freaking out! hca came back as fair!!!

[LGK]

Oh, this is definitely why it''s a bad idea to mix business and friends.

Your "friend" is not doing you a favor here. You''re paying a LOT for the diamond, pretty much full retail price for it from what it sounds like. Don''t forget that! If you can I''d return it and shop somewhere else and make a nice cut your priority- you can definitely get a stone smaller in carat weight that looks as big as this one does, and sparkles a lot more. Also, well cut diamonds mask color too- you could probably drop the color a bit and still have a very white stone, though it depends a bit on how color sensitive you are.

No apologies to your "friend" necessary.

 

[tonyc2387]

Date: 11/25/2009 1:59:30 PM
Author: kenny
I think it is only a matter of time before the days of uninformed customers buying poorly cut diamonds comes to an end.

you have some faith, kenny. +1 on the jeweler relationship thing, though.

jg, if i were in your shoes, i''d most definitely feel like

after spending that amount of money and having everyone here tell you it wasn''t all that great of a decision. i''d almost be inclined to think we''re a bunch of loonies, too

... and judah''s right, all we can give you are our opinions; you have to make the decision based on how *you* feel about *your* stone.

however... here''s what seems simple to me:
-the pictures clearly show the diamond has a problem (it is not cut well)
-this problem manifests itself in the diamond''s appearance: dark and small for its weight
-you paid a not-insignificant sum of money for a diamond with an appearance problem
-diamonds are ALL about appearance.

i really, truly feel bad telling you to return the diamond... i understand it''s a huge and emotional purchase, and i know how much it would suck to start thinking i got it wrong. however, i, along with the rest of the folks here, just want to see you with a diamond that makes you

every time you see it (ESPECIALLY considering the sum of money you''re putting towards it)... and in the collective opinion, this diamond just doesn''t fit the bill. i think (and i''m probably not alone) that there are other diamonds out there that are far more worth your $$.

 

[Judah Gutwein]

Author: kenny
"Judah, would you buy this stone for your bride"?

I am married with 4 kids. My bride is no longer a bride

I would not buy this stone.
This diamond is not for me.
I am not in the market for a diamond.
I am not in the market for an upgrade
I am not looking to spend 60k on a diamond right now.
I am not juggling quality vs. cost.
I am not working with, or have a relationship with any jeweler.
I do not need to be personally comfortable with this diamond.
I do not need to find my personal comfort level here.
I do not need to own this diamond for a lifetime.
I do not need to be happy with this diamond for a lifetime.
I do not need to wear this diamond.
I did not pay for this diamond.
My personal and subjective considerations are mine alone. What I would do is immaterial.

The OP needs to personally address all of the above and was encouraged to do just that and to whatever conclusion.

I hope I've answered the question

 

[marym]

Live and learn- return it and get something that doesn''t make you doubt your decision. It will drive you crazy in the end, and that is not worth it for the amount of money that you paid. For 60k you should be 100% happy with your purchase. AND have crazy sparkle!!

 

[D&T]

PLEASE RETURN THE STONE!

it makes me sick to think you even got a "good deal" which I highly doubt it

 

[jgny]

Hi - OP here. Lots to think about. Just to clarify, I am a her and it''s my upgrade from a 2ct.

Judah - you are right, it is such a personal decision. I was THRILLED with the stone before I knew all this, now... well, I don''t know.

Tony - you are right. It SUCKS.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 11/25/2009 3:12:03 PM
Author: jgny
Hi - OP here. Lots to think about. Just to clarify, I am a her and it's my upgrade from a 2ct.

Judah - you are right, it is such a personal decision. I was THRILLED with the stone before I knew all this, now... well, I don't know.

Tony - you are right. It SUCKS.

jgny, look at it this way, much better to find out now rather than later once your decision was irrevocable....If you decide to keep the diamond then at least you will be able to make an informed decision whether this is the right diamond for you. We can't tell YOU what to do, our role is to give you the facts as we see them as consumer posters ( primarily in this thread) and what we would do in your situation. In the end only you can decide but now you will do so with knowledge behind you!

 

[marym]

With all due respect Judah, I think you are missing the point. He was simply asking if you WERE (hypothetically speaking) looking to purchase a 3ct stone, would you pay 60k for a stone that is clearly not well cut?

 

[Judah Gutwein]

Marym,

I think I understood and answered that I would not.

 

[FB.]

Date: 11/25/2009 3:19:11 PM
Author: marym


With all due respect Judah, I think you are missing the point. He was simply asking if you WERE (hypothetically speaking) looking to purchase a 3ct stone, would you pay 60k for a stone that is clearly not well cut?

Although not addressed to me, I''ll give my $0.02 (actually £0.02) worth of opinion.

Would I want to wear this stone? No.
Would I buy this stone for someone? No.
Would I buy this stone at 10% less than the best price that I could find anywhere else? No.
Would I advise anyone else to buy this stone? No.

Would I rather have a lower carat, lower colour and lower clarity, to get a near-ideal cut? Definitely. I''d much rather have a smaller (2.5ct), lower colour (J), lower clarity (SI1), but higher cut (ideal cut).

In my opinion, this stone is for bragging rights about sheer size. It will have no bragging rights about it''s sparkle, although you could repeatedly claim that it must need a clean.

 

[marym]

Well, then that''s all you really needed to say. Instead, you went on and on about other reasons you personally would not buy it, and I think Kenny was directing the question to you specifically because you are in the diamond industry and he wanted you to give your professional opinion, not your personal one. It confuses the issue, which is really about whether or not she paid a reasonable price for a diamond that is not the best cut. That is really what I think she is asking.

 

[tonyc2387]

Date: 11/25/2009 3:16:33 PM
Author: Lorelei
In the end only you can decide but now you will do so with knowledge behind you!

jg, I''m really sorry you''re in this situation... it''s neither a great one to be in nor a great one to see someone else in. Lorelei is spot-on though... the silver lining here is that you''re doing the best you can to make the most informed decision that you can, so no matter which way you go, *you* will be happy about it, and that''s what counts

 

[jgny]

I just want to thank everyone here. In less than 12 hours of my original posting I got some very direct advice and opinions, and I value that. I am going to consider what my options are in terms of a return and go forth from there. Hopefully as I just recently received the stone I have more options than if it were set already.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 11/25/2009 3:54:41 PM
Author: jgny
I just want to thank everyone here. In less than 12 hours of my original posting I got some very direct advice and opinions, and I value that. I am going to consider what my options are in terms of a return and go forth from there. Hopefully as I just recently received the stone I have more options than if it were set already.

We are very glad to help, let us know what you decide!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 11/25/2009 3:56:50 PM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 11/25/2009 3:54:41 PM
Author: jgny
I just want to thank everyone here. In less than 12 hours of my original posting I got some very direct advice and opinions, and I value that. I am going to consider what my options are in terms of a return and go forth from there. Hopefully as I just recently received the stone I have more options than if it were set already.

We are very glad to help, let us know what you decide!

I hope you give us an update! We really would like to see how it goes.

FWIW, I echo the sentiments of all the consumers before me. That diamond is *not* worth that price.

 

[John P]

Date: 11/25/2009 3:41:24 PM
Author: FB.

In my opinion, this stone is for bragging rights about sheer size.

For the record the avg spread of 9.13mm makes it face up like a well proportioned 2.80ct. I prefer 3cts to spread near 9.30mm.

Also for the record; the GIA rates the primary measurements as "Good" and the AGS cut guides predict an AGS6 in light performance. While those stats are not worn on the finger they are germane to value and saleability if there were ever to come a time when you wanted to trade-up or otherwise move the diamond.

 

[FB.]

Date: 11/25/2009 6:37:53 PM
Author: John Pollard

Date: 11/25/2009 3:41:24 PM
Author: FB.

In my opinion, this stone is for bragging rights about sheer size.

For the record the avg spread of 9.13mm makes it face up like a well proportioned 2.80ct. I prefer 3cts to spread near 9.30mm.

Also for the record; the GIA rates the primary measurements as ''Good'' and the AGS cut guides predict an AGS6 in light performance. While those stats are not worn on the finger they are germane to value and saleability if there were ever to come a time when you wanted to trade-up or otherwise move the diamond.

Sorry, I meant bragging rights about having a certain carat weight for less than the cost of the same weight in an ideal cut stone.
(I agree; steep/deep - by definition - has excess depth and hidden weight in the steepness of the sides and generally faces-up smaller).

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Date: 11/25/2009 10:45:19 AM
Author: jgny
Judah - all good points, you have hit on what I am struggling with. In a perfect world, I would have done much more research and been armed with knowledge. Now that I am starting to get educated, I just want to make sure I still love this stone. It is unfair to blame my jeweler (and I don't, I am just kicking myself). The thing is that I don't feel the stone 'sparkles like mad' - I just picked it up recently and haven't had a chance to get it out in all different conditions to judge. I'm just wondering if I would be able to get a better cut stone for the same amt of money so I could have that 'mad sparkle'. Plus a LM setting is not cheap, so I don't want to get it set if I am not happy with it. I'm going try to attach some pics of the stone...

Seeing your hand underneath and the skin color is not something you should want to accept big time leakage, especially if you are asking for opinions here! You don't have to buy an ideal cut diamond but this diamond is too far from ideal.

 

[yssie]

Definitely return, if you can.

These pictures could be posted as the definitive example in the other thread currently running about the visible effects of steep/deep proportions.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 11/25/2009 3:52:48 AM
Author:jgny
OK, so I got my 'upgrade' diamond from a friend in the industry, whom we trust to give us good pricing. I wish I had reviewed the tutorial here before I had gone, but it was a spur of the moment decision to buy the diamond, and now I am thinking that I should have taken my time. I just plugged my specs into the HCA and this is what I got:

rule #1...never buy from a friend who is in the diamond business.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 11/25/2009 11:39:38 AM
Author: kenny

Date: 11/25/2009 10:59:33 AM
Author: jgny
What are your thoughts on the mounting? Will it help or hinder?


I guess the other thing that I am considering is if this ring was a good ''deal'' - it''s 3.01 ct, F color, VS1 clarity. What would be considered an excellent price for a stone such as this?


And how does it work with a return? Will my friend need to buy from the same dealer and I am limited in terms of inventory?

It sounds like you can return it but don''t want to hurt your friend''s feelings.
OMG, wake up.
If they balk, walk.
It is your money so you are the boss here.
(Actually they will respect you for this. They know what they''re selling but they hope you don''t. Really, what kind of ''friend'' does this? Friends don''t sell friend crummy diamonds.)

if i were you, for $60K??....he''ll get more than his feelings hurt.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 11/25/2009 4:03:18 AM
Author: jgny
I will add that a slightly bigger diamond with HCA under 2 is listed at $20K over what we paid. IMO we would not have paid extra for that perfect cut.

I''m just second guessing my decision here. When I look at the diamond, I really love it, and once I get it set (hopefully Leon Mege) I''m sure it will be beautiful. I just want to make sure I got the best ''value'' for my money on the stone. And that it''s worth the extra moola I will be spending for an LM setting.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

a $10K paint job on an Yugo?? why??

 

[swingirl]

RECUT! I had a stone recut, not by Brian, but by a reputable PS cutter. It made a major difference. The stone is almost an excellent cut (he could only do so much) and it went from sitting in my drawer for 10 years to being worn everyday. I now love it and for me it was worth the risk. I was so unhappy with the original cut I knew I''d never spend the money to get it set again.

 

[jgny]

Just a quick update on this thread... I was able to return with a fee. Whew! Thank you PSers for your input and support through the process. And for your sheer bluntness as well! I''ll be taking my time on the new one...

to all.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 3/21/2010 1:19:46 PM
Author: jgny
Just a quick update on this thread... I was able to return with a fee. Whew! Thank you PSers for your input and support through the process. And for your sheer bluntness as well! I''ll be taking my time on the new one...

to all.

 

[bgray]

Date: 3/21/2010 1:19:46 PM
Author: jgny
Just a quick update on this thread... I was able to return with a fee. Whew! Thank you PSers for your input and support through the process. And for your sheer bluntness as well! I''ll be taking my time on the new one...

to all.

Thats is great news. I hope the fee wasnt too steep. There have been a few $$$lessons lately on pricescope illustrating that there are no real deals to be had through friends or otherwise. It doesnt mean you cant buy at a fair price but you really cant get anything much better than if you do the research and use that knowledge when you buy-no exceptions --regardless of the vendor. Buyers also have to be realistic about what they can get for their money and use their knowledge and budget accordingly. Keep us posted on your progress!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 3/21/2010 1:28:03 PM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 3/21/2010 1:19:46 PM
Author: jgny
Just a quick update on this thread... I was able to return with a fee. Whew! Thank you PSers for your input and support through the process. And for your sheer bluntness as well! I''ll be taking my time on the new one...

to all.

I like adding clappy guys, and I am also really happy!

 

[jgny]

Lorelei - liking the new avatar

Bgray - The fee was acceptable (for me) - it came out to less than 5% of what I had paid initially for the stone. I am glad that the friend did the right thing and that this ended amicably but I certainly learned my 4 digit lesson! I am all about the research now. Mulling through several options and have been keeping an eye on inventory.

Dreamer - LOL you are too funny!!!

 

[tyty333]

So glad you were able to return it. There is a lot of information to learn here on PS so keep reading till you feel
comfortable. Dont hesitate to ask questions BEFORE

you buy next time. We just want you to get
the best stone you can within your budget.

 

[Hest88]

Yay! Can''t wait to see what you end up choosing. But...

Date: 3/22/2010 8:48:01 AM
Author: jgny
Lorelei - liking the new avatar
The fee was acceptable (for me) - it came out to less than 5% of what I had paid initially for the stone. I am glad that the friend did the right thing and that this ended amicably but I certainly learned my 4 digit lesson!

Some friend...

Nice bit of profit for a non-sale, given that he''s supposed to be a friend.