Pick the stone before the ring

Loose diamonds in San Diego, chosen for you, one stone at a time.

Most of an engagement ring budget is the center stone, and most people choose it from a listing photo they cannot verify. I do this differently. You tell me the shape, the size goal, and the budget; I pull graded stones from the brokers I've bought from for thirty years, natural and lab-grown, and you sit at a desk comparing them under a loupe before a single decision is final.

Text Andrew a Photo

What I’ll want to know

The shape and the size you're after, or the look if you don't know the names yet.
The range, and whether you want natural, lab-grown, or both on the desk.
Whether you already have a setting, or the stone comes first.

What gets decided

The report starts the conversation. The stone ends it.

What gets decided: the shape, the size that actually shows on the hand, natural or lab-grown, and which of two or three honest candidates is the right one, checked by you against its report before anything is final. Here's where the good stones actually go.

Tell me the shape, the size goal, and the number

I hold no inventory, which means there is no stone here I need you to like. Give me the shape, the size you're hoping for, and the budget, and I'll call the cutters and dealers I've bought from for thirty years and bring in the two or three stones that genuinely compete at your number. If the best answer is a stone you already found online, I'll tell you to buy it there.

Natural and lab-grown, quoted against the same goal.
Two or three real candidates, not a list of hundreds.

Loose diamonds in several shapes on a jeweler's tray with tweezers and a loupe — AI-generated inspiration imagery.

Compared under the loupe, reports beside them

Every stone arrives with its grading report, and GIA is the standard for the natural stones I bring in. You check the certificate number against the stone yourself, under the loupe, at the desk. Size on paper and size on the hand aren't the same thing either: I'll show you how each candidate actually looks face-up, not just what it weighs.

You verify the report against the stone with your own eyes.
Outside San Diego? Photos and video of every candidate, with my honest read.

Two loose diamonds compared side by side next to a grading report in a jeweler's tray — AI-generated inspiration imagery.

What wholesale really means here

People search for wholesale diamonds and mostly find retailers with the word in the name. Here's the honest version: I buy where jewelers buy, and I don't carry a showroom, so the number you see is closer to what jewelers pay than a retail ticket will ever be. It isn't free and it isn't a discount code. It's a shorter distance between the cutter and your finger.

No showroom in the number, ever.
Bring any written quote and I'll put mine next to it, same specifications.

Jeweler's hands examining a diamond with a loupe at the desk — AI-generated inspiration imagery.

The stone alone, or the whole ring

Some people come just for the diamond and have their own setting plan; the stone purchase stands on its own. Others start with the stone and design the ring around it, which works beautifully, because every setting decision gets made against the real proportions of a diamond you've already approved. Still deciding on shape? The design directions show how each one behaves on a hand.

Buy the stone here and set it anywhere.
Or design the ring around it, made to order or fully custom.

Ring settings ready to receive a chosen center stone — AI-generated inspiration imagery.

Inspiration, not inventory

Design directions to customize

View all directions

Oval Solitaire

A graceful oval center stone with clean metal, generous light, and a shape that feels romantic without becoming ornate.

Customize this direction

Classic Solitaire

A focused, minimal ring that lets the diamond carry the emotion, proportions, and light.

Customize this direction

Elongated Cushion

A soft rectangular center with a plush outline, generous sparkle, and a less expected profile than a round brilliant.

Customize this direction

Round Bezel

A round brilliant diamond set in a slim bezel for a clean, modern ring with soft protection and quiet presence.

Customize this direction

Emerald Bezel

A sleek step-cut diamond secured in a clean bezel for an architectural, understated profile.

Customize this direction

Three-Stone

A center diamond framed by two supporting stones for presence, meaning, and beautiful side views.

Customize this direction

Toi et Moi

Two complementary center stones set together for a personal, sculptural ring with strong custom-design potential.

Customize this direction

Marquise

A dramatic elongated shape with pointed ends, strong finger coverage, and a rare editorial feel.

Customize this direction

Pear Pavé

A pear-shaped center with a fine pavé band for movement, shimmer, and a soft directional silhouette.

Customize this direction

Radiant Hidden Halo

A rectangular brilliant center with hidden detail under the crown for sparkle that feels discovered up close.

Customize this direction

East-West

A center stone set horizontally for a lower, modern line across the finger.

Customize this direction

Vintage Step-Cut

Asscher, emerald, baguette, and antique-inspired geometry with warm detail and measured restraint.

Customize this direction

Guides for this decision

A clean diamond examined through a jeweler's loupe

How to Read a Diamond Grading Report

A GIA diamond report explained line by line: what each entry means for the ring, what to verify, and what the paper can't tell you.

Read guide

Two loose diamonds beside a grading report, ready for side-by-side inspection

What a Diamond Report Won’t Tell You

Two diamonds with nearly identical grading reports can look completely different in person. What the paper leaves out, and how sellers profit from it.

Read guide

A lab-grown and a natural diamond compared side by side

Lab-Grown vs Natural Diamonds

Lab-grown and natural diamonds compared honestly by a wholesale dealer: what is identical, what the price gap actually buys, and how to choose between them.

Read guide

In their words

“He put two diamonds with nearly identical reports under the loupe and showed me exactly why the cheaper one wasn’t the better deal. I have never had anyone in a sales situation talk me out of spending money before.”

Priya · Radiant engagement ring

Questions couples ask before the first appointment

Can I buy just the diamond from you and set it elsewhere?

Yes. Some clients buy the stone here and have a family jeweler set it, or hold it while they decide on the design. The stone purchase stands on its own.

Are your loose diamonds GIA certified?

Natural stones I bring in carry GIA reports as the standard. Lab-grown stones typically carry IGI or GIA reports. You verify the certificate against the stone at the desk before anything moves forward.

What if I already found a stone online?

Send me the specs and the certificate number. I will quote the same stone or a genuine equivalent, in writing, and if the online price is the better deal I will say so on the first reply.

Do you sell loose diamonds to people outside San Diego?

Yes. You get photos and video of each candidate with its report and my honest read on each. The in-person comparison is the bonus for local clients.

Related custom jewelry services

Close-up custom engagement ring on a woman's left hand ring finger in a private jeweler's studio

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Text Andrew the ring style you keep coming back to.

A photo, sketch, or even a rough idea is enough to start. I can usually tell you whether the smartest path is a sourced diamond, a modified setting, a CAD build, or a short call to compare options.

GIA Applied Jewelry Professional: Trained to judge a diamond by eye, not just by its report.
30+ years in jewelry: Buying and selling diamonds and gold wholesale every week.
Most rings in 14 to 30 days: CAD builds can run longer. You know which yours is up front.
The price in writing first: A written plan and a real number before any deposit.

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Loose diamonds in San Diego, chosen for you, one stone at a time.

The report starts the conversation. The stone ends it.

Tell me the shape, the size goal, and the number