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Would you get an appraisal after purchasing online from a beloved ps vendor o

Would you get an independent appraisal if your purchased your diamond ring online from a PS vendor?

  • A. Yes

    Votes: 20 47.6%
  • B. No

    Votes: 22 52.4%

  • Total voters
    42

nala

Ideal_Rock
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Another thread got me thinking—would you trust a PS vendor enough not to confirm your purchase with an appraisal? Or would you get one just in case.
 

nala

Ideal_Rock
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well, if it's a reputable one, i would trust them. also, if no trust, why buy from the vendor in the first place?

Are there other reasons for an appraisal?
 

1ofakind

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An appraisal may be needed for insurance.
I don’t see it as a matter of trust but of being a good/Informed/wise consumer. If I didn’t trust them I would do business elsewhere. That said, if a vendor supplies a detailed appraisal I don’t always get my own.
 

Karl_K

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As a trade member the line is "its never a bad idea to get an independent appraisal."
Since I agree with it I will use it.

The biggest reason I would consider it is documentation for insurance. The vendor for my Wifey's upgrade/cancer survival celebration ering diamond provided a 15+ page insurance document that had all the important pictures and data for the diamond so I did not.
Does the documentation you have describe what you have to a degree it can be replaced with the exact same thing and lists everything that was important about that diamond and setting that made you want to purchase it?
The brand being listed is very important if its branded but by itself in my opinion is not adequate. It still needs a description and ideally images if the images were part of your purchase decision.
 

Matthews1127

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As a trade member the line is "its never a bad idea to get an independent appraisal."
Since I agree with it I will use it.

The biggest reason I would consider it is documentation for insurance. The vendor for my Wifey's upgrade/cancer survival celebration ering diamond provided a 15+ page insurance document that had all the important pictures and data for the diamond so I did not.
Does the documentation you have describe what you have to a degree it can be replaced with the exact same thing and lists everything that was important about that diamond and setting that made you want to purchase it?
The brand being listed is very important if its branded but by itself in my opinion is not adequate. It still needs a description and ideally images if the images were part of your purchase decision.

^——THIS! I had my rings appraised for insurance purposes. I trust my jeweler, or DH and I wouldn’t have given them our business in the first place.
The same applies to my Asschers from Yoram. He is a trusted vendor on PS with a stellar reputation. For the same reason, I want those stones (and the setting created for them) insured.
My appraisal is to insure my valuables in case of theft, or loss.
 

PreRaphaelite

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Its a great idea to get an appraisal! Even if you opt not to insure your new bling, appraisal can help you decide whether to keep or return what you bought based on whether the price you paid was fair (Or better yet a great bargain). It can’t hurt to appraise something, and it can really help.

I’ll put myself in an imaginary scenario. I sell a diamond, the buyer isn’t sure they love it, so they get an appraisal. Afterward the buyer decides not to keep the stone so they return it. They offer me a copy of the appraisal. Buyer gets their money back, and the I get an appraisal copy to help me understand whether my listing price was fair or not, so I am able to adjust. Why would I not be happy and grateful for that? I’m free to disregard it, but why? Admittedly I’m not some huge vendor, but I don’t see a down side to getting things appraised.

Is the cost of appraisals a deterrent?
 

nala

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Its a great idea to get an appraisal! Even if you opt not to insure your new bling, appraisal can help you decide whether to keep or return what you bought based on whether the price you paid was fair (Or better yet a great bargain). It can’t hurt to appraise something, and it can really help.

I’ll put myself in an imaginary scenario. I sell a diamond, the buyer isn’t sure they love it, so they get an appraisal. Afterward the buyer decides not to keep the stone so they return it. They offer me a copy of the appraisal. Buyer gets their money back, and the I get an appraisal copy to help me understand whether my listing price was fair or not, so I am able to adjust. Why would I not be happy and grateful for that? I’m free to disregard it, but why? Admittedly I’m not some huge vendor, but I don’t see a down side to getting things appraised.

Is the cost of appraisals a deterrent?

Hi. As to your question—I would think the cost is a deterrent. To clarify, this is a hypothetical as I haven’t purchased nor intend to purchase an ering from an online vendor. I was curious and am surprised by the responses.
 

Rockdiamond

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It's a huge red flag if a seller tells the buyer not to get an appraisal.
That part is easy.
But say someone purchased a "Super Ideal" cut diamond.... ( or for that matter, a rare fancy colored diamond).....
You'd really need to shop around to find an appraiser that understands the item.
Lets' not forget that many PS users actually are more educated on some of the more "boutique" diamonds and settings than many professionals in the field.
Sad but true.
So make sure, if you are getting an appraisal, that you shop around for your appraiser.....

PS- a well-written bill of sale should include all the pertinent information which would be on an appraisal.
 

Karl_K

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Long read but a ton of good info

I miss Rockdoc RIP
Hard to believe its been 13 years.
 
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nala

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Bumping this thread in light of recent threads on RT. Hopefully newbies take this extra step, especially if they are not as knowledgeable as many veterans here on PS.
 

MissGotRocks

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I do not get my diamonds from WF appraised. I submit my bill of sale and AGS certificates for insurance purposes. I make sure that the insurance rider states ‘A Cut Above’ branded diamonds from WF. I have never felt the need to spend the money or time to have them appraised. As was stated above, many appraisers are not savvy about super ideal cut diamonds anyway. The last one I spoke to (as I had known him for years) had no idea what I was talking about! Add that to the fact that once mounted it is impossible to get all the images and color grading info you would really need to make an accurate appraisal. I am sure there are PS recommended appraisers here if you need one. I am not interested in an inflated appraised value on which to base my insurance premiums either. They have all been recently traded but I could certainly see the need to have them reappraised for proper insured value as time goes by but I would need an apples to apples type of appraiser.
 

kenny

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No.
 

oldminer

Ideal_Rock
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No doubt, if you receive a diamond where something seems "off" to you you may consider an independent appraiser. This is not a frequent problem, but that is a good first approach. Maybe you think there is a chip where nothing should be there. Maybe you believe the mounting or setting has some problem. Maybe you even doubt the diamond is the correct one. None of these are everyday events, but unless you are a real expert, you just may need to hire one.

There are times when vendors provide appraisals totally suitable for obtaining insurance which puff up the value to some theoretical "retail" amount which causes you to purchase a good bit more insurance than necessary. Overpaying for insurance is great for the insurance company, but not a good deal for the consumer. Think about it. If you are buying a diamond you found on Pricescope or somewhere else online, consider how many similar diamonds were offered at quite similar prices. Do you really think your diamond is vastly different than all those other diamonds? You can generally replace most common size and common color diamonds with a highly similar diamond in case of a loss. You might want a bit of an inflation cushion built into the appraised value, but getting a report on a normal diamond where there are many choices, all similar, at a ridiculously inflated amount is what is called a "feel good report". Unfortunately, the feeling good part is in your mind, but your wallet will be thinner every year for the insurance and the large over-insured portion is wasted.

Consumers do need appraisers and the price you pay is either worth it to you to have sound advice and a reasonable value level, or it isn't. You can definitely go without an appraisal and even go without insurance if you are willing to accept the risks of loss or damage. Many people choose that route. Some of them are affluent enough to make their own replacements, or never even have a loss. That is not the case for everyone, so it is difficult to give advice that fits everybody equally.

Always, when seeking advice, use an adviser that should not have bias. Don't go to a retailer who didn't make the sale to you and blindly expect a no bias opinion. They might not provide an honest report just to create doubt in your mind. That isn't always the situation, but knowing the risk, you should seek an unbiased expert when you need one.
 

theshirlgirlNS

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I have a diamond on the way from WF and will not get it appraised. I will confirm the inscription and carefully check the stone (to the best of my inexperienced ability!), but if the inscription matches and I see no obvious damage, I have no reason to appraise. I insure with Jewelers Mutual and have not needed an independent appraisal.

Despite the other thread that is running, I trust the intentions of vendors like WF. An unfortunate mistake was made which reminds us that we should always be double checking what we receive - whether you do it yourself or with an appraiser depends on your comfort level.
 

nala

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Some newbies have no idea about prongs or chips. There was another post a few month ago and the buyer had gotten a chipped diamond and called immediately to try to rectify the situation. It was a nightmare! Imagine if she had no knowledge of chips and waited too long to scrutinize it or appraise it. As it was, she still struggled to get a refund!
 
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MissGotRocks

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Some newbies have no idea about prongs or chips. There was another post a few month ago and the buyer had gotten a chipped diamond and called immediately to try to rectify the situation. It was a nightmare! Imagine if she had no knowledge of chips and waited too long to scrutinize it or appraise it. As it was, she still struggled to get a refund!

I understand your point but if I am paying thousands of dollars for a diamond, I would check for such a thing same as she did. I also need to trust the information and images I receive of the diamond before I plunk down cash for it. That’s not to say that damage couldn’t happen in the setting process either but having those magnified images of a finished product can be priceless.
 

nala

Ideal_Rock
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I understand your point but if I am paying thousands of dollars for a diamond, I would check for such a thing same as she did. I also need to trust the information and images I receive of the diamond before I plunk down cash for it. That’s not to say that damage couldn’t happen in the setting process either but having those magnified images of a finished product can be priceless.

That’s another concern. Online vendors who set your stone and ship it to you—prongs could conceal chips and when it’s time to upgrade, and they remove stone from ring and send in for inspection and recertification—who gets stuck with that? Hopefully you had insurance from the get-go. I’ll tell you why I originally posted this thread. My sister was scared to purchase online but her husband surprised her. I had educated her on the subject but not him. Well turns out she didn’t tell him to get insurance. And They didn’t take it to an appraiser. Just trusted completely and put on the ring. When she gave us the news I urged her to insure it. I don’t know if she did. This was during covid so I couldn’t even scrutinize it for a few months and then, at the point, I didn’t want to even go there bc hopefully she is insured.
 

Dancing Fire

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Bumping this thread in light of recent threads on RT. Hopefully newbies take this extra step, especially if they are not as knowledgeable as many veterans here on PS.

@nala you got into my head. I checked my stone again, just now... :bigsmile:

AGS 2.62ct.jpg IMG_1843 (3).jpg IMG_1843 (2).jpg
 

nala

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@nala you got into my head. I checked my stone again, just now... :bigsmile:

AGS 2.62ct.jpg IMG_1843 (3).jpg IMG_1843 (2).jpg

You are not a newbie
You actually have a loupe with enough magnification to do this! And I bet you know how to identify inclusions. Chips. Color ??? Ahem. That is what an appraiser can help you do—another set of eyes is all.
 

Lookinagain

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prongs could conceal chips and when it’s time to upgrade, and they remove stone from ring and send in for inspection and recertification—
Assuming the stone is also set when purchased, how many appraisers remove the stone to see a chip concealed under a prong? I don't think that is typical. Isn't the appraisal usually done while the stone is set?
 

MissGotRocks

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That’s another concern. Online vendors who set your stone and ship it to you—prongs could conceal chips and when it’s time to upgrade, and they remove stone from ring and send in for inspection and recertification—who gets stuck with that? Hopefully you had insurance from the get-go. I’ll tell you why I originally posted this thread. My sister was scared to purchase online but her husband surprised her. I had educated her on the subject but not him. Well turns out she didn’t tell him to get insurance. And They didn’t take it to an appraiser. Just trusted completely and put on the ring. When she gave us the news I urged her to insure it. I don’t know if she did. This was during covid so I couldn’t even scrutinize it for a few months and then, at the point, I didn’t want to even go there bc hopefully she is insured.

Yes anything is possible and insurance would be your friend in this instance. However, I feel that a big part of it depends on who you deal with too. Reputable folks aren’t going to try to conceal stuff like that as it doesn’t behoove them to be shady. I hope your sister took your advice regarding insurance!
 

nala

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Assuming the stone is also set when purchased, how many appraisers remove the stone to see a chip concealed under a prong? I don't think that is typical. Isn't the appraisal usually done while the stone is set?

Unless you buy it loose. But yeah. That’s a potential problem. Unless it was damaged near the prongs. Maybe appraisers know how to scrutinize better than I do.
 

nala

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Yes anything is possible and insurance would be your friend in this instance. However, I feel that a big part of it depends on who you deal with too. Reputable folks aren’t going to try to conceal stuff like that as it doesn’t behoove them to be shady. I hope your sister took your advice regarding insurance!

Sometimes it isn’t about the intention. They can be a trusted vendor but they don’t afford the customer the same trust—obviously bc the customer has been wearing the ring. Yet time and again, we have caught human mistakes on behalf of the vendors and they have fixed the mistake—but the burden of proof has fallen on the knowledgeable customers bc they are the ones who have identified the issues. They are on PS for a reason. Imagine if they didn’t know what to look for. I really do hope my sis got Insurance too.
You would think there would be an exception for prong chips when it’s time to upgrade? Lol. Imagine the can of worms. But that said. It should almost be a requirement to sell insurance In order to offer an upgrade policy.
 

Bron357

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Here in Australia it’s uncommon to get a lab report especially for coloured gems and unless one was provided, most buyers are too naive to know they might need one.
I think for the most part sellers sell what they think or were told they have. That may be inaccurate or worse, incorrect. It may be completely unintentional.
My mother bought a diamond watch many many years ago that was sold as diamond. The bracelet was actually CZ but we didn’t find that out until 10 years later!
If I were buying a diamond over 50 points I would expect it to have a GIA or similar report. If I was buying anything over $1,000 I’d want some sort of proof it was as stated / believed.
Condition is also important so I’d be wanting lots of photos to check for chips, bent prongs etc, not deal breakers but they are a factor in the value/ purchase price.
 

sledge

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It’s not a matter of trust. It’s a matter of confirmation, confidence and documentation so you can properly insure.

Obviously the size of the purchase matters but I believe the majority of people that find PS do so when e-ring shopping. To me, it seems silly to even debate a $100-200 appraisal when you are dropping several thousand to potentially $100k+ on a stone. Granted not too many purchases are in the 6 digit realm, but plenty are in 5 digits. When viewed this way, it’s crazy cheap for the assurance.

Also agreed that Captain Fruitloop shouldn’t be commandeering your appraisal. Do your due diligence and use a known and respected appraiser.
 

yssie

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I don’t appraise. An independent appraisal of the pieces I insure would run me nearly a thousand dollars.

My insurance vendor doesn’t need an appraisal - I have a cash out policy and my receipts are sufficient (they build 10% into their payout by default).

But I know my limits.

I can verify diamonds, pearls, and opals myself. I can do routine inspections of my jewellery myself. I have a loupe to find inscriptions and inclusions (and access to a decent microscope if I want ita UV light, a gem scale that I know how to recalibrate, I’m comfortable with concepts like body colour and overtone and colourplay and I can translate photography into reality. I know how to look for pulled prongs, I know that I need to check that shanks aren’t going out of round, that I’m not missing pave, that bezels are smooth and retaining shape, that facet meets aren’t chipped.

I don’t have any valuable coloured stones. But I also don’t know enough about any CSs other than pearls and opals to feel comfortable validating them upon purchase. I’d like an emerald one day - that will go to AGL and then I’ll definitely be having an appraiser take a look at it.

But I’m also not the average jewellery buyer! Exactly as you said @nala - none of us reading and responding to this thread are “average” consumers! So this is one case where what I recommend to others and what I personally do are very different!!

My SIL just inherited her grandmother’s engagement ring - a few weeks ago. She’s not a Jewellery Person. I was telling her that she should get it appraised to make sure it’s in good wearable condition, and that she’ll also want to get it insured - and not on her homeowners - and that her jewellery insurance vendor would most likely want that appraisal to insure with anyway.
 
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