cushion that has a symmetry rating better than ''good'' since these seem to be a very precision cut, and a better rating would certainly enhance the beauty. Trust others'' judgment on this one though.

2. Yes, you can trust the GIA. Diamond grading is a science and the GIA are one of the most respected grading labs. It is possible that you can take the diamond to an appraiser (which I highly recommend) and have some of the parameters appraised different. This is because there''s a range for each different parameter, so it is somewhat subjective. These should not vary too much from the GIA report though.

3. see above

4. Yes, the cut is one of the most important things about a diamond. The better the cut, the better it will appear. I don''t believe that the GIA has an Ideal category for cushions (not even sure if they have a cut rating at all) so any cut rating would be something assigned by the dealer. Asscher cut diamonds are the same way. Take the ''signature ideal'' rating with a grain of salt, unless it is a trusted vendor.

5. Fluorescence is OK to have, but not necessary, and can sometimes bring the price of a diamond down. On lesser color diamonds (G, H, I, etc.) it can cause the diamond to look whiter in some lighting conditions, such as indirect sunlight. I have an Asscher with a medium blue fluorescence, G color, and the effect is barely noticeable. Doesn''t hurt at all to not have it!

6. No idea on this one. You can check Pricescope''s main page for a diamond search, or try some online vendors that have stock that you can view -- James Allen, Good Old Gold, Blue Nile, Whiteflash, etc. -- and see how those diamonds compare in price. There are also online photos in some cases. All of these vendors have excellent reputations and many satisfied customers on these boards.

7. It depends on if that is something you will take advantage of. It''s something that I like personally. Is it Blue Nile, out of curiosity? A note on having it mounted at a mall jeweler: many jewelers are going to charge a good amount to mount your diamond, or may even refuse to do it in the case of a mall jeweler. The reason for this is you are buying a roughly $4000 stone and buying just the setting from the mall jeweler, so they are not getting a cut of the diamond profit but they have to take on the risk of chipping your diamond while mounting it. It can be done but make sure you check with a local jeweler before you try it!

The only thing else I can think of is I was in the same boat as you...learning everything I could to find that perfect stone. After reading about numbers, parameters, and all that good stuff I finally ended up going with a vendor that I trusted and having him use his judgment to call in stones until he found something he was happy with, which he then passed to me to look at. This took a LOT of stress off of me, and I only had to take one diamond to the appraiser to find out that I had found a real keeper.

Welcome to Pricescope! Hope this helps!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

1. What are you thoughts about the quality of the diamond? Picture looks pretty good

2. Can I trust the GIA Certificate to be 100% truthful about the diamond''s quality? Yes,but the cert cannot tell you about the cut on a cushion. You need to see it.

3. Is the symmetry being only "good" bad? (will it effect my need for a good "bling"?) I don''t know. I usually set very good as my minimum based on advice from the real experts.
4. Dealer said "cut" is "Signature Ideal Cut Diamond". Shouldn''t that be listed on the GIA Certificate? I''m guessing that is a good cut, and I heard cut is the most important for my wanting shine. True? No, that means nothing other than the vendor decided to label it that way and it will not be on the certificate. Yes, cut is extremely important to the beauty of the stone.
5. Fluorescence is "none" - do I want fluorescence? It doesn''t matter. You can only see it with a black light.

6. Thoughts on the price - good, bad? Would I be better off just buying the diamond and getting it mounted somewhere else? Don''t know. But the setting is very inexpensive.

7. This is an online dealer (sight unseen! ). This means I don''t get the normal "warranties/guarantees" that a mall jeweler would be able to give. (cleaning, erodium, etc.) Is this really bad? If I buy the diamond, and have it mounted at a mall jewelers, I at least get the free cleaning, erodium, etc. - is it that big of a deal? [Note: there is a 14 days no questions asked return policy if I don''t like it] I would not buy a ring from a mall jeweler period. You can find some independent jeweler in your area to clean, check, and repair jewelry.

8. Anything else I should know? If I wanted a cushion, I''d contact Jonathan at Good Old Gold or Mark at Engagement Rings Direct. They both know how to choose beautiful stones and it takes a lot of the guesswork out of it for you. Plus Good Old Gold has a lifetime trade-in policy, which I think is fabulous in case you ever wanted to give her a larger stone later.

 

[Lynn B]

Just another thought... be suspicious of any stone right at or just over a benchmark size (like one carat). It is highly likely that the stone was cut to save weight (more $$$), and in the process, beauty may have been compromised.

I ditto DS above... if I were looking for a killer cushion, I would go to GOG or ERD, without a doubt.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 6/18/2008 7:35:09 PM
Author: Lynn B
Just another thought... be suspicious of any stone right at or just over a benchmark size (like one carat). It is highly likely that the stone was cut to save weight (more $$$), and in the process, beauty may have been compromised.

I ditto DS above... if I were looking for a killer cushion, I would go to GOG or ERD, without a doubt.

Thritto.

1. What are you thoughts about the quality of the diamond?
2. Can I trust the GIA Certificate to be 100% truthful about the diamond's quality? Yes.
3. Is the symmetry being only "good" bad? (will it effect my need for a good "bling"?) According to advice often given here by professionals, good for polish and symmetry in fancy shapes is acceptable - as to rule those out can mean you miss out on some potentially lovely diamonds.
4. Dealer said "cut" is "Signature Ideal Cut Diamond". Shouldn't that be listed on the GIA Certificate? I'm guessing that is a good cut, and I heard cut is the most important for my wanting shine. True? Cut is indeed the most important factor for sparkle, however cut labels such as the above don't guarantee you a well cut stone.
5. Fluorescence is "none" - do I want fluorescence? Depends - it has many fans here, not a deciding factor.
6. Thoughts on the price - good, bad? Would I be better off just buying the diamond and getting it mounted somewhere else?
7. This is an online dealer (sight unseen! ). This means I don't get the normal "warranties/guarantees" that a mall jeweler would be able to give. (cleaning, erodium, etc.) Is this really bad? If I buy the diamond, and have it mounted at a mall jewelers, I at least get the free cleaning, erodium, etc. - is it that big of a deal? [Note: there is a 14 days no questions asked return policy if I don't like it]
8. Anything else I should know?

 

[need_help]

Thank you ALL for the great input!

I went ahead and ordered it today. I should have it within a week.

I asked about the "Signature Ideal Cut" and how that is documented. They said that the cut is listed as Excellent on the appraisal (which someone above said not to trust). Hopefully it is a good cut ... but I do have 14 days from the day it is delivered to return it if I don''t like it for any reason. They describe their "Signature Ideal Cut" as "Represents roughly the top 3% of diamond quality based on cut. Reflects nearly all light that enters the diamond. An exquisite and rare cut."

I plan to take the ring to get appraised within 14 days of receiving it, just to make sure it is everything I hoped it would be. Is this advised? Would a local jeweler be best?

Also, the GIA Certificate says "Laser Inscription Registry: ##..."; does this mean that the GIA number is laser inscribed or just that this would be the number if I wanted to get it laser inscribed?

I went to two local jewelers yesterday to get input on what they thought of the diamond, expecting to get it ripped up and down. One asked if they were going out of business because the cheapest they could get a comparable diamond for is $11,000 and the other said to jump on it right away. For spending $5,000 on a ring, I''m feeling surprisingly comfortable right now.

Thanks again for all the help!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 6/19/2008 10:36:23 AM
Author: need_help
Thank you ALL for the great input!

I went ahead and ordered it today. I should have it within a week.

I asked about the 'Signature Ideal Cut' and how that is documented. They said that the cut is listed as Excellent on the appraisal (which someone above said not to trust). Hopefully it is a good cut ... but I do have 14 days from the day it is delivered to return it if I don't like it for any reason. They describe their 'Signature Ideal Cut' as 'Represents roughly the top 3% of diamond quality based on cut. Reflects nearly all light that enters the diamond. An exquisite and rare cut.'

I plan to take the ring to get appraised within 14 days of receiving it, just to make sure it is everything I hoped it would be. Is this advised? Would a local jeweler be best?

Also, the GIA Certificate says 'Laser Inscription Registry: ##...'; does this mean that the GIA number is laser inscribed or just that this would be the number if I wanted to get it laser inscribed?

I went to two local jewelers yesterday to get input on what they thought of the diamond, expecting to get it ripped up and down. One asked if they were going out of business because the cheapest they could get a comparable diamond for is $11,000 and the other said to jump on it right away. For spending $5,000 on a ring, I'm feeling surprisingly comfortable right now.

Thanks again for all the help!

You are welcome! You have a good return policy just in case, but I am sure it is a lovely diamond. Here is a tool you can use to find an appraiser in your area, should you wish to get an appraisal.

https://www.pricescope.com/appr_list.aspx

 

[CaptainCarat]

need_help, use the link that Lorelei provided to find a good appraiser, or look in your area. As a general rule you will want to avoid having a jewelry store appraise your ring as they might not be impartial. It''s always best to find an appraiser that does not sell jewelry, that way you know you are getting an honest opinion and that they are working for you, not the jeweler.

Good luck!