should i get a GIA certificate?

[sean]

should i get a GIA certificate? the store ( ramsey's , NEW ORLEANS , said that they dont get the stones certified because of the cost and the time it takes to get it done . they have their own graduate gemolegest grade them to GIA standards and give you a written gaurantee that they match the GIA grading standards , should i believe them or should i get it GIA CERTIFIED ? THEY DIDNT HAVE DEPTH OR TABLE % FOR PRINCESS CUT EITHER , THEY SAID THAT THE DIAMONDS WERE RUSSIAN CUT AND ARE CUT FOR REFLECTION AND BRILLIANCE RATHER THAN TO IDEAL % STATS . ? ANY HELP ? THEY DONT HAVE 18K GOLD RINGS EITHER , ONLY 14K , ARE THEY CUTTING COSTS OR IS 14 K GOOD ENOUGH , PLEASE HELP THANKS

 

[oldminer]

14kt is just fine for most jewelry. 18kt in yellow is somewhat more yellow than 14kt most of the time. 18kt in white cannot be distinguished from 14kt white except 18kt is heavier.

The best advice is to take a non-independent grading of any diamond with a certain degree of doubt. The GIA is expensive and does take time. However, it is a service that has proven invaluable to consumers. That's why they are able to charge a lot and take their good old time. People see the value in what they do.

You would be making a mistake to assume that everything anyone tells you is completely true when they have an interest in making a sale. It could be the case, but you ought to have a little doubt.

Have you see Ideal cut Princess cuts? Can you trust yourself to make a comparision? Is the color grade right or one or more grades off? The same with clarity, right or a near miss? These things are important to looks and to value.

These issues can mostly be solved by the GIA and completely solved by a lab like mine or RockDoc. There are several others like us in other locales as well. At least we are rather fast and a lot less costly than the GIA. We are unbiased, trained and can give you the dollar value, the cut grade and sound advice that you cannot get even from the GIA..... It can be made pretty simple if you insist upon it.

 

[sean]

thanks for the reply Dave , would the jeweler let me send the diamond off to someone else to be appraised ? they might not like that ? what are the best table and depth % to look for in a princess cut ? i know they are all salesmen , that is what worries me , they are just making a sale and tell you all sorts of stuff , it all gets confusing and you wonder what and who to believe after a while , are russian cuts a good cut ?
sean