Hi, I think chances are good that this is a legit sale. Once the forwarder sends the package on, the buyer loses his Money Back Guarantee privileges. Because items shipped to another address after original delivery are not eligible for MBG coverage. So if there is a problem, they won't be able to open a claim on their end when it reaches foreign shores. (At least that is the way it is supposed to work.)
And you are aware that the item needs Signature Confirmation because the transaction is over $750? That is eBay's requirement for you to keep your seller protection against a Not Received claim on the domestic leg of the shipment. That is the only seller protection that eBay currently has (unless you offer free returns-- then there are more). Other than that, you need to look after your best interests. Ebay covers the buyers' interests, sellers are on their own for the most part.
So you are not being paranoid. Sellers need to be cautious when selling high dollar items. And in actuality, the time to assess your risk tolerance is not after the sale, it is before you even list the item. There is risk to selling online, and that cannot be changed. All you can do is try to mitigate it and make yourself an unattractive mark for the unscrupulous. You should know that the way the Money Back Guarantee is set up, that any seller can lose any item at any time. Fortunately, most buyers are honest, and contact with the undesirable element is less likely to happen.
But still, it does happen, and sellers need to prepare themselves. Inexperienced eBayers with expensive items are the main target. Having a higher feedback score makes a seller less attractive, scammers will conclude the seller has more experience and might pass them by. It is important for all sellers to know the policies and procedures that eBay has. The scammers know the policies and how to manipulate them for dishonest ends. You need to know what they know in order to better assess your risk.
Ebay has instituted practices that punish sellers who don't complete the transaction. Defects are levied for seller-initiated transaction cancellations, so deciding the risk is too great to complete your sale puts you in a Catch-22. Once the sale has taken place, your options for risk mitigation are limited. You either ship and take the risk of losing the diamond and/or the funds, or you get a defect on your account. Enough of those and your standing on eBay is tarnished and selling privileges are compromised.
In my own selling, the few occasions i sold high dollar goods in that range of $1000+, I found those buyers very easy to work with. No returns, no bad feedback, no loss of time or finances. No scams. So I think you will be alright. Just weigh the advantages against the disadvantages. Is it worth it to you to complete this sale? The UK has a stable postal system. The buyer is an established eBayer. The funds are in your PayPal and you checked the balance by going directly to the site thru your browser (not thru a link in an email). Ship it with Signature Confirmation to the US address on file with the payment. Insure the package--this protects you in case of loss in transit.
Good luck to you in your decision. Come back and let us know how it went.
