Should I get a cert or an appraisal?

[clammer]

Every since I got my .80 ACA studs for my birthday (thanks Denise), I have been obsessing over my e-ring stone. It’s putting up a good fight against the earrings in the sparkle department, but my DH got it before I found pricescope, so it’s from a chain store in the maul.

It’s an IGI cert, but the only info is that it is an I/SI2 (one little feather that is hidden by the prong, and what I’ve diagnosed as a girdle reflection). It’s a 1.18 carat with the dimensions of 6.72 x 6.76 x 4.28, so I think it’s a little on the deep side.

Now that I’m learning the impact of the angles, depth, table, culet, etc.., I really want to know what my stone has, but I’m wondering if I should get it appraised by a different lab, GIA or AGS, or if I should just get an appraisal? I guess I don’t even know if an appraiser can give you the angles, table, culet, etc.. Can they??

The other thing is I will be upgrading within the next five years or so, hopefully, to around a 2 carat. Does this matter as far as me getting a cert or an appraisal? I don’t think it does because where we bought it from has a upgrade policy in place, unfortunately you have to spend double what you paid when you trade up, which sucks since the stone was already overpriced by almost $1000 (Live and learn I guess). This means no upgrade for now, unless one of the wonderful online vendors wants to let me trade my stone in for the amount its worth.

I would love a mini-upgrade now, and I promise to be a verrrrrrry good customer in the future.

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Date: 1/8/2006 9:39:06 PM
Author:clammer
but the only info is that it is an I/SI2 (one little feather that is hidden by the prong, and what I’ve diagnosed as a girdle reflection).

It would be nice to know that the SI2 is a true SI2 instead of an I1. There''s a big price difference between the two.

I guess I don’t even know if an appraiser can give you the angles, table, culet, etc.. Can they??

Your stone is mounted, which means that an appraiser (or lab) can only get this information if the stone is dis-mounted, or if the appraiser works of a combination of direct measurement fed through the DiamCalc software. Several appraisers on this forum have that capability.

Does this matter as far as me getting a cert or an appraisal (the upgrade)?

It might make a difference if an independent lab or appraiser finds your stone to not be what it was sold as. Then you might have some additional leverage in an upgrade situation. The scenario would be that you are an unhappy customer demanding satisfaction. Sometimes this scenario creates a situation in which the jeweler tries doubly hard to satisfy.

Sometimes not.

 

[strmrdr]

an ideal-scope would tell ya what ya might need to know about the cut if you care about it and be less than the other options and works on a mounted stone.

 

[clammer]

Ok so the first thing I''m going to do is get myself an ideal-scope, but which one?? I''m definitely a beginner so could get the beginner one for $25, but I''m hoping to someday be an expert so I could get the expert one for $75. Do I need the light?

I''ll probably still want to get it appraised. I''m a numbers person so I think in the end that will make me happy. I just wasn''t sure if it was worth it to spend the extra money to get an appraisal when we will be trading up at the same store, or I will be selling the stone myself, and lets face it IGI isn''t exactly know for their strict grading requirements so I may actually end up with a less valuable stone.

 

[clammer]

Another question: Although I wish my diamond was an H&A, the little guy''s not. So do I interpret the red, white, and black the same way when using the ideal scope?

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 1/9/2006 1:03:06 AM
Author: clammer
Another question: Although I wish my diamond was an H&A, the little guy''s not. So do I interpret the red, white, and black the same way when using the ideal scope?

yep

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 1/9/2006 12:57:19 AM
Author: clammer
Ok so the first thing I''m going to do is get myself an ideal-scope, but which one?? I''m definitely a beginner so could get the beginner one for $25, but I''m hoping to someday be an expert so I could get the expert one for $75. Do I need the light?

beginner is fine for most uses, no dont need the light in my opinion at this point.