A Guide to the NYC Diamond District

The NYC Diamond District is one block of West 47th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, and it holds more jewelers, diamond dealers, setters and workshops than almost anywhere else in the country. For a first time visitor, 47th Street can feel busy and a little confusing. This guide explains how the block works, how to get there, what happens in the buildings upstairs, and how to shop it calmly and fairly.

Where the Diamond District is

The district runs along West 47th Street from 5th Avenue to 6th Avenue. Look for the two lamp posts topped with diamond shaped lanterns that mark each end of the block. Rockefeller Center is two blocks south and east, Times Square a short walk west, and Bryant Park a few blocks south.

Our showroom is in the middle of it: 30 West 47th Street, Suite 806, on the south side of the street between 5th and 6th Avenue.

Getting there by subway and on foot

• B, D, F, M trains: get off at 47-50 Sts Rockefeller Center. Take an exit toward 47th Street and 6th Avenue, then walk east into the block.
• From Grand Central: walk west on 47th Street, or take the 7 to 5th Avenue and walk north.
• From Times Square: walk east along 47th Street past 6th Avenue.
• By car: street parking on the block is very hard to find. There are garages on the side streets nearby, but the subway is usually easier.

Give yourself a few extra minutes. The sidewalks are crowded at midday, and the block is busy with deliveries.

Storefronts on the street, offices upstairs

The Diamond District works on two levels. At street level you see the window displays: jewelry exchanges where many small counters share one big room, and individual stores. Above them, in the office buildings, are hundreds of private dealers, manufacturers, setters, polishers and showrooms. Many of the most specialized businesses on the block have no window at all.

Upstairs showrooms, like ours in Suite 806, are usually quieter. You sit at a desk or a private table, the stones come out on a tray, and you have time to look properly. That is why many upstairs businesses, including us, work by appointment: the person who knows your request is ready, and the stones you asked to see are already pulled.

What to expect in the lobby

Most buildings on 47th Street have a security desk in the lobby. This is normal for a block with this much jewelry in it. Here is how it usually goes:

1. Tell the desk the business name and suite number you are visiting. For us, that is NYC Lab Diamonds, Suite 806.
2. Show a photo ID. Bring a driver’s license, state ID or passport. Some buildings photograph or scan it.
3. The desk may call up to confirm you are expected. Booking ahead makes this quick.
4. Take the elevator to the floor. Many suites have a buzzer and a camera. Ring, and we will let you in.

How to compare stores fairly

You will not run out of choices on 47th Street, and you should feel free to look at more than one place. These habits keep the comparison fair:

• Compare the same thing. Write down shape, carat, color, clarity, cut, report lab and metal. A price only means something next to those details.
• Ask if it is lab grown or natural. Every lab diamond should be clearly called lab grown, and its report should say so.
• Ask what the price includes. Stone only, setting only, or the finished ring, and whether sizing is included.
• Get it in writing. A written quote with the report number lets you compare later without relying on memory.
• Do not feel rushed. A good jeweler will let you think it over. Walking down the block to compare is part of shopping here.

If someone on the sidewalk offers to bring you to a store, you can simply say no thank you. It is easier to arrive with a list of places and appointments already in mind.

When to visit

Weekday mornings tend to be calmer on the block than midday, when the sidewalk fills with deliveries and lunch crowds. Whatever time you choose, call ahead to the places you plan to see. Upstairs offices keep their own schedules, and an appointment means the right person is free when you walk in.

What to bring

• A photo ID for the lobby desk.
• Your budget range, and the part you would rather not go past.
• Photos or screenshots of rings you like. They help more than any description.
• A ring size, if you know it, or a ring that fits the right finger.
• Any report numbers you have seen online and want to compare.
• Your phone, to look up report numbers on the lab’s website while you are there.

How to check a report number on the spot

Most lab grown diamonds have the grading report number laser inscribed on the girdle, the thin edge around the stone. Ask the jeweler for a 10x loupe and look for it. Then enter that number on the grading lab’s own website, IGI or GIA, and check that the shape, weight, measurements and grades match the stone and the paper. It takes a minute and is worth doing anywhere on the block. Our guide to IGI certified lab grown diamonds shows how to read each line, and our 4Cs guide explains the grades.

Visiting us on 47th Street

NYC Lab Diamonds is a lab grown diamond showroom at 30 West 47th Street, Suite 806. Viewings are by appointment, so please call ahead or book online. If you tell us what you are looking for, we pull 3 to 5 matching stones and have them on the tray when you arrive. Start with our loose lab grown diamond request, or browse lab grown diamond engagement rings and save the pieces you want to see.

For directions to the building and the suite, see our visit and booking page, or call (212) 642-4345.