Q. Ira, I am currently shopping for an engagement ring and got in touch with a jeweler in the diamond district in New York. He was recommended by a friend and seems like his prices are reasonable. He has suggested one stone which was a little more expensive than I was looking for, but claims it has a very attractive cut. I have pasted his comments below. I am hoping for an independent perspective on his comments and if this one is worth the additional cost. “I looked through all of my emerald cut diamonds. I have one which weighs 2.05 carats. It is a very fine cut, “H” color, clarity “VS2″. It is more expensive than the approximate price I quoted you- the price is $16,000. It is a really beautiful cut. The table is 68%, the depth is 67.9%. I do have some which are less expensive but I know that you are concerned about the cut. The others were either less deep (about 64%) or cut deeper (69.5%) and the tables were not as fine. The price was about $1,000 less- about $15,000.” Thanks for your help in advance
A. Take a look at the attached screenshot. That’s most likely your stone. I searched for 2.05 H VS2 and the exact table and depth specified. That’s the only stone that came up. That price is the wholesale cost of the stone. The guy is taking you for a ride. He’s making 27%! Nobody does that any more.
I can get you the same stone for cost + a 10% brokering fee. let me know if you’re interested.
Q. Thank you for the quick response. That has to be the same one. It has the exact measurements as the GIA report he sent me via email. I was already leaning towards using this guy as a jeweler for the setting, but not necessarily for purchasing the rock.
I don’t mean to offend, but I am a little wary of purchasing through an individual I found over the internet. Although I don’t have a problem with Blue Nile or James Allen, it is harder to verify an individual than a corporation. That being said, my budget is $15,000 and I am trying to find the best emerald cut diamond I can. I have been using your website as a guide (it is very helpful having someone tell me I don’t need to buy a flawless stone) and was shooting for around 2 carats, but bigger would always be better.
A. I totally understand your reservations about having me broker you a stone. $15,000 is not a small amount of money. I’ll just offer you two things that might change your mind. Firstly, I can provide you with several references of people whom I’ve brokered stones for in the past. And secondly, the way it would work is that if I find a stone for you in the US, you will pay the stone’s owner directly. You will be wiring money directly to a wholesale diamond company – not me as an individual. Once you know the company’s name, you can feel free to do your due diligence. You’ll just be sending me my brokering fee. So there’s no risk of me running off with $15K.
If I find you a stone in Israel (where I live), then you’ll be invoiced through my friend’s company, www.leibish.com. They’re a very well established company around for several years with a very professional website. They’ve been around long enough that it won’t be difficult at all to find positive reviews about them on the ‘net. If you still have hesitations, I’d be happy to recommend specific stones to you online based on your budget and specifications. Just let me know! …… FYI: https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Premium-Cut-Emerald-Diamond-1125757.asp?a_aid=dmnd1357 Looks like JA had it listed and it was sold.
Q. I think if I had a reference I could talk to stateside and it was a domestic company I would feel pretty comfortable with it. My work computer won’t let me get to fancydiamonds.net due to the word Cydia somewhere on the page. Apparently Cydia is an iPhone hack that they don’t want employees getting a hold of.
I would be happy to talk to you over the phone. My direct line is in my signature. With the commission I guess we would be looking at approximately $13,500 for the cost of the rock. I did notice that the James Allen markup for that stone was approximately 8%, so maybe that is the route to go. I am assuming you are compensated by them if you direct me there as well.
A. That’s so funny about cydia. I was curious, so I went to the page. Cydia is found one place on the home page. Unfortunately for them, it’s here: fanCYDIAmonds.net!
JA’s markup is closer to 15%. They probably have an agreement with that one vendor that knocks their cost down 10% or so from the advertised price on Rapnet. You are correct. JA does pay me a commission for traffic I refer to them. There’s an article about it on my site called “Truth about Diamonds.Pro.” I’ll give you a call later. Things are very busy in my house now. It’s almost dinner time here (I’m in Israel). Can I give you a call later tonight? Say, in about 3-4 hours?
Q. That works for me. Thanks.
A. You know what, I thought about it, and I think you’ll be better of just buying from James Allen. I can’t offer some of the support that they offer (30 day return policy, etc). And I’d rather you just do what you’re comfortable doing. I’m confident I can save you money, but it probably won’t be anything too significant in your price range. So here’s what i found for you on james allen:
https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Emerald-Diamond-1201389.asp?a_aid=dmnd1357
ttps://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Emerald-Diamond-1269572.asp?a_aid=dmnd1357
ttps://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Emerald-Diamond-1128349.asp?a_aid=dmnd1357
Each of those is at least as nice as the stone you were offered. The first one, the 1.89 is the nicest cut. Great l/w ratio. Depth and table are right where they should be. Even though it’s the lightest stone, it’s the longest because of it’s better l/w ratio. Let me know what you think.
Q. What do you think of this one?
https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Premium-Cut-Emerald-Diamond-1278425.asp
I am guessing 1.4-1.5 is considered the best emerald cut ratio? My overall inspiration is this ring, which my girlfriend has said she likes a lot.
http://www.bridal.cartier.com/index.php?t=1&nav=ficheprod&ref=N4190700&cc=us&codeLang=en
A. That stone looks stubby to me. Also, it’s deep. Compare the LxW to the 1.89 stone, and you’ll see that the 1.89 will look bigger.
Also, it’s less deep, so it’s weight isn’t wasted on it’s depth, its spread out in its area.
Q. I checked out Fancy Diamonds.net on my home computer and I would like to pursue having you potentially broker a diamond for me. I did see they have a New York office and seem quite reputable. The 1.89 carat diamond you listed below is definitely the best bang for my buck and has some of the best proportions I have seen. That being said it is a bit smaller and slightly less than I was hoping to spend. I understand you are fairly busy with Widow’s Mite, and I know this probably isn’t a particularly large purchase for you. That being said, I am excited by the potential of getting a larger, equally high quality (or better) diamond for a similar price.
I also noticed that when comparing James Allen images, the color change from H to G appears pretty evident. I can’t tell if it is just the photography or if it is only evident when compared side by side.
A. Wow. You’re good 🙂 I actually sold thewidowsmite.net about 3 months ago. I need to update my linkedIn profile.
Most likely, the difference in color you spotted was just an issue of photography. I’ve seen D color stones that have a yellowish tinge in the JA pics. The only thing I have found those pics to be useful for is to judge inclusions. Sunday is a full workday in Israel, so I will begin my search tomorrow for stones in Israel and update you if I have found anything. Alternatively, take a look at the attached screenshot. It’s search results from Rapnet which is the largest online wholesale trading site for the diamond trade. I searched for H+ VS2+. L/W Ratios 1.35-1.60. And max cost 14,000. I sorted the results descending by size. Have a look and let me know if anything catches your eye.
2.00 G VS2
…….
GIA Cert for 2.01 GVVS2
I hope you’re enjoying your weekend so far. Good news. I have two great stones to show you that we found today in Israel.
One is a G VS2 2.00. The broker didn’t have the cert available with him, but it’s GIA certified. The price on this one is $16000. That one’s nice, and it’s a decent deal. The pic is attached. The next stone, though, is a killer deal. We found a seller that is desperate to sell a beautiful stone. Attached is the cert and the pic of the stone. It’s a G VVS2 2.01. It’s got a great make for an emerald, with a perfect L/W ratio. The price for this one is $16,800. Compare this with the cheapest 2ct GVVS2 EM on James Allen for $18,150. I know it’s more than what you had hoped to spend, but relatively speaking, it’s a much better value.
2.01 G VVS2
Let me know what you think!
Q. Thanks for the suggestions. The two diamonds that you sent me are definitely beautiful, but are outside of my budget. My total cost with your commission for the 2.01 would be $18,480. That is just a little too high.
When I got into the office this morning I printed out the RapNet search you sent me and spent some time looking at it. The one stone that seems like a good value to me is the 2.05 carat H VVS2 from Edalati. I also found its listing on Blue Nile: Blue Nile LD01594526. It is a little shorter than 1.5, but I am not sure if that will make a huge difference in the setting I have picked out.
Alternatively, I thought the 2.11 carat from Maxnew looked like a deal. It’s L/W ratio is 1.51 and pretty shallow. I couldn’t find that one on either James Allen or Blue Nile. If you could give me your thoughts on those two, it would be a huge help.
A. Miscommunication – the prices I quoted INCLUDED the commission.
Q. In that case, the 2.00 carat diamond looks great. A couple of questions. The table is a little smaller than the range that you recommend on truthaboutdiamonds.com. How will that affect its appearance? There don’t appear to be any eye visible inclusions from the picture, is that accurate? Both BN and JA have cut ratings. That isn’t in the GIA report, so what is it based on and in your opinion where would this diamond fall?
This does appear to be a pretty good deal. Blue Nile has a comparably priced stone, but it has strong fluorescence.
A. Does this change your perspective? Can you do 16,800? I checked BN also, and the nice make 2 ct GVVS2s are way over 16,8000.
Q. It does. I think our emails are crossing each other in the Atlantic somewhere. I had a few questions regarding the 2.0.
A. The 2.00 or the 2.01? What are the questions?
Q. I apologize. The 2.01 carat diamond that had the GIA report.
A. What are the questions?
Q. The table is a little smaller than the range that you recommend on truthaboutdiamonds.com. How will that affect its appearance?
There don’t appear to be any eye visible inclusions from the picture, is that accurate?
Both BN and JA have cut ratings. That isn’t in the GIA report, so what is it based on and in your opinion where would this diamond fall?
This does appear to be a pretty good deal. Blue Nile has a comparably priced stone, but it has strong fluorescence.
A. Ok, Here we go! Lets get the easy stuff out of the way first.
1) The BN comparable stone is not only strong flr, it’s also a very ugly make. Deep stone, big table, and off-square and off-rectangular. 1.15 or something like that ratio.
2) A VVS2 will never be visible to the naked eye. It’s microscopic. See my article “diamond clarity chart” here: https://www.diamonds.pro/diamond-clarity-chart/
3) BJ and JA have a table of parameter ranges. If any of the parameters of a given stone fall beyond the range of one grade (ie, ideal), it gets knocked down to the lower level (ie, premium or very good). For example, lets say for rounds, JA’s ideal parameters for depth are about 60-62.5 and their parameters for table are 53-57. So if a stone has depth and table in that range, it’s ideal. Their next their might have a range of 59-59.9 and 62.6-63.5 for depth and 50-52 and 58-60 for table size for “premium.” The bounds of the different ranges are chosen on a very subjective basis. This is why I basically tell people to ignore the store’s cut grades. With rounds, you can always just rely on the GIA cert (which is based on a much more elegant solution that looks at combinations of parameters, and not at individual parameters separately). With square/rect fancy shapes, it’s pretty easy to learn what to look for. For the round-sided fancy shapes (oval, marquise, pear), it’s pretty much impossible to judge on parameters alone. You need a picture or even to see the stone in person.
4) The one diamond shape where the parameters matter the least is the emerald cut. Of course, L/W matters, because the basic shape of the diamond is affected, and part of the beauty of an emerald cut is its adherence to the natural beauty of the 1.5 rectangular ratio. Depth matters too, but not because it affect brilliance, because it simply affects how big the face of your diamond will be. With other shapes, the depth matters much more because it has a direct affect on the stone’s brilliance (how light is reflected around on the inside of the stone). Emerald cuts, though, aren’t brilliant cuts. They’re not cut to reflect light around and make sparkle. They’re cut to show off the simple beauty of the luster of a diamond. So shallow or deep, the diamond is still going to just be a clear mineral that you’re see light pass through (and not bounce around a thousand times). Likewise with the table size. With other shapes, the table size has a direct correlation to how well the light is reflected around inside the diamond. With Emeralds, though, it’s really just about how it makes the outside of the diamond look. You don’t want a diamond that just has a big flat window on top, you want a stone that’s built up a little bit with a few step facets on the sides. A smaller table adds to the beauty of an Emerald – it doesn’t detract from it. btw, take a look at this stone: https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Emerald-Diamond-1270856.asp You see, according to JA’s own parameter table, the parameters of the 2.01 would get an “Ideal” grade. Sorry I kind of rambled there, but was it clear?
Q. That is helps a lot. I do really like the stone, and I think it is within my price range. How would the billing work? Would this be through FancyDiamonds.net or another company? How would I be invoiced?
A. through fancydiamonds. You could either pay by wire or they could send you a google checkout invoice, but then they’d have to add 5% to cover their expenses.
Q. Either way I would like to see a formal invoice from the Company. I hope you understand that I am trying to add a layer of security for myself.
A. Of course. I don’t believe it will be a problem.
Q. I would like to go ahead with the purchase then for the 2.01 carat VVS2 diamond then. Please let me know what the next steps are.
A. Great! Do you want to pay by wire or google checkout (credit card)?
Q. Preferably by wire.
A. Here’s the instructions. If you can send the wire today, it’ll show tomorrow in Israel, and we’ll be able to make the shipment tomorrow as well. Please send your mailing address. is the phone number below the number you want on the shipment?
Q. I probably won’t be completing the wire today. I need to call my bank to get instructions from them as well. Would you be opposed to my contacting Leibish & Co. through their website to ask about your relationship with them?
A. Of course not! Go right ahead. The ceo is the closest thing I have to a brother.
Q. Despite my worries that this all seems a little too good to be true, everything appears to be transparent and legitimate. I just got off the phone with Yossi and he was very helpful. It is a bank holiday today in the U.S. (Martin Luther King Day) so my bank is currently closed. I talked to their customer service line and I need to go into the branch to wire the money. I will most likely be able to get it out on Wednesday.
Thank you for your help, and I am looking forward to seeing the diamond next week.
A. Great to hear. You will not be disappointed – I’m sure of that.
I’m here if you have any more questions.
Q. I completed the wire this afternoon. I don’t know how long it will take to show up in Israel. The bank told me anywhere from 2-10 days, but I doubt it will be that long.
A. In our experience, the money always shows up the following morning in Israel. ….. Just wanted to let you know the money arrived as expect this morning.
Q. What is the timeline for shipping?
A. Shipping today. Takes 2 days from Israel. Attached is the invoice you’ll be getting in the shipment. …… Hey *****. Did you receive the diamond? What do you think?
Q. I got the stone on Friday. It is beautiful and completely clear. I am hoping to get it appraised at lunch today. The jeweler that helped me look at settings on Saturday was very impressed with my buy and complimented the stone.
Thanks for the help!
…….
I got the diamond appraised today at lunch. Although it takes a couple of weeks to get the paper appraisal, he said he told me it would retail in the “low twenties.” I am currently shopping around for a setting, but that is a much easier task. Thanks again for all your help, and I am so happy this worked out. Although a bit of a leap of faith, you and Leibish and Co. couldn’t have been more professional. Let me know if there is a place I can provide a review because it would definitely be positive. I will definitely be referring my friends.
A. Sorry it took so long to respond to your wonderful update. I’m very happy to hear you’re totally satisfied with the purchase. I also want to thank you for taking that leap of faith. It’s easy from our side, because we know you’ll end up being completely satisfied with buying from us, but I recognize that the decision to buy from a complete stranger halfway across the world is not a simple one in the slightest.
If you have some spare time, it could really help me out if you wouldn’t mind leaving a little bit of feedback on ivouch.com. This helps me convince future customers that it’s safe and beneficial to buy through my brokering service. If you can do it, I would be most grateful. Here is a direct link if you decide to write something:
(URL REMOVED)
Thank you once again. And may you and your future wife share a long life together filled with health, happiness, and love.
Q. I just posted a review on iVouch. As I said before, it was a great buying experience, and I am happy I trusted you. After I propose next month I will be telling all of my friends that I know the guy that can get them great diamonds for a great price.
(see his ivouch here: http://www.ivouch.com/diamonds-pro/great-diamond-buying-experience)
A. I couldn’t have asked for anything better! Thank you once again.
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. James Allen will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free International Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisals
- One free resizing within 60 days of purchase
- Free ring inscriptions
- Best-in-class high quality imagery of all diamonds in stock
- 24/7 Customer Service
- Best-in-class packaging
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. Blue Nile will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisal
- One free resizing within the first year of purchase
- High quality images of about half of their diamonds
- 24/7 Customer Service
- 100% credit towards future upgrades (must be at least double in value)
- Best in class fulfillment
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