Was my Leo diamond worth it?

[Jesi15]

My ring retailed for $2,299.99. The manager took off 345.00 because she knows my stepdad because he went to school with her... She was going to take off even more...but because we had a trade in, she claimed she couldn''t take any more off, I''m sure that was a lie, and just something she decided herself, but whatever. We traded in my mother''s old diamond that was garbage, had a HUGE black spot plain as day in it...it was an engagement ring from her previous alcoholic husband, so she was more than happy to get rid of it. We got $599.00, which is what was paid for it when my ex stepdad bought it. So in all, we got my diamond ring for $1355.00 Not too shabby in my opinion, even thought we "technically" paid the $599.00 by using the trade, that was my stepdad''s dime, not mine. So I''m sure we still overpaid by using that trade in. What I''m wondering is, even though a lot of people on here think Leo''s are junk and blah blah blah, mine is gorgeous in my opinion, she''s very beautiful and I''m very disappointed that I can''t seem to take a picture that brings out the gorgeous sparkle and color that this baby gives off. I just want to see what other''s think, we need to get it appraised because I would like to insure it, and I''m really afraid we''ll find out it''s only worth like $500 or something devastating. Let me know what you think.

ALSO...I don''t know what the 3 measurements are measuring, could anyone tell me what each one is because it doesn''t state what the 3 are. Also, in your opinion, are these measurements good?

Thanks for any help! I really appreciate your help as I am new to all of this!

 

[Lorelei]

Hi Jesi

I am sure your Leo is gorgeous!! Here is a thread for you which gives advice on photographing diamonds, we would love to see some pics of it!

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/how-do-you-photograph-your-diamonds-so-well.86475/

Here is the appraiser tool also

https://www.pricescope.com/appr_list.aspx

 

[Jesi15]

I used the appraiser tool last night, none are in my area, I did find one in my phonebook about 30 minutes from me, but I''m sure it''s uber expensive... I''ll find out soon enough

I hate that on Blue Nile''s website, I''m finding all around better diamonds than mine for what I paid! Better cut, clarity, color...ugh. I wish I was still within the 90 day return policy with this damn stone... I''m assuming I definitely overpaid...

Anyone know much about table? What''s a good size for a 1/2 carat and a 3/4 carat stone? I read bigger isn''t always better so if anyone could give me a good range for both of those sizes...you can''t look at the stones on Blue Nile''s site, just read the specs... I found a couple that are what we paid with D color and VS1 clarity with ideal cuts. I also know florescence is bad, so I found a couple with none...great specs for the money comparable to mine. I''m sick to my stomach right now. I really want a different stone.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 6/8/2009 3:04:01 PM
Author: Jesi15
I used the appraiser tool last night, none are in my area, I did find one in my phonebook about 30 minutes from me, but I'm sure it's uber expensive... I'll find out soon enough

I hate that on Blue Nile's website, I'm finding all around better diamonds than mine for what I paid! Better cut, clarity, color...ugh. I wish I was still within the 90 day return policy with this damn stone... I'm assuming I definitely overpaid...

Anyone know much about table? What's a good size for a 1/2 carat and a 3/4 carat stone? I read bigger isn't always better so if anyone could give me a good range for both of those sizes...you can't look at the stones on Blue Nile's site, just read the specs... I found a couple that are what we paid with D color and VS1 clarity with ideal cuts. I also know florescence is bad, so I found a couple with none...great specs for the money comparable to mine. I'm sick to my stomach right now. I really want a different stone.

The Leo is a branded cut so it is cut a bit differently to the more traditional round briliiants we see here, from what I understand they are typically cut deeper for one thing. Table size is the same for a half carat or a 3 carat, usually here around 54- 57% is preferred.

What is your goal Jesi? Do you want to trade in this diamond even though you love it? Comparing diamonds on BN or any of the other vendors isn't an accurate comparison as that is a branded stone you have in your Leo ( branded cuts carry a premium) which comes from a brick and mortar store, these are usually more expensive than online vendors.

Fluorescence is NOT bad by the way, it can be a matter of preference with many fans here. Rarely very strong blue can make a diamond look cloudy in some lights but this is rare, the only instance where fluorescence is undesirable unless you particularly dislike it.

http://diamonds.pricescope.com/fluor.asp

Look, you have a lovely diamond which is not junk and it is a branded Leo cut you said yourself you think is gorgeous. There is ALWAYS a better deal if you look for one, you might have paid more than the prices you see online but that is typical if you buy a branded cut from a store jeweller, the price will be higher. If I am misunderstanding and you don't want this diamond then you will have to consider either selling it and getting another one, or making this one into a pendant?

By the way these measurements 4.98 x5.03 x 3.12 , the first two are the diameter measurements in MM and the last is the depth in MM.

 

[denverappraiser]

That sounds like a lovely stone and $1355 is a reasonable price. Not everyone is in love with the facet design of the Leo's but this could be said of every single design out there, including the most popular. Leo’s are definitely not junk and liking something that’s a little bit outside of the mainstream is NOT a defect. The fact that you and she love it says volumes and is the whole point.

The key to taking good pictures is in the lighting and the camera settings. The details are different with every camera but look in the manual for the Macro setting. For most setups, lots of diffused lighting seems to work the best and it helps if you can use a tripod or some similar stable platform.

Congratulations.

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

 

[Jesi15]

I guess I just feel like a sucker mostly. We didn''t know what we were doing, was directed to Kay''s soley to save some money, which was a mere $350! I guess I just see that I could have had better quality for my money. I''m in love with my stone, yes, but my biggest fear really is, getting it appraised, finding out it''s not worth what we paid, having something happen to it, and only getting a fraction what I paid for it to buy a new ring. So hopefully nothing ever happens to my stone. Ideally, if I knew I could get back what I paid or nearly what I paid, I would take that money and go to Blue Nile or another good site and buy one that''s actually worth the money.

Thanks for telling me they''re not junk, I don''t think they''re junk, but I''ve read a lot of people''s posts on here and other sites stating they are over priced, which is true, but I''m just really afraid my stone is only worth a couple hundred dollars or something. Plus, polish and symmetry are just good, I want better than good, I''m starting to wonder if that''s why I have to keep taking it back because it''s set crooked. I''m wondering if it''s not the setting, but the actual stone that isn''t crooked. It''s been a nightmare with this stone and with Kay''s. I''m just glad that Jareds can handle my repairs on it now so I don''t have to go to Kays but I still wish we had done more research before going to Kay''s. I hate that we did it but we simply didn''t know, heard the word discount, and ran to Kay''s the day we got our tax return so we could finally get engaged after being together for 4 years!

I just don''t know what to do. I love my stone, yes, but knowing there''s better out there for less or equal money kills me. I''m devastated about it. At least I know that I can find a better wedding ring though!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 6/8/2009 3:21:34 PM
Author: Jesi15
I guess I just feel like a sucker mostly. We didn't know what we were doing, was directed to Kay's soley to save some money, which was a mere $350! I guess I just see that I could have had better quality for my money. I'm in love with my stone, yes, but my biggest fear really is, getting it appraised, finding out it's not worth what we paid, having something happen to it, and only getting a fraction what I paid for it to buy a new ring. So hopefully nothing ever happens to my stone. Ideally, if I knew I could get back what I paid or nearly what I paid, I would take that money and go to Blue Nile or another good site and buy one that's actually worth the money.

Thanks for telling me they're not junk, I don't think they're junk, but I've read a lot of people's posts on here and other sites stating they are over priced, which is true, but I'm just really afraid my stone is only worth a couple hundred dollars or something. Plus, polish and symmetry are just good, I want better than good, I'm starting to wonder if that's why I have to keep taking it back because it's set crooked. I'm wondering if it's not the setting, but the actual stone that isn't crooked. It's been a nightmare with this stone and with Kay's. I'm just glad that Jareds can handle my repairs on it now so I don't have to go to Kays but I still wish we had done more research before going to Kay's. I hate that we did it but we simply didn't know, heard the word discount, and ran to Kay's the day we got our tax return so we could finally get engaged after being together for 4 years!

I just don't know what to do. I love my stone, yes, but knowing there's better out there for less or equal money kills me. I'm devastated about it. At least I know that I can find a better wedding ring though!

Jesi, there is ALWAYS a better deal out there. Yes you maybe paid more from a brick and mortar store and chose a branded cut, but something about The Leo must have appealed to you both? You made a decision based on the knowledge and experience you had at the time, and you did buy a lovely stone. You can drive yourself nuts ( done it myself

) comparing prices on something you have already purchased and found something cheaper. But you know, you are engaged with a very beautiful diamond! What I would suggest, if you are unhappy with the setting, insist on it being fixed to your satisfaction. Keep your ring squeaky clean so you can enjoy the sparkle and maybe in time if finances permit, upgrade it and maybe reset this one into a pendant that you can wear close to your heart.

Also the untrained naked eye can't tell the difference between good and above for polish and symmetry so I wouldn't let that worry you.

 

[denverappraiser]

If a perceived overpayment of a few hundred dollars is the biggest trial you will face in your marriage then you live a charmed life indeed. Yes, you probably could have bought a lovely ring for less money but Leo’s are sold exclusively at Jared’s and their related stores. Looking at BN is not a fair comparison. Assuming you are appraising for insurance purposes as you describe, the value should be what Jared’s/Kay''s is currently charging for rings like the one you have. This is almost certainly more than what you paid.

I seriously doubt that the crookedness that you are seeing is because of the stone but I suppose it’s possible. Far more likely is the craftsmanship in the setting job and a manufacturing defect in the mounting is also a possibility. Talk to your appraiser about it and/or talk to the manager at your Jared’s about your concerns. Yes, they’re a little on the expensive side, but one of the things they do well is respond to customer problems when they’re made aware of them.

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

 

[Jesi15]

Really? That''s good to know then, it''s probably the 20 something bimbo that works there that keeps messing my setting up then. She doesn''t look like she really knows what she''s doing so that''s probably why my stone has been set crooked every single time. I don''t know what to do at this point, I guess I could find another Jared location and hope someone else can set it properly for me. I do love my stone, I just hate knowing what I know now!

The reason we went with a Leo... (I actually wanted a ruby, it''s my birthstone, plus July, my birth month, is very important to us, it''s my birthday, our daughter''s birthday, and our anniversary month.) He started looking at the diamonds even though I didn''t want one. He then looked at the Leo''s and was smitten... suckered right in. I was excited about that because I figured being Kay''s they would have normal prices, not rip off prices, but oh...what I have read! The day we bought it we spent a good hour looking at them and learning about them. ( I recently found out that Jared''s carries the artisan Leo, which the cutters have an extra year of training thus making them better, and then the peerless diamond, which is even better than that! Much more expensive though!) So not being very well educated, we decided on a Leo, mostly because this specific stone is an E color. The SI2 bothers me, but it''s not that bad to me, I can see two tiny dots, but it''s not like they''re obvious or anything... my mother''s was horrid, just a regular stone from Kay''s... So that''s what really sold Eric, it''s sparkly, scored Very High in all 3 aspects and that it was an E color. So we thought we were getting a steal. Boy we were wrong weren''t we!

I don''t really believe in upgrading stones. It''s sentimental to me now, and I really hate the thought of trading it for something better even though I know what I know, so upgrading in the future really isn''t an option... Ugh, I just don''t know what to do. We''re well out of what I just read is actually a 60 day return policy as this stone was purchased in February, so I guess I''m stuck with it. Now the real problem for me is, finding my wedding band...I''m afraid my band will be better than my engagement ring! LOL It will be strange to have that, but I''m getting some help on here as to what to do, I know what I want, now it''s just finding it. I found it at Jared''s but I''m downright afraid of just buying it from there...

 

[Jesi15]

Thank you all for your help!!! I''m feeling better about it, and I''m just going to stick with my stone, though I am going to hound them to make my setting straight...I''m just sick of having it done, I''ve already had to get a new band because they screwed it up the first time and wouldn''t own up to it until I contacted customer service! (That was Kay''s though, not Jared''s. I found out Jared''s does the repairs on Kay''s jewelry so I go there now to get things fixed after the Kay''s manager was so very rude to both my fiance and I about what they messed up.)

Now...I''m onto my my quest of getting my band exactly what I want and where for a good price! Also, what is a good way to clean my diamond? I use jewelry cleaner but it''s NEVER what it looks like when they clean it in the store...so I guess my cleaner isn''t that great! Suggestions? My cleaner smells like ammonia, so I did use some ammonia based cleaner that''s for my curling iron and straightener as that seems to be all that''s in it, it made my diamond sparkle beautifully, but I wonder if that was bad or not? LOL, I don''t think I did anything to my diamond but it''s better to find out before I keep doing it and find out I shouldn''t be.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 6/8/2009 3:51:47 PM
Author: Jesi15
Thank you all for your help!!! I''m feeling better about it, and I''m just going to stick with my stone, though I am going to hound them to make my setting straight...I''m just sick of having it done, I''ve already had to get a new band because they screwed it up the first time and wouldn''t own up to it until I contacted customer service! (That was Kay''s though, not Jared''s. I found out Jared''s does the repairs on Kay''s jewelry so I go there now to get things fixed after the Kay''s manager was so very rude to both my fiance and I about what they messed up.)

Now...I''m onto my my quest of getting my band exactly what I want and where for a good price! Also, what is a good way to clean my diamond? I use jewelry cleaner but it''s NEVER what it looks like when they clean it in the store...so I guess my cleaner isn''t that great! Suggestions? My cleaner smells like ammonia, so I did use some ammonia based cleaner that''s for my curling iron and straightener as that seems to be all that''s in it, it made my diamond sparkle beautifully, but I wonder if that was bad or not? LOL, I don''t think I did anything to my diamond but it''s better to find out before I keep doing it and find out I shouldn''t be.

If your setting is platinum then you can use sudsy ammonia solution diluted with hot water. Alternatively if your ring doesn''t have tiny diamonds in the setting, treat yourself to an ultrasonic cleaner and that will keep it sparkling. Jewelry cleaner from stores ( usually a blue soapy liquid with a bit of ammonia) does not work that well I find.

 

[Jesi15]

Just a single stone in the setting! I would like to get an ultrasonic cleaner...I think they sell one at Jared''s...so I''ll do some research and see if I can''t find a good one somewhere or maybe there''s is good.

My cleaner was purchased at Kaufmann''s, it''s actually in a red container and the stuff is red too... It works, but like I said, never sparkles like it does after a store cleaning!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 6/8/2009 4:05:54 PM
Author: Jesi15
Just a single stone in the setting! I would like to get an ultrasonic cleaner...I think they sell one at Jared''s...so I''ll do some research and see if I can''t find a good one somewhere or maybe there''s is good.

My cleaner was purchased at Kaufmann''s, it''s actually in a red container and the stuff is red too... It works, but like I said, never sparkles like it does after a store cleaning!

I can imagine, a store cleaning, ultrasonic home clean or good soak in ammonia is the best way.

 

[amyjokerette]

Date: 6/8/2009 3:51:47 PM
Author: Jesi15
.....I found out Jared''s does the repairs on Kay''s jewelry so I go there now to get things fixed after the Kay''s manager was so very rude to both my fiance and I about what they messed up.)

Jesi,

Are you saying that people can get their repairs done at Jared and it wont void the Kays warranty? Thats good news! It has always bothered me that I couldnt speak with the repair person, or that it took 10 whole days!

 

[AprilBaby]

Jared has Kays info in their computer system so you can do the 6 mo check up there and not void the warranty. They will also do your repairs without sending your jewelry out of the store and in faster time.