Leon Diamond

Beware! They conduct scams in this store. As some other reviewers I was attended by Avi, on June 19, 2013, a very nice and attentive salesperson. He explained to me many of the details of the diamonds he presented to me. At the end I bought a diamond. I paid $ 1,894.42 for it, but he closed the deal by insisting that it was actually worth $ 3,000, according to an EGL diamond certificate, which he gave to me. I was very happy with the ring for three years. Have I written a review before June 13 I would have written all the marvelous things mentioned by other reviewers. However, It turns out no professional gemologist accepts EGL certificates. On June 13, 2016, I took the diamond to three different gemologist to give me their opinion on the quality and price of this diamond. It turns out that the diamond is of a rather poor quality and has been artificially enhanced, which make it deceptively clear, bright and shiny. It is probably worth no more than $ 100 at best, they said. Needless to say, I am furious and humiliated.
If you bought a diamond ring in this store I highly recommend to take it to a gemologist and find the real value of your stone. I hope you’re not as disappointed as I am.
If you haven’t bought anything from this store then don’t. They are not trustworthy.

Not really the type to post reviews but Leon diamond came through for me. I had purchased a VS1, F color 2 ct. round brilliant diamond engagement ring for my girlfriend and I couldn’t ow more pleased. If you guys go to this place I recommend Danny, he’s usually not on the floor but I got lucky with him that I caught him, he’s nice and funny but all staff is good. I had a really good vibe there and I recommend everyone to go there to have the satisfaction they deserve and for a reasonable price. Thanks again Danny and thank you Leon diamond !!

Honestly, I walked in the door and had no idea if I was going to buy a diamond or not. I did some basic research but there is a lot to it. Avi was excellent, he really helped me to nail down what I needed, did not try to up sell me and made me feel completely comfortable with my decision. The process took a while but ultimately I walked out with a beautiful diamond at what I now know was a excellent price. I would totally recommend doing business with him. I’m taking a bunch of friends back over the coming weeks :)

It never easy to find your perfect Diamond Engagement ring, Ive spent countless months looking for an diamond engagement ring that tells our story. I wanted to find my finances dream wedding ring, I spoke to jewelers from LA, Texas, Miami, Saw stones and rings, but it didnt feel right, I had a different idea of how i wanted the ring to be, Because truthfully i wanted to do this just once and do it right.
My friends saw what i was going through and showed me Leondiamond Instagram, And told me to call them up and just to see what they have to offer, So i was like hey what do i have to lose right. (best Decision I made). So i called and a women picked up she was so nice and friendly and explained that they have over 10,000 Stones and one of the largest inventory in the NYC Diamond District, That got me excited but i still though what are the odds ill find what im looking for even i myself didn’t have a clear idea what i wanted i just knew when i see it ill know. I Live in PA so i drove down to NYC to come visit Leon diamond over the weekend, When i arrived i was approached by a guy who was standing outside and asked if i needed help i told him what i needed and he walked me right into leon diamond, held the door open for me and escorted me to a lovely gentleman. who goes by the name richie Nekta.
He asked what is it that im looking for, as he saw i was unsure he quickly took me into a private office asked me if i wanted anything to drink and told me to relax because before i leave ill have my dream engagement ring. So we spoke and got to know each other, richie a really funny and intelligent guy. He educated me on how a diamond is valued and then pulled out a chart and asked me to point to what i wanted in my diamond, after that richie called in a sketcher who sat down next to me and took out a pen and a tablet i think and started asking me how i see my dream ring. As i was talking he was drawing something. In the end of it i asked can i see what your doing and the moment i saw what was sketched, i knew that its, that the ring i want, thats the one that will tell our story and i know my fiancé will love. He stated i had to leave a deposit and my ring will be ready within a week or two. I wired the rest of the money and asked to have it shipped. When i recieved the ring i was speechless and thanked richie a million times.
Now they have a loyal customer for life and i recommend everyone to go see what leon diamond has to offer.
Thank you So much and you’re more then welcome to come to the wedding All of you guys

After weeks of looking and comparing prices, i somehow ended up at leon diamond, If i remember clearly they had a guy stand outside and he approached me with a question as he saw me gaze through their jaw dropping window display, I have never saw Diamonds that big, The guy outside told me i could see and play with the ring and he caught my attention right away, The moment i enetered everything felt different, it felt so nice and luxurious and i was greeted by all of their representatives (Such a warm feeling), And one of there Staff Ruben asked me if i needed help with anything, i explained what i was looking for, he immediately grabbed a few things and it went from there, He took me into his private office which made me feel comfortable and which helped me speak freely, at the same time ruben took out some charts and started educating me on clarity and color and how it all affects price, Which i found was different then all the places i went to, because everyone else is quick to pitch a sale without getting to know the customer, And ruban did just that, we got to know each other which helped me feel more comfortable spending the money i spent. Before i knew it i left a cash deposit and came back a week later to pick up my gorgeous vs1 2.00ct G Color Engagement Ring, When it was all done i felt like crying out of Joy and now i go to leondiamond Specifically ruben for all my jewelry needs. Thank you so MUCH! HIGHLY RECOMMENED!

Great experience. Avi helped me to get the perfect engagement ring. The folks there are honest, friendly and very helpful. They educated me on the diamond I was purchasing and cared a lot about my personal opinion of what the diamond and ring should look like. They also advised me on what they were seeing including what was trending and what wasn’t tending. The experience was very good and the rock I got my fiancé was huge and very clear, which was what I was going for. They are also very reasonable.

I highly recommend working with Avi to find the perfect diamond at the best price. What differentiates Avi from the hundreds of diamond dealers is his passion and genuine care for the customer. Avi takes the time to get to know you (and understand your bride-​to-​be) and works to find the perfect balance between cost and quality. Avi and I spent an hour looking at different diamonds under all types of lights (inside, outside) and comparing different graded diamonds (flawless D vs. VS2 G) in all lights to understand differences. Originally, I thought Blue Nile was the best option but Avi shattered the Blue Nile price and also helped me understand how factors such as fluorescence can degrade a high quality diamond’s brilliance. If you’re looking for unbiased professional advice, swing by the 44 West location of Leon Diamonds and have a conversation with Avi.

If you are looking to purchase an engagement ring you must see Avi at Leon Diamond at the 44 West 47^th Street location. Avi was extremely knowledgable, honest and patient. He showed me all my options. When I finally decided what stone I wanted, he found the absolute best stone and gave me a great price. The ring appraised at 40% more than I paid. The appraiser even said I got a great deal. The center stone was beautiful and the smaller stones around it were even individually cut. He was impressed with the quality. I can’t tell you how many compliments I have received. Lets be honest an engagement ring is a big purchase for most people and can certainly make anyone nervous about the process, at least that’s how I felt about it, but Avi was a dream to work with and I would recommend him to anyone who wants an unbelievable deal. I will be back for all my jewelry needs.
Thank you Avi!!!
CorrineP

I highly recommend purchasing your diamond engagement ring from Mike Nekta. I just bought an engagement ring from Mike and found him super easy to work with.
I did my fair share of research and went to visit Mike multiple times along with other vendors. Mike was great and understood my shopping process without pressuring me. His selection of diamonds is great and he definitely offers some of the best prices!
My fiancé loves her new rings and we will be going back in soon to get it resized for free. No problems at all and I will definitely recommend him to all my friends.
p. s. I found it really fun/​entertaining to see Mike post a picture of my engagement ring on his social media and the comments and love made me feel great about my purchase!

BUYERS BEWARE! I walked by with my friends looking to see what kind of sapphire they have here only get get this asshole of a sales person outside the door asking «are you serious about buying? Will you be purchasing today?» Who do these guys think they are? And after I said I had some questions the guy just immediately ignores us and tried to grab another «potential customers» attention.
They have a horrendous business model and I bet you they’re a fraud! They’re plain rude and just condescending. STAY AWAY!!! I would never recommend it to anyone!!!

BUYER BEWARE! When you enter their store (two locations in the Diamond District) be ready for a slick sales pitch full of half truths at best. First and foremost, shop the 47^th St diamond district and make sure you take notes of what you see (I have shopped over a dozen stores and compared diamonds at them all over the last 2 – 3 years). Whenever I leave a store, I make a detailed note of what I saw (4 c’s, sticker price and their «final» cash price) and save it in my phone. You will find Leon to be among the MOST expensive on the block for like for like diamonds. Secondly, they have a vast inventory of «enhanced» diamonds. These are poor quality diamonds that have been laser drilled and filled with an epoxy to «enhance» their visual appeal. These diamonds are worth 70−80% LESS than a like-​graded GIA stone would be worth — and GIA will not touch an enhanced stone so you will get an EGL certificate with your purchase (google EGL diamond lawsuit to better understand why this is not good). I’ve come to learn that only shady stores sell these stones. If you do buy an enhanced stone, you get a bigger, visually ok stone for a lot less money, just know you will never be able to sell it for anything meaningful… EVER! Not to worry as they say that they allow you to «trade your purchase in for 100% of what you pay towards something else» or so I was led to believe. Keep reading…
I made the mistake of buying a diamond here 4 years and recently visited their store to trade in that diamond for something different (as promised when I bought it). But, just to make sure I had proper recollection, I began shopping for what I wanted and didn’t mention the trade. Before I could view a second item, I was given the canned sales pitch of 1) we just want to make you a customer today, whatever it takes (apparently this was a foreshadowing comment as they will tell you whatever they think you want to hear to close the deal). 2) if she doesn’t like it (it was to be a surprise purchase that I would give her in two weeks) «no problem! In fact you can swap it out at ANY TIME in the future and get credit for what you paid.» I said «really? That’s fantastic!» I then asked, do I need any paperwork or do you keep the records in house? This was important because all I had was my credit card statement from 2011 showing what I paid for the diamond. He said, I didn’t need ANY paperwork since they keep records of all their sales in house. Side note: I was paying very close attention to every word he said since I was there to make a trade. This was the exact same sales pitch I had received 4 years ago. Cutting to the chase, they did not honor the trade-​in promise and wanted me to pay an additional $ 1,200 PLUS the trade-​in for an item that was worth less than half what I had paid for the original diamond! So, I pay them over $ 8,200 a few years ago, pay them another $ 1,200 now and I get an item worth less than $ 4,000. That was his best offer to me. Of course I walked out the door, but not before being berated, patronized, talked down to, basically told I was stupid (my Harvard diploma suggests otherwise), and just generally disrespected for about an hour before I decided to leave. It became a matter of principle because I had clearly been lied to and sold a bunch of BS.
DON’T BUY HERE!!! There are many many other great places in NYC that will give you a great deal and provide you with a great experience. I am a business owner and understand businesses need to make a fair profit. But I also know that you need to stand behind what you say, and trust is the only thing that really matters when buying expensive jewelry. You CANNOT trust Leon Diamond LLC.

MIKE NEKTA IS THE WAY TO GO!!!
HOOKED ME UP with an unbeatable price for a pair of gorgeous diamond hoop earrings. He has the most sensational diamonds (you’ve seen them if you follow him on instagram!) and he’s so super easy to deal with and super nice.
The diamond district can be a daunting shopping experience, but Mike made it easy. I even saw a couple who had returned to his store from shopping around because no one else could beat his price! Save the time and stop here first!
These diamond hoops spaaarkle and my mom is super happy with her mother’s day gift!
CC

It was our 36 years anniversary, my husband and I came to see Richard for what became a dream come true. The service was detailed and attentive. No pressure just an incredible experience overall! Richard thank you so much I love my new ring!

So it can be really scary going ring shopping in new York city but everyone knows the real deals are on 47^th which is appropriately nicknamed «the diamond district. » you will find a bunch of people just trying to sell you fakes and phoneys and it’s easy to be taken advantage of. Avi and the rest of the team at leon diamonds did such an amazing job putting me at ease and made what was a nightmare with those other dealers into a day I will cherish forever as I have made the purchase that any man who loves another makes with no doubt in mind. Avi gave a personal touch and was a straight shooter with me all the way. Also helps that his prices were great. He worked with me to help me find something that fits right for me and my future fiancée. There’s another review on here that made claims that seemed very off compared to the other reviews. So I asked Avi about the one lone complaint and he was able to explain the whole situation to me with that customer and I was put at ease. The knowledge that the staff at leon puts forth is unbeatable. IF YOU ARE LOST AND SCARED AND NOT SURE ABOUT WHERE TO GO TO GET A GREAT DEAL AND AN AWESOME EXPERIENCE. LOOK NO FURTHER THAN HERE. I was just plain blown away.

Beware!!! Total ripoff! My boyfriend purchased diamond earrings for me at Leon with Avi. A year later we went for an upgrade. When we thought we found the perfect set he barked out an outrageous # & played the «let me call my boss & see what I can do» card. He brought the price down a couple of 100s & we like fools completed the purchase. It’s true we knew nothing about diamonds. Avi saw that & knew he can get away with ripping us off. We thought we paid for D color/​VS2 clarity/​ideal cut diamonds (Avi provided us with a ludicrous certificate stating so). A year later we wanted another upgrade, a family friend recommended their jeweler. We met with this jeweler & showed him my earrings. Our jaws dropped when he said we wouldn’t even get a quarter of what we paid for. He said the quality of the diamonds were so far off that he couldn’t even sell them to his own clients. We eventually sold them to anyone who would buy them at the diamond district (not even Leon diamond wanted them!!!). Bottom line, please just make sure you’ve done your homework before going to the diamond district specifically into this place!

So. I was given the thankless task of finding the perfect ring for my sister on behalf of my friend soon-​to-​be brother-​in-​law. After two weeks of carat crunching and damn near disillusion, I reached out to my good friend to see where he’d gotten his wife’s ring from. He led me to Leon.
Now, let me be clear. He warned me. Clearly. «Avi is beautiful.». «Tola, don’t get distracted.»
Now, Iet me be even clearer. Yeah. Right.
I walked in to Leon and my reaction was sweet Jesus. Not exactly Kosher but whatever. Avi was somewhat (okay, a lot) distracting but he also had a great selection of really beautiful rings and settings that kept me 99% focused on the mission at hand. After a few visits (all necessary, I swear), I found and bought the perfect ring for my sister. At a great deal compared to all the other stores.
Now, as all true love stories go, it wasn’t perfect sailing (we had some shipping issues) but it all worked out in the end. I’d give Leon (and really Avi) a 4.97 if I could but a girl’s gotta leave some room for improvement :)
I imagine after this shameless review I must now avoid this store to maintain a shred a dignity but alas, the sacrifices we make.
My serious advice for ring shoppers — go to a few other places first and then Leon. You’ll have a better sense of what’s out there and how far your budget goes so you’ll probably have a more productive experience.

You really can’t beat this jewelry store. I’ve walked up and down the block several times searching for the pieces I want and always wind up back at Leon Diamonds. Ask for Rubin he’s the one you wanna talk to during your visit. They have everything they never have to call outside for people to bring them stones or any jewelry they have everything right there. Alot of other places tend to be shady but Leon Diamonds is unlike the other stores. Very professional. I am treated like gold everytime I walk in there. Once again you gotta ask for Rubin

«I found this shop to be very… engaging» — David Caruso
When I was going to get engaged, I knew I wanted to shop in the diamond district because I like purchasing things from people that look like interchangeable versions of my grandpa. What I was worried about, however, was the way that all of the salespeople verbally molest you the second you step onto 47^th Street.
I went to five different stores first, At each of them, I was hurried and pushed. No matter what feedback I gave them, the ring they showed me next seemed to be a random guess or whatever they wanted to sell. I was very disappointed and was leaning towards Blue Nile or another online dealer.
Then I came here.
I was helped by Avi, and right off the bat there was no pressure. He spent two hours with me going over the ins and outs of diamonds, what to look for, and getting a sense of my preferences. Each ring he took out seemed to be highly dependent on my feedback, as opposed to just showing me random crap they wanted to offload.
I was so happy (and he so thorough) that I ended up unexpectedly putting a deposit down on the ring that day. My wife absolutely loved the ring and it looks beautiful on her.
We then came back for the wedding band. After 15 minutes of conversation with my wife, Avi pulled out a ring that wasn’t even on display, made a suggestion of how to customize it, and my wife thought it was perfect. He then had it remade three times before finally selling it to us because he didn’t think it was perfect yet. Both of them look fantastic.
I have been back since then for little things like watch adjustments, and the service I get is uniformly positive. This past weekend, I took two friends that are thinking about engagement here. They had both had bad experiences in the DD previously, and they ended up finding a ring as well.
To the reviewer who said that he was sold a different diamond than he expected — not only was I not misled about enhanced diamonds, but Avi spent about 15 minutes explaining what they are, how they affect the look and the cost, and said that based on my preferences he didn’t suggest them. He also, no questions asked, came with me to the appraiser of my choice, prior to purchase, to have the ring inspected and valued. I never once felt like I was getting a shady deal.
I can’t speak to other employees in the store (I do get the sense that some are much better than others), but I couldn’t be happier with Avi and our rings and I will continue to go to Leon Diamond for all my jewelry needs.

This was one of the best shopping experiences Ive had! I walked in Leon Diamond hesistant with my fiancé in search for the perfect ring. I am the worst and extremly picky. Mike helped us out and he was extremly patient, friendly and REAL. I told him exactly what I was looking for and being the jewelry expert he is, I walked out with a beautiful, high quality diamond band and a huge smile on my face! I will forever shop at Leon Diamond for all my future jewerly pieces.
If you want high quality jewelry at a great price Leon Diamond is the place to go. They are honest, friendly and Truly care. His grandfather even came out as we were leaving to wish us good luck in our future. He was the sweetest!
Thanks Mike, You haven’t seen the last of me!

The style of salesmanship in the Diamond District tends to be consistently aggressive and sloppy in most stores. They station a person outside to beg you to come in, then the inside vendors are grumpy and impersonal. When the goal is to make a purchase of a lifetime, the experience feels dirty.
But be not dismayed, because Leon Diamond exists, and Avi works there. His sales tools are people skills, intuition, and thoroughness which set him a mile apart from other salesman on the block (the youth and good looks don’t hurt, either).
My perfect ring comes with discounted upgrades, free lifetime polishing/​resizing, deals on future jewelry, and a familiar greeting when we walk in the door.
We recently went back to resize the ring and look at wedding bands (my first visit). After congratulations and handshakes, we were escorted downstairs to the lab-​type area, where my ring was resized and polished on the spot. When we returned to the main floor to look at bands, Avi was busy at first – he’s unsurprisingly popular – so another associate showed us around. She was nice, I guess, and she pulled out the trays I asked to see. But once Avi was done, and he heard me say I’d love sapphires, and I didn’t want what everyone else had, he went straight to a vintage band she hadn’t shown us. He then grabbed a blue marker to color in a few of the stones that would be replaced with sapphires in my dream ring.
It was perfect. We put down a deposit that day, and we’re both totally thrilled with our decision.