Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Purchase in NYC Diamond District vs internet

Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
M

MarLinda

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 22, 2003
Messages
12
I am totally consumed with getting the perfect diamond for me. Actually, my boyfriend and I are planning an engagement within the next couple of weeks. He knows NOTHING. Therefore, I had recently found myself checking the stats on my own diamond. We plan on purchasing my diamond 1 of 2 ways. A) Purchase my setting from
www.weddingbandusa.com, IN2006 and then obtaining the center stone from uniondiamond.

B)Purchase from Diamond City, 1200 6th Avenuue, Diane/Dennis

A)I am not sure if anyone has purchased anything from weddingbandusa if so. Your feedback is welcomed. $1,900, vs2, G-H for the setting, 10 business day to be delivered.

At union, I checked out 24060,8136,35113 all are 1.5,SI2,
about $7500 (my wants are: 1.5-2.0, SI1,vg sym-pol, crown over 7%, GIA)

B) I was working with Gina at Diamond City. She said that she doesn't sell mountings alone. I would have to buy setting and center from her.

What do you think is my best option. Please give me feedback. HURRY@!
 
Seems that you have a lot of choices being in NYC - you have the downtown and midtown diamond districts to comparison shop. Did you walk around 47th Street on 5th Ave.? (Just avoid the shops with the pushy greeters outside.)

Make sure that the gem is certified and has a 30 day return guarantee, get the proportions/angles and check them out before you buy, etc.

Just a suggestion: stop by David S. Diamonds at 9 W. 47th Street. They do spend some time educating and don't shove settings in your face as soon as you walk in. They didn't seem the type who chase you for a sale. (Note: I'm don't work or are related to them. But PM me if you want my family's shopping experience there and a contact.) There were some nice settings at Michelle Jewelry across the street too but they were more "eager". The people here online are very good too: Goldoldgold.com, Whiteflash, Niceice, etc.

But educate yourself before you buy. This is a great start. The people here are very nice. Good luck!

1.gif
 
If you are close to a large diamond district then you can take advantage of looking at all sorts of diamonds from well cut, to terribly cut. From super colors to poor, from light fancy to vivid fancy, etc, etc. You can always find some that you'll like and that fit your budget. BUT, you may or may not get the right price.

Getting the right price on the diamond that you really want can be done after considerable shopping time. Once you know the weight range, the color, the shape, the clarity, the cut parameters, then you are prepared to shop for price. This is something the Internet excells at.

It is difficult not to make a mistake when you are being pressured to buy by a skilled sales person. You will find lots of talented sales people in the diamond district of your choice. Sales on the Internet are way more laid back and pressure free.
 
I will see if tje jewlers at Diamond City will send my stones to David Wolf. Do you know of any internet vendors who will send a stone to an independent appraiser before you even pay for the diamond?
 
Marlinda:
A lot of the online companies will send stones to an appraiser before you buy. Also, being in NYC, a good number of the diamonds you see online may actually be at suppliers in NYC. If this is the case, some of the online vendors can probably send you directly to the source to see the diamond first and gauge whether or not you have interest and want to move forward with an appraisal.
Good luck!
 
Thanks you Richard and Googleman. O.K., I think I have it.
Find the stone, ship/send to the appraiser (my choice)w/ the GIA cert. Return here, let you guys know the results. Pay if everything is a go.
 
As I am in the UK, I have often wondered what the Diamond District in New York looks like. Is it small shops or stalls or what.
 
----------------
On 5/3/2003 5:28:32 PM pyramid wrote:

As I am in the UK, I have often wondered what the Diamond District in New York looks like. Is it small shops or stalls or what.
----------------
Click to expand...

The midtown Diamond District is approximately an entire lengthy street with a variety of jewelry shops on both sides. Some are small shops and some are bigger places consisting of small counters/kiosks inside each individually owned. You can definitely do some serious window shopping looking at the displays of diamonds, gems, and jewelry. It runs the gamut from some very elegant jewelry shops that must ring you in... to stores with outside greeters trying to get shoppers inside ("You want diamond ring? Come. I give you best price.") I cannot recall anything in the UK resembling it.
 
Hi, I just got back. Well, there are many, many stores. Some set ups are in a booth type format. I would resemble that to a high end flea market. There are nothing but jewelers. I thinks the experience is great, for me at least. I was overwhelmed the first time I went. I spent 5 hours there today.

Hope this helped!
wink2.gif
 
Hi Dim,

I went to David S. Diamonds today. Although, they were very professional, they were not able to help me.

I had a great expeience. This is what I found:
GIA, Princess,1.50, G, SI, 76.7d, 76.0T, Cut, Excellent but not ideal, VGP,GS, NO-F $7,390 (w/o haggling-of course I will next weekend). Salvator& Co,55 W 47th Street, 30 day warranty (money-back) Booth 23. Ironically, I read the same specs on www.uniondiamond.com, specs for spec. Their wire price was a little less could it be the same???
 
Hi Marlinda,

4 hours? You must have seen quite a bit!

I don't know whether they are the same diamond. It could be since some sellers don't actually have the stone in their posession and get them from the same same source (experts, correct me if I am wrong please).

Perhaps one way to tell is to get more info, e.g. sarin report for angles, plotting of inclusions, etc. Did any of them show you the GIA report? That GIA number should be unique.

So...the "haggling" begins next week?

Good Luck!
3.gif
 

----------------
On 5/3/2003 8:25:48 PM MarLinda wrote:
Hi Dim,

I went to David S. Diamonds today. Although, they were very professional, they were not able to help me.

I had a great expeience. This is what I found:
GIA, Princess,1.50, G, SI, 76.7d, 76.0T, Cut, Excellent but not ideal, VGP,GS, NO-F $7,390 (w/o haggling-of course I will next weekend). Salvator& Co,55 W 47th Street, 30 day warranty (money-back) Booth 23. Ironically, I read the same specs on www.uniondiamond.com, specs for spec. Their wire price was a little less could it be the same???----------------
Click to expand...
A 76.7 depth and a 76 table does not sound too promising. They're saying the cut is "excellent" but what is their definition of excellent? Specifically what is the
a. crown height
b. crown angles
c. pavilion depht
d. pavilion angles

This information will help but is certainly not conclusive. Try and get that info if you can. If you'd like the hard data (ie. light return/leakage, intensity of light return, 3d symmetry, we are close to NY and perhaps can help if you'd like stones appraised for this kind of info).

Peace,
Rhino
 
Hi Dim,

Yes, the GIA number was on a spreadsheet of some kind (for convience reasons)/ If I gave you guys the GIA number, would that help?
 
Most of the jewelers did not have the crown or pavillion angeles readily available?? What do I do?

www.dirtcheapdiamonds.com, has the cuts conviently sectioned into categories. I like that.
 
You need to check whether both sources are giving the same GIA number for their diamond.

The GIA report does not list angles. But you should be able to ask the supplier. They might have info from another source. Ask them for a Sarin report.

But heed Rhino's advice.

There's no such class as "excellent". See how your dimensions match up against the AGA cut chart:

https://www.pricescope.com/tutor_fnc1.asp

That doesn't necessarily mean that you shouldn't like the stone. At the very least, you should be able to point to the chart to give you leverage when you negotiate.
 
Today, I left deposits in the Diamond district. The faboulous setting a fell in love with on Saturday will be mine this weekend. The asking is $2500, 1.10 platinum invisible setting surround with baguette/princess stones. I left $200 at Golda, 29 West 47th Street.


I then left another deposit ($300) with MDG JEWELRY, Manny, 47 West 47th, Booth 21. GIA #12269706,6.52x6.36x4.58,1.5,princess, D-72%, t-77%, Thin to slightly thick, VG/VG VS1,G-$7752


I'll get some appraisers in the city and hopefully do it all on Sat.

Any thoughts???
 
i just bout from raffi jeweley a platinum with .70 sidestones for 1700 custom design baguettes and two side stones. his name is john you might want to check him out he was great. The sidestones were supposed to be vs2 but they appraised for better!!! color g hes at booth at corner of 47 and i think 5th also corwin jewlers came down to 2600 for veragio setting 0085 and the best quote i got on internet was 2800.00 *tax free** they wont say the word tax free on 47th just total charge they seem to be suspicious so they incorporate charges for tax i think. Definitely use the internet for leverage for setting but i would reccomend internet for stone,
 
Dave Wold evaluated the diamond today for $145 and gave it the thumbs up!!! I am so excited I can't contain myself.
My $7752 diamond appraised for $9265. I 'll get all the reports on satusday when I pick it up. He charges $75 for a remount. I need him to verify it wasn't swapped.

Goldas' are being very tight with my setting price...they don't want to budge. I know I can have it made. How successful would I be to have it copied for half price?
That is what the jewler offered, he is having a problem finding a molding for the ring. No big deal I buy it anyway for $2500 cash.
 
Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top