Please help with Appraisal?

[swdtiger]

I just bought a beautiful F color SI1 ring from Whiteflash with a HCA score of 1.5. I just bought a platinum 4-prong setting as well. I mean the diamond speaks for itself. I know that Whiteflash has it verified and sends an appraisal along with the ring. Can anyone tell me if I should still go let someone at least look at it just to be sure? I mean should I completely trust Whiteflash? Please help!

 

[chialea]

You might as well get it appraised, for your own peace of mind. Don't you need an independent appraisal for insurance purposes anyway?

 

[Lincoln]

My experience with Whiteflash:

I called a gemologist listed on Pscope and asked to make an appointment for appraisal. Told him the same thing you said, and his response was that if I really wanted to have him look at it, he'd be happy to, but he'd seen hundreds of stones from Whiteflash and has yet to see a bad one. Hope that helps.

 

[sluke]

You can, just to verify. An independent appraisal will also give you a little more detailed. I got my diamond at Whiteflash, and even though they sent me an independent appraisal, I went and got my own afterward upon the insistant of my finance. He said the one Whiteflash used was a bit high. Well, the appraiser and gemologist came back with an even higher replacement value amount. He also noted that he gets a lot of Whiteflash diamonds and said they are great stones.

 

[researcher]

I got my WF stone appraised for peace of mind, and it came back with the exact same numbers. However, I felt it was important to take the stone to a local appraiser before it was set and after to make sure nothing happened to the stone during setting, and for insurance purposes. Honestly though, you can trust WF. They rely too much on their reputation to risk giving you a stone that doesn't match the cert.

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Reasons to have a diamond appraised even from a trusted vendor who supplies an appraisal:

1. To verify the stone is a diamond (for the benefit of the vendor as well as the consumer). No one can question it three years down the road.
2. To verify the diamond matches the certificate.
3. To verify the diamond wasn't damaged during setting.
4. To get the appraiser's opinion on the grading.
5. To get the appraiser's opinion on the make, & light return performance.
6. To get the appraiser's opinion on the price.
7. To get the appraiser's opinion on any and all positives & negatives.
8. To get additional corroborating photos of idealscope & h&a performance.
9. To have the manufacturing quality of the setting examined by a professional.
10. To have the quality of the setter's workmanship examined by a professional.
11. To have a second opinion from a neutral party not involved in the sale.

I understand, but disagree with, the appraiser who seemed to indicate an independent appraisal was not necessary from a vendor with high quality control. A second opinion from a neutral party is always a good thing, even if all it does is give peace of mind by confirming everything.

An independent appraisal is a "seal of approval" for a purchase well done, or a warning if anything needs to be remedied before the right-of-return period expires.

 

[aljdewey]

To expound a bit on one of Rich's points......vendors with high quality control earn such a reputation for consistently meeting or exceeding expectations, but that doesn't mean they aren't human and that things can't slip by.




In spite of any business owner's best efforts, mistakes can sometimes happen. They aren't efforts by the vendor to intentionally dupe the customers; they are just simple human errors.




Working with an independent appraiser is a check/balance .....kind of like your own quality control. As Rich mentioned, peace of mind. You'd get a second opinion from a doctor because it's an important health decision. Buying a diamond is an important financial and emotional decision, and a second opinion is a smart idea.

 

[WinkHPD]

I can agree with all of the points above, yet I know from personal experience that almost none of my buyers ever bother to get a second opinion. I would not be offended if they did, and in fact I often recommend it, but practically none of them do.

You are shopping on the internet to save money, and since you are probably not local to your vendor, it is probably the wisest course of action. Yet if you shop with a reputable dealer it is probably also not necessary unless you really want it. If you think you should, then do it. If you are comfortable with your vendor, then it is very likely not something you NEED to do.

Wink

 

[Richard Sherwood]

-----------
If you are comfortable with your vendor, then it is very likely not
something you NEED to do.
-----------

I would tend to agree with you on the average purchase, Wink.

However, a great majority of purchases made by clients from PriceScope vendors are substantial, once-in-a-lifetime purchases. When a person is spending 10, 20, 30 thousand or more on a diamond with such emotional meaning invested, they usually feel (much) better with a second opinion.

 

[Richard Sherwood]

-----------
In spite of any business owner's best efforts, mistakes can sometimes
happen. They aren't efforts by the vendor to intentionally dupe the
customers; they are just simple human errors.
-----------

Al points out a big reason for having an independent appraiser work on your behalf. People are people, and mistakes are going to be made regardless of the highest quality control.

Additionally, the person you're dealing with is giving you information to the best of their knowledge. If they're not a gemologist, or not extremely well trained, they might not see something a well trained gemologist employed on your behalf would pick up.

Then you've got the human nature aspect of salesmanship which continually tries to creep into a transaction. It's human nature for someone selling an item to up-play the positives and downplay (or not mention) the negatives. Some people are better at fighting this inclination than others, but it's a constant internal battle (except in saints, of course).

Having said that, I will point out that I have been very impressed with the way most forum vendors handle themselves in this area. My compliments to them on the depth of disclosure regarding their diamonds. Far above the industry as a whole, in my experience. Not quite sainthood, but close.