Buying diamonds blind - do you?

[diamond86guy]

So i had a conversation with a diamond expert over at Blue Nile.

I requested for an ASET and Ideal Scope image for a diamond i was interested in however they were quick to tell me that they do not provide such images except for a simple picture of the diamond.

So i asked if people actually buy diamonds solely based on what the grading report says? The diamond expert said yes.

Now my question to everybody reading this on pricescope - do you buy diamonds without seeing the ASET and Ideal Scope images? What if you find a diamond that has a perfect cut but you're still not sure what the ASET or Ideal Scope looks like?

Then again aren't majority of diamonds sold without having an ASET / Ideal Scope image?

Do you buy blind? What if you find out later that the diamond had been purchased by somebody already and you might have missed a 'gem!'?


So what are your thoughts on this article advising people not to buy blind which im sure many of us have ready before: http://beyond4cs.com/buying-diamonds-blind/

 

[distracts]

If I was buying a round brilliant, I might buy blind. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Blue Nile Signature Ideal without further info.

The majority of diamonds are definitely sold without that info, but this board doesn't cater to the majority of diamond customers.

When I'm buying secondhand, on ebay etc, I buy with only pictures and sometimes crappy ones, but that is a different game entirely than buying from a retailer and I would recommend against it for someone new or buying for a significant milestone.

 

[John P]

Good question. I have one for you: Is buying blind with a return policy actually buying blind? It can be a pain to go through the return process, but you will get to see the diamond before committing. For what it's worth professionals operate the same way. The diamond is typically brought in for inspection before a deal is made with the wholesaler.

Gemological: DEF is rather easy to depend-on, as are the higher clarity grades. In near-colorless there's more width to the grades, so a difference between a strong H and weak I is more noticeable than H and I which are both in the center of the grade. And of course "eye-clean" definitions vary. Buying several J SI1s "blind" may yield far more variability in color-clarity appearance than buying several F VS1s blind.

Cut-Quality: If buying for my myself or my family I'm applying a personal standard that's far beyond what a grading report can communicate. At a minimum, scientific images, and then further screening once onsite (fortunately I have a source ). Interestingly, I find engineers, architects and musicians reliably chase this extra cut-information as well. Others too, but whenever I meet someone in one of those three career-paths I know we're about to nerd out together.

Undisclosed Issues: It's a thorny topic but grading reports don't disclose haze or over-fluorescence, nor do they disclose microscopic brown or green tint. The tint situation has become more prevalent as long-standing mines are reaching their limits. You won't find this on retail sales sites, but B2B wholesalers now add a line to diamond listings to verify "No BGM" (no brown/green/milky). Those diamonds are reliably discounted. If buying blind, this area is where it's good to have an expert you trust with a gemological microscope on your side.

Bonus: One can also examine the crystal for strain in cross-polarized filters. No worries for the existing diamond, but this could be problematic if repair/recut were ever needed.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

No, I would not buy blind when there are vendors that carry top cut diamonds with all the info and images to make a very confident purchase...Whiteflash, Good Old Gold, High Performance Diamonds, and Victor Canera are my first choices.

 

[whitewave]

I have bought blind more than once. No problems.