Online stores

[maximus1]

What is the story with online diamond stores???

I''m looking to buy an EC diamond. I guess it''s not the most popular of the bunch, as companies I''m talking to don''t have requested diamonds in stock (one said they don''t have any ECs in their inventory).

I''ve been told that the key to picking out a diamond online is to judge it primarily by the pictures.

However, the online jewellers want to charge $40-$50 for a diamond that I ask for pictures if it''s not in their inventory - if I don''t end up buying it.

Somewhat of a ridiculous catch-22 here in that I can''t tell if it''s one I want until I see it. But I can''t see it unless I know I want to buy it (figuring I don''t feel like paying an extra $50 to look at a diamond I don''t want). Am I missing something here??

Do you guys know of any good companies with a decent inventory of EC diamonds??

 

[mrssalvo]

you''re right that EC''s are a tough shape to find lots of info on, or a vendor with lots of inventory. I''d suggest checking out Goodoldgolds website if you haven''t already. they do a ton of pics and might have something online you can look at. it''s also important to find a vendor you can trust. that way they can weed out the *dogs* and only call in the one''s that could really be the winner.

Mark T at engagmentringsdirect.com is another that comes to mind. he''s located in NY''s diamond district and can go eyeball stones w/out having to pay the shipping fees. of course, once any vendor finds what they thin you''re looking for you may still have to pay to have it sent to you. that''s where the trust will come back in. EC''s are much harder b/c you really can''t judge them by specs/numbers/photos alone, they really need a set of eyes.

good luck...

 

[neatfreak]

I second those recommendations. The difference between working with GOG or ERD and working with a place like bluenile are like night and day. Call GOG or ERD, tell them your preferences for size, color, etc. and your budget, and they will come up with a few winners for you without a problem. With a place like bluenile YOU are blindly picking stones from certs. alone, and that''s not easy to do with a fancy shape. With GOG or ERD THEY will find stones within your parameters for you so that you aren''t out there blindly looking. I have worked with ERD and have heard nothing but good things about GOG either.

BTW: We got our stone from Mark @ ERD and he didn''t charge to take pictures for us.

 

[chrono]

With ECs, since many are virtual stones, you have to pick a vendor who is willing to work with you. First, you''ll have to do your homework and set up very tight parameters. Essentially, you are screening by the numbers. Once you have it narrowed down, your chances of getting a dud are pretty slim but not guaranteed. Then call your vendor and ask him to call in the EC and run all the tests on it: pictures, Sarin, ASET, Idealscope and hope that everything comes through all right. You''ll most likely come out all right. If not, bite the shipping cost and start the process again. It''s a risk you have to be willing to take.

Your other option is to stick with GOG who already has an in-house inventory of EC that already has the battery of reports done.

Your third option is to go with Mark of ERD. He has a great eye of diamonds and won''t charge for pictures. However, I don''t think he does Idealscope and ASET pictures. You''ll just have to trust him. He does pick out really great diamonds though and it is best if you give him all your specifications beforehand (specific cut information) so that he can find what you are looking for.

 

[Regular Guy]

I''d use the search by cut db here, for what it''s worth.

The good news is that it lists 131. The bad news is that only 3 come with illustrative pictures, with 2 from GOG (one here) and 1 from WF (one here).

The rest are from JA, and I really don''t know exactly what he''s doing (I bought from him, btw), except that I guess he''s leveraging info as best as he can, possibly while not having the diamond in hand, but having the cert for each one...if you knew what to do with that info.

 

[vsdiamondbrokers]

maximus,

A good diamond professional should be able to 1) get a good idea as to what you're looking for, 2) find a diamond based on your request, and 3) be confident enough in their diamond, pricing and service to take a free photo of it for you (even if that means bringing the diamond in in order to get that photo). Let them know that you're serious if they can find the right diamond and you should have no problem. Part of offering diamonds for sale over the internet is doing all that you can to make the customer feel comfortable and confident. If the company you're working with can't do that for you, there are a lot of them out there... find one that will

 

[maximus1]

Hate to throw too much caution to the wind, but considering my limited knowledge coupled with the fact I''m buying without seeing much - I''m basically putting a great deal of trust in my dealer to help me decide. Sounds like good experiences with GOG, and their policies (returns/buy back/trade up) all look good. Thanks for the recommendations guys

 

[kcoursolle]

jamesallen.com is another great place to look for fancy shaped diamonds. Much of their inventory is already photographed.

 

[Regular Guy]

Date: 5/8/2007 1:49:38 PM
Author: kcoursolle
jamesallen.com is another great place to look for fancy shaped diamonds. Much of their inventory is already photographed.

I misspoke, and this is exactly correct. Each at least of these 128 options do seem to also come with magnified images. Not IS type, designed to help with light performance, per se...but probably to help get a bead on inclusions, at least. Seems at a minimum these could help to illuminate some...