If you've got a good woman you won't have to be sneaky about it. If you have got a bad one you're better off buying CZ anyway even if it's your secret. At least you'll get to keep half the savings later on.

I think no engagement ring is a better idea than expecting your wife to be parading around with a fake diamond.

Take a short drive out to Rosenberg and go to Herfort's Diamond Ring Factory. On 90A, Ave H in town.

Seriously, call Chuck and talk to him. There's a lot more to a run than just matching up its spec sheet and price. There can be a lot of differences in two diamonds with the exact same specs. That's where Chuck helps you sort it out.

Just went to Chuck. Go with Chuck

I'd go with chuck on that as well. It's him you deal with and no one else. I'd trust the man with my most valued piece of family jewelry.

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Ronnie Hoffman, Hoffman Diamond Company, Greenway Plaza.

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Ronnie hooked me up.

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Ronnie Hoffman, Hoffman Diamond Company, Greenway Plaza.

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Ronnie hooked me up.

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Another one for Ronnie!!

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Jonathan's Fine Jewelers. 6222 Richmond. Talk to Jonny Nuncio. EOT.

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Jay Freedman is also great over there

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Dealt with Jay also. I'd go back. Very hassle free process. Tell them what you want and what you want to spend.

Chuck

No experience with 6222, but Eklektic is my vote. They made my wife's rings, my band, and have commissioned a couple other custom pieces from them. Great people with reasonable prices, and they do all their work about 20' from the checkout table.

Wife's wedding band dropped a small diamond about 2 years after we got married. They replaced for free without a question.

I spent a month searching for a jewler that had good reivews in Houston. I would read people that gave a place 5 stars but said they switched out the diamond when they came to pick the ring up. I also read up a lot on diamond grading and realized that it goes beyond the 4C's. Just becasue 2 diamonds have the same 4C's grades and are priced $2k apart does not necessarly mean one store is trying to rip you off.

I eventually found this website http://www.diamondhelpers.com/

from there it lead me to http://shafteldiamonds.com/ and Meghan. She was very quick and detailed in our initial email exchanges compared to other jewlers that ppl here have mentioned that just tried to get me in their door. Meghan really wanted to make me comfortable and answer all of my questions and let me make my decision.

In the end she located the diamond that met my criteria beyond the 4C's at a price I couldn't get online and custom made a ring.

That's why Chuck is the 5th C.

It's silly but it's also real, he took me to lunch and explained diamonds.

I was able to go into Tiffany's and embarrass 3 of their sales staff after a 1.5 hour meeting with Chuck.

The dude cares about what you/your wife wants, and he genuinely cares that your marriage and life together are happy and fruitful.

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Jonathan's Fine Jewelers. 6222 Richmond. Talk to Jonny Nuncio. EOT.

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Jay Freedman is also great over there

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Dealt with Jay also. I'd go back. Very hassle free process. Tell them what you want and what you want to spend.

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Jay is the best. They custom make their settings and sell their stones cheap. They have some premade stuff too, if you want that. Jay gave me a tour of the place. It is pretty cool watching the guys make the jewelry.

Another vote for Chuck. He's worth the dive to College Station.

I used Chuck and it was great.

We went back and forth via phone and email until he found me some options I really liked. Once he got things narrowed down for me I made a trip up to BCS to see the stones in person and listen to his recommendations.

Easy, no hassle, no pressure, and competitive price. Not sure I'll ever go to anyone else when in the market for high end jewelry.

I used Jay with Jonathan's Fine Jewelers.

What I like about Chucks approach is that he isn't selling a diamond, but a service. He will tell you anything you want to know about the flaws in diamonds, including the one you're picking out if you want. He isn't there to sell a diamond, but more as an advisor and facilitator IMO. It made me really comfortable to know nothing was being hidden from me or not being told to me about the process and the diamonds.

People get diamonds without laser engraving?

Chuck at 5th C. Great price and service

Chuck, and not just because he's an Aggie or a sponsor, he legitimately cares that you get what you/wife want.

I'll echo the story of first conversation where Chuck, unsolicited almost, took me to diamond school over the phone for almost two hours. He patiently answered all my questions, explained every single minute detail of what we were looking at and showed genuine passion for what he does.

Then we scrapped the whole design about 3 months later after he was darn near finished with the CAD and started over, and he never once batted an eye or changed his tune, he simply wanted us to be happy. I'd go, and have gone with him for every major jewelry purchase in the future without second thought.

As for quality, my wife's diamond+setting blows all of her friends out of the water, and it isn't even close.

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Ekletic Jewerly. You need an appointment. Drink patron with Marco sr and jr. You'll never go anywhere else again.

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I hope their diamonds are better than their tequila.

Here's a can't miss deal for a "diamond" from JC Penney.

LOLed as soon as I saw a rainbow profile pic

That's a cheap diamond drill bit!

I shopped a long time to figure out what to get my now-wife. I know everyone is different but I settled on cut as being the most important C in what I was shopping for. Ended up with a great stone from Whiteflash in Sugar Land. Great experience and a competitive price for the quality. I did not do business with the board sponsors so they may be better for all I know. These guys are worth checking out though.
https://www.whiteflash.com/

Also recommend Jay at Jonathan's Jewelers. Have to have a appointment prior however to go. He took his time with us. They made it custom to what we wanted and was about $1k less than what we would have paid for a standard (ie not custom) ring at one of the big name stores.

I don't recommend going to a "retail jewelry" store. They mark it up big time over places like Jonathan (who actually often provides the diamonds to those retail stores). Funny thing is most people have no idea that the entire building at Richmond (where Jonathan's is) is an insane situation. You gonna go see it for yourself

Definitely agree...whiteflash is great!

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Spend money on a nice band but don't get suckered on a shiny piece of carbon.

www.diamondssuck.com

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If you are wanting a place that offers wholesale diamonds and engagement rings then check out Diamond Exchange Houston