Take jeweler''s advice and disregard all EC''s lower than I VS2?

[Millennistar]

I''ve hesitated to post this question, but after recent experiences I''ve had surveying different jewelers, I thought it would be helpful to take my concerns to other consumers on this forum -- in the hope of getting some honest feedback.

First, the background: I''m looking for a 2.25+ carat emerald, eye clean, that faces up white...on a tight budget (15K). However, when I engage with most jewelers (online and B&M), the first thing they tell me is that they aren''t going to look for anything below VS2 and below I in color. I next get a lecture on how important these two factors are for ECs, and finally a caveat that finding something with those specs within my budget is going to be really tough.

Out of five jewelers that I have spoken with over the past month, I''ve gotten the same lecture from four. However, the first jeweler I visited had three stones in for me to look at in one week (all GIAs). All faced up white (despite being K''s and J''s -- I was actually SHOCKED), and two were generally eye clean SI2''s! My experience with this first jeweler has made me doubt the claims of the subsequent jewelers -- that what I''m looking for can''t be found on my budget. Furthermore, my loose diamond searches among PS vendors yield promising results (albeit comparatively limited).

Now, the question: I understand that the VS clarity/I color parameter might be a "good rule of thumb", but I''m wondering why a majority of jewelers seem to stick to that so adamantly? Whatever happened to "working with the customer?" Why would a jeweler initially take SI''s off the table when a majority of diamonds that I''ve physically SEEN are SI''s and look fine to me? (After all, I''m going to be the one wearing it, not the jeweler).

My paranoid fear is that some jewelers (and by some I mean the majority of jewelers I''ve spoken with) will push uneducated customers toward higher color and clarity grades because it is more cost effective for them: The amount of time and money it takes (in terms of searching and shipping stones from the wholesaler) to find an eye clean, face-up-white stone is minimized if they only look at or above I/VS''s. Furthermore, it stands to reason that they would make more $ (if working on commission) by selling a higher quality stone -- since in general, a 2.5 I VS1 would probably cost more than a comparably cut 2.5 J SI1.

Can anyone here weigh in on why I keep getting this feedback from jewelers -- that they won'' t look below I or VS -- when I know for a fact there are eye-clean and white-enough diamonds out there with lower color and clarity grades?

I apologize for the long post -- but would sincerely appreciate your thoughts!

 

[Hest88]

I think they stick to this advice simply because it''s a good rule of thumb that makes it easy to satisfy most customers and makes it unlikely to dissatisfy most. If you can make it clear to a jeweler that you''re fine with a lower color, that indeed you''d prefer it and wouldn''t come back a month later and try to return it, and that indeed you''re an educated consumer who feels the same about the SI1 and won''t regret THAT decision later either, then you might get through to some of these jewelers. They probably work with many consumers who don''t know what they want as well as you do, and are afraid that you''d come to regret your purchase.

 

[swingirl]

2.27ct J SI1

I am not sure which vendors you are referring to but I've purchased an M from High Performance Diamonds, a K from Whiteflash and a K from Brian Gavin. None of them tried to talk me out of the colors I choose.

However, color shows more in larger stones, especially ECs. It could be though, that the vendors are picking from their current stock and in the size and cut you are after it's more limited.

 

[Karl_K]

Most people are going to see color in an I or lower EC of that size it may not bug them but it is there.
Eyeclean below vs2 is rare but possible.

 

[HVVS]

I think if you looked at the J step cut a while, you'd see the tint. If one didn't mind the tint, you could actually go a lot lower in color. I can see I color in a Hearts On Fire princess and it's not definitely white to me. Good Old Gold has this K emerald K emerald, just to look at one that isn't white.

Take a look at GOG's August Vintage cushions to see some lower colors. They are not step cuts, but steps would probably show similar tint.

Check the Asscher threads here. I think someone got a J color. She said she'd go whiter if buying another one.


EricaD has a lovely L color antique Asscher, big one, and L is nice in a step cut. L antique Asscher I like L color, and M, because they are so far down there that they actually are light yellow or candlelight ivory and not just an off-white.

I agree with Karl about clarity. Inclusions are stink in step cuts. You want a clean, clean stone.

 

[bgray]

i completely disagree: many vintage EC''s are J/K color. The eye clean part is trickier but i would imagine a J color si1 with the inclusions on the sides and corners would be a great find...

 

[Millennistar]

Thank you all so much for your responses. I completely understand that what I''m looking for might be out of the ordinary (i.e., less than ideal for most consumers), I was just puzzled as to why these jewelers seemed to hesitate or flat out refuse to search for anything under an I VS2. I understand that finding the SI diamond with less noticeable inclusions (hidden in corners or in the steps, etc...) is a challenge...but its not *unheard* of -- and I was just wondering why a jeweler wouldn''t be willing to "search" for it.

Hest88 -- your suggestion that the jewelers may feel that I''d be unhappy with something less than I VS2 was particularly helpful. I''ll certainly be more assuaging in my future conversations.

 

[HVVS]

and I was just wondering why a jeweler wouldn't be willing to "search" for it.

Because time is money, and you are not the only customer. I'm not being rude. Ever worked in sales? That's just the way it is. If the jeweler puts a lot of his / her time into locating it, are you going to buy it? Or might he or she have put days into it only to have you say No Thanks. They have to be actively selling items to keep the business going, and there is a reasonable amount of time they are willing to put into it to make the sale before they have to move on to the next customer, who may not be so much extra work.

With step cuts, the majority of customers *are* going to aim for the higher color and "white" clarity grades, so I'd hazard a guess that there's less likelihood of lower color or included rough getting made into a step cut. Step cuts do not hide inclusions well. Also if the inclusions are in the corners, that's where the prongs are, and I'd imagine there's a risk of cleaving off a chunk of diamond either in the mounting process or if the wearer of the ring whacks a corner too hard.

Diamonds are mined from the earth. In some respects, you have to either take what is available at the time, or wait around until it comes up, and also do your own proactive searching while you are waiting.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 11/25/2009 11:35:42 PM
Author: Millennistar
Thank you all so much for your responses. I completely understand that what I''m looking for might be out of the ordinary (i.e., less than ideal for most consumers), I was just puzzled as to why these jewelers seemed to hesitate or flat out refuse to search for anything under an I VS2. I understand that finding the SI diamond with less noticeable inclusions (hidden in corners or in the steps, etc...) is a challenge...but its not *unheard* of -- and I was just wondering why a jeweler wouldn''t be willing to ''search'' for it.

Hest88 -- your suggestion that the jewelers may feel that I''d be unhappy with something less than I VS2 was particularly helpful. I''ll certainly be more assuaging in my future conversations.

It is rather like looking for a needle in a haystack with eyeclean SI step cuts, maybe the jewellers feel that if they found one with even a discreet inclusion it might not be suitable once you saw it? Just a thought....