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Best place to buy diamonds? I''m in UK..

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mani5ha

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From reading up on this site, it seems the best way to go in my opinion is to look online (US) and purchase, whilst getting specific advise from you lovely people on whether i''m getting a good deal or not...

However SO is slightly dubious about purchasing something so expensive online. Can anybody tell me what the additional costs / taxes etc are on shipping a diamond into the US. Is it possible to have a diamond shipped to a relative in the US who then ship it onto me as a gift?!

I have had a look on GOG and Whiteflash and the prices seem very reasonable, in fact we have been quoted nearly double when going into shops in London
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!

Can anybody recommend some reputable online dealers other than GOG and Whiteflash? I am also looking for a smaller stone (Budget for stone is $3,200).

In addition, are there any UK people out there that actually use any UK diamond dealers? I''m finding them quite expensive compared to US prices, but would I save on shipping by buying from a UK seller such as Blue Nile?

Help and advice would be appreciated!

M
x
 
No difference between buying from BN UK vs. from BN, they are still going to be shipping the stone into UK, same amount of taxes. Not sure about the exact amount but loose stone has a lower tax than a completed ring.

For UK, the only vendor that post here frequently is from BestDiamond http://www.bestdiamonds.co.uk/, they carry craftedbyinfinty stones. Any that can be found in HighperformanceDiamond''s database can be call in by them.
 
Date: 1/3/2010 1:44:31 PM
Author:mani5ha
From reading up on this site, it seems the best way to go in my opinion is to look online (US) and purchase, whilst getting specific advise from you lovely people on whether i'm getting a good deal or not...

However SO is slightly dubious about purchasing something so expensive online. Can anybody tell me what the additional costs / taxes etc are on shipping a diamond into the US. Is it possible to have a diamond shipped to a relative in the US who then ship it onto me as a gift?!

I have had a look on GOG and Whiteflash and the prices seem very reasonable, in fact we have been quoted nearly double when going into shops in London
29.gif
!

Can anybody recommend some reputable online dealers other than GOG and Whiteflash? I am also looking for a smaller stone (Budget for stone is $3,200).

In addition, are there any UK people out there that actually use any UK diamond dealers? I'm finding them quite expensive compared to US prices, but would I save on shipping by buying from a UK seller such as Blue Nile?

Help and advice would be appreciated!

M
x
Click to expand...

Hi I'm in the UK and sympathise with your efforts to find a decent vendor in the UK

The tax/duties involved are VAT (now 17.5% again); there are currently no duty charges for bringing loose stones into UK but if you have them set in platinum/gold there is a 2.5% duty charge on jewellery brought in from US.
Not sure on the rules for bringing gifts into UK but suspect you'd still be liable for UK VAT/Duty
I have bought from a UK online vendor before, and I was lucky as I got a good deal but his customer service is not the best ! and he operates by quoting a price for the jewellery upfront and you don't get to select individual stones.
Conversely, having had a nightmare couple of months trying to get a 3 stone pendant from online vendors in the UK (where I coulld choose the individual stones based on GIA certs), I finally bit the bullet and looked at US.
Well I ordered a 3 stone pendant from James Allen (PS Vendor) on Dec 7th and received it on 18th
The end to end experience was very helpful, smooth, and professional, and most importantly my wife got a present she is extremely happy with on Christmas day.
I reckon that even if I could have found a UK vendor for what I wanted I would have paid at least 10% more.(even though I paid $90 shipping)

Also if you look at the top of the page you will see search criteria that will allow you to parameterise a search across multiple PS vendors for what you are looking for by shape/colour/clarity/cut.
 
I would definitely suggest you try Dr Indira Marchant at www.bestdiamonds.co.uk Indira sells Infinity hearts and arrows as well as other stones. Bob is right, VAT is now 17.5% again plus 2.5% import duty. If you purchase from BN these duties are still payable as the completed ring will be sent from the States.
 
Whilst living in the UK I bought diamonds from WF and Facets (my first big on-line purchases) and though I was very very nervous, it all went seamlessly and no issues what so ever. Fed ex handled all the VAT, duties side of things ( all I had to do is pay) and returns if needed were easy to access.

I got nicer stones at the time then if I had have gone local due to the great exchange rate that was on then. I am very happy and continue to purchase online for my diamonds via pricescope.

Research your vendor through pricescope, read the feedback and see pictures of work they have done.

good luck

d2b
 

Thanks so much for your advice, Lorelei I have contacted Dr Indira Marchant i''m just waiting for a reply!


The experience i''m getting in the UK is more or less - if you don''t buy the diamond from us we don''t want to do business with you, or "the diamond you buy won''t be as good as ours" which i know is BS. I saw a very nice mount in a shop the other day, but they were quoting so much for the diamond, and wouldnt let me buy the mount on its own and do not mount diamonds that arent bought within the store!


I think i''ll check out James Allen as well. If anyone knows of any other than please let me know, at the moment i''m finding White Flash to be the most affordable and more choice, however i''ve just been introduced to Miss Octavia and I am smitten!


I''m hoping my friend will do her Hen weekend in NY, so I can go to GOG and check them out! ;-)


I''m a bit confused now, should I shop around online and try and get a good deal from US or stick to UK because of the shipping costs.


Also, has anyone been to Birmingham to purchase diamonds? I''ve heard the prices are better there.


M
x
 
Date: 1/4/2010 7:39:27 AM
Author: mani5ha



Thanks so much for your advice, Lorelei I have contacted Dr Indira Marchant i'm just waiting for a reply!





The experience i'm getting in the UK is more or less - if you don't buy the diamond from us we don't want to do business with you, or 'the diamond you buy won't be as good as ours' which i know is BS. I saw a very nice mount in a shop the other day, but they were quoting so much for the diamond, and wouldnt let me buy the mount on its own and do not mount diamonds that arent bought within the store!





I think i'll check out James Allen as well. If anyone knows of any other than please let me know, at the moment i'm finding White Flash to be the most affordable and more choice, however i've just been introduced to Miss Octavia and I am smitten!





I'm hoping my friend will do her Hen weekend in NY, so I can go to GOG and check them out! ;-)





I'm a bit confused now, should I shop around online and try and get a good deal from US or stick to UK because of the shipping costs.





Also, has anyone been to Birmingham to purchase diamonds? I've heard the prices are better there.





M
x
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You are most welcome! Indira is a sweetheart and I know you will get on great with her! If she can't help, here is a list of some other vendors who could assist you, also concerning Infinity which Indira sells, if she doesn't have the exact diamond in stock she can call them in from any other Infinity dealer.

The Octavia is a fabulous stone which was created by a very dear friend who also posts here, Karl K - and I am so proud of him!!! The Octavia is cut by DiaGem who also posts here, it is an incredible collaboration by the two men, the Octavia is sold exclusively from GOG.

I know there are various jewellers in Birmingham but I don't know much about them, really online from one of the trusted vendors could be a great option for you even if you purchase from the States.

Here is a list of other vendors you could try;

www.highperformancediamonds.com also sell Infinity so any stone could be sent to Indira if you preferred.

www.niceice.com

www.exceldiamonds.com

www.idjewelryonline.com

www.briangavindiamonds.com

If you give us an idea of what you are looking for and your budget for the diamond itself, we can take a look and maybe suggest some diamonds which might suit you?
 
MS
My feeling is that even taking shipping costs into account you''ll do better in US. However as the the £ seems to be weakening against the dollar recently you need to monitor the situation (although as diamonds are traded mostly in USD then the GBP price from UK vendors should go up as well).
I''ve faced the problem of buying stones from one place and trying to get them set elsewhere. No doubt there are people (maybe specialist custom jewellery designers??) who will do it.
Can''t help you with Birmingham Jewellery quarter I''m afraid!!
 
Honestly it''s such a stunning stone, it takes my breath away! I think I have dreams about it!
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I am going to have to buy one when there are more available... do you think GOG will continue to be the only vendor that supplies this stone? They are quite affordable I think, although i''m not sure i''d be able to get one for within my budget!

Ok this is what i''m looking for: a 0.70 or above asscher cut diamond at a D, E, F.
Clarity I''d say anything above an SI.

My budget is around £2000 which equates to about $3200

Thanks so much

Manisha
 
Date: 1/4/2010 8:12:03 AM
Author: mani5ha
Honestly it's such a stunning stone, it takes my breath away! I think I have dreams about it!
30.gif
30.gif
I am going to have to buy one when there are more available... do you think GOG will continue to be the only vendor that supplies this stone? They are quite affordable I think, although i'm not sure i'd be able to get one for within my budget!

Ok this is what i'm looking for: a 0.70 or above asscher cut diamond at a D, E, F.
Clarity I'd say anything above an SI.

My budget is around £2000 which equates to about $3200

Thanks so much

Manisha
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Would you consider a lower colour Manisha? Finding an asscher with those colour specs for the budget might be difficult, also it is rare SI clarities in these shapes are eyeclean. G or H colour would still be very white.

Here is a suggestion, you would need to check with Jon if the centre of the stone is dark in reality if you were interested,

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/5191/

Another of G colour, its a bit over budget though

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/6342/

Also concerning the Octavia, Jon does offer a good upgrade policy so if you were to buy a generic asscher soon, you could keep an eye out for an Octavia matching your specs and when one comes along trade in the existing asscher to get one.
 
I am willing to be flexible! My main concern is the colour and the cut and the overall diamond, white flash seem to have good prices, what do you think of this one?:

http://www.whiteflash.com/asscher/Asscher-cut-diamond-2211489.htm
 
Wow an upgrade policy - i''ll have a look on GOG''s site. I am very much contemplating going to New York soon so maybe i could get it then.

Thinking about it now, i don''t mind going down to a G, because I want a halo ring and typically the stones around it are G''s anyway so it wouldnt stand out and look yellow against the halo...
 
Date: 1/4/2010 9:00:47 AM
Author: Addy

Date: 1/4/2010 8:55:51 AM
Author: mani5ha
I am willing to be flexible! My main concern is the colour and the cut and the overall diamond, white flash seem to have good prices, what do you think of this one?:

http://www.whiteflash.com/asscher/Asscher-cut-diamond-2211489.htm
Click to expand...
Clickable here: http://www.whiteflash.com/asscher/Asscher-cut-diamond-2211489.htm
Click to expand...
Thanks Addy!

Mani, this is a virtual stone that isn''t in house with WF, they would have to call it in for evaluation and to get the all important images, without images no way to judge it properly unfortunately.
 
Oh really, doh! Shows how clueless I am? Why put up diamonds if thats not the final price of them... i''m a bit confused!
 
Date: 1/4/2010 9:15:29 AM
Author: mani5ha
Oh really, doh! Shows how clueless I am? Why put up diamonds if thats not the final price of them... i''m a bit confused!
Click to expand...

Most vendors do that, for example all the stones on BlueNile, except their signature ideals, are virtual stones. Even brick stores as no store could possibly have the purchasing power to buy all the stones they said they own without serious financial drawbacks.
 
Date: 1/4/2010 9:15:29 AM
Author: mani5ha
Oh really, doh! Shows how clueless I am? Why put up diamonds if thats not the final price of them... i'm a bit confused!
Click to expand...
This is common practice, how it works is this, diamonds on the virtual listings are actually owned by the cutting houses/ suppliers but are listed for sale with multiple vendors, this enables many vendors to have a shot at the sale but without them having to invest millions of dollars in physically owning the diamonds. See the article below for more info,

http://journal.pricescope.com/Articles/12/1/Why-are-there-several-dealers-offering-the-exact-same-stone.aspx
 
This totally makes sense now, sometimes when I go into stores they say they will order me the stone in, duhh!!

I think I might check out Birmingham jewellery quarter although I did get a quote back from one place and it was quite high!

I am leaning towards GOG just because of their upgrade policy and the fact that they quite highly commended on this site, and I love looking at their videos! ;-)
 
Good luck. :)
 
Date: 1/4/2010 11:09:37 AM
Author: mani5ha
This totally makes sense now, sometimes when I go into stores they say they will order me the stone in, duhh!!

I think I might check out Birmingham jewellery quarter although I did get a quote back from one place and it was quite high!

I am leaning towards GOG just because of their upgrade policy and the fact that they quite highly commended on this site, and I love looking at their videos! ;-)
Click to expand...
I think thats a great idea, GOG are a terrific vendor and especially with their upgrade policy you can work your way towards an Octavia!
 
Hiya

I''m in the UK and understand your reticence in buying online and moreso buying from the US but seriously going down this route will be the best decision you''ll ever make. I will never buy another diamond in the UK again having already purchased in the US and seen the prices and quality. Not only that, very few people buy certified diamonds here and those that do are required to pay a premium, not so in the US.

If it''s an asscher you want, go with Jon at GOG, get the lifetime upgrade and work towards the Octavia. The Octavia is a dream cut and nothing has ever been seen like this before, especially in the UK.

I think this is definately the way to go. Already you''re at an advantage being on PS, with access to lots of information at your fingertips and experience from fellow PS''ers. If its help and advice you''re looking for, then listen to the experts, they know what they''re talking about and you''ll not regret it, even with the 17.5% vat, just factor that into your costs. Regardless, you''re in a win-win situation here.
 
oh, forgot to say, if you lower your colour to G, H or I they are extremely white. I have both G and H colour stones which are icy white and they are all VS2.

You''ll get more bang for your buck if you lower the colour and clarity however the cut is what you really want to focus on and if you go with Jon, he''ll keep you right, you can trust him.

What an exciting time for you!!!

Octavia rocks!!!! sorry, not exactly subliminal
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Thankyou! I am considering going for a H, I or even possibly J. We''ll see.... I need to see some in person before i go looking online! In the pics they look so white! I think you can only tell from the side really.

I know, Octavias rock... so unfair.........!
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Also concerning the Octavia, Jon does offer a good upgrade policy so if you were to buy a generic asscher soon, you could keep an eye out for an Octavia matching your specs and when one comes along trade in the existing asscher to get one.
Click to expand...

Lorilei... I looked on the site and the GOG upgrade policy doesnt cover asscher cuts... if i decide to go with GOG i might go for a different cut so that I can get the upgrade policy, like the Jubilee!
 
Date: 1/5/2010 4:54:17 PM
Author: mani5ha
Also concerning the Octavia, Jon does offer a good upgrade policy so if you were to buy a generic asscher soon, you could keep an eye out for an Octavia matching your specs and when one comes along trade in the existing asscher to get one.
Click to expand...

Lorilei... I looked on the site and the GOG upgrade policy doesnt cover asscher cuts... if i decide to go with GOG i might go for a different cut so that I can get the upgrade policy, like the Jubilee!
Click to expand...

Only those that Jon think it is a good performer will get GOG''s lifetime policy, so probably none that he has in stock now met his criteria.
 
A lot of the stones I looked at did have a "lifetime policy" but when i looked at the small print about the upgrades it said it only covered certain types of stones....is the lifetime policy the same as the upgrade policy then?
 
I to feel your pain and am from the UK where we suffer ridculous prices.

Basically then if I were to buy a $6000 ring I would likely have to pay $1200 on VAT and duty tax? Is there another way. It would be cheaper to fly over there myself and get it, or have someone from the states coming to the UK to bring it over for me and for us to meet up! Jeeez not like I am buying the Diamond to sell on for profit.
 
Date: 1/5/2010 6:19:11 PM
Author: vetenks
I to feel your pain and am from the UK where we suffer ridculous prices.

Basically then if I were to buy a $6000 ring I would likely have to pay $1200 on VAT and duty tax? Is there another way. It would be cheaper to fly over there myself and get it, or have someone from the states coming to the UK to bring it over for me and for us to meet up! Jeeez not like I am buying the Diamond to sell on for profit.
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Tell me about it! I was looking at a stone and after VAT tax etc (i just added about 20% onto the price, is that correct? No idea what shipping charges would be...do you know?) I figured out i''d be spending over £1000 on VAT and tax etc. You''re right we could get flights to NY and buy it over there for that price. In fact I know quite a few people that are going to Dubai. I''m so tempted to go to NY and just visit GOG!

As far as i''m aware I don''t know of any way of getting around the VAT and tax.
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Date: 1/5/2010 5:56:23 PM
Author: mani5ha
A lot of the stones I looked at did have a ''lifetime policy'' but when i looked at the small print about the upgrades it said it only covered certain types of stones....is the lifetime policy the same as the upgrade policy then?
Click to expand...

Lifetime policy should be their upgrade policy, call and ask them about it.
 
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