need help

[ruby7]

Hai guys..u r all doing a great job..i am very new to this site..just browsing this site for past 6 hours

..last evening i bought a diamond ring..since then i lost my sleep

))..I bought it without much knowledge..when i went through this site..i gained so much knowledge about the stones...okay..heres my query..i bought a .51ct,measuring 5.11-5.15-3.15,color (I) clarity SI2,polish/symmetry GOOD/GOOD...i didnt have any proportion ...its mounted on 14k yellow Gold the cost was 2475..it is IGI certified ..i bought it from KAY jewllers..they also mentioned its LEO...when i came home with the ring....i didnt like it very much

...i am wondering..did i pay too much????...i saw a stone in blue nile ..it costa 1,606..is this good stone...will this proportion be good

Carat wt: .52
Cut: Ideal
Color: F
Clarity: SI1
Depth %: 61.9%
Table %: 57%
Symmetry: Ideal
Polish: Ideal
Girdle: Thin to slightly thick
Culet: None
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 5.14x5.17x3.19 mm

I can pay extra 300 dollars for platinum ring too...i am new to this country...so i dont know any jewellers...how to validate and check my stone after i buy the stone online...i heard michaels jewellers validate stone is that so...do i have to pay for that...if yes how much it would be...do blue nile negotiate their price if i call them .....kindly help me please...i have nobody to ask

 

[pricescope]

Ruby7, welcome to the forum.

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...i bought a .51ct,measuring 5.11-5.15-3.15,color (I) clarity SI2,polish/symmetry GOOD/GOOD...i didnt have any proportion ...its mounted on 14k yellow Gold the cost was 2475..it is IGI certified ..i bought it from KAY jewllers..they also mentioned its LEO...when i came home with the ring....i didnt like it very much...i am wondering..did i pay too much????...
----------------

By Internet standards you paid a little too much indeed

I just did a price comparison on the Pricescope and found many 0.51+ Ideal CUT GIA or AGS graded diamonds with the same or higher color and clarity grades for $1,000 less.

Besides, IGI grading reports (certificates) are considered less consistent in the idustry.

14K gold Tiffany style ring usually costs just $80.

----------------
i saw a stone in blue nile ..it costa 1,606..is this good stone...will this proportion be good

Carat wt: .52
Cut: Ideal
Color: F
Clarity: SI1
Depth %: 61.9%
Table %: 57%
Symmetry: Ideal
Polish: Ideal
Girdle: Thin to slightly thick
Culet: None
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 5.14x5.17x3.19 mm
----------------

This deal sounds much better.

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I can pay extra 300 dollars for platinum ring too...i am new to this country...so i dont know any jewellers...how to validate and check my stone after i buy the stone online...i heard michaels jewellers validate stone is that so...do i have to pay for that...if yes how much it would be...do blue nile negotiate their price if i call them .....kindly help me please...i have nobody to ask.
----------------

.[/u]

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Ruby, out of the "bricks & mortar" jewelry stores, mall stores usually have the highest overhead, therefore their prices are usually the highest as well.

Internet dealers tend to have lower operating costs than "bricks & mortar" dealers, so their prices tend to be lower as well.

Mall stores usually specialize in "low to mid range" quality diamonds, while professional jewelers and internet dealers will often (but not always) tend to gravitate to "mid range to high" quality diamonds.

Mall stores are also in the "credit business", which tends to have an effect on their pricing as well.

The price you paid is a high retail price, at the top end of the scale. As Leonid pointed out, it's possible to buy much lower than that.

 

[Mara]

Ruby I think you said the key words in your original post..when you noted you didn't like the stone that much after you brought it home. Looks different when it's outside of the jewelry special lighting doesn't it? Probably not as great.

You definitely paid too much. I would return the ring, which is probably of mediocre cut as Kay is an okay 'mall' type jeweler even though it's a large reputed chain. Also for an I SI2, you really paid too much!! As you have already noted, you could have gotten a better deal on Blue Nile, which is even considered a somewhat pricey internet venue.

Run a Pricescope archive search on Leo stones. You will find some comments and observations on them. Draw your own conclusions. But it's really the brand name you are paying for in a sense, plus the high B&M overhead.

There are many online reputable jewelers, many people buy from them every day and alot of people post their great experiences here.

Let us know what you decide..but if you decide to return, I would return it ASAP to be sure that you don't get any hassles about keeping it too long, etc. Just return it, then continue to be educated via the online tutorials (Pscope has a great one) and then make your purchase, informed this time!!

Good luck

Also many people on here will not hesitate to help..so if you do return your original ring, please post what you are looking for (e.g. carat weight, did you want a color better than I..is cut a top priority, etc) and people will try to help you find what you are looking for. Personally, that's my favorite part of the forum!!

Oh and last but not least, your eyes are your final judge. If the stone does not speak to you..its not for you. You should get any purchase appraised or at least looked at by a 2nd opinion whether you purchase offline or online. Online jewelers will often agree to send a stone to an appraiser so that they can tell you what they think, offline stores should do the same..but sometimes don't.

 

[jlim]

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On 5/11/2003 10:34:26 AM Richard Sherwood wrote:

Internet dealers tend to have lower operating costs than "bricks & mortar" dealers, so their prices tend to be lower as well.

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Rich - But isn't it true most of the vendors here have a physical B&M shop as well?

 

[pqcollectibles]

Ruby7~

The Leo diamond is a...."non traditional" cut. It is not a made up name. Leo ShatzWhatEverHisNameIs "developed" the cut.

Mara is absolutely correct about the "special" store lighting. And, Maul stores are the worst about having "special" lighting. When you view a diamond for purchase, you need to see it under all types of light. Indirect outdoor light, regular "bulb" light, candlelight/other low light condition, etc. After all, you don't plan to wear the diamond under certain kinds or "special" type of lighting all the time.

If you are within your return period, RUN QUICK and return that puppy to Kay's! Now that you've found Price Scope, you can learn about diamonds and make an informed buying choice.

You will find the Price Scope vendors offer better quality at lower prices than Maul stores and most local Bricks and Mortar jewelry stores.

 

[Richard Sherwood]

-----------
Rich - But isn't it true most of the vendors here
have a physical B&M shop as well?
-----------

Some are pure internet dealers with no store front, some operate out of an office, some operate out of a store.

The ones with higher overhead remain competitive if they're able to deal in volume, which most on here do.

Then you've got the guy dealing out of his living room while in his pajamas...

 

[ruby7]

Hai everyone..thanku so much for helping me...i returned the ring yesterday with ease..i had to return the free teddy bear too

i was very happy that i found this forum...i have a query now...what is AGSO or AGSOO..?

 

[pqcollectibles]

AGS is one of 2 premier diamond Certification/Grading Labs. The other is GIA.

AGS established a numbering system for grading color, clarity, polish, symmetry, etc. The numbers rank the "quality" of the various parameters from top to bottom on the scale.

As an example: .75 carat, AGS000, H, SI1. This means AGS determined the diamond has Ideal Polish, Ideal Symmetry, and Ideal Proportions. The diamond rates an AGS 2 in color, and a 5 in clarity.

For a diamond to be a true AGS0, it will have to have Ideal Polish, Ideal Symmetry, Ideal Proportions, be D in color, and be IF (internally flawless) in clarity.

For more information on AGS grading go to the following link:

http://www.ags.org/public/consumer/consumerindex.htm

Click on the 4C's and the AGS tutorial will explain the rest.

 

[Mara]

I MAY be wrong, but I thought that the term 'AGS 0' is based on the proportions only (e.g. table is AGS 0, depth is AGS 0 etc) while 'AGS 000' means Ideal Proportions (polish, symm, cut), D and IF. So the AGS 0 does have to do with the number cruncing, while the 000 has to do with the D IF Cut...though we often use AGS 000 on here much more loosely to denote Ideal Polish, Symm and Cut as its rare to find a true AGS 000!

Ruby--also it's good to note that while AGS is a highly reputed lab, their cut grade is only a 'try' at encapsulating what a great cut of a stone is. There are some AGS 0 stones that DO NOT perform well on the HCA and/or have specs that some experts may question. There are some AGS 2-5 or even AGS 7 stones that may look better to your eye than an AGS0 .

That said, AGS 0 is a good place to start looking, but it's not a diehard/foolproof method of finding a great stone. Take the crown and pavilion angles, plus them into the HCA, if you have a Sarin report on a stone, post the info so that someone can do a diamcalc simulation so you can see what the stone will look like with light leakage, etc. Or if you use one of the vendors like GOG or WhiteFlash, NiceIce etc...they do this for you most of the time, so you have the images without having to have them simulated.

Good luck!

 

[pqcollectibles]

Well, Mara, I wasn't all together sure when I posted that. I've seen AGS0 used so many ways, I "thought" I knew what it meant. The PERFECT diamond. I do know AGS000 4 sure is Ideal polish, symmetry, and proportions.

Ruby, better listen to Mara about AGS0. She is our resident consumer "expert".

The search engine on the PS homepage (left side) has fairly nice preset dimensions to work within. Just plug in your carat weight range and it will pop out a list of diamonds to consider. Sometimes, more than one vendor has the same diamond listed. The vendors have access to lists of diamonds available from brokers. Others, the vendor actually has possession of the diamond, and can answer any quesion you have.

White Flash, Good Old Gold, Nice Ice, Superb Cert, and several others are the biggie vendors. Don't be afraid to call/contact any PS vendor with a question. All the PS vendors are very reputable, honest, and fair. I spoke personally with several before I selected my diamond from White Flash. All were very nice, friendly people, who really tried to help.

 

[Giangi]

AGS = AGS Lab
AGS0 = D color or FL/IF clarity or Ideal cut. It's simply a grade, as K color or excellent symmetry are for GIA.
AGS000 = Diamond of D color, FL/IF clarity and Ideal cut. Usually referred as Polish+Symmetry+Proportions 0... This is incorrect, though.

 

[Mara]

Pulled this from niceice.com.

AGS 0 is ideal proportions, polish and symmetry which equal Ideal Cut 0

AGS 000 is Ideal Cut 0, Ideal Color (D) 0, and Ideal Clarity (IF) 0

Thought so!

http://www.niceice.com/ags_popup.htm

We often refer to AGS 000 on here incorrectly..what we really mean is AGS 0. There aren't too many AGS 000 stones out there!

 

[pqcollectibles]

Gosh, jog my brain. Now I remember. I saw that in a thread someone posted weeks ago. They had an AGS0 they called AGS000 and got corrected. The definitions were also listed as well as the link to an article/website.

Giangi and Mara are a marvel of knowledge! I'm still sorting newly learned information and countless sheets of pages I printed. LOL

 

[Giangi]

Mara, that's right, but remember that an AGS0 could be simply D color or IF or Ideal make, but in the trade AGS0 is commonly referred as ideal cut... This can be very confusing!!