Too good to be true at local B & M?

[drdrew]

I''m a novice diamond buyer looking at engagement rings, and found an interesting one at a locally owned store here in St. Louis.

The rock is uncertified, 1.23carat I color "SI3" round brilliant
To my unskilled eye it is cut very well. The only measurement I have is that it is 6.9 mm wide, which seems in line with what it should be.
There is a moderate sized, white feathery inclusion laterally, which I couldn''t see at first, but can now pick up fairly easily if I look for it. The stone is already set in a 18-carat white gold ring, with two side stones totalling .77 carats.

The price? $4750, with the caveat that I decide within a short time frame, since i was allegedly quoted the wrong price.
The owner of the store is very knowledgeable, but strikes me as kind of a salesman, if you know what I mean.
Would I be silly to get this? It seems like much more than I''d get for the money at the local mall stores, though I''ve detected a hint of disapproval of those stores among those posting at this site anyway. Let me know what you all think.

 

[gailrmv]

I''m not an expert, but any time you think something is too good to be true, it probably is. It sounds like it might be a fair price for the center stone, but including the sidestones I think it may be too good of a deal. In your price range you will have a lot of options and should not have to settle for something you do not feel 100% comfortable with. If I were you I would probably purchase a diamond from one of the jewelers that is highly regarded on pricescope and get a certed stone so that you can be confident that you are getting what you are paying for!

 

[Ellen]

Date: 2/8/2007 10:04:45 PM
Author: gailrmv
I''m not an expert, but any time you think something is too good to be true, it probably is. It sounds like it might be a fair price for the center stone, but including the sidestones I think it may be too good of a deal. In your price range you will have a lot of options and should not have to settle for something you do not feel 100% comfortable with. If I were you I would probably purchase a diamond from one of the jewelers that is highly regarded on pricescope and get a certed stone so that you can be confident that you are getting what you are paying for!

I agree with Gail.

Mind if I ask what shop?

 

[rjdodd]

Keep in mind that you''d probably getting a I-K / I1-2 - and you can get one of those for $2,500-3,000 from a PS vendor.

 

[diamondglee]

Also keep in mind that an SI3 is a GIA I1 at best, since GIA doesnt use the SI3 grade. And an I color could be off as well.

Sorry, the poster above beat me to it.

 

[avlis]

first of all, relax about the "limited time offer" because it isnt that great of a deal. they probably surprisingly misquote prices to most of thier customers. I also live in St. Louis, and i am interested in which B&Ms you have been going to.

the thing about uncert'd stones is, who says that is it actually an I color, or SI3? have you seen a really well cut diamond before? if not, i suggest you go out to Plaza Frontenac and visit Tiffany's. keep in mind they have great lighting, but they really do shine. dont buy from there, but definately go and look.

 

[dkodner]

I am going tread lightly here, as I have a B&M store and am also in St. Louis. My posts on this site are usually limited to showing parts of my diamond collection and answering posts about natural colored diamonds (my passion and specialty). That being said, since you are a hometowner, I felt I should throw in a few thoughts, but take them with my disclaimer....o)
In my opinion most of the B&M jewelers in St. Louis are very knowledgeable, honest and trustworthy. We all do things a little differently, and therefore offer different kinds of values on jewelry. The ring you are looking at sounds like a good value if it is truly what it is represented to be. I am not a big fan of people buying rings where the stone is already mounted. You should see the diamond in the loose so you really can tell the color and what''s inside of it. You should always compare it to other loose stones next to it, not just rely on what it says on the tag, or what a certificate says. There is nothing wrong with an SI3, but I am not a big fan of the grade itself. If I buy a stone with an SI3 grade fro the EGL, I represent it as an I1. It should be called what it is , an I1, and it should be priced accordingly. I don''t think you should worry about jumping on the deal before it disappears. I feel confidant you can find the same quality stone and ring for a similar value if that one sells. There is rarely a case in white diamonds where a similar one for a similar price cannot be found. The one thing I would say about buying online as was mentioned in a previous post, is that although i am sure there are very honest and trustworthy online vendors, you can get the same pricing and value from most B&M stores ( at least I know you can in this town, and really any B&M can if they choose to), and have the benefits of being able to see several stones side by side and have a person to person relationship with your jeweler. Good luck in your search, and congratulations on your upcoming engagement.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

The fact that they probabaly lied to you to pressure you into buying this "good deal" would be enough to scare me away 100%.

Go to www.goodoldgold.com and read the link on the 4 c''s. You''ll see what an I1 diamond can look like. You''ll also learn about the inportance of cut, and it shows great pictures of the different colors as well.

 

[denverappraiser]

The ‘buy it now or the deal is off the table because we’re doing you a favor’ tactic is almost always a deal killer for me. They may very well be able to sell it to another customer who is a little faster with their money than you but this is no favor and it’s no error…. It’s high pressure sales.

As mentioned above, grading accuracy can have a significant affect on value. How confident are you that you can tell the difference mounted between an I/SI3 and a J/I1? That tiny detail alone will affect the expected price by more than a thousand dollars on a stone of this size.

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