This is too expensive, isn''t it??

[mintve]

I keep getting pressure from multiple places to look at Costco loose diamonds. After learning what I''ve learned here, I am thinking its not the best idea. Here is one I saw on their site. Its seems pricey, but I want to verify. What do you think?

And I could get better quality for less online, right? I am trying to build up my rationale when people ask me about buying at Costoc b/c its cheaper...when in reality, it may be cheaper than a B&M, but its not as well priced as an online ps vendor.

1.29 ct Round Brilliant
VS1 Clarity, H Color
Loose Diamond
Only One Available

$8,299.99

I tried to attach the GIA, but the file is too big. here is the link: http://www.costco.com/images/content/misc/pdf/261095.pdf

 

[Regular Guy]

It is always helpful to start with cut. Looking at the certificate, HCA gives a high 3. The crown could be good, but the pavilion doesn''t compensate.

Costco we read can be worth a look...but you do have to look, if you look...

 

[iheartscience]

DON''T DO IT! It looks like H-I 1.25 carat AGS 0 diamonds start at about $5800. (I found that information using the Pricescope search engine.)

You''re right-after learning what you''ve learned here, it doesn''t make sense to buy a diamond from Costco! They''re overpriced judging from that one and they don''t offer all the great stuff like Idealscopes, sarins, etc. Stick with a recommened PS vendor! I used Whiteflash and have been extremely happy with their service as well as the quality of my custom setting.

 

[Regular Guy]

Date: 12/8/2007 11:31:30 PM
Author: thing2of2
DON'T DO IT! It looks like H-I 1.25 carat AGS 0 diamonds start at about $5800. (I found that information using the Pricescope search engine.)

You're right-after learning what you've learned here, it doesn't make sense to buy a diamond from Costco! They're overpriced judging from that one and they don't offer all the great stuff like Idealscopes, sarins, etc. Stick with a recommened PS vendor! I used Whiteflash and have been extremely happy with their service as well as the quality of my custom setting.

Thing...though I'm sympathetic with your conclusions, I'd take some care overstating your case. You might argue you don't need either H or VS1, but to get an AGS anything at 1.25 on this board, with those characteristics, you do need to go over $8K, and I don't see an AGS0 with those qualities under $8600.

The point is good, though. With Costco, you won't get AGS certification...nor images...though in contrast...you will be able to see them in person...and return them...I hear...forever. These things are good. But...maybe you don't also want your SO knowing your source...and there's something to be said for that.

 

[DiamanteBlu]

Costco diamond is an oxymoron to me.

It may be my prejudice. I have not shopped at Costco recently - many, many years ago I recall it being a place to buy bulk food an toilet paper - maybe that has changed.

You might want to do a search on PS for the same specs. The price for the costco stone seems to be a tad higher than what I saw.

You might want to consider calling one of the PS vendors to ask them to find you a great stone to your specs.

 

[swingirl]

There is a AGS 1.228 H VS1 from Whiteflash. Using the Pricescope Cut Adviser tool it scores much higher than the Costco stone AND is from WF''s Expert Selection. You can view the ASET, Ideal Scope, and Sarin info. It looks gorgeous and is $8088--probably less with a wire transfer payment. Your Costco stone isn''t horrible it''s just you can do better for less.
http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-55176.htm#

But you also might consider this one from Good Old Gold. 1.36ct I SI1. It also scores excellent on the Cut Advisor but is lower in color, lower in clarity but larger in size. And $7,070 with a bank wire!!
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/3401/

And this one is another one to compare with. 1.34ct H SI2. $6980 with a bank wire.
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/3525/

BUT if you must spend $8K then check this one. 1.416ct H SI2. Personally I wouldn''t mind the inclusions to get a 1.4 AGS stone! But everyone has their tolerance. Many PSers go for beautiful cut and size over high clarity.
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/3350/

 

[mintve]

This is what I was thinking...Costco may be better than a B&M, but not as good as someone like WF of GOG...

So, it sounds like that if my BF HAS TO buy from costco, that it will not be the worst thing, but not necessarily the best...

THANKS!

 

[mintve]

does anyone have any other input on this? Mt BF has a lot of pressure on him to buy from Costco, but I still don''t think its the BEST decision

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 12/9/2007 11:12:11 PM
Author: mintve
does anyone have any other input on this? Mt BF has a lot of pressure on him to buy from Costco, but I still don''t think its the BEST decision

Can I ask why your BF has a lot of pressure to buy from Costco??

 

[BriBee]

Date: 12/9/2007 11:21:01 PM
Author: Kaleigh

Date: 12/9/2007 11:12:11 PM
Author: mintve
does anyone have any other input on this? Mt BF has a lot of pressure on him to buy from Costco, but I still don''t think its the BEST decision

Can I ask why your BF has a lot of pressure to buy from Costco??

Ditto

 

[iheartscience]

Well I already posted, but I also think it''s strange that your BF has a lot of pressure on him to buy from Costco. Does he work there and get a discount or something? Does his family work there?

I would say that if he is thinking about Costco because he wants a good price on a ideal cut diamond, he''d be much better off getting it from a PS vendor. I personally would not feel comfortable purchasing a diamond from a place that mostly sells tires, food and electronics. I prefer to buy from someone who is more knowledgable about diamonds (as well as electronics/wine/whatever) than I am.

If he is adverse to purchasing online, it would probably be best for you to find a trustworty B&M jeweler in your area to work with. Or you could get an ideal cut diamond from a chain like Jared. The price would be higher than online, but at least you would be able to request an AGS 0 and probably see different color/clarity combos in your size range and budget.

Have you had him check out PS at all? Or speak to any PS vendors? I think you''ve posted before about convincing him to buy online. If he won''t listen to you, maybe he''ll listen to a trustworthy PS vendor or maybe he''ll be convinced by all the posts, both good and bad (and about how the bad ones were reseolved) about all the PS vendors.

 

[mintve]

Date: 12/9/2007 11:21:01 PM
Author: Kaleigh

Date: 12/9/2007 11:12:11 PM
Author: mintve
does anyone have any other input on this? Mt BF has a lot of pressure on him to buy from Costco, but I still don''t think its the BEST decision

Can I ask why your BF has a lot of pressure to buy from Costco??

Trust me, I know it’s weird. I am not really sure how to put it, but basically, part of his bonus is usually a tangible item. His bosses know that we are talking about getting engaged and they alluded to the fact that if he buys it from Costco, they will be able to use it as part of his bonus. I thought they were kidding and that it was just talk until the boss’s wife started telling me about her ring from Costco. Then, again this past weekend, she asked me if I looked at their stones.

I really have no desire to shop for diamonds at Costco, so you are preaching to the choir…I am just trying to prove with the numbers that its not the best decision…even if we are helped financially…

 

[denverappraiser]

Costco is an ok place to shop. They sell pretty good stuff for pretty good prices and this applies as well to diamonds as it does to TP and tires. They have a terrific return policy and are a very reputable company. I shop there for all sorts of things. If someone else is going to pay part of the bill, that’s a fine reason to choose them. It's easy enough to do the math and figure out if the subsidy is worth the trouble when you have an actual offer in hand.

Shopping with them is a bit different from most other stores. There salespeople are useless and their viewing environment is so bad as to be laughable. For people who are inclined to be picky, I find the best approach is to simply start with their ‘special order’ department, ignoring their inventory entirely. There’s a little brochure for buying larger diamonds and you call up their 800# and talk to a specialist there. They can get pretty much anything you want. These folks are a drop ship vendor just like what you find with most of the internet sellers and, in fact, may be offering you the exact same stones. They're a lot more informed than the warehouse staff but they're mostly not gemologists and they don't have the stones in hand. Be picky about what you want, insist on GIA or AGS grading and target the area of cutting in your conversation. Don’t be too surprised if they can’t tell you much but if they give you the data you can come back here for advice about individual stones. When you pick a stone or two, they will send it to the warehouse of your choice where you can go and pick it up. Take or ship it immediately to an independent appraiser who can give you the rest of the information and help you to make a sensible decision. If you don't care for it, take it back to the warehouse for a refund and ask for a different one. You don't even have to pay shipping (you will have to pay the appraiser).

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 12/10/2007 9:21:54 AM
Author: mintve

Trust me, I know it’s weird. I am not really sure how to put it, but basically, part of his bonus is usually a tangible item. His bosses know that we are talking about getting engaged and they alluded to the fact that if he buys it from Costco, they will be able to use it as part of his bonus. I thought they were kidding and that it was just talk until the boss’s wife started telling me about her ring from Costco. Then, again this past weekend, she asked me if I looked at their stones.

Let me make sure I understand this... you BF''s COMPANY is buying your engagement ring? In a really good year will they upgrade it for you? What happens in a bad year--they take away a side stone or something?

 

[iwannaprettyone]

Date: 12/10/2007 11:12:33 AM
Author: Dee*Jay

Let me make sure I understand this... you BF''s COMPANY is buying your engagement ring? In a really good year will they upgrade it for you? What happens in a bad year--they take away a side stone or something?

I don''t know why this reminds me of the corn ball "he went to Jared"... commercial.

I just don''t know how comfortable i''d be with A) a e-ring purchased at Costco, Sam''s etc B) my bf''s company knowing our business and taking liberties with his bonus.

 

[Sparkalicious]

Date: 12/8/2007 10:11:33 PM
Author:mintve

1.29 ct Round Brilliant
VS1 Clarity, H Color
Loose Diamond
Only One Available

$8,299.99

Mintve- I hav recently heard people recommending Costco as a place purchase diamonds. As a part of my process in becoming informed about diamonds, I went to go and see what they had to offer. Unfortunately, I wasn''t completely impressed. The majority of the stones I saw were IGI graded. My preference, just because I wanted to know that if I am buying something that says it is a certain color and clarity, that it is indeed that color and clarity. I am fairly certain, however, that if you are able to find a GIA certed stone there that looks good to you and on paper, why not buy it there if the price is right?

That aside, with regards to your pricing question ... I just got a 1.28 E VS2 GIA graded diamond that is rated AGS0 and ranks as a 1A for $10,200. I didn''t see the specs of the diamond you are looking at, however, I would suspect that there might be a little more room for movement with that $8,299.99 pricing with another vendor.

Whatever you do decide, since you are arming yourself with knowledge, I am certain that it will be absolutely stunning! Good luck!

 

[denverappraiser]

You’re right, this is a very weird scenario.

Let me summarize so that we can be clear.

1) Your boyfriend is entitled to a bonus. Congratulations.
2) His company would prefer to give this bonus in the form of merchandise rather than cash.
3) The company execs like shopping at Costco and they want to encourage you to do so too, presumably because they think you would make a less wise choice if left to your own devices.

As I said in my last post, I don’t have any great problem shopping at Costco and do so regularly but I agree with the above posters that it’s distinctly odd to allow his company any vote at all in the selection of an engagement ring. Can he get them to give him a gift card or some similar sort of thing so that they are out of the decision loop? This seems more like a political issue than a gemological or even a engagement question. They prefer merchandise to cash because they are hoping that people will look at it and think good things about the company whereas money just gets spent and disappears. That logic works with a nice pair of shoes, a gold watch or even a new car but an engagement ring strikes me as pushing this beyond the reasonable limit and it may just backfire on them. They’re trying to be nice and are coming across as seriously controlling. Is there something else that he and you might like that they sell at Costco that’s a bit less emotionally entangled?

You still might want to give Costco a stab at the business, just so you can thank the boss for his clever advice on where to shop and maybe they''ll be able to convince you that they deserve your business but that''ll then be up to them, not your boyfriend''s boss.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Jewelry Appraisals in Denver

 

[mintve]

I know, like I said, I know it’s weird and unconventional. It’s a small family company and that is just how they do it. My BF likes this approach and it’s worked well for him in the past. But, then again, it is usually stuff for him…this is different…My BF does not know if he would really accept this offer, but the suggestion is out there and its been entertained.

Plus, I am not concerned about that part of it, I was more concerned with the cut quality of the stones and it sounds to me that Costco is an OK option, but to proceed with caution.

My BF is still not sold on the online buying experience, though he said I am the final end-user and as long as I am happy that is all that matters. Part of me wants to take advantage of the return policies that are available to me via Costco and his B&M of choice, Shane Co, and buy one from each of those places, then have an online stone sent to an appraiser and look at all 3 at once and make a decision with the three stones in one place…

We will see. This is not a decision we have to make in the next few days, we still have plenty of time.

 

[CaptAubrey]

This has got to be one of the most unusual threads I''ve seen in 5+ years at PS.

Do keep us apprised of how this turns out.

I love Costco, have one of the premium Executive memberships, and probably spend more money there than anywhere else, but I too would be a bit reluctant to get an e-ring from them. I second Neil''s recommendation for the special order route--don''t even look at the display case.

 

[hearts-arrows_girl]

Date: 12/10/2007 9:54:49 AM
Author: denverappraiser
Costco is an ok place to shop. They sell pretty good stuff for pretty good prices and this applies as well to diamonds as it does to TP and tires. They have a terrific return policy and are a very reputable company. I shop there for all sorts of things. If someone else is going to pay part of the bill, that’s a fine reason to choose them. It''s easy enough to do the math and figure out if the subsidy is worth the trouble when you have an actual offer in hand.

Shopping with them is a bit different from most other stores. There salespeople are useless and their viewing environment is so bad as to be laughable. For people who are inclined to be picky, I find the best approach is to simply start with their ‘special order’ department, ignoring their inventory entirely. There’s a little brochure for buying larger diamonds and you call up their 800# and talk to a specialist there. They can get pretty much anything you want. These folks are a drop ship vendor just like what you find with most of the internet sellers and, in fact, may be offering you the exact same stones. They''re a lot more informed than the warehouse staff but they''re mostly not gemologists and they don''t have the stones in hand. Be picky about what you want, insist on GIA or AGS grading and target the area of cutting in your conversation. Don’t be too surprised if they can’t tell you much but if they give you the data you can come back here for advice about individual stones. When you pick a stone or two, they will send it to the warehouse of your choice where you can go and pick it up. Take or ship it immediately to an independent appraiser who can give you the rest of the information and help you to make a sensible decision. If you don''t care for it, take it back to the warehouse for a refund and ask for a different one. You don''t even have to pay shipping (you will have to pay the appraiser).

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

Getting your stone from Costco, would be fine if you find a stone you like. Costco isn''t cutting the stones themselves, they have to get them from a diamond supplier just like everyone else. so you would be getting a good or bad cut diamond depending on what YOU pick from them. I would go the special order route as mentioned above. I picked my ring out from where my husband wanted too, it took alot of searching, and I really had to rely on what I learned on Pricescope, but I ended up with a beautiful diamond, so we both were happy. I too ignored the inhouse supply where I got my ring from and had them bring in stones that met my criteria.
I also think you are getting alot of flack for your boyfriend using his work''s bonus for part of your ring. It is a great idea to me. It sounds like he is being very ingenious with the e-ring budget. I don''t see why anyone would care how he was able to get the funds for your ring. He is probably going to be able to get you a much better and bigger ring by being clever enough to incorporate his bonus into the e-ring fund. I would be flattered that he would use his bonus towards me. And Costco may be the only place his work gets perks from that carries loose diamonds. (you implied that he gets merchandise not cash for his bonus, right?) Just be very picky and I am sure you will come up with a beautiful stone. If he doesn''t use the Costco route, he may have much less of a budget, who knows, maybe half the amount, or even less. It sounds like the only reason his budget is so generous is BECAUSE he has the Costco option.
(if you use the tools and knowledge you find here, you can get an excellent stone)

 

[mintve]

Thanks Hearts-Arrows Gilr/Junebug, I really appreciate your kind words and support. I will let you know how it turns out

 

[hearts-arrows_girl]

Please do keep me informed! I will check your posts here to see how you''re coming along.