Quote:
Originally Posted by Sylvanfan
I actually found that Costco had good prices, but you have to take what they have there in store. I also thought some of the online retailers in the US had better prices. I think it was Blue Nile Diamonds that seemed to have some good deals and you do get an IGI or AGI certificate with all their diamonds. Something Spence doesn't give you. But the key thing is to educate yourself on these things before hand because if you're spending that much money you better know what you're buying.
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I am actually with you on this one. Costco seemed okay for what they were offering, but you have to deal with their lack of selection.
The certificates should come from GIA (Gemological Institute of America -
http://www.gia.edu/) or AGS (American Gemology Society -
http://www.agslab.com/). There are a lot of labs that will provide certification of a diamond, which verifies the quality of the diamond, but the standards are always shifting and are completely up to the gemologist doing the certification. GIA and AGS are two of the more consistent bodies that do the certs.
As for the appraisal, that is to verify the insurable value of the gem, and any independent lab will suffice for that, really... just go with whoever the jeweller uses.
As for service, nearly ALL places will clean your diamond and check the integrity of the setting. This should be done two or three times in the first year and then once a year after that to make sure the ring is holding up.
Thats the pitfall of getting your ring from the "guy your brother knows", there is very little education in the process, no certification, and no support and service in the long run. Almost every jeweller will be able to take in old rings to upgrade for an anniversary, and if it has any sort of history in the location, you can probably count on that reliability, which is good piece of mind.
You're spending huge bucks on this and the last thing you want to have to do is worry about it.