NYC Diamond district

[mobay]

I''ve been lurking for awhile, and this is my first post. I am also in NY and started looking in the diamond district just at different color diamonds and shapes and stuff. I''ve heard to steer clear away from this area when buying but there were some vendors that i had a better feeling than others.

Has anyone heard or been to any of the ones mentioned below:
James & Co. (not the greatest vibe)
Mimi So ( little on the pricier side)
Kent Jewelry (decent)
Ultimate Jewelry Designs (had the best feeling after leaving, also with fairly reasonble prices on GIA certified diamonds)

Any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance for the comments and suggestions.
Also i wanted to mention that Ultimate Jewelry Designs claims to sell diamonds to some of the online vendors so there price is very fair.

ie.

Round Briliant
7.75-7.78x4.75
1.74 carat
depth 61.2%
Table 57%
girdle thing to slightly thick, faceted
culet none
poish good
symmetry good
vs1
h
$1200
RB
7.8-7.84x4.62
1.71 carat
depth 59.1%
Table 57%
girdle med to slightly thick, faceted
culet none
polish good
symmetry verygood
vs1
i
$11000

Do these sound reasonable?

 

[pad3006]

Hi mobay;
Welcome to PS.
I have not bought anything from any of the shops you mentioned. But I have been to Mimi So''s before, I found there sales professionals to be very nice and not overly aggressive. They also seem to have very nice stuff, but as you notes on they are pricey. But the quality seems to be top notch, so maybe they are worth a try, but I am not sure. Maybe some other PSers have more experience then me with them, take care and good luck

 

[atroop711]

Hi Mobay...

I am in Manhattan and had my experiences with "the district"....was high prices and pushy ("car salesman like") techniqhues. I was on a hunt for an H/VS1....on a budget....so I found PS....and with much research I decided to buy from an online vendor...Whiteflash....

I saw that what I wanted was going to eat up my budget and leave nothing for a setting...so I started to research stones with a lesser "quality"....I found a stone but wasn''t sure if I dare to get a EYE CLEAN SI2....so I used the Jewelry district to see loose stones with the same stats...H/SI2....well the SI2''s looked amazing to me next to all of the better quality stones...but their prices were much higher...so with this in hand and the trust in WF, I bought an Ideal Cut H/SI2 1.77 ct RB stone for a little under $9000.00 and the rest went to customize a diamond setting.

I wish I had recommendations for you in NYC....the only name that kept coming up to me when I started looking was Frank Pollack & sons....he isin the distict and by appt. only

Good Luck
Annette

 

[Regular Guy]

Mobay,

From what I read here, you''d benefit from taking the trip to Long Island (make an appointment), and check out Gool Old Gold; he can teach you what to look for, and has a selection that is hand picked for great performance.

Regards,

 

[atroop711]

I agree with Regular Guy...GOG has an impeccable reputation...I didn''t mention them before because I thought you just wanted to stay local in the city....I think they are about 45-60 minutes ride into Long Island....I used Yahoo Maps to get directions once and I remember them not being that far...the ONLY reason why I didn''t make the trip to GOG was because I didn''t want to pay tax....that is why I went with an online vendor....but that is me.

Good Luck....I am excited for you

 

[tareyton]

GOG all the way. I think you can even take the LIRR and walk to their shop. They are right on Sunrise Hwy which is the Babylon Line.

 

[rockaholic]

Hmm... the prices look kind of high... I think you should shop around more. I spent a while looking for my stone before I found a good deal with an online jeweler (who also happens to be located in NYC)... You should definitely look around more, there''s no harm in making phonecalls to see what people have available, you may be surprised by what a few calls can find you! (Atleast I was) Let me know if you would like the contact info of the jeweler I bought from, I have to say that if price and quality are important factors, then this dealer is highly recommended!!

~rockaholic~

 

[mobay]

rockaholic, thanks. I would like the contact info for your vendor. I probably will also check out GOG. Thanks.

 

[Allium]

I know several people that have been to Allure and were very happy. They''re on the north side of 47th, just west of 5th avenue.