Naive FI?

ms15 · January 2010

Oh no, I have this sinking feeling in my gut. My FI proposed to me on Xmas and gave me this beautiful ring. It's almost exactly what I wanted (different cut, but I still love it). I love wearing it, but I get paranoid that some of the smaller diamonds on the band will pop out. (not sure how often this happens) So I've started to think about getting it insured and asked FI for the paperwork or certification. He asked me "you mean the receipt?" I said "no, the certificate that appraises the diamonds." (I told him it would have a bunch of letters and talk about color, clarity, carats, etc) He told that where he bought it from didn't give him anything but a receipt. He showed me the receipt and sure enough just said Diamond Ring size 7.5 $600 and his credit card info. He bought it at our local jewelry exchange location, but now I'm worried he got scammed. I know I now have to get it appraised by an individual jeweler, but can I use any local jewelry store or do I have to search for something specific? Also what can I expect when I go (what do I tell them) and approximately what do they charge? My stomach is turning and I hate putting the FI through this. I'm expecting the worse... it's a fake, and we can't do anything about it.

lyndausvi · January 2010

My diamond came from my MIL. No papers or anything.

We just took it to a family jeweler in DE and had it appraised. They told us everything we needed to know for insurance purposes.

The process is pretty easy. Since my jeweler is someone I know I just left my diamond. If they are not someone I knew and trusted, he would have done the appraisal while I waited.

I'm not sure the cost. My guy does not charge me, but that is because of a long history with him. I can't imagine it would be much money though.

Do not think the worse. Not everyone gets papers with their diamond.

SarahPLiz · January 2010

However, if the receipt says diamond ring, and the appraiser says its not a diamond (which would not be the end of the world), then your FI may have grounds to return it or get money back because the seller misrepresented what they were selling.

Get it appraised first before you worry about anything.

laurenclaire1386 · January 2010

My situation is a lot like Lynda's. My e-ring belonged to my grandmother. It came with no certifications. I took it to the jewelry store FI has used in the past for other gifts he got for me, and that has a solid reputation in my area. They charged me $150 for my appraisal. Certainly take it to get appraised, if you want to insure it, or if you suspect it isn't a diamond.

mwhitson14 · January 2010

We bought my ering from a reputable place and it came with no papers. Amoro had a really great explanation in another post about certified diamonds:

I have to add in also like PP mentioned, not all diamonds come with a certification. You have to actually purchase a diamond that has been certified. Yes, diamonds are pregraded, but to have it certified, it's slightly different process, and then the cost is added into the cost you see on the sticker. Honestly, getting a cert. when you buy doesn't really mean anything as it is highly subjective, and it depends a LOT upon which gemological group they went through- some are better than others.

When a diamond is certified, it goes through I think 5 gemologists working for AGA (or whomever), they all grade it according to what they see for clarity, color, cut. When those come in, the group "throws out" the highest and lowest grades, and takes the average. So, your diamond may be worth more or less depending upon who grades it that day. It's a tricky business.

irshis20 · January 2010

My ring came from a very reputable jeweler, but without papers. We bought an already-set ring because I fell in love with it instantly when I saw it in the case. I took it to an independent appraiser - not a jeweler, who might not be a neutral source as they are in the business of selling - and had them appraise it for replacement value (what insurance requires).

MyNameIsNot · January 2010

Not all diamonds are GIA certified. Typically, higher end diamonds are while lower end are not.

If you intend to have it insured, call your insurance person and ask for a referral to an appraiser. They will sometimes give you a break on it. (Our insurance agent has an agreement with an appraiser, so that you get a discount if you use that person.)

ms15 · January 2010

Thanks ladies, that puts my mind more at ease, although I still plan to get it appraised. The information you gave me was very helpful.

emilyinchile · January 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_just-engaged-proposals_naive-fi?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:683Discussion:4d244441-6615-4c8f-89e1-e3b20c0fb86aPost:e1c8e175-4154-44eb-a646-05f357ed9bef">Re: Naive FI?</a>:
[QUOTE]Not all diamonds are GIA certified. Typically, higher end diamonds are while lower end are not.
Posted by MyNameIsNot[/QUOTE]

This. When FI and I were looking at rings, there were definitely some in the price range you're talking about that didn't come with certificates because they weren't as technically good as the certified diamonds.

irshis20 · January 2010

Just to note, even high quality diamonds sometimes don't come with papers. Mine is D color (all three stones), VS1 clarity, center stone 1 carat, side stones .5 carats each (roughly). I know this because I've had it appraised at a local highly recommended gem lab. In my case the stones were mounted in the ring already when I bought it, so who knows what happened to the papers.

Knottie_22389038 · January 2010

cool

sweetviolet · January 2010

but I get paranoid that some of the smaller diamonds on the band will pop out. (not sure how often this happens)

From what I understand, it depends on how many prongs are used to hold each of the pave stones (the small diamonds on the band). One of my pave stones fell out less than a week after we got engaged (FI had only picked up the ring a few days before). When I took it back to the jeweler to be fixed, she told me about the prongs - for example, mine only has 1 prong to hold 2 pave stones - and that she's seen them fall out every few months! What she recommended, though, was to have some prongs added - she showed me examples of rings similar to mine that already have the additional prongs, and they don't noticeably change the look of the ring - and the cost to add prongs was included in the ring's warranty plan. Maybe worth looking into for your ring as well - good luck!

Naive FI?

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