I recently completed my search for a 3+ carat RBC diamond for an engagement ring and thought I’d share my experiences here since this site was a great help to me.
I have seen many questions asked about 47 Street in NYC.Since I work only a block away, I was able to visit almost all of the stores in the area.Whenever I got a chance during lunch or after work, I would take a walk and see at least a couple of places.I did this for over a month.What I saw convinced me that buying retail on 47 St is not a good idea.
First, you should have a general idea of what you’re looking for before starting your search.The fact that you’re at Pricescope means you’re already ahead of most people.If you’re not sure of the specs you want, the retail shops are a good way to see and handle the different quality stones out there.
In my case, I knew exactly what I wanted and I usually said so when I went into the stores.My experiences were disappointing.A lot of sellers tried to sell me stones that they knew were not within my desired specs; others gave me stones with angles that were way off from ideal cut and then lied to me saying that it was; yet still others insisted that I be ready to buy “today” if they showed me stones.When I told one store employee I wanted to see what was available, he told me to come back only when I’m ready to buy right then & there!Yeah, like I’m really going to give you $25K the first time I walk into your store.This store also had someone standing in front trying to steer people inside.
Pricing in most cases prices dropped significantly (more than 20%) whenever the salesperson detected that I wanted to leave.Note that the stones I looked at ranged from $20-30K; do the math and you’ll see that the initial prices they ask for is a total and complete rip off.What they do is quote you an outrageous price first, and then attempt to lure you with a “discount” when in fact even the “discounted” price is above fair value.Finally, I would not suggest patronizing the two or three stores on the block that have steerers in front.You’ll know when you’re at one of these places because the moment you stop to look at their window display, some guy comes up to you and insists that you come inside to look.I have found these stores to be very pushy and customer unfriendly.
So if 47 St isn’t the best place to buy, where is?
I wound up buying my diamond from Mark Turnowski at engagementringsdirect.com.I highly recommend Mark because my experience with him was nothing short of superb.Just for some background, Mark runs the website out of an office building just around the corner from 47 St.I can’t think of enough good things to say about him; he’s helpful, patient, and straightforward.He walked me through the whole process and went with me to get my stone appraised.When it was time to get the stone set, he and I actually spent two hours together going from place to place to complete the process.This was a most interesting and educational side benefit.And above all else, his prices are extremely competitive, beating retailers and other Internet sites alike.
For those in the NYC area, getting in touch with Mark is a must before you buy anything.Just tell him what you want and he’ll let you know what’s available.Afterwards, you can set up an appointment to see the diamonds in person.For those far from NYC, I know that buying something this expensive over the Internet or phone can be a test of bravery even with the money-back guarantee.Here’s what I suggest: contact Mark to let him know what you’re looking for and set up a time to meet with him personally if you’re uncomfortable buying otherwise.With airfares to NYC relatively inexpensive, the savings you’ll get vs. buying it locally at a retailer could easily recoup the money spent on travel.
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