Distraught need Opinion Lab vs Mine grown studs for upgrade

[munchee]

You’ve said it yourself, that you can’t live with labgrown diamond. I think if you sell this studs and get mmd, which later on when you regret it, you can’t do anything about it as mmd have no resale value, it’ll be a bigger problem than now, you’ve got nothing to sell and you already spend more for the mmd.
That leave you with only 2 options now, keep your now studs. Or sell it (after get a GIA cert) and get 3ct studs.
I think if after you get a GIA cert and it still doesn’t worth a significant amount, how about keeping it and start saving from zero for a 3ct pair?

 

[heididdl]

You’ve said it yourself, that you can’t live with labgrown diamond. I think if you sell this studs and get mmd, which later on when you regret it, you can’t do anything about it as mmd have no resale value, it’ll be a bigger problem than now, you’ve got nothing to sell and you already spend more for the mmd.
That leave you with only 2 options now, keep your now studs. Or sell it (after get a GIA cert) and get 3ct studs.
I think if after you get a GIA cert and it still doesn’t worth a significant amount, how about keeping it and start saving from zero for a 3ct pair?

Not sure . I'm not optimistic about the results of the GIA report. I am however just excited to have them gIA certified as it will legitimize what they are so I can decide to keep or sell

 

[heididdl]

Crossing my fingers that your GIA report comes back with helpful information. FWIW, I had an OEC that EGL called J/SI1. David Klass looked at it and thought it was a GIA K/SI1. Another GIA trained gemologist thought it actually was a GIA J/SI1 as well. So, I'm crossing my fingers for your stones.

Me to I am sure they are J I1 but I'm okay with that if I am lucky enough for them to be xxx

 

[sledge]

No it isn't that . We are not in a financial postion for me to be that selfish . Our kids are all getting engaged weddings, we just moved into a new town house (oh yeah its a year) . My selling my dolls and using the $$$ is fine but he is like I dont think spending $20,30000 right now is the right thing to do. $8-10,000 no issue ....

Catching back up on this thread.

I saw you quoted one my prior posts & responded as above.

Not sure how my comments were taken, but wanted to be clear my statements in post #53 was a joke. Then @ringo865 responded to that joke line in post #54. In post #57 I again joked back with @ringo865. And the comments in post #57 is what you quoted and responded as you did above.

Wow, that's a string of events to follow, lol.

Anyhow, just wanted to be clear nothing was directed your way in any sort of negative tone. It sounds like you're having a heck of a year with kids getting engaged & married and buying a new house. Plus the headache of these stones.

Wishing you success in all that transition!

 

[sledge]

Me to I am sure they are J I1 but I'm okay with that if I am lucky enough for them to be xxx

As Karl & I noted earlier, your odds of XXX certification are pretty high. It's the color & clarity ratings I'm more concerned about for you.

Have you saw the PS price charts yet? These aren't exactimates, but they provide some insight to what average prices for similar sized round diamonds are selling for according to color & clarity ratings. There will be various cut grades included in the average.

Prices are per carat. So if it reports $5,000, then it would be a $5,000 x 1.20 carats (in your case) = $6,000 per stone for retail price. You'd need to discount about 30% or so off the retail price for selling pre-loved.

You need to do more detailed market analysis to set your actual sale price once you get the GIA certs back, but this may provide a "mile high" view of the scenario.

A Guide to Round Cut Diamond Prices | PriceScope

Discover retail prices and statistics for Round Diamonds from 15 major vendors. Up to date information with the latest Diamond Prices for Round Shaped Diamonds.

www.pricescope.com

 

[heididdl]

Diamond seeker: I totally missed this post. I was wondering why you hadn't chimed in. I am so happy that you got your 3.2 That's exactly what I want. Yeah I was not a member of price scope at the time or because I had trade ins , gold to sell and had to do lay a way the local jewelry and the size of the studs at the time was appealing. listen in the greater scheme of what is happening in the world I am happy to say that all my immediate family members and myself are vaccinated and healthy.

This is all so selfish but it I can't be selfish on this forum where can you be. It was a hard hit but yes as you had been through I will wait for my studs to come back and then reevalute. I will have Yekutiel guide me the best way to sell them after GIA certified or my boss will help me sell them at auction or Ill keep hem until I can pay for the 3.2 . Again just selfishly disappointed. I worked through the entire pandemic for my company got no kudos no raise and no thanks. As everyone else lived that horror and fear of COVID for a year . The only thing that I had to look forward to was not going out to dinner or traveling on a plane it was knowing that I would have these shiny new earrings by Mother's Day 2021 and now I just have to pause and wait a little longer. Again so happy for you I'm going to go look at your new beauties now. Thanks for responding. I thought you didn't respond because I sounded so self absorbed. Thanks Diamondseeker2006

Hi, Heidi! Just now catching up on your thread. I can VERY much relate to your dilemma because I have been there!

My first studs were ungraded and 1.5 ctw. They were sold to me as H SI. Well, when I went to some local jewelers to try to see if they'd allow me to trade them in towards a larger, better cut pair, I was told they were H color but I1 clarity!!! I was so mad! But live and learn! Thank goodness for PS because I've never made a mistake like that again! I lost about 40% of what I had paid for those diamonds and bought a watch using the credit plus cash at a jeweler. By then I knew not to buy new studs locally because NONE carried diamonds of the quality we expect here!

I ended up at WF and have upgraded several times. I just posted my 3.2 ctw pair today. My last pair was similar in size to yours, so I totally get the desire for 1.5+ cts each! There's nothing wrong with that especially since you have the memories of your mother wearing that size! I realize most people don't even have studs 1.2 cts each, but I am not going to tell someone they shouldn't get 2 cts each because I think they should be happy with what they have!

But, the price to upgrade to that size is a little painful even with trading in stones! I am still a little uneasy about that! I DID consider lab diamonds for my larger studs, but they honestly are still too high priced to make them worthwhile. I found some well cut ones, but I was looking at close to $8000 for a pair of 1.5-1.6 ct (each) at F VS which is recommended for someone who'd want at least H color in a natural diamond.

Honestly, if I was going to loose half or more of the value of these stones, I'd just save them for a daughter and start over. Yes, it's a lot of money and men don't always understand why tiny rocks cost so much, but if you can swing it (now or later), I'd go on and do it! (Whiteflash has a really nice 1.6 I SI1 right now for barely more than a similar 1.5. You could ask if they could access a match!). Or you could see what Yekutiel says about trading in your old stones once they come back from GIA and give him very specific parameters for cut on the new ones.

 

[heididdl]

Hi Diamondseeker. I do not know what I did but my response to you ended up in your response to me. It's 5:18 am so I guess thats why please read above. Thanks again for responding I really appreciate your kindness and feedback

 

[heididdl]

Catching back up on this thread.

I saw you quoted one my prior posts & responded as above.

Not sure how my comments were taken, but wanted to be clear my statements in post #53 was a joke. Then @ringo865 responded to that joke line in post #54. In post #57 I again joked back with @ringo865. And the comments in post #57 is what you quoted and responded as you did above.

Wow, that's a string of events to follow, lol.

Anyhow, just wanted to be clear nothing was directed your way in any sort of negative tone. It sounds like you're having a heck of a year with kids getting engaged & married and buying a new house. Plus the headache of these stones.

Wishing you success in all that transition!

Nope I took them as intended all good. Again as i just wrote to diamondseeker this is Entire tread is me being selfish. But I do work so hard and I was just expecting the fruits of my labor to end up by Mother's Day with these new studs. But again I'm healthy, employeed and have a loving family the studs will come but Ill just have to wait a little longer . Thank you for your taking the time.

 

[heididdl]

As Karl & I noted earlier, your odds of XXX certification are pretty high. It's the color & clarity ratings I'm more concerned about for you.

Have you saw the PS price charts yet? These aren't exactimates, but they provide some insight to what average prices for similar sized round diamonds are selling for according to color & clarity ratings. There will be various cut grades included in the average.

Prices are per carat. So if it reports $5,000, then it would be a $5,000 x 1.20 carats (in your case) = $6,000 per stone for retail price. You'd need to discount about 30% or so off the retail price for selling pre-loved.

You need to do more detailed market analysis to set your actual sale price once you get the GIA certs back, but this may provide a "mile high" view of the scenario.

A Guide to Round Cut Diamond Prices | PriceScope

Discover retail prices and statistics for Round Diamonds from 15 major vendors. Up to date information with the latest Diamond Prices for Round Shaped Diamonds.

www.pricescope.com

My boss has been in the diamond business for 15 years. Although I don't trust him to help me find the kind of jewelry I prefer and I love Yekutiel , I will allow him to help me sell the studs at dealers auction . That is where he is selling his stones now. Although I still need to wait to see if they come back. The appraisal I got before they went in to GIA was in fact J I1. 3x. So there is hope. If I can pull $5-60000 from them I'd be more than thrilled and would be able to move forward with IDJ immediately. So I will join the 2 week club and wait. Thanks for this chart it makes me feel a little better.

 

[sledge]

My boss has been in the diamond business for 15 years. Although I don't trust him to help me find the kind of jewelry I prefer and I love Yekutiel , I will allow him to help me sell the studs at dealers auction .

This sounds like a bad idea to me. I’m not in the diamond trade but I have a family member who owns a car dealership.

The price you get for trading in a vehicle is based on the price they expect to be able to receive at (dealer) auction. This is called “black book value” in that industry. They bid so low because if the car doesn’t sell in X time or it’s not of high enough condition to put on their used lot then they ship to auction and will sell to someone else who wants to take a gamble.

Normally you can sell your used car on Facebook market, Craigslist, Autotrader, etc and get several thousand dollars more instead of trading in to a car dealer, where you ultimately receive dealer auction value.

Before you commit to this, I would ask your boss what he anticipates the stones coming back at price wise. I wouldn’t be surprised if you got closer to 40-50 cents on the dollar, instead of 70+ cents if selling to an end consumer.

I know you want this to happen ASAP and feel you “deserve” it but I would encourage you to be patient and try a new approach so you get the stones sold for maximum profit and don’t inadvertently create a larger mess by rushing things.

 

[Tourmaline]

Have you looked into consigning your earrings to Grace? I’ve had really good experiences with her.

 

[heididdl]

Have you looked into consigning your earrings to Grace? I’ve had really good experiences with her.

I haven't someone else also suggested. I need to wait for the GIA to come back. I fear if they are really low quality or not 3x she won't even consider. So I will wait the 2 weeks till they come back

 

[Tourmaline]

I haven't someone else also suggested. I need to wait for the GIA to come back. I fear if they are really low quality or not 3x she won't even consider. So I will wait the 2 weeks till they come back

Not being 3x wouldn’t matter, but really low clarity might. Good luck.

 

[elizat]

I'll jump in and say that if your stones do have nice measurements for the cut once they are back, that selling them in the diamond auction may not be the best idea. I would not do it unless you can get an idea of what you'd get private party, even considering splitting them up.

If it is diamond dealer pricing, they are going to be operating at lower baseline figures to start with, so you may not come out ahead at all.

The other thing to say- I know you wanted the earrings by Mother's Day, but I would take your time and get it right. Sell your stones and get a fair price for them, not just a fast price. Once you know what you really have, you have a better idea of fair.

I would not rush finding the studs either. I would go carefully. I also would echo going to a place like Whiteflash where you can upgrade easier, because you may want larger. That way, you are not in the spot again.

 

[sledge]

I'm just going to toss this out there. If any of you ladies need a bling upgrade, and maybe your husband has a whole bunch of hotrods he can sell to fund your cause. Then definitely hit me up.

Have cash on-hand and I absolutely welcome & specialize in "fire sales". Open to a good deal, but willing to pay at least $1 more for a 67 Shelby GT500 or 67-68 Camaro SS.

I'm not even picky. If he's not on-board and the title is "and/or" then I can meet you while he is at work, load on a trailer and he won't be the wiser until he gets home.



This post generated for the purpose of smiles & laughs only.

 

[heididdl]

Not being 3x wouldn’t matter, but really low clarity might. Good luck.

They are 100% eye clean even if they come back I1

 

[sledge]

They are 100% eye clean even if they come back I1

Even if eye clean, I think you have an "issue" and you will need to GET AHEAD of the issue as much as reasonably possible.

If selling privately, you will need to take really good pictures to demonstrate/prove they are truly eye clean as a normal buyer will naturally question that. It's not so much your word they doubt, as the fact most I1's aren't eye clean.

If going through dealer auction, I anticipate bidders will assume NOT eye clean and bid accordingly. The few that actually inspect may bid a little higher, but unless you get multiple guys doing the same thing I think the auction results will also be poor. Ask your boss, he has better insight.

 

[heididdl]

I'll jump in and say that if your stones do have nice measurements for the cut once they are back, that selling them in the diamond auction may not be the best idea. I would not do it unless you can get an idea of what you'd get private party, even considering splitting them up.

If it is diamond dealer pricing, they are going to be operating at lower baseline figures to start with, so you may not come out ahead at all.

The other thing to say- I know you wanted the earrings by Mother's Day, but I would take your time and get it right. Sell your stones and get a fair price for them, not just a fast price. Once you know what you really have, you have a better idea of fair.

I would not rush finding the studs either. I would go carefully. I also would echo going to a place like Whiteflash where you can upgrade easier, because you may want larger. That way, you are not in the spot again.

yeah weighing my options. They may have a better trade-in value if they come back 3x . I also know that if they were going to go to auction that I have a number in my head id want. Finally the mother's day was a deadline if I had all my ducks in a row that date is far blown at this point. Now I am in a waiting game. whiteflash is way beyond my financial capabilities

 

[sledge]

yeah weighing my options. They may have a better trade-in value if they come back 3x . I also know that if they were going to go to auction that I have a number in my head id want. Finally the mother's day was a deadline if I had all my ducks in a row that date is far blown at this point. Now I am in a waiting game. whiteflash is way beyond my financial capabilities

Retail > private sale > trade-in

In other words, trade-in results in your LOWEST dollar regardless if you hit 3x or not.

 

[denverappraiser]

It’s been mentioned above but since it’s part of the original post it bears repeating. Resale values have NOTHING to do with MMDs (except for people selling MMDs). The market for 1.21 eye clean rounds is doing just fine. The elephant in the room is haggling over the price. ‘Trade in’ means selling to a dealer along with buying something else. Assuming they didn’t sell them in the first place, you won’t gain much, if any, by bundling this deal beyond that it’s easier. Most of your familiar dealers will buy unless GIA reports something seriously wrong. Even then... The issue is that number in your head. A 1.20/J/I1/GIA/ VG+ is going to get bids of about $2k each in a cash sale from a dealer if they’re pretty. You may get a little more if you sell them yourself and you’re any good at selling things but it can be a bit of a pain. That’s where the dealer earns their commission. It’s your call if they’re worth it. Some say yes, some say no. What you paid is irrelevant. What EGL said is irrelevant.

 

[heididdl]

It’s been mentioned above but since it’s part of the original post it bears repeating. Resale values have NOTHING to do with MMDs (except for people selling MMDs). The market for 1.21 eye clean rounds is doing just fine. The elephant in the room is haggling over the price. ‘Trade in’ means selling to a dealer along with buying something else. Assuming they didn’t sell them in the first place, you won’t gain much, if any, by bundling this deal beyond that it’s easier. Most of your familiar dealers will buy unless GIA reports something seriously wrong. Even then... The issue is that number in your head. A 1.20/J/I1/GIA/ VG+ is going to get bids of about $2k each in a cash sale from a dealer if they’re pretty. You may get a little more if you sell them yourself and you’re any good at selling things but it can be a bit of a pain. That’s where the dealer earns their commission. It’s your call if they’re worth it. Some say yes, some say no. What you paid is irrelevant. What EGL said is irrelevant.

No elephant. I totally understand and agree with exactly what you wrote me. I totally understand when trading in the dealer also has to resell whatever they are taking in as a trade-in. especially if you didn't buy stones from them.
My expectations for auction, if I were to go that route, would be $2,000 -$2500 (if GIA comes back reasonable)

 

[heididdl]

Echoing others about the MMD theory being silly. Glad you are sending to GIA. Have you gone to local jewelers to see what they would offer you though? I also tried to sell my 2ctw stones on preloved. They were uncerted and I was unable to sell them to an individual. I decided to go to a few jewelry stores to see what they would offer me. Two stores offered me 2k below what I paid, but one jeweler offered me only $900 below what I paid. I took that and considered it a win. Just a thought.

Yes local dealer $2500 for the pair

 

[Tourmaline]

Yes local dealer $2500 for the pair

That’s absurdly low. Please get in touch with Grace when you get your GIA results.

 

[ringo865]

Please leave your boss out of the selling of your diamonds. Bad idea. Never mix work and pleasure or work with personal or work with anything. Please look at Grace or on your own via Loupe Troop (after your GIA comes back of course).

and @sledge, sorry only a 69 Camaro (not ss) basket case, with three (maybe four) hoods and three sets of wheels... and a rebuilt 454 to go in it.... or a 57 vette (also basket) with a 383 stroker to go in that one. Come over quick and get them (no don’t)

 

[heididdl]

That’s absurdly low. Please get in touch with Grace when you get your GIA results.

I got your message in my email did what are you trading?

 

[heididdl]

Please leave your boss out of the selling of your diamonds. Bad idea. Never mix work and pleasure or work with personal or work with anything. Please look at Grace or on your own via Loupe Troop (after your GIA comes back of course).

and @sledge, sorry only a 69 Camaro (not ss) basket case, with three (maybe four) hoods and three sets of wheels... and a rebuilt 454 to go in it.... or a 57 vette (also basket) with a 383 stroker to go in that one. Come over quick and get them (no don’t)

I know you are all trying to help but why would Grace want to touch my crappy diamonds?

 

[Karl_K]

I know you are all trying to help but why would Grace want to touch my crappy diamonds?

because they are not crappy.

 

[heididdl]

because they are not crappy.

I know I am just distraught actually see so many price scopers and others that have I/J/K colored studs and honestly I've enjoyed them for 10 years.

 

[Jax172]

I know you are all trying to help but why would Grace want to touch my crappy diamonds?

You’ve got in your head that because they may not live up to the EGL grades they are crappy and that’s not the case. If they are well cut and in fact eye clean then they are desirable and not all crappy. You may not get back what you spent initially but you should get a fair amount for them - much more than $2500. She’d want to help you because she gets a commission for selling. And she’s super well known and people respect her. With her listing them you’d have lots of eyes on them and buyers will feel more comfortable buying from a business rather than an individual. When you get the GIA reports back definitely reach out to her before selling at auction through your boss.

PS - some of my favorite things I own are my 1.47 ctw J studs and my 0.5 I1 Eightstar pendant. Not what would be considered top quality by any means but they are gorgeous and there are lots of buyers like me out there that see the value in well cut stones that are of lower color and clarity.

 

[elizat]

I know you are all trying to help but why would Grace want to touch my crappy diamonds?

As someone that can do the same thing that you are doing right now and get wrapped up in upset thoughts, I'm going to suggest that you step away from thinking about this for a minute. All you can do is wait for the grading reports to come back and see what your options are.

I know you are upset about your earrings. I know you are upset about what you spent on them and that you are disappointed that you could not get the upgrade when you wanted it.

But objectively, based upon the other posts, your earrings are not crappy or garbage. I do not know much about modern rounds, because that's not my thing, but people with knowledge have pointed out that they probably will score a GIA excellent cut. Also, if you have enjoyed the earrings for 10 years, it doesn't make them crappy or garbage. I don't own a single piece of jewelry that someone would say is a perfect diamond. Just because something isn't perfect, does not mean that it is garbage or crap. You have enjoyed wearing the earrings for 10 years. That's not the marker of something being crap.

Take a step back, take a step away, and just wait to see what GIA says. If this process is giving you that kind of negative feeling, it might be a good idea to focus on something else for the time being. It's not worth the negative energy or feelings over something like diamond earrings.

Saying that you're earrings are crappy helps nothing. It is just going to make you feel bad, when you have no reason to feel bad.