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Old 03-26-2014, 02:52 PM
 
60 posts, read 96,455 times
Reputation: 75

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Does anyone know of a reputable place in Houston to find a quality diamond at wholesale pricing? Looking for GIA certified (minimum G or H color and SI2 or better) or a higher ranking EGL (like D or E color and VVS1 and up) I suppose would work. 1.4-2 carat? Probably looking for an oval shape diamond.

I've been to a few places so far; Reiner's, Rice Village Diamond, Robins brothers, Houston Diamond Outlet, another diamond store in the same building as HDO, not sure what it was called. Robins Brothers is to much of a hard sales push for me. It was second place I stopped on my first day looking and they asked repeatedly if I was sure I didn't want to put a $1,000 deposit down on a ring. get da frank outta here wit dat. I have an appointment to go look at some more diamonds at Houston Diamond outlet? Where else should I be looking? Anybody know anywhere, anything, anybody?
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Old 03-26-2014, 03:20 PM
 
32 posts, read 47,651 times
Reputation: 24
Sounds weird to say but try Blue Nile.com My engagement ring was purchased there, and we also got our wedding bands there.

They have been AMAZING. Firstly, you don't have to pay for sales tax which allows you to get a better ring, or spend less money whichever you choose. Secondly you can design and create your ring and customize it. My now husband looked for ages and after lots of research went with Blue Nile.

My ring appraised for about 3k over what we paid the day after we received it and their subsequent services has made us repeat customers 4 times over.

I even had a small diamond fall out of my pave' band which they replaced free of charge. And at any point you can also trade up - they will give you 100% of the price you paid for your original ring if you ever want to upgrade.
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Old 03-26-2014, 03:26 PM
 
34,619 posts, read 21,611,728 times
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Myself and a few other people I know bought their diamonds online through Tradeshop

Essentially, you are searching the list of diamonds currently on the market. The online store adds a small percentage for their profit. Since they don't have the overhead of a brick and mortar and the sales people, their expenses are lower.

Unless you are trained, you're (and myself as well) not going to be able to see the differences between many stones. It's all about the numbers. And if it's all about the numbers, I'll plug in what numbers I want and get the best price I can.

Quick story of how I got turned onto this place. When my friend went to buy his engagement diamond, his notoriously "gotta find the best deal" father pointed him to this website. My buddy bought his diamond and setting there. A year later, he discovered the fiance had been cheating and the engagement was off. My buddy contacted the seller and asked if he bought diamonds back. The seller said diamonds had a slight increase since the purchase from the year before, and paid my buddy exactly what he was originally charged. IMHO, if the markup were significant, there is no way he would have gotten "full price" back.

There are several websites that allow you to search the diamond registry.
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Old 03-26-2014, 03:33 PM
 
1,501 posts, read 1,770,288 times
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Diamond Cutters International or Houston Jewelry Exchange.
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Old 03-26-2014, 04:32 PM
 
Location: San Antonio, TX
1,297 posts, read 3,100,368 times
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Intercontinental jewelers. I was in your shoes about 6 months back, wanting a fair deal, quality diamonds and at a wholesale price...

A friend of mine bought a great GIA diamond from there and I also found a great diamond. Two people normally work there, Suzanne is the one you'll want to speak with and she really knows her stuff, no pressure at all. When I decided on mine, I put I think $200 down.

It's on the 5th floor. When my friend told me about em and I looked em up I was surprised how well they were rated too. Def a place to check out.

I also went to robins and a few other big names and I was very happy to end up with intercontinetal jewelers.
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Old 03-26-2014, 05:29 PM
 
Location: Breckenridge
2,367 posts, read 4,695,537 times
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Don't bother getting VVS1. It is a waste of money that no untrained eye can see. Get a big rock that is low quality. There is no way anyone can tell at all. Ask any girl and she will tell you size over quality. They want to have the biggest rock to show to their friends.

As for where to get it. Any place but a jewelry store. Buy the stone loose and have a mount made. Blue Nile is a solid place to get it from and online is usually cheaper. I would go to a wholesaler, but I don't think you have that access. Just remember diamonds are diamonds. There is no such thing as a used one.
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Old 03-26-2014, 05:54 PM
 
Location: San Antonio, TX
1,297 posts, read 3,100,368 times
Reputation: 1168
Quote:
Originally Posted by Schumacher713 View Post
Don't bother getting VVS1. It is a waste of money that no untrained eye can see. Get a big rock that is low quality. There is no way anyone can tell at all. Ask any girl and she will tell you size over quality. They want to have the biggest rock to show to their friends.

As for where to get it. Any place but a jewelry store. Buy the stone loose and have a mount made. Blue Nile is a solid place to get it from and online is usually cheaper. I would go to a wholesaler, but I don't think you have that access. Just remember diamonds are diamonds. There is no such thing as a used one.
So this. Even S1 will be legit. I did what Schumacher says and people compliment the diamond my fiancé has all the time. It looks great. If anything, make sure you don't see anything with the naked eye, have a certified graded diamond and have a high rated color. Those were my priorities but again everyone has dif lists and criteria.
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Old 03-26-2014, 07:11 PM
 
Location: Energy Corridor
196 posts, read 419,811 times
Reputation: 123
IMO what makes a diamond look best in this order, #1 is cut grade, good polish, and descent color grade. G and H color look great to me if the cut is high end. As said the dimensions of the diamond are what girls really like. You can go bigger if you reduce other values.

To be more precise with diamond terms, go low as you can on the clarity rating, and request eye clean if possible. Go high on the cut, and reduce the color grade. You'll end up with a larger rock. Sure you might see imperfections with a 10x loupe but nobody walks around with one.

Blue Nile is excellent. Also, Ben Gordon is a great appraiser.
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Old 03-26-2014, 07:36 PM
 
Location: Upper East Side of Texas
12,498 posts, read 26,991,779 times
Reputation: 4890
Who else but the King of Bling himself?

Custom Diamond Jewelry
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Old 03-26-2014, 09:54 PM
bu2
 
24,093 posts, read 14,879,963 times
Reputation: 12929
Quote:
Originally Posted by Schumacher713 View Post
Don't bother getting VVS1. It is a waste of money that no untrained eye can see. Get a big rock that is low quality. There is no way anyone can tell at all. Ask any girl and she will tell you size over quality. They want to have the biggest rock to show to their friends.

As for where to get it. Any place but a jewelry store. Buy the stone loose and have a mount made. Blue Nile is a solid place to get it from and online is usually cheaper. I would go to a wholesaler, but I don't think you have that access. Just remember diamonds are diamonds. There is no such thing as a used one.
Depends on the girl. Some know the difference. Of course, they usually want size and quality.
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