Diamond Ring

[Forkinhades]

Hi peeps.

I want to buy my girlfriend a diamond ring (up to me..no flaming please)

My question is, would it be better to buy in the UK, or buy in Thailand?

Thanks

[GuestHouse]

You'll get a lot better deal in Thailand - not necessarily cheaper, but more for your money.

Before you buy spend some time looking into Diamond Grading, it can have a huge effect on cost - not that you perhaps want to save money, but you might want to know what you are paying for and sure you are getting what you pay for.

[mizzi39]

I bought my wife her diamond ring here for our wedding (1.5K) and saved about 1000 USD. Shop around and do not buy the first diamond that catches your eye!

[Buzby]

I recently bought a Diamond ring in Thailand for 28k THB. The ring and diamond in Uk with the same carat weight, color grade and clarity grade would have cost me approx £600. A saving of about 10k THB.

[PoorSucker]

I asked where the diamonds came from.

He told me that they were industrial diamonds from Russia.

So I bought one with 8 stones for approx 23 Kbht

[jitagon]

You'll get a lot better deal in Thailand - not necessarily cheaper, but more for your money.

Before you buy spend some time looking into Diamond Grading, it can have a huge effect on cost - not that you perhaps want to save money, but you might want to know what you are paying for and sure you are getting what you pay for.

arai wah?

[chavy]

I thought this was Thaddeus.

Oh sorry, off topic. I know very little about diamonds.

[Spee]

You'll get a lot better deal in Thailand - not necessarily cheaper, but more for your money.

Before you buy spend some time looking into Diamond Grading, it can have a huge effect on cost - not that you perhaps want to save money, but you might want to know what you are paying for and sure you are getting what you pay for.

Agree totally.

Here is my somewhat opinionated, but somewhat educated data dump on diamonds.

Make sure the diamond is certified and that the seller can produce the original certificate. In other words, make sure the diamond can be traced back to the source. As I explained to my partner, it is the "passport" for the stone. Also, most top quality certified diamonds are laser inscribed on the "girdle." You can test a jeweler by asking them about it, and ask if you can look at one. The inscription should match the certificate exactly.

Ask if your girl if she is interested in quantity or quality. You can get a big unclear stone with many imperfections for very little money (e.g., 1 carat, I color, SI2 clarity). But even a smallish stone that is crystal clear with few if any imperfections will set you back 100k baht or more (e.g., 0.5 carat, D color, VVS1 clarity).

Also, not all good quality diamonds are created equal. I prefer to use this slick little tool to qualify "how good" a "really good" actually is, based on the cut and dimensions. Here's the link. You just plug in the numbers from the certification and the tool gives quantitative and qualitative assessment of the stone.

http://www.pricescope.com/cutadviser.asp

If you just want any old diamond, then just go to any old shop and spend as little as possible. If you want a really top quality diamond then get yourself educated and be prepared to do a lot of shopping around and price comparisons.

Here's an example from my experiences. My partner's ring was E color, VVS1 clarity, 0.52 carat and received superior marks from the cut advisor tool above. It is by any assessment, a very beautiful and high quality stone. With the ring and setting, it cost about $3750 USD several years ago. It has been recently appraised for about $4,250 USD.

By comparison, a diamond twice the size 1.0 carat, with the same characterstics might be as much as 3 times the price. Larger, visibly perfect diamonds are very rare. For example, a 1.0 carat, F color, VVS1 clarity, is about $16,000.

By comparison, a 1.0 carat diamond of substantially lesser quality, say I color and SI3 clarity, might be obtained for about $4,000.

It's fairly commonly accepted that in America most girls expect at least a one carat diamond. But for most, it is much easier to afford a $4k flawed diamond than a $20k flawless diamond, and if it looks big the girl is usually happy.

Personally, I prefer quality over size and since my partner knew nothing about diamonds, I bought the best quality diamond I could afford at the time and educated her about the diamond later on. If you and your girl are more concerned with size over quality, there's certainly nothing wrong with that either.

The $16k and $4k prices above I just took a few minutes ago from the Mervis Diamonds website and are for loose diamonds. Expect a good quality ring and setting to set you back several hundred dollars more.

The setting is very important because it protects the diamond. I prefer an 18K or platinum ring, with a platinum setting for strength. For quality, if you are buying a nice diamond, then you might as well get a good quality ring. If you are buying a round cut diamond, I would highly recommend a 6-point setting as opposed to a 4-point setting. The 6-point setting is much stronger and if one prong breaks off, the diamond will still be held securely. If you lose a prong from a 4-point setting, it is possible that you might lose the diamond.

Also, one major word of caution. If you should buy/invest in a good quality certified diamond, you should never let it out of your sight. For example, if you want to take it to a jeweler to get it cleaned and polished, or appraised, make sure they do it right in front of you. Don't allow anyone to take the ring out of sight, such as to a back room, as you might get ripped off. Also, put the certificate away for safe-keeping. It can be as important as the title for a car.

[ChangMaiSausage]

Another option buy a second hand ring from a reputable jewelers (UK) more diamond for your money.

We just did this and the rings valuation ended up almost double what we paid (valuation was carried out by another Jeweler)

[dhind1]

Excellent post Spee.

I am in the market for a diamond as my wife does not have one. I have "promised" to buy one for our 5th wedding anniversary which is due in about 6 months.

Thanks

[a2396]

Diamonds are a girls best freind. Diamonds are forever, or some might hope.

[surface]

I know very little about diamonds, but aren't the manufactured diamonds having some effect on the pricing of mined diamonds since they can make them with very few imperfections? I suppose the manufacturer could be keeping the diamonds at artificially inflated prices for their own interests, same as De Beers, but in the long term shouldn't it have some effect on these "rare" minerals?

[soic]

Just another thought... Like an idiot... I bought my wife a $3,000 USD diamond ring. It's been appraised and it's the genuine article; my stupidity comes into play with the amount of money I put on her finger. She's proud of it and has been wearing it for 3 years now. I figured she'd feel like the queen of the ball. The problem is, I spent too much. When she shows it to lady friends or members of the family, they all ooohhhh and aaaahhhh for a little bit, then they start talking about other things that she could have used the money for. She gets embarrassed about it now. She'll never take it off and not wear it, she's just having a hard time explaining it or feeling good about it. There are so many people that look at her ring as a waste of money and she almost feels ashamed sometimes. Now it's got too much sentimental value for her to sell, but at the same time, she's almost ashamed to show it to anyone, or tell them how much it cost.

I'd just recommend to get her something nice, don't worry about the amount of money you spend... the more you put in $ on her finger doesn't equate with the celebrity or envied status of friends or family. I wasn't setting out to show off, or to "buy" any kind of affection, to me, it was more about me showing her just how much I love her. It kind of blew up in my face, I got what I paid for, just not what I bargained for...

[PoorSucker]

Just another thought... Like an idiot... I bought my wife a $3,000 USD diamond ring. It's been appraised and it's the genuine article; my stupidity comes into play with the amount of money I put on her finger. She's proud of it and has been wearing it for 3 years now. I figured she'd feel like the queen of the ball. The problem is, I spent too much. When she shows it to lady friends or members of the family, they all ooohhhh and aaaahhhh for a little bit, then they start talking about other things that she could have used the money for. She gets embarrassed about it now. She'll never take it off and not wear it, she's just having a hard time explaining it or feeling good about it. There are so many people that look at her ring as a waste of money and she almost feels ashamed sometimes. Now it's got too much sentimental value for her to sell, but at the same time, she's almost ashamed to show it to anyone, or tell them how much it cost.

I'd just recommend to get her something nice, don't worry about the amount of money you spend... the more you put in $ on her finger doesn't equate with the celebrity or envied status of friends or family. I wasn't setting out to show off, or to "buy" any kind of affection, to me, it was more about me showing her just how much I love her. It kind of blew up in my face, I got what I paid for, just not what I bargained for...

My wife's best friend first question after buying the diamond ring was "how many baht gold is it".

[soic]

Just another thought... Like an idiot... I bought my wife a $3,000 USD diamond ring. It's been appraised and it's the genuine article; my stupidity comes into play with the amount of money I put on her finger. She's proud of it and has been wearing it for 3 years now. I figured she'd feel like the queen of the ball. The problem is, I spent too much. When she shows it to lady friends or members of the family, they all ooohhhh and aaaahhhh for a little bit, then they start talking about other things that she could have used the money for. She gets embarrassed about it now. She'll never take it off and not wear it, she's just having a hard time explaining it or feeling good about it. There are so many people that look at her ring as a waste of money and she almost feels ashamed sometimes. Now it's got too much sentimental value for her to sell, but at the same time, she's almost ashamed to show it to anyone, or tell them how much it cost.

I'd just recommend to get her something nice, don't worry about the amount of money you spend... the more you put in $ on her finger doesn't equate with the celebrity or envied status of friends or family. I wasn't setting out to show off, or to "buy" any kind of affection, to me, it was more about me showing her just how much I love her. It kind of blew up in my face, I got what I paid for, just not what I bargained for...

My wife's best friend first question after buying the diamond ring was "how many baht gold is it".

To be honest... I couldn't begin to tell what the actual ring is worth... it was just over $3,000 and most of that was the stone. It's gold... she didn't like platinum, but I don't have a clue. We both wish now that I hadn't spent so much... it's one of those lessons learned kind of things.

[PattayaParent]

Your best bet is to go back to UK on Emirates or Etihad and stop off at the Diamond Market in Dubai and buy your diamond there.

It'll be 1/4 of the price you can get it in Thailand or UK. The one for my missus was and you get an authentication certificate also.

[klikster]

Make sure the diamond is certified and that the seller can produce the original certificate.

You still have to be careful with certs even if its a cert from a respected lab. Here's how it works.

Dealer A buys a VVS1 F complete with cert. Then he shops around for a diamond with a very similar shape/proportions .. very slightly larger in size to the VVS1 F, but in VS1 grade, F in color.

Dealer A sells the VVS1 F to Dealer B at a very slight loss, but without a certificate .. and since Dealer B is an expert, he is very comfortable with it. He Can even get a new or duplicate cert.

Meanwhile, Dealer A finds a cutter who will recut the VS2 to the same dimensions/proportions as reflected on the VVS1 cert. Then he sells the recut VS2 along with the VVS1 cert to some unsuspecting person who had "learned a lot about diamonds" on the internet. And Dealer A pockets a tidy profit.

Edited August 10, 2008 by klikster

[onzestan]

Your best bet is to go back to UK on Emirates or Etihad and stop off at the Diamond Market in Dubai and buy your diamond there.

It'll be 1/4 of the price you can get it in Thailand or UK. The one for my missus was and you get an authentication certificate also.

Or when in the UK take a trip to Antwerp's diamond quarter (Vestingstraat).

cheers

onzestan

[handydog]

Great thread and relevant to the position i am in at the moment.

I am in the process of having a ring made this week in New Zealand to take back to Thai. Only reason for purchasing it here is my best friend is a manufacturing jeweller. He will make it all at cost for me.

I agree with earlier poster in that quality over quantity of stone is important, having a true appraisal of the stones and a photograph stores somewhere safe in the event that the ring or stones are lost for insurance purposes.

[LaReina]

Yeah...

1. The Bangkok Gems and Jewelry Fair is fast approaching.. (next month actually). You can buy directly from manufacturers there during the final days (after all the buyers have hit the show). You will not get wholesale pricing, but you can get a good deal. Just do your homeweork first, so that you have an idea of how much you would pay in the real world.

2. Diamonds in Bangkok are not always certified.. and if someone tells you they are.. then yeah.. right.. Most companies here buy them from diamond suppliers, and here in bangkok most of the diamond suppliers are from India.

These same diamonds make their way into well known European Stores. The buyer will ask the manufacturer if the diamonds are certified, and the manufacturer will say of course!! and that is the honest end of that discussion.

3. For a diamond to be registerd and have a tracking number, kimberly certified you name it, then you are talking about the really big, wonkers of diamonds..that your wife will not wear anyway, for fear of scratching the ring, or someone cutting her finger off for the ring. In which case the ring will be insured.

4. SI quality is pretty good. A lot of women flash their rings at you, and say.. oohh this is VVS quality, and when you look at it under a loop, it is not. So.. unless your sig other is going to show her ring to people with loops for glasses, then SI is good enough as you still need a loop to see any imperfections.

I know all of this, because ......I really honestly know...

If you want to know the rough manufacturing price of anything.. pm me the weight of the metal and the specifications of the stone.

[thaihome]

Just another thought... Like an idiot... I bought my wife a $3,000 USD diamond ring. It's been appraised and it's the genuine article; my stupidity comes into play with the amount of money I put on her finger. She's proud of it and has been wearing it for 3 years now. I figured she'd feel like the queen of the ball. The problem is, I spent too much. When she shows it to lady friends or members of the family, they all ooohhhh and aaaahhhh for a little bit, then they start talking about other things that she could have used the money for. She gets embarrassed about it now. She'll never take it off and not wear it, she's just having a hard time explaining it or feeling good about it. There are so many people that look at her ring as a waste of money and she almost feels ashamed sometimes. Now it's got too much sentimental value for her to sell, but at the same time, she's almost ashamed to show it to anyone, or tell them how much it cost.

I'd just recommend to get her something nice, don't worry about the amount of money you spend... the more you put in $ on her finger doesn't equate with the celebrity or envied status of friends or family. I wasn't setting out to show off, or to "buy" any kind of affection, to me, it was more about me showing her just how much I love her. It kind of blew up in my face, I got what I paid for, just not what I bargained for...

3k for diamond? and she gets comments on what else she could spend the money? (Or is that your thoughts)

Shit, my wife as 2 times that amount in the watch she wears every day and I can't recall ever hearing anything like that about it.

Different group of people I reckon.

TH

[soic]

Just another thought... Like an idiot... I bought my wife a $3,000 USD diamond ring. It's been appraised and it's the genuine article; my stupidity comes into play with the amount of money I put on her finger. She's proud of it and has been wearing it for 3 years now. I figured she'd feel like the queen of the ball. The problem is, I spent too much. When she shows it to lady friends or members of the family, they all ooohhhh and aaaahhhh for a little bit, then they start talking about other things that she could have used the money for. She gets embarrassed about it now. She'll never take it off and not wear it, she's just having a hard time explaining it or feeling good about it. There are so many people that look at her ring as a waste of money and she almost feels ashamed sometimes. Now it's got too much sentimental value for her to sell, but at the same time, she's almost ashamed to show it to anyone, or tell them how much it cost.

I'd just recommend to get her something nice, don't worry about the amount of money you spend... the more you put in $ on her finger doesn't equate with the celebrity or envied status of friends or family. I wasn't setting out to show off, or to "buy" any kind of affection, to me, it was more about me showing her just how much I love her. It kind of blew up in my face, I got what I paid for, just not what I bargained for...

3k for diamond? and she gets comments on what else she could spend the money? (Or is that your thoughts)

Shit, my wife as 2 times that amount in the watch she wears every day and I can't recall ever hearing anything like that about it.

Different group of people I reckon.

TH

We live in the Isaan... in a small village. Our immediate family is upper middle class, but the cousins and many friends aren't very prosperous. So... yes... she gets a lot of comments. I almost feel bad for spending that much on the ring. By Western Standard, I realize that's not a lot, and I know that my wife truly would have appreciated a ring that was cheaper. I just didn't want the Ops to get so tied up in the amount, as he could be regarding the emotion. At least with my wife, I could have had the same "bang" for a lot less buck, and with fewer headaches.

[AlexLah]

Do you peeps ever think on why it is that everebody thinks you should buy a diamond ring for the marriage?

Are you one of those sheeps?

Do some research na, and you will find out the real reason why those diamond marketing people were able to convince you.

[Heng]

Diamonds are an artificial market, may as well purchase the "experience" and take her to a Cartier or Tiffany and Co. My wife detests jewelry (keeps all of her inherited stuff in a safe she opens maybe once a year to see if it's still there), but even she loved that particular ring purchase trip.

[klikster]

Do you peeps ever think on why it is that everebody thinks you should buy a diamond ring for the marriage?

Are you one of those sheeps?

Do some research na, and you will find out the real reason why those diamond marketing people were able to convince you.

Yes, because DeBeers once said, "Diamond's are forever." And women in the US bought it hook, line and sinker. Then they exported the attitude.

[klikster]

4. SI quality is pretty good. A lot of women flash their rings at you, and say.. oohh this is VVS quality, and when you look at it under a loop, it is not. So.. unless your sig other is going to show her ring to people with loops for glasses, then SI is good enough as you still need a loop to see any imperfections.

No disrespect intended, but SI is just a few grades north of frozen spit. You give an SI to an Asian woman, you could be suggesting that she is flawed as well.

Edited August 10, 2008 by klikster

[AlexLah]

Do you peeps ever think on why it is that everebody thinks you should buy a diamond ring for the marriage?

Are you one of those sheeps?

Do some research na, and you will find out the real reason why those diamond marketing people were able to convince you.

Yes, because DeBeers once said, "Diamond's are forever." And women in the US bought it hook, line and sinker. Then they exported the attitude.

You know, you are a person I like to talk with.

[philstone]

Hi peeps.

I want to buy my girlfriend a diamond ring (up to me..no flaming please)

My question is, would it be better to buy in the UK, or buy in Thailand?

Thanks

I known I will get in trouble for this, but if I was to buy a diamond I will ask a Jewish friend what I should do. If you don't have any call a Rabbi in Bangkok. Their are at least 3 they have the knowledge. I doubt if anyone on Thai Visa have family that sell and buy diamonds. Go to the source and get it cheaper.

Edited August 10, 2008 by philstone

[Tinkelbell]

The only place I would buy diamond from is 'Diamond District' in Midtown Manhattan (between Sixth Ave. and E. 47th St.) The whole block are filled with diamond shops ( retail sale on the ground floor, while the wholesale on the top floors).

Since it costs a fortune to own a diamond. I have to make sure I'm dealing with the solid reputed establishment. These shops have an enourmous display of diamonds to suit's everyone's budget.

You also receive a certificate of the diamond you just purchased, along the receipt proving the amount you paid.

They allow you to trade it in anytime, with the credit the same amount on your receipt.

About 80% of these diamond operators are Jewish American.

They got their diamonds from South Africa dimond mines via Antwerp, Belgium.

Unlike some of the diamond shops at 'Avenue of Diamond' in Paragon, some of the owners whom I visited told me, most of their diamonds from Russia and India.

They don't have policy of buying back or trading in. One owner even suggest to sell it to a friend or a member of family.

..................................................................

Since I'm already up here, why not just throw in this interesting news.

There was a lawsuits against the giant diamond distributor- De Beers

The good news is De Beers had settled the suits in a tune of $295 millions at the end of last year. More detail, go to Diamondsclassaction.com

Although the dateline for filing for consumers is already passed on May 18, 2008.

The moral of this post is it's worth to deal with the good reputed shop. You got the real high quality diamond and the company stands behind you.

[philstone]

The only place I would buy diamond from is 'Diamond District' in Midtown Manhattan (between Sixth Ave. and E. 47th St.) The whole block are filled with diamond shops ( retail sale on the ground floor, while the wholesale on the top floors).

Since it costs a fortune to own a diamond. I have to make sure I'm dealing with the solid reputed establishment. These shops have an enourmous display of diamonds to suit's everyone's budget.

You also receive a certificate of the diamond you just purchased, along the receipt proving the amount you paid.

They allow you to trade it in anytime, with the credit the same amount on your receipt.

About 80% of these diamond operators are Jewish American.

They got their diamonds from South Africa dimond mines via Antwerp, Belgium.

Unlike some of the diamond shops at 'Avenue of Diamond' in Paragon, some of the owners whom I visited told me, most of their diamonds from Russia and India.

They don't have policy of buying back or trading in. One owner even suggest to sell it to a friend or a member of family.

..................................................................

Since I'm already up here, why not just throw in this interesting news.

There was a lawsuits against the giant diamond distributor- De Beers

The good news is De Beers had settled the suits in a tune of $295 millions at the end of last year. More detail, go to Diamondsclassaction.com

Although the dateline for filing for consumers is already passed on May 18, 2008.

The moral of this post is it's worth to deal with the good reputed shop. You got the real high quality diamond and the company stands behind you.

I am afraid most members will not believe you. Thanks for saying it better than me