Getting Diamond Recut by Brian Gavin - Insurance Question

[noobiediamond]

I am going to send in my diamond this week to Brian Gavin for a recut. It is a EGL 1.2 D color and SI1 that is past its return policy. The cut just isn't there even though the cert says XXX. I realized how much cut makes a difference after I purchased AGS0 earring studs last week.

It is a loose stone now and it is uninsured. How do I go about protecting the stone with insurance before it is cut and set by Brian Gavin? I have called around and I am not able to find anyone who insures loose stones. Any ideas?

Also is it possible to insure the stone if it so happens to shatter while being recut?

Thanks!!!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: Getting Diamond Recut by Brian Gavin - Insurance Questio

Well, I suppose you could set it in an inexpensive setting and add it to your insurance before sending it. But I just sent them a stone for a recut a few weeks ago, and I felt pretty good about sending it to them by registered mail which is insured, then you have to trust that they are going to keep your stone safe while they have it (I didn't ask but I would think they would have insurance for stones in their possession...ask?), and then they send it back to you insured. When it comes back, I'll immediately take it to get an insurance appraisal and add it to my insurance. The ring had been on my mother's insurance so it technically was still insured, but not on out policy because I wanted to wait until it was completed.

You will probably get a good result sending a GIA XXX for some improvement! Mine was a bad cut, so they had to do a lot of work on it! But from the images I saw, I think they did a great job!

 

[denverappraiser]

Re: Getting Diamond Recut by Brian Gavin - Insurance Questio

Jewelers Mutual will insure loose diamonds through the assembly process as part of a piece of jewelry but they won't insure it during a recut. As far as I know, no one will. Most cutters have insurance that covers loss or theft while things are in their posession but I know of none who guarantee results beyond, perhaps, discounting their own fees if it comes out less than expected/desired. Even at that I would ask before beginning if it's an important issue to you as most don't even guarantee that much.

 

[kenny]

Re: Getting Diamond Recut by Brian Gavin - Insurance Questio

A 1.2 ct D SI diamond with no insurance either from a third party or from the cutter?

NO WAY, I'd take the risk such an expensive stone explodes on the wheel.

I'd sell it and buy a new well-cut stone and just take my losses, which will be a small fraction of a total loss.
This is not intended to cast aspersions on Brian Gavin.
We have, and LOVE, one of his ACA diamonds and if I had a recut project I'd give it to him in a heartbeat.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Re: Getting Diamond Recut by Brian Gavin - Insurance Questio

I think you simply take the risk of damage to the stone during the recut. That is why you have to think long and hard before you go ahead with it. I think Brian would not agree to the recut unless he thougth damage was highly unlikely, but there is always the small possibility. You have to ask yourself whether that small possibility is worth it to you to improve the appearance of the stone.

Kenny: It is EGL so likely not D SI1 after all

 

[Dreamer_D]

Re: Getting Diamond Recut by Brian Gavin - Insurance Questio

Is this the stone in question Noobie? https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/how-does-the-cut-look.159247/

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: Getting Diamond Recut by Brian Gavin - Insurance Questio

The positive thing is, Brian has you send in the stone and he looks at it to see if it is a good candidate for a recut. He isn't going to touch a stone that would be dangerous to recut. In my case, the diamond belonged to my mother, so it wasn't as simple as selling it and buying another one. So I was willing to take the risk in having it recut. Mine was VVS, though, so there was no structural risk as far as the stone went (he said it was good material).

 

[denverappraiser]

Re: Getting Diamond Recut by Brian Gavin - Insurance Questio

FWIW, assessing risk and potential results is exactly the skill set you're looking for when you hire an expert cutter. The risk is non-zero, but it's not all that high either, and it's not an all or nothing sort of deal. The downside is that you might not get the results you were hoping for, but that's not the same as a total loss.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: Getting Diamond Recut by Brian Gavin - Insurance Questio

FWIW, assessing risk and potential results is exactly the skill set you're looking for when you hire an expert cutter. The risk is non-zero, but it's not all that high either, and it's not an all or nothing sort of deal. The downside is that you might not get the results you were hoping for, but that's not the same as a total loss.

Such good advice, as usual, Neil! I just wanted to be clear that Brian will not guarantee a H&A stone after recut. He tells you the goal is to improve the stone as much as possible while balancing that with not losing too much face-up size. My stone went from 6.4mm to 6mm, but you would have not believed how badly it was cut before! I was afraid Brian might have refused it! It has nice arrows now, but it is clearly not the perfect H&A we see here daily. Still, I am so pleased that it is a much better stone and it was worth the recut to me.

 

[noobiediamond]

Re: Getting Diamond Recut by Brian Gavin - Insurance Questio

Is this the stone in question Noobie? https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/how-does-the-cut-look.159247/

Hi Dreamer_D, you are correct, that is the diamond in question. I am also concerned that the feather on the crown is too far to the surface for a recut.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: Getting Diamond Recut by Brian Gavin - Insurance Questio

They may not even touch the table. Often they are working on the pavilion to give better optical symmetry and hopefully improve light performance.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Re: Getting Diamond Recut by Brian Gavin - Insurance Questio

FWIW, assessing risk and potential results is exactly the skill set you're looking for when you hire an expert cutter. The risk is non-zero, but it's not all that high either, and it's not an all or nothing sort of deal. The downside is that you might not get the results you were hoping for, but that's not the same as a total loss.

Absolutely the lesser of two evils to have a stone not as perfect as you might have hoped!

From what I have read here about Brian's recuts, he is pretty clear at the outset about what you can and cannot expect, so hopefully that even makes disappointment less likely. And I have never read a report of a damaged stone, FWIW.