buying a diamond

nightjar said:
If you aren't in a hurry it might be worth waiting as there is a wholesale warehouse in the Jhb/Pta area with a reported stock of least six million carats (1200kg) of diamonds.

Unless the De Beers monopoly can corner that lot the price should drop quite nicely.
Click to expand...

meh, the dealers will just pick it up at the cheaper rate and rape the consumer.
 
D3x! said:
meh, the dealers will just pick it up at the cheaper rate and rape the consumer.
Click to expand...

Diamonds are a funny commodity and for nearly a century De Beers controlled the price with an iron fist.
Any dealer who failed to accept the allotted parcel or otherwise toe the line was out of business.

At the outbreak of WW2 the Allies controlled the entire world's output of diamonds but, for six years, Hitler still managed to obtain all the diamonds his war effort needed. Cannot remember the exact details but there was trouble between Canada, USA and De Beers over diamond controls at that time and I think Be Beers won.

At the end of WW2 the traditional engagement gift between Japanese couples was the exchange of little wooden tea bowls but, within 15-20 years, De Beers adverting had eliminated it in favour of a diamond ring.
 
I got pretty good prices from diamond source.
However, i sent a friend there a few months back and at that time they werent the best priced.

I think it fluctuates depending on when they got their stock, the dollar price, and what they want now for it. (i could be wrong)

I also panicked when I saw the size of the diamond i bought. It looks pretty damn small when not set :)
 
I did some more investigation into a GIA diamond today, got the following contenders:

0.41 I VVS1 (great clarity etc, maybe a tad small though in appearance, although realistically it is minutely smaller, we'll in budget)
0.48 H VVS2 (my favourite, but over budget)
0.5 I VS1 ( very nice also, over budget and price difference is about R300 different from above, which IMO is a far better stone)
0.51 J SI1 (wasn't interested in below an I, but GIA J is near colourless, on inspection only very slightly more yellow, attractive price though, albeit it quality wise the worst stone here, in budget)
0.46 I SI1 (best price by far, haven't seen the stone though, in budget)

I must decide one of these or go with the IGL stone.
 
my grandfather was one of de beers head geologists back in the day
a cousin is one of the country's "big" diamond dealers
i along with 2 cousins, am the part owner of a diamond mine

but alas

my grandfather is long dead.
i have no contact with my cousin.
and as for the diamond mine, well, lets just say it is a running family joke, an inheritance booby prize, little more than a barren piece of land in the middle of nowhere - the last thing anything was found that had any kind of sparkle, was probably an empty nik-naks packet blowing in the wind.

so, more of nothing from me.
 
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