Diamonds in Asia

[baboon]

Hi everyone!

I''m new to this forum and have only recently learned about the 4C''s (thanks to pricescope ^_^). My fiance wants to get me a 1 carat, E, VVS1 e-ring. He says that his friend bought a ring (1ct, E, VVS1, but not sure about the cut) in Malaysia for only $5000AUD. I''ve been reading the forums and doing some research and I found that 1ct E VVS1 is around $10,000AUD or above. So my question is, are diamonds in Malaysia cheaper than Australia? If they are indeed cheaper, then we plan to go overseas to buy the e-ring. I don''t think we''ll buy online because we need to see the real thing before we decide.

Thanks for your help.

 

[baboon]

I was browsing on the internet and i found this site.

http://www.diamondexpert.com/diamonds/dbs.cgi?sf=detd.setup.cgi&active=active&stock=RB10002509&submit_search=1

They state that Per Carat: $ 4,750.00. I''m really confused here to what per carat pricing is. Many websites offer different prices.

 

[jadeleaves]

First of all, welcome to Pricescope!

Re: diamonds in m'sia being cheaper than in Australia - as you said, you are not sure about the cut of the stone, so I shall not comment on the pricing.

However, I reside in Melbourne, and was also wary about buying diamonds online, sight unseen. I did a lot of research, and asked a lot of questions, and when the time came to make the purchase, I went with Good Old Gold in the United States. I was hesitant about buying online, and everyone I spoke to IRL were flabbergasted that I was even considering making such a huge purchase online.

Prior to pulling the trigger on an overseas purchase, I did try to price stones over here but couldn't really find a competitive price (bear in mind, this is MY experience, you may be able to find a better price here!).

Having done that, I'll have to say that I am very happy with the stones I purchased, and has in fact bought more diamonds from the same vendor since. I think the hardest part was the first purchase, and having found a trusted vendor, I have no qualms about buying from him again, or even from many of the respected vendors on this forum - WhiteFlash and Winfields comes to mind, but there are many others.

With regards to your comment about wanting to see the real thing before you decide, many vendors are able to provide heaps of photos and info about the stone, and again, this is where working with a reputable vendor will give you peace of mind. I remember bombarding Jonathan of GOG with a bazillion emails and questions before I finally bought the stones.

Hope that helped!

 

[DiamondExpert]

Baboon - Don''t be confused by the per/ct. price for a 0.50ct. stone vs. the per/ct. price for a 1ct. stone, the latter of which will be substantially greater (~2X higher).

Also, the stone you cite is graded an AGS6, and even though it is a bright, beautiful stone, cannot be considered against the price of an Ideal cut stone of the same size, color and clarity.

Regards,

Gary