Diamond wholesalers in Los Angeles? Non DeBeers suggestions?

November 27, 2006 9:02 PM

I'm looking for 1) A good diamond wholesaler and 2) A good jeweler in Los Angeles. Any suggestions? Trying to get Non-DeBeers. Any suggestions on that front?

(Anonymous as noone is to know of my diamond shopping until said diamond is used in proposal :))

I'm looking for a very specific sort of loose diamond (Non-DeBeers (prolly canadian?), $2k, ~0.6 carat, H-I color, SI1 clarity, Round Class II cut), so I imagine I need a place with access to a lot of diamonds. Definite bonus points for things like bonded jewellers, buy-back guarantees, return policies, breakage guarantees to avoid baked diamonds, etc.

Is it common practice to pay with cash to avoid sales tax? If they're willing to do it, does that mean they're probably a bad business?

I talked to one Diamond wholesaler whose diamonds weren't typical Canadian-Certified, but they said they got all their rough diamonds from Australia or Canada and cut them on-site. Is that a common practice? As long as the diamond's not from DeBeers and doesn't involve human rights abuses, I'm pretty happy, so that sort of source sounds good; where can I find more companies like that?

Jeweler comes after the proposal (we'll pick out setting together if all goes well), and I'll happily take suggestions on that front.

posted by anonymous to shopping (5 comments total)

www.shaneco.com has diamonds meeting your description in the $1600-$1800 range, but their origin isn't listed. They tend to have very good prices.

www.canadadiamonds.com has Canadian diamonds in your description for $2400-$3000. If you're willing to reduce your pickiness, you might get it for less. This site has several ~.6 ct diamonds for under $2k.
posted by solid-one-love at 10:30 PM on November 27, 2006

Have you looked at estate jewelry? You may not like the setting but that shouldn't stop you from buying a diamond at a reduced price and putting it into another setting. You will also not be contributing to the exploitation/price gouging nearly as much as you won't be a primary retail purchaser.
posted by Pollomacho at 10:36 PM on November 27, 2006

Oh, and the answer is yes, my darling.
posted by Pollomacho at 12:15 AM on November 28, 2006

If they're willing to do it, does that mean they're probably a bad business?

Define bad. It certainly means they're willing to defraud the government. Personally I interpret that to mean they're willing to defraud me, since I am much smaller and less well-armed than the government, but I have no scientific evidence to back that up.

Congrats!
posted by phearlez at 10:52 AM on November 28, 2006

I'm hearing a lot of good things about Blue Nile.

In particular, their FAQ states "We are happy to provide a broad range of high-quality diamonds from Canadian sources. To request Canadian diamonds, contact a diamond and jewelry consultant at 800-242-2728."

However, they're Internet-only.
posted by Protocols of the Elders of Sockpuppetry at 12:14 PM on November 28, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]