Chicago Diamond District

[Aimee]

I live in the Chicago area and I work downtown. Does anyone know someone they can recommend to me in the diamond district? I am beginning my hunt for an engagement ring and don't know anyone on Wabash. Does anyone have a contact for me? Thanks! Aimee

 

[RockDoc]

Areas of high competition while appearing to be in the consumer's interests,many times are not.

There are many such areas througout the country and when you put that many sellers together competing for the sale, usually the biggest pirate who tells the most lies is the person who gets the sale.

You can probably find a better stone on the internet, and pay a lower price for it.

Learn and do your research.....it will pay off handsomely in the end.

Rockdoc

 

[Aimee]

Hi Rocdoc -

Thanks for your response. On that note, do you have any recommendations for purchasing on the internet? I have been on Ebay. I am looking for a 1ct or a bit more solitaire in the X Prong setting, which is hard for me to find. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Aimee

 

[RockDoc]

The X prong mounting is commonly sold by Vatche.

Your chances of finding one on Ebay is highly unlikely.

Some of the internet vendors here who advertise sell the Vatche mounting as well as wonderfully cut diamonds.

I DO NOT SELL OR BUY, so I don't recommend any particular seller.

However, on my site there is a list of sellers who will send the stone of your choice to me to check for you without you having to lay out the money for the diamond until you decide to purchase it or not. But you could also ask a seller not on the list to send the stone to us under the same conditions. We really don't care WHO you buy it from.

Hope this helps.

Rockdoc

 

[Aimee]

RockDoc,
Okay, so you are a gemologist? That is awfully nice of you to check out stones without any money down. Do you certify stones? I guess I will check out your site and see what the deal is. I did find one Xprong on Ebay, it was nice. Thanks, Aimee

 

[RockDoc]

Hi Aimee

Yes, I am a gemologist. Here is a link to my CV or resume.

http://www.accurateappraisal.com/newpage1.htm

I think you might misunderstand the "not paying for the diamond". We do charge for our services, but the list enables consumers to have more than one stone sent in without paying the seller for the stone. We charge a fee for checking out the stones, and if you send one - we charge for one, if you send more then we charge based on the number of stones sent in. But considering that most internet sellers charge prices far less than the brick and mortar type location, it probably still pays to have the stones of your choice checked out. Most people carefully select one stone, and if its a good choice, then you just have to pay for one stone, if the stone isn't what you wanted, or isn't the quality it is represented as, then pick another, we return the first stone, and check out the next one. Most consumers manage this sending in one stone.


Most consumers if purchasing a $ 5,000. diamond only have the $ 5000. and can't layout $ 10,000. in advance. This provides you with a way to have more than one stone compared if you so choose.

Hope this clarifies things for you.

Rockdoc

 

[slmulkey]

Don't buy an engagement ring off of ebay. In my opinion, its fine to buy inexpensive jewelery from that site, but I wouldn't take the risk with a diamond that is likely to alot of money. You are far better off buying off one of the vendors that is listed here on pricescope. Do yourself a favor and take the time to educate yourself. The tutorial on this site is a great place to start. If you educate yourself, you will pay less, and get a better looking diamond. Good luck and have fun.

 

[Mongol]

Aimee,

The chances of finding your dream Diamond from ebay is slim. Ebay is good for certain things but not Diamonds. The Diamonds on ebay seem poor in quality ...the best bet is toy from a wholesaler or online

 

[Mara]

Hi Aimee--

There are tons of online vendors to choose from if you decide that is the way your search should go. Search Pricescope for more info and you will find that the search results offer many vendors up for your perusal.

A few that pop off the top of my head are:

-GoodOldGold.Com (lots of educational info and they sell stones too)
-WhiteFlash.Com (many stones for sale--all sorts of them)
-Diamondwholesale.cc (very reasonable pricing, though less info..must email to ask for more details though they are very responsive)
-DirtCheapDiamonds.Com (don't let the name scare you, many people on this forum have purchased and been very pleased with the results, pricing is very reasonable as well, though will need to email to ask for more details on a stone as well)
-You can also check out BlueNile and Diamond.Com for comparisons, though most of the sites I listed above and on Pricescope searches can probably beat their pricing, and offer a better stone if you know the questions to ask.

That should get you started. Also run a Pricescope search on the main page and see the vendors they serve up as well. This is a great way to just see the scope of stones out there.

I would also suggest not buying a stone on eBay. If you were extremely educated on the ins-and-outs, *maybe*...but an inexperienced buyer (which many of us are or were) is taking a huge gamble dropping $5k or more on a stone off eBay. You will be able to find great deals using the links and others that people give you, and know that you are dealing with a reputable company who stands behind their work, not a faceless, nameless seller on eBay. Not that I don't love eBay..I do. But I agree with the other poster who noted that its not the best way to drop alot of money, with relatively little info in return.

Last but not least, once you get the stone, many online vendors sell the XProng style setting. WhiteFlash.Com for example, and I know there are others. So you can get the stone loose and then have it set if that is your desire. Or buy the stone and setting from a co like WhiteFlash and get it all in one place. You have many options.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

 

[esat1203]

I started out visiting "brick & mortar" jewelers for an engagement ring and am now in the final stages of making an online purchase.

As stated above, the key to a successful diamond search is to educate yourself first. Below is a link to a "How to" buyer's guide I found on the web. The article covers the gamut from jewelry districts (like Wabash here in Chicago) to strip malls and online dealers. Plus there are helpful recommendations and links to other resources.

Print it out and read it on the el. I found it was a great place to start.

Good Luck!

http://www.bridaltips.com/diamond.htm

 

[diamondsman]

There are much more advantages for buying over the net.
1)you do it from the comfort of your home/office
2)in most cases lower margin of profits=better price.
3)sales tax advantages if not in the same state.
4)most cases longer return policy
5)some incentives with purchases
bottom line you save money
just my 2 cents