If you want to buy diamonds and gold in person, from people who will put the stone under a loupe and the chain on a scale in front of you, David Stern Jewelers in Boca Raton has been that place for over 40 years. This guide covers what we carry, what to check before you pay, and how to compare pieces fairly.
Along the way we explain lab grown vs natural diamonds, the real difference in 14k vs 18k gold, and what to look for among sapphires for sale in Boca Raton, so you can shop our diamond and gold jewelry with confidence.
Where to Buy Diamonds and Gold Near Me in Boca Raton
The best place to buy diamonds and gold is somewhere you can see, touch and question every piece before you commit. Our family-owned showroom at 21073 Powerline Rd in Boca Raton holds cases of rings, earrings, necklaces, pendants and bracelets, and every stone can be viewed under magnification at the counter.
Buying in person matters more for fine jewelry than almost anything else you shop for. Photos flatter diamonds, and gold chains can look identical online while differing by several grams. When you buy diamonds and gold with us, you can compare two stones side by side, ask for a piece’s gold weight, and try a ring on before deciding.
If you prefer to browse first, our online shop shows current pieces with prices, and you can reserve anything to see in the store. Directions, parking and hours are on our Visit Us page.
Our Diamond and Gold Jewelry Collection
Our diamond and gold jewelry collection covers everyday pieces and once-in-a-lifetime ones. Here is how it breaks down:
- Engagement rings: solitaires, halos, three-stone and vintage styles in natural and lab grown diamonds, or start from a setting with Build Your Ring.
- Rings: diamond bands, cocktail rings and colored gemstone rings in white, yellow and rose gold and platinum.
- Earrings and diamond studs: from everyday studs to statement drops.
- Necklaces and pendants: tennis necklaces, gold chains and diamond pendants.
- Bracelets: tennis bracelets, bangles and gold link bracelets.
Every piece of diamond and gold jewelry in the cases is marked with its metal and karat, and our staff can tell you the diamond weight, the gold weight and how the piece was made. If nothing in stock is quite right, our custom jewelry design team can make it.
How to Buy Diamonds: What to Check Before You Pay
Before you buy diamonds and gold, it helps to know which details actually move the price and which ones you will never see. A diamond’s value comes from the 4Cs: cut, color, clarity and carat weight. GIA’s guide to diamond quality is the clearest independent introduction, and our own Diamond 4Cs guide explains how we grade in the store.
Cut comes first. Cut decides how much light a diamond returns, and a well-cut stone looks larger and brighter than a poorly cut one of the same weight. Read more in our diamond cut guide.
Color and clarity have sweet spots. Most people cannot tell a G from an F color, or a VS2 from a VS1 clarity, without a loupe, yet each step up costs real money. Our diamond color guide shows where the visible differences begin.
Carat weight is not size. A 1.00 carat stone can face up smaller than a well-cut 0.90. Just under round numbers, such as 0.90 or 1.90 carats, often gives the best value. See our carat weight guide.
Ask for the paperwork. A grading report from GIA or IGI tells you exactly what you are paying for. Compare the report number laser-inscribed on the girdle with the one on the certificate, and ask to see the inscription under magnification.
Diamond Shapes at a Glance
Shape is a matter of taste, but each one behaves differently. Round brilliants return the most light and hide inclusions best, which is why they hold their value and cost the most per carat. Ovals, pears and marquises are elongated, so they look larger for their weight and make fingers look longer.
Cushion cuts have a soft, vintage glow. Princess cuts give a crisp modern square, but their pointed corners need protective prongs. Emerald and Asscher cuts use long step facets that show off clarity rather than sparkle, so choose a higher clarity grade for those shapes. Try several on your hand before deciding, because a shape that looks plain in a photo can come alive when it moves.
Lab Grown vs Natural Diamonds
The question we hear most from people who come in to buy diamonds and gold is lab grown vs natural diamonds. Both are real diamonds: the same carbon crystal, the same hardness and the same sparkle. The difference is origin. Natural diamonds formed deep in the earth over billions of years, while lab grown diamonds are made in weeks under controlled conditions.
Price. In the lab grown vs natural diamonds comparison, lab grown stones cost far less per carat, which is why they are popular for larger center stones and diamond stud earrings. The FTC requires lab grown diamonds to be clearly disclosed as laboratory-grown, laboratory-created or similar, so ask if the label is not clear.
Resale. Natural diamonds hold value better. Lab grown prices have fallen as production has grown, so a lab grown stone is best bought for the look and the budget, not as a store of value.
Grading. Both are graded on the same 4Cs, and both can come with GIA or IGI reports. We keep natural and lab grown options side by side in the showroom, so you can settle lab grown vs natural diamonds with your own eyes rather than a spec sheet.
How to Buy Gold Jewelry: 14k vs 18k Gold
Gold is the other half of the decision when you buy diamonds and gold, and karat is the first thing to understand. Karat measures purity out of 24 parts. The FTC’s Jewelry Guides (16 CFR Part 23) set the rules for how karat content must be marked, and every piece we sell meets them.
- 14k gold is 58.3% pure gold, alloyed with harder metals. It is tougher, more scratch resistant and less expensive.
- 18k gold is 75% pure gold. It has a richer, warmer color and feels heavier, but it is softer and costs more.
- 22k gold is 91.6% pure. It is very soft and usually reserved for pieces that are not worn hard every day.
So which wins in 14k vs 18k gold? For an engagement ring or a bracelet that sees daily knocks, 14k is usually the practical choice. For earrings, pendants and pieces worn with care, 18k gives more depth of color. In white gold the 14k vs 18k gold difference is mostly hidden by rhodium plating, so durability and price decide it.
Check the stamp and the weight. Look for a karat stamp (14K, 585, 18K or 750) and a maker’s mark. For chains and bracelets, ask for the weight in grams, because two chains that look identical can differ by several grams of gold, and gold weight is a large part of the price.
Sapphires for Sale in Boca Raton
Not every piece in our diamond and gold jewelry cases is diamond. Sapphires are the most requested colored stone we sell, and our sapphires for sale in Boca Raton range from classic blue ovals framed in diamonds to large cabochons and pear-shaped center stones.
Sapphire is corundum, rated 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, second only to diamond, which makes it one of the few colored stones durable enough for an everyday ring. Blue is the classic color, but sapphires also come in pink, yellow, and the rare pink-orange padparadscha. GIA’s sapphire guide explains how color, origin and treatment affect value.
Ask about treatment. Most sapphires are heated to improve color, which is standard and stable, but it should always be disclosed. When you compare sapphires for sale in Boca Raton or anywhere else, ask whether the stone is heated, and whether it is natural or lab created.
A few sapphire pieces currently in our collection include the 1.81 carat pear sapphire ring in 18kt white gold, a 2.35 carat cushion sapphire ring in platinum and a 15.36 carat oval sapphire cabochon ring. Stock changes, so call ahead if you want to see a specific piece.
Rubies, Emeralds and Other Colored Stones
Sapphire has two famous companions. Ruby is also corundum, so it shares sapphire’s hardness and suits everyday rings; the most prized rubies show a pure, deep red. Emerald is softer and almost always contains visible inclusions, which the trade calls its jardin, or garden. Emeralds are commonly treated with oil to improve clarity, so they need gentler wear and should be kept away from ultrasonic cleaners.
Our cases hold ruby and emerald rings alongside the sapphires, including a 2.25 carat oval ruby ring in platinum. As with any colored stone, ask what treatment it has had before you buy.
What Drives the Price of Diamond and Gold Jewelry
Two pieces of diamond and gold jewelry that look alike can carry very different prices, and it is worth knowing why before you buy diamonds and gold anywhere.
The stones. On most diamond pieces, the center stone is the largest part of the cost. Small shifts in color or clarity grade can change the price of a one-carat diamond by thousands of dollars.
The metal. Gold follows the market, so a heavy gold chain costs more when the spot price is high. Platinum is denser than gold, so the same design weighs more in platinum and costs more.
The work. Hand setting, pave, milgrain and engraving all add bench hours. A well-made piece has even prongs, a smooth finish and settings that hold the stones securely.
Ask us to break down any price into these parts. We would rather explain the number than have you wonder about it.
Choosing a Gold Chain That Lasts
Gold chains are one of the most common things people come in for, and also the easiest to get wrong. A chain has to suit the pendant it carries, the neckline it sits on and how often it will be worn.
Solid or hollow. Hollow chains look bold for less money, but they dent and are hard to repair. For a chain worn every day, solid gold is almost always the better long-term buy, even if it means a slightly thinner style.
Style. Cable and rope chains are strong all-rounders. Box and wheat chains hold their shape well under a pendant. Herringbone and snake chains lie flat and look elegant, but they kink if they are bent, so they suit careful wearers.
Length and clasp. Sixteen to eighteen inches sits at the collarbone, twenty inches and up falls below it. Look for a lobster clasp on anything heavy, and ask us to check that the clasp is soldered securely to the end rings.
An Engagement Ring Buying Checklist
An engagement ring is usually the most significant piece of jewelry a couple ever buys. These are the questions we walk through with every client, in the order that saves the most time:
- Set a budget range first. It decides the diamond size and grade more than anything else, and knowing it lets us show you the best options inside it.
- Choose the shape. Round returns the most light; ovals, pears and marquises look larger per carat; emerald and Asscher cuts show clarity more openly.
- Pick the setting style. A solitaire keeps attention on the stone, a halo adds apparent size, and a three-stone ring spreads the budget across more sparkle.
- Match the metal to the wearer. Platinum and 14k white gold suit active hands; yellow and rose gold flatter warmer skin tones.
- Get the size right. If it is a surprise, borrow a ring they wear on the same finger and we will size from it.
If you would rather choose the setting and the stone separately, Build Your Ring lets you pair any setting with a diamond from our loose-diamond listings and see the finished ring before you commit.
Caring for Your Jewelry After You Buy
A little care keeps new jewelry looking the way it did in the case. Take rings off for the gym, gardening and cleaning with harsh chemicals, and put jewelry on after lotion, perfume and hairspray rather than before.
Store pieces separately so harder stones do not scratch softer metal, and keep chains fastened so they do not tangle. At home, a soft brush with warm water and a drop of mild dish soap cleans most diamond pieces well.
Bring rings in once or twice a year for a free check. Prongs wear down slowly and a loose stone is far cheaper to tighten than to replace.
Buying Jewelry With Confidence
Buying fine jewelry should feel as good the week after as it did at the counter. When you buy diamonds and gold from a local jeweler rather than a website, you get people who will size the ring, check the prongs and clean the piece long after the sale.
Ask for a written appraisal for insurance when you buy something significant, and read our return policy before you purchase so you know how exchanges work. Keep your receipt and any grading report together.
Quick Answers Before You Buy Diamonds and Gold
Do I need an appointment?
No. You can walk in during opening hours to browse. If you want to compare several specific stones or discuss an engagement ring in depth, calling ahead lets us have them ready.
Can I see a diamond under magnification?
Yes, always. We will show you any stone under a loupe or microscope and point out its inclusions and inscription.
Can I trade in old gold toward a new piece?
Yes. We buy gold, so old or broken jewelry can be weighed, tested and credited against a new purchase. Our sell your gold in Boca Raton page explains how offers are calculated.
Is platinum better than white gold?
Platinum is naturally white, denser and very durable, and it never needs re-plating, but it costs more. White gold is lighter and less expensive, and it is usually rhodium plated for its bright white color, which needs refreshing every year or two on a ring worn daily.
Can I buy a loose diamond and have it set?
Yes. You can choose a loose diamond and a setting separately, and we will set the stone at our own bench so you can see the finished ring before you take it home.
How can I tell gold jewelry is genuine?
Start with the stamp: 10K, 14K, 18K or the numbers 417, 585 and 750 show karat, usually beside a maker’s mark. A stamp can be faked, though, so the real test is an acid or electronic test done by a jeweler. We will test any piece in front of you, whether you bought it here or not, at no charge.
Do you resize rings bought here?
Yes. Sizing, cleaning and prong checks are done at our own bench in the store.
Visit Us to Buy Diamonds and Gold in Boca Raton
David Stern Jewelers is at 21073 Powerline Rd, #37, Boca Raton, FL 33433, open Monday through Friday 9:30 to 5:30 and Saturday 10:30 to 4:30. Call (561) 994-3330 with questions, or simply stop in. Whether you are looking for an engagement ring, 14k or 18k gold, or one of our sapphires, we will help you find the right piece of diamond and gold jewelry at an honest price.