Please help.. Diamond ear studs dilemma...

[Fadedsenses]

Hi there

I have been reading lots on pricescope before thinking of posting this out, with so many experts here, i am confident that i will get all the useful suggestions i need right now..

I'm having a baby soon and my birthdays today.. so my lovely husband bought me a pair of diamond studs 1 carat tw, we looked for it together and have bought this pair on sat. Well it is uncertified but it is claimed to be I colour and I1s, for USD1700+
i wouldn't mind little visible inclusions but we have decided on this pair cos the sales guy told us that we can change the diamonds if we are unhappy with the current ones we are having, meaning we were happy with one side of the solitaire but the other side has got a black speck in the middle of the diamond ( might/might not be visible within 3 feet depending on the lighting).

See this is the problem, we paid for the item on sat and collected it on Sunday as he promised to get the other side changed with a diamond he matched from a ring in the store and to do a resetting for the other ok solitaire to hide the cloud under the prongs, So we were excited bout it and collected it yesterday.. without checking it throughly.

When i saw it this morning in natural light, i notice the black speck in the middle and its seems like he did not change it, when we called him he said he is sure he watched the guy reset it but the black speck is there and we both can see it! Which was not supposed to be there is it was from the ring, that we looked under his magnifying glass..

I felt cheated

I really dunno what to do now and he askes us to go look for him on wed, think we can still return it, but i like the brilliance of them.

So should i , return them?
/ Make him change it again if he allows ,which is not really possible since he said he has the swapped diamond he took out from the earring setting in the store?
/ return and buy it from the internet with a budget of $1700?

Btw, is the price right ? I got it from a store called chain reaction, any feedbacks for this store?

What should i do???

wednesday is coming...

HELP!!!

 

[fisiogrl]

Buyers remorse or more?

If you really hate the black spec - take them back and get what you will be happy with! Don''t hesitate, you will kick yourself later.

On the other hand, if you really like the sparkle, does it make up for the black spec?

Keep in mind that there are some good deals online, but ofcourse you don''t get to see them in person.

 

[Slykat12]

I would return them and buy online. I personally would never buy an I clarity diamond. Way too risky. You can a good deal here. Use the good cut feature.

There are a couple nice prospects in the .40 point-.46 point range that will be about 1700.00. Pay the tax at the end of the tax year.

 

[Fadedsenses]

Thanks for the advices,

I am really tempted to buy online as well but am afraid that it might get worst, since buying from a retail shop can be this bad wat more from buying online.
And if i encounter problems returning will be troublesome, is that so? Please enlighten me if i am wrong.

So if buy online should i buy loose ones? or ready diamonds..?
Since i have been reading here that for earrings the grades doesnt have to be that great, what should i look for in the grades with my budget of 1700, that will give me a total weight of 1 carat?

 

[portoar]

What is most important to you:

1) I want the best quality diamonds I can get for my budget with lots of sparkle, brilliance, fire?
2) I want the biggest diamonds I can get for my budget?

For $1700 you can''t have both.

If you want #1, there are many reputable internet vendors with excellent return policies who can sell you some diamond earrings so beautiful I''d bet your current pair might look like junk next to them. But you won''t get 1 ct. Here are some examples:

http://www.whiteflash.com/Fine-jewelry/Diamond_Studs/Expert-Selection-Ready-set-to-GO_822.htm

The .8 ctw earrings are $1,190 and the 1 ctw earrings are $2,100 and no sales tax because they are in Texas (unless you are also in Texas). I would call WF and see what they can do for you within your budget.

You are right, there are some sketchy internet vendors out there, but there are also some reputable ones that lots of people patronize and have been thrilled with. They can get you better quality diamonds for less money than a brick and mortar store charges. Whiteflash is one, GoodOldGold.com is another, just look at the top of the pricescope screen under resources for diamond vendors.

If you want #2, then just take back the earrings you have and ask them to replace the diamond with the black inclusion.

For what it''s worth, I''d be willing to bet that the .8 ctw $1,190 earrings from whiteflash would blow away your $1,700 1 ctw earrings. And, because they''ll probably be better cut, although they are .2 ctw smaller I''d be willing to be they''ll look just as large as your visibly included earrings.

If you are wondering what other people''s experiences have been with whiteflash or goodoldgold, then do a search in the search box for whiteflash or goodoldgold (or other internet vendors listed) and read other threads from people who have bought diamonds there. You will read lots of praise for them, and nothing negative.

 

[squarediamondlove]

I agree with the above as well. I think the price is pricy given the color and clarity. Either try online or go to a dealer where you can bargain for a better price. I have .9 ct earings F VS1, I got them for $1,000 no tax through jewelry dealer that was willing to bargain.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 12/6/2005 2:44:14 AM
Author: Fadedsenses

And if i encounter problems returning will be troublesome, is that so? Please enlighten me if i am wrong.

What would you do if the shop you got these from didn't accept them back? Same for online - most shops are also jewelery shops 'on the ground' so you can easily select a seller that can be dealt with as any other jewelry shop.

Sellers face less costs but more pressure to reassure clients online, so certification and detailed descriptions are often provided. For example, about clarity, you may not have seen your diamonds under a binocular microscope in the shop, but online many shops do that - and it is not 'red carpet treatment' for huge rocks either.

True enough, for most diamonds you get to see only a copy of the lab report prior to purchase, but they could be higher clarity given the better prices and the guarantee for color and clarity is more than you have dot with the current pair.


There are several I-J/SI2 with GIA lab reports on the list at $850 or so. That still makes the pair more expensive than what you have found, but if the shop's grades are not on the spot, they cease to be bargains, of course. At this point there is no way to know.


One last thing... What size are your current pair? Sometimes the lower clarity stones do not get a great cut (mostly too deep with large tables that shows inclusions even worse) and this makes them have a smaller diameter than better cut ones do. The other version (flat cut, larger looking but not as bright) is possible. It may be that picking a pair of slightly less weight, they'd turn out the same size face up. And by clarity alone better looking.

My 2C


PS: 'gues this is a long post! I am definitely not selling these things!

 

[recran]

Point of clarification: Most states do require you to pay their sales tax for items purchased online in which no sales tax was paid. So if you''re not in TX and you buy from WF, you need to report your purchase on your state tax return and pay the sales tax.

Anyway, if you can actually see the speck, I''d ditch the earrings and use that as an excuse to buy online. I''d totally give up a tiny bit of size to get better earrings.

 

[Fadedsenses]

Yes, i am really affected by the black specks!!

Boy am i thrilled to hear all these responses, it definitely made my day and tomorrows wednesday, most likely i will return it given the advices from you guys, i feel more confident now purchasing from the internet. I was looking at spencers and spencers, have anyone of you dealt with them yet?

Oh and some more questions, like say if i purchase online with one of the vendors here, what if the item is not as described? We return them as well rite i suppose? But ain''t it risky to mail the earrings back to them? where they can claim that they have not recieved the earrings at all, to fully refund me?
And when i get a pair from here should i bring it to another jeweler to justify the cert/ apprasial provided?



Btw, my earrings are of 1 carat tw.

Dear Portoar ,Yes i have read of whiteflash seems rather reputable, but am interested in spencers too..

Thank you for recommending!!

Hi Kaleidoscopic, how did you managed to get such a great deal... wow you must be great in bargaining...

Now i know that the price i''ve paid is pricy... that great to know...Dear pple wish me luck for tommorrow...

 

[portoar]

Date: 12/7/2005 3:01:58 AM
Author: Fadedsenses
Yes, i am really affected by the black specks!!

Boy am i thrilled to hear all these responses, it definitely made my day and tomorrows wednesday, most likely i will return it given the advices from you guys, i feel more confident now purchasing from the internet. I was looking at spencers and spencers, have anyone of you dealt with them yet?

Oh and some more questions, like say if i purchase online with one of the vendors here, what if the item is not as described? We return them as well rite i suppose? But ain''t it risky to mail the earrings back to them? where they can claim that they have not recieved the earrings at all, to fully refund me?
And when i get a pair from here should i bring it to another jeweler to justify the cert/ apprasial provided?



Btw, my earrings are of 1 carat tw.

Dear Portoar ,Yes i have read of whiteflash seems rather reputable, but am interested in spencers too..

Thank you for recommending!!

Hi Kaleidoscopic, how did you managed to get such a great deal... wow you must be great in bargaining...

Now i know that the price i''ve paid is pricy... that great to know...Dear pple wish me luck for tommorrow...

Whiteflash has a 10 day return policy. The cert number should be inscribed on the girdle of the diamond. You can take it somewhere to view under magnification and verify that the number on the girdle matches the cert you got in the mail . . . although I''m sure mistakes happen, as a reputable dealer WF isn''t going to give you bogus diamonds with an authentic cert from other diamonds (for one thing, the other diamonds would now be missing their certs). You can take them to an independent appraiser (not an appraiser who also sells jewelry) if you want.

Regarding returning earrings bought over the internet. I bought a pair of diamond earrings from WF and returned them (there wasn''t anything wrong with them, I just hadn''t done all my homework and realized that I wanted bigger size and different setting). They need to be mailed back insured via USPS Registered Mail. The post office pretty much stamps every inch of the package and the packages trail is documented throughout it''s journey back to WF. I had no problems. They emailed me the day it arrived to let me know it arrived safely.

I''ve never shopped at Spencer & Spencer, just do a search here and see what others have to say about them. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

 

[eks6426]

How long do you have to return the pair you purchased? If you have about a week, I'd definitely go to Whiteflash. Get their Ready-Set-Go earrings in the .80 TCW for $1400. Have them sent right away then you can compare to the pair you already have. Keep whichever pair you like best. I think you'll be blown away by the Whiteflash diamonds. I have .80TCW earrings & a .42 pendant from Whiteflash and they are way more sparkley than any diamond I have seen in a local store. Whiteflash is great to work with. You won't regret it!

By the way, the 3-prong martini setting from WF is awesome.

Also, you can upgrade your diamonds with WF...so if later you have some more money and decide you want bigger--you can trade them in for purchase price toward the larger stones.

 

[squarediamondlove]

Fadedsenses,
I havn't purchased on line because I had the same concerns as you. But at this point would definately consider my next purchase to be online. I just feel that its acutally safer to purchase online with a reputable company like WF or GOG because you will know more about the diamond than if you simply bought it in store.

To answer your question. There are some private jewelery who are willing to engage in bargaing. You kind of have to feel out the person that you are purchasing form. Some may be unwilling for whatever reason, either its their personal thing or they don't like you as much and don't think you are worth loosing profit over. In my case, I began talking socially with them and actually didn't anticipate to purchase studs in general that day. So when I bargained I had nothing to loose. My budget was $1,000 and I stuck to it (I worked them down from $2,000). BTW I bought them loose and they set them into prongs for free. The process did however take about 2 and a half hourse just for the bargain period. But the result was goood.

I did notice that with certain private jewelers you can get a discount greater than online. I recently went into a private jewelry store and got along well with the owner while I was looking for settings. Afterwords, I told him I was interested in purchasing a round diamond for my mother. After rejecting all the cuts he offered me, he finally showed me a H&A 1.05 F VS1 that he was holding for someone but will be willing to sell to me b/c the guy has not come by yet. He said he would sell it for $7,000 (no tax if in cash). The stone looked absolutely fab, prettiest stone I have personally seen in rounds. Now assuming it was H&A, which I would verify if I would have purchased it, that was $2,000 lesss than online and I am sure I could have bargained him down form that thereafter. So as you see, sometimes buying it through a private vendor does have its benefits. So I would see where you get the better deal.

I was always curiouse ... Does anyone know if are you able to bargain with large companies on line? Is the price that you see on the web site, the price you get?

 

[squarediamondlove]

From what I hear WF is awsome. Returning your earings later on for an upgrade to a large compamy like WF is definately tempting. I wish I can upgrade my .9ct earings, but I guess that is one of the draw backs going with a private jeweler.

 

[Fadedsenses]

Date: 12/7/2005 10:03:37 AM
Author: IslandDreams
How long do you have to return the pair you purchased? If you have about a week, I''d definitely go to Whiteflash. Get their Ready-Set-Go earrings in the .80 TCW for $1400. Have them sent right away then you can compare to the pair you already have. Keep whichever pair you like best. I think you''ll be blown away by the Whiteflash diamonds. I have .80TCW earrings & a .42 pendant from Whiteflash and they are way more sparkley than any diamond I have seen in a local store. Whiteflash is great to work with. You won''t regret it!

By the way, the 3-prong martini setting from WF is awesome.

Also, you can upgrade your diamonds with WF...so if later you have some more money and decide you want bigger--you can trade them in for purchase price toward the larger stones.

Hi my time has ran out, i am going back to the store today in bout 5 hours time, i won''t have the time to order from whiteflash first

it was definitely a great idea.. but now i have to most likely return it and hope that my next buying experience will not be this bad, causing me to lose sleep

And i feel that the studs i have now seems pretty small, i dun know why is there a way to measure the mm at home?

 

[Fadedsenses]

Date: 12/7/2005 9:52:18 AM
Author: portoar
Whiteflash has a 10 day return policy. The cert number should be inscribed on the girdle of the diamond. You can take it somewhere to view under magnification and verify that the number on the girdle matches the cert you got in the mail . . . although I''m sure mistakes happen, as a reputable dealer WF isn''t going to give you bogus diamonds with an authentic cert from other diamonds (for one thing, the other diamonds would now be missing their certs). You can take them to an independent appraiser (not an appraiser who also sells jewelry) if you want.

Regarding returning earrings bought over the internet. I bought a pair of diamond earrings from WF and returned them (there wasn''t anything wrong with them, I just hadn''t done all my homework and realized that I wanted bigger size and different setting). They need to be mailed back insured via USPS Registered Mail. The post office pretty much stamps every inch of the package and the packages trail is documented throughout it''s journey back to WF. I had no problems. They emailed me the day it arrived to let me know it arrived safely.

I''ve never shopped at Spencer & Spencer, just do a search here and see what others have to say about them. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Thanks again for the recommendation, whiteflash must be good!! btw with purchases from whiteflash, the diamonds are certified? By GIA or any other prominent names, or just by themselves?

 

[portoar]

The two diamonds I bought are AGS certed. I think folk here are recommending that if you want the best combination of cut QUALITY and SIZE, to go with their "Expert Selection" earrings, where they choose out high quality ready made matched pairs for you. I don''t know if they come with certs. If you buy the loose "Expert Selection" diamonds they have GIA or AGS certs. Then you can choose your setting and have them put the diamonds in.

I would call them and ask these questions! I worked with Denise Newberg, she was terrific. They don''t bite

Kim Sinclair

 

[Fadedsenses]

Hi people!!!

I have returned my purchase and out hunting for another pair for keeps!!

I walk to another store and saw a dazzling pair,
1.12 ctw
SI2-I1 (on one side there is a small little cloud, not really obvious)
F-G Colour
5.18 x 5.16 x 3.38mm
Certifed by GS Lab/ GSL ( what is that?)
At USD1800 without tax added..

Any comments?

And i looked up spencers for loose diamonds but apparently their EGL certs are unknown meaning i dunno if they are EGL USA or elsewhere. Anyone knows anything?

Might call up WF tomorrow...

 

[adelmams]

Hi,

I am a newbie too, but I did call Spencer-Spencer and they said the EGL certs were US certs. I also found them very helpful. In the end I decided to go with Whiteflash though, because of the overwhelming positive feedback they have at this site.

Mike

 

[Fadedsenses]

Date: 12/8/2005 11:28:44 AM
Author: adelmams
Hi,

I am a newbie too, but I did call Spencer-Spencer and they said the EGL certs were US certs. I also found them very helpful. In the end I decided to go with Whiteflash though, because of the overwhelming positive feedback they have at this site.

Mike

Hi Mike

Yeah i called Spencer and spencer and said that 75% were EGL-USA, have to agree with you that they are really helpful. For Whiteflash i haven''t call them yet, are their diamonds certified too? I would love to get it from whiteflash but it seems like WF is pricier...

Maybe i should give them a call soon too... have you ordered online before?

 

[adelmams]

Nope this was my first online diamond purchase. They have both certified and uncertified diamonds. The uncertified (expert select) preset studs are what I got. I ordered the .8 TCW studs in the martini setting. I just ordered them today, so I can''t say anything about the quality yet, but again everybody here says they are totally reliable. I am not too worried about the cert because I think if the vendor is reliable the cert is really just an extra cost, especially on something like earrings which are not quite as closely inspected a big engagement ring. I will say this whole process has been quite an education, and when you find a community like Pricescope who will help you with your decision it is really great.

Mike

 

[Fadedsenses]

Yeap i totally agree with you.. the community here is great!! i feel like i won''t get cheated in anyways with all these experts surrounding me... Confidence is what i can get from what i have read..

Thats why i have returned a pair of earrings to the store..

Wow you ordered them already? Congratulations!!!

Can you post the picture here when you have gotten it? and did you pay much for the earrings? Since it is uncertified i am really curious how the grade would be like..

I am like looking around till i can go mad.. i am even starting to dream of my search of diamonds

Have been looking in Ebay but have no confidence buying there.. Most likely i will try Spencers, i kinda like them and the prices are better from my point of view, which i can be wrong. They are giving discounts up to 500 bucks and futher 2.25% discount if paid by wire,money order / check, very tempting...And their return policy seems great.. well i should decide by today.. waiting for my husband to finish his meeting.. to confirm it.. If only WF have got discounts...

 

[eks6426]

If you mention pricscope to Whiteflash there is a discount.

 

[Fadedsenses]

Date: 12/8/2005 1:33:57 PM
Author: IslandDreams
If you mention pricscope to Whiteflash there is a discount.

Really?!

How much discount can i recieve? And idea?

Thanks for the info!!

 

[portoar]

WHY DON''T YOU CALL THEM AND ASK. I think you have already gotten advice here that you can choose loose "expert selection" stones with certs (GIA or AGS) and have them put in a setting for you, or you can get their pre-mounted diamonds and save even more. From what I have read on this board GIA and AGS are the preferred certs over EGL.

The wire transfer discount is right on their website under their FAQ:

https://www.whiteflash.com/info/faq5.aspx#3

If it helps, I am also expecting earrings from WF today or tomorrow (1.04 ctw) and will let you know how they are.

 

[Slykat12]

You have a great budget and can get two lovely rocks online GIA or AGS certed. Use the easy to use search feature here and find your stones. It takes les than a minute.

PS.I never heard of the cert you speak of.

 

[Kim N]

Date: 12/8/2005 1:54:35 PM
Author: Fadedsenses

Date: 12/8/2005 1:33:57 PM
Author: IslandDreams
If you mention pricscope to Whiteflash there is a discount.

Really?!

How much discount can i recieve? And idea?

Thanks for the info!!

The Pricescope discount may be even more than the wire transfer discount of 2% quoted on their website. You just have to call them and ask.

 

[eks6426]

The Pricscope discount varies whether you get ACA stones or ES stones. Last I knew it was 5% for ACA & 3% for the ES stones. Things might have changed. You really should contact them so you have all the information needed to make an informed decision.

 

[Fadedsenses]

Date: 12/8/2005 2:41:27 PM
Author: portoar
WHY DON''T YOU CALL THEM AND ASK. I think you have already gotten advice here that you can choose loose ''expert selection'' stones with certs (GIA or AGS) and have them put in a setting for you, or you can get their pre-mounted diamonds and save even more. From what I have read on this board GIA and AGS are the preferred certs over EGL.

The wire transfer discount is right on their website under their FAQ:

https://www.whiteflash.com/info/faq5.aspx#3

If it helps, I am also expecting earrings from WF today or tomorrow (1.04 ctw) and will let you know how they are.

Yayy!! Pls post the earrings here!!! i would love to see them..!!

 

[Fadedsenses]

Date: 12/8/2005 4:00:01 PM
Author: IslandDreams
The Pricscope discount varies whether you get ACA stones or ES stones. Last I knew it was 5% for ACA & 3% for the ES stones. Things might have changed. You really should contact them so you have all the information needed to make an informed decision.

Ok i will call them now, but from the looks of it the setting charges are one of the costlier ones...
Well.. wish me luck!!

 

[fisiogrl]

I have the .8 tcw martini setting from WF too!
Expert Selection Ready-to-go without certs. I am truly amazed at how white the I colour stones are and could kick myself for paying extra for a G colour stone for my ering.

They are unbelievable - and to me REALLY huge. I went through returning them once as well (started with the .5 tcw which are gorgeous too) - it was a bit more of a procedure for me because I had to return them from Canada, but over all not too bad.