Do you buy diamonds from customers?
No.
Can I trade in my diamond that isn't from you, towards one that is from you?
Unfortunately, no. We would suggest you showing it locally to find who will give you the best price or just resetting into another piece of jewelry.
Can I trade in my diamond that I bought from you?
Not with mined. Yes, with branded lab-grown bought from us. You must spend double of what you originally paid.
How come your lab diamonds are no lower than G color?
The lovely warm hue that we get in mined diamonds doesn't translate the same in lab grown. We tend to see more of a dark grey with a hue of brown rather than that golden color that mined diamonds produce. The times we have found a nice one is extremely rare. Trust me, if it worked out for lab grown, we would have a bunch of them stocked. If you would still like us to check regardless, we are happy to take a look at what is out there for you.
Which lab is the best for diamond certification?
While GIA & GCAL are known to be more conservative than others, we vet our IGI diamonds according to GIA/GCAL standards and even further. We analyze diamonds more intimately beyond what laboratories look at to ensure our clients are getting the best for their money. From our experience with purchasing diamonds, we would recommend not getting too hung up on the lab and more concerned with the gem quality and light performance itself which is something most labs aren't grading.
Why should I buy a diamond from you?
You can read about that in detail here but summed up in two points:
1) No one is going to provide our level of expertise & services when it comes to finding the most beautiful diamonds.
2) You will get the best customer service with us whether you are spending $100 or $100K. While we are passionate about the bling, helping people is where the real joy comes from.
Can you comment on a diamond I am buying elsewhere?
We cannot. While we used to offer this kind of service, we would really like to have you as our customer. If you want to show us what you are looking at, we are happy to take a look and recommend something competitive.
Out of all the 4Cs (Cut, clarity, color, carat weight) which is most important?
Of course, size is eye catching but if you have ever seen a large diamond with poor cut quality you will quickly learn why size is not the most important when it comes to WOW factor. Cut has nothing do with shape. Shape refers to if it is round, square, pear, oval, etc. Cut refers to the way in which the angles are proportioned. If the diamond cutter took their time, was skilled in cutting, you are going to end up with a diamond that is functioning properly. This means that light will enter the diamond and exit the diamond (back to your eye) successfully resulting in real WOW factor. If the diamond cutter didn't prioritize cut for some reason or another, you end up with an overly dull/dark appearance.
You are better off sacrificing the other C's to prioritize the cut quality. Trust us on this one.
After cut quality, size will usually take precedence in terms of what is most noticeable to the untrained eye.
Between color and clarity, the clarity is the least detectable to even a trained eye.
Why do I see the same diamond specs being sold at drastically different prices?
We have witnessed many different scenarios. Many online vendors provide 0 services in terms of demonstrating the quality of the diamond so because they don't have to do much timewise, they can sell diamonds for less. Sometimes vendors are trying to move product that has been sitting and will discount it to move it along. Perhaps it is a consignment, and the seller is willing to take anything just to get rid of it.
Many times, a diamond is priced low because there is something wrong with it and this is very hard to detect without seeing it in person. This is why we inspect diamonds under a microscope to see what is going on. For example, we have witnessed visible striation in lab grown diamonds. You don't see it right away but soon you start to notice that there is a haze to it in certain lightings almost like someone put their fingerprints on the diamond and it can't be cleaned off. We try to help people avoid this by inspecting the diamond for them in our lab.
Where are your diamonds sourced from?
Our branded diamonds are from an overseas laboratory.
Why are your branded lab grown diamond prices higher?
Our branded diamonds (August Vintage & Distinctive) are indeed special. We have invented these diamonds around ASET results which is the technology GIA and AGS use to ascertain top of the line brilliance. We hold our cutters to the strictest QA on the planet. The diamonds must be cut to a level of precision that is rarely found on the market resulting in "cream of the crop" light performance. We demonstrate this via ASET technology and show our clients how that correlates to real life viewing via HD video. More time goes into everything and so the cost is higher. That is why you see the price differences. If we throw all of that out of the window, it's easy for us to match/beat anything you see online. In essence, you get what you pay for. If you have a budget, we can source just about anything and help you find the best looking in that budget.
Keep in mind, a diamond for an engagement ring is not just any piece of jewelry so it is valid to want the best-looking option (within reason) for a sentimental item that is going to be on her hand for the rest of her life and possibly passed down. From a commonsense perspective, this is a purchase that you shouldn't treat as ordinary and cut corners with. That said, we are happy to work with any budget and will give you alternative options.