Hello all,
I just wanted to share my pleasant experience shopping at Whiteflash.com. Two months ago I knew next to nothing about diamonds (except that they are expensive!). Reading through the forum, I collected enough information to be confident in my ability to find a fine diamond ring (with a reasonable price).
The local mall shops and even some of the boutiques seems to emphasize clarity over cut. I was looking for princess cuts and did not have any luck finding an AGS0 in my city. Whiteflash and Bluenile seemed to have a large selection for my budget (U$2000/CAD$2700 for the stone itself). I chose Whiteflash because they had the setting I liked the best. I don''t know if I appreciate the utility of the specialized imaging available on Whiteflash. I was willing to rely on the grading and kind of hope for the best. Ahh, perhaps I didn''t learn as much as I could have?
My only concern was having the ring imported into Canada. Would I be swamped with duty? Would the exchange rate/taxes make the transaction neutral re price advantage over local shops (quality notwithstanding)?
I''m happy to report that everything went smooth. Bob Hoskins even gave me a PS discount (which I was unaware of and didn''t even try to obtain). Whiteflash shipped the ring by FedEx and I was told by FedEx that there was no duty charged on the ring! I had to pay taxes and a nominal brokerage fee. But in the end, I received a fine diamond (.568 AGS0, VS1, F) and a wonderful ring. In fact, for the amount of money I spent, I would have probably only received a VG cut, S1, G (which would have been fine, but why not get more for the loonie?).
I suppose I should point out a few things that I didn''t know when first trying to order from Canada. I think you might need to phone in as the web order requires a US state. You can use the 1-800 number in Canada even though the website suggests otherwise. Furthermore, while Whiteflash does not accept foreign credit cards, they don''t treat Canadian credit cards as foreign (51st state?)
I''ve had the ring for about two weeks now and haven''t popped the question yet (its burning a hole in my closet!!!), but when I do, I''ll share the details as well.
PS has been a godsend. Whiteflash has been a pleasure. Now time to deal with VISA.
Best regards,
Steve
I just wanted to share my pleasant experience shopping at Whiteflash.com. Two months ago I knew next to nothing about diamonds (except that they are expensive!). Reading through the forum, I collected enough information to be confident in my ability to find a fine diamond ring (with a reasonable price).
The local mall shops and even some of the boutiques seems to emphasize clarity over cut. I was looking for princess cuts and did not have any luck finding an AGS0 in my city. Whiteflash and Bluenile seemed to have a large selection for my budget (U$2000/CAD$2700 for the stone itself). I chose Whiteflash because they had the setting I liked the best. I don''t know if I appreciate the utility of the specialized imaging available on Whiteflash. I was willing to rely on the grading and kind of hope for the best. Ahh, perhaps I didn''t learn as much as I could have?
My only concern was having the ring imported into Canada. Would I be swamped with duty? Would the exchange rate/taxes make the transaction neutral re price advantage over local shops (quality notwithstanding)?
I''m happy to report that everything went smooth. Bob Hoskins even gave me a PS discount (which I was unaware of and didn''t even try to obtain). Whiteflash shipped the ring by FedEx and I was told by FedEx that there was no duty charged on the ring! I had to pay taxes and a nominal brokerage fee. But in the end, I received a fine diamond (.568 AGS0, VS1, F) and a wonderful ring. In fact, for the amount of money I spent, I would have probably only received a VG cut, S1, G (which would have been fine, but why not get more for the loonie?).
I suppose I should point out a few things that I didn''t know when first trying to order from Canada. I think you might need to phone in as the web order requires a US state. You can use the 1-800 number in Canada even though the website suggests otherwise. Furthermore, while Whiteflash does not accept foreign credit cards, they don''t treat Canadian credit cards as foreign (51st state?)
I''ve had the ring for about two weeks now and haven''t popped the question yet (its burning a hole in my closet!!!), but when I do, I''ll share the details as well.
PS has been a godsend. Whiteflash has been a pleasure. Now time to deal with VISA.
Best regards,
Steve
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