Please Help - Clarity Enhanced Diamond Purchase

[Amy B]

My husband and I recently purchased a diamond ring. The jeweler convinced us to go with a clarity enhanced diamond as he claimed it would allow us to buy a larger diamond and the clarity enhancement would be invisible to the naked eye. I would very much appreciate your advise on whether I got a good deal as I am now starting to feel uncomfortable with my desicion.

We paid $10,800 for the following diamond in a Tacori platinum setting with .32 ct side diamonds. The ring was also supposed to come with a matching eternal band also by Tacori but they are now claiming it wasn''t part of the deal (although we wrote it on the check as being included and they cashed our check):

Princess, 2.04 ct
Measurements 6.82 x 6.59 x 5.18
Depth 78.6
Table 70
Thick, polished
symmetry - good
polish - very good
color G, flourescense - none
Clarity -SI1
clarity enhanced - fracture filling

I believe the the individual pricing he quoted on the diamond alone was $7800 but cannot be certain since it was combined with the setting and band.

The diamond was certified by International Gemological Center LTD. I have not heard of this lab which is also a concern. They provided an appraisal of the diamond and setting at $16,000 but I don''t know how much weight it carries given that the appraisal was provided by the same company.

Any advise on this issue would be appreciated. I am considering going back to the seller to see what options i have if it turns out I was taken advantage of. Thank you!

 

[Lorelei]

Oh gosh Amy, it is hard to know what to tell you...Regarding price there are so many variables, also I have never heard of the lab. C.E diamonds have their place IMO as they do allow you to get a bigger diamond cheaper, but there are some things you need to be aware of.

Always let a jeweller know who is going to work on your ring for ANY REASON that it is enhanced. The torches they use can cause the enhancement material to bubble out of the diamond if due care isn't taken. However it can be re - enhanced at no cost as the enhancement is normally guaranteed for life. Also don't use ammonia based cleaners as this too can hurt the enhancement, needing a trip back to the company for it to be redone, also avoid very hot water too. However with the right precautions taken with cleaning etc, CE diamonds can be worn like any other.

Clarity enhanced diamonds are usually graded for clarity after the enhancement, but you pay the original grade price. For example, an enhanced SI1 which might be an I1 before enhancement, you pay the I1 price.

Regarding the appraisal, don't set much store on the 16k value, these are normally quite inflated. This is a decision only you can make. If you are within the return period, take the ring back and get a refund and buy a non enhanced maybe smaller diamond. If you can't return it, know you have a big rock and that is rare and special in itself. I take it that it is because it is a CE diamond it is bothering you? Many people wear them quite happily, but if it isn't the thing for you, see about returning it ASAP.

Also I don't know much about the cut of Princess cuts, how does it look to you? If you want to return this diamond I would say to get onto it ASAP.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Amy, you''ll find that most of us on this forum are into really high quality diamonds, particularly cut, and clarity enhanced diamonds are not favored. So, to be honest, most of us wouldn''t consider putting a clarity enhanced diamond in a Tacori setting, which certainly is a very fine setting It''s impossible for us to guess the value of your stone. The certification could be meaningless. GIA and AGS are the most regarded grading labs, but I don''t think they even grade clarity enhanced stones. But in any event, it''s not likely worth more than you paid. We do get people on here who want size over any other characteristic occasionally, and they are happy with their CE stones. There was somebody on here yesterday who paid $2500 for a 2 ct. CE stone which was a pretty low price.

As far as the matching eternity band goes, you need to look at the sales receipt. That is their commitment to you for the items purchased and the price. You certainly do need to know the price for the setting and the price for the diamond. Does your jeweler allow you to trade-up your diamond? Perhaps you could save and buy another diamond to replace it in the future. The sad thing is I am not sure you could count on getting a good stone or good deal from this jeweler. Are you still within the return period by any chance?

 

[Lorelei]

Just a thought...if the jeweller won''t refund you the cash or money you paid for this diamond, maybe he might allow you full credit against another non enhanced diamond, if that is what you want, it might be worth a try if you are out of the return period.

 

[woobug02]

Woo, I have a 1.75 marquise that has been clarity enhanced. I had the procedure done because the flaws in the stone drove me crazy. Now that I have it back you can''t see the flaws and the stone looks great but I purchased the stone really cheap and the enhancement cost wasn''t bad. My problem is after being on this site I am have learned so much about diamonds that the stone will probably never be my favorite. The average person thinks it is a KNOCKOUT but I know everything little flaw.

Here is my question: Do you like the stone????? If not then I would try and take it back and get a non-enhanced stone that is a little smaller but good clarity and cut I settled in the beginning for the bigger stone but not quality and have regretted it...

 

[denverappraiser]

Amy,

This is a complicated question. I would start with the observation that second guessing the valuation on a ring that you are already committed to and can’t change is a foolish errand that is guaranteed to lead to unhappiness. If you aren’t comfortable with your purchase, start by talking to the jeweler about it. Be forthright, specific and detailed about your concerns. In addition to asking questions about the valuation and required care of CE diamonds ask about the credibility of the lab/appraiser that THEY chose. Figure out if you have any return or exchange privileges at all and, if so, what are the rules surrounding them.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[brt_mbl]

A note: as for the warranty on CE diamonds... I believe the repair for it if it is destroyed, etc being repaired for free is only if you get it from a seller who will back that up..., someone let me know if I am wrong?

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 8/25/2006 6:10:21 PM
Author: brt_mbl
A note: as for the warranty on CE diamonds... I believe the repair for it if it is destroyed, etc being repaired for free is only if you get it from a seller who will back that up..., someone let me know if I am wrong?

As I understand it, CE diamonds enhancements is what is guaranteed, e.g. if the filling is harmed either by the owner or a jeweller working on the ring, the companies in most circumstances will redo the enhancement. However the diamond itself isn't guaranteed against breakage or damage. Often a card is given with the diamond on purchase, to guarantee the enhancement - that it will be redone if needed. It isn't usual for the jeweller to reinhance a diamond, it has to go back to the company who does the work.

 

[woobug02]

Yehuda did my clarity enhancement and it is guar. for life....however mine was not fracture filled. it was enhanced to hide the flaws on one end... it went from a H/I2 to a J/SI2....Strange the color went down but they said the enhancement will bring out the real color in a stone soooooo my stone was never an H ....it was a J..... I can treat my stone like any other but a jeweler has to becareful not to hit it 1500 degree heat..... If that happens it will have to be redone. Like I said before I have a 1.75ct marquise stone that I have about $3000.00 in soooooooooooooooooo like several jewelers told me I have a nice looking large stone for fairly cheap. However, once you are on this site you are going to want the BEST!!!!! HEHEHEHEHE 3 years ago I would have never known the difference and would be thinking I was queen for the day with that stone

 

[denverappraiser]

Date: 8/26/2006 8:55:59 AM
Author: Lorelei

As I understand it, CE diamonds enhancements is what is guaranteed, e.g. if the filling is harmed either by the owner or a jeweller working on the ring, the companies in most circumstances will redo the enhancement. However the diamond itself isn't guaranteed against breakage or damage. Often a card is given with the diamond on purchase, to guarantee the enhancement - that it will be redone if needed. It isn't usual for the jeweller to reinhance a diamond, it has to go back to the company who does the work.

True. There are several 3rd party insurance companies that offer coverage against breakage and damage but these things are not covered under the manufacturers warranty. This is generally true of non-CE diamonds as well and many people find these policies to be a valuable add-on purchase.

If you buy a CE diamond and you have a jeweler work on it, please remember to tell them about it. It's easy to miss it and it's easy to screw it up if you aren't careful. Guaranteed or not, it's a cause of great anguish for the poor bench worker if they start a repair with a beautiful diamond and end up with an ugly one. It takes a while to figure out what happened and then you still have to deal with sending it back for redol. It's just SO much easier for everyone to avoid it in the first place.

You're also correct that if the stone was filled by one of the big name manufactuers (Yehuda and Goldman Oved), the warranty is from the manufactuer, not the retailer. Genuine products from these companies both come with a warranty card explaining the details. I would recommend against buying the products of brands that don't offer this service.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[Amy B]

Thanks to you all for your posts. This information was very helpful! I did speak with the jeweler and they offer a 100% trade in value forever. They are going to work with me to make sure I get exactly what I want. I feel a lot better knowing that.