Engagement Rings (merged)

skin27

I too was wondering about buying a diamond ring abroad... me and the gf are going away on a holiday of a lifetime travelling for a couple months to a few destinations including Dubai and South Africa, and I might have a little idea to ask her something while away... I've heard Dubai can be good for jewellery and as SA is apparently where most diamonds come from (?) I was thinking maybe its better to get a ring while away? not only would it also be a great souvenir but then she could choose it as I know she is particluar about the ring she wants!! So I was wondering if anyone has experience or knowledge of buying jewellery/diamonds in these places?!

stumpjumper

ocs18 wrote: »

Any advice appreciated. xx

Looking at the diamond you have selected – it looks like it is cut quite well – tho without pictures of the actual diamond I cant tell.
They do provide the GIA cert number so you can look it up at the GIA website:
[url] http://www.gia.edu/reportcheck/[/url]
the report number is: 17016739
and the carat weight is 0.53

overall it scores a cut grade of Excellent (the top grade) Tho it is my opinion that it wouldn’t make the top grade from the American Gem Lab (which has a stricter grading system than the GIA) as it is just outside their normal boundaries. But the visual differences are very slight.

Price wise, its much cheaper than the UK highstreet. Diamonds attract 17.5% interest when imported loose. If you have the company set the diamond for you, then the total price of the ring attacts VAT of 17.5% plus 2.5% import duty.

As an alternative have a look at this: http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-981046.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131

It is equivalent to the one you have linked to – it’s a 0.53ct E VS1, but it is listed for $1810 but if you say you have found the diamond on Pricescope then they will discount the stone to $1660 (I searched the diamond listings on Pricescope.com for a 0.5 – 0.55 E VS1 stone (search by Cut Quality)

Either way – you’ll have to add on $60-90 for shipping & insurance – but on a loose stone your looking at paying £1167 for the one you linked to, and £980 for the James Allen stone. Either way it may not leave enough for a ring and come in under your £1500. (your looking at around £200-500 for a white gold ring, depending on style and gold content – 14 or 18k)

You may consider, staying with a 0.5ct size, and VS1 clarity, but looking for a diamond with a colour grade of F, G or H. As the price will be lower, but your not going to alter the look of the diamond (it wont look any yellower), and stick to diamonds graded GIA Excellent or AGS 0 for cut grade

I would recommend you buy from either a UK highstreet or from the US, rather than from Ghana – simply for the comeback – James Allen, and no doubt diamonds.com offer a returns policy (JA states any diamond has a 30 day money back policy if you don’t like the stone.) where as you wont get that in Ghana, and you can browse at your leisure.

stumpjumper

skin27 wrote: »

So I was wondering if anyone has experience or knowledge of buying jewellery/diamonds in [Dubai and South Africa]

Ths is what a friend of mine, who is a cutter based in Antwerp, had to say about a diamond that some one had bought in Dubai, and has asked our opinion on.

Paul wrote:

About buying diamonds in Dubai: while you think, as a consumer, that you are getting a great deal, this is generally not the case, since 'great deals' are basically impossible in this very competitive business.

Dubai has absolutely no culture in diamond-cut, and colour and clarity are the main drivers of sales there. Because of that, the seller there is truly convinced that he is giving you a great deal, while the cut of this particular diamond stinks (excusez le mot). *

There is also a culture in Dubai, in which having the stone sealed (not loose) is very important. Some local dealer once pulled a scam with loose stones, and since that day, having sealed stones is very important. Now, that particular act of sealing (in this case done in Antwerp by HRD) also prevents the local dealer from inspecting colour, and to some extent also clarity and cut. In the long run, this practice (culture again) prevents the development of any cut-knowledge.

On the other hand, it offers good opportunities for diamond cutters. Whenever a diamond gets a lucky grade, or when the cut is so-so, it is best to seal the stone, and try to sell it in a country with a diamond-culture like Dubai.

*The Stone in question
HRD Certified.

Shape - Brilliant
Weight - 1.16 ct
Clarity Grad - VS2
Flourescence - nil
Colour - G
Measurements - 6.56-660mm x 4.28 mm
Proportions - good
Girdle - meadium 4.5% faceted
Cutlet - pointed
table width - 59%
cr height - 15.5%
pav depth - 44.5%
finish grade - good

Including the setting (a simple classic Tifffany in 18ct white gold) I paid AED 25,500

That is GBP 3,425.00 at todays exchange rates (7.4)

For referance the depth of this stone is 65% - which makes the visual width of this stone about the same as a 1.02ct stone in the more 'ideal' range of 59-62%
see an example Here

cost wise, the 1.02ct stone is about the same (including import tax + the cost of a white gold ring) as the cost of the Dubai stone (but the price he gave was without import tax as he lives and works out in Dubai) yet both stones are the same width... so really - its not that great a deal when you add on the tax when you declare the ring on your return to the UK - adding VAT and the 2.5% import duty to a diamond ring would take the price to £4125, while the 1.02ct diamond ring would be £3278 (a 1.16ct stone and a ring, thats much wider with a better cut would be about £4000 Here - its diameter is 6.8mm as opposed to the Dubai stone being 6.6mm


With regards South Africa - i'd treat it the same as Dubai.. tho i dont think they have the same law that requires the stone to be sealed in a bag with its certificate. So you may not get what you bought... unless you can take the diamond to a trust worth source, and have a refund if its not what it was sold as.

Dont forget also - all diamonds are mined by large corperations, and are controlled by the international diamond trade, and the Kimberley Process - which means 90% of the worlds rough diamonds pass through the offices in Antwerp before being shipped around the world to be cut - either in Antwerp, India, Africa, to a small extent USA and Canada, and the world prices for diamonds are tightly controlled...

and again - it comes back to consumer protection - your not really going to save money buying overseas in dubai, India, Africa... than you are buying online in the US, some UK sellers, or your local jewellers shop. But you get more come back from the US/UK markets - because they have return policies.

skin27

thank you very much for the info stumpjumper.

I think I will try and buy a "token ring" to take on the trip as I know she is particular about the ring she wants, then we can choose it together when we get back. Also at least if it gets lost/stolen while we're travelling it wont be too bad! If anyone who has done this before (a token ring) could give me some advice it would be appreciated! what kind of thing did you go for? I guess I would want something cheap and cheerful but that looks like a diamond?!! any suggestions?

[Deleted User]

I bought a 'token ring' from a local jewelers - it was white gold (9ct) and was fake diamond in a typical princess cut, approx 0.5ct - i wanted something she could wear on her finger for a few weeks without it looking 'too fake' - but also not as big as the real one (ended up with a 1ct from Hatton garden)

stumpjumper

yip - either a Cubic Zinconda (sp?) or Monzzante stone or QVC's Diamonique will look like a diamond, but without costings very much...

jan1ey

Hi guys,

Help really needed here, my boyfriend proposed whilst on holiday last week and is letting me pick my own ring (which im grateful for :-).. the problem is.. I dont want to get one from the high street due to the costs... so Im thinking of using the internet.. now i have had a look at cooldiamonds where there is one i like and also i have seen one from an ebayer called no1rockavenue... anyone dealt with any of these??? thanks everyone!

stumpjumper

also look up Qualitydiamonds.com (uk based) and BlueNile.co.uk (the uk arm of a large US firm) they will be on a par with cooldiamonds, or cheaper (BN and QD will have a much larger range than CoolD, simply has they list stones from the wharehouses (Blue Nile also have a Signurature range which are stones that are in stock)
Cool Diamonds only list stones that they have in house... and no provide alot of info - you tell them you want a (for example) 0.5ct F VS1 - and they show you the certificate or 2 of stones they have

where as i prefer to look at sites like those i talk about in this thread - which you search their inhouse stock, and they have provided scans of the certificates, pictures of the diamond, and in some cases highly magnafied pictures to highlight the inclusions.

as regards no1rockavenue stones... his prices seem fair, and he's selling graded stones... i'd say, if theres one your interested in (and its listed as being graded by the GIA - Gemological Institute of America, then ask the seller if he can tell you the diamonds report number, and the exact weight of the stone. tell me them, and we can look up the report online at the GIA, and see how the diamond stacks up.

for example.
he's currently listing THIS 0.5ct D VS2 in a platinum ring on a buy it now for £1695

for a comparison. theres THIS 0.52ct D VS2 with the top grade for cut and light return and THIS platinum ring which totals up to $2585, which adding VAT and import duty on a diamond ring comes to £1612 (add on £40 and £10 admin charge for the shipping company dealing with customs for you and you get £1662)
and on Cooldiamonds.com - using the Alisa platinum ring, a 0.5ct D VS2 with 'premium' proportions is £1686 - so like i said the ebay price is good, as is the cool diamonds, but the US price comes in slightly cheaper.

Alternatives to look at are Whiteflash, good old gold, james allen - they have excellent ranges of in stock diamonds, and the US diamond market is much cheaper than the UK market, even taking in TAX and shipping.

If you want any help, please let me know - diamonds are a hobby of mine...

jan1ey

You are a star! I will take a look at the websites you recommended now and i will e-mail the ebayer and ask him for the details of the ring i like... thankyou sooooooooooooooooo much :j

stumpjumper

no problem...

enjoy the shopping experiance. your going to be wearing the ring for a long time (i hope)