12 replies to this topic

[Giovanna555]

Has anyone ever purchased or heard of beverly diamonds based out of Los angeles? I have been trying to do research on them because their prices are very affordable and it just seems too good to be true! Any experiences??

[davidelevi]

Be warned that in general if something looks too good to be true, it generally is. Specifically, this company seems to specialise in clarity enhanced diamonds - which have their own set of pros and cons.

Read here. http://www.diamondre...anced-diamonds/

Also, scour the net for reviews (there was a thread here that has been removed I believe because of legal issues) and read their BBB report in detail. Then decide if they are a company you like.

[denverappraiser]

I wonder what was legally troublesome about it. I see the BBB complaint is still there and it's still listed as unresolved. In the discussion here the person claimed they made good on it. Curious.

http://www.la.bbb.or...es-CA-100089880

[Giovanna555]

I was looking into it a little more yesterday and it says their diamonds are gra certified which I did find when I googled it. Has anyone heard of gra certified diamonds?

[denverappraiser]

Why would you rely on a grading opinion by someone you've never heard of and who you can't even find with Google?

[Giovanna555]

I said I did find it when I googled it and I would like to know if anyone else has heard of it

[davidelevi]

Gemmological labs are unregulated. Anyone can set one up, and call themselves "independent grading authority"; the onus is on the vendor (and on the lab) to convince you that a report from JLC (Joe's Lab on the Corner) or GRA or anyone else is a reliable and independent description of the diamond. If you ask anyone in the trade, the answer that will come back is "for diamonds, the only labs you can trust are GIA and AGS. HRD at a pinch." Interestingly, as far as I know, neither of the three will grade CE diamonds.

[denverappraiser]

Sorry, I misread your post. Yes, I've heard of them. Actually, last time I tried to google them I failed so I assumed this was your experience as well.

Here's their website. http://www.gralabs.com

Edited by denverappraiser, 11 February 2012 - 03:08 PM.

[davidelevi]

If their (GRA) standards in grading accuracy are exemplified by the accuracy and care taken in assembling their website, beware:

• The sample "certificate" contains at least a typo... "flourescence". And the link that takes you to the sample page has another one: "cerificate".
  
• They call their reports "certificates" throughout, yet the first words on the sample report caveats are: "This report is not a warranty, appraisal, valuation or guarantee. GRA makes no representations or warranties regarding this report or the diamond described." So what are they "certifying"?
  
• The blurb continues: "GRA is a wholesale merchant engaged in the sale of diamonds and gemstones and may have been the owner or seller of the diamond described on this report". Yet their own "diamond buying tips" list includes the following "Do not buy a diamond with a bogus or in-house diamond certificate. If you are unsure, do your research on the laboratory that issued the report. Examples of in-house certificates are manufacturer reports and appraisals generated by the seller." So why should I buy a diamond graded by you?
  
• There are sections of the site that have been lifted from other sites without even cleaning the names off. From the "diamond buying tips": "DCLA is the only independent and internationally recognised laboratory in Australia." From their "About GRA" section: "Our staff are all graduate gemologists, G.I.A. and/or diamond graduates, G.I.A. When you visit Universal Gemological Laboratory, you can expect to be treated with the respect you deserve. [...] Each of the staff at Universal Gemological Laboratory possesses at least one or all of the following credentials:[...]" It's just a shame that UGL is another firm
  
• There are missing informations indicated with instructions to the website manager - such as "Below [Insert pics of diamonds: round, oval, princess, emerald cut, pear shape, marquise] are examples of the different types of cuts in the industry today" - and no pic follows. On the other hand, the other pics on the page have been purloined from other sites, so perhaps it is just as well...
  
• The "diamond education" and "diamond buying tip" sections are replete with statements that are incorrect, incomplete or at the very least questionable.

I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry...

[Giovanna555]

Thank you so much for your help

[Nicole King]

My fiancé bought me a ring from Beverly Diamonds in Feb. 2010. I thought it was beautiful when I first got it. Six months after having it the setting of the 1 cart diamond broke off completely from the ring. I had it inspected by a local jeweler and he suggested I contact the company because it was an imperfection in the metal and jewelers normally warranty their work for at least 1 year. My fiancé made several attempts to get a hold of the company and it took about a week to finally get a response. After battling with the company my fiancé got them to agree to fix it, however they insisted on making us paying for the insured shipping. Reluctantly, he agreed. When I received the ring back the center stone was crooked, and after a few months it started to rattle. So, I decided to have checked out by another jeweler and to my surprise the quality of Beverly Diamonds workmanship was extremely poor.
By the way this jeweler was not trying to sell me anything extra or even get me to have him fix it. He was very respectful, showed me exactly what he found under the microscope and encouraged me to contact the company. He found that the center stone was lose and not set properly, there was a large chip out of one of the side diamonds and many were lose. The center stone was suppose to be a SI clarity and F color, but my local jeweler told me it was I3 clarity at best and H in color. It was also found that the stone is clarity enhanced, which was not disclosed to my fiancé prior to the sale and when he purchased the ring it was not stated anywhere on their website. The wedding band had many lose diamonds and several only had one prong of metal touching the diamond.
My fiancé once again attempted to contact Beverly diamonds and after a week they finally got back to him with some lame excuse of their phones being updated(does that mean their emails didn't work either). He spoke to Brad and let him know how disappointed he was in their product. Brad stated he would personally overlook the creation of a new ring and guaranteed that the workmanship would be good. My fiancé also demanded they give him a center stone that was SI in clarity and F in color like he originally purchased.
After receiving the ring back I immediately took it back to the jeweler. He once again showed me the ring under the microscope. This time the wedding band was better but not good quality. The engagement band however, has 10 lose side stones and the center stone is still lose and one of the prongs is not even touching the diamond. They center stone is still an I3 clarity at best and H in color.
My fiancé once again attempted to contact Beverly Diamonds and the only thing they have to say is that they would guarantee the small side diamonds but not the center stone. Brad also tried to tell my fiancé that it is almost impossible to secure small diamonds in a ring, which my local jeweler said is absolutely false. When he questioned them about the quality of the center stone the answer he received about the diamond from Beverly Diamonds was as follows; "the center stone is very beautiful and if you wanted a clean diamond you should have up graded to an VS2". Okay but he paid for a SI and only got a I3. Their is a large inclusion in the middle of my stone that is visible with the naked eye. They will no longer reply to emails or phone calls from my fiancé.
I'm sorry but I'm not going to send my ring back every time a diamond falls out and the center stone, which isn't secure, they won't guarantee. Their work is very low quality and they don't stand behind their work.
I WILL NEVER BUY FROM BEVERLY DIAMONDS AGAIN AND WILL NEVER RECOMMEND THEM TO ANYONE!

[davidelevi]

On the clarity or colour you have little recourse. On the other hand, if you have an invoice that does not describe the diamond as "clarity enhanced" and the stone is enhanced, you should have some recourse through the courts. Whether that is worth your while, is difficult to say.

[adeshun]

Hello, I'm a little late getting in on this topic, but I would NOT recommend purchasing anything from Beverly Diamonds. I purchased a ring from them and within 2 days of owning the ring and giving it to my fiance, a diamond fell out. We had the ring further inspected by our hometown jeweler in North Carolina and the ring was found to have a broken shank along with other loose sidestones. Upon calling BD, they told the design of the ring was at risk for other sidstones to fall out in the near future and there was nothing they could do about it. So I filed my dispute with Chase and received my $4000 back. email me at adeshun55@yahoo.com if you have further questions. AGAIN, DO NOT BUY FROM BEVERLY DIAMONDS. AVOID THEM AT ALL COST.