Originally Posted by BenK

Don't worry about a few bonus miles and such. Getting an honest merchant with quality stones is much more important than a few thousand bonus miles. Some women know all about inclusions and color.

You might look at http://www.mervisdiamonds.com/ and get a good stone. A friend of mine used them and got a much better deal than he could find at a normal retail outlet. At the time, he lived in another state and had it shipped without sales tax. Not sure if that still works. If you still live WAS, you can go to their store either in Rockville, Tyson's Corner, or on L Street in town. You may need to call for an appointment. They will not try to sell you more than you want to buy and they will explain and show stones and settings in your price range. Washington Post 2004 Best place to buy a diamond. Their prices are also good. I do not believe that you will find better prices anywhere. Take the money you save, use it to buy tickets, and get status miles instead. Do you really want to buy your wife's ring at the same place you buy big lots of toilet paper? What sounds better when she's talking to her friends "He got my ring from Costco" or "He got my ring from Mervis Diamond Importers"?

Finally, they do take credit cards and they do have financing. 90 days same as cash, and others options. Check them out, even if you don't buy from them, you won't regret the experience--educational and top notch service. You will not regret it.