I''m posting my extremely positive experience with Ascot Diamonds in Arlington, VA. I got my stone and custom made setting from them after comparing them to other B&M stores in the area and to all of the major internet retailers. I can say without a doubt that they are the best place to get your stone and or setting in the DC area.
First, I will dispel the rumors. Several people have commented that their internet prices (www.ascotdiamonds.com) are high, which, in fact, they are but those prices are outliers, not the norm. They are priced extremely competitively in comparison to other B&M stores and are very close to internet stores. In fact, I used printouts from internet stores to narrow my search with them in terms of stone quality and price.
In terms of my experience, it was great. It was a one-on-one with Tim Birch where we first talked about what I was looking for while he explained to me the basics of diamonds. He did not try to sell me one way or the other and in fact tried to get me to lower my clarity criteria since it would drop the price. I told him I was looking at other sources both B&M and internet and he said if Ascot found a stone I liked they would be competitive in terms of price (as I said before). After our initial meeting, the diamond search began (a similar meeting and search was also taking place at another B&M store). I was in the market for a 1.25ish asscher cut/square emerald cut diamond. For whatever reason, Ascot was able to show me stones that met my criteria at a cheaper price (as opposed to the other B&M stores). I did find and feel that Ascot was taking my search seriously, which I cannot say the same for other B&M stores in the area where I felt they didn''t even bother to give the time of day.
The search for the perfect stone was also very easy. They would bring in stones from the open market and would let me know when they were available to view. Once they were at the store, I would go in and take a look. There was never any pressure to buy. The only thing Tim wanted was feedback on why it wasn''t the right stone so that he could keep looking. I looked at several stones before finding the right one. After Ascot did find the right one, there was no pressure to buy it or put a deposit on it. In fact, they didn''t even ask for a deposit. They said it was my stone and I didn''t need to worry about anyone else getting it. This was completely opposite with one of the other B&M stores. That store found a decent stone but I wanted to keep looking, which is where they turned on the not-so-subtle pressure to put a deposit on it otherwise someone else would snatch it up. Ascot did the exact opposite and they put a deposit on it (or bought it outright) at the risk of me not wanting it in the end. I guess they figured that was the best stone out there for me and that I wouldn''t find anything better, and they were right.
During the stone search, I also had Ascot and other B&M stores working on my custom setting. Everything was pretty standard in terms of process. The only thing that differed was again the price. Ascot''s final price quote was well under other B&M stores. The process itself was easy. I had an idea of what the custom setting should look like and so I sent photos of several different settings to Tim and told him which parts I liked. He compiled the photos and sent it to the Atlanta office for design. They came back with a CAD design of the ring and cost for my approval. I ended up revising the CAD design because of a single element I did not like. After approving the second CAD design, Ascot sent it off for mold creation. When the wax mold was done, I went in and took a look at it to give the final approval. Tim and I went over every little detail about the setting, including the side and accent stones. Ascot followed my instructions and requests to the dot.
After that, it was cruise control. I received the engagement ring (1.36 E VVS2 square emerald cut set in a 18k white gold custom mounting with two step-cut trapezoid side stones and 32 accent stones micro pave set in the shank) within the timeline they promised and it was exactly what the design and wax mold said it would be. In fact, it was perfect, which my new fiancée can attest to. An independent jewelry appraisal confirmed everything and the appraiser (Yantz Bradbury Associates - I also highly recommend) said I did a good job in terms of the price as well. The bottom line of this lengthy (and hopefully informative) review is that you can trust Ascot Diamonds and Tim Birch with your engagement ring needs. They will get you exactly what you want at a great price! Good luck on your own searches and research!
VNMN
First, I will dispel the rumors. Several people have commented that their internet prices (www.ascotdiamonds.com) are high, which, in fact, they are but those prices are outliers, not the norm. They are priced extremely competitively in comparison to other B&M stores and are very close to internet stores. In fact, I used printouts from internet stores to narrow my search with them in terms of stone quality and price.
In terms of my experience, it was great. It was a one-on-one with Tim Birch where we first talked about what I was looking for while he explained to me the basics of diamonds. He did not try to sell me one way or the other and in fact tried to get me to lower my clarity criteria since it would drop the price. I told him I was looking at other sources both B&M and internet and he said if Ascot found a stone I liked they would be competitive in terms of price (as I said before). After our initial meeting, the diamond search began (a similar meeting and search was also taking place at another B&M store). I was in the market for a 1.25ish asscher cut/square emerald cut diamond. For whatever reason, Ascot was able to show me stones that met my criteria at a cheaper price (as opposed to the other B&M stores). I did find and feel that Ascot was taking my search seriously, which I cannot say the same for other B&M stores in the area where I felt they didn''t even bother to give the time of day.
The search for the perfect stone was also very easy. They would bring in stones from the open market and would let me know when they were available to view. Once they were at the store, I would go in and take a look. There was never any pressure to buy. The only thing Tim wanted was feedback on why it wasn''t the right stone so that he could keep looking. I looked at several stones before finding the right one. After Ascot did find the right one, there was no pressure to buy it or put a deposit on it. In fact, they didn''t even ask for a deposit. They said it was my stone and I didn''t need to worry about anyone else getting it. This was completely opposite with one of the other B&M stores. That store found a decent stone but I wanted to keep looking, which is where they turned on the not-so-subtle pressure to put a deposit on it otherwise someone else would snatch it up. Ascot did the exact opposite and they put a deposit on it (or bought it outright) at the risk of me not wanting it in the end. I guess they figured that was the best stone out there for me and that I wouldn''t find anything better, and they were right.
During the stone search, I also had Ascot and other B&M stores working on my custom setting. Everything was pretty standard in terms of process. The only thing that differed was again the price. Ascot''s final price quote was well under other B&M stores. The process itself was easy. I had an idea of what the custom setting should look like and so I sent photos of several different settings to Tim and told him which parts I liked. He compiled the photos and sent it to the Atlanta office for design. They came back with a CAD design of the ring and cost for my approval. I ended up revising the CAD design because of a single element I did not like. After approving the second CAD design, Ascot sent it off for mold creation. When the wax mold was done, I went in and took a look at it to give the final approval. Tim and I went over every little detail about the setting, including the side and accent stones. Ascot followed my instructions and requests to the dot.
After that, it was cruise control. I received the engagement ring (1.36 E VVS2 square emerald cut set in a 18k white gold custom mounting with two step-cut trapezoid side stones and 32 accent stones micro pave set in the shank) within the timeline they promised and it was exactly what the design and wax mold said it would be. In fact, it was perfect, which my new fiancée can attest to. An independent jewelry appraisal confirmed everything and the appraiser (Yantz Bradbury Associates - I also highly recommend) said I did a good job in terms of the price as well. The bottom line of this lengthy (and hopefully informative) review is that you can trust Ascot Diamonds and Tim Birch with your engagement ring needs. They will get you exactly what you want at a great price! Good luck on your own searches and research!
VNMN
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