Ascot Diamonds in DC / ATL / South Africa (???)

[wildnat04]

Is anyone here from the DC/ATL area or know anything about "Ascot Diamonds?" They claim to be one of the 30 diamond buyers / sellers with direct DeBeers access and have two storefronts -- one in ATL and one in Arlington, VA.

I may be interested in buying from them after following up on some leads, and I think their prices are in fact lower than those quoted on their website. www.ascotdiamonds.com

Any thoughts?

Anyone have any experience with them?

 

[Regular Guy]

I''m local, in Bethesda, and had not heard of them. How did you?

Also, going to their website, I see you need a user name & password to see their diamonds. How do you get one?

 

[risingsun]

Date: 7/10/2007 9:49:06 PM
Author: Regular Guy
I''m local, in Bethesda, and had not heard of them. How did you?

Also, going to their website, I see you need a user name & password to see their diamonds. How do you get one?

I was able to get onto their website without a user name or password. Their diamond rings are very pricey and their section on education is interesting, to say the least. They talk a lot about brilliance, but nada about dispersion or scintillation. Maybe that''s why they state that a 61% table is the cat''s meow

 

[Regular Guy]

Date: 7/10/2007 10:13:18 PM
Author: risingsun

I was able to get onto their website without a user name or password.

I do see that...but the loose diamonds section is password protected...

 

[decodelighted]

WOW ... an e-ring with similar specs to mine is going for double the price! That''s some "retail" markup for an "online" shop. Oh, and mine even came from a B&M. Hmmmmmmm.

Wouldn''t think Arlington, VA would be the hotbed of diamond discounts but ya never know!

 

[Kaleigh]

I clicked on jewelry, checked out some earrings. All they say is bright white diamonds. Hmmmm. But yes the loose stones are password protected. I have never heard of them before.

 

[mike c]

Ascot diamonds is owned by Steinmetz.

Ascot is their DeBeers site factory in SA, They recently had a large pink diamond called the "Steinmetz pink " you can see it on the net at http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com/steinmetzpinkdiamond.html

Michael Cohen
http://www.dcla.com.au/

 

[whatmeworry]

Date: 7/10/2007 10:13:18 PM
Author: risingsun

Date: 7/10/2007 9:49:06 PM

Author: Regular Guy

I''m local, in Bethesda, and had not heard of them. How did you?


Also, going to their website, I see you need a user name & password to see their diamonds. How do you get one?

I was able to get onto their website without a user name or password. Their diamond rings are very pricey and their section on education is interesting, to say the least. They talk a lot about brilliance, but nada about dispersion or scintillation. Maybe that''s why they state that a 61% table is the cat''s meow

The 61% table is nothing, the 26.3/42.5 crown/pav angles is what''s intriguing.

 

[vespergirl]

Wow, these guys are really overpriced.

I am also in the northern Virginia area - we got my diamond at Mervis - great service, good selection, beautiful settings, and better prices than these guys & Charleston Alexander. Plus, they have a lifetime trade-up policy.

 

[BarryWalsh]

Yes i know these people on a profesional leval . It''s my understanding that the prices on there web- site are high but they sold me a couple pieces far below the posted prices. The quality was outsanding we had it appraised by an indipendent gemologist .
We shopped the entire area and the price that we ended up paying was far less than all the places that advertise. The price was inline with what we saw online at Bluenile but we felt more comfortable with them and being able to see the diamonds and rings in person.The education they gave was exclent, would have saved me a lot of research had i gone there first. A bunch of our frends have since purchased jewlery from them , all extreemly pleased.


Good luck and happy shopping.

 

[diagem]

Date: 7/16/2007 3:53:53 PM
Author: BarryWalsh
Yes i know these people on a profesional leval . It's my understanding that the prices on there web- site are high but they sold me a couple pieces far below the posted prices. The quality was outsanding we had it appraised by an indipendent gemologist .
We shopped the entire area and the price that we ended up paying was far less than all the places that advertise. The price was inline with what we saw online at Bluenile but we felt more comfortable with them and being able to see the diamonds and rings in person.The education they gave was exclent, would have saved me a lot of research had i gone there first. A bunch of our frends have since purchased jewlery from them , all extreemly pleased.


Good luck and happy shopping.

Ummm, I dont know the steinmetzes as such big discount givers!!! (if they realy are the principles...)
Makes you wonder sometimes...

 

[junior35]

Date: 7/11/2007 2:09:46 AM
Author: mike c

Ascot diamonds is owned by Steinmetz.

Ascot is their DeBeers site factory in SA, They recently had a large pink diamond called the ''Steinmetz pink '' you can see it on the net at http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com/steinmetzpinkdiamond.html

Michael Cohen
http://www.dcla.com.au/

I believe they are also the owners of Diamond.com right?

 

[diagem]

Date: 7/16/2007 5:55:53 PM
Author: junior35

Date: 7/11/2007 2:09:46 AM
Author: mike c


Ascot diamonds is owned by Steinmetz.

Ascot is their DeBeers site factory in SA, They recently had a large pink diamond called the ''Steinmetz pink '' you can see it on the net at http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com/steinmetzpinkdiamond.html

Michael Cohen
http://www.dcla.com.au/

I believe they are also the owners of Diamond.com right?

You mean Odimo??? they were...

 

[wildnat04]

This is the original poster --- I posted that initial question about Ascot almost a month ago. At that time, I was a month into my search. At the end of my long search (and I looked everywhere, high and low, in DC and in NYC), I ended up buying from Ascot. They were superb. Very happy with the diamond, and my fiancee-to-be will be overjoyed with the setting -- great craftsmanship and exactly what I had asked for.

They deal only with quality. They''re very helpful. And they''re the friendliest folks I''ve met in the diamond business.

Anyways -- wanted to update this thread for my fellow Washington DC neighbors -- if you''re in the market for a diamond - go to Ascot. They know their stuff.

Thanks everyone for your help, too.

Cheers,
N