It makes me so mad how every time I see a gorgeous ring being sold for over 15K. Funny how that same ring once you buy it and try to sell it back, you're lucky if you get maybe 3K. It's so sad yet frustrating at the same time. I once even told the girl that my mom and I overheard another jeweler tell this lady her diamonds were worthless. She said if they're so worthless why does everyone buy them then? I said I think it's the durability and also they have that color that sometimes just can't be copied and also just that certain something. They're 10 on the Mohs' scale. But you can't sell them back at the price you paid let alone try to make a profit.

You definitely get the short end of the stick when you buy a diamond from a retail store and try to sell it in the private market. You always get a better deal buying a 'used' stone and setting it in another setting. I actually perfer to buy diamonds from a retail store because you get the warranties. I have chipped my diamond twice so I will say you do use the warranty. The best trick to get the biggest bang for your buck is to go to a retail that takes trade ins. You can trade in a diamond and they will give you credit towards your new purchase. They tend to want the sale so bad they give you retail credit for your diamond. I once bought a diamond for 700.00 and they gave me 5500 credit for a new stone. I bought a diamond for 11,500 and only came out of pocket 6000.00.

i've been hearing a lot about this. it definitely makes me consider buying retail diamonds.

I've bought items on ebay before with warranties that are still honored by the store. I've got major deals, and you can trade it toward something for what the original price was (not what you paid).

But, I kinda bought what I liked and the warranty was icing on the cake on items 80% or more off retail. I had a particular ring (well a few) in mind and when I found it on ebay I snatched it (or them..hehe)!

I love how I don't have to worry about maintenance.

Don't forget about kay jewelers previously owned treasures site! It's kay jeweler's merchandise, you can opt for the warranty, and it's refurbs on what people have traded in.

I also did a google search for "pre owned jewelry" and found these sites. I still like ebay though.

http://www.bravobride.com

http://www.idonowidont.com/ (funny site)

http://www.exboyfriendjewelry.com/ (even funnier)!!

Spence Diamonds in Canada does that. It's one of the reasons we decided to purchase my engagement ring from them. I understand they are starting to open more stores in The States.

Can't speak highly enough about them. They're not quite the same deal as say Blue Nile but the guarantees are worth the difference.

I think this article was referred to earlier in the thread. Basically explains why diamonds are a bad investment.

"Have you ever tried to sell a diamond?" Interesting stories how value really is in the eye of the beholder.
http://www.edwardjayepstein.com/diamond/chap20.htm

They are by the same author

Thanks for pointing that out. Post has been corrected.

Looks like a book promo or reprint.

A friend of mine purchased a ring for his now wife 1.5carat round, Halo setting, looks big n beautiful for about $5500 I think it was a great buy since the setting was bought at cost through family and the stone was from a private seller. The same ring at the mall would easily go for around $10k. Another friend has a act round ring, same quality purchased for $4500 uncertified from a mall jeweler, later traded in for 1.5ct in the same setting. So in total she paid around $8k. I lost my set that was about $4500 online, my husband said we can budget around $5-$6k for another. But Now I'm replacing it with almost identical set n asha stone for around $650, and it looks better. If I want to upgrade in 5 or 10yrs, I will happily purchase another asha n not have to worry about hunting for a jeweler that will give me a good trade. It just doesn't make sense to INVEST in natural diamonds, it's not a straight forward buy, it's always a game of hunting for a great bargain not to mention the environmentally and "blood diamond" issues. So I'm proud and happy to make smart purchases from now on.