NYC Diamond District

GO ON-​LINE AND READ THE DO’S AND DONT’S of the Diamond District… This truly is «Swimming among Sharks» and buyer beware… If you educate yourself first it will save you lots of time and frustration…

Ok so it has been some time since my last review and I did some more research and I visited a couple of stores, specifically zales and kays. Both sales representatives said basically said the same thing, «they sell wholesale we sell retail» that’s it?! So I can buy diamonds thousands of dollars less buy simply buying whole sale?! Welp. My mind is made up, DIAMOND DISTRICT IT IS!
Now With that being said… There are still so many scammers out there. The only good thing about retail in my opinion is the guarantee you are getting what you paid for and being able to return jewelry without any issue. Just do your homework, buy certified diamonds if spending big bucks, make sure everything is written out guarantees n all, bargain and shop around.

The diamond district is an area in the city that is saturated with jewelry stores, jewelry companies, and businesses that deal with precious metals and stones. It generally runs from 45^th to 48^th street and between 5^th and 6^th ave (I may be off a little).
Many of the retail stores are located on 47^th between 5^th and 6^th, but there are companies in the buildings that sell to the public as well… This is a good place to go if your looking for custom jewelry pieces.
My advise is to be sure to shop around and compare prices. They will tell you there giving you the best price till they feel they are losing the sale, then they will offer you a better price. Don’t be afraid to walk away and check out the competition…
Happy Unilocaling :)

I would say that if you are after a ring, this is the place to go. I live in London and have visited Hatton Garden (the British equivalent of the Diamond District) and I found this to be much better, with better prices and a broader range.

Back to New York where the people are rude and it smells like bling bling… love it!!!
The diamond district is always live…
47^th between 5^th and 6^th is the jewelery district. But here’s a secret… there’s another jewelry district just north of Chinatown… The north side of Canal Street… and a block or so up the Bowery are filled with wholesale jewelery shops…
When buying at any of these discount places… you’d best know your stuff… if you don’t want to get fleeced… If you are a novice in picking diamonds… go to Tiffany and pay the price…

This street is awesome and full of diamonds and jewelry. It’s a great place to check out when visiting the city. If however, like me your looking for a great diamond and want a great deal then skip the retail stores and go to a wholesale seller to the public. You’ll be amazed at the prices and deals offered. I was looking for a specific cut loose diamond for my engagement. I’ve researched online and many places before I headed down to the Diamond District. I ended up buying a 1.77ct GIA certified diamond and a custom made setting done for me. All I can it was worth the wait. I got mine from 47^st diamond rings in NYC @ the diamond district. The key part for was to set my mind on what I wanted and not stop until I get it. Otherwise it’s hard because theirs so much to choose from.

Whats to really say. hundreds of jewelry shops in a small area. Do your shopping around and don’t settle. If your looking for it. its likely here.

We ambled quickly thru the Diamond Dist en route to Park Ave. Bling, bling, bling. I went blind, temporarily. I have never seen so many diamonds in one place. The hawkers are out there. «I can see he’s ready to buy!» when they saw Hubby looking at the window, drawn in by the sparkles.
As the sales «professional» at Tiffany’s said, «You don’t know what you’re getting» when shopping at the Diamond Dist.
It’s fun to walk thru and I marvel and contemplate how can Mother Earth possibly have any more stones and minerals for us to dig up? When you walk around this area, you think it’s all been dug up and emptied out. I especially enjoy admiring the «estate» pieces because of the art deco designs.
Just remember to hang on to your wallet and don’t let go unless you know a reputable dealer in this area because you just don’t know what you’re getting.

It’s not for the weak for sure. But do a little homework before you go so you know what you’re looking for and what you’re asking for and about what things should cost and you’ll be OK.

What can I say about the Diamond District? I’m surprised there are not more negative reviews here, but then again it is a rating for an entire district of stores.
I went into 6 or 7 jewellery stores in this area. Never before have I been met with such arrogance, rude behaviour, lack of patience and lack of respect for the customer. When you buy jewellery for a special occasion, and clearly state that to the sales people, you don’t want someone who is pushy, aggressive and even lies to you about the quality aspects of the jewellery.
I don’t care if that is how it works here or if that’s how it has always been. It’s certainly not for me. I encountered this kind of mentality in one way or the other in every store. I definately say buyer beware! Go here if you want to take a risk and walk home with something other than what you actually paid for, the risk of that happening is probably very likely.
Here are a few examples and reminders to myself why I will not come back to The Diamond District:
1. Sales person started sighing after he had to show us several pieces of jewellery without us deciding to buy anything.
2. Sales person did not want to confirm any details about the jewellery such as carat or clarity on paper.
3. The constant «if you buy right now I will cut the price» is just ridiculous. If you can cut the price by ¹⁄₃ within 2 minutes of conversation it just proves you are doing your very best to rip people off on a daily basis.
4. Several sales people saying the item you are considering will be gone if you come back the next day.
5. Sales people refusing to show you more items because they say «you don’t seem to be serious in buying and I can’t spend my time showing you this and that if you are not serious». If you are not patient enough to handle customers, you should not be in the service industry at all.
6. They never have any websites.
7. By observing the above impressions when trying to buy something, I’m wondering what the after care and warranty policy is? Probably non-​existing.
Go here if you enjoy haggling with cocky sales people who don’t bother showing you respect. A better advise would be to take your business to one of the more well known and reputable stores in the city. The price difference isn’t even that big.

Having worked here for the past decade I really miss all the characters on the street level shops. If these sidewalks could talk what would they say…
There are hundreds of millions of jewelry and diamonds warehouse in stores and offices in this block and the surrounding areas. The security is top notch in most of the buildings.
You can find anything your heart desires and for any budget… don’t get roped in by street level hawkers, and don’t feel obligated to buy. You are the consumer, you are the one with the money to spend.
Be cautions and wary, shop around before you buy.

I will have to balance out the other reviews. BUYER BEWARE. I spotted more fake watches being sold as real. Who throws $ 7K+ AP and Rolex loosely on top of each other?
There are some nice stones being sold at some of the more reputable dealers.
It is worth a trip if you are knowledgeable and know how to haggle against the masters. Lots of cool stuff.
BUYER BEWARE!

Diamonds are girls’ best friends. Take your spouse their for a nice quiet shopping :) Actually, it will be a bit of a Turkish bazaar and a bit of barracuda-​style Florida timeshares sales, but at the end it will be worth it. You can’t get a better deal on loose diamonds anywhere in the world, trust me I’ve seen a lot. If you are in NYC don’t loose your time and spend some quality moments enjoying all the beauty in the world at wholesale prices (you only need to do it right — give them 30% of retail price, they will sell, guaranteed).
Nice shopping.

How could you resist all that bling from window to window. Not a leisure stroll down this block. Very aggressive sales people in your face. Definitely Buyer Beware!

I didn’t know this existed. The closest thing I can think of in the Bay Area is called the Jewelry Center. The window displays will make any jewelry-​lovin’ woman salivate. My bf and I popped into a small shop to check out rings and I was lucky enough to try a 1.7 diamond. OMG. I didn’t want to take it off and of course it looked huge on my little finger but WHO cares?!? And boy did the salespeople want a sale. They made sure my bf didn’t leave without taking a card.

Analogy: You in the Diamond District=Fly in the spider’s web.
Solely window shopping, I was fair game – jewelers would hold up signs «25% off» or «60% off». They’d even come outside the door and ask if there was something they could help me with or was there something I was looking for in particular. Or there’d just be guys on the street trying to get you to come into their stores or handing out fliers and business cards… all this just at 11 am on a Saturday morning. I can’t imagine what it’s like when it’s the busy time of day or around a holiday!
That said, you’ll find the largest selection of diamond jewelery here. A few do’s and don’ts:
1. «Are you looking to buy today?» No! You’re not — you’re just looking.
2. «We can customize it for you.» Yeah, they all can.
3. «If you bring us a picture, we can make it for you.» Again, they all can.
4. Know what you’re looking for and research prior to going.
5. Don’t be afraid to shop around.
6. Just cause it’s a good price, doesn’t mean it’s a good stone.
7. Sure it sparkles under the light or sun, but what happens when it’s not in direct light? The most sparkle you’re ever going to see out of that stone IS in the store cause they’re well lit to get you to buy.
8. Only buy from someone who’s been recommended.
9. You’ll need to pay cash.
10. Good luck and happy shopping!