Purchasing over the Internet

[snoopy]

Hi, I have been looking for a loose diamond and after 3 month. The B&M stores have good service but it has been very frustrating trying to talk about hearts and arrows and cuts. Eventually decided to give the Internet a go and came across a few 'technically' lovely stones that is nudging me to give online buying a go. Contacted the store but am finding it hard to 'communicate' with the sales person on the other side of the continent. I shortlisted four stones and sent an email asking her opinions (as she can view them and I can't) as I can't buy all four (much as I would love to!)and a reply came back saying she does not understand what I meant. Tried telling her that I needed to 'borrow her eyes' but again came back with 'do not understand'.

Has anyone done purchasing over the Internet and how exactly did you do it. I am across the continent in Oz and am finding it very difficult to find a H&A stone here (kept getting shown Aurias diamonds which are exorbitantly expensive and when viewed under the h&a scope, seems to show a fuzz of everything)! Kept telling the sales people the h&a diamonds I have seen in HK but kept getting told that they have been in the business for years and a GIA rating of vg in symmetry and proportion is the best there can be and if it is an aurias, I should be on top of the world and thus price tag is justified; makes it very difficult to shop for a stone here.

Please help!

 

[pricescope]

Hey mate



). Author of our tutorial, the Cut Adviser and other good things

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[pkee98]

 

[pricescope]

Hi Pkee98, interesting posts Welcome to the forum!

Snoopy, you can post the specs for those 4 diamonds here (as much info as possible including the price).

 

[pkee98]

I also live in Australia and I share your encounters here. If you want to get a nice diamond with the ideal cut and H&A here in Australia, you will probably consider the diamonds from Aurias. Unfortunately, Aurias charge a premium on their diamonds here. I think you are only paying for the advertising. Eventually, I gave up on the idea to get the diamond here in Australia. I also consulted this forum and other resources on the internet. Finally, I approached Barry at Superbcert. He has been extremely helpful and it was a great pleasure to deal with him. To safeguard against my purchase, I requested for an independent appraiser to look at the diamond for me. Again, Barry was happy to do so before I paid for the diamond. The diamond turned out to be exactly what it described at the website. I am having it set in the US and will pick up the diamond ring later this month. Alternately, you may consider getting an 8-star diamond. You can read more about their diamond at their website. There is an Australian retailer in Newcastle. Finally, I think it is very worthwhile to discuss with Garry Holloway at PreciousMetals in Melbourne as well. He is very helpful and he will offer his unbiased view. Frankly, the Australian market is too small and the B&M jewellery chains here really don't know their stuffs. I think you can get a much better stone if you shop around in the US.

 

[snoopy]

Thanks for advice; as I have mentioned; it is more a dilemma how to move on from those selected four stones. I have given up on finding the stone that I want in Australia; seen several Aurias stones but rarely find one that I truly like and when I do, they are extremely expensive. Hence am turning to the internet where there are more options.

The four stones are;
H&A; E colour; 1.04 carat, IF; TIC of 0.7 (without going into full details of crown angle etc); approx $11770
H&A; D colour; 1.09 carat, IF; TIC of 0.8; VVS2 approx$11200
Superbcert; F colour; 1.01 carat, IF; TIC of 0.9; VVS2 approx$10855
H&A; E colour; 1.00 carat, VVS1; TIC of 0.9; VVS2 approx$10300

What do you think? They all come with excellent polish and symmetry and have a GIA cert.

 

[fire&ice]

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On 11/8/2002 8:58:56 AM


The four stones are;
H&A; E colour; 1.04 carat, IF; TIC of 0.7 (without going into full details of crown angle etc); approx $11770
H&A; D colour; 1.09 carat, IF; TIC of 0.8; VVS2 approx$11200
Superbcert; F colour; 1.01 carat, IF; TIC of 0.9; VVS2 approx$10855
H&A; E colour; 1.00 carat, VVS1; TIC of 0.9; VVS2 approx$10300

What do you think? They all come with excellent polish and symmetry and have a GIA cert.
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May I ask why you are going w/ IF & VVSI? Diamonds are graded under a 10x loop. You don't wear the stone w/ a 10x loop on top of it.

Have you thought about going g/h vs1? If you are looking at stones w/ this kind of cut, it will face up quite nicely once set.

Just my 2cents.

 

[snoopy]

Hi,

Appreciate your comments; actually been there and done that but for some reason, the G colours that I have seen here in Oz are so different (more yellow) than those I have seen in HK. Most of them are EGL certified ones and I guess for the 'precaution' of buying over the Internet, I thought I'd stay on the safe side. At least I won't get any shocks when I see it. I've been through some SI2 and some do look shocking but yet with an outrageous price tag. Not sure if it's just that I have had some bad experience??

 

[fire&ice]

I thought that was where you were coming from.

I can't help but think you will be safe w/ GIA graded F VS1 - ideal cut.

Also, have you contacted Johnathan at Goodoldgold. He's pretty anal retentive about cut.

Good luck...and have an independent set of eyes here in the states to take a look.

 

[rsilvers]

----------------

The four stones are;
H&A; E colour; 1.04 carat, IF; TIC of 0.7 (without going into full details of crown angle etc); approx $11770
H&A; D colour; 1.09 carat, IF; TIC of 0.8; VVS2 approx$11200
Superbcert; F colour; 1.01 carat, IF; TIC of 0.9; VVS2 approx$10855
H&A; E colour; 1.00 carat, VVS1; TIC of 0.9; VVS2 approx$10300

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I just bought a 1.02 ct AGS 000 D-VS1 for about $8300 that scored .8 on the HCA. I have a Leica stereo-zoom microscope with a high-intensity fiber optic light ring. I thought I saw the inclusions after a minute of looking, but I was not sure due to a fingerprint on it. I ultrasonic cleaned it and looked under a 10x loupe (because I was no longer near my microscope). Could not see them even though I had the certificate with the inclusion map. I then came close to a 300 watt quartz-halogen light. After 1-2 minutes of staring, I am pretty sure I spotted one. I was starting to almost get bummed that I could see one at all. But then I went to the guy who is making my ring and he used a bright light and his 10x loupe and it took him almost 2 minutes to see one also. He then pulled some diamonds out of his inventory and the inclusions were as clearly seen as if you walked up to your car and the window was smashed -- i.e., no searching -- they were just there within 1 second. He also commented, without seeing the certificate, what a great cut it was. The moral of the story is, I am happy to have VS1 for 50% less than IF, but would also say that if you want an IF then go for it. I could easily see going to VS2. But note this is an AGS stone and I hear they are a tougher grader than some other labs non-usa labs.

 

[rsilvers]

----------------
some reason, the G colours that I have seen here in Oz are so different (more yellow) than those I have seen in HK. Most of them are EGL certified ones and I guess for the 'precaution' of buying over the Internet, I thought I'd stay on the safe side. At least I won't get ----------------


I stayed on the safe-side by only considering AGS and GIA. And really in the end I only considered AGS 000 D-VS1, although I would have been fine with F-VS2 if I wanted to save more and have something that looked equal. Why get an IF? Why graduate from grad school with an "A" when a "C" is just as good? After all, no one will know you got a "C", and you are done with school at that point so it will not help anything, except how you feel personally.