Would appreciate any feedback on purchasing a diamond wedding ring in Hong Kong vs. US. We are flying there under the assumption that the savings will more than offset the cost of the trip.

Also, anyone check out costs of digital cameras?

thanks!

It is a long while since HK was a cheap shopping destination. Rental prices are amongst the highest in the world and these are, of course, passed on.

Diamonds have an international value and there are no bargains. The best that you could hope for would be to save a little on the manpower involved. If you want to do that, then you would be better trying Bangkok, but be sure that you know what you are buying.

What bargains cautious shoppers can obtain in Hong Kong are on saved taxes. Electronics are little cheaper than in the U.S., and in recent times even Hong Kongers have been flying to Japan to do their electronics shopping (although the plunge in the U.S. dollar, to which the HK dollar has the misfortune to be linked will have put paid to that). Brand name luxury goods which attract high duties elsewhere (such as Cartier watches) can be bought in Hong Kong for about half prices in the West, but this can take a day or two of bargaining to achieve. When buying jewellery you'd better be able to compare like with like, know your way around clarity, cut, carat-weight, etc., and be able to assess the value of the workmanship on settings. As Tangata implies, if there were savings to be made which could cover airfares, everyone would be doing this. As for Bangkok, scamming is commonplace, and you'd need to be even better informed than when shopping in HK.

Peter N-H
http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html

You can get digital cameras online for better prices than in Asian cities. there is also the issue of getting a camera with a warranty you can use in the US...

I've looked at jewelry in Hong Kong, and found few bargains. I can get jade for less than the US.

Tangata is right - diamonds are internationally priced. If you were looking for a sapphire or ruby, you can get better prices in Bangkok - but only if you know what you are doing.

Diamonds in HK are not cheaper but they do have better style and designs there. And make sure you bargain even in the big name jewelry stores.

i would second bangkok, especially for the gold part of the ring....you will find an amazing difference in the price there....diamonds still remain expensive....example....we purchased a pair of square diamond studs last fall in bangkok for around $1900...they are of excellent quality stones and beautifully set in 18K gold....we figure that we may have saved $1000 on them.....that is small in contrast on what you could save on saphires and rubies in bangkok...

you need to know who your are dealing with in bangkok and any foreign country as their business practices differ greatly from what you are used to in the usa and you have little or no recourse there.....buyer beware!!!!!

if you decide to continue ask for guidance here on this forum for specific dealers and ask elsewhere (guidebooks, friends, etc)

it is very risky if you don't know what you are doing and with whom you are dealing....

Thank you all for your honest replies, although I was hoping for a more positive indication. Some recommended stores would be helpful.

We're still going because there are some great travel packages. For example, 8d/7n with 4 star hotel, RT air (SFO), transfers, and taxes for $1366 for two. Now just gotta think of what to do for six days...

You'll have absolutely no difficulty filling six days in Hong Kong. And if you happen to find the "perfect" ring - great! But the price difference won't pay for your trip - perhaps a dinner or two.

My ex- found a gorgeous ring in the jewellery shop in the ground floor of the Hyatt in Kowloon (on Nathan Rd, about a block up from the Sheraton). It's not that the stones were exceptional, but the setting was special and unlike anything either of us had seen in the States.

We bought the ring (after a certain amount of negotiation) not so much because it was a great value, but because it was a beautiful item that would would also be a memento of the trip.

My experience with HK jewellers is that is that the better the location of the shop (for example, in nicer hotels), you'll get both a higher price and a higher likelihood of very nice stuff. Also, there is no reason to be shy about bargaining, no matter where the shop is located.

Take a look at chowsangsang.com and justdiamond.cc to get an idea of prices and styles. Both have multiple stores in HK and the prices are quite typical.