diamonds

[STCM(SW)]

So no one has seen James Bond "Diamonds Are Forever"?
I got my wife a very special 1K+ stone ring.
She was worth it in 1982 for $2,000 ....
This ring was appraised by a independent, licensed, diamond appraiser in NYC's Diamond District for over 3K for insurance.
I was in the gold/silver job back then....

 

[ACORN]

Will all three cut glass?

According to the inter web some zirconia will cut glass.
I assume being identical chemically so do the lab created diamonds.

 

[Dwaine]

If your girl wants a diamond. Buy her a diamond. If she is ok with no diamond or a fake. Then buy her an even bigger diamond. She deserves it. She’s going to put up with you for the next 50 yrs. Think about how much you spend on guns???????????

My wife has always been happy with a gold wedding band. Anytime I wanted a pistol or revolver, she always said get it if you want it. When I wanted a Ed Brown KC, she didn't suggest I buy a Taurus or a Tias. A few years ago, I surprised her with a diamond ring, the real thing. Buy what's in your budget.

 

[Bekeart]

Good Investment

If your girl wants a diamond. Buy her a diamond. If she is ok with no diamond or a fake. Then buy her an even bigger diamond. She deserves it. She’s going to put up with you for the next 50 yrs. Think about how much you spend on guns???????????

Show her that you are investing in both of your futures.

Bekeart

 

[Bald1]

So no one has seen James Bond "Diamonds Are Forever"?
I got my wife a very special 1K+ stone ring.
She was worth it in 1982 for $2,000 ....

That was a lot of money in 82. Half the cost of a Ford Escort

 

[chief38]

at a jewerly shore & at wal mart ..... what is the difference ?

they shine at both places and look nearly the same . both near 10 times the difference ! ? i have always heard that the specialty store make a huge mark up . just interested . thanks

I know little about diamonds but I am an expert in this fact........... When buying diamonds we will never get a good deal! I doubt any here would be able to tell the difference between a natural stone and a man made stone. I doubt we could spot a cubic zirconium either. I HATE buying diamonds and jewelry because I am reliant on someone else (a stranger usually) telling me what ever he wants me to hear.

Assuming to buy from a reputable place and what you buy is real, you are basically paying a 1,000% mark up. At 50% off, you are still paying 5 times what the dealer paid. I have had my fill of diamonds, jewelry and such. I never felt comfortabel and never trusted those selling them - that is just the way I feel. To me it is a blind item. Sorry, I can not give you nay further advise, just be cautious!

I will tell you a quick and true story. My best friend of 68 years retired at 55. He did quite well for himself in business and loves the beach. He purchase 2 homes on the ocean in two different States. He took up metal detecting and spent 3-4 hours a day on the beach, regardless of which State he is in. Over 15 years now, he has found over 30 engagement rings & diamond stud ear rings. He told me that with the exception of 3 or 4 of them most are fake! The ones that were real were not good quality. Since he sells them to a family member in the business, he knows for sure. I would place money that most of the woman wearing them were not even aware that they were not real!!!!

 

[delcrossv]

Just remember, DeBeers and the Russians have warehouses full of stones- all off the market to keep the prices high.

 

[Denverd0n]

Used to work at a Mermod, Jaccard & King jewelry store (they have since gone out of business). I had friends who insisted that the prices were too high and they could get a better diamond for less money at one of the tiny diamond shops downtown. I always asked them, do you know how to grade and appraise diamonds? No. Well then, how do you know that it is a better diamond?

If you cannot grade the diamond yourself, you are totally dependent on the honesty of the jeweler you are dealing with. Maybe you'll get a great deal, or maybe you'll get ripped off.

Since MJK closed, my advice has always been, go to Zales. You won't get the very best possible deal, but you also won't get cheated.

Oh yeah, and I completely agree with the idea that -- if your intended is okay with it -- you should skip the diamond entirely, or go with a fake. Spending three months salary on a diamond is NOT the way to "prove your love!"

 

[Dwaine]

Look for a return policy like below.... then have her ring finger sized, buy her what's in YOUR budget, take her to dinner and give it to her. I'll bet she will be very happy.

Our Return Policy
We accept returns for refund or exchange within 30 days of shipment from our facility. We will send you a fully insured, free shipping label via email within one business day of your return request. Note: Two complimentary returns are allowed per customer, per year. A Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number is required for all returns. You may request an RMA by following the steps outlined below.

Please note that to be eligible for return, items must be in their original purchase condition, including all product documentation, and shipped back to us within 30 days.

 

[DWalt]

According to the inter web some zirconia will cut glass.
I assume being identical chemically so do the lab created diamonds.

Yes, glass is fairly soft in comparison to Diamond or CZ. CZ is not much softer than Diamond. Next to Diamond, the hardest substance is Boron. Silicon Carbide is also fairly close to Diamond in hardness.

Many years ago I had a friend whose father worked in maintenance at a General Electric plant in Columbus Ohio that made industrial diamonds.

 

[Onomea]

There are independent, licensed, diamond appraisers that you can take a diamond to to have it evaluated. Well, that's the case in NYC's Diamond District anyway.

Buyer's Guide | 47th Street BID | The Diamond District

When I was 22, in 1974, I bought a slightly less than one carat, maybe 0.85 carat, perfect/flawless diamond there. Cost about $1K. As part of the buying process I took the diamond to an appraiser for evaluation, and got a certificate of authenticity along with the appraisal.

The dealer I was buying from sent along his assistant to accompany me to the appraiser. I remember her putting a nickel plated semi-auto into her purse before we left the shop. At the time, I thought it was in case someone tried to rob me. Looking back, thinking how she handled the pistol openly in front of me, I think they were giving me a message.

I just looked at an inflation calculator. $1K in 1975 would be nearly $6K today. That was about a month's wages back then.

I recall my former wife telling me later that her sister had commented to the effect that it was unfortunate that the white gold band was not platinum.

Shoulda known right then that that marriage was not gonna work out...

 

[delcrossv]

There are independent, licensed, diamond appraisers that you can take a diamond to to have it evaluated. Well, that's the case in NYC's Diamond District anyway.

Buyer's Guide | 47th Street BID | The Diamond District

When I was 22, in 1974, I bought a slightly less than one carat, maybe 0.85 carat, perfect/flawless diamond there. Cost about $1K. As part of the buying process I took the diamond to an appraiser for evaluation, and got a certificate of authenticity along with the appraisal.

The dealer I was buying from sent along his assistant to accompany me to the appraiser. I remember her putting a nickel plated semi-auto into her purse before we left the shop. At the time, I thought it was in case someone tried to rob me. Looking back, thinking how she handled the pistol openly in front of me, I think they were giving me a message.

I just looked at an inflation calculator. $1K in 1975 would be nearly $6K today. That was about a month's wages back then.

I recall my former wife telling me later that her sister had commented to the effect that it was unfortunate that the white gold band was not platinum.

Shoulda known right then that that marriage was not gonna work out...

Reminds me of when I got the stone for the wife's engagement ring. Went to the wholesaler in Chicago and picked out a 1 ct. DVS1 that fluoresced like crazy about $5k in 1997.

The wholesaler let me take it home for a week (unpaid for) . Man was I twitchy I'd somehow lose it! It was in a really small envelope.

 

[DWalt]

We were living in Cleveland when we got married. Got her Diamond in Cleveland’s Diamond district. They had one of those there at the time, maybe a dozen Jewish Diamond dealers spread over a several block area. I remember we took a city bus to get there. BTW, today is our 58th anniversary.

There is a large Diamond dealer here in San Antonio that has run lengthy late night informercials every night for many years, have changed very little. I guess they get cheap advertising rates at 1 AM. They bill themselves as being the “Official Jeweler of the San Antonio Spurs.” Don’t say why the Spurs need an official jeweler.

 

[WR Moore]

Ain't life a B****. She should have given the ring back to her fiance' when they broke it off!

To quote one of the Gabor's (probably Zaza), "return the ring, not the diamond."

There's good advice here on the various qualities of diamonds. I expect Wally World and other similar outlets don't get the best quality (color, clarity, lack of flaws) diamonds for their customer base. Unless you're an appraiser, you're unlikely to know the difference anyway.

Pittsburgh had (has?) a mini diamond district. You could go in there and haggle like you were in a souk unless you were clueless enough to pay their marked down prices. First ex was too engrossed in the selection to notice the jeweler and myself doing hand signals on prices.

 

[Dwaine]

$20K, GIA appraised 1.7 carat VVS1, round, G color, excellent cut from Blue Nile 2021..45th Anniversary present.

 

[ron 57]

Engagement ring

When my wife and I got engaged, I had just started on the P.D. and with little savings money was tight. I went to a local Zales store and asked to see their engagement rings. The nice sales lady pulled out a tray and showed me one. No way were any of them in my price range so she brought out a tray of less expensive rings. Still too much. Another tray, same story. She smiled in an understanding way and told me she had some smaller rings in the back. She brought those out and I picked out what may have been the smallest retail diamond ever produced.
As I was paying for it the saleswoman said, “It might be small but it’s an excellent stone”. (Bless her heart).
My wife never once remarked about it’s size.
For our 25th anniversary, I gave her a much larger one but it mostly stays in the jewelry box. After 45+ years she still wears the original.

 

[Onomea]

...My wife never once remarked about it’s size.
For our 25th anniversary, I gave her a much larger one but it mostly stays in the jewelry box. After 45+ years she still wears the original.

Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

When we got engaged, we went to The Diamond Cellar, back when it was still in the basement of Columbus' top rock-n-roll station! I had a budget of $800 (1977 dollars, about 6 weeks take home pay!) None of the premade rings were what my beloved wanted, so we had a ring assembled. 51-point Emerald Cut Diamond. ($810) White gold band. ($61 +/-) OTD just over $900.

About 10 years later I went to replace it, and the stone alone was $3700!

The Mall Jewlers have higher over head, they don't pay for that: You Do!

Ivan

 

[ladder13]

There are independent, licensed, diamond appraisers that you can take a diamond to to have it evaluated. Well, that's the case in NYC's Diamond District anyway.

Buyer's Guide | 47th Street BID | The Diamond District

When I was 22, in 1974, I bought a slightly less than one carat, maybe 0.85 carat, perfect/flawless diamond there. Cost about $1K. As part of the buying process I took the diamond to an appraiser for evaluation, and got a certificate of authenticity along with the appraisal.

The dealer I was buying from sent along his assistant to accompany me to the appraiser. I remember her putting a nickel plated semi-auto into her purse before we left the shop. At the time, I thought it was in case someone tried to rob me. Looking back, thinking how she handled the pistol openly in front of me, I think they were giving me a message.

I just looked at an inflation calculator. $1K in 1975 would be nearly $6K today. That was about a month's wages back then.

I recall my former wife telling me later that her sister had commented to the effect that it was unfortunate that the white gold band was not platinum.

Shoulda known right then that that marriage was not gonna work out...

I bought my wife’s at David S Diamonds on 47th, the only Asian seller on the street at that time. He was recommended by a very good friend.

David spent about 4hrs educating us before even talking a sale. He brought out about 25 diamonds of all grades for us to look at and explained pricing on each. Bigger is not always more expensive. The 4C’s…… carat, color, cut, clarity.

After the 4hrs he said to go down the street with the knowledge and see what you can get. We had already walked the street and ignored the glitter and gold along with the come on in hand waves.
We went back to David and bought a ring. It appraised for over 3x what I paid for it by the GIA. She still has it. She is worth every penny.

David S. Diamonds

 

[TLflag]

Diamonds

The difference is, do you want an old Model 10 or one of the new Heritage Model 10's for twice as much. I want the Old one, the real one, and that is what I have after 66 years of marriage.

Terry