diamonds international

[soilcruiser]

Do you really get that great of a deal going to Diamonds International? ( specifically Cozumel or grand Cayman). Looking for a marriage band for the dw :)

[megr1125]

depends...but in all honesty, you're probably better off buying something like that closer to home where it will be easier to deal with problems..

 

you really have to know what you're looking for and prices for similar items here. also use a credit card....

 

i've heard mixed things here on CC about DI...probably 50-50 good to bad...

[cb at sea]

OF COURSE you don't! Do some research before buying "investment" pieces....

If you simply love an item, and want it, buy it...but don't expect to get a bargain!

[05mak05]

I recently read an article on "how to buy diamonds." Sam's Club supposedly has the best stones and the best prices. Several years ago, one of the TV news magazines did an extensive show on diamonds. I believe it was 60 Minutes but couldn't swear to it. Again, Sam's Club came in first.

[Ashland]

You would be better off at Costco or Walmart..(which is actually the biggest diamond merchant in the nation according to a recent show on this subject on 60 Minutes) than DI....Go to a local jeweler to get the best deal and service (cleaning,replace loose or missing stones etc) I would not buy something that meaningful in the Caribbean at DI...If this is a gold band without diamonds then the quality of the gold should still be a concern to you ...Good luck !!!!

[MDSue]

Do you really get that great of a deal going to Diamonds International? ( specifically Cozumel or grand Cayman). Looking for a marriage band for the dw :)

If your wife is with you to pick it out, you shouldn't have any problems with the quality of the piece. I have bought a few pieces of reasonably priced jewelry from DI and TI. All have held up well and price consistently lower than my local jewelers. However, I would not buy anything that you might want to exchange, as that would pretty much be impossible. I also would not buy anything that is worth a great deal of money [i go with sentimental valued stuff mostly]. For something as important as a marriage band, I think I would choose locally, unless the DW is with you to help choose and finds something she loves.

Edited January 6, 2010 by MDSue

[abhb]

I bought a diamond ring and diamond tennis bracelet in Grand Cayman. When I got home I had it appraised at a jewerly store that I trust in my area. They appraised the pieces for almost 3X's what I paid. The gemologist told me that the diamonds are very high quality and I got quite a deal when I told him how much I paid. I did not buy them at Diamonds International but at a wonderful, independent jewlery store called Magnums. The designer and his brother I believe own the store. They had very unique pieces of jewelery. I saw a similar bracelet at DI that was more than double what I paid.

 

When I insured the pieces, my agent told me that he has a lot of clients that buy jewelery in the caribbean because of the prices. The store I went to did not have a middleman to jack up the prices.

[minnie00]

We have been nothing but happy with our jewelry/watch purchases in the Caribbean....including DI stores.

with jewelry its hard to know if you are getting a deal. DI stores will print up a "store" appraisal for you with your purchase.

for us...we usually buy watches and we know exactly how much those watches are in the US....so we know if we are getting a deal.

and we have had great deals on Philip Stein, Hamilton, Michelle, and others.

I did buy a beautiful diamond right hand ring last year at DI in Cozumel. I love love it and feel I got a good deal.

remember to negotiate :)

[cruise_bunny]

I personally think DI is a rip-off. My husband and I know a little about diamonds, since we did a lot of research for our rings and found the prices for the quality/clarity etc for the diamonds were really high. I'd rather pay the taxes and know that I have someone to return the merchandise to if there was an issue than have to worry about who I need to contact at DI to get it sorted out. Plus there is the old adage: you get what you pay for.. :)

 

Happy Cruisin'

[xxoocruiser]

Do you really get that great of a deal going to Diamonds International? ( specifically Cozumel or grand Cayman). Looking for a marriage band for the dw :)

 

Do your research prior to the cruise. Know what you what and how much you are willing to spend. Find out if the store has a satisfaction program or some type of gaurantee program and even a USA service office. Would not make a major jewelry purchase if the retailer will not give you a written appraisal of value along wtih you purchase. You can research this all the internet before going. It's not so much that you'll actually get a better deal , rather that you may have a different selection .

 

The Ship Shore Execursion department always offers recommendations as to where to go. However , keep in mind the stores are known to kick back a certain percentage of ever purchase in exchange for the shore excursion dept to promote their store. Ever wonder why the store always asks and notes what ship you're on when making a purchasing in the Jewelryt stores ? So just because the cruise ship recommends it, doesn't mean that it's the better value than what you would get in the states.

 

Another interesting side note : While vacationing in Grand Cayman , my brother's family was standing out side a restaurant reading the menu in the window. The manager suddenly pulled the menu out of the window and replaced it with another. The prices were higher. My brother turned around and saw that the cruise ships were beginning to pull into port. That's not to say that all shops change its prices when the ships come to port but it does happen. Remember they make their money from the mass groups of tourists.

 

BTW - I did make a purchase from Diamonds International that I was very satisfied with. But should note that only purchased there because I had won a gift certificate on ship at the shore excursion seminar. Would have hated to not use the gift certificate .

Edited January 6, 2010 by xxoocruiser

[Islandbear]

First off never listen to anyone who says thay got it appraised at 2 or 3 times the purchase price. Gold is Gold and Diamonds are Diamonds. They don't change price during an airplane flight.

 

There are no license laws for jewelers doing appraisals. They can put down whatever they want. Ask your jeweler what he would buy the piece from you for and watch the price fall.

 

The biggest thing to look out for when buying diamonds in the Caribbean is "European" grading of the stones. Most stones sold in America are GIA and the best are graded by AGL. An EGL (European Gem Lab) stone graded VS1 is worth 17%-21% less than a GIA VS1 stone. When you are talking thousands of dollars that is a big hit.

 

Buy a nice ring to remember your trip, but buy good jewelry at a store you trust.

[jewopaho]

First off never listen to anyone who says thay got it appraised at 2 or 3 times the purchase price. Gold is Gold and Diamonds are Diamonds. They don't change price during an airplane flight.

 

There are no license laws for jewelers doing appraisals. They can put down whatever they want. Ask your jeweler what he would buy the piece from you for and watch the price fall.

 

The biggest thing to look out for when buying diamonds in the Caribbean is "European" grading of the stones. Most stones sold in America are GIA and the best are graded by AGL. An EGL (European Gem Lab) stone graded VS1 is worth 17%-21% less than a GIA VS1 stone. When you are talking thousands of dollars that is a big hit.

 

Buy a nice ring to remember your trip, but buy good jewelry at a store you trust.

 

This is the best advice you can receive ... it's right on the money (pun unintended). The natural train of thought here is that if one received an appraisal for three times the price paid, the item was purchased for 1/3 of its true value ... hardly. If that were the case, every retail jeweler in the US would be buying from DI. Your "port and shopping guide" is essentiually a salesperson, who benefits from your purchases from the "recommended" merchants (translation: kickbacks to both them and the cruise line). The "duty-free and tax-free" pitch is enticing ... but remember, DI and the others pay good money to be on thoses lists. It's nothing more than a business arrangement. Take heed ... and enjoy your cruise.

 

Al

[Rellyrooly]

Please, please, PLEASE!!!! DO NOT buy from Diamonds International. They DO NOT stand behind their products. I bought a ring in Nassau (fell in love with the ring, didn't research it, just loved it) and I lost diamonds in it within a month. I sent the ring back to their NY division (that is where all repairs go) and they put a lesser quality diamond back in and then I lost that one too! They basically said "too bad" to me and I filed all sorts of complaints and got affidavits from other Jewelers saying they are horrible, filed with the cruise line that recommended them, my attorney general, credit card company, etc. They refused to make good on the ring and it was heartbreaking for me. I have since bought other rings from my local jewelers and have never had any problems with them. BUYER BEWARE!!!!!

[jerseygirl79]

I don't know about DI, but a co-worker and her now husband purchased her engagement and wedding rings in the Caribbean and it is beautiful! It's nothing like anything I'd seen when looking at wedding rings here in the U.S.

[hovank]

NIGHTMARE!!!! I bought a very expensive solitaire diamond from DI. NIGHTMARE! I had it appraised when I returned, the surface was cracked, the certificate did not have all the markings of the diamond. I contacted RCCL and was told they are not responsible, it is a third party contract...after MONTHS of paperwork, appraisals at my expense, I did get my money back. This would have been a VERY EXPENSIVE lesson. I learned mine and will never buy there again. And remember, those are NOT cruise employees giving those shopping talk shows on RCCL even though they stand there in a RCCL uniform and agree to back the companies they recommend. THEY DON'T.

[aprilivy]

Bought a nice diamond ring there - I was hesitant about the price - I don't know one diamond from another and had not a clue about pricing. We spent our whole time in port at DI trying to make a good decision. We had a coupon for $1,000 off the ring of our choice (from the show on Carnival)....funny how they were able to finagle things so that the price remained the same, even after they applied the discount!

It did appraise at 2x what we paid for it - however, we find that is the case with most any diamond ring we have bought. Appraisal is for insurance purposes and does not have anything to do with the selling price.

I could have purchased this same ring with a better color and cut for just a little less here in Dallas...the saving was the tax.

If you know diamonds and are comfortable about making an assessment on your own as to the quality - you will save the tax and on a $3000 purchase that savings is significant.

Edited January 6, 2010 by aprilivy

[novalab]

I recently read an article on "how to buy diamonds." Sam's Club supposedly has the best stones and the best prices. Several years ago, one of the TV news magazines did an extensive show on diamonds. I believe it was 60 Minutes but couldn't swear to it. Again, Sam's Club came in first.

 

I can vouch for this. I am in no way a diamond specialist. I just know what I like when I see it. I have bought diamond jewelry while on our cruises from DI on 2 occasions. My husband bought me a diamond wedding set 6 years ago from Sams. The Sams diamonds were not only a better deal, the quality litterly shines over the DI jewelry. The diamonds are gorgeous! The Sams wedding sets are 18kt gold (DI was 14kt) & the grade of diamonds at Sams is far better than what we bought at DI. The prices were not that different. Plus...you get a great presentation box & GMI (GIA?..can't remember what they call it:rolleyes:) certificate with an apprasial with the Sams diamonds. And...I loved the little diamond set flush on the inside of the wedding set from Sams, next to the 18kt stamp....nice touch;)

[Druid1000]

I see that many of these posts are more than a year old but i thought i'd out in my two cents. My wife and I have purchased jewelry from DI a number of times in the past. We have been happy with the quality except on two occasions. Once we bought a ring with small pave diamonds and found the small diamonds were falling out because the prongs holding them were not strong enough. I contacted DI in New York and was told I should send the tring to them and they would tell me how much it would cost to repair. Naturally I felt I shouldn't have to pay anything because the problem came from a flaw in the manufacture. In any case, the next time we were in Cozumel, we took the ring to DI and they repaired the prongs quickly and at no cost whatsoever. The second problem was a little more complex. We bought a ring at DI in St Maarten. We chose the stone - a lemon coloured diamond and the setting. When they delivered the finished product to us I could see the centre diamond was tilted and the prongs were bent and not properly aligned. They tried to fix it but the ship was leaving and they told us to take it to DI in the next port and have it fixed there. To shorten the story, it could not be fixed and we were told they should not have sold us the ring as the centre stone was too large for the setting. We asked our jeweler in our home city if they could fix it and we were told the same thing. Finally we contacted the association that is affiliated with Royal Caribbean and asked them what we should do. We expected we would be in a fight to get our money back from DI. With a letter written explaining the whole story we were told someone from DI would be in touch with us. A few days later we were in touch with JosephP who is located at the Cozumel DI store and handles some of the claims. I sent picture to demonstrate my problem and he said we would have to send the ring to DI in New York and they would fix it. As it turned out they could not fix it because the centre stone was in fact too large for the setting. The customer service rep in New York who handled the ring was PaolaG. I suggested we find a smaller stone of roughly the same value and reset the ring. DI said they thought the best recourse was to make an entirely new ring in the exact same design to accomodate the original stone. The new setting, being larger, needed a few extra small diamonds. I offered to pay the cost of any new stones added. The end of the story is that Diamonds International made a whole new ring for us, added the stones needed, covered the cost of shipping the ring to New York and back and didn't ask for one cent. The ring is absolutely gorgeous. I expected i would have a fight on my hands and I had the complete opposite. They did everything they could to make us happy. No once did i feel I was dealing with a company who wasn't committed to finding a solution to the problem. Frankly I was a little bit surprised but very pleased. If you have a problem with anything you buy at DI, I suggest you go through the cruise ship sales organization first, who will put you in touch with the right people at DI. Oh, by the way, in additionto making us the new ring, they sent us a gift certificate for $150 as an apology for the inconvenience.

[north29]

They have something that you cannot live with out and that does happen, and you are willing to take a chance. Other US stores like Sams Club and other Local Mom and Pop jewelers might be a better deal, but from DI you and most other people have no real idea on quality at the moment of purchase. so my advice is RUN Forest RUN.

Edited July 18, 2011 by north29

[Esmerelda]

We just had the worse off ship experience ever at a Diamonds International in Cozumel and I know I will never shop there again. (actually I wasn't shopping but was with someone who was)

 

It was so bad, I sent an email to Mr. Fain and he kindly responded and even he was quite shocked.

 

The only thing I will say is; they are not to be trusted. I'm sorry I can't elaborate on this story more.

[CruisesOnMyMind]

I would never buy from them again! My DH bought a ring 4 years ago at DI in St Maarten's. Went to get it resized and found out it was HOLLOW!

[STARFISH*4]

DONT take a chance if you are spending alot of money$$$$ buy something closer to home where if there are problems they can be addressed and taken care of.

 

i have been in DI in the different ports and recently they tried to sell me a ring, went to a jewelry store near home and had something similar and DI was so much higher...personally i wouldnt TRUST DI--they just want to make a SALE and know they will never see you again...heard and read of to many stories about them.

 

if i am spending money $$$$ i am buying at home.

[navybankerteacher]

I bought a diamond ring and diamond tennis bracelet in Grand Cayman. When I got home I had it appraised at a jewerly store that I trust in my area. They appraised the pieces for almost 3X's what I paid. The gemologist told me that the diamonds are very high quality and I got quite a deal when I told him how much I paid. I did not buy them at Diamonds International but at a wonderful, independent jewlery store called Magnums. The designer and his brother I believe own the store. They had very unique pieces of jewelery. I saw a similar bracelet at DI that was more than double what I paid.

 

When I insured the pieces, my agent told me that he has a lot of clients that buy jewelery in the caribbean because of the prices. The store I went to did not have a middleman to jack up the prices.

 

It was only a matter of time until we got this "...appraised the pieces for almost 3X's what I paid." story. Did you ask the "appraiser" what they would pay you for the piece?

 

I thought not.

[Hlitner]

I might get "flamed" for trying to put some logic to this discussion. Diamonds and precious metals enter the USA virtually duty-free. In other words, there is no reason for a diamond to cost more in most USA places then in St Thomas or anywhere else. Of course you might find that in ,most states you would have to pay sales tax, but there are some US states that do not have sales tax. And, St Thomas does have taxes incluiding a 4% gross receipts tax that is ultimately passed-on to consumers. Why do you think you can get a good deal from DI (or most other jewelers) outside the US. The reality is that you have little recourse if you later are unhappy with your diamond which may or may not be a total rip-off. As to appraisals, they are part of the jewelry/insurance conspiracy. Appraisals are merely the vehicle that determines the insurance cost (the higher the appraisal the more the insurance) but the insurance companies do not say they will pay the appraised value if your Diamond is lost or stolen. In that case they will replace or payoff on market value. Try selling your appraised Diamond for the appraised value. Ask the jeweler who does the appraisal what they would pay for your diamond (it will be a fraction of the appraised value). Barnum said there is a sucker born every moment and we suspect he was thinking about jewelry when he made that statement. Yes, there is certainly investment grade jewelry out there in the world but these are generally larger stones of very high quality which you wil generally not find in the cruise ship chasing stores (such as DI). By the way, take a look at the locations of DI stores and you will notice and interesting fact...just about all their stores are located near cruise ports. I wonder why?

Hank

[ovccruiser]

I might get "flamed" for trying to put some logic to this discussion. Diamonds and precious metals enter the USA virtually duty-free. In other words, there is no reason for a diamond to cost more in most USA places then in St Thomas or anywhere else. Of course you might find that in ,most states you would have to pay sales tax, but there are some US states that do not have sales tax. And, St Thomas does have taxes incluiding a 4% gross receipts tax that is ultimately passed-on to consumers. Why do you think you can get a good deal from DI (or most other jewelers) outside the US. The reality is that you have little recourse if you later are unhappy with your diamond which may or may not be a total rip-off. As to appraisals, they are part of the jewelry/insurance conspiracy. Appraisals are merely the vehicle that determines the insurance cost (the higher the appraisal the more the insurance) but the insurance companies do not say they will pay the appraised value if your Diamond is lost or stolen. In that case they will replace or payoff on market value. Try selling your appraised Diamond for the appraised value. Ask the jeweler who does the appraisal what they would pay for your diamond (it will be a fraction of the appraised value). Barnum said there is a sucker born every moment and we suspect he was thinking about jewelry when he made that statement. Yes, there is certainly investment grade jewelry out there in the world but these are generally larger stones of very high quality which you wil generally not find in the cruise ship chasing stores (such as DI). By the way, take a look at the locations of DI stores and you will notice and interesting fact...just about all their stores are located near cruise ports. I wonder why?

Hank

 

The above is quite typical of comment I have read through this thread. Number one, there is no comparison between what a piece of jewelery is worth trade to reatail other than a little thing called profit margin. A new piece of jewelery will always cost more than its actual value, that is why many people get their insurance on a new for old basis, although at the moment gold prices are still rocketing. No.2, because of the profit margins made by retailers, if buying jewelery for investment, always buy second hand not new. On appraised values, an appraiser will give you a valuation based on retail price, if you offer him your jewelery at that price, of course he will decline, he has to sell the goods at a profit so will offer you less, maybe as mush as 40% less, yes, that is the margin some jewelers work on. DI are probably no better or worse than any other high street jeweler.