seeking a little help with RB

[cluelessnewbie]

Hi everyone, I need some advise if possible. I know very little about diamonds and this whole process and just am starting to get overwhelmed. I just bought an echo at Robbins Bros and just didn't feel right about it after. I started reading some stuff on this site last night so I thought I would sign up and seek some help. It seems like you all have a wealth of knowledge and could give me some quick rookie advice.

I saw 5 diamonds at RB. I think the salesman was even a little frustrated with me. I could see inclusions and color differences that he claimed I was not suppose to see with the naked eye. He even explained that sometimes people think they see things and it is actually where two facets meet. Then he looked under the scope and said, no...you are right. Each time the things I saw were confirmed under the scope.

I was hoping to find a diamond as cheap as possible (obviously) that looks as good as possible but knowing that I can't spend a fortune. There will be a certain level of imperfection that I will have to tolerate. When he brought the echo out, all of a sudden it was a lot harder to see the inclusions (because of the number of cuts?) But I started thinking after the fact that the diamond I bought just didn't seem to sparkle very much. I wondered did I make a mistake in buying this particular one. I felt a lot of pressure as the store was closing and I had heard how many good diamonds don't last...they get sold quickly. I may have made a mistake and made what could be an impulse decision.

Round modified Brilliant
6.02 - 6.09 x 3.86mm
.90 carat
H
I 1
Very Good

63.9%
57%
16% - 36.5'
43% - 41.1'
Slightly thick, faceted
none
none

It was $4,500

Is this a bad deal?

Thank you so much

 

[luvdajules]

Yes, u can do better Over the internet. The hca of the rb stone is 5.1, if I did it right, so only good. Your budget would allow for a .90 ct or larger G si2 triple x Gia certed with hca of excellent (Under 2). Read and learn how to do hca in tools section, upper rh tab And diamond search resource to hone your search.

Eta. Also, what stuck out was depth of greater than 62% and pa I'll ion angle of 41.1, needs smaller ca to be complimentary. Do a search for ideal specs for diamond and try to stick to them. GL.

 

[pfunk]

If you bought an echo cut, the HCA tool can't be used as it applies to the 57 facet traditional round brilliant cut. You need to use your eyes to evaluate it, and it seems you are already displeased with its appearance. You can do better online and we can help you find it if you are interested in going that route. Can you return this stone to RB if you decide you want to go the online route?

 

[cluelessnewbie]

Yes, I am pretty sure I can return it within 30 days. I emailed the salesman earlier today to set up a time to come into the store.

I am willing to consider any help those who are experienced in diamonds can give me.

 

[pfunk]

Yes, I am pretty sure I can return it within 30 days. I emailed the salesman earlier today to set up a time to come into the store.

I am willing to consider any help those who are experienced in diamonds can give me.

A few questions that will help us help you.

1. The stone you bought is $4,500. Is that your budget for the loose diamond and do you need help finding a setting or do you have that covered?

2. You said you were noticing inclusions and color differences that they said you weren't supposed to see. What clarities and colors were you looking at and were they graded by a reputable lab such as GIA or were they in house graded by Robbins Brothers?

3. What clarity would you ideally like to have for the stone you purchase? Do you want it to be eye clean and free of any visible inclusions no matter the distance or angle from which you view the stone?

4. What color are you comfortable with?

5. Would you like to stay around 6 mm in size or would you go bigger if budget allows?

6. How would you rank the 4 c's (cut, color, carat, clarity) in order of importance to you?

7. Are buyback and upgrade policies important to you or is this diamond likely to be kept and never traded in or sold?

 

[JDDN]

I think it's really disappointing when sales people apply pressure tactics, but I know it happens. If a salesperson is getting frustrated with you because you are being discerning about a big and expensive purchase, then they don't deserve your business! It's my opinion that you should feel fantastic (elated even!) about the stone you get-you're paying a lot of money. If you look at it and it doesn't make you swoon, then even if you got a steal, it's not really worth it (again in my opinion).

For $4500 you can get a gorgeous, sparkly, shiny, white, lovely diamond. Here are two examples:

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3337358.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3157629.htm

Think about what you want before you walk back in RB because they will likely do everything they can to convince you to keep it or sell you something else. That's all fine if you get what you want and feel good about it. But if you feel pressured, or that they're trying to convince you to feel something you don't, then walk away. There are plenty of reputable places to buy a gorgeous stone.

 

[solgen]

Yes, bad deal. Not sure why you would buy an I1 if you're eyesight is keen enough to see various inclusions.

For $4500 you should be able to find a better stone. It also depends if you like that splintery patterning of the echo cut. Hearts and arrows might not suffice and you might have to look at a Solasfera.

 

[heididdl]

I think it's really disappointing when sales people apply pressure tactics, but I know it happens. If a salesperson is getting frustrated with you because you are being discerning about a big and expensive purchase, then they don't deserve your business! It's my opinion that you should feel fantastic (elated even!) about the stone you get-you're paying a lot of money. If you look at it and it doesn't make you swoon, then even if you got a steal, it's not really worth it (again in my opinion).

For $4500 you can get a gorgeous, sparkly, shiny, white, lovely diamond. Here are two examples:

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3337358.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3157629.htm

Think about what you want before you walk back in RB because they will likely do everything they can to convince you to keep it or sell you something else. That's all fine if you get what you want and feel good about it. But if you feel pressured, or that they're trying to convince you to feel something you don't, then walk away. There are plenty of reputable places to buy a gorgeous stone.

These are the types of stones you should purchase. They might be slightlly smaler but way worth your money for beautifully cut stones which will sparkle all day. Any girl would be in love with these

 

[luvdajules]

The first one linked is about the size in diameter as the 90 pt. Echo, as the echo was pretty deep. My apologies, u mentioned it was an echo and it does sound like a solasfera. At one time, I thought I wanted one of these too, but that was before I knew about diamond fire and actually sought that out more than splintery flashes.

 

[cluelessnewbie]

Yes, I am pretty sure I can return it within 30 days. I emailed the salesman earlier today to set up a time to come into the store.

I am willing to consider any help those who are experienced in diamonds can give me.

A few questions that will help us help you.

Thank you so much for your willingness to help, I'll do my best to answer the questions as best I can. I know I am not the easiest to help because I have little idea about the details of what it is I want. Simply, I want to feel like I and not getting deceived. I don't have to have the premier diamond, but I want to know I at least got a good value.

1. The stone you bought is $4,500. Is that your budget for the loose diamond and do you need help finding a setting or do you have that covered? I would say that would the upper limit of my budget. If I could pay less for a stone I liked, that is better. I would say that I am ok with the setting, but I may only be saying that because I know just as little about those. Perhaps a list of where I might be able to search for a setting that I can trust.

2. You said you were noticing inclusions and color differences that they said you weren't supposed to see. What clarities and colors were you looking at and were they graded by a reputable lab such as GIA or were they in house graded by Robbins Brothers? There were all different ones. If my memory serves me, I could see anything below the H as being yellowish. I know I don't remember the scales of the inclusions. They would have all fell along the center of the scale I believe. I remember one had a single black speck. (I believe I couldn't see the inclusions as well on the echo because of the number of cuts/facets - but that may not be true.) I think all the diamonds that he showed me (aside from the echo) were graded by GIA.

3. What clarity would you ideally like to have for the stone you purchase? Do you want it to be eye clean and free of any visible inclusions no matter the distance or angle from which you view the stone? I suppose it doesn't have to be a perfect diamond but I just want to know I am getting the best possible stone for what I pay. I don't want to overpay. I guess the thing that worries me is that it seems as though the skill is not seeing the problem in the diamond, but the skill is to be a good shopper. If the stone is not obviously yellow and doesn't have a major amount of inclusions then I think I would be ok. I may be wrong, but they will be harder to see once set in a ring - especially if that ring is a halo. ??

4. What color are you comfortable with? The H seemed good or at least close to it. Maybe a step or two down.

5. Would you like to stay around 6 mm in size or would you go bigger if budget allows? I would go bigger if the budget allows. My budget is flexible, again, I just don't want to get taken for a ride.

6. How would you rank the 4 c's (cut, color, carat, clarity) in order of importance to you? Honestly, I don't know how to answer that. I feel like someone who is wiser may need to teach me what I should value. I would say the color and clarity would be number one but obviously the carat size would make a significant difference as well. As long as I could afford it I would like to stay in the range I was at (.90) which some flexibility each way. I don't know if the cut is that important to me, however, that may be a rookie not knowing anything talking.

7. Are buyback and upgrade policies important to you or is this diamond likely to be kept and never traded in or sold? This will be a lifetime purchase, no trading here. Thank you so much!

 

[cluelessnewbie]

Yes, bad deal. Not sure why you would buy an I1 if you're eyesight is keen enough to see various inclusions. Honestly, I am not sure. They inclusions just didn't seem to be as visible to me, maybe because of how many cuts and facets the echo had. I felt like it was harder to see through the diamond. I wasn't intending to highlight my vision as much as my feeling that perhaps he went to the echo to try to hide inclusions from my eyes. I don't mean to imply he was operating in a dishonest way, I made it clear that I understood that I would inevitably have to tolerate some level of imperfection in a stone because of my budget and perhaps that was his solution. Get one with so many cuts that it would become difficult for me to see them.

For $4500 you should be able to find a better stone. I hope so, thank you so much for your input. It also depends if you like that splintery patterning of the echo cut. Hearts and arrows might not suffice and you might have to look at a Solasfera.

 

[cluelessnewbie]

I think it's really disappointing when sales people apply pressure tactics, but I know it happens. If a salesperson is getting frustrated with you because you are being discerning about a big and expensive purchase, then they don't deserve your business! It's my opinion that you should feel fantastic (elated even!) about the stone you get-you're paying a lot of money. If you look at it and it doesn't make you swoon, then even if you got a steal, it's not really worth it (again in my opinion).

For $4500 you can get a gorgeous, sparkly, shiny, white, lovely diamond. Here are two examples:

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3337358.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3157629.htm

Think about what you want before you walk back in RB because they will likely do everything they can to convince you to keep it or sell you something else. That's all fine if you get what you want and feel good about it. But if you feel pressured, or that they're trying to convince you to feel something you don't, then walk away. There are plenty of reputable places to buy a gorgeous stone.

If I could ask you a question about an online purchase of a diamond...what should I be concerned about? Obviously, at RB they discourage online purchases because you don't actually know what a particular diamond will look like, it's brilliance. They would say, you have to trust your eyes and if you can't see what you are buying then you should stay away. Is it enough to trust the grading done and the "stats" of a particular stone?

 

[pfunk]

Yes, I am pretty sure I can return it within 30 days. I emailed the salesman earlier today to set up a time to come into the store.

I am willing to consider any help those who are experienced in diamonds can give me.

A few questions that will help us help you.

Thank you so much for your willingness to help, I'll do my best to answer the questions as best I can. I know I am not the easiest to help because I have little idea about the details of what it is I want. Simply, I want to feel like I and not getting deceived. I don't have to have the premier diamond, but I want to know I at least got a good value.

1. The stone you bought is $4,500. Is that your budget for the loose diamond and do you need help finding a setting or do you have that covered? I would say that would the upper limit of my budget. If I could pay less for a stone I liked, that is better. I would say that I am ok with the setting, but I may only be saying that because I know just as little about those. Perhaps a list of where I might be able to search for a setting that I can trust.

2. You said you were noticing inclusions and color differences that they said you weren't supposed to see. What clarities and colors were you looking at and were they graded by a reputable lab such as GIA or were they in house graded by Robbins Brothers? There were all different ones. If my memory serves me, I could see anything below the H as being yellowish. I know I don't remember the scales of the inclusions. They would have all fell along the center of the scale I believe. I remember one had a single black speck. (I believe I couldn't see the inclusions as well on the echo because of the number of cuts/facets - but that may not be true.) I think all the diamonds that he showed me (aside from the echo) were graded by GIA.

3. What clarity would you ideally like to have for the stone you purchase? Do you want it to be eye clean and free of any visible inclusions no matter the distance or angle from which you view the stone? I suppose it doesn't have to be a perfect diamond but I just want to know I am getting the best possible stone for what I pay. I don't want to overpay. I guess the thing that worries me is that it seems as though the skill is not seeing the problem in the diamond, but the skill is to be a good shopper. If the stone is not obviously yellow and doesn't have a major amount of inclusions then I think I would be ok. I may be wrong, but they will be harder to see once set in a ring - especially if that ring is a halo. ??

4. What color are you comfortable with? The H seemed good or at least close to it. Maybe a step or two down.

5. Would you like to stay around 6 mm in size or would you go bigger if budget allows? I would go bigger if the budget allows. My budget is flexible, again, I just don't want to get taken for a ride.

6. How would you rank the 4 c's (cut, color, carat, clarity) in order of importance to you? Honestly, I don't know how to answer that. I feel like someone who is wiser may need to teach me what I should value. I would say the color and clarity would be number one but obviously the carat size would make a significant difference as well. As long as I could afford it I would like to stay in the range I was at (.90) which some flexibility each way. I don't know if the cut is that important to me, however, that may be a rookie not knowing anything talking.

7. Are buyback and upgrade policies important to you or is this diamond likely to be kept and never traded in or sold? This will be a lifetime purchase, no trading here. Thank you so much!

Glad to help and I will be back with some more input a little later on. I'll try to help find some options that suit you well. I will say those whiteflash options posted look really nice!

 

[cluelessnewbie]

Thank you all, as an update, RB took back the diamond so I am starting from scratch and ready to go!

 

[pfunk]

Ok, I looked around a little more for you and gotta say that those two whiteflash stones posted earlier are still looking like a couple good options for you. I would confirm the SI1 is eye clean from all distances and angles and if so, I would favor it over the expert selection VS2.

One other really well cut diamond that I would look at is this one from Brian Gavin...

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/d.../0.801-f-si1-round-diamond-ags-c-104077451115

I wonder though whether it is eye clean, so I would ask a rep about that. I can see the inclusions in the magnified video but they are not under the crown and may not be very noticeable. Nice thing about this one is that it is an F color so you shouldn't see any tint in it. It is about the same size despite a little lower carat weight.

Both of these vendors have a good selection of settings as well that they can help you with. And while you don't think you will need an upgrade policy, they both have good ones just in case.

I looked for some nonbranded cuts that might give you a greater value but the savings aren't huge. If you are hoping to save a few hundred dollars I will recommend some, but if it were me I would probably spend the little bit extra and have the buyback and upgrade policies just in case. Also, if you do get the setting from whiteflash or BGD it would be nice to get everything in one place.

Here is one example of a stone that has a little lower cut precision (still well cut) but that would save a couple hundred dollars:

http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-7094631-0.81-carat-Round-diamond-G-color-VS2-clarity.aspx

Finally, here is another that is a little cheaper yet. It will be eye clean as a VS2 but is cut a little deep so it hides some weight, though it is still measuring around that 6 mm mark. The ASET looks good, despite the numbers not being perfect.

https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/R83-CB32SG

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Just wanted to add one more WF option about the same size as the G stones but would save a little money because it is H color.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3326172.htm

 

[JDDN]

If I could ask you a question about an online purchase of a diamond...what should I be concerned about? Obviously, at RB they discourage online purchases because you don't actually know what a particular diamond will look like, it's brilliance. They would say, you have to trust your eyes and if you can't see what you are buying then you should stay away. Is it enough to trust the grading done and the "stats" of a particular stone?[/quote]

As far as online purchases, seeing real images or video and performance images like an IS or ASET, you will get a very good sense of how the stones performs. Look at the cut specs and make sure the stone is scoring less than 2 on the HCA calculator. Seeing a stone in real life is ideal but even then it's difficult as you are in optimal store lighting and you are viewing it in one moment in time. As far as inventory and price, online vendors generally take the cake compared to brick and mortar sellers.

Many of the online vendors you will see recommended also have brick and mortar stores. The online vendors recommended here have been well vetted and many on PS are loyal and repeat customers. A reputable online vendor will have excellent customer service, will be able to answer all your questions, pull a stone if it's housed in house and give you more detail on it in real time, help you with choosing a setting as well. It should have a solid 30 day or more no questions asked return policy. Check for their trade-up or buy back policies as they will all be different.

 

[cluelessnewbie]

As I have been searching I would say that I am looking for a diamond that might meet the following criteria:

Carat - .8 - .9
Color - G-H
Clarity - SI1-SI2
Cut - Ideal-excellent

I am not sure about the depths and tables and the other variables and perhaps some feedback would be good. Less than $3,000 and hopefully closer to $2,500 would be good.

Do I just do searches on whiteflash to find matches?

 

[JDDN]

That's a really tight budget to have for what you are looking for. On a preliminary search on several sites I did not find anything in your budget that met your wants.

For an ideal-excellent cut diamond of 0.8-0.9 carats, G-H, SI1-SI2 you are looking at closer to $3500 to $4500.

Here's are two options that meet your criteria for $3500 essentially:

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3326172.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3259363.htm


Dropping down to 0.7 carat range, here are some options that are around $3200 to 3300.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3259360.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3365320.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3372521.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3109245.htm


Moving closer to 0.5 to 0.6 carat range, here are some options around $2000.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3400944.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3400946.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3198023.htm

 

[JDDN]

Did a search on Enchanted Diamonds and found some options from 0.5 carats to 0.8 carats within your other parameters ranging in price from $2500-3000. Haven't had a chance to check images however.

It's easy to search though. If you are interested, do a search and give us some options and we can help.