Hello there. Like many posters I have read on this amazing forum, I am a newbie member and have little experience and knowledge of the diamond industry. I consider myself more knowledgeable on the subject now thanks in large part to this forum and some local jewelers in Toronto.
I have found the one and I want to find the perfect ring for her. I am currently looking at a BGD Hearts and Arrow diamond with Ideal cut, symmetry, polish, color G or H and clarity SI1. Size is 1 karat. I understand that the high standard of cut of this diamond will really bring out the flash and brilliance and light etc. However, a local jeweler has me convinced that his unbranded Hearts and Arrows diamond is just as good as BGD because it carries the GIA rating and matches the ratings category by category. In his words, if any diamond matches the criteria of a H+A diamond then it is just as good. So for instance, he has a diamond that is H color, SI1 clarity, Excellent cut, Excellent symmetry, polish...everything matching the BGD cut except it's graded by GIA rather than AGS. He's asking 1000 dollars less for the ring than BGD. So...is it true that if the specifications are more or less the same between two diamonds (color, cut, symmetry, polish, facets, crown and table percentage) then the diamonds will more or less be of the same quality irrespective of branding? This jeweler also mentions that most diamonds are coming from India today where they are then sent out for cutting. I mention this last note because it struck me as odd that that would be true. The BGD salesperson was explaining to me that they're diamonds are cut in Belgium. I'm lost here. I want to get the right ring that will last a long time on my fiancee. I know that BGD has outstanding cuts and I can see their diamonds 'pop' off the screen in videos though I haven't seen one in person. At the same time I don't want to pay an extra chunk of money simply for branding. Yes, I know that BGD is a much more affordable yet similar cut to more expensive cuts such as HOF - but does the same rule apply between unbranded stones and his own brand? On the contrary I do not want to save a thousand or so dollars if I'm going to be getting an unbranded H+A diamond that matches up to a BGD stone on paper but not in person. Someone drop some education on me please! I find this entire foray into diamonds incredibly interesting yet nerve wracking. I am in a time crunch as I have a proposal planned in the next 10 days. Like I said, nerve-wracking.
I have found the one and I want to find the perfect ring for her. I am currently looking at a BGD Hearts and Arrow diamond with Ideal cut, symmetry, polish, color G or H and clarity SI1. Size is 1 karat. I understand that the high standard of cut of this diamond will really bring out the flash and brilliance and light etc. However, a local jeweler has me convinced that his unbranded Hearts and Arrows diamond is just as good as BGD because it carries the GIA rating and matches the ratings category by category. In his words, if any diamond matches the criteria of a H+A diamond then it is just as good. So for instance, he has a diamond that is H color, SI1 clarity, Excellent cut, Excellent symmetry, polish...everything matching the BGD cut except it's graded by GIA rather than AGS. He's asking 1000 dollars less for the ring than BGD. So...is it true that if the specifications are more or less the same between two diamonds (color, cut, symmetry, polish, facets, crown and table percentage) then the diamonds will more or less be of the same quality irrespective of branding? This jeweler also mentions that most diamonds are coming from India today where they are then sent out for cutting. I mention this last note because it struck me as odd that that would be true. The BGD salesperson was explaining to me that they're diamonds are cut in Belgium. I'm lost here. I want to get the right ring that will last a long time on my fiancee. I know that BGD has outstanding cuts and I can see their diamonds 'pop' off the screen in videos though I haven't seen one in person. At the same time I don't want to pay an extra chunk of money simply for branding. Yes, I know that BGD is a much more affordable yet similar cut to more expensive cuts such as HOF - but does the same rule apply between unbranded stones and his own brand? On the contrary I do not want to save a thousand or so dollars if I'm going to be getting an unbranded H+A diamond that matches up to a BGD stone on paper but not in person. Someone drop some education on me please! I find this entire foray into diamonds incredibly interesting yet nerve wracking. I am in a time crunch as I have a proposal planned in the next 10 days. Like I said, nerve-wracking.
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