Best place to buy diamonds? I''m in UK..
- Thread starter mani5ha
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Date: 1/5/2010 8:50:57 PM
Author: mani5ha
I see now! I am trying to get as much information as I can about everything before i call them, being that I''m in the UK - high phone bills etc!
There are plenty of ways to make 1p/minute phone calls to the US from a UK land line so it shouldn''t be too expensive!
charks
Rough_Rock
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Hi there,
Just one problem if you buy in the US and smuggle stone into UK i.e. don''t pay VAT.
You will find it almost impossible to get insurance.
Insurance companies want to see your invoice, or UK appraisal and won''t accept US invoice without VAT charges.
If you try to get UK appraisal the appraiser has to see your invoice - something to do with money laundering.
You''d have to lie and say it''s an inherited stone with no certificate but if the stone is laser marked that wouldn''t work.
Bit if you don''t want insurance you would save money buying in the US - as long as you don''t get caught at customs.
Just one problem if you buy in the US and smuggle stone into UK i.e. don''t pay VAT.
You will find it almost impossible to get insurance.
Insurance companies want to see your invoice, or UK appraisal and won''t accept US invoice without VAT charges.
If you try to get UK appraisal the appraiser has to see your invoice - something to do with money laundering.
You''d have to lie and say it''s an inherited stone with no certificate but if the stone is laser marked that wouldn''t work.
Bit if you don''t want insurance you would save money buying in the US - as long as you don''t get caught at customs.
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I apologise but this is incorrect. I have ALL of my loose stones and jewellery appraised by Safeguard (the appraisal arm of the Birmingham Assay Office) and have never had to provide invoices/receipts or indeed proof of purchase. They're not interested in whether it's mine, what I paid or where I bought it. Their insurance appraisals are also universally accepted by all UK insurance companies and are favoured over ones provided by jewellers as the Safeguard Appraisers see many many different gemstones all over the UK and are not confined to one area.
Manisha - I regularly buy diamonds in the UK and find that I can match and beat the prices in the US because you have to take into account the exchange rate (not great for us at the moment), import duties, taxes, shipping costs etc and then of course return costs if the gem isn't suitable. If you do a search on this forum and put in "UK" in the search bar I'm sure you'll find a number of UK based dealers that have been used successfully to buy diamonds.
I buy diamonds predominately from one dealer in the UK but don't want to appear biased (I buy nearly all my coloured gemstones from the US, Africa, Thailand etc). I do know that Dr Indira Merchant is also recommended by UK based PS'ers but am not a customer myself of that company so can't comment.
LovingDiamonds I think i know who you''re talking about
I will definetly have a look on their site, however now because i''ve got the Tacori 2620 setting in my mind, I might just go with an online US vendor and take a trip out to go get it, my best friend is having her hen in NY anyway...!Regarding the Tacori setting, there is only one shop in the whole of Europe that sells Tacori and I can bet that us UK people pay through the nose for it!
charks
Rough_Rock
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Sorry to disagree with you.
One of the main appraisers in UK - National Association of Goldsmiths - states on their website
''Provenance is an important part of valuing so
expect to be asked to provide receipts, previous
valuations, HM Revenue & Customs duty
declarations, etc''
http://www.jewelleryvaluers.org/uploadFiles/files/Why_you_Need_an_IRV_Valuation_0609.pdf
Your local jewellers appraiser will most likely be a member of ''NAG''.
When I had my ring and other things valued in various local jewellers recently I had to produce proof of purchse.
When I asked why I was told that the Goverment were getting tough on money laundering and VAT avoidance ( re credit crunch ) and were requesting that valuers ask for proof of purchase before valuing items.
I find it a lot easier to use local jeweller than making long journey to Birmingham or some other big city.
Although, in the case of a large saving, it would be worth it.
But how long before all valuers comply with goverment request.
One of the main appraisers in UK - National Association of Goldsmiths - states on their website
''Provenance is an important part of valuing so
expect to be asked to provide receipts, previous
valuations, HM Revenue & Customs duty
declarations, etc''
http://www.jewelleryvaluers.org/uploadFiles/files/Why_you_Need_an_IRV_Valuation_0609.pdf
Your local jewellers appraiser will most likely be a member of ''NAG''.
When I had my ring and other things valued in various local jewellers recently I had to produce proof of purchse.
When I asked why I was told that the Goverment were getting tough on money laundering and VAT avoidance ( re credit crunch ) and were requesting that valuers ask for proof of purchase before valuing items.
I find it a lot easier to use local jeweller than making long journey to Birmingham or some other big city.
Although, in the case of a large saving, it would be worth it.
But how long before all valuers comply with goverment request.
Are you saying if I were to buy a diamond with a GIA report from a reputed vendor I need to get it independently appriased/valued to insure it? and additionally I can only do this if I have a VAT invoice, not just a receipt from where it was bought.
I am highly tempted to request Mani5ha to pick mine up to from NY while he is there! lol, seriously because I estimating its gonna cost me £1400 tax on top! It would be cheaper just for one of us o fly over and collect them.
I am highly tempted to request Mani5ha to pick mine up to from NY while he is there! lol, seriously because I estimating its gonna cost me £1400 tax on top! It would be cheaper just for one of us o fly over and collect them.
*Sigh* I totally agree vetenks! I''d rather just fly out to NY and get it, it would definetley be cheaper!!! In fact I''ll be there anyway in a couple of months, it''s so frustrating!
However, I''ve realised that even with the VAT added on top it''ll stilll be cheaper. In some cases, it may not be that much cheaper (at the current rubbish exchange rate) but I feel that after seeing everyone''s pics on here and the collections available in the US, we''ll be getting more for our money, and something of a better quality! I bet if i''d bought from someone in the UK not having found this site, I would have just bought a stone based on the fact that it was a EVS1 (when I was looking at Asschers, the cheapest quote I got was £1900 for a 0.70 ish size. I got quoted over £4000 on a 0.90 Asscher! LOL! I figured out that by going online I can get a beautiful setting, a stone for just under a carat and include taxes for about £5000 which is my budget.
By the way, I''m a SHE!
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I disagree with this.
I have had over 100 items appraised/valued in the UK and not once have I been asked to provide a VAT invoice. If an item is inherited how on earth are you supposed to do this? How do you do it if it''s a gift? Give Safeguard a call (they''re in the UK based in Birmingham and are a division of the Assay Office). They have a team of valuers who each have a patch of the UK and they visit local jewellers and shopping centres and do valuations there. They will be able to give you a definitive answer.
In terms of having an item insured ............. an insurance valuation is normally higher than the retail price because it accounts for you having to replace an item if lost or stolen so, for example, say you have a 1ct E, VSi diamond set in 6g of platinum and have 1ct of accent diamonds, each part of the piece will be assessed for current cost, then a percentage is added for mark up and cost to make a similar piece in the future and hey presto you have a valuation. Some insurance companies will not insure a single article unless it has a separate valuation (the limit on some household policies is £1k, on others £4k etc). Items over £x amount also usually need to be specified separately on a policy. Safeguard valuations are very rarely challenged by insurance companies as they have an outstanding reputation. Valuations from local jewellers may be valued.
I won''t bore you with why I did this but I once had an 8.5ct Tanzanite pendant assessed by Safeguard and also by a local jeweller. The local jeweller''s valuation came back as £6k more than Safeguards!!!! I knew it was wrong and have never been back to them since.
Before I get accused of working for Safeguard - I don''t!
I think you would have to be incredibly unlucky to pulled you up on an engagement ring through the airport (would have thought they would have more important issues). Plus you could just say you took the USA or something in the extremely unlikely situation they ask you about an engagement ring. Touch wood I honestly can''t see a problem.
Hi Not sure if you will think this useful or not but as Im UK as well............
Price wise the jewellery quarter is good in terms of value for money as they have to be so competitive with all the other stores - one place I would recommend is S P Greens they have made two channel set rings for me before and the workmanship has been very good! Another idea (which was what me and my other half did) is to go to a diamond cutters in Amsterdam and choose your stone there (the quality is beautiful) then they can set it for you at the same time (check out Gassan) or you can bring diamond back to UK for setting
hope this gives you a few ideas - remember you can always haggle at the jewellery quarter!
Price wise the jewellery quarter is good in terms of value for money as they have to be so competitive with all the other stores - one place I would recommend is S P Greens they have made two channel set rings for me before and the workmanship has been very good! Another idea (which was what me and my other half did) is to go to a diamond cutters in Amsterdam and choose your stone there (the quality is beautiful) then they can set it for you at the same time (check out Gassan) or you can bring diamond back to UK for setting
hope this gives you a few ideas - remember you can always haggle at the jewellery quarter!
Maisie
Super_Ideal_Rock
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I can highly recommend Dr Indira Marchant. I live in the UK and I have worked with her before. She is a lovely lady. She sells Infinity diamonds at the same price any other vendor does. Obviously she has to add the VAT on.
I owned an Infinity diamond and the cut is stunning.
I don't recommend trying to smuggle a diamond past customs. Its just not worth the trouble you could get into.
I owned an Infinity diamond and the cut is stunning.
I don't recommend trying to smuggle a diamond past customs. Its just not worth the trouble you could get into.
I did contact her when I was looking for an asscher, she said the same thing it says on her site about cushions, that 1 in 5000 is cut that way and that she can''t help me.
Maybe I''ll contact her again now that I''m looking for a round.
I think I''ll get ripped off by whoever I get the setting from though, if I buy them separately. The only tacori dealer in London said that tacori would charge me extra if I bought my own stone because they would need to customise the ring! Which is a load of BS, considering tacori rings are made around the stone! Grrrrr
Maisie
Super_Ideal_Rock
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Please don''t use smugglers/fraudsters in your sentences as it implies that I am under such a category which i think is ridiculous. All I merely want is to buy an engagement ring, preferably without paying UK extortion prices and/or taxes, not fund an illegal operation. Also please don''t preach to me about UK benefits etc as I have contributed a lot of money to the uk taxsystem who have thrown enormous money at things with little imporvement. Anyway that is another issue.
All I thinking is some solutions and options, after all if USA was located in the EU this would not be a problem, perhaps I should live the Isle of Wight a tax heaven or live with the super rich in Monaco for tax avoidance saving them millions! I am not as as fortunate as these people so I merely of thinking of ideas to help me afford it in rip off UK.
All I thinking is some solutions and options, after all if USA was located in the EU this would not be a problem, perhaps I should live the Isle of Wight a tax heaven or live with the super rich in Monaco for tax avoidance saving them millions! I am not as as fortunate as these people so I merely of thinking of ideas to help me afford it in rip off UK.
Date: 1/10/2010 1:33:54 PM
Author: vetenks
I think you would have to be incredibly unlucky to pulled you up on an engagement ring through the airport (would have thought they would have more important issues). Plus you could just say you took the USA or something in the extremely unlikely situation they ask you about an engagement ring. Touch wood I honestly can''t see a problem.
The customs guys are there to catch smugglers/fraudsters or whatever other word is appropriate for this.
I assume you''re happy to partake in the benefits of a tax system (like education NHS, police etc) - its just the costs you don''t want to contribute to??
Smuggle
To import or export without paying lawful custom charges or duties.
Fraud
An illegal gain through deception.
These 2 words seem to describe precisely what you are proposing (in green at the top)
''If the cap fits, wear it''
2) As I have contributed a lot of money (orange above)
So this is a justification for breaking the law?? You decide the limit of your contribution not UK laws??
3) Rip off UK (red above)
You''ve provided your own solution for this!! Good luck!!
Author: vetenks
I think you would have to be incredibly unlucky to pulled you up on an engagement ring through the airport (would have thought they would have more important issues). Plus you could just say you took the USA or something in the extremely unlikely situation they ask you about an engagement ring. Touch wood I honestly can''t see a problem.
The customs guys are there to catch smugglers/fraudsters or whatever other word is appropriate for this.
I assume you''re happy to partake in the benefits of a tax system (like education NHS, police etc) - its just the costs you don''t want to contribute to??
1) Dictionary Definition
Smuggle
To import or export without paying lawful custom charges or duties.
Fraud
An illegal gain through deception.
These 2 words seem to describe precisely what you are proposing (in green at the top)
''If the cap fits, wear it''
2) As I have contributed a lot of money (orange above)
So this is a justification for breaking the law?? You decide the limit of your contribution not UK laws??
3) Rip off UK (red above)
You''ve provided your own solution for this!! Good luck!!
Maisie
Super_Ideal_Rock
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There seem to be spot checks at airports.....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/3716690.stm
Here is a link to the customs and excise pages that deal with importing goods:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/post/buying.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/3716690.stm
Here is a link to the customs and excise pages that deal with importing goods:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/post/buying.htm
Maisie
Super_Ideal_Rock
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Lord Summerisle
Brilliant_Rock
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And the thing to remember is - if you do try to go through the nothing to declare lane, and get stopped. When the ring is found - either in the box, or on the finger - saying you bought it in the UK and proposed while on holiday wont wash, since the ring wont have a UK hallmark on it making it pretty obvious you are bringing the ring into the country.
Maisie
Super_Ideal_Rock
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Maisie
Super_Ideal_Rock
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I can''t advise about going to Antwerp as I don''t know about their prices or quality. I know that Indira has contacts in Antwerp so I am sure she will give you the best price she can. What is the diamond you are going to see? Did you stay with a round?Date: 1/12/2010 8:40:39 AM
Author: mani5ha
Thanks Maisie! I contacted her and I''m going to go and see a diamond that sounds lovely in her London office next week
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