The Diamond World

I recently purchased an engagement ring from The Diamond World. Paul indicated he had 2 diamonds available from an estate sale, both of which were oval diamonds, G color, VS1 clarity, and excellent cut for a great price relative to what I saw on rarecarat.com. I purchased the ring in full (don't recommend) on my credit card (highly recommend). Paul then shipped the ring to my current address a few weeks later. When I received the ring, I immediately noticed the color appeared more yellow than what I imagined was "G" quality and the diamond was very loose in the setting, but the engagement was less than 5 days away and no way to address the issue. I reviewed the appraisal Paul sent from The Diamond World, and noticed that his own company appraised the diamond as an inferior color and clarity than what was invoiced (H color and VS2 Clarity), but for a far superior amount (50% higher). Then, I took the ring to a gemologist who listed 5+ irregularities of the diamond compared to what was quoted and appraised. Additionally, she googled the EGL number (STRONGLY recommend obtaining a GIA certification prior to purchasing and having the diamond appraised by a third-party, unaffiliated company) and the diamond was or had been recently listed for sale on eBay and the number inscription on the diamond did not include what would be standard EGL format. I called Paul and asked for a full refund, which took about a week to process. In the meantime, he asked to switch out my diamond with one of the quality he had originally invoiced. Paul was a recommendation by close family and friends, but having undergone the stress of this situation during one of the most important events of my life, my advice would be as follows (especially for all you fellas out there that have never purchased expensive jewelry, like me): 1. Buyer beware. 2. Obtain a GIA certificate (all true gemologists should abide by this standard). 3. Pay with credit card. 4. Have a third party appraise your diamond. 5. Read Google Reviews on the jeweler before you purchase :)