Cartier Diamond vs. Diamond District

I am not a diamond or jewelry expert but from my personal experience:

a 10k diamond wholesale will cost about 20k from a high end brick and mortar retail location and about 14-15k from an internet seller (such as Blue Nile).

 

Like anything, your money will go further if you don't go to a big name place. However, many of the places in the diamond district look pretty shady, and I'm not sure people really get what they pay for. My sister is now divorced and her husband got her engagement ring in the NYC diamond district. When she decided to get rid of it, she brought it to some very reputable places and they all said it was worth a pitance of its "appraised value." What can I say, I'm not surprised that my ex-brother in law bought junk.

If you are spending $30K no matter where you buy a stone make sure it is GIA certified. Don't bother with any other certifications, one place I know of that buys some high end 2nd hand jewelry won't consider anything without a GIA cert (they say most other companies certifications are meaningless), or they value it themselves as though there was no cert.

If you buy from a brick and mortar store with have a solid reputation, and you get a GIA certified stone, you should be fine. Make sure you get a really good cut (it can affect the stones value, brilliance, and overall look). You also want excellent color (D,E,F are colorless with D being the best...then it goes G, H, I and your start seing more yellow). You also want very good clarity. Anything below VS1 and sometimes you can start to see some inclusions even with a naked eye, if you know where to look.

A Cartier, Harry Winston, Graff, etc. ring will cost more than a comparable ring somewhere else, but it will probably always be worth more than a comparable stone from a lesser known place. So I guess it depends on how you view that.

Good luck and best regards,
Dino

 

There's a reason why companies like Tiffany, Graff, and Cartier get the best diamonds-they self source, or buy hundreds of million dollars of stones every year. (And Graff really are the top dogs in the diamond world).

Who do you think is going to get first pick of the best stones, a major jewelry retailer, or a mom and pop shop on the third floor of 47th St?

That's not to say you can't get a good deal on a quality diamond that way, but I've never seen a setting comparable from an independent to that of a top quality jeweler. For some it's worth it, for others it's not.

 

Others here are more qualified than I am to answer but jewelry in general doesn't hold much resale value. The big names may get some resale but even they will not do well compared to what you paid.

As for quality, there is generally a difference in construction between the cheap stuff and the big names. There are small independents that do some great work as well.

You have to pick what looks good to you and what makes you feel good. If buying the big name makes you comfortable I say go for it. If you want the biggest stone and can't tell the quality of the finding go to the diamond district and shop.

 

To a woman, the Tiffany or Cartier box may be worth the delta.

As a whole, diamonds are a scam and have been for ages. They retain no resale or residual value by an individual on the open market.

That said, I's buy the Cartier.

-dsd

 

Very well said.

 

DSD +1

 

I had someone from the district source a diamond for me, it ended up coming over from Israel. From what I could tell, the same stone at Tiffany was about $30k more.

If it is flawless, great color and bigger than 4 carats, the ladies won't care where you bought it at.

My $.02

 

check your PM