National Gemological Laboratories?

[joycer]

Can''t say I''ve ever done business with Shenoa and Co on Ebay but do a few searches on the forum and you''ll find a lot of nightmare scenarios from consumers. From what the posters have said, it seems that they WAY over grade their diamonds and use "NGL" certificates to help you believe them.

You''re always going to get what you pay for, no matter what you buy. I believe that prices offered by the vendors on this forum set the benchmark in price. Pricescope any diamond you''re considering buying. Anything way underpriced should raise a lot of alarm bells! Anything overpriced to the search results, well you can ask for a price match policy, or contact the Pricescope vendor selling it for a better price. I searched high and low for a diamond. The only way you''re going to get a better price than from the Pricescope vendors is if you know someone in the industry or inherit a diamond.

-joycer

 

[pamwilson65]

I just bought a VS2/H diamond from GLOBAL BARGAIN HUNTERS on ebay, which has an NGL cert (http://www.natgemlab.com/pages/1/index.htm) this one not the one run by Art. I had not read anything bad about this NGL company, except that they were not well known... until today I found a web site comparing certification companies and the web site I found said that this NGL company often grades clarity enhanced diamonds, so now my stomach is flipping, did I just get taken to the cleaners?

Luckily GBH has a 7 day return policy and I''m getting it inspected by a GIA graduate locally tomorrow. I do anticipate that the grading might more realistically be in the SI1/I range, which I am still OK with as long as that is what the inspector things GIA would grade it at. I also don''t want to wait 8 weeks and pay $200 for a GIA inspection, I just want to make sure I''m not getting ripped off.

My question is can a GIA graduate inspector/appraiser determine if a diamond has been clarity enhanced with laser or chemical? And or if you have any other thoughts on my approach, please let me know. GBH on ebay has 100% positive feedback.

Thanks,
Pamela

 

[oldminer]

A trained gemologist can generally detect a filled diamond or a standard laser drilled diamond. THere is a newer laser drilling process call KM Laser that is extremely difficult to detect. One needs over 50X to see it and more to really see it properly. It is a very subtle treatment and will become popular over time, I suppose.

For the most part, a gemologist can handle regular diamond grading and the normal enhancements.

 

[pamwilson65]

David, thanks for you feedback. Do you know anything about the NGL lab I mentioned? I checked out your web site, seems like someone who has been in the biz for awhile would have seen it all?

Thanks,
Pamela

 

[diamondsbylauren]

Pamela...
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

Do a search on the companies you are asking about.

PLEASE= for your own sake- search for threads on both the "gem lab" and the people reccomending them as a lab

 

[pamwilson65]

Lauren,
thank you, thank you, thank you, I have returned the ring now, I just didn''t feel good about my purchase. Hopefully the return process will go better than some others. Wish me luck
Pamela

 

[mepearl53]

That''s where I read about NGL. I had a customer call yesterday asking about the lab. They were told by the people representing the diamond he was looking at that NGL was the parent company of GIA. Bout fell out of my chair.

 

[ademello]

Date: 7/15/2005 2:22:16 PM
Author: compucadd1
I bought two diamonds from Shenoa & Co in New York City with an NGL certificate that were supposed to be an ''F'' color and SI1. One was an ''H'' - I-2 (very visibly included) and the other was ''J'' instead of an F and an I-1. They were worth a fraction of what they were supposed to be worth. When I tried to talk to NGL, they said they could only deal with the stores that they did business with. BOTH SHENOA & NGL ARE NOT REPUTABLE. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THEM!

Please be Carefull when you address "NGL" NGL can referr to NGL National Gemological Laboratory Inc. whom you are refering to. Remember There is also NGL National Gemological Laboratory of Massachusetts and NGL Northwest Gemological Laboratory.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 11/16/2005 12:12:57 AM
Author: ademello

Date: 7/15/2005 2:22:16 PM

Author: compucadd1

I bought two diamonds from Shenoa & Co in New York City with an NGL certificate that were supposed to be an ''F'' color and SI1. One was an ''H'' - I-2 (very visibly included) and the other was ''J'' instead of an F and an I-1. They were worth a fraction of what they were supposed to be worth. When I tried to talk to NGL, they said they could only deal with the stores that they did business with. BOTH SHENOA & NGL ARE NOT REPUTABLE. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THEM!

Please be Carefull when you address ''NGL'' NGL can referr to NGL National Gemological Laboratory Inc. whom you are refering to. Remember There is also NGL National Gemological Laboratory of Massachusetts and NGL Northwest Gemological Laboratory.

sounds like someone didnt register a nationwide trademark.
The law is in place for this very reason.
At this point a name change and registering a nationwide trademark would be a good plan.

 

[ademello]

For All Concerned : I Arthur DeMello from NGL http://www.nationalgemologicallaboratory.com National Gemological Laboratory based in New Bedford Massachusetts. whom is not Affiliated with Shenoa Co." Itried to Register the trademark with the USPTO in Washington but My Attorney said its not Registerable and will probaly never be registered because it has a very Generic Name hence the name "National" is a very difficult name to Register. Both My Company and the NGL that people relate to Shenoa Co. from what I have researched: Both companies are Registered with The State of New York Trademark Office so both companies have right to the name. Im Not Sure who Registered it first but the NY Trademark Office did a search and told me I would have it. However I''ve seen it Registered to Both of us. I Currently Hold a Sworn Affidavit written trademark for the Name with the state. The Other NGL provides Certs. for Shenoa has an application with the USPTO Office Pending review. I''ve been Told by some of the Finest Patent Attorney''s that the National Application wont Pass. You can review the application online at http://www.uspto.gov and search for National Gemological Laboratory. Our Company is Fair and impartial with our information and believe in full disclosure.

I''ll Keep the Pricescope Community informed of any changes that occur.
Sincerely, Arthur DeMello Jr GG (GIA) President & Founder

Date: 11/16/2005 9:21:03 AM
Author: strmrdr

Date: 11/16/2005 12:12:57 AM
Author: ademello

Date: 7/15/2005 2:22:16 PM

Author: compucadd1

I bought two diamonds from Shenoa & Co in New York City with an NGL certificate that were supposed to be an ''F'' color and SI1. One was an ''H'' - I-2 (very visibly included) and the other was ''J'' instead of an F and an I-1. They were worth a fraction of what they were supposed to be worth. When I tried to talk to NGL, they said they could only deal with the stores that they did business with. BOTH SHENOA & NGL ARE NOT REPUTABLE. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THEM!

Please be Carefull when you address ''NGL'' NGL can referr to NGL National Gemological Laboratory Inc. whom you are refering to. Remember There is also NGL National Gemological Laboratory of Massachusetts and NGL Northwest Gemological Laboratory.

sounds like someone didnt register a nationwide trademark.
The law is in place for this very reason.
At this point a name change and registering a nationwide trademark would be a good plan.

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Hi Art. Welcome to the forum. We especially love having new appraisers aboard to help share the "flak".

Art, have you considered a name change for your lab? It doesn't matter who was first, it seems that your lab is being associated with another which is creating a lot of negative press.

Look at this topic. It has over 4000 viewings of it. If I were you, I would get as far away from National Gemological Laboratories as possible.

 

[ademello]

Richard You have a great point. If I made that decision it certainly wouldn''t be an easy one after having the business name for over Ten years and being in business for over 25 years. I could change my name to New England Gem Lab but we already have (2) Two of those although they both have good reputations. I do business under both my personal name as well as a business name as many of us do. I wish the incident would self correct although thats probaly thought for wishfull thinking.
I''ll Certainly Consider it.

Thanks for Writting,

Art DeMello

 

[Richard Sherwood]

DeMello Gemological Laboratory
DeMello Gem Sciences
East Coast Gem Laboratory
Independent Gem Laboratory of New England

 

[denverappraiser]

Art,

Welcome to the deep end of the pool.

Unfortunately, Storm and Rich are dead on here. You''ve been screwed by the state of New York and first to use the name is not going to be an issue unless you''re prepared to have a court battle over this. You will be forever linked with that other firm and your only option is to force them to quit using the name or to quit using it yourself. They are a high production paper mill and the vast majority of documents produced under the NGL moniker are done by them, not by you. It''s an ugly decision to be forced into but waiting only makes it worse. If you''ve already got a registerable name that you are doing business under, register it immediately. Even if you don''t end up using it, it can be a backup position if you lose this fight. The process takes years and can be kind of expensive but it''s nothing like what it''s going to cost you to win this battle, assuming you even win. You have nothing in your business as valuable as your reputation. If you decide to have the fight with them, you should do this soon as well. Failure to persue the matter after you''ve discovered the problem makes your case much worse.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 11/23/2005 12:04:38 AM
Author: ademello
Richard You have a great point. If I made that decision it certainly wouldn''t be an easy one after having the business name for over Ten years and being in business for over 25 years. I could change my name to New England Gem Lab but we already have (2) Two of those although they both have good reputations. I do business under both my personal name as well as a business name as many of us do. I wish the incident would self correct although thats probaly thought for wishfull thinking.

I''ll Certainly Consider it.


Thanks for Writting,


Art DeMello

the owner of one of the New England Gem Lab labs posts here.
You would be much better off using a name that isnt in use and get a natiowide trademark on it.

 

[ademello]

Arthur DeMello GG (GIA) Changes His Company Name From "NGL" " National Gemological Laboratory "of Massachusetts to its former "A. DeMello Gemological Laboratory" to Maintain His Reputation in the Industry

Dear Pricescope Community, Fellow Professionals & Consumers:

I Arthur DeMello GG. (GIA) choose to no longer be associated with the Name National Gemological Laboratories or NGL due to Overwhelming Negative Publicity by another Firm doing Business under this name. I registered it in good faith with the State of New York and although I hold the right to use it will Cease to use the Name. I will Resume using my corporate name and former dba A. DeMello Gemological Laboratory which I have used since 1986 till present.
My Certs are Clearly Different. Unlike the other company Our appraisals are done directly to the consumer only. We provide only grading certificates to the industry. If any questions on the Identification of my certs vs the other please email me at [email protected] for a complete detailed description. The webpage will be Changed to The New Name as well. This I have been told will take 7 -12 Business Days to do. All Company Business will be Business as usual All Directories will be changed upon their Renewels throughout New York, New Jersey, Mass. and RI. Any questions on this name change may be addressed to me Arthur DeMello Jr. GG. (GIA) 800 Pleasant Street New Bedford, Mass. 02740 again at [email protected] This action is being done by reccomendation of other appraisers of Good Business ethics. I Think it''s a good Idea and I do it willingly and without any adverse reaction whatsoever. I thank these appraisers for looking out for me. Sincerely,

Arthur DeMello GG GIA - Boston, Mass.
A.DeMello Gemological Laboratory Regency Tower 16th Floor 800 Pleasant Street New Bedford, MA. 02740