Diamond Search in Europe

[Snow White]

I wanted to share with some of you, who may be interrested, my search for a perfect diamond, on the other side of the Altantic.

First of all I do not consider buying a stone online in the US, even with a great return policy as I would have to pay the custom taxes anyhow, even if I return the stone.

Online diamonds sellers in Europe tend to sell diamonds with info about size, color, clarity and that's it!
So I try to find my way differently to get a nice diamond at a fair price.

I you have some good tips for me, please feel free to share

First step:
*********
I met a jewelier who is part of a kind of diamond council. After a week of search, he proposed me a well cut, non-certified, H SI3, 1.55ct for 10k€ ( VAT incl i.e. 11k$ without VAT).

Nice sparling stone but no way to pay so much for an uncertified diamond.

Tomorrow, I will meet an nother jewelier who has the reputation to be price effective. Let's see what he will propose.

S.W.

 

[jhn]

I would also be very interested in this topic/question. Do you know approx. how much VAT one have to pay if ordering from the US? I live in Sweden so i reckon there would be like 50% VAT on diamonds from the US

 

[phoenixgirl]

The 1.55 uncerted stone sounds fishy to me. You can order a 1.55 H SI2 with an AGS0 cut grade from Blue Nile UK for about $9k USD. You might try looking at the certificates of stones on the website and then running the numbers in the cut adviser here.

 

[Giangi]

European guy here. I have bought from gendiat.com in the past with great satisfaction. I recommend you have a look at their website.

 

[WinkHPD]

Contact Paul Slegers in Antwerp, he can help you. He posts here under the name Antwerp Paul.

Wink

 

[hilbake]

Date: 9/30/2006 6:50:02 PM
Author: jhn
I would also be very interested in this topic/question. Do you know approx. how much VAT one have to pay if ordering from the US? I live in Sweden so i reckon there would be like 50% VAT on diamonds from the US

Wow, that''s an awefully high VAT. Are you sure about that?
I live in Belgium and the VAT is 21%, which I think is already too high.

 

[Snow White]

Thanks for your kind answers.

My second steps was to visit some jeweliers ( not retailliers but manufacturers). They all proposed me very expensive diamants and could not provide me any certificate with the diamants.
It was very boring. Either if my request was very specific they did not respected it. The presented stones were overbudget or too small with higher clarity.

Last week I met a diamond retailler here in Paris who answered seriously to my request. He presented me several stones within my budget, fitting all my criteria. He was kind and patient

.
I looked at the diamond and certificates during 2 hours and left.

When I came back to the other jeweliers and told them about what I found they all decrease their prices dramatically ( but still no certificate available in shop). So do not hesitate to negociate strongly!

Finally I went back to see again my prefered diamond at lunch time today and bought it.

So I am very glad to be the future owner of a very nice and sparkling 1.53ct GSi2 diamond

I just have to wait it to be send to the HRD lab to be laser engraved and scelled and I will get it next week

Now let's search the right setting for this beauty!

I'll post pictures when it will be done.

Snow White



PS. VAT is 19.6% in France and you have to add a bit more if you import diamants from the US. Contact directly the customs of your country, they will inform you.