shape
carat
color
clarity

What do I do?

EGnome

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 17, 2012
Messages
3
Hi all,

After months of research about diamonds and then weeks of searching for the right diamond and e-ring, I finally received my shiny thing from Blue Nile today. This is the diamond I ordered - a 1.20 carat, ideal cut, G color, SI2 round brilliant.

I called prior to ordering to verify that the diamond was eye-clean and they got back to me the next day and said it was. Now that I have the diamond though, I can definitely see one black crystal right in the center (from a profile view it is right on the girdle reflection). It is very plainly visible from the bottom (which I don't really care about), but you can also see a the small black dot right in the center under normal interior lighting from a top down view. This is what is bothering me. Outside you can't see it at all because of all the light and everything, but inside I can see it from at least 8-10 inches away. Under most lighting it doesn't really bother me, but in some conditions it definitely stands out and sometimes even reflects in several facets. I've tried to attach a picture.

What do you think? What should I do? Should I return it and look again? I'm planning to propose around Sept 6th, So I'm not sure I'd be able to return in and get a new one in time. I'm not even sure if my SO would notice it, but if she did I would feel bad. I'd hate for her to see that spot every time she is looking at the ring instead of thinking about how beautiful it is. Other than that one spot, the ring looks amazing. I just feel kind of let down because of that one thing.img_0210_0.jpg
 
I think you'd feel better, and more confident about it if you returned it and started over. You're spending a lot of money, and for it, you should be 100 percent happy.

We can help you find something pretty quickly and a setting like the one you chose won't be hard to find on most vendors' web sites. And this time, don't buy an SI2 sight-unseen! :cheeky:
 
My humble opinion, send it back and get a refund. That's a tough call though. From a guy's perspective here, if it bothers you, get something that you are 100% satisfied with and don't look back.

Now, as far as your time window to make a move. It's kind of short, but it's doable. If it's too tight of a time-frame to work with, just find a diamond that you are 100% ok with and get it. You may want to call up vendors like GOG, WF, or BGD and tell them what budget you have and see what they can offer you. I'm pretty sure they all can overnight a diamond to you. If you have to, use a temporary mounting and after she says yes, have her help you pick out a setting for it. That's the way I did and my wife loved picking out her own setting. Just a thought.

Best of luck to you!
 
Thanks for the replies. I think I do want to return it. I think I will try to find something between now and the proposal, but keep my current ring as a back up. If I find something and it can get here in time, then I will return it and get the new one. If I can't then I can use it to propose, and then return it after (hopefully it won't come to that because I really don't like that idea).

Does anyone have some suggestions on diamonds?

I'm looking for something very similar to what I purchased.

1.15-1.25 carat
H-G color
eyeclean (SI2-VS1)
Ideal cut
$5700 - $6400

There are lots of SI2s that fit all my requirements, but they need to be eyeclean and obviously I can't trust the dealer to tell me the truth, so I'm not sure if that is an option.
 
I'm sorry this happened to you. This is one of the problems that I have with BN. BN is a drop shipper, they don't carry their stones in house, nor do they have easy access to them (other than their signature line), so when you call and ask if a stone is eye clean, they simply call the holder of the diamond and ask their opinion. Of course the holder of the stone wants to sell the diamond and therefore their opinion isn't necessarily without bias.

Fortunately though, it seems likely that you have enough time to find another stone and have it arrive in time for the proposal. If you are considering SI2 stones again, I would encourage you to work with vendors that either have the stones in house and can evaluate them for you, or have easy access to them and can have them called in to evaluate. Vendors such as James Allen, WhiteFlash, GOG, BGD, have actual images of their stones and can also offer you idealscope images.
 
Does anyone have an opinion on this diamond/retailer?:

http://www.adiamor.com/Diamonds/GIA-Certified-H-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond/D15565335

It seems to be about the closest I have found to my original specs/price. I drop one color grade in order to go up one clarity grade, and the report looks pretty clean. I am waiting now to hear if it is eye clean. It scored a 1.8 on the HCA tool.

I've not heard anything about this retailer on here, but I found it through the pricescope search.

If I go with this diamond, I will be purchasing the setting from a local store and having them set the diamond. Is this something that is ok to do or are there concerns with not using the same retailer for the complete ring?
 
might be worthwhile asking them what colour the crystals are....
 
EGnome|1345496589|3254534 said:
Does anyone have an opinion on this diamond/retailer?:

http://www.adiamor.com/Diamonds/GIA-Certified-H-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond/D15565335

It seems to be about the closest I have found to my original specs/price. I drop one color grade in order to go up one clarity grade, and the report looks pretty clean. I am waiting now to hear if it is eye clean. It scored a 1.8 on the HCA tool.

I've not heard anything about this retailer on here, but I found it through the pricescope search.

If I go with this diamond, I will be purchasing the setting from a local store and having them set the diamond. Is this something that is ok to do or are there concerns with not using the same retailer for the complete ring?

It's okay to have someone else set the diamond as long as either they insure the stone during setting (which is rare), or you insure the stone. Or, I guess, if you're okay with not insuring it. Jeweler's Mutual/Perfect Circle will insure stones during setting, but you need to submit the receipt for the purchased setting along with either the receipt or appraisal of your stone.

I would be worried about getting an SI stone from Adiamor because they are another drop-shipper that does not have the stone in their inventory, which will lead to the same sort of situation as you just had with Bluenile, where they call the holder of the stone to find out if it is eyeclean, and if the holder even actually checks, a game of "telephone" ensues where the results can be garbled. This is why it's been suggested to you to use a seller who has the stones in-house and can offer images to you.
 
Ditto distracts...you could end up with an SI1 stone that looks worse than the SI2 stoñe
You have. You need to work with vendors that have stones
in stock if you want the value of an eye -clean SI stone.
 
What is your budget?

It sounds like the stone is technically eye clean, which usually means 10 inches in normal viewing conditions. So a pretty good SI2. To get an eye clean SI2 you can keep searching, and I suggest looking for an "honest" SI2 that has a grade making inclusion on the periphery that can be covered by a prong. Or you can look for an SI1, though some of those are also not eye clean and you will need to accept that you might need to buy and return another stone. Or you can get a VS2. But many of these options mean more $$$. So think about what you want and how much you will pay for it!

That diamond looks really well cut at least! ::)
 
HI:

An engagement ring is something you need to feel 100% good about. In every regard.

BN has a good return policy, so use it as necessary.

Let us know how we can help further.

cheers--Sharon
 
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