Green Diamond

[kenny]

I am disappointed.
The diamond is now sold in spite of me offering to buy it.

Here are all of our emails...

On July 19,2012 I emailed them the following:


In your Certification section you say, "Almost all gemstones over $200 in value come with Free Certification from the leading gem-testing labs."

I'm interested in Stone ID# FO-329.
0.05 ct Natural Fancy Intense Green round diamond price at $250.

http://www.starruby.in/store/fancy-color-diamonds/0-05-carat-extremely-rare-fancy-intense-leaf-green-diamond

Please send it to GIA (NO other lab) for a Colored Diamond Identification and Origin report, which is available for FCDs under 15 points.

If it comes back Fancy Intense Green with color of natural origin with no secondary hue modifiers and costs $250, and is accompanied with the original GIA report I'm interested in buying it.

If it has yellow, olive, blue or brown secondary modifiers, but has color of natural origin per GIA I may still consider it.

 

[kenny]

Then I got this reply:

Sent: Friday, July 27, 2012 8:28 AM
Subject: Re: Contact Form: Green Diamond

Dear Ken,

Thank you for your email and apologies for the delay in getting back to you.

The GIA "Identification & Origin" report for FCD's in the size range of 0.01 to 0.14 ct costs $98 + taxes + shipping/handling. With such a high cost, which is a significant percentage of the total price of the diamond, it is impractical for us to do a conditional deal. We can guarantee that GIA would grade it as a natural diamond (with color also of natural origin) but it is impossible to predict the exact color or the modifiers GIA will use to the the complexity of the GIA fancy color diamond grading scale. The color of the diamond is as shown in the pictures so I definitely expect it to be graded as green with a possible bluish or greyish hue.

Since this particular diamond has been cut/polished by us from the rough form, hence we are certain that it is a natural & untreated green diamond.

If you are interested in purchasing this diamond, we can do a deal in such a way that you will need to pay for the stone cost + GIA testing fees. If the diamond comes as enhanced or treated in any way whatsoever, you had no obligation to buy and I can provide a full refund. If this is acceptable to you, let me know and we can take it forward.

Another alternative would be to send the stone to IGI (which is not as reputed as GIA but amongst the best diamond testing labs in the world) because the testing charges of IGI are significantly lower.

Regards,
Harshil Zaveri
--

Exotic Gemstones
http://www.starruby.in/store

 

[kenny]

The same day July 27,2012 I sent this email and have not heard anything back from them since.
Yet, now the diamond listing says it is sold.

The least they could have done was send me an email declining my offer to buy it.

Harshil

Here is my offer.

Even if you personally mined it and polished it, that does not mean GIA will grade the color of natural origin.
GIA analyzes the brown radiations stains in naturals I hope you left on the girdle to differentiate natural from man-induced radiation in green diamonds.
Again, there are some green diamonds that the owner is positive are natural but GIA cannot determine to have natural color origin.

I live near GIA in Carlsbad and can hand deliver it and pick it up.
I've done this before.
If it comes back as synthetic material, or color origin undetermined or treated (or if Green is not the last color they list, such as Greenish-gray) I will return it to you within 10 days of picking it up from GIA in Carslbad for my refund of my $250, subject to the terms on your website:

Returns Policy

We have a very clear returns policy. Our inspection period is 30 days, starting with the day you have received the stone. If you don't like the stone, return it and we will refund your payment. It is that simple! No exceptions. No discussions. No delays. There is no re-enlisting or re-stocking fee. The only condition is that the item must be returned unchanged, undamaged and including the complete packaging, documentation, certificates, free gifts, etc. Shipping charges are not refundable (normally $12.97 or $19.97 depending on your country of residence). In case of payments through Credit Card, the payment processing charges (5%) charged by CCnow.com / 2checkout.com are non-refundable. For payments through Paypal, no payment transaction fees are deducted.

If GIA grades the material and the color to be of natural origin AND the LAST color listed is green, even Brownish-Grayish Green I may keep it.
If I keep it I will pay for the $98 GIA fee but you must give me 30 days return period after I pick it up from GIA to decide.
If I return it I will send the GIA report with the diamond and I suspect the GIA report will increase the value of the stone by more than $98, so my refund shall be $250 + $98.

Naturally you and I can estimate GIA's turn around time, but cannot be certain how long GIA takes.
That is why my 30-day return period will start after I pick it up from GIA.

If all of these terms are agreeable to you please let me know so we may proceed with the sale.

Best,
Kenny

 

[kenny]

This company can still save face if they have the stone by continuing to negotiate the transaction with me.

If it's sold I hope they can explain why my offer went ignored and unanswered.

 

[harshilzaveri]

Dear Kenny,

As mentioned in my last email to you, I sent this diamond to IGI for certification at my cost to determine whether the color was of natural origin or not. I got the stone back a few days ago and it was certified as "treated" by them. The scan of the IGI report is provided in the link below. This is the reason that the diamond has been taken off the website. It is not sold, it has been removed from our store because the diamond was found to be treated.

http://www.starruby.in/vismay/FO329.jpg

Regards,
Harshil Zaveri

 

[kenny]

Dear Kenny,

As mentioned in my last email to you, I sent this diamond to IGI for certification at my cost to determine whether the color was of natural origin or not. I got the stone back a few days ago and it was certified as "treated" by them. The scan of the IGI report is provided in the link below. This is the reason that the diamond has been taken off the website. It is not sold, it has been removed from our store because the diamond was found to be treated.

http://www.starruby.in/vismay/FO329.jpg

Regards,
Harshil Zaveri

Thank you for the reply.

Why did you previously insist it was natural?
Did your source lie to you?
Do you still buy from this source?
I was under the impression that in the diamond business trust is everything.

Here is a quote of your previous post, "First of all, I would like to clarify that the diamond in question is a natural, non-enhanced green diamond. This particular diamond has been imported by us in rough form and cut/polished at our own workshop which is why even without a certificate from GIA/IGI, we are certain that it is non-enhanced. The system of certification has gained momentum only since the last few years. It is not necessarily true that if a diamond is not certified, the Vendor does not know whether it is non-treated or treated. Since decades, the diamond trade was being carried out without certification.
"

I'm sorry but I hope you realize, your overly confident, but now proven incorrect, statement about being certain that it was natural (and your listing's Guarantee that it is Natural and Untreated) brings your entire ungraded (but Guaranteed to be natural) inventory under suspicion.

After this I cannot imagine how anyone would feel comfortable buying "Guaranteed Natural and Untreated" gem from your business that does not have a lab report.

I'm so disappointed because that "natural" green hue surely looked phenomenal, out of this world even, for $250.

 

[harshilzaveri]

Dear Kenny,

As you can very much make out from my previous posts and communication, I was confident that this diamond is natural and untreated, based on my sources. As I said in my post on 31st July 2012, fancy colored diamonds is not out specialty. We specialize in premium natural, untreated coloredstones. Based on the remarks provided by the people here (who all seem much more experienced than me in FCDs) I suspected that there is a chance of this diamond being treated considering what has been said here about the extreme rarity of natural-color green diamonds. Which is why I sent the diamond to IGI for certification to know for sure. If I would have know before for sure that this was a treated diamond, I would not have bothered to get it IGI certified and waste money on certification charges.

I can understand your disappointment but I have acted in way so as to avoid either of us any trouble with the transaction. I was not expecting the diamond to be certified as treated based on my sources but since it is certified as treated, I have come here and posted a copy of the certificate. I could have very well told that it is sold but I have not.

I don't see how this particular case (which is a one-off case and unusually rare) brings my entire inventory of under suspicion. We have 6300-odd products listed on our store and around 70% of the stones over $200 in value are certified by internationally recognized and reputed labs like GIA, GRS, IGI, etc. If you or anyone else buys an uncertified stone and requests for a certificate, I can very much arrange it for you from a gem-lab of your choice. Also if at any point in the future, regardless of the 30-day return period, if any stone is found to be not as stated, the buyer can return it for a full refund. I stand behind my stones and guarantees.

Again, this is a one-off case and in no way does it mean that the same kind of problem will occur in other stones from my inventory. If you wish to purchase any other FCD from our inventory, I can provide a GIA certificate or GIA guarantee.

If you need any more clarifications, let me know.

Best regards,
Harshil Zaveri

 

[kenny]

Thank you Harshil.

Please accept my apology if I was overly harsh.
We are all human and we all make mistakes.

Natural green diamonds are very special and expensive things requiring the utmost in the latest and the most reliable grading (GIA) since so much money is at stake, and treatments are so similar to the natural color-inducing process.

The facts are what they are, and this has been a learning experience.
I wish you and your business all the best.

 

[harshilzaveri]

Dear Kenny,

Thanks for the followup message. This has been a learning experience for me too, and I will be much more careful with green, red and blue diamonds if I do come across any.

I will look forward to doing business with you one day in the future.

Best regards,
Harshil Zaveri

 

[chrono]

Thanks to both for the update on the green diamond. I'm sorry it turned out to be a treated green diamond but then again, with that colour, it makes one suspect that it is not an untreated FCD.

 

[ChrisA222]

Pardon the cliche, but chances are if it looks too good to be true.....