Ok, having done some more research into eBay and its potential risks, I’m considering buying a loose diamond from an internet diamond broker instead. I am planning to buy the ring setting locally and have it mounted here.
These companies claim to have thousands (or tens of thousands) of GIA certified diamonds to choose from. Their price search capabilities are most impressive.
I’m thinking of buying a GIA certified diamond from one of the following two sites:
I’m wondering if this is a trustworthy course to take, and whether having the GIA cert is going to keep me out of trouble. Also, I wonder why the diamond info site is hundreds of dollars cheaper than the gemnation site (on comparable stones).
FWIW, last year I bought my wife diamond earrings. I buy jewelry very very rarely (wedding ring and this), and was nervous about internet sites. I spoke to a friend at work who had been in the business forever, who basically told me that as long as they have the appropriate certifications are their stones are certified (I’m sorry I can’t remember the acronyms for the appropriate organizations) they were fine. I ended up ordering from www.diamondsafe.com, and was very happy with my purchase.
I did some quick searching and though i haven’t bought gems online I haven’t heard a mot of bad info as long as people are certified.
I looked up gemnation and they are on Forbes.com’s best of the web list so that’s some high praise. The only information i could find on diamond.info was their own site.
I’m wondering how much you’ll save if you have the stone mounted locally. I think the greatest savings would come from buying the entire ring online. (Presumably the mounting might be done more cheaply overseas.)
I went online to get my wife’s engagement ring, it was a relatively positive experience. I used a place called DirtCheapDiamonds. They actually acted as a broker, selling me a diamond that was housed by a warehouse, not in their own inventory, and forwarded the diamond to a separate jeweler who built the ring I wanted. A bunch of retailers had the same diamond for sale, but these guys had a ring style I liked and a good price. Some retailers also have large inventories that only they sell from.
GIA (or other) certification is critical, as is getting the final product appraised to ensure the diamond you get is the diamond advertised (a good idea for brick and mortar store too). A good strategy is to have the ring/stone sent directly to your independant appraiser for review before accepting.
Like Cheesesteak, I bought from www.dirtcheapdiamonds.com and was completely happy with them. I was a little skeptical at first of ordering online but they had a good return policy. We had the diamond appraised and it appraised for 2/3 more than I spent on it. So I have no complaints at all.
I feel sorry for those who have bought into the cultural propaghanda that “diamonds are forever” and that your love and devotion is somehow lacking :mad: unless you waste thousands of dollars on a useless rock. There are many other minerals to buy that are prettier and far less expensive. In general, buying diamonds contributes to an industry that brutally exploits its workers. Why buy jewelry that likely exploited poor African workers? Sadly, most people would rather jump the bandwagon like mindless conformists than take a stand against exploitation. Diamond jewelry is useless and stupid!
[QUOTE=The Controvert]
Ok, having done some more research into eBay and its potential risks, I’m considering buying a loose diamond from an internet diamond broker instead. I am planning to buy the ring setting locally and have it mounted here.
Thank you for the GD (Great Debates) post. This, however is GQ (General Questions).
My definitive answer on diamonds is that it made my engagement to my beautiful (and now 8mo pregnant) wife much easier. I buy into the conformity.
I Bought mine through a traditional brick & mortar store, but I’d imagine that with the above mentioned apprasial and verification of the GIA (or other) certification, you could do pretty well.
Thank you for playing.
Since you posed a question, and this is in the General Questions section, let me take a stab at it. Why buy jewelry that likely exploits poor African workers? Because my then-girlfriend would have been quite unhappy to receive anything less than a diamond ring. Judge all you want, but her happiness is much more important to me than some theoritical social justice in Africa.
I agree that cubic zirconia sparkles just as brightly, but you’ll have a hard time convincing any woman of this outside of your local college chapter’s Earth Justice League club.
i was wondering how the ebay clarity enhanced diamond transaction worked out. i think you made a wise decision to reconsider your options.
have you given much thought to going to a jewelry store and actually looking at the diamonds?
fwiw, i bought mrs. longhair a diamond necklace for valentines day. i looked at half a dozen and settled on a lovely platinum set with a 1/2 k round and a 1/4 k round set in a teardrop shaped open bezel.
the stones are beautiful. some of the necklaces i rejected had some real poorly cut or low quality stones. i wouldn’t buy a diamond sight unseen.
:mad: unless you waste thousands of dollars on a useless rock. There are many other minerals to buy that are prettier and far less expensive. In general, buying diamonds contributes to an industry that brutally exploits its workers. Why buy jewelry that likely exploited poor African workers? Sadly, most people would rather jump the bandwagon like mindless conformists than take a stand against exploitation. Diamond jewelry is useless and stupid!