Diamond Nexus fails independent gemological review

[Mrspeterson]

Re: Diamond Nexus fails independent gemological re

This doesn't surprise me. I worked for a local jeweler for a while and saw one of these. The poor owner SWORE that it was a real "synthetic diamond" but I was able to spot it from a mile away and, of course, the diamond tester registered it as a simulant. She was absolutely crushed an I felt horrible for her.

From what I was able to see of it, it appeared to be very similar to the $3 CZ's that we'd use as display stones. It was really obviously fake. ASHA's can fool people. Nexus won't. Ever.

 

[MrsMike_C]

Re: Diamond Nexus fails independent gemological re

Oh that is so sad for that poor woman. That's what makes us really mad. The fact that they lie does hurt reputable, honest simulant seller. But even worse, it creates horrible experiences for poor unsuspecting people like that.

 

[princess4976]

Re: Diamond Nexus fails independent gemological re

I am so glad I found this discussion board! I was very close to ordering from Diamond Nexus Labs. I even requested a catalog from them, and made a wish list!

After reading the interesting remarks about DNL's sleazy business practices, I did some research myself, and was shocked to say the least! The only positive reviews of DNL that I have seen all seem to say pretty much the same thing, leading me to believe that they are all written by the same person. The thing that sealed the deal for me was when I searched for "man-made diamonds" in ebay's reviews and guides. I actually found 2 reviews by 2 different people that were identical - word for word. The only difference between the reviews was that one had pictures, and the other did not, everything else was exactly the same! How interesting that 2 completely different people wrote the exact same review, word for word. Wow!

Several reviews I have read speculate that DNL's stones are actually Signity CZ stones. I researched prices, and for the record, you can purchase a 0.50 ct round Signity CZ loose stone on ebay for $2.00 + $2.95 for shipping.

Now that I am educated on the subject, I will be purchasing the Asha earrings. That is, if I can ever decide on round or princess cut studs!

 

[goodchicken]

Re: Diamond Nexus fails independent gemological re

Welcome to the board princess4976.
Asha studs are a great choice.
I haven't seen princess Asha studs, but I have several round studs & they are absolutely gorgeous. They can definitely rival natural diamond studs.

 

[princess4976]

Re: Diamond Nexus fails independent gemological re

Thank you, CJ!

I just got a custom quote from Wink for some yellow gold martini studs made with Ashas. My husband and I are currently undecided about what size stones to get, but I definitely see some new Asha studs in my future! I am going to go with round Ashas, since I have read some reviews alleging that princess cut cz is often a little bit too brilliant, which can be a dead giveaway that it isn't a real diamond.

I am so glad I found this discussion board! I am learning a lot!

 

[MrsMike_C]

Re: Diamond Nexus fails independent gemological re

Those asha studs will be gorgeous, Princess. Please post the pictures for us all to see when you get them.

 

[BobsYourUncle]

BTD seems as obssessed about DNL as DNL themselves

I am fairly new to the whole diamond simulant thing and initially purchased a stone from Diamond Nexus Labs a few weeks ago. We didn't really like the overall look of it so we returned it. I have been looking at Asha diamonds by BTD but decided against it.

You can hate DNL all you want but their customer service was great, very prompt, did the return quickly without question and had a good warranty, well set out on their site and in their packaging.

On BTD I see on a 14-day return, no warranty and little discussion of any customer service at all on their site. Although this message board run by BTD seems to be obssessed with keeping this DNL thread at the top of the board, I don't find BTD much better. I understand all the negatives about DNL's marketing practices but at least they are very customer friendly and if a customer doesn't like it, they take it back no problem.

Frankly, for the money BTD charges for their simulants, I want a better return policy and warranty. A firm unwilling to offer those customer friendly services is a firm I don't want to do business with, a firm that doesn't really believe in their product.

So I have decided against an Asha simulant from BTD and will continue my search. At least these boards have given me an idea of what other choices there are.

Cheers

 

[cynner]

Re: BTD seems as obssessed about DNL as DNL themselves

Although this message board run by BTD seems to be obssessed with keeping this DNL thread at the top of the board...

Although this thread is 'stickied' for reference, the posts made to it are what keep it bumped to the top of the board.

Frankly, for the money BTD charges for their simulants, I want a better return policy and warranty.

Not long ago, BTD did offer a warranty, which was dropped after several years as less than 1% of all their customers ever used it. Along with the dropping of the warranty, the prices of the Ashas also dropped.

Speaking not as a Moderator but as a long-time customer of BTD, I've always found their customer service to be impeccable. Speaking as a Moderator, I've found the same to be true in the manner and promptness in which I've seen them respond to their customers.

Bottom line is to make yourself happy; while I personally think you'll be missing out if you don't give Asha a try, I do hope you find the stone of your dreams.

 

[talk-admin]

Re: BTD seems as obssessed about DNL as DNL themselves

if a customer doesn't like it, they take it back no problem.

Your statement here is (by inference) not correct - we will also take any order back within 14 days...you make it sound like we won't, which is not true.

Cyn's has already given a nice response, so I will just add that our maintaining and paying for these boards, is in fact a form of indirect customer service by our company because it allows the free flow of information for customers, not only for our products but others, including products that directly compete with us.

We are confident enough in our product to allow exactly this type of unregulated discussion and in this case, criticism of our company. I have yet to see any other sim maker offer something equivalent.

Thanks for your feedback,
Less

 

[tricksi]

Re: BTD seems as obssessed about DNL as DNL themselves

You can hate DNL all you want but their customer service was great, very prompt, did the return quickly without question and had a good warranty, well set out on their site and in their packaging.

On BTD I see on a 14-day return, no warranty and little discussion of any customer service at all on their site. but at least DNL is very customer friendly and if a customer doesn't like it, they take it back no problem.

Frankly, for the money BTD charges for their simulants, I want a better return policy and warranty. A firm unwilling to offer those customer friendly services is a firm I don't want to do business with, a firm that doesn't really believe in their product.

Cheers

I understand where you're coming from but I want to point out a few things:

1. you had a good experience returning a stone to DNL - that doesn't mean everyone has had the same experience. I expect they do the volume necessary that refunding you the money you paid on a stone they bought from a third party for $5-10 is no bid deal. For all their talk, THEY DO NOT PRODUCE their stones on site (they are not a lab) &/or direct the growing of them unlike BTD.

2. BTD return policy - frankly 2 weeks seems more than enough time to me to know if the stone is to your liking or not.

3. BTD did offer a warranty on their stones but found a very tiny amount of people used it and so by eliminating it, they were able to offer their stones at a much lower cost. Noone I know of have has had their ASHS stones discolor, cloud or anything so why a warranty for that? And yes, stones break or scratch. But once again, why should BTD replace a stone due to normal wear or tear (or a jeweler breaking it while setting it) just because it's a simulant? And if DNL does, good for them. I'd offer a lifetime warranty for a stone that only cost me $5.00 too.

5. Marketing practices that are shady in my opinion are not offset by good customer service. That's like saying Enrons dishonest financial record keeping can be disgregarded because they had nice people working for them. Good customer service can be given as a way to deflect attention from other negative parts of a business. As in anyone nice can't be a crook can they? Wrong - it's proven lots of people can be nice to you while ripping you off. Just watch the news.

4. Lastly, about some topics being stickied at the top of a forum. Do you know how many people come to our boards asking about any of the CZ companies that are on the web or Ebay? Tons and tons. Having them on top helps a newbie find what they need. And frankly, I think BTD ought to be proud to know that their product is independantly proven to be what they say it is while other companies don't have the same kind of verification but don't have a problem saying they do.

If Ashas are not for you, then so be it. There are other wonderful CZ products out there like Winfields (interlap) stones and maybe one of them would work better for you.

 

[upgradable]

Re: BTD seems as obssessed about DNL as DNL themselves

Dear Bob,

Good luck with your search. Many of us have already reached our destination.

Sincerely,
Upgradable

 

[Kareberry]

Re: BTD seems as obssessed about DNL as DNL themselves

On BTD I see on a 14-day return, no warranty and little discussion of any customer service at all on their site. *deleted part that struck the wrong cord with me*

Frankly, for the money BTD charges for their simulants, I want a better return policy and warranty. A firm unwilling to offer those customer friendly services is a firm I don't want to do business with, a firm that doesn't really believe in their product.

I for one am glad that BTD dropped their warranty...what good is a warranty anyway? It's like the warranty that C&C offers for their moissanite...not much cover IMHO. Jewelry is made to be worn and with wear there will be scratches and such if you're hard on your jewelry. Chips, scratches, abrasion, etc. isn't covered by any jewelry vendor anywhere!

The ASHA prices are so much more affordable now...if only that were the same with moissanite!

So I have decided against an Asha simulant from BTD and will continue my search. At least these boards have given me an idea of what other choices there are.

Glad to know you found the board informative! I think that's what we strive to do here...educate others and share our love of all things sparkly!

But I would persuade you to take that leap of faith for a company with no warranty because it's their customers that believe in the product so much that we don't need one and only a 14 day return policy which for me -who already took my ASHA on a short weekend excursion- didn't need 14 days to decide it's a keeper!

Besides, all the members on this board can act as customer service, design consultants, idea generators, advisors, yay or nay personnel, etc. that are all forms of valuable feedback you can't get anywhere else!

 

[Mike_C]

Re: BTD seems as obssessed about DNL as DNL themse

Frankly, for the money BTD charges for their simulants, I want a better return policy and warranty. A firm unwilling to offer those customer friendly services is a firm I don't want to do business with, a firm that doesn't really believe in their product.

Since this question does come up from time to time, I would like to take a stab at answering it. First all, we need to make one thing clear: Diamond Nexus Labs sells SIGNITY CZ. This is not an opinion, or a guess, but a FACT. Our company and DNL share many of the same suppliers and these suppliers have verified that they are Signity CZ's. They are supplying DNL the stones for crying out loud!

Ok, so this is how the business side of it works. DNL sells a 3ct, 9mm round stone for $240 to a customer. The stone costs them $3. Processing fees are $6. Shipping is $15. Therefore, all in all, their cost of goods sold is $24, and their total sale is $240. That is a 1000% markup.

Now, by understanding that, you can understand how they can absorb the cost of warranty issues. Lets say a few months down the road you scratch the stone. You call them to get a replacement. They send you a new stone, you pay for the shipping, and they are out another $3. A few months go by, and the stone looks dead and lifeless because of all of the tiny scratches on the surface. You request a replacement, you pay the shipping, they send the new stone. You get a free replacement, they are out another $3.

As you can see, this charade can go on and on. They charge so ridiculously much for a misrepresented stone, they can offer an amazing warranty, because in the end, the stone is only worth a few bucks.

Unfortunately there are many people who do not know the difference. They have only seen very cheap CZ, such as the type found in $20 rhodium plated brass rings. Therefore when they see a decent quality signity cz, some are amazed at how much better they look. Some people have a better eye, others do not know the difference.

 

[voip4africa]

Re: Diamond Nexus fails independent gemological re

how can that ever be!

Nexus "diamonds" come with a certificate from the American International Gemologists (AIG).
Diamond Nexus Labs Round Brilliant Cut Signature Series

and that alone I believe is enough to prove that Nexus "diamonds" are not CZ.

 

[tricksi]

Re: Diamond Nexus fails independent gemological re

Can I call bullsh*t!!! So what if you get as DNL's website says: "Certification and Grading Report documenting the exact specifications and characteristics of your individual gem". That basically means you get measurements for the stones and something that says D color, Flawless clarity. Well since that's what all Signity CZs work out to be, what's so hard about making a template and just plugging in a customers name? It might specifically say it's a DNL stone but no where will it actually call that stone a natural diamond. If you still think it will, then order a stone and get the certificate and lets see what it does specifically say. Then take that DNL stone to an independent professional diamond appraiser and have it tested for being a diamond and watch it fail spectacularily.

Do a google search of AIG. You'll find that they're not highly thought of for accurate appraisals.

 

[Mike_C]

Re: Diamond Nexus fails independent gemological re

Here is a sad story of a guy who got ripped off by bidz.com, fooled by a bogus AIG appraisal

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/083/ripoff0083098.htm

From everything I have read about this company they are basically appraisal whores and will print whatever you want them to for a price.

Now you can see why Diamond Nexus and AIG make such a great couple. They were meant to be together

 

[cokeonice]

Re: Diamond Nexus fails independent gemological re

Wow. Talk about getting an education!

I wanted to research created or man-made diamonds today so that I can propose to my sweetheart!

Now my head hurts!

I was looking at the DNL site. Had mouse poised over "Add to Cart". Then I thought, I should really research this a bit more.

I read what has been posted here and, or course, am very skeptical about DNL.

I followed some of the links to other jewelry sites on this site. Am I to assume these are reputable dealers?

Does anyone have a recommendation?

I am on the "James Allen" site. The rings there look pretty awesome and the pricing seems pretty good too. Anyone have any experience with "James Allen"?

 

[diamonds247]

Re: Diamond Nexus fails independent gemological re

James Allen is awesome and I believe they will set your sims too in their jewelry. I think Lannie on the board got her set from them and was very pleased.


You are sooooooooo smart to do more research. Do NOT go with DNL! Winfield/Image stones, Asha, and Moissanite are SOOOOOOOOOOOO much better!

 

[OperaDiva34]

Re: Diamond Nexus fails independent gemological re

Thank you so much for this forum! I was so set on Diamond Nexus until my boyfriend started questioning thier policies! I did some digging and found this forum! Ashas look amazing! Could anyone give me thier experiences with Weinfield?

 

[ocMrsB]

Re: Diamond Nexus fails independent gemological re

i agree lit_tchr ... i noticed the same thing - and dnl was on the top of our list too when we were looking at rings - we were JUST about to purchase when i found this forum
THANK GOODNESS!!!

so glad you did not purchase, my dear! not only would you have gotten ripped off, but we would have never met!!

lol