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GS Laboratories of America

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Diamondmind

Rough_Rock
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Oct 15, 2006
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I am a total novice and trying to help my fiance pick my engagement ring. Our total budget is $1500 and we don''t want to buy online.

Has anyone heard of the certifier GS Laboratories of America? Their website says their appraisers are GIA grads... I noticed diamond rings at both Macy''s and at Gordon''s Jewelers have this certification. The diamond I''m looking at at Gordon''s seems priced too good to be true. So...below are my options. Anyone care to weigh in?

Option 1: Gordon'' Jewelers
$1150
.52 carat
E color
SI-2
Excellent cut
VG/VG Polish/Symm
Table is 57.5%
GS Laboratories of America

Option 2: Ikuma from Ben Bridge

$1395
.56 carat
G color
I1
AGS certified
(I have to get the rest of the stats on this one)

Option 3: Shane Company (they don''t give cut info)

$1030
.44 carat - I''m worried the .44 carat will be too small for me though the diamond is gorgeous!
E color
SI-2
GIA certified

Anyone have any advice for me? We are hoping to buy soon! Thank you!
 
Hi there, trying to post...

I really know nothing about GS laboratories, but if you want us to evaluate the diamonds you''ve picked out, we really need a little more information. For all of the stones we need: depth %, table %, crown/pavillion angles, girdle info, and polish/symmetry info. A picture would also really help with these stones in order to see the clarity, because they will probably not be eye-clean (I1 clarity usually shows inclusions large enough to be seen with the naked eye). SI2''s can be eye-clean, but again a picture really helps.
 
Do you have the depth for #1?? I''m not familiar with this lab. Most people prefer GIA and AGS. We need more info on stones #2 and #3. I''d also read the tutorials here on cut. Good luck!!
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i''m not familar with the lab either. a gia grad does not equal a gia graded stone. you haven''t provided enough info on any of the stones to be able to help you. have you seen any of these stones in person? if so, what do your eyes tell you.
 
i don't even know why i am responding since you were so demanding in your other thread after calling people here snobs for not IMMEDIATELY helping you...guess i am a glutton for punishment.

but you don't have enough information on these diamonds to even say yay or nay or whatever.

also i don't know what GS Labs is but if people at MACY'S are certified with it, i'd steer clear.

look for an eye-clean stone with white inclusions and an exceptional cut grade because that will return the most sparkle and color to your eye from the stone. i'd drop the color down and get slightly better clarity if you are working with a non-known lab. possibly G SI1 or H SI2 or similar. stick with GIA and AGS. bring the information here from the certs including all crown and pav angles and plug them into the HCA. any score under 2 with nice numbers that looks good to your eye would be a serious contender.

then you can get more information. or plain and simply just buy with your eye if the numbers mean nothing to you. and if a deal seems too good to be true it surely might be.

good luck.
 
Thank you, Mara, and everyone else who replied! I guess I was hasty in asking about why no one had responded to me sooner. On some other forums my posts languished completely ignored and I didn''t want that to happen here. I will get more info on my stones. I think I''m going to go for the Ikuma from Ben Bridge. I don''t think Shane Co can (or will) give me the table, etc.

Thanks again for your knowledge--and time!
 
I''m not sure if you are open to buying from an online vendor, but if so this is a really nice .50 carat diamond from a very trusted vendor here:
http://whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-12963.htm

This one is nice too, don''t worry about the H color since it is well-cut it will face up WHITE:
http://whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-122947.htm


With diamonds, the most important quality is how well-cut the diamond is. A well-cut diamond will outshine, outsparkle, and look whiter than a poorly cut cut diamond with higher color/clarity. Mall stores will not usually tell you this because it''s not always when they have an excellent selection of well-cut diamonds.
 
Thank you for these links! They do look good. I had seen them before when I was hunting last night but I felt that with an appraiser fee and finding a jeweler to set the stone, etc., the cost would be the same as at a B&M jeweler. But I really dont'' know the cost of an appraisal to be honest, so I was just guessing (and afraid of online vendors when I''m so new at this).

The main thing is that our total budget (for diamond, setting, and wedding band) is $1500. The only thing I found within that was a .44 carat which I''m afraid might look too small.
 
I would get a lower color and clarity with an ideal cut to maximize the size stone you can get for your budget. Try a J stone with SI or I clarity and see how much bigger you can get.
 
Diamondmind, appraisal fees are usually about $100, more in some cities. I live in LA and paid $100. You can get an idea from the resources button at the top of the page, then appraisers- you can find one in your area and often it will have a link to a webpage so you can get an idea of cost.

I would also like to point out that lurkers on the forum increase the number of views for a posting. You said you had been lurking for a while, so everytime you clicked to view a post you were increasing the # of views - and you did not respond to any of those (presuming that this is your first forum ID). It is very possible that everyone who was being ''snobby'' by viewing your post and not responding was lurking just like you were before you started to post. They very well could be newbies who are just clicking on everything trying to learn - esp on a weekend when people often do research.

Again, people generally do not respond if they do not know anything about a topic. I too have posted questions in the past without many replies.
 
Date: 10/15/2006 2:41:19 PM
Author: Diamondmind
Thank you for these links! They do look good. I had seen them before when I was hunting last night but I felt that with an appraiser fee and finding a jeweler to set the stone, etc., the cost would be the same as at a B&M jeweler. But I really dont'' know the cost of an appraisal to be honest, so I was just guessing (and afraid of online vendors when I''m so new at this).

The main thing is that our total budget (for diamond, setting, and wedding band) is $1500. The only thing I found within that was a .44 carat which I''m afraid might look too small.
Click to expand...
The cost of an appraiser is about $100, and actually I''d recommend getting one more if you buy from the mall than from whiteflash, jamesallen, or goodoldgold, since these vendors provide more information on their stones.

Also, if you want to drop in color a little, you can go quite a bit bigger.
What sort of setting would you like? It may be possible to have an online vendor make the whole thing for you and you will definitely save money!
 
Give up a smidgen of cut quality and get 0.07 mm more here. May not be worth it, I don't know.

Maybe the more knowledgeable posters can chime in on the pros and cons of this stone.

I understand your fear of buying online. I would say if your concerns about not being able to get the size stone you want in your budget, then maybe it needs to be a consideration. It's also possible you can find one at a B&M store--just keep hunting. That's the fun part! Well, sorta.
1.gif
 
I just wanted to suggest that you look at the DIMENSIONS (length, width measurements) of the stone ... not just carat weight ... when you''re evaluating how "big" the stone will look. Some stones, even if a store labels them "excellent" are cut very deep ... so even if they are say .80, they might face up (look) like a well-cut .50 would.
 
Date: 10/15/2006 2:41:19 PM
Author: Diamondmind
Thank you for these links! They do look good. I had seen them before when I was hunting last night but I felt that with an appraiser fee and finding a jeweler to set the stone, etc., the cost would be the same as at a B&M jeweler. But I really dont' know the cost of an appraisal to be honest, so I was just guessing (and afraid of online vendors when I'm so new at this).

The main thing is that our total budget (for diamond, setting, and wedding band) is $1500. The only thing I found within that was a .44 carat which I'm afraid might look too small.
Click to expand...
You don't even need another appraisal if you buy a WhiteFlash ACA! It will come with an insurance valuation which is just fine for adding on to your insurance. You don't need one if you buy from Good Old Gold either. I guess if I were buying a $50,000 diamond I might do it, but you have a reliable certificate on these stones and you also have the info you need for adding it to insurance. I would not pay for an additional appraisal on a $1500 diamond. But I WOULD buy from a vendor with outstanding diamond quality and excellent reputation. Have WF set the stone and then it is all done in one place and the setting can be included in the appraisal report.

ETA: I have much greater fear of your getting poor quality at the mall as opposed to some of these online vendors.
 
i've purchased multiple times from WF, and they and other PS vendors are really wonderful. i have gotten some exceptionally cut stones and would probably not ever buy from an offline store again unless it was a fancy cut stone or something i could not get elsewhere or had to see with my eyes or something. but so far i am really happy with my online stuff. and your money can go farther online on a better product as well. a local appraisal would be probably about $75-150 depending on your area.

just a vote for buying online if you can feel comfortable with it. quite honestly, $1400 for a .50 G I1 is not something i'd be interested in getting with that money. you can get better!

ETA: this .59 I SI ACA is EXCEPTIONAL for the $$$. i would SO consider this stone, but i also have found that i don't have much color sensitivity. i had a 1.29 G and now i have a 2.3 J and i loved them both, the G and the H i had after that almost seemed too white for me.
http://whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-13193.htm

that one that oleander posted, if it is an in-house stone, is worth considering and getting more information on (idealscope image) as well as the angles and numbers are quite nice.
 
DM, we're not trying to discourage your mall store diamond choice as much as we are trying to educate you about quality diamonds. The most important C in buying a diamond is the cut. Even if you get an E stone with SI clarity, you may get a poorly cut stone that won't sparkle. A lower-color stone will look whiter if it's cut well. And with that "GS Laboratories" certificate (which none of us has ever heard of), it may have a bogus color and clarity that may be a lot lower if you got an appraisal. I agree with the others, I wouldn't get an appraisal on a .5 ct stone if you buy from a reputable vendor. The reason we're discouraging the mall stores is because some of us have wasted our money there for poor quality merchandise, and we do not want to see you waste your hard-earned cash (or your BF's). Get the most for your money and buy an excellent cut stone. You will not regret it.
 
Date: 10/15/2006 2:48:32 PM
Author: :)

Again, people generally do not respond if they do not know anything about a topic. I too have posted questions in the past without many replies.
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sometimes you don''t have an answer, sometimes it''s the exact same question for the thousandth time and you''re just not in the mood to answer it again LOL

I can understand not wanting to trust a company to buy a stone online - but I also would think of not trusting the opinions I got online either.

The only advice I hve to give here is "bigger isn''t necessarily better".
 
Date: 10/15/2006 4:07:19 PM
Author: Mara
i''ve purchased multiple times from WF, and they and other PS vendors are really wonderful. i have gotten some exceptionally cut stones and would probably not ever buy from an offline store again unless it was a fancy cut stone or something i could not get elsewhere or had to see with my eyes or something. but so far i am really happy with my online stuff. and your money can go farther online on a better product as well. a local appraisal would be probably about $75-150 depending on your area.

just a vote for buying online if you can feel comfortable with it. quite honestly, $1400 for a .50 G I1 is not something i''d be interested in getting with that money. you can get better!

ETA: this .59 I SI ACA is EXCEPTIONAL for the $$$. i would SO consider this stone, but i also have found that i don''t have much color sensitivity. i had a 1.29 G and now i have a 2.3 J and i loved them both, the G and the H i had after that almost seemed too white for me.
http://whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-13193.htm

that one that oleander posted, if it is an in-house stone, is worth considering and getting more information on (idealscope image) as well as the angles and numbers are quite nice.
Click to expand...
ITA with you on that but it only leaves him 150 bucks for a setting AND two wedding rings. I don''t think he can spend more than $900 on a stone if he''s going to get an appraisal and three rings.
 
Date: 10/15/2006 4:32:40 PM
Author: Cehrabehra


Date: 10/15/2006 4:07:19 PM
Author: Mara
i've purchased multiple times from WF, and they and other PS vendors are really wonderful. i have gotten some exceptionally cut stones and would probably not ever buy from an offline store again unless it was a fancy cut stone or something i could not get elsewhere or had to see with my eyes or something. but so far i am really happy with my online stuff. and your money can go farther online on a better product as well. a local appraisal would be probably about $75-150 depending on your area.

just a vote for buying online if you can feel comfortable with it. quite honestly, $1400 for a .50 G I1 is not something i'd be interested in getting with that money. you can get better!

ETA: this .59 I SI ACA is EXCEPTIONAL for the $$$. i would SO consider this stone, but i also have found that i don't have much color sensitivity. i had a 1.29 G and now i have a 2.3 J and i loved them both, the G and the H i had after that almost seemed too white for me.
http://whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-13193.htm

that one that oleander posted, if it is an in-house stone, is worth considering and getting more information on (idealscope image) as well as the angles and numbers are quite nice.
Click to expand...
ITA with you on that but it only leaves him 150 bucks for a setting AND two wedding rings. I don't think he can spend more than $900 on a stone if he's going to get an appraisal and three rings.
Click to expand...
That WF stone is not listed at the PS price, so it will be less.

Also I think if you get it set at the same place you buy the stone with one of their settings, there migh not be a setting fee...not sure about that. A white gold plain setting for a stone that size possibly could be gotten from Stuller through WF for about $150.

So if the stone is $1300ish and the setting is $1450 and there's no tax and shipping (and possibly no setting fee), that's $1450ish. Plus they mentioned spending $1400 on a stone at Ben Bridge so that just seemed to setup the budget for looking.

As for the wedding band...(they only mentioned one, not two) I would just cross that bridge when they come to it. For me in our mind our budget was just for the e-ring. Our wedding was 1.5 years away so I thought about the wedding band later. Plus then it allowed me more $$ for the e-ring. Or just get a matching stuller band for $100 in WG or something online later.
 
Date: 10/15/2006 4:37:08 PM
Author: Mara

Date: 10/15/2006 4:32:40 PM
Author: Cehrabehra



Date: 10/15/2006 4:07:19 PM
Author: Mara
i''ve purchased multiple times from WF, and they and other PS vendors are really wonderful. i have gotten some exceptionally cut stones and would probably not ever buy from an offline store again unless it was a fancy cut stone or something i could not get elsewhere or had to see with my eyes or something. but so far i am really happy with my online stuff. and your money can go farther online on a better product as well. a local appraisal would be probably about $75-150 depending on your area.

just a vote for buying online if you can feel comfortable with it. quite honestly, $1400 for a .50 G I1 is not something i''d be interested in getting with that money. you can get better!

ETA: this .59 I SI ACA is EXCEPTIONAL for the $$$. i would SO consider this stone, but i also have found that i don''t have much color sensitivity. i had a 1.29 G and now i have a 2.3 J and i loved them both, the G and the H i had after that almost seemed too white for me.
http://whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-13193.htm

that one that oleander posted, if it is an in-house stone, is worth considering and getting more information on (idealscope image) as well as the angles and numbers are quite nice.
Click to expand...
ITA with you on that but it only leaves him 150 bucks for a setting AND two wedding rings. I don''t think he can spend more than $900 on a stone if he''s going to get an appraisal and three rings.
Click to expand...
That WF stone is not listed at the PS price, so it will be less.

Also I think if you get it set at the same place you buy the stone with one of their settings, there migh not be a setting fee...not sure about that. A white gold plain setting for a stone that size possibly could be gotten from Stuller through WF for about $150.

So if the stone is $1300ish and the setting is $1450 and there''s no tax and shipping (and possibly no setting fee), that''s $1450ish. Plus they mentioned spending $1400 on a stone at Ben Bridge so that just seemed to setup the budget for looking.

As for the wedding band...(they only mentioned one, not two) I would just cross that bridge when they come to it. For me in our mind our budget was just for the e-ring. Our wedding was 1.5 years away so I thought about the wedding band later. Plus then it allowed me more $$ for the e-ring. Or just get a matching stuller band for $100 in WG or something online later.
Click to expand...
yeah plain wedding bands also can be pretty cheap - I got one when I was pregnant for I think $60 - a basic yg 3mm band. Though if I were in these guys'' shoes and the wedding was sooner rather than later, I''d get a smaller stone that only cost like $600 or so and indulge on the wedding bands knowing that since it was a WF ACA I could upgrade the diamond later.... if the wedding was later I''d do what you''d do. SPEND NOW hehehe ;)
 
I just want to thank all of you for your numerous, knowledgable responses!! Now I know that I was a real turkey for doubting that people would help me on this site! BTW, I am the bride-to-be (not the groom-to-be ;^) and the wedding is soon! My sweetie isn''t a gem-lover like me, so I am doing all the research and the initial shopping. But he''s good at negotiating and at looking through the loop, so maybe he can strike a deal...

So...I will steer clear of Gordon''s where they have the GS Lab certs. I may still go on line--not sure at this point. We''re off to Ben Bridge soon to look at the Ikuma (I1, G) diamond. I also like that the Ikuma diamond is from Canada because my sweetie is from there and we hope to move there some day. Ben Bridge does have AGS certification--I know we may pay more (which fiance hates) but time is an issue here too since I''m in school full time and working full time and planning a wedding! Plus he won''t propose till we have the ring, and I want to shout it to the rooftops!!! Merci beaucoup! You guys are soooo helpful...
 
If you are going to buy your diamond from a mall, a great way to to probably get a great cut in a diamond is to focus on AGS "0" cuts. This is the best cut grade denoted by AGS, and while it doesn''t insure a great cut...it probably won''t be a dud either.
 
if you stick with one of the vendors here that come highly recommended, you won''t get screwed over... too many people have trusted them and walked away more than happy - and then they have their reputations at stake. If you''re already concerned that a .4 diamond might be too small - I would seriously consider going with a company that has an upgrade policy!!!!!! Get a wedding band that your hubtobe and you can pour all of your sentimental schtuff into and play wih your diamond over the years... always get a top quality and upgrade at your whim.
 
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