Ever bought a diamond from Costco?

[pricescope]

Kiplinger's Personal Finance writes an article about buying diamonds at warehouse clubs and would like to interview someone who has bought a diamond at Costco for publication .

They will probably want to take a picture of the person, with the ring, for the article. If you want to be interviewed by a journalist for the magazine, please notify us .

Also don't forget to share your story here

 

[tanuki]

Not me personally, but consumer advocate Clark Howard (he has a syndicated radio show) bought a nice diamond for his wife at Costco. 4 carats if I recall correctly. He would probably be happy for Kiplingers to interview him.

contact information could be found on his website www.clarkhoward.com

 

[hmurchison]

I''ve thought about it but they don''t give enough specs on the diamonds and the
price of Costco diamonds aren''t that much cheaper than a few reputable sources here.
They do have a great return policy however.

 

[kenny]

Their stones are not graded by AGS or GIA.

They use IGI, which does not report crown or pavilion angles or percentages.

This makes price comparison with GIA or AGS stones tough.

You don't know how good the cut is.

 

[yellowsparkles]

I seriously considered a Costco diamond. They do have GIA certs and you can go to the website and they have a special order program. They sent the ring to my local Costco for me to inspect- with all the certification. Very good service. I decided not to buy the ring because I would have to pay sales tax. Probably can get same price with online vendor.

 

[kenny]

GIA?
Really?
The Costco in Signal Hill California displays little copies of the IGI reports on their largest stones.

Just now on Costco.com I just saw some IGI reports and also some GIA reports too.

 

[yellowsparkles]

Sorry, it was awhile ago when I was shopping for a diamond. Maybe that is another reason why I didn''t buy from Costco!?!?

 

[yellowsparkles]

OK . I just checked out Costco.com

This is from their website - when I click on a ring to view. Is this a GIA certificate??


Summation Of Appraisal certificate from the International Gemological Institute (IGI). This is to certify that the item described above is genuine, and has been independently examined in the laboratories of IGI.
Also included with this diamond is a GIA (Gemological Institute of America), Gem Trade Laboratory, Diamond Grading Report. Gem Trade Laboratory is a division of GIA Enterprises, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the nonprofit Gemological Institute of America, Inc. This describes the characteristics of the diamond at the time of the examination based upon 10x magnification.

 

[rockymountain]

It looks like it

http://www.gia.edu/gemtradelab/66/section_main_page.cfm

 

[Jolie]

Costco does have GIA-certified stones. But don''t just look in the showcase or on-line. Costco has people who will take your specifications then look through their inventory to find a stone that will match what you asked for. We corresponded by e-mail.

When they find a couple of stones that match what you are looking for, they will send them to your local costco for inspection before you buy (you inspect them in the manager''s office, not out in the warehouse). If you choose to buy, you then have 30 days to return the stone to the local Costco if you change your mind. This was the part that we liked because we wouldn''t have to deal with shipping/insurance for a return.

However, we ended up not buying. But it seemed like a viable alternative to B&M stores and even internet sites. I know competitors will find ways to disparage Costco (like B&Ms telling you it''s not safe to buy on-line) but a savvy buyer can get a good deal at Costco. You just have to know what specifications you are looking for and make sure you ask only for stones that meet those. And don''t buy from the showcase or on-line.

Stones are stones. As long as they match their specs, you know exactly what you are getting, whether that stone came from Tiffany''s or Costco. It''s just a matter of what you want to pay for - some people like paying for the sparkling lights, marble floors, well-dressed store clerks, and velvet boxes. I don''t.