Any HELP appreciated in southern CA

[diamond70]

Been trying to educate myself online about buying a diamond before make a trip to downtown LA or little Saigon to buy a stone/ engagement ring.

Good thing I didn't go first as I probably would have made an uneducated and emotional purchase I would regret later.

Was just a Costco looking in the glass the other day.

I ran across this forum and WOW, lots of information and quite overwhelming actually!

Looks like it would be smarter to buy a stone online as HCA, ideal-scope, etc can tell much more than the eye or heart can see.

I would like to keep the budget less than 15k and like the traditional round cut but the cushions look really nice also.

Any help / leads would be greatly appreciated!

I would like the stone to be clean to the naked eye VS grade? and I would likely sacrifice a little color for higher carat count.

Thanks!

 

[RockyRacoon]

Hey Diamond70 -

You'll get lots of great advice from experts here about which combination of color/clarity.

I live in LA, so I can give you a bit of insight on how I've come to purchase items.

Don't go to the Jewelry District or any of that nonsense downtown. Unless you have a specific appointment set-up with a specific vendor, these folks are not going to get you what you need.

My first suggestion would be to see some stones in person, so you can get an idea of color/clarity and also which shape interests you most.

Luckily, in LA, we have a few great options:

If you are interested in more of the old-cut stones, reach out to Grace at jewelsbygrace.com and set-up an appointment to look at some stones, in-person. Singlestone is also a great option for these types of stones, in the area.

Another option is Victor Canera at www.victorcanera.com.. He will certainly be able to show you top-notch rounds and cushions, so that you can get a good idea of what speaks to you. He makes some of the nicest settings you'll see, so he might be a viable option for the whole package.


That being said, I personally purchase all of my stones via internet vendors, as that's where you'll get the best price/quality. Good Old Gold, High Performance Diamonds, and Brian Gavin Diamonds are three vendors I can personally recommend.

 

[diamond70]

Thank you RockyRacoon.

WIll look into Good Old Gold, High Performance Diamonds, and Brian Gavin Diamonds that you recommend.

 

[diamond70]

Would this be a good choice?

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3137126.htm

 

[diamond70]

would SI2 not be eye clear? another choice which would save me some money.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3016697.htm

 

[kenny]

would SI2 not be eye clear? another choice which would save me some money.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3016697.htm

Some SI2s are, some are not.
This one is not because Whiteflash did not post their Eye Clean Icon like they did with the previous one you posted.

I also live in Southern California and would only buy from the above Internet vendors listed.
I'd add Crafted by Infinity too.

 

[Gypsy]

You have a great budget. And you have a great appraiser by you in Patrick Davis. SO that's a good start.

Most of the vendors I know if in So. Cal. are quite expensive. And if you want bang for your buck...they might not be the best bet. Victor Canera does have FABULOUS stones. And you can call him and see what he can get for you... so that's one recommendation.

Beyond that.

There are a ton of vendors on here that can get you something fabulous. I personally have bought from Brian Gavin and Wink Jones at High Performance DIamonds. So that's where I'd start.

 

[yasssss]

I am so nervous about chiming in here on this topic, but I also live in So Cal and I don't think that downtown LA should necessarily be ruled out. I think you have to know what you want and must reject what they try to sell you lol, and just dictate the terms. My fiance dealt with a jeweler who made my setting and had the jeweler order in a diamond from across the country that he (my fiance) picked out himself. you can get ASET images, etc, and aren't confined to what they have in house. I don't know, its not the worst system. you can see the stones in person. you just have to be very discerning. I love my ring, my stone sparkles like mad, and I think we are both very happy with my fiances purchase. heres a link to an earlier post on our downtown LA experience - [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/losing-faith-need-an-honest-diamond-dealer-jeweler-in-la.200782/#post-3656982#p3656982']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/losing-faith-need-an-honest-diamond-dealer-jeweler-in-la.200782/#post-3656982#p3656982[/URL]

 

[Travelgal]

You can also check out Liberty Diamonds in Irvine if you are looking for a brick & mortar store. They are probably a bit more expensive than the online options in this forum, but Jeffery is a great resource for learning about diamonds. He used to be a diamond grader at GIA, so he's a wealth of information if you want to purchase in person. My dad refuses to buy online (he's old school) so that's where we go in OC.

 

[Lizabeth]

Do these LA-based Pricescope venders listed above offer same prices in person as online? Is there a financial incentive to visit their shops -- or to stay away from their shops?

 

[diamond70]

thanks for all the advice.

comparing these two:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/12011/

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3016697.htm#

can someone help me compare the ideal-scope and ASET images?

they look very similar to my novice eyes.

 

[Gypsy]

The GOG stone is a much stronger performer. But it's also much more expensive.

If you can get a picture of this one and an idealscope it could be a contender if eyeclean: http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-4572293-1.70-carat-Round-diamond-H-color-VS2-Clarity.aspx?sku=4572293&utm_source=pricescope.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pricescope.com


I'd buy this one or the GOG stone. I would pass on the WF stone.

 

[diamond70]

Thanks Gypsy!

I emailed them for ideal scope and ASET images if available.

Hard to understand why any vendor selling such expensive diamonds would not automatically provide these images like GOG, whiteflash, etc.

Doesn't seem hard to do and provide online?

Are ASET images more reliable or ideal scope images?

I noticed ASET images will show pink / red in the table of a diamond but the ideal scope images will show white in same areas?

confusing. . .

 

[madelise]

SKIP LITTLE SAIGON. Or Chinatown.

I went to these back a few years ago. Asian places love to spit the whole "NEEDS TO BE VVS OR BETTER!" over and over again (it's cultural), except nothing is cert'ed.



And, everything is overpriced.




Never buy from anywhere that will:
- not give you a return period long enough to get the diamond checked out by an independent appraiser (or for you to change your mind or shop elsewhere)
- not give you a receipt (a lot of these places won't because they'll insist on a "cash deal" and "no tax" blah blah "under the table)
- say anything like "a cert is just a paper you have to pay more for!", which is said very often in these establishments.