Young Man in Need of Some Asscher Advice (Photos)

[YoungPapa]

Date: 2/26/2009 10:47:33 PM
Author: mbz
Storm,


So, if you had to pick one and only one...?

Mike

Mike,

I don''t want to discount the opinion of Storm or anyone else on this board, but have you asked your JA salesperson to have these three diamonds examined side-by-side by an inhouse gemologist to see what they think?

Opinions of pictures are great, but opinions of the actual diamonds should be some part of the equation!

 

[mbz]

Date: 2/26/2009 11:12:59 PM
Author: James Allen Schultz
Mike,


I don''t want to discount the opinion of Storm or anyone else on this board, but have you asked your JA salesperson to have these three diamonds examined side-by-side by an inhouse gemologist to see what they think?


Opinions of pictures are great, but opinions of the actual diamonds should be some part of the equation!

Jim,

Honestly, I never thought to do that - great idea! I am looking to purchase tomorrow - and need to also so I have the diamond in time for my cruise in 2 weeks. Is this something that the gemologists can do same day as request, or do you need to schedule any appointment further out? (I''m new to all of this.)

Also, are you the owner of James Allen? If so, wow - what a great site!!

Thanks,

Mike

 

[YoungPapa]

Date: 2/26/2009 11:20:09 PM
Author: mbz
Jim,

Honestly, I never thought to do that - great idea! I am looking to purchase tomorrow - and need to also so I have the diamond in time for my cruise in 2 weeks. Is this something that the gemologists can do same day as request, or do you need to schedule any appointment further out? (I''m new to all of this.)

Also, are you the owner of James Allen? If so, wow - what a great site!!

Thanks,

Mike

Mike,

No, I''m not the owner, but we named the company after me anyway. Yes, we can get the diamonds examined right away - no scheduling required. Just call your SA.

 

[mbz]

Jim,

What do I specifically ask them to do when they are looking at the diamonds - or what are they really looking for - simply which diamond they prefer or based on something else?

Thanks,
Mike

PS: I am very grateful to have found this forum, and to all the members like Storm who have contributed to this thread!! Thanks guys!

 

[YoungPapa]

Date: 2/26/2009 11:30:53 PM
Author: mbz
Jim,


What do I specifically ask them to do when they are looking at the diamonds - or what are they really looking for - simply which diamond they prefer or based on something else?


Thanks,

Mike


PS: I am very grateful to have found this forum, and to all the members like Storm who have contributed to this thread!! Thanks guys!

Julianna is a sexy, thirty-something New Yorker who is a GIA Graduate Gemologist and has been building and appraising engagement rings for over ten years. Ask her which diamond she would want for her finger, then ask why.

 

[mbz]

Ha! I love it... You are great!! (Asking for her in the AM)

Thanks,
Mike

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 2/26/2009 11:42:30 PM
Author: mbz
Ha! I love it... You are great!! (Asking for her in the AM)


Thanks,

Mike

Ask specifically about patterns and see what the answer is but don't hint at what I said until after she answers.
Report back on the answer.
Then ask about the middle step pattern of the second one.
It would be nice to have someone inside JA Ney York to point to for in person pattern evaluation.
But a lot of people are so used to dealing with rounds that they don't get patterns.
So if you could perform this little test it would be interesting :}

 

[mbz]

Karl,

I will most definitely report back the findings.

Now, when you say to ask about patterns, I assume you are referring to the windmills (wide vs. narrow) - or the crown height compared to the depth - or all of the above? Let me know what I should find out there. Anything specific that I should ask?

I''ll have her compare all 3 diamonds, and will report back with her thoughts - as well as what my final purchase is!

And, of course I''ll post photos when I receive it - and give an updated when I propose in 2 weeks.

You guys are AWESOME!!

Mike

 

[strmrdr]

There are a variety of patterns in an asscher...
outline
corner
windmill
outside the table(crown facet pattern)
inside the table
center

The one that is in question on the 1.09 is the inside the table pattern having an incomplete square and looking odd.

 

[pixley]

Juliana rocks! She helped evaluate a cushion that I was considering during my search and she was totally honest and upfront about the stone (she didn''t like it). I would absolutely trust her to give you a professional review of your lovely asschers.

 

[strmrdr]

Thought of another thing to ask...
Ask her to hold them over her hand not up in the air then judge the patterns.

 

[mbz]

PriceScopers,

First off, I have to say that Julianna, the James Allen GIA gemologist that assisted me this morning, rocked! She was not only very knowledgeable, but also make me feel very comfortable making this important decision. I highly recommend both James Allen, and their entire staff (including my sales rep. Darin) to anyone looking to purchase their first (or next) diamond! The whole process so far has been a very pleasant one - feeling no pressure throughout the purchase process.

Storm, you were also right on with all your comments so far - no wonder you are the resident PriceScope Asscher expert!! Without mentioning, Julianna actually looked at the diamonds over her hand. She didn''t like the way the first diamond showed light through - so we discounted that one right off the bat.

The 2nd one she saw the same thing you were seeing on the right side of the diamond - making it look uneven - however that it was still a very nice diamond. She also had some issues that surface graining was mentioned in some reports - so steered me away from that one.

Like you, she liked the high crown on the 3rd - and said that in person that was one feature that really stuck out on the 3 diamonds. While the 3rd diamond was quite a bit bigger - its face up appearance didn''t seem bigger (as the tables were all roughly the same) - but that the extra weight was in the steps - giving this a very unique look.

Finally, she also reassured me on my concerns of having the H vs. G - and the Very Good vs. Excellent polish / symmetry - making me comfortable with my final decision.

Based on this information, as well as Storms comments, and the fact that I like the narrow windmills in the diamonds featured in the video - I decided to purchase the 3rd diamond, shown below.

Diamond:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Premium-Cut-Asscher-Diamond-1189562.asp

Setting:
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/classic-solitaire-settings/ring/item_57-2152.asp

I will be receiving the completed right one week from this coming Monday - and will surely post pictures of the completed setting.

Thanks again everyone for your help!

Loyal PriceScoper and James Allen Customer for Life,
Mike

PS: Thank you also to Jim, who recommended having the diamonds reviewed in-house. Your company is the best!! Also, the PriceScope discount is always a nice touch!

 

[strmrdr]

Thanks for the report!

Congrates!!!!!!!!!!

 

[pixley]

HOW EXCITING! Her ring is going to be incredible. Thank you for sharing your asscher search with us. It was wonderful to see it unfold so perfectly. Good work Strm, mbz and James Allen!

 

[icekid]

Great story for your path to the perfect asscher, mbz. Sounds like James Allen did a fab job at assisting you in making the best decision. Congrats, and can''t wait to hear about your proposal ( and see pics

)