UK Vendors?

[chopstixbd]

I am based in the UK and come across a few good vendors through pricescope however they all seem to be based in USA e.g. the rings are posted from USA to UK. I don't really want to go this route as I will need to pay duty/customs fees which add up to quite a lot!

Is there any recommended UK vendors or a section for UK people? I have only come across BlueNile as a well know vendor where i will not have to worry about duty/custom fees.

 

[craiguk]

The perception that US prices work out more expensive because of excise and customs charges isn't quite right. You do pay VAT and duty in the UK - it just so happens to be included in the price.

I'm also in the UK and have set my mind on buying from Whiteflash. In part because I can see their inventory with clear detail and their customer service is excellent but also because they work out slightly cheaper even with paying for duty than an equivalent stone in the UK. They also happen to have the exact setting I want.

I've had a look on Fortrez who can supply Infinity Diamonds but their price for a comparable stone worked out slightly dearer than Whiteflash.

 

[Snowdrop13]

There are quite a few people on here from the UK and Europe and I think most of us have bought items from vendors in the US. I have certainly found that the range, style and quality of pieces far exceeds what is available on the high street. Even with taxes added in most of the pricing is better too. It can appear daunting but as long as you do your research I don't think you can go far wrong! Pricescope is a great resource and there are many, many helpful people who can assist you with buying choices.

 

[chopstixbd]

thansk for the replies all, sorry i should of stated the time factor too as i am going to be proposing in exactly 3 weeks time!

 

[Snowdrop13]

Wow, that is soon! I have bought from cooldiamonds.com in the past with no problems too, they sell GIA certified stones though not with pictures/ASETs. They are based in London.

 

[Ally T]

I would get yourself to Hatton Garden in London or Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter pronto. I have used both, one for a loose diamond & the other to custom make a ring, and had fantastic experiences. Good luck!

 

[dk168]

I have not bought any high end jewellery in the UK since I discovered the joys of internet shopping and importing jewellery from abroad.

If I were in a rush to get something decent, I would go to Hatton Garden myself rather than the usual high street jewellers, as there is a lot more choices concentrated in a small area.

I went there recently while I was in London for a long weekend, and was impressed with what I saw. However, the prices are still higher than importing from abroad after adding custom and handling charges.

Good luck!

DK

 

[craiguk]

With 3 weeks to go I'd say there's sufficient time to buy from abroad still. If you speak to a rep at any of the usual online retailers they should be able to set an in-house diamond on a setting pretty quick. Whiteflash are on around 10 days from what I recall. Shipping should be quick so the only hold-up would be customs clearance. I haven't looked into it but I wonder if there's a way to have the package cleared prior to it landing in the UK. That way you could just head straight to the delivery office to pay the fees. I believe Fedex will clear the package and pay on your behalf.

 

[decisively_unsure]

+1 for Cool Diamonds in Hatton Garden although they only sell D to H diamonds with "none" or "faint" flouro. I happen to love such stones if the cut is also excellent. Fantastic range of lovely settings too.

 

[chopstixbd]

I spoke to Cool Diamonds and they have this on offer - are these any good?

http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?pagename=GST%2FDispatcher&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FReportCheck&c=Page&cid=1355954554547&reportno=2177293912

£5618



and

http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?pagename=GST%2FDispatcher&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FReportCheck&c=Page&cid=1355954554547&reportno=5193919950

£4912


Would you buy either of these? my budget is around 5-5.5k GBP

 

[craiguk]

Coming up as unavailable for me

 

[MJ_Mac]

I have not bought any high end jewellery in the UK since I discovered the joys of internet shopping and importing jewellery from abroad.

If I were in a rush to get something decent, I would go to Hatton Garden myself rather than the usual high street jewellers, as there is a lot more choices concentrated in a small area.

I went there recently while I was in London for a long weekend, and was impressed with what I saw. However, the prices are still higher than importing from abroad after adding custom and handling charges.

Good luck!

DK

dk168, are you familiar with The London Victoria Ring Co.? I've admired their work online but I really don't know much about them. I've googled reviews and they seem like they are reputable. I'm sure they are quite a bit more expensive than some US vendors but I love their designs, especially their Art Deco rings. Since the OP was asking about UK vendors I thought I'd take the opportunity to ask.

 

[chopstixbd]

Is the links not working for yous?

5193919950 GIA number

£4912




2177293912 GIA number

£5618

 

[chopstixbd]

I have also seen this on bluenile:

6201328185 GIA number

£3813

 

[decisively_unsure]

Is the links not working for yous?

5193919950 GIA number

£4912




2177293912 GIA number

£5618

The second one looks very promising with the specs, but personally I am wary about table inclusions especially in SI clarity. Having said this this stone will have huge light return. You should book an appointment and see 5 or so stones in person, using a loupe.

I saw a 1.01ct F VS2 on the site too within your budget, which is brilliant white and will be eye clean for sure. It would be worth comparing smaller size and higher colour / clarity in person, photos don't work.

 

[chopstixbd]

Thank you for your reply - i will be going tomorrow as they are closed on a monday. My time is running out and now need a ring quick lol!

Thats my worry is the size of the diamond, I had went and seen a few and found it difficult to see a difference in size between various caret! So will have a look at these tomorrow and see which one fits my needs

 

[decisively_unsure]

Here is the cert for the other one: 5203174892. Good luck! They will be happy to compare and take their time with you.

 

[decisively_unsure]

Anything around or above 0.75ct in the UK is big. Americans have much bigger habits he he.

 

[decisively_unsure]

How did you get on?

 

[FancyIntense]

Ooohshiny, here on PS recommends Durrant's of London.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/crafted-by-infinity-0-67ct-f-vvs2.202616/page-3#post-3757947#p3757947']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/crafted-by-infinity-0-67ct-f-vvs2.202616/page-3#post-3757947#p3757947[/URL]

 

[Californiadreaming]

Hi. I'm in London. Been browsing and learning for the past year on PS and am now ready to buy my diamond (20th anniversary upgrade). I do think it's a better financial deal to buy from US all things considered and there is so much more choice but I was impressed with the three different jewellers I spoke to in Hatton Garden. They were knowledgable and patient. I think I'd have ended up paying £1000 more at least if I'd gone with one of them.

There is a UK Blue Nile website which I had high hopes for as the prices are competitive but I just can't buy blind especially with an Asscher cut.

I haven't actually pulled the trigger yet (have a thread on here right now asking for advice!) so can't comment on the experience of shipping from America yet but so far the process has been simple and quick.

I totally agree that in the UK it is highly unusual to a) see diamonds of a carat or more (whereas in US it seems almost the norm to have 1.5 and bigger or is that just PS?? I do definitely see larger rocks on Americans over here though) and b) I don't think we Brits think so much about the quality and brilliance of a stone. I don't know whether to thank or curse PS for turning my head!

 

[mousey]

I recommend Diamond Geezer http://www.diamondgeezer.com/.. I bought my earrings from him. I looked up what I wanted using the GIA reports first, and the HCA tools here and had him order them in. They were set (very simply) in platinum. I love them. I really appreciated the mix of online research - picking my own, not feeling like I was paying a huge markup - and having an experienced jeweller to give his opinion - I wanted flur plus J colour, so it was nice to get his opinion on how these turned out before I pulled the trigger.

I also loved that they they send them away to a third party (safe guard http://safeguardappraisals.com/). These are the appraisal guys that everyone recommends in the UK. I had my ering appraised by them and I think it cost about 100 just for the appraisal. They also appraise on the low side (not these beefed up appraisals jewelers sometimes hand out with their goods). The appraisal for the earrings came back well above what I paid.

Also, the man I dealt with was just lovely. I know they didn't make much money off me (given the price advertised on blue nile), but he was incredibly good with his time and never made me feel like a unwanted customer. I ve also heard great things about their service if you want to get them to make a setting for you.

I would use them again in a heart beat.

 

[dk168]

dk168, are you familiar with The London Victoria Ring Co.? I've admired their work online but I really don't know much about them. I've googled reviews and they seem like they are reputable. I'm sure they are quite a bit more expensive than some US vendors but I love their designs, especially their Art Deco rings. Since the OP was asking about UK vendors I thought I'd take the opportunity to ask.

I only know of them via their website as I like their Edwardian rings.

As I mentioned, I have not purchased any jewellery of value in UK for over 10 years, therefore, I am unable to comment about their reputation.

DK

 

[Californiadreaming]

mousey - my brother bought his fiancee's ring from DiamondGeezer. The ring is fabulous and he was very impressed with the service. The only reason I would not go that route is that price is still better from American vendors, plus I have a problem with the brand name! I know I know, it is ridiculous and should be completely irrelevant but it just puts me off!!

 

[craiguk]

mousey - my brother bought his fiancee's ring from DiamondGeezer. The ring is fabulous and he was very impressed with the service. The only reason I would not go that route is that price is still better from American vendors, plus I have a problem with the brand name! I know I know, it is ridiculous and should be completely irrelevant but it just puts me off!!

I completely agree. I put my budget in and was underwhelmed by the offerings compared to what I've bought from Whiteflash (also taking Tax into account). The name would also put me off.

 

[decisively_unsure]

mousey - my brother bought his fiancee's ring from DiamondGeezer. The ring is fabulous and he was very impressed with the service. The only reason I would not go that route is that price is still better from American vendors, plus I have a problem with the brand name! I know I know, it is ridiculous and should be completely irrelevant but it just puts me off!!

I completely agree. I put my budget in and was underwhelmed by the offerings compared to what I've bought from Whiteflash (also taking Tax into account). The name would also put me off.

Let's take a quick look:

0.90ct D / VVS2 from Whiteflash = $8,417 dollars / £5358.25 pounds.
$695 for a basic platinum setting from Whiteflash = $674 dollars / £429 pounds

Total = £5,787

Total landed cost (duty & VAT) = £6944.40

...this is £944 more than I spent at Cool Diamonds for the same ring.

 

[Californiadreaming]

That's great you found yourself a ring and a deal you are happy with Decidedly! I have heard good things about Cool Diamonds.

I have been browsing for a year and seriously looking for a few weeks (for a 1ct Asscher) and, in my case, have found that I most definitely can't get the quality, price and choice at any UK vendors (both in Hatton Garden and online) as I can from US. I will be saving myself about £1500 and that includes import duties. That's just my experience.

 

[diamondhoarder]

I am in the Uk and have bought from online vendors in the US, Israel and also from Hatton Garden in London.

If buying a round brilliant of larger than 0.5ct I would go with an online US vendor vendor every time, taking into account cost, selection and also the provision of all the information you need to pick out an amazing diamond.

However, with fancy cuts or more unusual designs of ring it is much better to see the diamond and the setting with your own eyes. Any cost savings you make importing diamond jewellery in from abroad can easily be eroded if you aren't 100% happy with the diamond or the setting when you see it in person. There are costs for returning the items (plus you will already have paid duties and will need to go through a lengthy process to reclaim these). And unless the vendor is prepared to arrange the return from their end, the UK branches of courier companies (eg Fedex) have policies where they refuse to transport jewellery and gemstones (even though they will do this in other countries). So it can be headache if you need to return the item for any reason.

I have used a jeweller in Hatton Garden called Smith & Green http://www.smithgreenjewellers.co.uk/ for several diamond purchases and various items of custom and repair work. Their prices are very competitive and they do have an eye for selecting very attractive diamonds, so I'd definitely recommend them. The best thing to do is call them a couple of days before you plan to visit and they will get a selection of stones/ settings etc in for you to view. They were very flexible with me and as I dont live in London they were also happy to email CAD pics back and forth to me whislt I was finalising the requirements for my setting.

Good luck!

 

[craiguk]

mousey - my brother bought his fiancee's ring from DiamondGeezer. The ring is fabulous and he was very impressed with the service. The only reason I would not go that route is that price is still better from American vendors, plus I have a problem with the brand name! I know I know, it is ridiculous and should be completely irrelevant but it just puts me off!!

I completely agree. I put my budget in and was underwhelmed by the offerings compared to what I've bought from Whiteflash (also taking Tax into account). The name would also put me off.

Let's take a quick look:

0.90ct D / VVS2 from Whiteflash = $8,417 dollars / £5358.25 pounds.
$695 for a basic platinum setting from Whiteflash = $674 dollars / £429 pounds

Total = £5,787

Total landed cost (duty & VAT) = £6944.40

...this is £944 more than I spent at Cool Diamonds for the same ring.

I don't think it's as simple as that as you are assuming the two stones are identical in terms of cut / light performance.

That's not to say that the one you obtained from Cool Diamonds isn't amazing - but I just don't think you can compare like that. The 1 ct G stones available now that i've looked at just now don't meet my cut requirements.

 

[decisively_unsure]

My girlfriend's is a GIA triple excellent, no fluorescence. Thus, I think my comparison was fair.

Don't get me wrong there are some awesome US deals out there, but personally I like seeing stones in person, and there isn't always a gulf in price between UK and USA stones.