Shopping in Manhattan's Diamond District

Manhattan is a great place to find the best of something. Best theater, best food, best art -- and definitely best shopping, as long as you've got some padding in your bank account. One of the greatest places for a girl to shop in Manhattan is on 47th St between 5th and 6th Avenues, also known as the Diamond District.

New York's Diamond District is a full city block of sparkly goodness, and whether you want to buy or just gawk, this is the place to come for fine jewelry. With over 2,600 independent businesses in the Diamond District (seriously!), you have no excuse not to shop around. If you get a bad vibe from someone, stay away -- you have plenty of other options. Some jewelers have shops of their own, but most operate booths in large jewelry exchanges, which can have hundreds of different vendors all under one roof.

If you want to have a good experience and not get ripped off, start by dressing the part. The more money it looks like you've got, the more attention you'll get. And the more knowledgeable you appear, the less likely you'll be ripped off. Don't just throw around buzz words, though. Diamond vendors can tell when you're just regurgitating some pamphlet on the four C's. If you want to really know your stuff, take a good look at the Personal Gemologist series at AisleDash. Learn how to tell quality from crap. If a vendor describes something in terms you don't understand, don't buy it. While you may be looking at a very pretty ring, you may be buying a synthetic stone, or artificially enhanced piece of jewelry. Find more helpful shopping tips on the Diamond District website here.

Lastly, it's not in the Diamond District, but your Manhattan jewelry experience isn't complete until you visit Tiffany & Co, located at 57th St & 5th Ave.

Filed under: Arts and Culture