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NYC Diamond District Shopping

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diamondshopper33

Rough_Rock
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Jan 9, 2012
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I live in NYC and while looking for an engagement ring I have made several trips to the diamond district and found the prices to vary pretty wildly. I took my gf with me on one of my visits and she really took a liking to a specific stone from one of the jewelers. It is a F color, VS2 clarity, Ex Cut and 1.53 carat round diamond. The diamond is EGL certified and the quoted price (including the setting) was around $8800. I am a bit concerned since the price seems much lower than what I have been finding on internet sites selling diamonds online. Any suggestions about questions I could ask to make sure I am not being swindled? The only thing I could think of is that the jeweler said that the depth was reduced which made the crown of the diamond appear larger.
 
Is the diamond clarity enhanced? What is the stores return policy? Have you googled the name online to see if anyone has posted reviews?
 
Are you comparing prices with other EGL stones?
 
Loose 1.5ct F VS2s with GIA/AGS reports are selling online in the US for literally double - and online vendors don't have concerns like making sufficient profit to maintain their storefront overheads.

1. Do a search on here for EGL to read more about why we recommend against it. The problem isn't *loose grading* so much as it is *totally inconsistent* grading, which makes it impossible to accurately guess what you've got without another (reliable) professional opinion in the form of a GIA/AGS report, if you're in the US, or an independent appraisal w/ a reputable appraiser...

2. Truly, there's no such thing as a "good deal" on the primary market in the diamond district. You're always going to get exactly what you pay for (or less). So if you see a 1.5ct F VS2 pre-et that's being hawked at half of what comparables with GIA/AGS reports would cost, well, there's a reason for that - and in the diamond district it's not going to be a reason that works in your favour.


I'd recommend giving www.idjewelryonline.com and www.diamondsbylauren.com a call - both are in the area, IDJ has made many PSers happy with stones with and without reports and DBL has a variety of interesting stones both coloured and white.
 
When it comes to shopping in the Diamond District, if it sounds too good to be true - IT IS!
 
diamondshopper33|1326088365|3098345 said:
I live in NYC and while looking for an engagement ring I have made several trips to the diamond district and found the prices to vary pretty wildly. I took my gf with me on one of my visits and she really took a liking to a specific stone from one of the jewelers. It is a F color, VS2 clarity, Ex Cut and 1.53 carat round diamond. The diamond is EGL certified and the quoted price (including the setting) was around $8800. I am a bit concerned since the price seems much lower than what I have been finding on internet sites selling diamonds online. Any suggestions about questions I could ask to make sure I am not being swindled? The only thing I could think of is that the jeweler said that the depth was reduced which made the crown of the diamond appear larger.
i'll take a wild here...the report from EGL European?
 
The diamond market (for the consumer) is vey much like the stock market. You won't generally find a "deal, " especially when buying from someone in the trade. You can compromise on a lower color and clarity and keep the size larger if the cut is excellent. The F color EGL is probably several color grades down, so you are not comparing apples to apples. If it would have been an F color from GIA, the dealer would get it certified for a couple hundred dollars and get several thousand dollars more for it.
 
I'd also call Yoni at Eternity Diamonds....
 
And add Engagement Rings Direct to that list!
 
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