Need your advice on a quote I received

[konayipark]

Hello everyone,

Glad to have found this website, as I''m a ring-novice, and will be purchasing my very first diamond very soon. Hopefully you can provide me with any advice or input about my situation.

This afternoon, I went engagement ring window shopping, and came across a jeweler who carried cushion cut diamonds (what my girlfriend has shown immense interest in). Here are the specs on the diamond:

EGL certified
2.13 ct
CUSHION MODIFIED BRILLIANT41
color G
clarity SI3
measurements 7.92 x 7.2 x 4.75 mm
Depth 66.0
Table 59.0
Crown 15.1
Pavilion 41.0
Girdle SL. THICK TO THICK FACETED
Polish EXCELLENT
Symmetry GOOD
Fluorescence NONE
Culet NONE
UGS Appraisal Value $17820.00

I have to say, while I''m not a huge fan of jewelry, this particular diamond was spectacular to look at.

The man had originally quoted $9000 for it, but when I mentioned that it was a bit out of my price range, he offered to bring it down to $8000 if I paid in cash, plus he''d provide me with a free setting.

Before meeting this man, I had stopped by other places who all said they didn''t carry cushion cut and would call me back for a quote on Monday. Without even telling him, the cushion cut man read my mind and asked if I had seen other cushion cuts that day, to which I said no. He mentioned that not many jewelers (in the area I was in) carried cushion cuts on them (which may be true, as I had stopped by at least 5 others before his), and the only reason why he had one was because he had bought it for a fantastic price at a show, but no one has really shown much interest in it.

The ring would come with an EGL certification. I know there are many on this board who are not too keen on EGL certified diamonds, but he has offered to allow me to (after purchasing it) walk down the street to EGL-Los Angeles and have them look at it. If it''s not up to my standards, he has said I could bring it back to him for something else. I wrote down the EGL certification # before leaving, and input it into the EGL website once I got home, and the diamond is just as the man told me, as per the website.

Please tell me what you think - honestly. The diamond is quite breathtaking, and I''m positive my girlfriend would love it, but......am I getting ripped off or is this a once in a lifetime find? Any input would be great.

Thanks all,
Andrew

 

[KristyDarling]

I know next to nothing about cushions but were you able to see any inclusions with the naked eye? I''d be VERY concerned with the SI3 part (equivalent to I1 with GIA). Plus, EGL tends to be lenient with their grading so in reality it is probably more like an I2 (again, in GIA-speak). There is a reason why he was willing to part with a 2+carat cushion for the unbelievably low price of 9K. Sounds a little too good to be true to me. Can you have the cushion sent to an *independent* appraiser? (not EGL)

Personally, I''d keep looking. If you''re in L.A., there are going to be LOTS of jewelers in the area who carry cushions. Believe me. Perhaps some of the LA-area people here could chime in with jeweler suggestions. I highly recommend Mark Turnowsky from EngagementRingsDirect.com. He''s sort of the cushion specialist around here and he has MANY happy customers here on the boards. Through Mark, I''d be willing to bet you''d get a high quality stone at a better price than any brick and mortar store. Good luck!

 

[Kaleigh]

I second everything KristyDarling said. An SI3 EGL would most likely be an I1 or worse if it were graded by GIA. It would be heavily included. You''ve seen it we haven''t. If you really love it have an independent appraiser give your their opinion. But my red flags are going up on this stone. Definitely give Mark Turnowski a call at www.engagementringsdirect.com. He has found some of the most beautiful cushions I have seen on here. HTH, and good luck!!!

 

[konayipark]

Thanks for the advice. I''ll try stopping by Mark Turnowsky''s place; however, if I were to go the independent appraiser route, how would I go about doing that? Are they to come along with me to the jeweler & appraise the ring right in front of the jeweler? How much am I looking to pay for such a service, and how do I go about finding a reputable one? Through recommendations?

Thanks again. Trying to find the right diamond is tough work.

 

[Kaleigh]

Click on resources at the top of the page to find an independent appraiser in your area. The jeweler would have to send the stone to the appraiser, fees vary depending where you are located. Before you do that, I''d chat with Mark. See what he can come up with for you. He''s in NYC, BTW.

 

[Cehrabehra]

I would be wary of purchasing an SI3 EGL... JMO of course. I dunno if that''s a good price and there isn''t a standard on cut values.... you''re getting the stone for under 4000 a carat - I suppose that could be considered a good deal, or an accurate price for a mediocre diamond.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 10/8/2006 1:06:11 AM
Author: konayipark
Thanks for the advice. I''ll try stopping by Mark Turnowsky''s place; however, if I were to go the independent appraiser route, how would I go about doing that? Are they to come along with me to the jeweler & appraise the ring right in front of the jeweler? How much am I looking to pay for such a service, and how do I go about finding a reputable one? Through recommendations?

Thanks again. Trying to find the right diamond is tough work.

you can look here for an appraiser.... but you know how they said you could purchase the diamond and walk down the streeto egl? well, just walk down a different street to an appraiser- at the very least make sure the inclusions are not structural issues...

 

[:)]

Well, an SI3 is really an I1 (or lower) - there are few labs that use that grade - I believe it is widely believed to be a marketing ploy to make the consumer more comfortable buying an I stone. That said, I think that the price actually sounds high for a true 2.13 G I1 cushion (as I am considering it an I1 b/c most people do not consider SI3 a true grade). If you like it and it sparkles like crazy as you mentioned and you want to buy it, then definitely get it appraised. There is a HUGE drop off in price from SI2 to I1, and I just don''t want you to pay more than what you should for it. Consider having someone like Patrick Davis appraise it (he is under the resources, appraisers button at the top of the page) - he is in Los Angeles, used to grade for GIA, is a really nice guy, and loves to teach. He does not sell stones, and is a consumer advocate. I would not waste my time walking ''down the street to EGL'' as the vendor advised. You already know what EGL said. YOu now need an INDEPENDENT evaluation by an accredited appraiser, and not another jeweler either. Consider asking what the return policy is, get it in writing, and if it is long enough you can consider purchasing it and returning it if it does not appraise back at what the report said it was. I will tell you that Patrick will not use SI3 as a grade. He goes from SI2 to I1, as I would expect from a professional appraiser. If the vendor will not allow an impartial professional appraiser to grade it then run for the hills!! Good Luck!


I found Patrick''s website..
http://www.jewelryappraiser.net/