Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Advise on Diamond Necklace?

Help men, jewelry stores are noted for their high markup. My wife is overdue on the gift from Christmas last, any thoughts? On buying the gemstone, that is.

From a variety of sources, diamonds are not rare unless they are big.

Jewelry is BS. Still reeling from being conned by the wife into buying so-called "white gold"!

Good luck.

Buy her a sapphire. They are beautiful and you will get more for your money.

My cousin deals in diamonds. If you're interested, PM me, I'm sure he could get you the diamonds (just the gemstones) you require for a reasonable price. He also knows several jewelers/craftsmen who could turn the loose stones into a finished product for you.

If you are that late with the gift might as well pick up a nice piece of granite.

When she is done with you it can be used as a headstone.

You live very dangerous.

You sure she wouldn't rather have a new rifle or fancy laser rangefinder?
😜

waffle iron

That only works ONCE...

Buy her a Swarovski and YOU too!

This!.

And you can get sapphires in a wide variety of colors. Green sapphires are a much better value than emeralds as well.

She looked at a necklace today, $1,500!! She passed on it.

Uh, no one has mentioned the obvious yet, surprising.

Cultured.

Whats the latest tech for cultured/created diamonds? How do prices compare and where can they be purchased?

A ZZ Top song comes to mind.

I see what you did there!

If one does not enjoy a trusting relationship with a jeweler/gem seller (resulting from past good experience, etc), seems to me it would be a bit scary (in the "value" sense) walking in cold to some shop or dealer. Too much mystery stuff in there for me. I would do my best, through smart friends, to find a reputable jeweler for starters. The above advice about a sapphire seems excellent, and I like emeralds as well if she would like her stone to look distinctive.

Thanks folks, not to take any fun out it, but I did give her a blank check last Christmas.

I have a friend who had some kind of wholesale buyer's permit or whatnot who picked one out for me and then got it set by someone she knew. I gave it to my wife the day our son was born. It's not a huge rock, but it is nice and one of a kind and still sees a lot of wear.

If you have some elk ivory, you can get that cut and made into a nice pendant. I did that with a nice one and it was well received.

Picking out a piece of vintage jewelry from a trusted store can work well, too. You can find that kind of stuff from local shops, preferably, one that has been business for a while.

Putting some thought into it and trying to customize something is more appreciated than going into a store and picking out a mass produced thing.

I usually buy De Beers Crown of Light or Forevermark,,,or Jaffe for the wife, whether Diamonds International or Bailey Banks & Biddle.

Find a reputable dealer in area, be ready to take the hit...the wife will love it.

Pawn shop.

Diamonds are graded by their clarity. It's not rocket science,

Ask to look at it under a microscope. You''ll be able to see the inclusions very clearly.

The clearer, the better.

Clarity is only one factor.

It's clarity, color, carat weight and cut.

If you are looking for a real diamond, the best value it typically a clarity of Si-1 and color in the H to I range.

Well,...that's true enough, I guess,...but diamonds are just a way for the goyin to entice their women into givin' them some pussy.

They're good for dressing the wheels on surface grinders and for getting air headed women to spread their legs.

I'd hand the bitch a 1 ounce Krugerrand and if she bitched about it,..I'd send her down the road.

Women are a dime a fuggin' dozen these days. 'Specially American women.

Tell the bitch to give *you* a damn diamond,....that's what *I* think.

I'd check out Costco, you'll do better for your money

Mister Bristoe, it is quite clear you do not know just what a gift from God my wife is. I can only wish you would have so blessed.

That's where it's at these days. If a woman shows up wantin' ya stuff,...maybe you tell her that it's free this time, But the next time she comes around she needs to have an ounce of gold bullion and a big plate of hoe-made lasagna.

The stuff men got is valuable. It makes babies and keeps women from turning into crazy cat ladies.

If she starts pissin' about it,...just hand her a fuggin' kitten and tell her to go away.

Be the sperm Nazi,..man,..

"No sperm for you!"

I forgot to add, based on your intended budget, obviously diamonds have a huge range in pricing based on quality(as posted by already)...the "deals" are rare based on substantial markup, but the gift is from the heart...which is all that matters.

There isn't a price for a good woman in your life, spend within your means and enjoy her smile when you offer the gift.

Everything has it's price, however, by definition, if she expects you to overspend, she isn't a "good woman".

Yup, paying too much for a lady's trinket is no different than paying too much for a 1911, and a smart one knows it. Jewelry is stupidly overpriced because of the emotions involved.

Don’t overlook vintage estate jewelry. There are some very beautiful classic designs from days gone by out there. With more character imo than you can find with more new retail available. Or go the custom route if you have the cash.

I’m one of the lucky ones as well married 27 years and the wife has never desired expensive jewelry and rarely wears what I have bought her over the years. Here favorite though is a Tiffany’s platinum and diamond tennis braclet from the 1930’s I picked up at an estate auction in the late 90’s.

Through the years I've gotten some small sparklies for my wife. We got a little educated in Amsterdam and Antwerp but being a poor GIs clouldn't buy really nice stuff. Said that to say, Costco has good quality at surprisingly good prices. If looking for high dollar stuff, buy a loupe and do your homework before starting but double check Costco before you buy. I don't work for them or own their stock, I just like them.

Winner winner

If you are planning to get a certified/serial numbered stone like GIA, they have a world market price per carat.

shonky jewellers can have an uncertified stone graded (by a crappy stone grader) above what
it really is, to increase profit margin.
To the naked eye most people have trouble seeing the diff. between G or E or even D color....
inclusions (Si - IF) same again.....how many customers bother to inspect a diamond through a 10X loupe...?

then it also depends on what lighting is being used by the jewellery shop when viewing stones.
Unlikely a retail customer will get to view rocks under a proper light for grading stones, or get access
to a set of master stones to compare the diamond they are buying.

GIA certs. provide a number of accurate proper lab-measured technical details that make it much easier
for a novice to know what they are purchasing (even if they cannot see the difference)

https://www.gia.edu/analysis-grading-sample-report-diamond

My minimum std. for a 'true white' (to the naked eye) rock, starts at a genuine 'G' (color) and 'SI' (small inclusions)
from that point I would only spend more if I wanted more size/weight (carat).

Skonky jewellers can show and sell you graded (but uncertified) stones, then secretly switch the stones
for lower grade ones when building the necklace.

Sent you a PM. We have a guy on here who's a custom jeweler.

I trust Costco to give good value whether it be food, tires or jewelry.

Every time I see a department store or jewelry store advertising fine jewelry at 50% off I have to ask myself, "what is that stuff really worth?".

The price of gold has put the good stuff out of the reach of many people.

I agree, thus "spend within your means" was stated.

LOL....a lot of truth right there. Not the way most would put it but succinct.

Thoughts? Sure. Forget the jewelry and surprise her with plane tickets for a trip to somewhere with you, a place that *she's* always wanted to go to. Being whisked away by her man to a never-seen-before magical place with long walks on a desolate, windswept beach, or on some bustling, historic boulevard with countless shops or in the tropics with, romantic, elegant dinners...

I know my wife, and many other women would choose an unforgettable trip with their man and the memories made over some colored stone in a heartbeat. But then, YMMV.

Yep, go for the value. At these ranges, the imperfections are not noticeable with the naked eye or barely noticeable. Who cares if it isn't perfect if it takes 10x to see it? In this bracket, you'll either save money or buy a bigger rock. Size of the diamond will be noticed before color or clarity. If memory serves me correctly, the rule of thumb was for every half carat increase the price nearly doubles.

$$ spent on someone you love is never wasted if you get that smile when they open it...

Check out Ritani, they ship to a store near you, if you don’t like it you don’t have to buy. Bought wifey a really nice diamond ring 💍 through them. Way cheaper. Website explains quality,etc

Thanks all, to the naysayers, my wife did not complain when I bought the new out board, or when I bought it again when I busted the lower unit.

Sperm Nazi?

Lol. Someone’s been in the vodka bottle waiting for the new mower to arrive. I ain’t naming names

I have been researching this same issue lately. I discovered a few things.

Tiffany's and similar are regarded to have a 220% mark up. To some that is worth it. I am an analyst, so it's not.

The online webpages can be good, but can have pitfalls. Blue nile and such. Pitfalls means that you can find good stones, but they are graded in a way that can be misleading. For example the cut of specialty shapes is often lower grade, but clarity and color is up so you think you are getting something that you are not. I skipped those. You have to pay attention. For round stones they are fine if you read grading certificates.

For me a local brick and mortar store seemed okay. The guy seemed on the level. We became chummy and they disclosed how much he was making on the deal. It did not sit well with me so I left.

My approach has been to find a guy who cuts or grades diamonds from home. Ask him if he has a laser. This guy usually designs his own stuff but is too grouchy to run his own shop or is older and semi-retired. This guy usually grades stones for all the pawn shops and is able to offer the very best deals. (you can call the biggest local pawn shops and ask who certifies their stones for GIA) He can also make you anything that you want for about 70% less. He sees a lot of diamonds. For example, my guy found a set of great stones and then covered the inclusions by the prongs or other parts of the ring he made. So, I paid for a lower grade, but it appears incredible. Instead of paying 7k I paid 1k. That is the sweet spot. The guys in my life for this are Kelley Dorn in Baton Rouge and Gene Parker in Monroe, La.

The other sweet spot is auctions. Jewelry stores close up all the time, inventory is taken to auction. When that happens be ready to pounce. One such guy in my neck of the woods is MIke Ackel auctions in Louisiana.

Good luck. It is worth the effort.

Ding ding ding ding... We have a winner!