family deals on diamonds, opinions?

[tlow]

Hey guys,

So since I have been looking into this ring deal, my parents, who don''t know about the ring, have some really close family friends that work for a mall jeweler (not saying which one). My mom happen to metion it the other day when i was visiting...very interesting timing Anyways, this friend who is upper management says i can get the same discount that she gets.

What do you guys think about this? I mean I want a good diamond more than a good deal. However, if I can get both that is the optimal. What kind of discounts do most upper management employees get? Also, I would have to find a cert. diamond, get it idealscoped, sarin report, appraised, etc, etc. If I''m only going to save, say 15%, I don''t konw if it would be worth the hassel versus just going through a place like whiteflash and browsing quickly and easily to find what I want. Any opinions?

 

[Mara]

well it sounds like you know that family deals aren''t always what they seem up front....so you''re already a step ahead most people who are told they can get a great deal kinda thing.

i''d consult with the family jeweler and see what they can offer you, knowing that you do need to get the pertinent info like sarin, idealscope, your eye etc..to ensure you get a great cut...and then compare it to what you can find online in the same criteria for your purchase. you don''t have to only work with one person. see what else is out there and do some comparison shopping.

you may have the best of two worlds here...so i''d try to make it work for you. but tell the family/offline person that you are shopping around to be sure you get the right thing for YOU. good luck!

 

[Kaleigh]

As mrssalvo''s tag line says a deal is only a deal if you get what you want. I''d explore this option with the family friend as long as you tell her you want the best cut etc... Sarins, IS and the like. See what she has to offer you, but keep your options open and be honest with her. Buying online you can probably get a stellar ideal cut stone for less than what she can offer you. Not sure what her discount is. Back in the day mine was 30%, but I would have been fired for passing on a discount to a friend of the family. I worked for a high end store, that is now in the malls, and they scrutinized any purchases I made. I was in management, not upper level. But still those purhcases are scrutinized in the same manner I would think??? Not sure. Good luck, get the specs for us and we''ll be happy to help you. Make sure to get crown and pavillion angles as well. Look for AGS and GIA certs.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Oh, gosh, this will likely be a dead end and cause some awkwardness. I would say thanks but no thanks and be on my merry way. Employee discounts aren''t usually that great. I mean, the discount might be good enough for you to pay what the stone is really worth. But the biggest problem is, mall stores probably aren''t choosing their own inventory. The stones are probably distributed from some central source. They probably have never heard of a sarin, helium scan, brillancesope, idealscope, etc. Once you find out that the stones aren''t good and the prices aren''t all that great either, then you have the problem of saying thanks for your help but I am not buying from you.

After shopping at even fine jewelers, I do not see the stones I see from these vendors and the prices are not good enough to justify buying locally. When you buy from WF, GOG, Wink, etc., you have a beautiful selection of AGS0 and GIA Excellent stones that have passed inspection to even be in their inventory. We''ll never buy a diamond again from a jewelry store.

 

[tlow]

Hey guys,

sorry it took so long to reply, I was traveling...anyways, i don''t know the family friend at all, so I''m not terribly worried about offending her. Obviously, I don''t want to but like you said I will be truthful and just tell her what I want and what criteria I want. If I can get 20-30% and still get a good diamond taht would be awesome. I think I will call her on Tuesday and get the run down.

 

[Regular Guy]

Date: 9/2/2006 12:33:54 AM
Author:tlow
Also, I would have to find a cert. diamond, get it idealscoped, sarin report...

It''s not reasonable, I don''t think, to expect the availability of an idealscoped image (though you could buy an idealscope and see it through one yourself) or get sarin data from your local shop. Unfortunately, it''s also unlikely they''d carry AGS0, too. But if they do, or if you ask for that (with new cert), and get it, that may be good enough.

 

[kcoursolle]

At the very very least buy and ideal scope and take it with you when viewing stones. Also, you might want to consider buying your stone elsewhere and buying their settings at a discount if you can''t find any stones you like through them.