Buying Diamonds in Canada

[Volred]

You guy will probably be seeing me around the forums more, although I do like to lurk alot.

I''ve got a fairly small budget (3k is small comared to some of the stones being quoted around here), and I am all about good quality.
I know that buying from the online dealers will get me the best price,
but I will have to convert the price into canadian diamonds, no problem
http://finance.yahoo.com/m5?a=1&s=USD&t=CAD&c=0

Are there any canadian online dealers that I can buy through, this way I wont have to worry about the customs charge, or price of $CAN vs. $USD

 

[canadiangrrl]

Volred, the dealers on Pricescope are US based. I would suggest doing some searches in your budget range on a couple of dealer sites, if you haven't done so already. This will help you get a feel for what you can afford, in terms of carat weight, cut, colour, and clarity. Some sites you may wish to visit are:

www.dirtcheapdiamonds.com
www.whiteflash.com
www.goodoldgold.com
www.niceice.com
www.superbcert.com

In terms of ordering a diamond and/or ring, you can either take delivery in Canada and pay a hefty premium, or take delivery in the US (at the home or business of a friend, for example, or at a FedEx holding station on the other side of the border) and avoid it. It's up to you - there have been posters to this forum who have gone both routes. Either way, you are still likely to get more bang for your buck by ordering online. I am from Toronto and began my search here. We ended up ordering from Dirt Cheap Diamonds, who are based in Maryland, and took delivery in the US (my fiance lives in DC.) During my search I found that diamonds in Canada are, for the most part, exceptionally pricey, and there's not a whole lot of selection out there, particularly if you're seeking a very well cut, AGS or GIA certed stone.

Be sure to post any questions you may have during your search, because you're likely to get lots of feedback.

Best of luck!