17 replies to this topic

[chester1]

Have found a dealer online called
"Diamond Ring Forever" I cannot find any opinions or ratings from anyone who has purchsed from this dealer. Does anyone have any information about this company?

[davidelevi]

I can't comment on service or reliability/honesty. The site has nothing to commend it (or much to condemn it). They seem to price stones at the top of the market, but not to provide anything in the way of exceptional after-sale conditions and/or stone quality. Unless you have a strong reason to use them (e.g. you know and trust the owner), I think you can do better with other dealers.

[Fergus]

At the risk of sounding naive I'm considering purchasing from diamondringforever.com because my price range is $15k and for that I can get this ring: [url]http://www.diamondringforever.com/three_stone_ring_design_832.htm[/url] ( Three Stone Diamond Ring - 832 Carat Weight: 3.00 Carat Diamond Color: Near Colorless Diamond Clarity: VS/SI Metal Available: Platinum, White Gold & Yellow Gold Price in Platinum: $14,000
I have shopped around here in Phoenix, Arizona and $14k buys about 1/2 this much ring. If I go through with the sale the first place I will take this ring is to a reputable jeweler to be appraised and if it's not a reasonable amount under what I paid I will return it and keep shopping.

Very much interested in your thoughts!

thanks,
Fergus

[denverappraiser]

Tiny details make a big difference. An undefended claim of VS/SI, 'near colorless' 2.00 carat round covers a HUGE range and no, they are not all bargains. If they aren't prepared to give you more info you can bet there's a reason and it's not likely to be a reason you'll approve of.

Edited by denverappraiser, 30 November 2011 - 08:16 PM.

[Fergus]

Thanks Neil, I guess my question would be what extra information should I ask for besides the "Big C's" after all that's how diamonds are marketed. The tiny details will be exposed when I get the ring appraised, if the person behind the counter knows what they are doing, right? Or is there a way to determine that prior to buying?

And can you (or anyone on the forum) recommend an appraiser in the East Valley (Gilbert, Mesa, Chandler) section of Arizona?

Many thanks and I'm interested in learning more before taking the leap!

[davidelevi]

Begin with the "big Cs" - VS/SI covers 4 grades (or 2, depending on how you count), and the difference in (fair) price between a VS1 and an SI2 with visible inclusions can be a factor of 2. I wouldn't call that a tiny detail. Same for G vs. J. Both are "near colourless"

There is no way of determining everything about a diamond without a detailed examination, but you can shortcut the process by focusing on the following elements in this order:

1. The seller/dealer
2. The lab grading the stone
3. The actual content of the lab report
4. The seller's description/answers to your questions
5. The diamond/piece of jewellery itself
6. The terms and conditions, including guarantees, upgrade plans etc.
7. The price

To me (and to Neil, based on his answer above), this deal fails at point 2 or 3 at the most...

[denverappraiser]

The very best way to determine the 4 C's is before buying it. The appraiser is a support or perhaps rebuttal to the trust you are placing in the seller but it is not a substitute for it. We can do a lot with a mounted stone but the only way to properly examine a stone is unmounted. SOMEONE has done this. Who? What did they say?

The thing to start with is a report issued by GIA or AGSL. Armed with that we can help you frame the next set of questions depending on what the report says. This is all true whether you're shopping on the street or online by the way.

[denverappraiser]

Fergus, on 30 November 2011 - 08:57 PM, said:

And can you (or anyone on the forum) recommend an appraiser in the East Valley (Gilbert, Mesa, Chandler) section of Arizona?

Ray Mason is a well qualified and capable appraiser in Phoenix. I think he has an office in Chandler but, frankly, given the budgets involved, I wouldn't be too worried about driving across town to get to the right person.

[Fergus]

Okay, here's the reply I got when I requested a report on the main stone:

2.01 carat Round Brilliant Diamond
VS1-I
8.02-8.07x4.93mm
Depth 59.9%
Table 59.5%
Polish & Symmetry: Excellent
Fluorescence: None

What kind of follow up questions should I follow up with?

thank you!

[davidelevi]

Back to my list above. You are still missing a cartload of very relevant information.

1. Who is calling this stone I/VS1? Which lab has graded it so?
2. What is the cut quality? According to whom, based on what criteria?
3. What does the diamond actually look like? Why are they recommending this stone vs. everything else they have available?

Frankly, if this is all the information they are coming up with after being queried, I'd drop this vendor and start again. Why are you so keen on them?

[Fergus]

Yes, that makes sense...Per my request they sent me the following report which I uploaded as a jpg for easy viewing:

[url]http://s868.photobucket.com/albums/ab242/fergus10/D1/?action=view&current=VS1-I.jpg[/url]

Can you see it okay? Does it look legit? I'm not "set" on this vendor but since the title of this thread is "experience with Diamond Ring Forever" it makes sense to post here. I want my wife to wear a ring she can be proud of and that will turn her friends green with envy.

[denverappraiser]

[denverappraiser]

I posted that just to save people the trouble of cut and pasting the link.

It's a HUGE red flag. Someone chose that lab as the sales pedigree for a stone that they're trying to sell for $13,000. Why? That's an unsigned document from a lab that doesn't even list an address. I don't know these people at all and they may be 100% correct but, if they are, the dealer and their supplier made a serious mistake to use them. A 2.00/VS1/I/xxx with GIA papers is an easy sell for thousands more and it would have cost them, at most, a few hundred dollars more to get it done than these guys charged. Why did they do it the way they did? I'm pretty big on expecting people to follow their own best interests when they can and, frankly, hoping for a $5-$10k mistake like this from a professional diamond dealer strikes me as a serious leap. The other choice is that the lab is wrong, that the dealer knows they're wrong, and they were chosen for that reason. That is to say, the actual grade is lower than that and possible quite a bit lower. Put another way, they're a liar. That's an uncomfortable choice between buying from a liar or a fool when there's this much money on the table.

Offer them this: They send it to GIA for grading. If it comes back at least VS1, at least I, with no other major variations in symmetry, polish or fluroesence, and the cut is at least very good, you'll buy it at full asking price. You'll pay for the GIA fees, you'll pay shipping and insurance and you'll throw in $500 extra for their trouble. If not the deals off. They keep the stone along with the GIA paperwork and they pay all the fees. Sound fair? If they trust their grader then there is no downside. If they don't trust their own grader, why should YOU?

[davidelevi]

Neil - the link didn't post correctly.

Fergus - I tell you what. I'll pay for the GIA report and the shipping. To you, via PayPal. If you have to pay. But my experience tells me that you won't... because the vendor won't accept the deal.

[denverappraiser]

davidelevi, on 16 December 2011 - 05:29 PM, said:

Neil - the link didn't post correctly.

I posted a copy of the lab report provided by the dealer since new users can't do this (for spam control reasons). I just copied it from the link that Fergus gave. It works ok from here.

[davidelevi]

My bad - my VPN blocks linked images, and I didn't realise it was on when I posted the comment. Sorry.

[barry]

Stick with recognized labs such as GIA, AGS, EGL-USA, IGI.

[DiamondClassic]

I would look for a company that belongs to the Better Business Bureau/has a rating and the JVC, offers a secure check out/PCI Compliant.

Jen
Diamond Classic Jewelry
[url]http://www.diamondclassicjewelry.com[/url]

Edited by DiamondClassic, 30 January 2012 - 03:02 PM.