Advice on First-time Diamond Buying

[robsallie]

Hi everyone,
This site has been a great resource as I'm shopping around for an engagement ring (first time obviously in the market for diamonds). I have two questions.
After doing a lot of research online and in stores, I've decided on a diamond with the following characteristics (more or less)

Round diamond
Color I
Cut Excellent
Clarity SI1
Caret 1.01 - 1.05
culet none
symmetry Excellent (or maybe VG)
polish Excellent (or maybe VG)
fluorescence none (but slight is not a deal breaker)

I'm in Boston, and after going through the diamond district I found a trustworthy jeweler with the best price for a diamond with these characteristics to be $4000 (I've also looked at it under the loupe and it looks pretty clean for SI1). My first question is - whats a reasonable offer (i.e. should I try to bargain, and how much do you think I can get him down to?)
This seems to be a fairly reasonable price, compared to pricescope prices and considering I get to see the diamond in person ... But of course I'd like to get a bargain.

My second question is - I'm going to NYC soon, and does anyone have recommendations for a good jeweler in the city (in terms of price and quality)?
Should I expect to get a better deal there since its the heart of the diamond exchange in North America?

Thanks so much for the help.

 

[stone-cold11]

There are several PS vendors based in NYC, so you probably can get a better deal from them online and still get the benefits of seeing the diamond first before paying.

 

[haagen_dazs]

Date: 11/4/2009 3:34:09 PM
Author:robsallie
Hi everyone,

I''m in Boston, and after going through the diamond district I found a trustworthy jeweler

would you care to share the name of the vendor?

in nyc you can look for yekutiel at ID jewelry
he is top notch and is very fair

 

[outatouch0]

Welcome to PS !!!

Your criteria includes "the four C''s" but now that you have found pricescope you can become aware that there are more important factors to also consider. The dimensions of the diamond will be the determining factors in quality, performance, and price. Things like depth %, crown angle, pavilion angle, etc. are important aspects to consider when purchasing a diamond.
Do yourself a favor and take your time making your purchase. It is an important decision that you likely want to get right [

 

[robsallie]

Date: 11/4/2009 4:14:19 PM
Author: haagen_dazs

would you care to share the name of the vendor?


in nyc you can look for yekutiel at ID jewelry

he is top notch and is very fair

The name of the Boston vendor was Amoroso Jewelers (in the Jewelry exchange building) - they were low-pressure and I got a good vibe. I see you''re in Boston, do you have any suggestions for local dealers? One other advantage for me of buying in NYC was I was hoping they could "mail" me the diamond so I could avoid sales tax.

Any ideas on what a fair bid would be for a diamond of that quality? thanks much

 

[Rockdiamond]

HI all,
I would specifically warn you about trying to get a great deal by walking down 47th street.
Recommendations from members are sure to be reliable, but the general atmosphere is 47th street is WAY different than Washington Street in Boston. That is to say the NYC diamond district features many ULTRA pushy salespeople. A lot of "funny stuff" has been reported - and I've seen it first hand ( I have actually posed as a shopper)

I'm going to suggest you widen your search to include stones graded "VG" cut grade by GIA. Many observers will choose stones that have slightly different proportions.
You won;t be able to see the difference between "good" and "ex" polish.
Since you can look firsthand, it won't do any harm to compare.
If you prefer the "VG" stone, you'll save some money- or possible upgrade size or color/clarity.

When I used to sell on the road, I called on Amoroso- they are very nice people for sure!