Protea Diamonds in Washington, DC metro area

[goscottgo]

Has anyone ever dealt with or purchased a diamond from Protea in Arlington, VA (DC metro area)? He has quoted me a price for an Asscher (GIA cert, 1.02 CT, F, VVS2, 66 table, 71 depth, and excellent and very good) at $5600. That price sounds great, and they even give 5% discount for government employees. Sounds to good to be true, since most diamonds I have been quoted in the DC area have been between 1 and 2 grand higher.

 

[Regular Guy]

GoScottGo,

Though I don't know anything about the store, the web site is attractive, and it's good to know about resources in the DC area. Please let us know if this turns out well for you.

Perhaps since this is a bricks & mortar store, pricing should seem particularly attractive. Ignoring the depth and table info, the pricing seems to be right where the 13 other diamonds (well, maybe 6 if you factor out duplicate listings) fall when doing a search on the Pricescope database, where these run from $4900 - $5900. Factoring in your discount, that's put Protea right dead in the middle -- plus -- you don't have to worry about travelling to see the stone, who will set it, yadayadayada...and you have a jeweler to go to, periodically, to check to see that the prongs are doing their job.

Hopefully, the diamond is well cut, but since the HCA scale I've come to rely on doesn't apply, I don't know how you'd know (for any of these).

You probably know Dirtcheapdiamonds is in the area, too, in Frederick, could be travelled to, and possibly could bring in house any of the 6 diamonds featured above, depending on your interest.

But hopefully, Protea will work out for you. Let us know as you pursue it if it's a good experience!