Would you want to shop for AGS1 and AGS2 diamonds?

[oldminer]

Many consumers trust the AGS0 grade with complete confidence. Yet, the vast majority of those buying finely cut diamonds probably find themselves tempted by the less premium price of GIA EX stones. Surely both varieties are great looking and viable choices, but expanding choices is a good goal, especially with keeping a great purchase in line with a reasonable budget.

Pricescope vendors are currently able to list diamonds with less than AGS0 grades, but very few choose to do so. Also, very few of these less an AGS0 diamonds are graded by AGSL for the trade because of their niche marketing of their top grade. I think that many AGS1 and AGS2 diamonds will fit within the GIA EX grade. If I am incorrect, please tell me. If I''m right, then such a declared willingness on the part of consumers would encourage more use of the AGSL by dealers and provide more AGS choices to shoppers.

I see this as a win-win for all concerned. No doubt the AGSL could use more business and not every client wants, needs or can afford a premium cut diamond. The vast market of regular cuts and very nicely cut diamonds is way bigger than the very top end of the market. The more AGSL can provide to the trade and to the consumer, the better the competition with GIA would go for AGSL. For consumers, the strict, tight grading of AGSL would provide a new range of viable options for finding a great diamond, many without a cut premium.

The final win would be for everyone as competition brings innovation. You can''t beat such a system for making grading more accurate and better. Competition would bring forward the best from both labs and the consumer and the trade would benefit.

What do you think?

 

[Regular Guy]

maybe DFF type: dinged for finish.

But, since the savings would be modest, and bragging rights notable otherwise....I have to think smart retailers will still trade in them, but still, with the moniker of some kind of lucky catch.

(re-reading, I see as usual, I'm not clear).

Basically...I think not so much...

 

[Shadowplay]

David,

There is also an overlapping in diamonds graded by the GIA as excellent that would have also be graded an AGS0. When I purchase GIA Triple Ex diamonds I seek ones that would meet the AGS0 grade if only they had been sent to AGSL instead of GIA. I don''t intentionally purchase a GIA Ex that would have fallen into the AGS1 or AGS2 diamond arena. If I was willing to settle for lesser of a grade than AGS0, I would include AGS1 and AGS2 in my searches. I don''t include them, but I do include GIA Ex because there is a fair chance that they WOULD be AGS0 if graded by AGSL.

Hopefully this makes sense.

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Date: 5/6/2010 8:17:01 AM
Author:oldminer
Many consumers trust the AGS0 grade with complete confidence. Yet, the vast majority of those buying finely cut diamonds probably find themselves tempted by the less premium price of GIA EX stones. Surely both varieties are great looking and viable choices, but expanding choices is a good goal, especially with keeping a great purchase in line with a reasonable budget.

Pricescope vendors are currently able to list diamonds with less than AGS0 grades, but very few choose to do so. Also, very few of these less an AGS0 diamonds are graded by AGSL for the trade because of their niche marketing of their top grade. I think that many AGS1 and AGS2 diamonds will fit within the GIA EX grade. If I am incorrect, please tell me. If I''m right, then such a declared willingness on the part of consumers would encourage more use of the AGSL by dealers and provide more AGS choices to shoppers.

I see this as a win-win for all concerned. No doubt the AGSL could use more business and not every client wants, needs or can afford a premium cut diamond. The vast market of regular cuts and very nicely cut diamonds is way bigger than the very top end of the market. The more AGSL can provide to the trade and to the consumer, the better the competition with GIA would go for AGSL. For consumers, the strict, tight grading of AGSL would provide a new range of viable options for finding a great diamond, many without a cut premium.

The final win would be for everyone as competition brings innovation. You can''t beat such a system for making grading more accurate and better. Competition would bring forward the best from both labs and the consumer and the trade would benefit.

What do you think?

For Fancy''s for sure the Octavia gets AGS1 the Solasfera Princess gets AGS1 and so does some of the infinity princesses under finish grade. If I was buying any of these brands yes I would.

 

[stone-cold11]

ditto, RG. DFF type definitely, others, depends on what the stone is used for and why AGS gives it a 1 or 2.

 

[Lorelei]

Definitely if I can steal Ira's great DDF term, absolutely I would buy one of these and probably quite a few others depending on what I was looking for and the intended purpose.

 

[oldminer]

It is my impression that consumers are taken more by the AGS brand and marketing than diamond dealers so far. Dealers are very driven by what their customers are asking for. If they can provide what is being asked for they always try hard to do it. I think consumer demand could fuel a large increase in what dealers send to AGSL and what would be offered on Pricescope. It would lead to a broader spectrum of AGS graded stones and the reliance on quality would not be diminished. They could grab a good share of GIA''s current work.

 

[Karl_K]

It would be a stone by stone decision but honestly GIA EX sounds better so I don''t see it happening on a large scale.

With fancies other then princess any cut grade is pretty much irrelevant.
The idea of deciding which attributes are best then assigning a grade does not work with fancies when the same cut can have many different looks(combination of attributes) and still be a top cut for that shape.
What is important is the combination of attributes(looks in other words) appeals to the the buyer and has a reasonable level of performance.

 

[Karl_K]

To give an example each of these types would have different rules as to what is a top cut for that type:

What is good for one type may be bad in another.

 

[Todd Gray]

Date: 5/6/2010 11:18:35 AM
Author: oldminer
It is my impression that consumers are taken more by the AGS brand and marketing than diamond dealers so far. Dealers are very driven by what their customers are asking for. If they can provide what is being asked for they always try hard to do it. I think consumer demand could fuel a large increase in what dealers send to AGSL and what would be offered on Pricescope. It would lead to a broader spectrum of AGS graded stones and the reliance on quality would not be diminished. They could grab a good share of GIA''s current work.

It is very difficult for diamond cutters to hit the mark for AGS Ideal 0, you should talk with Peter Yantzer about this... I discussed it at length with him just a few weeks ago. The impression that I got from the conversation was that many diamond cutters get frustrated with the lab because they feel that "their best" should be good enough to warrant the AGS Ideal 0 grade, including Light Performance. The lab is happy to discuss how a diamond cutter can improve their make and production, but it seems that many of the cutters opt for the simpler approach of redirecting their production to whatever lab will result in the best paper grade (available to them and their production).

I agree that consumer demand drives change and as more consumers insist upon diamonds graded by a specific laboratory, dealers will put pressure upon their suppliers to use that laboratory... some cutters will answer the call, others will keep doing what they are doing and focus on a less educated segment of the market - this seems to be the majority by the way. Keep in mind that for the moment, the online world which we live in is not the majority of the market, it''s less than 6%, the better 6% I''ll admit

To the primary question at hand, *maybe* if the downgrade was due to polish, but definitely not for proportions, symmetry or light performance... Or at least I''d like to think I''m open minded enough for that, but in truth, my brain says "why bother" when I can usually find what I''m looking for in AGS Ideal 0 if I''m willing to wait for it and the little bit of extra $$$ is well worth the offset of mental anguish in my shoulda-woulda-coulda if only I''d been patient brain.

 

[Black Jade]

I only saw AGS1''s once. When I was shopping for my earings and went to a brick and mortar (a nice one) they had studs of the comparable size (~2 carats) which were AGS1. I wasn''t going to buy them in any case, as they cost 50% more than what Whiteflash was charging me and were less color and clarity, but I do clearly remember being CONFUSED by the AGS1 grade more than anything else. I had been researching then and getting advice here on P''Scope for about six months, so was certainly not an expert (still am not) but I know I was more knowledgeable than most consumers. I hadn''t known AGS1 existed and was confused as to what it might mean, exactly and probably wouldn''t have been willing to buy the AGS1''s, even if the price difference had not existed, because I didn''t know what they were exactly.

My point is, that there might have to be some consumer re-education if AGS started to have lots of AGS1''s and even AGS-2''s available. Those like me (not experts, with just a little knowledge) may make the assumption that I do, AGS000--great stone, willing to buy that sight unseen (though I do like a return policy) but think with AGS1, what the heck is that, and be confused and leave the stone alone. There is this odd psychological thing that goes on with internet shopping, especially, if I may make a small digression. Because you aren''t seeing the stone before purchase typically, you tend to get much more demanding than you would be in person. In person, if I see a stone is pretty, I won''t care about the grade or paper hardly at all (especially if the price is right) and will even buy as low as I1 with unknown cut grade, but when I''m in front of my computer screen, I tend to assume that it will be AWFUL and to be afraid to buy unless I have paper proving its top of the line in every way. and AGS1 just would ''sound'' inferior so I don''t know how well it will fly with online customers (if that is what is aimed for) or even with B& M customers, who might just get into their minds that it''s somehow inferior.

I know this makes no logical sense, but I hope it is helpful.

 

[yssie]

RBs - I will buy AGS0s, AGS1s, AGS2s, GIA EXs, GIA VGs... as long the stone is pretty and the numbers are what I'm looking for.

I don't really care about the lab-given cut grade - I trust that I can look at the proportions/images/have it shipped out and decide for myself, and since I only buy from stores with upgrade policies the slight boost in resale value that stones labelled as top-cut get on the consumer market doesn't matter to me either.