Buying in Boston, on-line or in Australia?

[plymthrock]

My boyfriend & I live in the Boston area & are closing in on the big purchase. We're going to Australia to "Meet the Parents" next month & I'm wondering whether there would be any advantage to purchasing a stone while we're there. Based on what we've learned on this site, we'll probably buy on-line, (Boston dealers are not too impressive), but I don't want to rule out all options just yet. Any suggestions?

We're in the market for an:
AGS Ideal Cut 000
Carat: 1.0-1.2
Color: F
Clarity: VS1
Fluorescence: none

My bet is that we won't find this for less than $7500. Can I expect a diamond to cost the same in Australia? I've heard that in Europe, they are actually more expensive than in the US.

Thanks!
Krista

 

[DiamondOptics]

Hi plymthrock,


Perhaps this may seem biased of me,
but I am of the opinion that the best
cut diamonds in the world with the best prices
can still be found in the USA.

One of the reasons I mention this is because
I have had clients whom have purchased from australia
usually wanting super-ideal diamonds.

Apparently, with the duties and taxes involved
to ship to Australia, the people there have never
seemed to complain about that, which must mean,
the U.S. market must be doing something right.


Buy Informed!

Kirk

 

[Mongol]

From my experience in shopping Diamonds I can defintly say that Diamonds in the land downunder can be expensive. In terms of figures you cannot buy a quality 1.0ct Diamond under 10,000 AUD. The Jewellery shops have markups as high as 200%. In terms of quality I have had problems in obtaining quality Diamonds. For example where I live F/VS1 and G/VS1 stones are rare. The closest you shall find shall be a G SI2/SI-1 around 12,700 AUD.

Okay if you happen to be a traveller you can skip the 10% GST. I reckon it would far better buying Diamonds in the States. Also look into buying online from a reputed dealer.

I was told by someone that in Australia the best place to buy is a vendor in Western Australia but again I havent verified this as yet.

 

[lacina]

Hi
Did you know that diamonds are actually free??
No?? Yes they are, unless they get to be in the posession of people,..Miners, Cutters and Dealers,...Retailers,..
Do you see what I mean? Before you put the finished product on your finger there are at least 10 people that have profited on it! This does not include the governments charging all kinds of taxes on it in any level of sale!
There are not many diamond mines in the World ,.. Africa, Russia and Canada are known as producers of top gem quality diamonds,..
Sure they are Diamond mines in other parts of the world, in Australia and South America, just the quality is not the same and if the quality reaches Gem they are more expensive,... I know in the Argile mines of Australia are found the finest Champagne Yellow and Pink diamonds,...but smaller percentage of colorless gems,...
There are plenty of gem quality diamonds on the world's market to satisfy those who appreciates them,...
The largest market is in Europe and USA with wholesale and cutting centers in Antwerp Belgium and New York City. The New York Diamond district is considered the most active in the World with direct contacts with cutting factories in Israel, Russia and Belgium
Why Am I telling you this? If you wish to acquire diamond with the highest possible discount from Rapaport prices, you need to eliminate as many middle man and taxes as possible and take advantage of free trade agreements betweem USA, Israel, Russia and Canada. Buy direct from the cutter or the next level, the distributor/wholesaler. Therefore the best price in the World can be obtained either directly in Russia , Israel, or NYC. Why?
Canada is charging extra tax when buying in Canada and so does Belgium.
The NY market being so active and having so much buying power and ability to control the World's largest diamond sales has been able to deliver the Best price for diamonds possible.
Diamonds are being cut also in differnt parts of the world due to cheapper labour . There are cutting houses in Thailand, Vietnam, China, and India . Theese cuts are not as well appreciated as the Israeli, Russian or Belgian that are far more superior from the orhers and vey much in line with our standards.
So All you need to do is Find a seller in NYC that is tied directly with any of the three best producers and work out a deal!
My recomandation is ALWAYS the Russian cut and since the Israeli cutters are mostly Russian emigrants, Israel is also producing equaly good cuts!
Belgian cut is traditionaly beautifully done and polished and it has a the traditional character!
I hope this helps
George
GLE Gem Imports

 

[plymthrock]

Thank you for the information. Australia is off the diamond shopping list. I've always thought that the NYC diamond district would be a good place to look for a loose diamond. My family is from NYC, but I'd be pretty surprised if they had any contacts in the diamond business. I believe they used to purchase from Bradbury Jewelers, Inc. in Brooklyn, but I don't know if this business sells loose diamonds or where they fit into the diamond food chain. Does anyone have a contact (seller/distributor/wholesaler) in the NY diamond district that they recommend? How can we go about establishing a rapport with someone in that area?

On another note, does the price of diamonds fluctuate very much with the market? I'd love to get an idea of the current market price per carat for a 1.0 carat VS1, but it looks like I need to subscribe to the Rappaport Report -or trust a dealer I've just met. How do you know when to bargain, and how low you can go without blowing it? I've priced numerous diamonds on line and tested my knowledge with some local dealers and jewelers, but I don't feel like I know the true cost I should expect to pay. It's analogous to going to a car dealership and having a price range for a car, when you really know that a bottom line exists. Plus, if we find a seller in NYC that buys direct from one of the large diamond cutting houses (by the way, what are the names of the best producers), how much less can we expect to pay? Is $7500 for the above described diamond realistic?

Thanks,
Krista

 

[DiamondOptics]

Hi Krista,


The rappaport list is used as a template,
but many dealers will go far below it, and
a few may go a bit above it.

It really depends on what your looking for!

A pricescope search will still be your best
bet, because some of the most competative prices
in the world can be found "right here."

Just find a diamond you are interested in,
post the stats, and I'm sure that everybody
will help you make the best possible decision.


Buy Informed!

Kirk

 

[md]

I just bought a diamond a couple of months ago at Barmakian jewelers. I found them to be price competitive to online dealers and a huge inventory. They have locations in Boston, Framingham, and Nashua. I actually made the purchase in Nashua because it is tax free and only a 30 minute drive from Boston. The number for their Framingham location is 508-872-5454. I just had the ring sized there for free instead of bringing it back to Nashua. Their customer service is excellent and the quality of their work was the best I found in the area and I went everywhere.

I bought a princess cut stone and was more comfortable actually looking at the stones rather than going by the GIA specs on the web. I went and looked at around 25 stones meeting my exact specifications. Check them out if you can.

MD