Used/Esate Diamond

[diamonds4ever04]

Bought an estate diamond from a shop. It''s claimed to be G in color and a VS1 or 2 in clarity. I examined it at 30x, and saw only little specs in the diamond. Is this the correct clarity? The color does appear to be right. The diamond however, is cheap, at only 1000. I''m wary, but can''t seem to find anything wrong. Why would someone sell so low? Could it be fake?

 

[reena]

what carat?

 

[diamonds4ever04]

OOps forgot some stuff. Ok, so here's what I bought.
The appraisal, being done by the jeweler himself, wasn't done yet.

.61 carat round
G color, at least from my eyes and his claim
VS2 clarity
Good Cut, as viewed from my novice eyes, seems to have alot of brillance to me, no dark spots, or clouding, plus it's a higher color/clarity diamond, so it should have at least an ok cut, right?

 

[Diamondsbybree]

picture?

 

[phoenixgirl]

There's only so much we can determine without an appraisal . . . get an expert to appraise it and you'll get your answer.

 

[denverappraiser]

diamonds4ever04,

The difference between a 0.61cts-SI1-I-AGS7 and a 0.61cts-VS1-G-H&A is important. More than a factor of two. If you don't have a fair amount of practice examining stones, this difference is difficult to tell with just a loupe and an uncontrolled lighting environment. This is why god gave us professional appraisers

People sell things cheaply for a variety of reasons that are not necessarily a problem. They may not have access to markets that pay better. They may be in a hurry to get the money. On the other hand, they may be misrepresenting the product. It's important to be sure you understand what you are buying before you decide if it's a good price.


Neil Beaty, GG ISA
www.gemlab.us

 

[quaeritur]

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On 8/5/2004 9:08:11 AM diamonds4ever04 wrote:

... plus it's a higher color/clarity diamond, so it should have at least an ok cut, right?
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Um, NO. Cut has to do with how the cutter cut it. Color and clarity will have an effect on how the diamond looks, but saying that good color and clarity ensure a good cut is untrue. That's like saying that because my car is blue and has no scratches it will run well.

Only 'coz I know how we love car analogies around here!

 

[Hest88]

We can't really tell you if you got what they claimed. Best thing is to go get it appraised.

 

[fire&ice]

Only 'coz I know how we love car analogies around here!

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Et tu?

 

[noobie]

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On 8/5/2004 11:52:42 AM fire&ice wrote:

Only 'coz I know how we love car analogies around here!

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Et tu?

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What's the aversion to car analogies?

 

[quaeritur]

AWWWWWW- don't be sad F&I. I was just teasin' a little

 

[diamonds4ever04]

Well the diamond is being set, and appraised by him today, and I'll have it tommorrow. I guess my question is then, even a horrribly cut, but VS2 clarity, and G color stone, is worth 1000? Or perhaps not? Also, it has 14 day return policy, so I could get an outside appraisal done to compare first? I guess I'm hesitant to buy it because it's so cheap, and so seemingly nice. It is a stone he bought from someone, and is now selling to me at profit, no doubt. But why would he not sell it closer to it's true value, used or not? (LOL, perhaps 1000 is it's true value ) Anyone else have experience with secondhand diamonds? He allowed me to examine the stone as much as I wanted, and I did indeed study it under a microscope, without any hesitation from him. Seems more honest than others I've dealt with. Just makes me wonder. Neil, what is a 0.61cts-SI1-I-AGS7 worth? If I'm gambling on buying on speculation, I don't want to loose if it turns out to be a low cut/color/etc. Thanks so much.

 

[diamonds4ever04]

As for the cut, I was speculating that a nice diamond would be cut well, or is this not the case? In other words, what cutter would take a G color VS1 stone, and render it horribly cut? Granted it probably isn't H&A, but should be at least a 2A I'd guess. Or perhaps this would only apply to something higher like an E color VVS1? All speculation. We'll find out in the morning. Ohh, and anyone know how I can get a stone map of the diamond? Could I make a quick one on paper? Anyone done this? I want to be sure the diamond I get in the morning, is the same as the one I saw. And of course anytime I get it repaired...

 

[denverappraiser]

diamonds4ever04,

"True value" is a phrase that I would never use to describe anything. There are just too many variables outside the merits of stone itself. I do, however, understand what you're asking and $1000 is a perfectly reasonable price for a 0.61cts-SI1-I-AGS7 in a discount sort of an environment like an estate jewelery store. In the mall they regularly charge substantially more.

Most appraisers include a plotting diagram of the stone for exactly the reason you describe. Accurate plotting is harder than it looks. Labs spend months training employees to do this and still end up with mixed results. As with everyone above, I recommend that you get an independent appraisal from someone that is hired by you, and quite specifically not to rely on one written by the selling jeweler. (This is not meant to disparage the jeweler. I recommend this even if the selling jeweler is 100% capable of performing the examination and of writing a quality report. It has to do with conflict of interest.)

High color and clarity are not necessarily paired with high cut. Cutters are working with many different issues and often weight retention is higher on the list of objectives than light return. They sometimes also have an element of the stone that they want to cut away in order to increase the clarity, color, or both. This is part of the skill required of a cutter.

Neil Beaty, GG ISA
www.gemlab.us

 

[chialea]

If you look at the cut charts you'll notice that "domestic average cut" is quite far down the list, and the difference between that and a well-cut diamond is really stunning. Part of the reason a diamond may be worse cut is because it takes more time (and thus money) to cut a diamond well, the cutter may be having a bad day, the diamond may be cut for weight retention (instead of beauty), and so on and so forth.

Remember that saying about "assume" -- if you like the diamond, take it to an appraiser and get the cut checked out, as well as confirmation on colour and clarity. You can save yourself from making an expensive mistake, or, if you're lucky, get confirmation of your good taste and luck.

 

[fire&ice]

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On 8/5/2004 1:42:57 PM noobie wrote:

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On 8/5/2004 11:52:42 AM fire&ice wrote:

Only 'coz I know how we love car analogies around here!

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Et tu?

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What's the aversion to car analogies?
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I've never been able to follow them as applicable.
Cars serve one purpose - to safely haul all my stuff from point A to point B. Diamonds are little gems of art. You can't wear your car. ...I could go on & on.....

Why buy a car if you can buy a diamond?

Honestly, half the time I don't even know what anyone is talking about in referencing cars. You all could be talking in tongues.

 

[Jennifer5973]

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That's like saying that because my car is blue and has no scratches it will run well.

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Great analogy!

 

[glitterata]

Definitely get it appraised by an independent appraiser within the two weeks, if only to assure yourself that it really is a diamond, and that it's of the quality claimed. What part of the world are you in? Perhaps someone on this board can recommend an appraiser near you, or you could send your stone to one of the excellent appraisers who posts here.

As for the cut, many people on this forum will tell you that if it's not up to a certain cut standard, it's not worth owning. However, I think that if the price is fair for a diamond of that cut quality, and if you've examined it carefully and think it's beautiful, then you shouldn't worry about how the cut is rated. However, before you make a decision be sure to look at it in many different kinds of light, and compare it to some diamonds that you know for sure are well cut. If you haven't seen a lot of well-cut diamonds, you might not know how much difference cut can make.

You might also want to get an ideal scope--a neat little gadget that can tell you a lot about how well your stone is cut. See the link at the top of the page.

 

[noobie]

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On 8/5/2004 5:53:45 PM fire&ice wrote:






I've never been able to follow them as applicable.
Cars serve one purpose - to safely haul all my stuff from point A to point B. Diamonds are little gems of art. You can't wear your car. ...I could go on & on.....

Why buy a car if you can buy a diamond?

Honestly, half the time I don't even know what anyone is talking about in referencing cars. You all could be talking in tongues.


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Ahh, now you know how I feel when you talk about period antique pieces. Swoosh, over my head

 

[diamonds4ever04]

Diamond appraised by him at 2980, with little details, saying only it was G color and VS clarity. UGH! I live in Northwest Ohio, anyone know where I can get an appraisal done, well, and how much? (LOL I already spent so much on the diamond.. ) I travel and am constantly in Toledo, Lima and Sandusky areas of Ohio. Thanks for all your help.

 

[quaeritur]

The list of independent appraisers in OH is here