NYC Diamond District, does ANYBODY recommend?

[finchuck]

Has ANYBODY ever gotten a great deal in the NYC diamond district? People tell me that it''s the place to go but I''m just wondering if they don''t know that much about diamonds? I''m really learning toward a stone at Dirt Cheap Diamonds and am wondering if I should take a trip into NYC or do I have practically no chance of ever getting a better deal there than on DCD?

 

[aljdewey]

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On 11/21/2003 3:53:47 PM finchuck wrote:





Has ANYBODY ever gotten a great deal in the NYC diamond district? People tell me that it's the place to go but I'm just wondering if they don't know that much about diamonds? ----------------

You're *wondering* is right on the money. People think there are great deals there because all their comparing is the price of those stones to what they see in the mall. They don't know enough about diamonds to know that there aren't "deals" to be had there.

Finchuck, believe me.....you'll do far better in price and especially in QUALITY of the stone if you choose vendors like those here that provide documentation and details on your stone.

 

[niceice]

A trip to 47th Street? On the street level? Well, we suppose if you like walking along a crowded street being barked at by the various doormen who are paid to drag you into their "store" which is a 4 x 4 booth and being told "it's a beautiful diamond, buy it, you'll like it" then you should take a trip to NYC. Those doormen are called 'barkers' for a reason! However, if you simply want to buy a beautiful diamond, not get hassled, not get ripped blind and want to be able to sleep at night that you buy from one of the vendors here on PS who can provide all of the information you require to buy a diamond intelligently based upon information and not pressure. Man, we don't even like to walk between buildings in the district to get to where we need to be high up in the high rises which is why we make our NYC dealers come to us

 

[p10]

I guess I disagree.

Retail:
I went to several well known jewelers in the NJ/PA area. I even went to several so called 'events' at these prestigious jewelers. The prices were outrageous. I was looking at an oval. I never found one of these stores with anything close to what I wanted. Most of them didn't have more than a few ovals in my weight range, in stock. They all said they can get me what I wanted. So I told two dealers exectly what I wanted. When I got there they didn't have what I wanted and showed me something 'close.' A color range here and a clarity range there. They would move a little on price but overall I would have spent $1000's more at these places. I mentioned them I was looking at prices on the internet and If I could get close to an internet price I may buy. They told me I wont get the great service and atmosphere.

Service? What service? Why can't they get something close to what I want. Future service? On a diamond? Hopefully this impervious gem won't need any. Furthermore, I certainly don't need to boast that I bought from a certian retailer.

Mall:
Forget it. No selection, high prices.

Local Jewelry Exchanges:
I also went to some jewelry exchanges. Better prices, yes. Better selection, yes. Pushy, yes. I learned more and saw more at the exchange that going from retailer to retailer.

The Internet:
I buy tons of things off the internet. The prices are right and if you add the tax savings, Internet dealers become more enticing. I decided not to purchase the oval over the internet because I really wanted to look at the diamond. Especially with an oval. I also thought buying a setting over the internet would be difficult. If I were buying a BR loose stone I may have purchased off the internet.

The Distict.
I was able to buy a diamond for close to $500 cheaper then similar diamonds on the internet. The setting was close to $1000 cheaper. I didn't pay tax because it was shipped out of state. I found dealers I dealt with in both the NY and Philly diamond districts to be good. Of course they were some pushy people on the streets. Well, that's NY. Were they bothersome? I don't feel that way. I ended up buying from a private store. They had a large selection of ovals and spent several hours showing me diamond after diamond. I left the store. I called the next day after I narrowed my selection and really figured out what I wanted. They located some more diamonds. I looked again with the jeweler who stayed open past closing. I ended up finding a beautiful stone. I was tempted to buy it on the spot but I left because I wanted to check the prices on the Internet one more time...not to mention think over the entire purchase. I checked similar diamonds on the internet and found that it was an extremely fair price, actually better than the internet. The salesperson made me feel comfortable there.

I think if you take your time there and do your homework you can get a great deal in the district. I actually liked going to the districts because there was so much to see. If you can make it there (and deal with some annoying passer by's) I would suggest taking a ride up there. Where else can you see so much variety. If you see something you like, go back to buy after you do your research.

 

[canadiangrrl]

I have zero firsthand experience with NYC's Diamond District, but I do have firsthand experience with DCD.

If you've found a stone that meets with your parameters at DCD, I'd go for it.