Diamonds...any experts on here?

pattersonj11

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I know it's a long shot, but just wondering if there are any diamond experts on here.

Not looking at bow techs...
 

Pirate96

Twelve Pointer
Yeah the gems are overpriced and outdated!!!!!

Clarity and Color are supposedly very important!
 

mekanizm

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
My take on it is get one that has a great sparkle, is not yellow even a hint and doesn't have any flaws to the naked eye. That will satisfy her girlfriends. Even after all that it's money you'll never get back. Get a 10X loupe and start examining others diamonds if you can. Be careful about it though, a lot of people paid a lot for their piece of coal and won't appreciate the things you 'discover'.

Amazing what one can see through a jewelers microscope. That was when I learned about "feathers". Until then I just called it a crack!
 
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Southern

Ten Pointer
Dont do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

41magfan

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
I suspect there have been just as many guys that overpaid at $500 as there are those that overpaid at $5000 because they simply didn't know what they were buying.

Prices can vary GREATLY so pick a size and grade that you're interested in and then shop around so you can compare apples to apples.

A family member of mine just bought a very nice 3/4 carat white diamond for $3400 this week after pricing a similar stone earlier in the day for $4900. That's a pretty significant difference.
 

pattersonj11

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Im trying to stay local and brick and mortar....but ive tried 2 different routes and they seem to want to stick it to you terribly. Online, they only want the paper. The margins are in place, no haggling. And typically 30% cheaper.

Sales lady was showing me settings in a carelog and pointing out the list prices. Im perfectly fine with everyone making some money, but i deal with catelogs too and I know how the list prices work.

They have a pending sale in the works with a family member. If they dont get in line on my interests, they are going to lose both.
 

Greg

Old Mossy Horns
One of the biggest scams perpetrated on the general public since socialist security.
 

Firedog

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I know enough about them to know:

They are expensive to buy but the maintenance cost makes the purchase price pale in comparison.
Once purchased they have magic powers.. they make many of the things you used to like disappear never to be seen again
The cost of getting rid of them is stupid high
and finally.. they are metaphorical... do not focus on the bright shinny object.
 
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TravisLH

Old Mossy Horns
I used to run a pawn shop that dealt quite a bit in diamonds, whats your questions


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

624c

Six Pointer
Try Baileys Fine Jewelry. Got a few locations, Raleigh, Greenville, Rocky Mount. They are NC Family run business.
 

brownisdown

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Try Baileys Fine Jewelry. Got a few locations, Raleigh, Greenville, Rocky Mount. They are NC Family run business.
I try to support local businesses when I can but Baileys was $1600 more on the exact same sized, cut, clarity, color etc than diamonds direct crabtree.

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Dolfan21

Ten Pointer
Didn't know, ran across some cheap ones around Charlotte and I wanted to know what to look for.

Go to Diamonds Direct, I promise you will not find one cheaper except online, and buying a diamond online can be a HUGE risk. DD has the cheapest and best selection I was able to find, and the service was impecable. They even have a program where you can turn in your diamond after 2 years or so and get 110% of the purchase price towards a new diamond. so if you cant afford much now, get what you can and you can upgrade later if your financial situation allows you to spend a little more. Color Cut and Clarity are what mattered to me, so I was able to get E rating on all of those while finding a diamond that had some 'flaws' that were not noticeable to the human eye. So yeah, some dude with one of those jewelry magnifying glasses can tell, but I was able to get a much bigger diamond than I thought and it was still within my budget. They will bring out, literally, like 7-10 diamonds for you to look at and do not mention the price until you choose the one you liked best. Honestly, I am not loyal to many companies but after my experience with Diamonds Direct buying my engagement ring I would not go anywhere else I needed to buy any other jewelry for the wife....AND, they give you a beer or two while you wait. YEah, I know thats to butter you up Casino style but its still nice!
 
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JONOV

Old Mossy Horns
I try to support local businesses when I can but Baileys was $1600 more on the exact same sized, cut, clarity, color etc than diamonds direct crabtree.

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Interesting. I had the opposite experience with DD from Bailey's.

Lots of these jewelry stores make as much money selling you (the woman if we're honest) on settings. They get all hyped up about XYZ designer setting, and they really pad the margins. I bought the setting and diamond separately, at separate stores. I priced them separately. If they are selling you either the mount or the diamond, they should be happy to mount the diamond. It doesn't take them an hour to do so.

Read up about Clarity and Color. Know that diamonds with GIA/EGL lab certifications SAYING they are SI1, F color make it worth more than a jeweler who is qualified saying so, at least in a retail setting. I did buy one without a lab cert. Know also that your appraisal is as much a sales tool/ego stroker as anything.

When shopping, don't give them a budget. I gave them the size I was looking for and let the chips fall where they may. I had quotes for double what I paid for the stone I purchased.

If you can, find someone that will let you sit down and will show you a VVSI2 diamond next to an SI2 diamond, and an E color next to an I or J color. Buy used if you can. They don't wear and they don't scratch (although they can chip.) Don't tell her, she won't know. When I bought my fiance's stone, I had no idea if it was new or used. Doesn't matter. I got the deal I wanted on the stone I wanted.
 
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NCST8GUY

Frozen H20 Guy
Imho, if it's cheap, there's a reason. Ie, don't buy it.

The 5C rule is a must!

I have more papers and insurance on a rock of the earth than I do on most other things I have purchased. There is a reason for that.
It's not just a symbol imho. It's pure commerce. Even if the worst happens, a diamond will always retain some value. That....and Gold. Neither can be "paper or 3D printed", or "made" etc.

Now? Want to try to make sense of all of that?

Guess how Warren Buffet views Gold lol? (hard to argue with his logic!)

"Gold gets dug out of the ground in Africa, or someplace. Then we melt it down, dig another hole, bury it again and pay people to stand around guarding it. It has no utility. Anyone watching from Mars would be scratching their head." Warren Buffet

I disagree with him about not being a utility as Gold is very conductive, but low quality diamonds are also still very sharp.
 
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Smitty010203

Twelve Pointer
If your about to buy a diamond read read read... Learn all about them. There is a ton to know. I posted something similiar just before I bought my wifes ring. In the end I went to diamonds direct and didnt like the style. Mostly because the girl talking to the people beside me was telling them almost the opposite of what the lady trying to sell to me was telling me. (Basically one of them was full of crap).. I ended up going to CMI further up North Raleigh. Absolutely loved it. Completely different style of store.
 

Newsome Road

Ten Pointer
I went to CMI as well. I don't know if I paid more or not, but I was very satisfied. The customer service is excellent. They take their time and explain everything but don't push you to buy anything. I've gotten a diamond and two wedding bands from them over the years.
 

Greg

Old Mossy Horns
Gold and diamonds have plenty of utility beyond jewelry. As Brian said, gold is very conductive. It doesn't react with much (save mercury), so it doesn't easily tarnish. It also blocks harmful radiation. This makes it great for connectors, space applications, dentistry, medical, etc..

Diamonds are hard. They are great for cutting and grinding, like on saw blades and drill bits. There are also medical uses.

They are also more plentiful than the merchants want you to realize. They hoard gold and diamonds to keep the prices jacked up.
 

Weekender

Twelve Pointer
I any diamond experts on here.
..

Are you Don the Jeweler?

Yeah.

Tell me what you think about this.

You should give it to your wife.

I don't got a wife.

You got a girlfriend?

Yeah, I got a girlfriend.

Great. Then, you should marry her.

Hey. Are you for real? I'm asking you to middle a diamond for me. All I need on my end is five grand.

It's a fugazi.

It's a fugazi?

It's a fake.

I know what a fugazi is. You looked at it for three ******* seconds.

Hey, pal. You want to see something? Now, that's a nice thing.

Yeah, that's a nice thing, but it's not my thing.

Okay, pal, go ahead and try to sell it if you want to look like a dunceki.
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
I'll be the odd ball and say Jared. Might be a big chain and be expensive, but they sat down and took the time to explain what I was looking at, and even talked me out of a more expensive Neil Lane series stone, that wasn't the same quality as the one that I got. They flat out told me I was paying for the name. I won't say what I spent, but it's the most expensive thing I've paid for outright. I also paid for the full service plan on the stone and band. If the stone ever comes out of the setting, I get a replacement of equal or better quality. I (She)can walk in at any time and have the ring services and cleaned free of charge, at any Jared anywhere any time. As part of the warranty, it has to be taken in every 6mo anyway, but they check the setting(s) and go over it and make sure all is well. The stone itself shines and sparkles like nothing I've ever seen. It's clear with no imperfections at all.


I set a budget, and told them I wanted the best quality stone I could get for that price. We then sat there for a couple hours, looking at their inventory and what the could get, but ended up getting one they had.


Again, there's probably better options but for me and my money, Jared and their service was hands down the best option. No worries about them being there should I need them for warranty work or something 15 years from now.


I did check several mom and pop stores as well as the other bigg stores.

Not an expert, but they made me feel the best that I possibly could about the purchase.
 

apexhunter

Ten Pointer
Some restating the obvious here but the "C's" are the basis for determining the exact specs of a diamond as far as value goes. Above and above that can be the particular association that was used for the "certification". The best one is GIA (Gemological Institute of America) as it is universally accepted as THE accurate, dependable and consistent certification. The other is AGL which is not totally bad but is not as widely accepted from major jewelers. Simply put if the diamond is not certified and offered with the certification the best thing to do is walk away. If it is a certified diamond you can write the cert number down along with the specs (including the exact dimension stated on the certifications) and contact a reputable jeweler with the information for a ballpark street values on the stone.
 

WakeHunter32

Eight Pointer
I'm all Balieys... My wife's rings came from there, my band came from there etc... The difference between baileys and DD is quality in the rings and the service you'll get. 3 of our friends who all went to DD, their wife's engagement rings all lost stones or became damaged and have always had issues. It's worth spending more for better quality on the ring that holds those expensive stones! Nothing but fantastic things to say about Baileys!
 
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