*Sigh* - scared I overpaid.

[themarked]

So I went in to the Jewelry Factory with certain specs in mind - min. 1.3carats, round, si2, H colour, excellent symmetry, vg polish, up to $7k.

They convinced me to buy a 1.5 carat, J colour, I1 clarity, good symmetry, very good polish, EGL certified diamond - that it would look the same to the naked eye. So after some debate, and the whole "this price is the lowest I can go, talked to my manager, if you leave and come back the price goes up" (don't know why I caved on that), I bought the diamond for about $5200. Now I'm looking online and see the same specs for roughly $3500. Was I had?

 

[minmin001]

can you return the diamond? EGL graded diamond is certainly not what you think you get. here we only recommend GIA or AGS ones

 

[farmer gal]

Yes, you were mosty certainly had, I hope you can return your purchase! If I were you I would go down on size and get the best cut you can get. Size is not everything

Here is an example of one of BGD's Blue collection that i thing are just gorgeous. You get a pricescope discount I don't know what that would drop the cost to.

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=BLAGS-104050981015

 

[themarked]

I can't return it. Only thing I can do is exchange it within 6 months, OR if I find another diamond in Michigan within 1 month (not online) that has the same specs for cheaper, they will price match.

 

[minmin001]

then see if they have anything with GIA or AGS certificate. I would never buy anything this expensive without a return police especially you don't know much about it.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Good lord, a 1.5ct diamond for $5200 is shocking to me. A well cut and reliably graded stone in that size is upwards of $10k. So if it sounds too good to be true.

And no refund?

I am very sorry, but you fell prey to smarmy sales tactics.


At this point I would go and ask them to find you a GIA or AGS graded ston with J/SI1 specs and Ex or AGS0 cut grade and exchange it. The stone will be smaller Under 1ct for sure. But it will look a lot better I am betting.

 

[themarked]

Is it really that bad? I thought I got ripped off a bit maybe but not completely had lol.
I just wanted a good diamond to propose, now I feel like garbage. For me, the $$ was a lot, as I'm paying tuition right now. I tried doing my homework and learned a lot, but they had me convinced that I was getting a good deal. I'm usually not very gullible, but I'm out of my league when it comes to jewelry.

 

[Amys Bling]

An EGL J I1 would most likely be graded a K-L I2 by GIA or AGS. So essentially you bought a "good" cut K-L I2 stone. Read up more in cut, color, clarity, and grading here.

https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/diamond-cut/

https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/diamond-clarity/

https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/diamond-color/

...Truly the price you paid is not necessarily high for the stone you bought- it's just that the stone you purchased is quite big in carat weight, but low on all the other scales- clarity, color, and cut.

 

[minmin001]

well, in order to recover from the damage. We suggest you try to see what kind of GIA(excellent cut grade) or AGS(ideal grade) diamonds they have around J and SI1 (make sure it's eye clean). get the certificate # so we can look them up to see. get the price and once you decide on the diamond try to shop around asap (since you only have 1 month) to see if you can have them match the price for you if the diamond price is still high.

 

[themarked]

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it.

I do feel like crap now though. I just wanted a good diamond ring for when I propose, and I just feel terrible now.

 

[Amys Bling]

Is it really that bad? I thought I got ripped off a bit maybe but not completely had lol.
I just wanted a good diamond to propose, now I feel like garbage. For me, the $$ was a lot, as I'm paying tuition right now. I tried doing my homework and learned a lot, but they had me convinced that I was getting a good deal. I'm usually not very gullible, but I'm out of my league when it comes to jewelry.

Many, many people come here after purchasing- scared that they didn't get a good stone or good price. Then they get advice and education- return/exchange- and get something better for the money. My advice would be to focus on the size a little less, and focus more on CUT! Also, try to stick to GIA and AGS and use the holloway cut advisor to determine the cut quality.

https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/holloway-cut-advisor

 

[minmin001]

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it.

I do feel like crap now though. I just wanted a good diamond ring for when I propose, and I just feel terrible now.

least you didn't find here too late so we will help you find a beautiful diamond to propose~

 

[themarked]

I tried out the cut advisor, and here's what it said:


Light Return Very Good

Fire Good

Scintillation Good

Spread
or diameter
for weight Very Good

Total Visual Performance 3.8 - Very Good - Worth buying if the price is right

EDIT: Oh, and I should mention - if it makes any difference - I noticed one obvious imperfection without magnification. It was on the side of the diamond, and they told me that when they set it, it will no longer be noticeable (covered by the prong).

 

[Amys Bling]

so the cut really isn't as bad as thought.... Very Good cut, is a great option- How do you feel about the stone when looking at it? How does the color and clarity appear to you?

 

[themarked]

so the cut really isn't as bad as thought.... Very Good cut, is a great option- How do you feel about the stone when looking at it? How does the color and clarity appear to you?

It didn't look too bad to me. It wasn't as clear and sparkly as others I've looked at, but it was better than most. There weren't any black spots on it, which I hated about others I've seen, and it wasn't noticeably yellow. I've seen diamonds with the same colour rating that looked noticeably yellow, this one wasn't. I also brought my sister with me since I suck at diamonds, and she fell in love with it. I don't know though. I wasn't immediately sold, because in the past I've seen excellent cut/colour/clarity diamonds which made my jaw drop. I never thought I'd understand the difference between different diamonds - I always thought they're just rocks - until I saw some brilliant ones. This one wasn't a bad one compared so some I've seen, but it certainly didn't make my jaw drop.

The thing is, I know she'll love it regardless. I could buy her a $1000 ring and she'll love it. But I just love her so much and want everything to be perfect. The ring, I know, is probably the least important way to show her that - but even if it's the least important, I still want to do it right.

This diamond may not be so bad. I don't know. I wish I could take everyone on this forum diamond shopping with me haha.

 

[Amys Bling]

so the cut really isn't as bad as thought.... Very Good cut, is a great option- How do you feel about the stone when looking at it? How does the color and clarity appear to you?

It didn't look too bad to me. It wasn't as clear and sparkly as others I've looked at, but it was better than most. There weren't any black spots on it, which I hated about others I've seen, and it wasn't noticeably yellow. I've seen diamonds with the same colour rating that looked noticeably yellow, this one wasn't. I also brought my sister with me since I suck at diamonds, and she fell in love with it. I don't know though. I wasn't immediately sold, because in the past I've seen excellent cut/colour/clarity diamonds which made my jaw drop. I never thought I'd understand the difference between different diamonds - I always thought they're just rocks - until I saw some brilliant ones. This one wasn't a bad one compared so some I've seen, but it certainly didn't make my jaw drop.

The thing is, I know she'll love it regardless. I could buy her a $1000 ring and she'll love it. But I just love her so much and want everything to be perfect. The ring, I know, is probably the least important way to show her that - but even if it's the least important, I still want to do it right.

This diamond may not be so bad. I don't know. I wish I could take everyone on this forum diamond shopping with me haha.

Well, my thought is that if you are spending 5K on a ring, you should feel crazy about it and have your jaw drop. I think the fact that you werent sold on it - and you saw excellent cut ones that made your jaw drop and this did not- then I think you should consider exchanging for a stone that does make your jaw drop- otherwise you may look at it over the years and wish you got one that did make your jaw drop.

 

[Dreamer_D]

You did overpay unfortunately. Online prices for a stone of those specs are about $3500. Jewelry stores that have an actual store charge more, sometimes as much as 100% more, so I don't think you overpaid so wildly that you should feel like garbage. C'mon man, buck up! You have not made such a huge mistake, and it is not irreperable.

Unfortunately your story is so common in the diamond world, and that is why I like Pricescope, because the diamond world is big and confusing and some jewelers will look to take advantage of the lack of knowledge that most consumers have.

The thing is, when you try to stretch a budget too much to get a large stone, it means compromising too much on the other factors that affect the beauty and value of a diamond. As I said, for the ct. weight, that is a very very low price relatively speaking. It is possible the diamond is indeed better than some others you have seen. But I fear too much of a compromise of the cut quality was the most likely trade off to get such a large stone for such a low price, and to a lesser extent I fear comprimise of color and clarity. An I1 graded by EGL worries be a little bit because it is getting into the territory where the inclusions *could* be an issue for durability or optics of the stone. It is a risk I would not like to see a consumer take without the guidance of a very trustworthy vendor, and I am afraid you don't have that in this case.

So the question is: Do you want to exchange the diamond or keep it? That is all you need to worry about now. We can help you to pick a better cut and safer clarity if you like. Or, since you have seen the stone and we have not, you can decide for yourself if you are happy with your purchase or not.

 

[Amys Bling]

You did overpay unfortunately. Online prices for a stone of those specs are about $3500. Jewelry stores that have an actual store charge more, sometimes as much as 100% more, so I don't think you overpaid so wildly that you should feel like garbage. C'mon man, buck up! You have not made such a huge mistake, and it is not irreperable.

Unfortunately your story is so common in the diamond world, and that is why I like Pricescope, because the diamond world is big and confusing and some jewelers will look to take advantage of the lack of knowledge that most consumers have.

The thing is, when you try to stretch a budget too much to get a large stone, it means compromising too much on the other factors that affect the beauty and value of a diamond. As I said, for the ct. weight, that is a very very low price relatively speaking. It is possible the diamond is indeed better than some others you have seen. But I fear too much of a compromise of the cut quality was the most likely trade off to get such a large stone for such a low price, and to a lesser extent I fear comprimise of color and clarity. An I1 graded by EGL worries be a little bit because it is getting into the territory where the inclusions *could* be an issue for durability or optics of the stone. It is a risk I would not like to see a consumer take without the guidance of a very trustworthy vendor, and I am afraid you don't have that in this case.

So the question is: Do you want to exchange the diamond or keep it? That is all you need to worry about now. We can help you to pick a better cut and safer clarity if you like. Or, since you have seen the stone and we have not, you can decide for yourself if you are happy with your purchase or not.

ditto. You have to decide for yourself if you WANT to keep this stone. The clarity and cut are the two factors that make me nervous and they have such a BIG impact on the durability of the stone and how sparkly and pretty the stone will be. For me, an eyeclean SI1 or SI2 is fine- as long as I cannot see any inclusions. As for cut, I prefer an ideal or excellent cut stone because it will be incredibly sparkly and beautiful. I would be willing to drop from 1.5 ct to 1ct to get a better cut and clarity.

 

[Dancing Fire]

So I went in to the Jewelry Factory with certain specs in mind - min. 1.3carats, round, si2, H colour, excellent symmetry, vg polish, up to $7k.

They convinced me to buy a 1.5 carat, J colour, I1 clarity, good symmetry, very good polish, EGL certified diamond - that it would look the same to the naked eye. So after some debate, and the whole "this price is the lowest I can go, talked to my manager, if you leave and come back the price goes up" (don't know why I caved on that), I bought the diamond for about $5200. Now I'm looking online and see the same specs for roughly $3500. Was I had?

used car salesmen tactics..

 

[farmer gal]

What kind of jewelry store is it that it doesn't have a return policy? I have never heard of such a thing

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Did you by chance pay with a credit card? (You're probably going to say they made you pay cash for the "great deal")

I hate dishonest diamond sellers. The thing I wish I could tell everyone diamond shopping is to not take money, credit cards, or checkbook with you diamond shopping. Collect copies of grading lab reports and come here and run them by us before buying. I would walk out and never return from any store that said no return policy. That is a major red flag.

I'd definitely exchange this stone for a GIA Excellent cut stone no lower than J SI1. And you can check out comparable prices before committing to the stone to be sure they aren't cheating you a second time.

 

[E B]

Are you absolutely sure you can't get a refund? When did you purchase the diamond? I found two possible Jewelry Factories in Michigan (though there could be more) and both websites state full refunds within 15 days.

If this was a recent purchase, double check their website for their return policy.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Are you absolutely sure you can't get a refund? When did you purchase the diamond? I found two possible Jewelry Factories in Michigan (though there could be more) and both websites state full refunds within 15 days.

If this was a recent purchase, double check their website for their return policy.

That would be the best scenerio.

 

[Miss Sparkly]

If it looks good to you, and you like it, then I would say enjoy it!

Here's a stone from James Allen - K, I1, Good cut has an HCA of over 5 (performs poorly) and they're asking $5,220 for it. You have a stone that on paper performs better, and it sounds like looks good to you, for roughly the same price. So if you love it that's all that matters

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/K-I1-Good-Cut-Round-Diamond-1381756.asp

 

[diamondseeker2006]

If it looks good to you, and you like it, then I would say enjoy it!

Here's a stone from James Allen - K, I1, Good cut has an HCA of over 5 (performs poorly) and they're asking $5,220 for it. I don't see how $3,500 could be a bad price compared to this stone.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/K-I1-Good-Cut-Round-Diamond-1381756.asp

He paid $5200.

 

[Miss Sparkly]

I saw that and corrected my error, thank you.

 

[themarked]

Thanks again for the replies. It's the Jewelry Factory in Livonia - receipt says no refunds. I'll see if they have anything better in stock since I have time to exchange, it's just a pain now that I'm limited to this one store and they haven't been totally honest about everything.

 

[Amys Bling]

Thanks again for the replies. It's the Jewelry Factory in Livonia - receipt says no refunds. I'll see if they have anything better in stock since I have time to exchange, it's just a pain now that I'm limited to this one store and they haven't been totally honest about everything.

Well, take your advice from here and shock them into honesty!!! Seriously go back and say you are looking to do an exchange. I would then look fro GIA or AGS graded stones.... and if they dont have any, I would definitely get down the stats of the ones you are interested in and run them in the HCA prior to committing! Also- I would not go below SI2 for a GIA or AGS stone, and if it's graded nby another lab, I would not go below a VS2 grade and inspect to see if it is eyeclean!

Also, look at the stones in the light from a window as the store lights make everystone sparkle and look beautiful, you want to see how the stones perform in all lighting.

 

[slg47]

yes, see if they can get a GIA or AGS stone for exchange.

 

[DonnaH]

Pearlman's is in Michigan. They are online and have a store. www.pearlmansjewelry.com