Need guidance with 1st time diamond purchase

[newbie11]

I'm new here and stumbled across this forum while doing diamond research. I know very little about diamonds and frankly I'm apprehensive about buying a ring. I don't feel comfortable making a big purchase, especially after hearing about markups ranging from 100% to 1000%. How does one know if it's a good deal or not?

I live near a Shane Company store and thought it would be a good place to check.
Does anyone have feedback (good or bad) about ShaneCo?
Specifically, does anyone know the markup there?
Is there any wiggle room with prices?

Thx!

This isn't relevant to my question, but I'm assuming someone will ask, so here are the ring parameters provided by my gf:
SI1-SI2
Color (D, E, F, no worse than G)
Ideal cut
Round Shape
1 - 1.25 carat.
Halo setting
Budget of no more than ~$8K

 

[Niel]

i truly do not think she will see any color at all in an H, and that minute color change can make a world of difference in price

 

[Gypsy]

IF you are talking GIA stones (and you should ONLY be talking about GIA lab graded-- not some GIA gemologist in house grading--or AGS lab graded stones) then H or better is fine.

If you aren't talking GIA or AGS and are talking about some in house grading, or some other lab like EGL... you are wasting your money.

 

[Niel]

heres a nice one from good old gold, they could set it with a gabriel and co a few others. They set ritani too, which there are a few halos with plain shanks in your budget that would just be beautiful!


http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10259/

http://www.ritani.com/engagement-rings/halo-french-set-diamond-engagement-ring-in-14kt-white-gold/6114
http://www.ritani.com/engagement-rings/halo-french-set-diamond-band-engagement-ring-in-14kt-white-gold/6129
i havent checked James allen yet it doesnt work on my computer

 

[SMC]

I think you should go to Shane Co and check out diamonds, styles, etc to figure your color & style preferences. You can also get an idea of B&M prices there. I've read that they try to push their "Shane Co certified" diamonds on their customers, so insist on seeing only GIA or AGS certified diamonds.

Please keep in mind that you'll be paying sales tax when you buy from a B&M retailer. You are likely to get more for your money purchasing online. Also, it seems like folks here on PS are great at recommending well-performing diamonds!

 

[newbie11]

I appreciate the responses, but what about the markup?
What is the typical markup at Shane?

 

[Niel]

I appreciate the responses, but what about the markup?
What is the typical markup at Shane?

I cant tell you specifically for them but I'm not familier. Places like tiffany and cartier are a high mark up for the " name brand". But even maul stores you are usually paying more than you should for a lesser quality stone. And the well cut ones are always very high. Buying it online from a reputable vendor like good old gold, james allen, white flash, or brian gavin is a great way to get a well cut stone and not pay too much

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I appreciate the responses, but what about the markup?
What is the typical markup at Shane?

I cant tell you specifically for them but I'm not familier. Places like tiffany and cartier are a high mark up for the " name brand". But even maul stores you are usually paying more than you should for a lesser quality stone. And the well cut ones are always very high. Buying it online from a reputable vendor like good old gold, james allen, white flash, or brian gavin is a great way to get a well cut stone and not pay too much

Hi,

Basically what Nielseel said. With any B&M there is a mark-up for stones that are well-cut. In fact, if you do purchase a nice stone from any B&M, you will pay a fortune. I know, because I did buy a diamond from a B&M and we overpaid.

That said, there is a Shane Co by me and I NEVER go in there because the people I know who have purchased from there have all ended up with less-than-stellar diamonds. In fact one had horribly visable inclusions. The second person actually had her signifcant other return the diamonds, and the third, got itty bitty stones for the amount she paid. I only buy online now, but if I were to buy locally, I'd probably go back to the first retailer where I purchased my over-priced diamond because with that store, I know at least my diamond would be impressive!

 

[newbie11]

I'd imagine you guys are experts in diamond buying.

Given my level of knowledge, I would NEVER buy a diamond online.

I've got a friend who has a retail license, so I'm going with them to check out the Jewelry Mart in San Francisco, CA.
At least I'll save on sales tax.

But I'd still like to hear real numbers regarding my original markup question.

 

[Gypsy]

newbie. I am in San Francisco. Your best bet is to avoid the Market there. PERIOD.

And go instead to Campbell to Joe Escobar Diamonds. Ask for Erik.

As for markups. None of us work for Shane company. Pull a couple diamonds from their inventory, match them to diamonds with the same specs at James Allen. That will give you an idea. Make sure you are looking at AGS0 or GIA Ex stones only.

Also, buying online is actually safer than buying from the Mart. For many reasons. But the Mart is a nice way to get taken for a ride. I know this from personal experience. And from many other people's stories. For gold, they are good. For diamonds, nope.

Online you get full return policies for cash. For your total purchase. JA has a 60 day and Blue Nile a 30 days. If you buy anything anywhere make sure you get in WRITING a full return policy of at least 7 days. Then take anything you buy to Walnut Creek to Nancy Stacey for an appraisal. It's 150 bucks but worth it. NO WHERE ELSE.

And as for us being experts in diamond buying. Yes, many of us are. Which is why our best advice to newbies, not to get taken, is to buy from vendors we have bought from before, who we know deal with people honestly, and who we trust. Now, if you prefer to believe the Shane company sales people or their advertising or your friend who isn't an expert but will take you to the shark tank of the mart, there's nothing we can do. We however get no kick backs, receive no compensation or even discounts for our advice and have no ulterior motives. We are just Consumer advocates.

 

[newbie11]

I want to physically compare diamonds side by side. There’s no way I’d buy online if I can’t see it sparkle. I'll do my own thorough due diligence before I make a purchase.

In terms of the pitfalls of buying online, here’s a nice article that reinforces my fears:

The internet is, well, the internet. It's a vast unregulated marketplace with good and bad merchants selling good and bad diamonds. If you don't understand how to tell the difference—or if you don't consult an expert who does—you can make a terrible (and expensive) decision.
Most online stores simply list the inventory that their wholesalers are holding. These are posted to their site in a giant electronic download. The store does not edit or quality control the stones—they usually don't ever see them or take possession of them. So what sort of diamonds are in the wholesale inventory? Tons, both good and bad. It's also possible you might see the same diamond listed on competing sites.
What about customer testimonials or online ratings? With other purchases it's easy to use customer testimonials as a barometer of quality. On Amazon.com, for instance, if 500 users give a product an average rating of 4.7 stars, chances are it's a good bet. Diamonds are a different story. Each one is unique. The product itself can't be rated by customers, only the merchant.
So you can look for a highly rated merchant. But let's face it—do you even trust the people rating the store? When it comes to diamonds, most people don't know what they're looking at...and wouldn't know if they got a good value. More importantly, a diamond's internal characteristics, which the naked eye can't see, drive a tremendous amount of the stone's intrinsic value and durability. So a legion of satisfied customer testimonials might help qualify the diamond seller as a reputable merchant (i.e. they ship on time, they accept refunds), but it's no guarantee that your individual diamond is the best one that you could have bought for the dollar.
Another disadvantage of online merchants: Not seeing the stone. A diamond on its own always looks great. Diamonds need to be compared and contrasted for the average person to form an opinion about whether one is more pleasing to the eye than another. Online stores don't let you compare and contrast diamonds to understand the tradeoffs or to assess the beauty of the diamond (yes there is "art" as well as "science" at play). This is especially true for diamonds that are fancy shapes. With pear shapes, for example, you need to see if you like a long thin pear, short fat pear, etc. And many fancy shape diamonds exhibit a"bow tie reflection" that only your eye can decide if it's offensive or not.
A few final disadvantages of buying a diamond online: you're at the mercy of the information they provide you. They toss around terms like "ideal diamonds" even though they might not be ideal. They could give you a grading report that's not one you should trust (click here for more on grading reports). And, generally, they don't offer a longer-term relationship for extremely important "after sale" services: things like sizing, cleaning, tightening, and upgrading.

After reading a few other threads, I get the feeling that some of you work for online vendors. I'll stick with recommendations from friends instead of trusting info from complete strangers with no credibility on the internet. I obviously made a mistake registering with this site and hope others are careful about what they read here. Lesson learned. Goodbye all...

 

[cluelezz]

Hi gypsy,

which sites would you recommend for online sellers? James Allens seems to be getting good reviews, but are there others that offer cheaper prices for good quality? Thanks!

 

[Niel]

The people who come to this site take there personal time to tey and find someone the best eing for the best price. They do not get paid and are only using their personal free time to help and we just genuinely enjoy seeing people get the best ring and not overpaying

If you don't want that help thats your choice. But dont think for a second a"family jeweler" or a b&m store doesn't have a motive. Good luck in your search hopefully its successful

 

[CopperTop]

tl;dr Someone wants bad decisions enabled and PSers say HAHA... NO.

Also
I'm really tickled by the shark tank comment!

 

[Niel]

tl;dr Someone wants bad decisions enabled and PSers say HAHA... NO.

Also
I'm really tickled by the shark tank comment!

Yes one of the other posts were a little bit negative too. I had posted a tart response that I later deleted because I thought I was reading it with an attitude it didn't actually have. Now I'm not so sure.

Either way. This op isn't necessarily going down the right road to get the best stone, but his choice

No reason to nock all the helpful posters on this thread. Especially if you look at everyone's first few topics- how clueless we all were haha

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I want to physically compare diamonds side by side. There’s no way I’d buy online if I can’t see it sparkle. I'll do my own thorough due diligence before I make a purchase.

In terms of the pitfalls of buying online, here’s a nice article that reinforces my fears:

The internet is, well, the internet. It's a vast unregulated marketplace with good and bad merchants selling good and bad diamonds. If you don't understand how to tell the difference—or if you don't consult an expert who does—you can make a terrible (and expensive) decision.
Most online stores simply list the inventory that their wholesalers are holding. These are posted to their site in a giant electronic download. The store does not edit or quality control the stones—they usually don't ever see them or take possession of them. So what sort of diamonds are in the wholesale inventory? Tons, both good and bad. It's also possible you might see the same diamond listed on competing sites.
What about customer testimonials or online ratings? With other purchases it's easy to use customer testimonials as a barometer of quality. On Amazon.com, for instance, if 500 users give a product an average rating of 4.7 stars, chances are it's a good bet. Diamonds are a different story. Each one is unique. The product itself can't be rated by customers, only the merchant.
So you can look for a highly rated merchant. But let's face it—do you even trust the people rating the store? When it comes to diamonds, most people don't know what they're looking at...and wouldn't know if they got a good value. More importantly, a diamond's internal characteristics, which the naked eye can't see, drive a tremendous amount of the stone's intrinsic value and durability. So a legion of satisfied customer testimonials might help qualify the diamond seller as a reputable merchant (i.e. they ship on time, they accept refunds), but it's no guarantee that your individual diamond is the best one that you could have bought for the dollar.
Another disadvantage of online merchants: Not seeing the stone. A diamond on its own always looks great. Diamonds need to be compared and contrasted for the average person to form an opinion about whether one is more pleasing to the eye than another. Online stores don't let you compare and contrast diamonds to understand the tradeoffs or to assess the beauty of the diamond (yes there is "art" as well as "science" at play). This is especially true for diamonds that are fancy shapes. With pear shapes, for example, you need to see if you like a long thin pear, short fat pear, etc. And many fancy shape diamonds exhibit a"bow tie reflection" that only your eye can decide if it's offensive or not.
A few final disadvantages of buying a diamond online: you're at the mercy of the information they provide you. They toss around terms like "ideal diamonds" even though they might not be ideal. They could give you a grading report that's not one you should trust (click here for more on grading reports). And, generally, they don't offer a longer-term relationship for extremely important "after sale" services: things like sizing, cleaning, tightening, and upgrading.

After reading a few other threads, I get the feeling that some of you work for online vendors. I'll stick with recommendations from friends instead of trusting info from complete strangers with no credibility on the internet. I obviously made a mistake registering with this site and hope others are careful about what they read here. Lesson learned. Goodbye all...

Goodbye!

eta - oh, wait. Be sure to come back and show us what you buy. Seriously. Since the internet is so evil and you are VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE, blow us away with your amazing diamond that you find in SF for an amazing price.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Oh, well, some people have to learn the hard way and don't really care about diamond quality or throwing away money.

 

[SMC]

The OP started another thread ([URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/shane-company-markup.184961/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/shane-company-markup.184961/[/URL]) about the Shane Co markup and I wanted to post my response here to let others know of an example I found:

Shane Company has a diamond with the following specs online:
Stone Price $21,755
Item Number 30000126
Carat Weight 1.71
Certificate Lab AGS
Certificate http://www.agslab.com/reportTypes/pdqdf.php?StoneID=104051153070&Weight=1.71&D=1
Clarity VS2
Color H
Stone Shape Shane Classic (this means round)

James Allen has a diamond with the following specs
Color H
Clarity VS2
Carat Weight 1.75
Cert Lab AGS
View the diamond here: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.75-carat-H-color-VS2-clarity-sku-133761
Price $17,490

Both these stones are AGS 000. They are virtually identical on paper. I would say that the JA stone is better because it hits the quarter carat increment in size (1.75 sounds better than 1.71).

The difference in price is almost 25%.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't trust your eyes but James Allen has such a flexible return policy that you can order the diamond, bring it with you to Shane Company, compare it with their in-house "Shane Classic" diamond, and see for yourself if the Shane Co diamond is worth $4265 (plus sales tax - which is almost 9% in CA).

Alternatively, you can see if you can knock down the price of Shane Company's gem by $4000.

I read the full text of the article you posted (http://www.theplunge.com/ringbuyingguide/what-is-the-best-place-to-buy-diamond-ring) on the other thread and it doesn't necessarily knock buying diamonds online. It mentions how you can use online knowledge to your advantage. The best way in your situation is to try to get your brick & mortar retailer to come down to the Internet price.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I wouldn't bother with this one.

First the person says he knows very little about diamonds, then says, "given my level of knowledge, I would NEVER buy a diamond online." Seems like there is something off about all this!

 

[SMC]

I wouldn't bother with this one.

First the person says he knows very little about diamonds, then says, "given my level of knowledge, I would NEVER buy a diamond online." Seems like there is something off about all this!

Haha, you're right. I'm not trying to educate the OP, I just don't want others to be turned off by online diamond purchasing! It's completely safe if you buy from a reputable dealer.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I wouldn't bother with this one.

First the person says he knows very little about diamonds, then says, "given my level of knowledge, I would NEVER buy a diamond online." Seems like there is something off about all this!

Haha, you're right. I'm not trying to educate the OP, I just don't want others to be turned off by online diamond purchasing! It's completely safe if you buy from a reputable dealer.

Yes, I agree that it's best to provide others with information so they know that buying online is safe and much more financially advantageous than chain B&Ms. I have the feeling this person came here with an agenda from the start.

 

[CopperTop]

I think the irony of asking people on the internet for an opinion and then complaining because the internet is unreliable was the straw that broke the camel's sarcasm filter.
I definitely think everyone did a good job of being helpful, wasn't knocking anyone there.

sortmon even did the OP's homework for him! I like that kind of directness though and a good comp find!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I think the irony of asking people on the internet for an opinion and then complaining because the internet is unreliable was the straw that broke the camel's sarcasm filter.I definitely think everyone did a good job of being helpful, wasn't knocking anyone there.

sortmon even did the OP's homework for him! I like that kind of directness though and a good comp find!

lol!

 

[Gypsy]

Okay so. What sites do I recommend.

Well it depends on what you want. I don't know enough about what you want to recommend a vendor.

What is your definition of ideal cut? Do you want ideal light return and good spread? Or do you want all that plus hearts and arrows precision faceting?


You need to understand the term "ideal" better before I feel comfortable recommending vendors to you. Start with this thread: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/likelihood-of-finding-a-signature-super-ideal-diamond.174235/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/likelihood-of-finding-a-signature-super-ideal-diamond.174235/[/URL]

You best balance of "value" and "risk" is going to be a GIA stone with EX/EX proportions at H SI1, eyeclean, NOT hearts and arrows, but with great light return as evidenced by an idealscope image.

Now the lowest priced vendor, that I have personally worked with and have had great experiences with, to provide you with that is ID Jewelry. But... they usually aren't the vendor we recommend to most new people because well... their website isn't fancy, they are set up as nicely as Blue Nile or James Allen for online sales, so really do you everything by emails with pictures and Yekutiel (the owner) sending you pictures and choosing things for you.

If you want absolute and total low risk... you can spend 25 bucks on an idealscope of your own, learn to use it. And buy from Blue Nile, and stick to their Signature ideal line. Excellent service, great policies, HUGE amount of information available on them, lots of happy Customers. Prices are very good. They do not provide images or idealscopes. But for their signature ideal line do guarantee the SI stones to be eyeclean. And they have a great return policy.

James Allen is a great vendor. They are apparently experiencing a few growing pains right now. They just put up a great new website with video's not just images of each stone. They do provide idealscope images. Do have gemologists who can tell you if a stone is eyeclean or not. And also have those great videos for you. Prices are very good. We would be happy to help you find a great stone with them. And they have a great return policy.

Other vendors. Most of the other vendors I would recommend deal with 'super ideals' mostly. Rounds with ideal light return, great proportions, and hearts and arrows faceting. Those are going to be the cream on top of it all. And they demand a premium. So, if you are looking for value and want to know what you can 'lose' without sacrificing it all... that's what I would 'lose'.

 

[mdmc]

Why would you come on line and ask for information from people who obviously buy on line, when you think buying on line is a terrible idea? ( I am aware he did not ask about buying on line). Just insulted those who do.

 

[wbarnwell]

I wouldn't bother with this one.

First the person says he knows very little about diamonds, then says, "given my level of knowledge, I would NEVER buy a diamond online." Seems like there is something off about all this!

I am not trying to rustle feathers, but I believe he meant that because he knows so little, he would never buy a diamond online. I am new to this process as well, and like him feel weary of purchasing a diamond online because I know so little. For instance, I've been told by people on this site not to purchase a certain stone because of certain angles being "too steep" from a diamonds measurements, even when that diamond is rated excellent cut. Now, how would someone with my level of knowledge be able to tell that that particular stone might not reflect light as well as a similar one with EX cut? The only way that I might be able to tell is in person. I can't compare two EX cut diamonds and tell the difference, as it seems that some of you can. As for him being suspicious of some of you working for these online dealers, yeah the same thought has crossed my mind as well, but like everything on the internet, you have to take advice with a grain of salt, and for me it never hurts to get another opinion. I do believe that many if not most of you have other posters best interests in mind, so keep on doing what you are doing.

 

[bunnycat]

I wouldn't bother with this one.

First the person says he knows very little about diamonds, then says, "given my level of knowledge, I would NEVER buy a diamond online." Seems like there is something off about all this!

I am not trying to rustle feathers, but I believe he meant that because he knows so little, he would never buy a diamond online. I am new to this process as well, and like him feel weary of purchasing a diamond online because I know so little. For instance, I've been told by people on this site not to purchase a certain stone because of certain angles being "too steep" from a diamonds measurements, even when that diamond is rated excellent cut. Now, how would someone with my level of knowledge be able to tell that that particular stone might not reflect light as well as a similar one with EX cut? The only way that I might be able to tell is in person. I can't compare two EX cut diamonds and tell the difference, as it seems that some of you can. As for him being suspicious of some of you working for these online dealers, yeah the same thought has crossed my mind as well, but like everything on the internet, you have to take advice with a grain of salt, and for me it never hurts to get another opinion. I do believe that many if not most of you have other posters best interests in mind, so keep on doing what you are doing.

I would ask you one question. If you can't tell from measurements when a stone is too deep, how are you going to tell when you look in person? The differences in angle are miniscule, often only fractions of a degree. When you add to that the trick store lighting that jewelry stores use to make EVERYTHING sparkle, how will you know? It's when you take that poorly cut diamond away from the fancy lights that problems tend to become more evident.

It's a bit of a viscious circle. You come here to educate yourself (hopefully) about what proportions a nice diamond ought to have, then go find out the stores don't have a clue what you're talking about, or when you start to ask intelligent questions, they get annoyed with you, so you go learn more and end up buying from somewhere that DOES answer your questions. Try asking about a stone being too deep at a most jewelry stores and see what sort of answers you get.

The focus on cut quality is only a few decades old at most and it seems that many standard jewelery stores are behind on that mainly focusing on color and clarity to sell a stone. For instance, when I looked at Tiffany's, that is the ONLY thing they discussed.

I urge you to try it as an experiment. Learn a little bit about what a nice diamond looks like and what proportions it has, then go ask questions. In the long run it doesn't matter where you buy from, but if you are uneducated then your chances of buying a nice stone aren't any better at a B/M that sells reliably graded stones (IMO at least) than online from a reputable place that sells reliably graded stones. There always seems to be this automatic "trust" factor that a jewelry store is going to sell you an ideal or "nice" stone, when in fact, the people selling the stones may or may not know anything at all about cut quality.

However, if you are a person who just wants to walk in to a store, and walk out with something and rely on someone elses opinion is what a good stone is, then that's certainly a person's choice, but it isn't ANY guarantee you'll get a nicely cut stone and IMO isn't really a whole lot different than making a blind choice online from a reputable place...except then you've only got yourself to blame if it's a dud, instead of a jewelry store sales associate.

 

[Niel]

I wouldn't bother with this one.

First the person says he knows very little about diamonds, then says, "given my level of knowledge, I would NEVER buy a diamond online." Seems like there is something off about all this!

I am not trying to rustle feathers, but I believe he meant that because he knows so little, he would never buy a diamond online. I am new to this process as well, and like him feel weary of purchasing a diamond online because I know so little. For instance, I've been told by people on this site not to purchase a certain stone because of certain angles being "too steep" from a diamonds measurements, even when that diamond is rated excellent cut. Now, how would someone with my level of knowledge be able to tell that that particular stone might not reflect light as well as a similar one with EX cut? The only way that I might be able to tell is in person. I can't compare two EX cut diamonds and tell the difference, as it seems that some of you can. As for him being suspicious of some of you working for these online dealers, yeah the same thought has crossed my mind as well, but like everything on the internet, you have to take advice with a grain of salt, and for me it never hurts to get another opinion. I do believe that many if not most of you have other posters best interests in mind, so keep on doing what you are doing.

How would you be able to tell the angle difference in person? Its a minute difference youre not going to see under jewelry store lights its only going to be seen in the certs. The reason we advise shopping online is its a pressure free environment with no tricks or pushy salesmen just cold hard facts about each stone amd its performance with stores that have a low overhead because they are online. Most of us are just enthusiasts who dont want to see someone's money get taken becuase they are charged too much for a sub par stone. I can say for certain we just like the feeling of someone getting what they want eith there eyes wide open- knowing it was quality and well priced

 

[wbarnwell]

I wouldn't bother with this one.

First the person says he knows very little about diamonds, then says, "given my level of knowledge, I would NEVER buy a diamond online." Seems like there is something off about all this!

I am not trying to rustle feathers, but I believe he meant that because he knows so little, he would never buy a diamond online. I am new to this process as well, and like him feel weary of purchasing a diamond online because I know so little. For instance, I've been told by people on this site not to purchase a certain stone because of certain angles being "too steep" from a diamonds measurements, even when that diamond is rated excellent cut. Now, how would someone with my level of knowledge be able to tell that that particular stone might not reflect light as well as a similar one with EX cut? The only way that I might be able to tell is in person. I can't compare two EX cut diamonds and tell the difference, as it seems that some of you can. As for him being suspicious of some of you working for these online dealers, yeah the same thought has crossed my mind as well, but like everything on the internet, you have to take advice with a grain of salt, and for me it never hurts to get another opinion. I do believe that many if not most of you have other posters best interests in mind, so keep on doing what you are doing.

How would you be able to tell the angle difference in person? Its a minute difference youre not going to see under jewelry store lights its only going to be seen in the certs. The reason we advise shopping online is its a pressure free environment with no tricks or pushy salesmen just cold hard facts about each stone amd its performance with stores that have a low overhead because they are online. Most of us are just enthusiasts who dont want to see someone's money get taken becuase they are charged too much for a sub par stone. I can say for certain we just like the feeling of someone getting what they want eith there eyes wide open- knowing it was quality and well priced

My point was that I can't tell the difference between the numbers when looking at a diamond online, all I know is what I can see with my own two eyes. So, I understand why he is weary of shopping online. So, I am trying to take the time to learn to learn about a stone's performance by looking at the numbers, and it has been a wonderful education. This site has been very helpful to me, whether or not I decide to buy a diamond online or not.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I wouldn't bother with this one.

First the person says he knows very little about diamonds, then says, "given my level of knowledge, I would NEVER buy a diamond online." Seems like there is something off about all this!

I am not trying to rustle feathers, but I believe he meant that because he knows so little, he would never buy a diamond online. I am new to this process as well, and like him feel weary of purchasing a diamond online because I know so little. For instance, I've been told by people on this site not to purchase a certain stone because of certain angles being "too steep" from a diamonds measurements, even when that diamond is rated excellent cut. Now, how would someone with my level of knowledge be able to tell that that particular stone might not reflect light as well as a similar one with EX cut? The only way that I might be able to tell is in person. I can't compare two EX cut diamonds and tell the difference, as it seems that some of you can. As for him being suspicious of some of you working for these online dealers, yeah the same thought has crossed my mind as well, but like everything on the internet, you have to take advice with a grain of salt, and for me it never hurts to get another opinion. I do believe that many if not most of you have other posters best interests in mind, so keep on doing what you are doing.

Let me just assure you as well, that none of us work for these vendors. If we did, we'd have TRADE designated and our company identified. It is strictly against the rules to do otherwise. Some of us are loyal to vendors who have given good service and sell outstanding diamonds. I certainly will recommend their stones when they have one that meets the buyers specs. I only recommend stones from vendors who provide pictures and idealscope images at minimum. That is the proof of whether the numbers are good enough or not because you will see leakage even in some "excellent" cut stones. Most of us that stick around just like diamonds and jewelry as a hobby. If we can help someone buy a great diamond at a reasonable price, that is just enjoyable to us.