Why I dont buy from vendors who dont supply pictures

[proto]

Shape: Round
Carat weight:2.06
Certificate:AGS

Color:F
Clarity: SI2 (O RLY)

Cut: Excellent
Symmetry:Excellent
Polish:Ideal

Girdle: Thin

Depth %:61.10
Table %:61.00
Culetointed

Fluorescence:None

L/W/D (mm): 8.17*8.20*5.00

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/2.06-carat-f-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-308707

 

[OECsareforLovers]

I can't even begin to imagine who would pay 15k for that. Just gross!!!

 

[marymm]

An SI2 graded by GIA or AGSL that lists "crystal" first is not a stone I would ever consider, with or without a photo/video.

 

[AprilBaby]

Ugly but someone will buy it! I would love to hear from a JA rep why they even carry that stone?

 

[marcy]

I accidentally got my diamond in cheese dip sauce one time and it looked cleaner than that diamond does.

 

[OECsareforLovers]

I accidentally got my diamond in cheese dip sauce one time and it looked cleaner than that diamond does.

There's a scary amount of super gross SI2 diamonds on JA. I would also like to know why they carry such stones....

 

[teobdl]

They carry these diamonds because someone is buying them. JA's inventory moves fast. What's there today will not be there in a week. JA may not be the seller for all of the diamonds listed, but it's impossible to be the seller of a diamond if you don't offer that diamond. Someone's buying it!

JA lets YOU choose, and they give you all the tools you need to make a decision: magnified, standardized video; idealscope; gemologist review.

I completely agree that I would never buy a diamond that I couldn't see, unless it was VS2+ (maybe even VS1), or SI1 with twinning wisps and a generous return policy.

No one in good conscience should recommend an SI2 diamond they can't see.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I accidentally got my diamond in cheese dip sauce one time and it looked cleaner than that diamond does.

There's a scary amount of super gross SI2 diamonds on JA. I would also like to know why they carry such stones....

They are owned by a diamond supplier. It's not like these are stones chosen for inventory like jewelers such as Good Old Gold or WhiteFlash would do. Many of their stones can be accessed by other PS vendors.

 

[Dreamer_D]

JA doesn't "carry" any of their diamonds (save true hearts I think) in the sense of having any financial investment in them. They are owned by suppliers. It costs them very little to take the images, so why not offer the full range of stones?

This stone might look quite different in person and when' set. I've seen worse in mall stores.

 

[msop04]

[http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/2.06-carat-f-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-308707

Wow. That's really bad.

 

[Lizabeth]

Marymm, where do you see "crystal" listed? Is that what the yellow stuff in the diamond is called? (in other words, is the yucky stuff acknowledged in any way in the certification?)

 

[Tourmaline]

Eeeewwwwwwwww!!!!!

 

[orangesocks]

Yikes! And I too have seen worse.

 

[marymm]

Marymm, where do you see "crystal" listed? Is that what the yellow stuff in the diamond is called? (in other words, is the yucky stuff acknowledged in any way in the certification?)

The AGS report (next to the 40x photo) lists the inclusions as: Crystal, feather, cloud
Inclusions are listed in the order of most to least severe (I believe under 10x).
Here, the inclusion plot shows several things going on in the middle of the table, but I can't zoom in enough on the report to say exactly which inclusions are in the center - my guess is that there are crystals in a cloud with a couple of feathers intersecting, and that the crystals are colored, not clear.

 

[Sunstorm]

Yes, pix are a must and this is why I say that usually there are no deals; when a diamond is greatly discounted there is a reason but often they are not; many times they are very expensive. On a certain site I saw FCDs that had huge chips, cracks, clarity grade that I am not sure would even earn I3 and often on FCDs the report does not cover clarity so if you do not see the pix, one could buy a stone that I am not even sure if it could be set without falling apart. Yes, I have seen worse than this too, even offered to me.) What do you think of a diamond that has a tail offered to someone in the trade? Long story but this was one of the "best" parts of it.

 

[blackprophet]

The cert does say "Additional clouds and brown patch of colour not shown"

 

[Laila619]

Yeah, that's a bad one.

But I've bought diamonds sight unseen just based on the specs, and I got some beauties. So sometimes it works out fine.

 

[treasurehunter]

How was this graded SI2 ???????

 

[teobdl]

Yeah, that's a bad one.

But I've bought diamonds sight unseen just based on the specs, and I got some beauties. So sometimes it works out fine.

Totally. If anything, PSers should be the most prepared to make an informed decision about buying a great diamond sight-unseen. Rounds are the easiest of diamonds to buy "by the numbers." I'd bet that any "generically great" diamond--GIA 3X, H+, VS1+, 40.8/34.5, 54-57 table, 75 or 80 LGF, 50 or 55 star, thin to med girdle-- that you find on bluenile is every bit as nice as one you can find from a vendor that supplies images. And you pay practically no overhead.

Okay, maybe it's not a "generic" diamond at all, but that's the point: PS gives you enough knowledge to say "hey, that's 99% likely to be a great diamond. i don't need to see pictures before i purchase this diamond, and they have a great return policy if something surprises me."

You should get pictures on anything VS2 (due to crystals or feathers under the table) to SI clarity, or anything that's borderline proportion-wise. But otherwise, unless you want real hearts and arrows, buying a diamond with those proportions above is kind of a no brainer, images or no images.

 

[Laila619]

^I totally agree, teo! I stuck to my preferred 'safe' numbers, and the stones were lovely and as expected.

 

[Sunstorm]

Teo this is also very true. On the wholesale level I mostly order sight unseen but of course I have no obligation to buy if I do not like something, that said I have never been disappointed because I work with wholesalers that I fully trust and we know each other enough, they also know what I expect. This may be true in my case but still, I would recommend consumers to at least see photos of the diamond they are buying in most cases, even if photos are not like real life, I still think often just numbers are not enough especially because diamonds tend to be a very emotional and important purchase for most people and large sums of money are involved. As you said though with certain specs in rounds above a certain clarity level it is more than fine but it depends on what one feels comfortable with; it is a fact that most want to see what they are buying and it is totally understandable for the above reasons.

 

[yasssss]

another!!
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/2.00-carat-i-color-vs2-clarity-sku-286195

 

[Sunstorm]

This one is a spotted salamander and the one before was like a virus under the microscope.

 

[move1986]

omg!!!

 

[Stephny691]

How can someone even sell diamonds that look like that, with a clear conscience?!

 

[iota15]

I know most of the leopard spots are reflections throughout the stone, but how the heck can this be a VS2?!?

Worst VS2 ever. Like textbook example of why seeing at least a photo should be mandatory.