So a 'friend' of mine is looking to by a ring and I'm trying to help him out. Where should I direct him to go?

Jonathan's Fine Jewelers on Richmond.

I dealt with Jay and it was great. We got our wedding bands from him. Many people on this site have agreed that they're one of the best (and that doesn't mean they're the most $$$$).

(713) 977-9885
6222 Richmond Ave

Diamond Cutters International on San Felipe. It makes you feel like a celebrity just walking into the offices.

http://www.diamondcuttersintl.com/

Lathrop's in the Bellaire Triangle area. Avoid Nazar's on Westheimer like the plague. the guy I had was a weasel and did the old "lemme go in the back and figure out how much this diamond costs" trick. Plus when I started to leave, he offered a discount if I bought it today. Hereford's in Rosenberg isn't bad either.

I second Diamond Cutters - you need to call ahead for an appt. They are amazing!

You need to go see Lee Bertillion. He's not a jewelry store, though his office is in one.

Lee Bertillion 713-266-8184
2221 Voss St. suite 101

You'll need to schedule an appointment, but you will not find a better price for stones anywhere else. I think he saved me 10 or 12 thousand dollars on the price of just one diamond. If you don't go see him, you'll pay too much.

If you are looking for something unique go to Past Era on Westheimer between Shepherd/Kirby in the Antique Pavilion. Everyone that works there is nice and very helpful. It was the place out of everywhere I went that I felt most comfortable giving my money too. Also, they have a lot of rings they dont keep out front becuase they are trying not to draw attention. Worth a look if you dont want to buy the same ring someone else has.

http://www.pastera.com/

Diamond Cutters is great if you are looking for something custom (in the sense that the setting is not branded), they do all their own cutting (hence the name). It is expensive but very high quality.

[This message has been edited by aggiemike02 (edited 4/6/2006 9:35a).]

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Avoid Nazar's on Westheimer like the plague.

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Agreed! After winning some Nazar's gift certificates on the Chron.com auction a couple of years back (got them for half off!)... I went to Nazars and bought my watch. I got a good deal because of the auction, but they really didnt know their stuff. For instance, the warranty card in my watch box did not match the serial number on my watch. When I mentioned this, the sales lady said, "oh they dont need to match" BS. I got a hold of the watch manufacturer and confirmed that the watch was genuine... Nazar's had just placed the wrong watch in the wrong box, it's all worked out now. But, they have lost all of my future business, and hopefully yours too.

Argh!

Congrats Mike!

Shaw's on West Gray is also a great place. I bought my fiancee's ring there. My in-laws have been doing business with them for about 25 years. They really take the time to let you look around and then show you what to look for in a ring even if you don't buy from them. Very Helpful!!

I buy what little jewelry I do buy at Zadok's off of Post Oak.

I second what GolferAg said. Jonathan's fine jewlery. I have dealt with Jay as well and I highly recommend him.

I also reco
Sam Soloman at Diamond World on Richmond. Great guy, friend of a friend's family. Custom stuff, diamonds, antiques. He sells to the jewelery stores in town.

www.diamondworld.com

Also went through Jay at Jonathan's Fine Jewelers. Highly recommended, especially for custom stuff.

Also used Donohos in the Woodlands before with good results.

[This message has been edited by Aggie1999 (edited 4/6/2006 9:33p).]

The guys at Galaxie Jewelers in West U were great with me, spent time showing me everything, fair price, etc. Picked the stone first then designed the setting etc.

Herforts/Hereforts (sp?) in Rosenberg.

Family owned and family run. Prices clearly marked on everything. They won't ask you "How much do you have to spend?" and then show you stuff that is $500-$800 over your budget.

I'll be a customer for life there.

[This message has been edited by Last_One_2_Shine_Sully (edited 4/10/2006 12:45p).]

I went to Shaws on West Gray...good selection and the guy I talked was very nice, not pushy, not trying to make a sale, very helpful.

What is the markup on diamond jewelry? Say i had a family friend or relative that could 'hook me up' on a diamond, what kind of savings would I get?

mark-ups on diamonds are easily 60-80%+

Ming's Jewlery on Milan and they also have a store in china town on bellaire close to beltway 8. we got our engagement setting and wedding rings there. beautiful and family owned.

I usually look for Guido. He works out of his white Ford Falcon on Long Point just east of Bingle. But he will meet you almost anywhere. He also has an easy payment plan.

Also, I'd look at buying the stone online, then having it set locally.

I did this twice (wife lost her first ring...gah). Picked out a nice emerald cut stone with GIA certification (a must if you buy online). Got it appraised and then got it set. Easily saved thousands in total cost. Dirtcheapdiamonds.com (sounds bad, but top notch service and a worry free guarantee on their diamonds) is wonderful, and I've heard good things about bluenile.

I fifth or sixth (or whatever) Jay at Jonathan's. He's the only diamond seller in the world in my book.

Mark another one down for Herfort's.

Someone who knows something about diamonds, tell me the price you would expect on this one:

1.08 Carat
G/H Color
VS2/SI1 Clarity
Radiant cut

Just the diamond. And yes, I know there will be some difference between the G/H color and the clarity, but I'm looking for ballpark.

on bluenile.com that diamond is priced at an average of $5K. You may have already explored bluenile, but if you haven't, they are a good resource.

if BlueNile sez about $5k, don't expect to pay more than about $3k if you shop around.

anyone else have an idea on Bluenile's accuracy?

quote:

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1.08 Carat
G/H Color
VS2/SI1 Clarity
Radiant cut

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Techsan,

I just bought a diamond Friday for $4600 that's very similar:
1.11 carat
H color
VS1/2
Radiant cut

It hasn't been certified yet, but we were comparing a group of 8 diamonds. The other 7 were already certified and this one was still the best for what I was looking for.

I'll second Jonathan's on Richmond.

Try Gem Diamond.

"A conservative is a statesman who is enamored of existing evils, as distinguished from the Liberal, who wishes to replace them with others."
--- Ambrose Bierce

trestamu...where at?

also the price I was quoted was $3600, and it was not certified

Memorial Jewelers in Houston at Kirkwood and Memorial. He doesn't buy diamonds, only brokers them.

Don't quote me on the diamond - I may be off on the clarity, but you're not buying the piece of paper. When I was comparing them, the one I selected looked better to me than the other rounds and princesses that were certified.

Trying to find one of these stupid things is tough, especially on a conservative budget.

It's like buying a car, huh? Or at least that's what I was thinking after about 5 minutes in Jared's.

After visiting a few places, I liked the fact that I told the guy at MJ what I wanted to spend and what I was looking for. He found a handful of diamonds that I might like and then we spent about an hour comparing each one by process of elimination. He was straightforward and blunt - describing table, depth, inclusion location, etc. that no one else had bothered to explain.

Techsan - call Lee B.

Seriously.

Is a Radiant cut diamond with a depth percentage of 83% too deep?