Where do you think is the cheapest place to purchase a diamond?

[pricescope]

Where do you think is the cheapest place to purchase a diamond? In other words, is there a place you can find a "bargain" diamond?

 

[esqknight]

I think that this question might benefit from a little refinement if a meaningful response is to be made. Cosco might be a cheap place to purchase an average diamond, but it might be an impossible place to purchase a great diamond. How are we defining cheap, i.e. cheapest diamond or best diamond for the money spent?

Just my thoughts, could be wrong...
Eric

 

[Mara]

well the question doesn''t really work for me because it''s not qualified.

cheapest place to get ANY diamond would probably be eBay.

but i would not just buy ANY diamond.

i need more qualifications, is this a well-cut diamond bargain? or just some random diamond? would i want it for an e-ring or another type of ring?

hard to answer really without knowing those qualifications, but if i had to say..in my opinion the cheapest place ever to find a diamond (any diamond) would probably be eBay as a resale...not from a vendor.

in my experience, family friends or jeweler friends of the family end up selling you what they want to move at a ''discount'' but if the stone is not quality in terms of cut or clarity etc then it''s no bargain at all.

 

[photogold]

Overstock.com has really good prices and a range of quality. All diamonds have GIA certificates, so you know what you are getting. They have a range of cut quality, some may be considered ideal cuts.

 

[ForteKitty]

Definitely eBay, but you have to be VERY careful.

I have found an Ideal .43 D VS2 RB (1.3 HCA) that exhibits perfect H&A patterns, w/ GIA, complete with original receipt and appriasal + beautiful ruby sidestones in white gold... for $750. I also found a .90 E VVS2 marquise that scored 1A across the boards, w/ GIA, + custom made platinum 3-sided pave & engraving mount for $2100. That wouldn''t even pay for the mount!

In both cases, I was extremely cautious, asked a ton of questions, called the seller, contacted them at work, and finally flew there to see it, and bought it. Luckily, both sellers were close enough to my friends in N. Cali so I could combine a small vacation as well!

 

[elepri]

The cheapest diamonds overall i''ve found in the NY diamond district. The best deal on high quality, ideal cut diamonds, I found on line. So not sure how to answer the question.

 

[bar01]

Perhaps the question might be "who do you think has the lowest markup?". But even that might be hard to say for all types of diamonds.

 

[Maxine]

This is a tough one...if I had the answer, I''d use it to make $$$$$$. Are you talking "apples to apples?"

 

[amytude]

I voted "internet", but like the others, this question needs to be a bit more specific. Sure, I could''ve gotten a real "bargain" diamond on ebay, but it wasn''t what I was looking for (and I actually did look on ebay). Once I had the criteria set for the stone I was trying to find, the Internet had the best price. I actually did call local pawn shops, which seemed to have many stones in a K color. As I was searching for an EC, this was unacceptable to me. A few local jewelry stores came within $1200 on the price I got for my stone. Nevertheless, $1200 was and is significant "enough" for me to have entertained and made an online purchase.

 

[hoorray]

I voted none of the above because I think it''s a pretty "smart market". I think you get what you pay for in the context of the distribution channe and the quality of the stonel. I don''t think there is a way to sneak through and "get a deal, relative to what you are receiving", other than maybe a personal distress sale, which is not a channel widely available to most buyers. You can go cheap, and buy from one of the cheaper sources like e-bay. But even with e-bay, you get what you pay for. If you want a certain level of quality, you pay for it. If you are not quality sentitive, then you can find cheap, lesser quality stones from many sources.

 

[Buena Girl]

I voted for Ebay because it seems to be one of the first places people try to sell e-rings and wedding sets if their relationship falls apart. In such cases, the sellers may want to just get rid of their diamond and the memories associated with it as soon as possible. There may be less bidders because of the superstitions some people associate with jewelry from failed relationships. But, the cheap and good quality deals are few and far between. I think if you are lucky you may have a chance to save the most amount of money with Ebay.

 

[jasper]

Where do you think is the cheapest place to purchase a diamond? It depends on the size of the diamond.

If it ain''t good, it ain''t cheap. I will only buy eye-clean diamonds, with excellent cut, and an agreed upon color / fluorescence. I will only buy from a vendor I trust to judge these criteria.

If Marie can''t wear it, it ain''t cheap. I add in the cost of a good setting as part of the cost of the diamond.

For small diamonds (melee), my best bargain is the independent family jeweler across the street from where I work. They have two on-site bench jewelers, good prices, and excellent service.

For diamonds larger than melee, my best bargain is an internet jeweler. I then pay my local jeweller to make the setting and set the stone.

Both of these stores are family-run businesses. Both stores have excellent customer service:
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/seattle-area-jewellers.18415/
Even when Marie and I had only made one purchase from them, the owners of both stores knew us by sight. Marie and I consider them to be our family''s jewellers, as we purchase more items as time goes by.

 

[lostdog]

I be curious, too, about the answer to the question "If lowest price was the only important factor in your purchase, where would you buy a diamond?"

 

[fire&ice]

I voted none because the cheapest place to buy a diamond is from an individual distress sale on the secondary market or from an estate lawyer liquidating an estate. That said, you have to be in the right place at the right time looking for the right item.

If the stars don''t align then I would have to say the internet. Plenty of selection w/ more than competitive pricing.

 

[oldminer]

It is a good question that creates so many different thought processes. The cheapest diamond is found in a riverbed somewhere and costs nothing. The best value is found through a shopping process. One must keep in mind their "goal" as a diamond of superb value may appear but it might not be the right quality or size diamond, so it wouldn''t be the "best" for you at that time.

The cheapest diamond must fit into the category of what you want to buy. It always seems true that the highest percent off sales are on things I already bought or don''t ever want to own.