Buying in Antwerp

[arthureld]

I have a couple other threads going about buying a engagement ring but I decided to start another about buying in Antwerp.
In my other threads and by doing searches here and on the net, I hear quite a few negative things about buying in Antwerp.

I am working in the Antwerp area for the rest of the year. I own a house on Long Island.
I don''t plan to go home until Christmas. But I would like to give the ring to my girlfriend when she comes to visit in September.

Here are some of the negatives -

1) The best deals can be found online.
2) Diamonds cost less in the US even though they are cut here

3) A lot of people that come here on vacation buy diamonds and are dissatisfied when they get home.

Here are some of the reasons, I am still hoping to be happy buying in Antwerp

The big one for me is that the experience of buying the ring is part of it. That experience will be attached to that ring for a long time. To me, that is added value.
I plan to buy before I go back to the states so if I want to see the ring I buy, I will have to see it here.
The place I am dealing with now is a Crafted by Infinity retailer so maybe I can get a price similar to what I''d get in the US.
I have been to other diamond dealers here that have very cheap diamonds, but I am uncomfortable with my diamond buying skills so I probably won''t go that route.

I could put the whole thing off until next year and deal with Good old Gold which is less than 10 miles from my home on Long Island but that doesn''t sit well with me.

Please let me hear your opinions and suggestions.

Sorry this post is kind of long. PS members have been so helpful to me and I will never forget that.

 

[Lorelei]

arthur, I really think you are on the right track, and if you buy an Infinity Diamond, you will end up with a gorgeous stone, so I don''t think you need to worry! You have asked all the right questions and gone about this in a thoughtful manner, so I am sure you will do fine. If you do have any more concerns, don''t hesitate to ask and someone should be able to help you.

 

[arthureld]

Thank you so much Lorelei.

I think the sales person will be happy that I was able to get all of my questions answered and was able to do so much research here.
Their time is valuable. I am hoping to zero in on the perfect choice fairly quikly.
It would have been a painful experience for me to buy a diamond knowing I was making an uninformed decision.
Getting the right engagement ring is an extreamly important decision.
The diamond engagement ring is magical.

 

[arthureld]

I went to Diamond House today and met with Rob van Beurden and Paul Slegers of Crafted by Infinity

Earlier this week, I had made an appointment to see a few diamonds. I had emailed my 4 C's specifications.

I said that I was ok with H color and SI clearity as long as the diamonds were eye clean. I also sent a link to an search I had done on the Crafted by Infinity website using my approximate colors, clearity, and expected sizes. I also said, I would be able to afford about $8000.

From my Pricescope searches and questioning, I assumed I would be buying about a 1.0 to 1.25 carat diamond because Crafted by Infinity diamonds are of the highest cut quality available.

Rob had about 8 stones that he and Paul picked out. They ranged from 1.2 to 1.55 carats. There was one 1.52 carat diamond that was in my budget because it was K color and SI1 clearity. I tried really hard to see the color or imperfections in that 1.52 but couldn't even with all the others there to compare side by side.

I am very happy to say, I put my down payment on this diamond - =281&src=loupe:2o8h065d]http://www.craftedbyinfinity.com/index.php?pid=63&lang=eng&sid[]=281&src=loupe

And I highly recommend that others enjoy the adventure of purchasing their engagement ring from Rob at Diamond House in Antwerp. This ring is going to be a part of the rest of our life and the very positive experience of Buying it in Antwerp will be recalled everytime I see that ring.

Be sure to wander around Antwerp and see the Grote Market area. I also very much enjoyed visiting some of the churches like the cathedral and Saint Jacobs. The architecture and artwork is awsome.

 

[Lorelei]

Many congratulations on your purchase Arthur, and I will eagerly await pictures when you are able!

 

[Jelly]

Beautiful! I can''t wait to see the pictures. What a great deal and gorgeous stone!

 

[Lynn B]

Oh Arthur! Awesome diamond!

Congrats!

Don''t forget we want pictures, OK?!!

 

[arthureld]

Thanks ladies.

It does seem to be the perfect combo for our needs. It has some size to it. The cut is the best I know of.

The stone is eye clean. For us it is mind clean too.

Oh yea, let''s not forget that it is beautiful.

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

Hey Arthur,

I am happy that I decided to pass by Rob''s to come and say hello to you. It was a pleasure.

Being proud of my city, I am delighted that you enjoy spending your time here. Now, next time, make sure to visit St-Paul''s.

Live long,

 

[arthureld]

It was a pleasure meeting you Paul. And you have good reason to be proud of your city.
I love all of the old buildings.
The email you sent me today was so thoughtful. I am so happy that you dug thru your records to give me some history of our diamond.
That adds to the experience that I feel is so important. I have put a lot of effort into keeping the whole engagement ring search very positive.
And between you, Rob, Lorelei and the rest of Pricescope, it has been very positive just as I hoped.

I'm copy & pasting the part of your email that you pulled from your records for me -

I dug up some background-info for you.

The rough stone was part of a small parcel of 12 stones of South-African origin. This particular stone weighed 3.83 Ct.
When buying, we estimated that this stone would yield a 1.40 I-SI2. You have to consider though, that we have little time to study the stones when buying.
Back at the office, we realized that the colour would be lower, but we saw a possibility of obtaining a weight above 1.50 Ct, where prices make a jump. In our notes, we see that it took a lot of back-and-forth with the cutters to go for the 1.50, since they did not agree with that possibility.
In the end, it exactly worked out as we predicted with the current 1.52 K-SI1 as a result.

I wonder how many others can find that kind of info about thier stones?

Thank you all

 

[arthureld]

I went back to Antwerp and met with Paul and Rob today. I also had the pleasure of meeting Lieve Peeters. She selects all of the rough diamonds that Infinity cuts.
Here''s a couple pics I figured belong with this thread.
Paul is looking in the microscope and Rob is standing up.

 

[arthureld]

This is a pic of the security cylinders that are blocking the road that leads to Crafted by Infinity.
The guard lowers one side so the car can get in the middle. Then the guard raises the ones behind and lowers the ones in front.

 

[swingirl]

Your stone is absolutely beautiful. I love the stones cut by Infinity. I like that they cut a variety of colors and clarities. And isn''t it nice to have a little history. I purchased a stone cut by them and have a little story about mine, too.

That security system is impressive. I''ve never seen anything like it.

 

[Lorelei]

Thank you so much for adding the pictures Arthur, much appreciated!

 

[WinkHPD]

This is a wonderful time to congratulate you!

I think it speaks volumes about Paul and his business that you were able to get the same price in Antwerp as in the US for one of his wonderful gems.

I have always enjoyed being able to tell my friends that if they visit Antwerp that they literally have a friend in the business and that Paul will take good care of them. I hope your visit will encourage others to do the same, Paul is a very gracious host!

Wink

 

[arthureld]

Thanks everyone. This whole experience has been pleasurable for me.

When I first had the idea of buying in Antwerp, I did a some research and was a little discouraged.

But, with Lorelei''s suggestion, I met with Paul and Rob and everything fell into place.
These guys are great to work with and make me feel very comfortable.

Thanks Wink. And I really appreciate your replys to my emails. You seem like a respectable guy yourself.

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 7/29/2008 4:50:50 PM
Author: arthureld
Thanks everyone. This whole experience has been pleasurable for me.

When I first had the idea of buying in Antwerp, I did a some research and was a little discouraged.

But, with Lorelei''s suggestion, I met with Paul and Rob and everything fell into place.
These guys are great to work with and make me feel very comfortable.

Thanks Wink. And I really appreciate your replys to my emails. You seem like a respectable guy yourself.

You are very welcome. I am glad to here that Lorelei were on the same page. I knew it wold make your tirp much more interesting, even if you had not found your diamond.

Wink