NEED HELP

[Kevin Collins]

First, please let me say that I am not versed in forum etiqutte, so please forgive any indiscretions. What I really need however, is help in purchasing a diamond. There seem to be plenty of websites that price diamonds and give details of each stone, but nowhere can I find a similar site for LAZAR cut diamonds?

Is buying diamonds on the web risky?

Can one obtain a better deal on online? If so, is it significant, or only a couple percentage points?

Additional recommendations welcome.



Respectfully,

Kevin

 

[bingbongbug]

Hi, Kevin, and welcome to the forum. I am sure there are lots of people with better advice than me, but I will offer my opinion as well.

Buying over the internet is, in a way, much like buying anywhere. Research the company you're buying from so you know its reputation. Be aware of guarantees and return policies, as these are key. There are many companies online that have great reputations for products, honesty, and customer service, just as there are many brick and mortar companies that have very bad reputations for the same.

There are great benefits to buying online. Depending on your area of residence, the internet may offer a much greater variety of choice. (Where I live, for example, there are only the few mall chain stores that sell the same, low-quality stuff.) Price is definitely a motivator to buying online as well. Brick and mortar retailers have to pay expensive commercial-space rent, operating costs, and so on, so they simply -have- to mark the prices on items up in order to make any profit.

There are also drawbacks to buying online. You don't get to see the item first. You have to do your own research, with no one to walk you through the process (though jewelry sales people can be pretty cuttroat and not too honest when trying to make a sale). You don't get many of the services offered through a brick and mortar store. BUT, keep in mind that if you move to a different area, or if that particular store closes, you may be a very far cry from another location where you could claim said services...

So it's a personal choice, depending on what you're looking for in your buying experience. Myself, I would recommend going to your local stores, looking at everything they have to offer, marking the grades and prices down, then researching the internet to see how much more variety you might have and how much you might save. I have found that the quality and cost on internet diamonds is MUCH better than my local stores. See what you find, and how you feel about it. Do your research and you will make the best purchase for yourself, with no regrets later.

As for Lazar diamonds, maybe someone else has some ideas.

 

[pricescope]

Hi Kevin and welcome to the forum

Lazar diamonds are not sold via the internet - only via authorized dealers. Lazar diamonds were the first branded ideal cut diamonds.

In our days there are many other branded and non-branded ideal cut diamonds including "super-ideal" Hearts and Arrows" diamonds (I'm using these terms not to promote these products but merely because the trade is using them).

I believe you can safely buy beautiful ideal cut or H&A stones in the web for much less money than Lazar diamonds.

.[/u][/u]

 

[pricescope]

Thanks Bingbongbug! Great post. You're typing faster than me

 

[Kevin Collins]

Thank all of you for the replies. They are helpful. A few more questions from a beginner!:

Is "Hearts & Arrows" a specific cut type?

Is the cutting for H&A performed by only one cutter?

Do the "Hearts and Arrows" stones have specific dimensional criteria like the Lazar? Would this would mean I could trust any H&A cut?

Will the brilliance and overall beauty compare to that of a Lazar?

Is it true that beatiful cut stones appear larger than non-ideal cut stones?

For the loose stone, I am willing to pay approx. $15K. I would like somthing between 1.6-1.75C, "G" or better, VS2 or better, best cut available. Is this a pipe dream?

Will cach save me $$?

Other recommendations welcome.




Respectfully,

Kevin (the wary newcomer)

 

[fire&ice]

I think it's lazare as in lazare kaplan.

20 years ago, we looked at those. They are quite handsome....but ended up getting an "ideal" unbranded diamond at at lest 30% less....Got a larger stone too!

good luck

 

[bingbongbug]

For information on H&A, check out the site here on Pricescope if you haven't already. https://www.pricescope.com/hearts_indx.asp It gives a great deal of information.

I know that the Hearts on Fire brand H&A are cut by one cutter, start to finish, but don't know about other branded and nonbranded H&A.

Whether or not they will compare to a Lazar is a subjective thing. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and all that. You can have two stones of ideal cut, same clarity and color, and some people will prefer stone "a" while others would prefer stone "b." It is a matter of you seeing the stones and making a decision about what you like.

The site I listed above gives info on phony H&A. There are also branded and unbranded H&A's. Generally, when you buy a branded diamond, you can "trust" it. That's why you're paying the premium for the brand. Many unbranded ones though, I understand, are just as lovely.

Yes, it is true that ideal-cut stones can appear larger than a non-ideal. The reason being that in these cases, the cutters cut the diamond in a manner to preserve as much of the diamond as possible rather than cutting away more of the rough diamond. This often results in a deep diamond. It is kind of an iceburg way of doing diamonds. What you see on top isn't analogous to what's on bottom. The top part that you look at is smaller, more of the carat weight is underneath where you don't see it. This not only robs you of a bigger face to look down on, but it causes light leakage through the diamond, making it far less beautiful. When you get an ideal diamond, all the proportions are cut to return the maximum amount of light possible, and give you the larger "look" of your set diamond.

As for your budget, I would not say that it's a pipe dream. Just doing a quick check on Blue Nile (which many people find to be pricier than other online sites) for reference, because they have a signature ideal cut that is easy to search... I found a 1.61 G color, VS2 for $15,648.

If you haven't already done a lot of color/clarity research, you might want to do so, comparing VS2 with SI1. If it turns out that you'd be as happy with SI1, you could save a chunk of change.

And don't be wary! Diamond research and shopping and discussing is FUN!