Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with diamond

Diamond vs. CZ

comatose — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:39:20 -0800

Can you tell the difference between a diamond and a cubic zirconia? Have you ever looked at a diamond and a cubic zirconia (same size and cut) side by side and could definitively could tell them apart?

If a well cut CZ was placed in a precious metal setting is there any way that the average person could tell it was not a diamond?

Almost every article I've read seems to agree that it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between a diamond and CZ without some sort of test or 10x magnification. Yet, every girl I've ever asked said that it is easy to tell the difference between the two. I have a hunch they are comparing a fairly plain CZ without many cuts set in cheap costume jewelery to well cut/faceted diamonds set in expensive metals. Any first hand experience would be interesting.

What is the hierarchy of high-end jewelry brands in New York?

L'homme armé — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:22:39 -0800

What are the most impressive/exclusive quality diamond jewelry brands with a retail presence in Manhattan? I am looking for those that are known to the reasonably knowledgeable New Yorker but not necessarily as well-known outside. I worry that Tiffany is too over-exposed and perhaps not the best value for the money.

More specifically, I am looking to buy for someone in the upper half of her 30's who has lived in New York for about 15 years and has a classy, timeless sense of style but is brand-conscious. Thus the name on the box must be recognizable.

A few alternatives come to mind: H. Stern, Cartier, De Beers, Harry Winston, Piaget, Van Cleef but I don't have any idea how they rank on quality, value, or brand recognition. Can you provide some insights?

Social Stigma of Buying Used Ring Solely for Diamond?

2legit2quit — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 10:50:17 -0800

Used Engagement Ring: I am ready to ask the most wonderful person I have ever met to marry me. However, before I can do that I need a ring. Buying a used ring seems to carry a negative reputation among some people and I can understand some of their arguments. My question is whether buying a used ring for the diamond itself and having a new setting made carries that same negative reputation. And, if I do buy a ring for the stone, will my jeweler have a hard time using it once it has already been in another setting? My girlfriend has her heart set on a nice one carat diamond ring and I intend to give her one. However, I have my heart set on asking her to marry me in a special way that will also cost a significant amount of money (I would like to surprise her with a trip to Paris and propose there). I only have a limited amount of money and am trying to find ways to have everything we both want as part of the engagement. This includes making sure that our flights and hotels are as cheap as possible and also trying to fly during off-peak seasons. Another way that I see to save a little is to buy a used diamond and have my jeweler place it in a new setting. The prices for diamonds seem to be more than half as inexpensive for buying used and I have even seen a number of really ugly setting with very nice diamonds go for even less on E-bay and Craigslist. Will I be asking for heartache if I go down this path?

And, do you have any further recommendations on how to acquire a loose diamond inexpensively?

If it helps, I am located in Georgia (the state not the country).

How reputable is D.NEA?

Anonymous — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 09:03:04 -0800

How reputable is D.NEA Diamonds? I'm planning to buy a synthetic blue diamond, and I'll most likely have to do it online because there are no stores selling such diamonds anywhere remotely near me. Thus far my research suggests D.NEA is one of the best (if not only) places to get such a stone.

However there isn't a lot of information about the company online beyond a few press releases here and there, a Slashdot story, and a mention in a related Ask MeFi. Has anybody had actual experience purchasing stuff from them? Also, should I take any extra steps to make sure what I have is the "real" thing, before or after purchase?

Non-DeBeers Engagement Ring Options

NHlove — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:00:32 -0800

Can anyone help with non-DeBeers engagement ring options? (Specifically lab-created diamonds, non-DeBeers mined diamonds, and purple sapphires) So my amazing, but anti-DeBeers boyfriend and I are thinking about getting engaged. (Yay!) This is all very exciting, except we’re not sure what to do for a ring. We have been looking at a few non-DeBeers options and I’d love to hear some input from you all.

One thing we have been looking into is a lab-created white diamond. These are real diamonds, not synthetic or simulated stones. The problem is they are only available from a few places. We are wondering about what sizes these come in, how available they are (waiting lists?), cost comparison to natural stones, and quality. I would love to hear from someone who has actually bought one.

We are also interested in non-DeBeers mined diamonds. We have been able to find a few places that offer Canadian diamonds. Some of these mines are owned by DeBeers as well though. Where can we find diamonds that are not DeBeers?

I would also love a purple sapphire as a center stone. Another color just wouldn't do and it has already been proven that I am not a graceful enough person to wear stones as soft as amethyst. We have looked here so far but haven't been able to find much else. I am concerned about quality and getting the perfect purple color (more pink than an amethyst but more purple than a pink sapphire). Any more sources or advice would be helpful.

We have really looked into all the options (no ring, heirloom, estate, other colored stones, etc.) and would really appreciate if the conversation could focus on these three. Thank you so much for your help!

Hi, I'm on the phone. I'm just not telling you where...

twine42 — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:42:56 -0800

When my WinMob6 HTC Diamond phone receives MMS messages with photo or video content, where does it save the files? I've got a load of MMS embedded files I want to save to my PC before I accidentally delete them all...

Like the one ring, but with less evil.

SNWidget — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:32:30 -0800

EngagementRingFilter: I'm coming upon that time in my life - I'm going to buy a ring and propose to my wonderful girlfriend. My problem is, though, that no matter how much I look up, and what I read, I still can't wrap my head around buying an actual ring. She wants something like this, but I can't see to find anything. Help! Issues: I'm looking for something within the next few months. She doesn't care if it's a real diamond or man-made, but no cubic zirconium. She does want a diamond, though, so recommendations for other stones aren't entirely helpful. She prefers the three stones as in the photos linked above, and no solitaires. The ring in the photos was purchased as Wal-Mart as an example of something she'd like. It doesn't have to match perfectly, though, just the general aesthetic.

The Quest: I've looked at various online websites, and nothing seems to match up. I feel like I'm going about this whole search wrong. I've been avoiding mall stores, because I was told that, but most of the local diamond dealers seem to be less than helpful. I'm in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, if that matters at all.

Question: Does anyone have any suggestions as to where to find something, either real or man-made in that style? My price range is somewhere under $3000, but I can go higher if I find something I absolutely love. Size of the stone isn't a big deal... I just feel completely out of my depth in finding this.

Thanks Hivemind - I've looked at past questions, but they all seemed to be not quite what I was looking for.

Any suggestions/advice/general recommendations for engagement ring shopping is much appreciated.

DeBeers Settlement

qsysopr — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:11:01 -0800

Did someone pocket all the DeBeers settlement money or am I being impatient? I bought my wife a diamond engagement ring in 1997 and read an article this past spring that indicated I'd be eligible for a substantial rebate due to a class action suit against DeBeers. Cool.

So I apply on line at this site https://diamondsclassaction.com/ but oddly enough I don't get any type of on-line confirmation. I didn't receive anything in the mail either. Odd too that the media really downplayed this whole thing.

So now it's August and I'm wondering if claims are still being processed and someday I'm just going to get a nice check in the mail, or did I misunderstand something or did I not complete the application correctly...

A diamond ring that takes a licking and keeps on, um, ticking

range — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 15:36:33 -0800

Help me find a diamond ring setting that my wife can't break. Back when Mrs. Range and I got engaged, she decided she didn't want a diamond ring because she didn't want something she could break, and her life wasn't really conducive to being gentle on her hands. She's an engineer who does development work, and we couldn't imagine a ring that would survive working a lathe, crushing sugar cane w/ rocks, etc.

However, 8 years in, my mom wants her to have her engagement ring (awww!), and we're re-evaluating. The diamond is about 1 carat, in what I'm guessing is a brilliant cut or some similar round cut.

So the question is: Is there a setting, or a class of settings, that holds the diamond securely and isn't likely to snag on stuff? We're talking more-or-less in the neighborhood of "I want to be able to punch a heavy bag from time to time." Or are we dreaming, and if so, what's the sturdiness upper limit? The naive Google search suggests that tension settings may be our solution, but it's unclear how rugged they really are and how much of that is based in marketing, rather than reality.

Where to buy blue diamonds?

pooya — Fri, 16 May 2008 12:32:00 -0800

I'm in the market for a blue diamond engagement ring...anyone have any experience with any blue diamond jewelers in the NYC area?

Engagement Ethics Optimization: Estate Jewelry / MYOR

lalochezia — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 10:41:11 -0800

Buying an engagement ring. Advice wanted on a) Estate Jewelry: recommendations on how to buy & not get ripped off. b) Make-your-own-ring workshops: how to get a good used diamond. c) recommendations for both of the above in the LA / SoCal area. My sweetie wants a diamond ring for her engagement. I want to give her one. I would like to avoid Tifffany, Big Box stores and even (gasp) Blue Nile. I'd either like to make my own ring or buy her an unusual used one.

I'd like to either

i) Buy her Estate Jewelry: it's more unique, doesn't contribute significantly to the demand for new diamonds, and considering the value of diamonds drops precipitously after being used, should provide a good deal.

How do I get a good deal? How do I avoid being ripped off? Does anyone have any good recommendations from PERSONAL experience in Southern California with used/estate jewelry?

Alternatively

ii) There are workshops (in SF and NYC) where you can craft your own engagement ring with your own hands: they provide eco-gold and tuition and you provide the stone.
Does anyone know whether there is a similar person/organization who runs a workshop like this in SoCal? (google fails me on this count)? How would I go about buying a used diamond for this process?

I have seen the many questions on AskMe before, but none address the points above. Please: no all diamonds are evil spiels. No non-diamond gems. No new natural diamonds. If anyone can show me white synthetic diamonds that are indistinguishable from the natural stuff, go right ahead. I know her ring size and I know her taste: we've looked at rings together & have pictures of ones she likes.

I've made my peace with buying some compressed carbon. I just want to perform an optimization on the nature of the transaction to maximize my ethics within the framework of buying a Rock.

Diamond found on ground... now what?

djpyk — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 22:32:56 -0800

Diamond found on ground... now what? Q1: How long should I wait for someone to claim? Q2: What steps should one go through when selling a gemstone? Any advice? My friend (yes yes, I assure you, it was my friend and not me), found a sizable diamond on the ground (>.75 carat). It looks nice, and we're pretty sure it's a diamond based on some simple tests. We reported it to a few nearby places to where she lives, but no bites yet.

Question 1: How long should she wait?

Now, supposing it remains unclaimed for a few months (my suggestion)...

Our current plan is to get it appraised, to #1, see if it's real, #2, see if there is some laser engraving or otherwise, and #3, see what grade/color/cut classes it falls under.

Question 2: What steps should one go through when selling a gemstone? Any advice?

This could include... are there any pitfalls to watch out for? Any preferred methods? I've heard consignment is an option... but I don't know the logistics of it all (perhaps it's different based on the jeweler? or is there consistency in consignment practices?). Is online selling with a GIA certificate worth it (and is the GIA certificate worth it?)?

If it helps, I'm in Georgia here in the US.

Island Diamonds?

malhaley — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 05:03:32 -0800

Hello: My wife and I are going on a 12 day cruise in March in The Southern Caribbean. We will be visiting St. Martin, St. Thomas, Antiqua,Barbados, St. Kitts and Puerto Rico. She has expressed an interest in acquiring a canary diamond of 1/2 to 1 carat in size. Can anyone tell me where to shop and what I can expect to pay for such a purchase. Thank You.

Anybody drink Dimebag's beer?

mragreeable — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 20:18:01 -0800

Years ago I read a Guitar World column written by Diamond (later Dimebag) Darrell. If memory serves, in one column he offered to mail a six pack of beer to anyone who learned some riff he notated. Does anyone know of a recipient of Dimebag's beer? It's been a while, but I think I have the details right. In the column he said learn the riff, record yourself playing it, mail him the tape, and he'll mail you some beer. The next month's column he was complaining that no one sent him any tapes, and said he was very serious about the beer thing. Sadly, I never sent in a tape.

Apparently his columns were compiled in a book. Can someone confirm that I got the story right? Was it him at all? Did anybody here receive a sixpack of Dimebag's beverage of choice?

Big Onyx Man Ring: Secret Meaning? Where to get one?

SlyBevel — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 23:02:10 -0800

Big Onyx Man Ring: Secret Meaning? Where to get one? I know this is a completely weird question, but here goes.

I've known at least two guys in the past who I've admired, and who had nearly identical man rings. They were not acquainted that I know of. It's possible they met briefly once or twice.

The rings were a fairly common style, but I got the impression from both men that the rings had some kind of special meaning. Here's the rub; this ring (which I'll describe below) is a popular style for Masonic rings, but these rings did not bear Masonic insignia, and I'm 92% certain that neither of the men were Masons.

Ring style: Plain gold, with a big, square (or rectangular), black onyx on the top, with a small diamond in the middle of the onyx.

Similar ring 1: (But take off the diamonds on the sides and the compass and square, add a small diamond at center-onyx.)

Similar ring 2: (But onyx covers entire face of ring, no diamonds on sides, and smaller diamond in the middle without a gold frame.)

The two questions:

1. Some kind of fraternal order? (Very) Closeted Masons? My brain's coincidence circuitry throwing an error? Possible clue: Both men were LDS. I'm also LDS, and I know the culture inside and out, and they are not CTR rings. The LDS angle seems to be a dead end, but...hm. They were both VERY religious, and that seems to be the most likely commonality.

2. I liked these rings, and I want one. The diamonds need not be real, and I'd like to pay less than $50. Extensive Googling and Yahooing have not yielded an exact match. The photos above are from Amazon and Wal-Mart online. I'd also rather not have it custom made. Anyone with better Google-fu for this?

Hey, I found the third one! Looks like the diamond is framed in gold in this one.

One last thing: It's not a question about religion or politics. Please, let's not go there.

If you found a diamond on the street, would you have to pay taxes on it?

paulinsanjuan — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 10:14:40 -0800

If you found a diamond on the street, would you have to pay taxes on it?

Diamond in the rough?

lannanh — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 13:00:57 -0800

Unique Engagement Rings in NYC or SF? My bf currently lives in NYC and I am visiting him this weekend. He wants to go shopping for rings *eeeeiiii!!!!!* I'm in SF and he's here often so suggestions in both cities would be great.

We are already going to check out the Clay Pot and Niwaka does anyone have any other suggestions of where to go to find something unique? Is it even worth it to stop by the Diamond District? Also, suggestions on conflict free diamond sellers would be greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately, the ring I really love is from Krikawa (the Carved Wing) but he wants to buy it in person. Maybe some good testimonals would sway him.

Books on the 19th century South African diamond industry

stammer — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 06:36:39 -0800

What are the best books about the South African diamond industry during the mid-to-late 19th century? I am distantly related to Barney Barnato and would like to find out whether he was particularly evil, but I'm also just interested in the period generally.

Where to get an old ring?

greta simone — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 15:57:02 -0800

Where can I find estate/antique jewelry in the Triangle area? My friend is coming into town (Chapel Hill) to seek my help in picking out an engagement ring for his girlfriend. I have been put in charge of finding places to take him. He wants to look at vintage/estate/antique rings and my google-fu isn't too stong on this one, nor is my yellow-pages-fu, or my craigslist-fu. I would prefer actual stores and not online stores or online listings.
Also, seeing as how I hate driving, I would like for these places to at least try and be limited to Chapel Hill/Carrboro, Pittsboro (which we are definitely going to hit up--I'm thinking with all the antique stores down there this would be a good idea, right?), Hillsborough, and the lower end of Durham (I get lost in north Durham).
Also I hate driving to Raleigh. But if there is somewhere in Raleigh that we absolutley have to go to because there is a huge selection with reasonable pricing, then by all means, let me know.
Also keep in mind that this is going to be about a $4,000 kind of buy not a $100,000 kind of buy, so don't send me to an auction house or something.
Thanks in advance for the help-

Resetting a diamond into a non-engagement ring

anondonna — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 07:52:33 -0800

I have a 1 carat platinum diamond engagement ring and am now divorced. It’s a gorgeous stone and I want to do something with it. I’d really like to reset it as a ring (I have a pendant and can’t afford a match to convert it into earrings). Any suggestions on how I can design this without it looking like an engagement ring?

How much for the blood diamond?

dobie — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:52:13 -0800

I just watched the film Blood Diamond and am currently wondering just how much would that very sought after diamond actually be sold for? I've never even set foot inside a diamond store so I am clueless. it seems like it must be worth a lot, what with all the jungle trekking and blood shed.

I believe that pink diamonds are worth more... But like, how much are we talking here?

Engagement ring insurance

Anonymous — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 13:10:15 -0800

Help me insure my future fiancée's (I hope) engagement ring! Insurance requirements:
-Covered in both USA and Europe (Ruling out Jeweler's Mutual)
-Standalone (No homeowners or renters insurance to put a rider on)
-Sensible premiums for a ring that will cost me ~$3k (appraisal info below)

Insurance Desires:
-Cash replacement policies are awesome. I would rather pay premiums on an appraisal near my purchase price and buy my own replacement if the ring is lost than have to pay premiums on an artificially inflated appraisal and get whatever poorly cut gem the insurance company can buy for cheap and give me.

-I would love a Chubb policy, but I keep getting responses from Chubb agents saying that they have a $250 minimum premium. This seems to conflict with the $50 minimum premiums offered by Bluenile.com. Does Bluenile have some sort of special deal? Should I just be talking to more agents further and further away from home?

-I'm buying this from a Jeweler friend who owns a little shop in town and will provide an appraisal ranging from near what I paid to the ridiculously inflated appraisals most of the chain stores provide, depending on what I want. I would love to be able to purchase a replacement ring through him, should the need ever come up. This would be an acceptable alternative to a cash value replacement policy. (If I could specify which Jeweler I want replacements to come from, and no, he doesn't have any insurance companies he regularly works with)

-The diamond is a 0.74ct, D, SI1, Round, Ideal Plus cut, EGL cert. It's a beautiful rock and I'm concerned about making sure any policy would replace it with a gem of equal quality (And that *must* include cut quality).

What do I do now? Who do I talk to? What companies offer the things I'm looking for?

Diamonds in the rough...

melangell — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 12:55:21 -0800

Does anyone know anything about the conditions for the workers in diamond mines, especially in Africa? I'll be honest and say that I saw a movie (I can't remember which one now) that made mention of the horribly atrocious conditions that workers, especially children, in Africa must endure in order to supply rich folk around the world with diamonds. The movie is not a good source of info, but it got me thinking -is it possible that someone lost an appendage getting me the diamond in my ring?

Diamond wholesalers in Los Angeles? Non DeBeers suggestions?

Anonymous — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 21:02:47 -0800

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.

Diamond in the rough

jasondigitized — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 05:37:20 -0800

I have to start looking for a diamond engagement ring. I am getting a lot of conflicting information on the best means of finding and buying a ring. Some people in Bermuda are telling me they have found the best deals in Bermuda. Others are saying to go to BlueNile.com. And others are telling me to go to Diamond City in NYC, etc. etc. So......where should I get the diamond, where should I get the band, or should I get them together? I don't mind traveling if I have to. Help me topple the DeBeers monopoly while at the same time making Rachel very happy.