Consumers: What are you buying, where and why?

[lawmax]

Hi,

We'd like to know where you are buying your diamonds and what draws you to one vendor or another.

Are you buying online or are you just gathering information to take to a brick and mortar store?

What kinds of services are important to you and how are you choosing which vendor will get your business?

What has been your experience thus far?

Are you looking for excellence in cut quality or is this less of a priority for you?

Please take a moment and share your diamond buying experiences with us.

Thanks!

 

[ChetLaura]

Hi,

We'd like to know where you are buying your diamonds and what draws you to one vendor or another.

We bought our diamond at the Blue Nile, but we found all of the vendors to be very quick in response to any questions we had on diamonds. We purchased this diamond through the Blue Nile because we could not find another diamond that compared in our price range and size. I know other people here seem to think that they are priced higher, but in our case it didn't work out that way.

Are you buying online or are you just gathering information to take to a brick and mortar store?

When we began our search last November, we were not sure which way that we would go with our purchase. We wanted to learn as much as we could before we made this purchase. With this forum and Diamond Talk, we were able to learn so many valuable things. We took our knowledge to the brick and mortar stores, and we found that they just do not carry the quality that we were looking for in a diamond. We would have bought from one of the local jewlers that could get in GIA/AGS Certed diamonds for us, but when we would go in to see them he could not match the price and he even changed prices in between visits. I might mention that the price change was by over a thousand dollars - same diamond that we had seen the week before at his store. I guess that we just would have had to have hit him on a day that he was feeling really generous - ha ha ha! We found our buying experience to be wonderful over the internet.

What kinds of services are important to you and how are you choosing which vendor will get your business?

As I stated above, we chose the vendor we used because they had the diamond that matched our quality, cut, and price. We used the HCA as our best friend over the past several months. The Blue Nile also has a very user friendly system, but this would not have made our decision on which diamond that we would buy. We would have loved to have been able to have diamcalc to use in our search, but we could not justify the price for the purchase of one diamond.

What has been your experience thus far?

Our experience was totally first rate from the Blue Nile.

Are you looking for excellence in cut quality or is this less of a priority for you?

Our first priority was the cut quality for us, and we couldn't be happier with our purchase. Our diamond rated a .7 on the HCA - and is an AGS 0 certed.

 

[Ceillie]

Wow. What a big question. Just remember - you asked for it!

>Are you buying online or are you just gathering information to take to a brick and mortar store?

Yes. I was not opposed to purchasing online. I spent a great deal of time at the goodoldgold site, among others. I did a lot of research through you all. I even went so far as to create my own idealscope because I did not have the 5 –10 days to get one…(stone shopping was a surprise for me). I actually figured that I would end up purchasing from an online vender (probably goodoldgold) after I had handled enough diamonds to know what I wanted.

We went to the brick and mortar stores because that was the only way to see settings in person. We actually started out designing something from scratch, but then I found something cool (through this site, as a matter of fact) that I really fell in love with, but did not want to buy it without trying it on.

So we found a jeweler in the area who carried that particular design. Small shop family run, I think. She offered to get in some stones for me. She mentioned cut before I did. I told her what my parameters were – clarity better than color, cut most important of all. She got in a set of stones, knowing that none of them were the ones I would purchase, just to narrow down what I really wanted – “are you sure this color is ok?” and “here are stones that bracket the size you want – how do you feel about this size or that.”

She had never heard of the idealscope – and was a little skeptical, but a really good sport when I showed up with the one my boyfriend and I concocted out of a loop he had from when he was a geologist and theatre gel from when I was an electrician. (the results are not as sharp as the ones in the pictures here, but we got a pretty good idea, I think.) I printed out the idealscope theory and gave it to her, and I think the whole thing amused her. Think I am gonna get her a real one before all is said and done!

She tracked down a hearts and arrows stone that rates like a 1.3 (I think) on the HCA and got it in for me. I think it was pretty unusual for her to carry this quality of stone. When I went back the second time to look at it – she had managed to borrow a hearts and arrows viewer from a friend to show off the stone with. She let me look at the inclusions and the AGS Cert inscription with what I think was a dark light microscope. All in all it was a fascinating purchase.

So, I guess while it had not been my intention to get the stone through a brick and mortar – (I always knew I would get the setting that way) I made that purchase because of the rapport I had with that particular jeweler. Her price was in line with what I had seen on the web, and she was willing to work with my eccentricities as a consumer… what more could you ask for?

Does that answer everything?

 

[lawmax]

Excellent feedback guys! Thank you!

 

[larry]

I recently purchased my diamond from White Flash and it showed up right away with no surprises, it was exactly what I ordered. It came everything you could imagine: a H&A viewer, loupe, cleaning cloth, the original AGS cert, a copy of the AGS cert, laser inscription and an appraisal. The diamond is fantastic and sparkles brilliantly. Thank you so much for the Cut Advisor as it really helped me get an excellent cut diamond that we are both very happy with.

The setting I purchased from diamond.com. The setting looks fabulous and came in a nice ring box as well. It says on their website that the settings are only sold with a diamond but if you call them they can make up a setting to fit your diamond without having to purchase the diamond from them. It took about 2 weeks to get the setting because the setting was on backorder. They also have free UPS ground shipping if your order is over $250. They upgraded my shipping for free to 2-day as it was taking a while to get the ring in stock.

I was able to get a local jeweler to mount the diamond in the setting and it came out better than I could have imagined. My fiancé loves the ring and thinks it suits her perfectly. She is also getting great complements. I don't think I could have done any better and I never had to step foot inside a jewelry store.

Thanks for all the help and information on Pricescope.

 

[lawmax]

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On 4/10/2002 4:12:04 PM

I recently purchased my diamond from White Flash and it showed up right away with no surprises, it was exactly what I ordered. It came everything you could imagine: a H&A viewer, loupe, cleaning cloth, the original AGS cert, a copy of the AGS cert, laser inscription and an appraisal. The diamond is fantastic and sparkles brilliantly. Thank you so much for the Cut Advisor as it really helped me get an excellent cut diamond that we are both very happy with.

The setting I purchased from diamond.com. The setting looks fabulous and came in a nice ring box as well. It says on their website that the settings are only sold with a diamond but if you call them they can make up a setting to fit your diamond without having to purchase the diamond from them. It took about 2 weeks to get the setting because the setting was on backorder. They also have free UPS ground shipping if your order is over $250. They upgraded my shipping for free to 2-day as it was taking a while to get the ring in stock.

I was able to get a local jeweler to mount the diamond in the setting and it came out better than I could have imagined. My fiancé loves the ring and thinks it suits her perfectly. She is also getting great complements. I don't think I could have done any better and I never had to step foot inside a jewelry store.

Thanks for all the help and information on Pricescope.
----------------


Wow-so you were able to find both your diamond and your setting online and still be able to take advantage of having a local jeweler who you can now go to for cleanings and maintenance. That was some serious shopping!

 

[lawmax]

What style of rings have you all purchased? Is there a particular design syle or metal that you prefer? What factors did you consider when making your setting choice?

 

[BEDAZZLED]

I like to purchase diamonds from people that I know or that have come with high recommendations.

I also like to buy them in person, so that I can see if I can "trust" the seller. I also like to see the product first.

Hence, I buy all my diamonds on 47th Street in Manhattan from (2) different sellers depending on what I am buying.
I have been buying from each for many years and am very happy.

I have both white gold and platinum rings. I prefer the white gold b/c I find them to be more comfortable to wear everyday since WG is not as heavy as Plat. However, I do have to have them rhodiumed to maintain the whiteness of the metal.

My favorite stone is Round followed by Princess.

I love channel settings b/c they make the ring look like a lot of diamonds and very sparkley.

Diamonds are truly a gals best friend!!

 

[lawmax]

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On 4/11/2002 3:12:41 PM

I like to purchase diamonds from people that I know or that have come with high recommendations.

I also like to buy them in person, so that I can see if I can "trust" the seller. I also like to see the product first.

Hence, I buy all my diamonds on 47th Street in Manhattan from (2) different sellers depending on what I am buying.
I have been buying from each for many years and am very happy.

I have both white gold and platinum rings. I prefer the white gold b/c I find them to be more comfortable to wear everyday since WG is not as heavy as Plat. However, I do have to have them rhodiumed to maintain the whiteness of the metal.

My favorite stone is Round followed by Princess.

I love channel settings b/c they make the ring look like a lot of diamonds and very sparkley.

Diamonds are truly a gals best friend!!
----------------


Hi Bedazzled,

I'm glad that you have had good experience buying in the diamond district when there are so many reports of consumers getting something other than what they thought they were buying.

Since you like to buy in person, what brought you to the internet? Did you use information you found online to help you make your purchases? What was the most helpful information you found online and how did you use it during your in-store purchases?

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Vladimir]

We would have loved to have been able to have diamcalc to use in our search, but we could not justify the price for the purchase of one diamond.

We understand that the DiamCalc is not very cheap. However, this software intended not for buyers but rather for dealers. We have the GemAdviser software for buyers.


functions that help buyers to make a decision.

Ask you dealer to send you the file in the GemAdviser format (that is generated with the DiamCalc software).

Vladimir,
DiamCalc Team.[/u][/u]

 

[ChetLaura]

We understand that the DiamCalc is not very cheap. However, this software intended not for buyers but rather for dealers. We have the GemAdviser software for buyers.

I think that if you were to market DiamCalc to the consumers rather than the vendors, you might make a lot more money. We would have gladly purchased this software for $50 or under during our search.

Just what our thoughts were during this process.

Thanks!

 

[Vladimir]

----------------
I think that if you were to market DiamCalc to the consumers rather than the vendors, you might make a lot more money. We would have gladly purchased this software for $50 or under during our search.
----------------


We consider the possibility of making cheap version of the DiamCalc for diamond consumers. It could be similar to the GemAdviser and should have the possibility to put cut parameters of round cut diamonds and maybe some more estimation parameters like "spread".
However, we have doubts as we think that the diamond model should be obtained with diamond scanners like Sarin otherwise the consumer may be misled by the result... We understand that the consumer version can bring us a lot of money but it is very important for us that our tools to be used correctly.
Well, what other features you would like us to include in it if we brought ourselves to make this consumer version?
We invite everyone to vote here for and against such DiamCalc version.
We would like that as many people as possible post own opinions, this will help us to reach the better decision.

Vladimir,
DiamCalc Team.

 

[lawmax]

The problem with only having gem adviser is that few dealers are using diamcalc right now. It would be nice to be able to input Sarin results for diamonds a consumer is considering buying and see the image. I guess you would need a disclaimer to explain how accurate the result is. Is there too much room for error if consumers are inputing Sarin Brilliant Eye results?

 

[larry]

By the way my local jeweler only charged me $24 to mount the diamond and $18 to get the ring sized.

 

[ChetLaura]

I agree with Lawmax - we have only seen Diamcalc on this site, and we would have never even considered asking the vendor for this. I think that consumers have to take into consideration that nothing is going to be a perfect science, but with the sarin reports it should come out somewhat accurate. We used the HCA advisor for our purchase, and there was no way of knowing for sure if the diamond was going to be exact with this either.

My husband said that if this software were sold to $19.99 to the consumers - that everyone would buy it. We personally would probably still buy it because we are just obsessed with diamonds now.

These are just our thoughts, but I would be surprised if we are the only consumers that feel this way.

 

[ranskaapoika]

i did a lot of research on this site and others and since my girlfriend did not want a large diamond i went with and 0.26 eightstar i bought from Continental Diamond in Minnesota they also set it for me in platnum, it is a bypass setting with the diamond bezel set. i also had a .054 natually blue diamond burnish set off to one side that i got from Amulet which i bought online. the ring is also Superfit. buying online worried me alittle but after talking to David in person i was reassured.

 

[lawmax]

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On 4/12/2002 11:57:31 AM

i did a lot of research on this site and others and since my girlfriend did not want a large diamond i went with and 0.26 eightstar i bought from Continental Diamond in Minnesota they also set it for me in platnum, it is a bypass setting with the diamond bezel set. i also had a .054 natually blue diamond burnish set off to one side that i got from Amulet which i bought online. the ring is also Superfit. buying online worried me alittle but after talking to David in person i was reassured.
----------------


Wow! Your ring sounds gorgeous. Any photos?

 

[Ceillie]

Having the HCA or a "consumer" version of DiamCalc on my palmpilot would have been worth the investment. Being able to run the numbers for various stones in the store would have been a real stress reliever. I had stuff from Edmunds.com when I went car shopping... would have been cool to have that info at my fingertips when I went ring shopping.

Just a thought.

 

[lawmax]

Good point about the palm pilot!

 

[DigiDestined]

Hi lawmax,

We'd like to know where you are buying your diamonds and what draws you to one vendor or another. Are you buying online or are you just gathering information to take to a brick and mortar store?

* We're buying our diamonds from a local wholesaler. He told us that we're getting a diamond under 35 percent rapaport value.

What kinds of services are important to you and how are you choosing which vendor will get your business?

* We do not know much about diamonds, so I think the main aspect here is trust. Moreover, the affection we have for the particular stone.

What has been your experience thus far?

* The color, clarity, carat, and cut (4Cs) effect the price extremely.

Are you looking for excellence in cut quality or is this less of a priority for you?

* I believe the diamond we're getting is a round brilliant ideal cut (have to check on that). Oh yes, the cut is what give the diamond its brilliancy, hence the value of the it.

 

[lawmax]

----------------
On 4/12/2002 3:57:00 PM

* We're buying our diamonds from a local wholesaler. He told us that we're getting a diamond under 35 percent rapaport value.

* We do not know much about diamonds, so I think the main aspect here is trust. Moreover, the affection we have for the particular stone.

----------------


DigiDestined,

Anyone who is selling you a diamond is not a wholesaler. Sellers will use the idea of promoting the diamond's price based on the Rap list. This is one way that sellers take advantage of consumers. You have no idea by Rap what this dealer actually paid for the diamond or what a competitive selling price is for it. Rap doesn't take cut quality into consideration and dealers use it for business purposes. They know the meaning of Rap and how it affects them.

So far, I don't feel like you have any great reason to trust this seller as you mentioned above. If you love the stone, then great. Make sure you use the price comparisons on this site and properly assess the cut so you know that you are getting what you are paying for. Ask for a Sarin report on the stone and make sure there is a good return policy in writing so you can take the diamond to an independent appraiser (one who does not sell diamonds). My advice would be to look at lots of diamonds of excellent cut quality so you know what you are buying. Make sure that you see the diamonds in natural lighting (not under Jeweler spot lights) and ask to see it in dim lighting where the best diamonds still show nice fire.

If you are buying in person, consider buying an ideal scope. See the menu bar above. They are very inexpensive and will give you lots of information about the diamonds you are viewing and considering buying. Your "wholesaler" may get an education too.

 

[Superidealist]

__________

lawmax said:
We'd like to know where you are buying your diamonds and what draws you to one vendor or another.

Are you buying online or are you just gathering information to take to a brick and mortar store?

What kinds of services are important to you and how are you choosing which vendor will get your business?

What has been your experience thus far?

Are you looking for excellence in cut quality or is this less of a priority for you?
__________

after doing much research online and looking at diamonds from other local vendors and several online sources. For such an important occasion, I felt it was important that I actually see the diamonds with my own eyes before buying, so I doubt that I would have been comfortable buying online for this one purchase. For any other, I might have been more willing.

My main reason for going with the jeweler I chose was the quality of diamonds she carried. I wasn't specifically looking for a great cut, just the most beautiful diamond I could find within my budget. When we took the diamonds out onto the sidewalk in front of the store and looked at them in the sunlight and shade, I was convinced. The service there since has been fantastic and I've been very happy with my decision.

I've always tried to do all my jewelry business with just one store. I had a hometown jeweler I used until he retired two years ago and am happy to have found a vendor in L.A. I feel I can rely on.

__________

What style of rings have you all purchased? Is there a particular design syle or metal that you prefer? What factors did you consider when making your setting choice?
__________

I chose the diamond and let my fiancée choose the setting. The setting I would have chosen would have been very different that the one she selected, so I'm glad I got her input. She went with an antique style (hand engraving, hand filigree) platinum setting by a local jewelry designer. She took about a month to decide on the setting but made a great choice in the end.[/u]

 

[lawmax]

Thanks for participating D R Riley and hooray for Brenda at The Jewelry Source! I know you are in good hands there! Do you have any photos of the ring?

 

[Superidealist]

No photos yet. We just stopped in to pick up my wedding band yesterday and Brenda took a picture of my ring that she'll be emailing me soon. When my fiancée's wedding ring is finished in a few weeks I should have some pictures of both her engagement and wedding rings to post.

 

[Superidealist]

 

[newtorocks]

Hi,
I really like colored diamonds but don't know much about them. I am interested in yellow diamonds, but the price ranges are all over - from less than $100 to over $10,000....I saw one that sounded intriguing: a round,brilliant dark yellow diamond 1.17 carats for only $200 - partly cloudy color - that's all the info I have. Does this sound right? Thanks!!

 

[K]

----------------
On 4/10/2002 12:47:35 PM

Hi,

We'd like to know where you are buying your diamonds and what draws you to one vendor or another.

>>>Not sure where to buy the stone. Price, virtual integrity, and percieved value draw me back to certain sites.

Are you buying online or are you just gathering information to take to a brick and mortar store?

>>> I plan to buy online, but am worried about cut and brilliance without seeing the stone. Also, I wonder if anyone has ever refused to take a stone back, saying that it is not the original stone shipped. So in the end, u get "stuck" with a stone which is not the one u requested.

What kinds of services are important to you and how are you choosing which vendor will get your business?

>>> I like the idea of the lowest price guaranteed ( assuming they mean the primary information found when doing a search, such as, polish symmetry, fluores., table %, and depth %. If they mean anything else, then I guess that is just a sales tactic. Also, no "restocking fee" and paying for the insurance and shipping to and (hopefully not) back to the jeweler.

What has been your experience thus far?

>>> I have requested certs and information on stones from about 4 online stores and have been pleased with their initial help on the purchase for the most part.

Are you looking for excellence in cut quality or is this less of a priority for you?

>>>I am looking for excellent cut, as well as color, and other aspects. To be honest, I am not sure what to put first, although I know a bad cut will give you less "fire" and make the stone appear "dead." Thing is, I would like to know if seeing those table and depth % are enough to decipher this type of information. What else needs to be taken into account?

Please take a moment and share your diamond buying experiences with us.

Thanks!
----------------

I

 

[K]

Hi,

We'd like to know where you are buying your diamonds and what draws you to one vendor or another.

>>>Not sure where to buy the stone. Price, virtual integrity, and percieved value draw me back to certain sites.

Are you buying online or are you just gathering information to take to a brick and mortar store?

>>> I plan to buy online, but am worried about cut and brilliance without seeing the stone. Also, I wonder if anyone has ever refused to take a stone back, saying that it is not the original stone shipped. So in the end, u get "stuck" with a stone which is not the one u requested.

What kinds of services are important to you and how are you choosing which vendor will get your business?

>>> I like the idea of the lowest price guaranteed ( assuming they mean the primary information found when doing a search, such as, polish symmetry, fluores., table %, and depth %. If they mean anything else, then I guess that is just a sales tactic. Also, no "restocking fee" and paying for the insurance and shipping to and (hopefully not) back to the jeweler.

What has been your experience thus far?

>>> I have requested certs and information on stones from about 4 online stores and have been pleased with their initial help on the purchase for the most part.

Are you looking for excellence in cut quality or is this less of a priority for you?

>>>I am looking for excellent cut, as well as color, and other aspects. To be honest, I am not sure what to put first, although I know a bad cut will give you less "fire" and make the stone appear "dead." Thing is, I would like to know if seeing those table and depth % are enough to decipher this type of information. What else needs to be taken into account?

 

[lawmax]

----------------
On 4/22/2002 6:08:30 PM

Hi,
I really like colored diamonds but don't know much about them. I am interested in yellow diamonds, but the price ranges are all over - from less than $100 to over $10,000....I saw one that sounded intriguing: a round,brilliant dark yellow diamond 1.17 carats for only $200 - partly cloudy color - that's all the info I have. Does this sound right? Thanks!!
----------------


There is an online dealer who sells lots of colored diamonds. In fact, he has one for an excellent price on this site's auction right now. It is yellow and got an intense fancy yellow grade from GIA although it is a touch on the green side. It is listed for something like twice as much on his site. You may want to check out the auction and his site www.icestore.com. That $200 diamond sounds frightening.

 

[lawmax]

----------------
On 4/22/2002 7:08:15 PM

Hi,

We'd like to know where you are buying your diamonds and what draws you to one vendor or another.

>>>Not sure where to buy the stone. Price, virtual integrity, and percieved value draw me back to certain sites.

Are you buying online or are you just gathering information to take to a brick and mortar store?

>>> I plan to buy online, but am worried about cut and brilliance without seeing the stone. Also, I wonder if anyone has ever refused to take a stone back, saying that it is not the original stone shipped. So in the end, u get "stuck" with a stone which is not the one u requested.

What kinds of services are important to you and how are you choosing which vendor will get your business?

>>> I like the idea of the lowest price guaranteed ( assuming they mean the primary information found when doing a search, such as, polish symmetry, fluores., table %, and depth %. If they mean anything else, then I guess that is just a sales tactic. Also, no "restocking fee" and paying for the insurance and shipping to and (hopefully not) back to the jeweler.

What has been your experience thus far?

>>> I have requested certs and information on stones from about 4 online stores and have been pleased with their initial help on the purchase for the most part.

Are you looking for excellence in cut quality or is this less of a priority for you?

>>>I am looking for excellent cut, as well as color, and other aspects. To be honest, I am not sure what to put first, although I know a bad cut will give you less "fire" and make the stone appear "dead." Thing is, I would like to know if seeing those table and depth % are enough to decipher this type of information. What else needs to be taken into account?
----------------


Hi!

Wow, great reply. Thanks!

Cut is the most important C and will determine the beauty of the diamond. You need more information than the table and depth percentage of the diamond. Ask for Sarin reports so you can get all of the diamonds measurements. Post the full specs of diamonds you are interested in and we can help you with cut quality, although there is nothing like seeing the diamond and having it checked out by an independent appraiser (one who does not sell diamonds and is knowledgable about cut). Read the tutorial and articles on this site and you will feel more confident. Ask questions and we'll answer to the best of our ability.