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Dedicated July 2018

Fiancé got scammed on engagement ring? Venting

Allyson, on May 6, 2018 at 3:18 PM Posted in Style and Décor 0 21
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My fiancé got me a 1.00 carat solitaire engagement ring. It catches the light really nicely and seems to be a really nice quality ring. One day I was looking closely at my ring (months after he gave it to me) and I saw a black spot near the edge of the diamond! I asked him if he knew that the diamond had visible spots and he said no. He finally sent me a picture of the paperwork he got for the diamond and The diamond was graded by the EGL as ideal cut and SI3 quality. I had never even heard of SI3 quality before and when I googled it there are so many sites that say the SI3 grade is fake and a huge scam for jewelers to sell I1 diamonds off as better quality than they are. We were going to go back and look for bands at the same store but now I feel like they are a horrible company tricking consumers. I had told the lady that we’d come in to look at the bands but now I want to call back and complain about their tricky business practices but I know it’s probably not worthwhile. Sigh. Just venting.

21 Comments

Latest activity by Reece, on May 22, 2018 at 12:36 AM
  • Amanda
    Master October 2018
    Amanda ·
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    Its still a diamond .. just a cheaper one . Im sure he paid what he could afford i mean cpuld be a 5 k difference .. he probably wanted you to get a big stone as opposed to a small stone ..
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  • A
    Dedicated July 2018
    Allyson ·
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    The thing is he still paid a lot of money for it. Online it says there is usually a 20% markup calling it SI3 vs calling it the I1 it really is. It’s just upsetting that they told him you won’t be able to see the flaws with naked eye but you can and they overcharged him.
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  • ISaidHallYes
    VIP November 2018
    ISaidHallYes ·
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    I’m sure your ring is beautiful! However I would go to a different store to be honest. Try going to some stores and finding what you like and looking online with a reputable dealer. They usually can get some things cheaper. However SI3 is a term used by EGL grading system. When you check out grading systems (if you are having diamonds in your wedding band) they judge diamonds differently. GIA is the strictest in grading so that’s why your diamond would be an I1 in their scale plus they don’t have SI3 as a label. The EGL scale used that as a marketing technique. Either way you still have a beautiful diamond that I’m sure you love! I wouldn’t worry about you engagement ring but I also wouldn’t buy from that store again.
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  • ISaidHallYes
    VIP November 2018
    ISaidHallYes ·
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    Just wanted to add that it also depends on how the store sold it to him. Do you know if they were upfront about the paperwork? If they sell diamonds graded by different companies. That would also have a big impact on how I felt about the store.
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  • Heather
    VIP January 2019
    Heather ·
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    Yeah, I can understand why you are upset. We viewed and approved the actual diamonds we would be purchasing for just this reason. We weren't super knowledgeable about diamonds going in, so we did research and had a wonderful jelewer answer our questions. He then brought us diamonds to look at and choose, and had the side stones sent so they could all be viewed together. It really sucks that your store and that jeweler did not do better. I really don't think you should go back to them ever again.
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  • ISaidHallYes
    VIP November 2018
    ISaidHallYes ·
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    Sorry I keep posting so many times. Eye clean technically means only viewed from the top and about 10 inches away. So if you are looking at an eye clean diamond super close or from the side and See inclusions it would still be considered eye clean. My moms best friend is a jeweler so I’ve learned a lot about diamonds. Let me know if you have any questions going forward and I can give you some more info when you look for your band!
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  • A
    Dedicated July 2018
    Allyson ·
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    I can definitely see it from more than 10 inches away Smiley sad if I had been there to pick it out we wouldn’t have bought this diamond but he picked it on his own. I feel like it’s how some auto shops try to trick women or people who aren’t knowledgeable about cars when they bring their car for repair. I like my ring I’m just sad that they weren’t upfront and likely overcharged him.
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  • A
    Dedicated July 2018
    Allyson ·
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    Here are aome pictures if that helps.... I may just take it to an independent appraiser for second opinion. Im definitely not a diamond expert but after looking into the SI3 rating it just seens like shops that use it are not the best.

    Fiancé got scammed on engagement ring? Venting 1

    Fiancé got scammed on engagement ring? Venting 2
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  • ISaidHallYes
    VIP November 2018
    ISaidHallYes ·
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    I’m so sorry. It stinks people are out there to trick others. First, I wouldn’t even go back to the store to buy something. Even though it’s technically a real rating a store should be upfront about it. Honestly it could be worse it’s just s small black mark. However the fact the store did that would make me upset. Personally I would go to the store and express your concerns. They may be able to help you out when you express how you feel. If they don’t offer to fix the problem then get a band from a new store and embrace the situation. My diamond has some flaws when viewed up close and to the side. We love it because we said nothing in life is perfect so it’s perdect for us! I garauntee no one will ever notice that’s spot. No one will be looking that close at your ring. 😊
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  • Mrs. H
    Master September 2019
    Mrs. H ·
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    I'm sorry this happened to you and FH! If I were you, I wouldn't buy anything else from them. I would also have FH present all of the research you've found and demand some sort of credit/money back.
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  • Jen
    VIP July 2018
    Jen ·
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    I would get the ring appraised if you haven't already done that. Insurance companies generally require that to insure the ring so you may already have that value. It's hard to tell if your fiance was scammed until you compare the appraised value to what he paid for the ring. If there is a large difference, I would 100% walk into the store with the appraisal and receipt and complain, threaten to review on FB/Yelp, etc. It's possible your FH wanted to buy a larger diamond (of lower quality) vs a smaller diamond (of higher quality). Either way, what you see with your naked eye while studying the diamond, isn't what a casual looker will see when they glance at your ring. I'd be happy with the ring (unless the appraised value if far less than what he paid).

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  • A
    Dedicated July 2018
    Allyson ·
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    Good points. I’m gonna get it appraised
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  • ISaidHallYes
    VIP November 2018
    ISaidHallYes ·
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    Be aware that your appraised value should a good amount higher than what he paid though.
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  • Officiallymrs
    Super May 2010
    Officiallymrs ·
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    Your ring is nice either way.. but your FH did not notice that mark when he purchased it? Did he examine the diamond ? Also was he aware of the differences between EGL vs GIA?? An EGL diamond that is graded G in color and VS 2 in clarity is comparable to a GIA diamond graded I in color and SI1 in clarity.
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  • A
    Dedicated July 2018
    Allyson ·
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    He did not notice and they did not mention it. They told him it would not have any visible inclusions. He was not aware of EGL vs GIA. You live and you learn I guess.
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  • earias
    Champion December 2017
    earias ·
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    I had the same questions. I didn't see this as him being scammed, just not careful with his purchase. He had the opportunity to inspect the diamond and do his own research before purchasing it but didn't. It's too bad the salesperson said there were no visible flaws but this was not something the fiance could not disprove himself by his own inspection. He was provided the paperwork with the correct information but failed to understand the significance of what the paperwork said.

    It's a beautiful ring though and the inclusion is not something people will notice.
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  • A
    Dedicated July 2018
    Allyson ·
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    Not so much scammed as duped into thinking he was getting something more valuable than he really was. It’s like the used car salesmen of jewelry. They purposely use the EGL ratings and aren’t upfront about the differences hoping they catch uninformed consumers so they can sell flawed diamonds at a higher price. They definitely could have told him there was a visible inclusion instead of pretending it was a great value and making it seem like the SI diamonds would not have any inclusions visible to the naked eye. Of course FH was able to look at the diamond and had the opportunity to notice it before he purchased it but didn’t. In his defense I didn’t notice it for months either. But now I can’t not notice it lol
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  • MrsD
    Legend July 2019
    MrsD ·
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    I'd make sure to write reviews online, so other brides know to avoid them. It's worth getting an appraisal from a real appraiser, then you'd know the quality and worth of diamond to insure?

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  • Missy B
    Devoted October 2019
    Missy B ·
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    In buying diamonds doing your homework is absolutely necessary. I do not think they "scammed" him as much as they clearly took advantage of his lack of knowledge in the situation. I know my other half researched endlessly on diamonds and looked at a ton of loose diamonds before purchasing. In this case, it sounds like your man just got caught up/excited in buying and fell for sales pitch.

    It is pretty and I am sure nobody would notice but you. In some stores they have a return policy that is 30,60,90 days. Hopefully you can return or maybe exchange for a better quality ring if it bothers you to the point of not being able to keep it. Good luck.

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  • MrsV1027
    Master October 2018
    MrsV1027 ·
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    Definitely get it appraised. You need to to get it insured anyways. This will either give you piece of mind or something to back you up when you ask for some money back from the jeweler that sold it to you. It's a simple design so I wouldn't go back there for the wedding band. Find another jeweler.

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