[08rookie]

im well versed in the factors (cut, clarity, carat etc)...i was just wondering what kind of deal can i expect if i were to pay entirely in cash at a jewelry store. ive been saving for some time. can a 7k ring go for 5k cash? would a retail 15k ring go for 10k cash?

also, do diamonds increase in value? my mother wants me to cash in on a ring she bought for herself in 94. she paid 2000 bucks for the ring back then...still has the paperwork with all the specifics and the receipt from the place she bought it...i pry should just call the store she bought it from considering they are still in business...but in general would a 2k diamond ring be worth the same today? more? less

[Optherion]

I went out of state. Was in Hawaii and bought the ring. Paid cash. The store was run by a Japanese family in Honolulu. Certified stones etc. She mailed it insured back to my home state. That way I didnt have to pay tax

[iBoost]

Abort mission.

[08rookie]

Originally Posted by Optherion

I went out of state. Was in Hawaii and bought the ring. Paid cash. The store was run by a Japanese family in Honolulu. Certified stones etc. She mailed it insured back to my home state. That way I didnt have to pay tax

how much was the ring selling for? what did you end up getting it for out the door? i dont know if i would trust something like that lol...i would drive to any major city on the eastern seaboard before i had a ring mailed from hawaii lol...

[Optherion]

Originally Posted by 08rookie

how much was the ring selling for? what did you end up getting it for out the door? i dont know if i would trust something like that lol...i would drive to any major city on the eastern seaboard before i had a ring mailed from hawaii lol...

It was insured. They gave me a receipt and we filled out all the forms when I was there to have it insured. I was hoping it actually was lost since it was insured for more than I paid

I saved about 10% mind you this was a family owned jewelry store. Good luck on a cash discount at a retailer like tiffanys or a large company that wont do it off the books.

[08rookie]

check this out....i found this idea on another forum...seems like a possibility...kinda of a hassle but if you can save a couple thousand why not??

"""What i normally do is go to a pawn shop buy several high quality used diamond wedding rings. Remove all the stones from the rings (use a jewler to do this). buy 7 or 8 rings for less than 3,000 dollars. .42carat diamonds minimum size.

Then go to a jewelry store break out the loose stones and begin to talk wholesale prices. With your loose stones and strong negotiating you should be able to acquire that same ring you want to buy with an even swap of your loose stones and perhaps a thousand for the setting. This should save you anywhere from 4-6 thousand dollar"""

[nextm5]

Originally Posted by 08rookie

check this out....i found this idea on another forum...seems like a possibility...kinda of a hassle but if you can save a couple thousand why not??

"""What i normally do is go to a pawn shop buy several high quality used diamond wedding rings. Remove all the stones from the rings (use a jewler to do this). buy 7 or 8 rings for less than 3,000 dollars. .42carat diamonds minimum size.

Then go to a jewelry store break out the loose stones and begin to talk wholesale prices. With your loose stones and strong negotiating you should be able to acquire that same ring you want to buy with an even swap of your loose stones and perhaps a thousand for the setting. This should save you anywhere from 4-6 thousand dollar"""

Sounds like a idea, however it doesn't work. Jewelers and setters don't even bother buying diamonds...They only want your used gold.

[Optherion]

Originally Posted by 08rookie

check this out....i found this idea on another forum...seems like a possibility...kinda of a hassle but if you can save a couple thousand why not??

"""What i normally do is go to a pawn shop buy several high quality used diamond wedding rings. Remove all the stones from the rings (use a jewler to do this). buy 7 or 8 rings for less than 3,000 dollars. .42carat diamonds minimum size.

Then go to a jewelry store break out the loose stones and begin to talk wholesale prices. With your loose stones and strong negotiating you should be able to acquire that same ring you want to buy with an even swap of your loose stones and perhaps a thousand for the setting. This should save you anywhere from 4-6 thousand dollar"""

That's a negative ghost rider.

[mentos876]

are u getting engagement rong advices on BMW FORUM ??!?!?!???!?!??!?!? LMFAOOOOOO :happy anim:

[Blake]

Originally Posted by iBoost

Abort mission.

[KingOfJericho]

I don't see anything wrong with asking people on here. Many of us are married where his circle of friends may have 1 or 2 and it may feel strange talking to them about it, especially if they know the chick.

I am recently engaged and can give you some advice. I found a custom jewelry store local to us where we sat down with a designer and worked through the design elements. I then went back by myself to hack out the exact carat figures and came out with the final price. You can look up stones on bluenile.com to get a feel for cost.

My best piece of advice is to go with something like a VS1 with G color. There is absolutely no point in getting a teeny tiny flawless stone with D color because to the naked eye you will NOT be able to tell the difference and the only person who will ever see the difference is a jeweler with a loop and that's not who you're proposing to. Definitely find a very good cut which will make the stone really pop but don't pay up for perfection. You'll get much more diamond for your money this way.

[RnmEvo9]

Originally Posted by iBoost

Abort mission.

+100000000000000000000000

[Boost3dm3]

most large stores dont care if you purchase with cash or credit because they sell high volumes. If you go to a jewelery expo then yes the price will be different for credit and cash. You will usually be able to get a couple of percent off. Many times the prices these independent jewelers at these expos list their diamonds at the cash/check price and if you pay with credit they will add the credit card processing fee of about 4%. As for diamond prices over the years they have gone up. Not by a lot tho. According to wiki De Beers through its trading company DTC raised wholesale diamond prices three times in 2004 by a total of 14%. When I tried to purchase a IF graded diamond what I was told by all the jewelers was that Flawless and IF diamonds are usually purchased for investment. So for that diamond your mom bought in 1994 the value has probably stayed the same. For example just last year I was looking at a 1 carat round diamond that was F color, internally flawless, excellent cut, clarity, and polish with no fluorescence and the price was around $14-15k at bluenile. For the same diamond today the price after about a year has gone up to $16k. Oh and btw for the best prices for negotiation make sure to get the rapaport sheet and take roughly a 20%-30% cut off the list price. You may or may not get that much of a discount but the rapaport is how dealers price their diamonds usually.

[Freakazoid]

feel free to PM, I spent months learning and doing all this shit.

First off if you ACTUALLY care about quality. go GIA or don't waste your time.

To answer the gist of your questions.
In general the ring should be worth more. Gold and diamonds have gone up in price (if only by inflation). but rings also depreciate 'off the lot' so to speak as well.

There's some negotation but not the scale you're talking about. Check out online, these are the places to find deals. or if you're really thrifty get used diamonds

[Optherion]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

Definitely find a very good cut which will make the stone really pop but don't pay up for perfection. You'll get much more diamond for your money this way.

+1

[Freakazoid]

oh and since you're buying a ring. Make sure you realize the price of diamonds is literally a conspiracy.

This isn't a joke, or a tinfoil hatter...actual fact (found this during my research). Make sure you're ok with the fact that the prices are inflated and controlled by a central entity.
(on that note, man made is something for you to look at)

[Optherion]

Originally Posted by iBoost

Abort mission.

+100

[Freakazoid]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

My best piece of advice is to go with something like a VS1 with G color. There is absolutely no point in getting a teeny tiny flawless stone with D color because to the naked eye you will NOT be able to tell the difference and the only person who will ever see the difference is a jeweler with a loop and that's not who you're proposing to. Definitely find a very good cut which will make the stone really pop but don't pay up for perfection. You'll get much more diamond for your money this way.

I disagree here. VS1 is overkill. VS2 will be great , and SI1 will also be fine in many situations.
You can also go for a bit lower on the color spectrum, again depending on other factors. Can safely pull off an H.

[KingOfJericho]

Actually I think I did get an SI1 so yes, SI1 and up is a-ok. I can't see a single thing in this stone - even using the GIA certificate with the inclusion map.

[matthewk]

This is actually really simple. Contact Jonathan at Good Old Gold http://www.goodoldgold.com/

Tell him you want an eye clean "SI-1", "G-H" or blue fluorescence "I", AGS 000 and how much you can afford and he will quite simply get you the best diamond you can get for the money..

There's not much else to say on this topic - it's all about the cut

[Freakazoid]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

Actually I think I did get an SI1 so yes, SI1 and up is a-ok. I can't see a single thing in this stone - even using the GIA certificate with the inclusion map.

exactly
GIA SI1 is about a 50/50 split for whether or not you can see it. Learn how to read the chart and you can tell before you even look at the diamond to boot.

[Freakazoid]

Originally Posted by matthewk

This is actually really simple. Contact Jonathan at Good Old Gold http://www.goodoldgold.com/

Tell him you want an eye clean "SI-1", "G-H" or blue fluorescence "I", AGS 000 and how much you can afford and he will quite simply get you the best diamond you can get for the money..

There's not much else to say on this topic - it's all about the cut

he's not bad over there, but sometimes he's rather pricey.
But yes the cut means a LOT. If you're looking for like a radiant for example, can't go too wrong with a RCDC (what I ended up getting)