What to buy? GIA vs EGL

[ladidalola]

Hi there,

I'm helping out my friend in her quest for the center diamond on her engagement right. She's asking whether she should buy:

EGL - Color I, VS1 - brick and mortar store in Vancouver, BC
or
GIA - Color K, VS1 - Jamesallen.com

The difference is $700 between the two stones but she didn't tell me which one is more expensive. Would they roughly be the same color since EGL's standards are more flexible? Many thanks in advance for your help

 

[WinkHPD]

There is absolutely no way to have any idea of the relative color of the EGL diamond. I have seen a few that were spot on, some that were one grade off, many more that were two grades off and more.

A friend just told me yesterday of one that is three color and two clarity grades off that was graded last week by GIA. It is a crap shoot, which is why friends don't let friends buy EGL.

Wink

 

[flyingpig]

Hi there,

I'm helping out my friend in her quest for the center diamond on her engagement right. She's asking whether she should buy:

EGL - Color I, VS1 - brick and mortar store in Vancouver, BC
or
GIA - Color K, VS1 - Jamesallen.com

The difference is $700 between the two stones but she didn't tell me which one is more expensive. Would they roughly be the same color since EGL's standards are more flexible? Many thanks in advance for your help

I think you know the answer.

In addition, there are plenty of brick and mortar stores and diamond dealers in Vancouver that offer GIA stones at very competitive price.

 

[ladidalola]

Thank you! I've told her that buying online is great - my husband bought my e-ring from James Allen and my wedding ring from Whiteflash. She's just worried that she might not like it once she sees it in person.

 

[WinkHPD]

All and I mean ALL of the recommended vendors here have a viewing time during which the diamond can be returned for a complete refund minus shipping. Some even offer free shipping both ways.

Wink

 

[tyty333]

Thank you! I've told her that buying online is great - my husband bought my e-ring from James Allen and my wedding ring from Whiteflash. She's just worried that she might not like it once she sees it in person.

Return it if she does not like it. JA has a generous refund/return policy...30 days. Look under Return Policy.
https://www.jamesallen.com/faq/

 

[ChristineRose]

EGL is ALWAYS more expensive.

Here's how it works. The vendor has a stone; they know how to grade it. They also know that people like your friend will figure an EGL is about two color grades softer.

The vendor sends the stone to EGL. If it comes back 0, or 1, or even 2, grades softer, the vendor rejects the cert--they don't even have to pay EGL for their effort! The vendor will sell it as a GIA, or send it to a different EGL lab and start all over again.

If it comes back 2 or 3 grades softer, they pay for the cert and sell it as a I VS1.

It's irrelevant that surveys have found that on average EGL grades 0, or 1/2, or 1, or even 2 grades softer, because if the stone is not overgraded enough to hit beat the "EGL discount" it simply won't be sold as an EGL.

By the way, the discount has been increasing, as has the monetary pressure on EGL labs to overgrade.

 

[ladidalola]

Yes, thanks I've told her that my husband and I received great customer service from James Allen and Whiteflash - it should be no problem returning the diamond. I told her to try posting her budget and what kind of stone she's looking for here so that she can get great advice from the experts