diamond shopping in NYC - help & advice please

[Ann]

I am having a difficult time deciding between a modern cushion and a radiant. Would it be helpful if I were to visit NYC and just visit many jewelers and see these stones set? I have not seen a modern cushion yet, except for pictures and I can''t really get "a good look".

What jewelers would be best? Do I need an appt. for Leon Mege - Art of Platinum? Anyone have experience with him?
Daniel K ? I know I''ll avoid the diamond district, so is there an area that has a concentration of good jewelers?

Hotels that would be central to this little jaunt?

 

[reena]

hi, i live in NYC and it''s a great place to go to browse. i actually WOULDN''T avoid the diamond district for browsing purposes-it''s a great place (maybe the best due to the sheer number of stores) to go and look at a billion stones of different shapes and specs next to each other. because there are so many stores all on one street you''ll get the most browsing in for a short period of time, and you''ll see more variety in shape, color, size (and probably quality) than if you just went to, say, tiffany. if you don''t feel like going in the stores you can look in the windows, but if you do go inside my experience is that they are really good about pulling stones and showing them to you if you ask. (just be clear that you are not going to buy anthing that day!) the diamond district is an especially good place to see cushions since many regular jewelry stores don''t always have them on hand (or if they do, it''ll only be a few and they probably won''t be loose). you''ll probably need to try a few DD stores before you find one with a few loose cushions on hand, but a couple of them definitely should.

then after you do 47th street, you can swing over to michael c fina which is right around the corner, and then head to 5th ave and do tiffany, cartier, harry winston, asprey, fortunoff, etc. good eyecandy but, IMO, they have less selection and so are not necessarily the best places to get a feel for what you might like in terms of shape, color, etc. but fun to browse.

as far as leon mege, i have worked with him and i think he is fantastic. you do need an appointment to see him, but he''s really nice so you should not feel hesitant to call him up. thing is that he is really a setting guy--he may have loose stone connections but his primary business is not selling diamonds. as for daniel k you can see his stuff at a booth on the corner of 47th street (where jacob the jeweler is). call the 800 number and they''ll give you the info. good luck!

 

[Ann]

Thanks Reena

I always thought the DD was "sleazy", but if I I see what I want, then I''ll do whatever it takes to see these stones.

Is it something that would take 2-4 days? Do you have any suggestions for a hotel that is the thick of it all!?!

At this time, Leon is my choice for a setting, if I can ever decide on a stone. I have Jonathon at GOG looking for me. But I don''t have a clear idea of which stone I want yet. I think the setting I want will be easy to figure out. I do have a close idea for that at least!

holding my breath to see your ring!

 

[reena]

yeah, i''m not sure i''d just go into a random storefront in the DD and purchase a ring there without some background research... you have to be careful. (although some people have had good experiences buying from stores there.) but for browsing? it''s totally fine. i''ve done it a hundred times because i work right down the street. i actually found many of the people in the smaller stores to be quite nice, and willing to show me whatever i wanted to see and to let me try on whatever i wanted to try on. some of the stores are a tad sleazy, but if you''re not buying there then whocares! also i found that if you throw some of your pricescope knowledge around (not in a "i know more than you do" way, but just in a "i know what i''m looking at" way), they get pretty impressed.

i don''t think you would need more than a day total to go to the storefronts in the DD and hit the designer stores on 5th. (47th street is actually pretty short--it''s just one city block.) maybe 2 to make a weekend out of it. there are a billion hotels in times square, which is right around the corner--the W is just one fun example--although i personally despise times square so if it were me i''d choose to stay elsewhere. there are so many fun, beautiful places in the city (and TS is just not one of them, IMO). i would also DEFinitely make an appointment with leon if you can ... he may suggest that you wait until you actually have a stone, but if you explain that you''re in from out of town and want to meet with him briefly to discuss ideas and flip through his book of photos (oh MAN that book is something) then i think he''ll definitely be amenable to that.

also: mark at engagementringsdirect has an office in a building in the DD--it''s not a storefront so you''d need an appointment--and i would really recommend going to him to look at some stones. he is very reputable (i bought my stone there, as did MMM, alexah, and a bunch of others here) and has amazing prices so he would be a great person to actually purchase from (as opposed to just browse with). you could call him in advance and ask him to bring in a few radiants and cushions in the specs you''re looking for. he''s the nicest guy ever. just a thought, since he''s in the area where you''ll be looking.

let me know what happens!