A Girl's Best Friend
Need some glamour? Take a stroll through the Diamond District. This "gem" of a neighborhood offers over 2,600 independent jewelry shops selling antique pieces, engagement and wedding rings, pearls, diamonds and other precious stones, all packaged in a truly unique New York neighborhood experience.

All that Glitters…
The United States is the world's largest consumer market for diamonds. Over 90 percent of the diamonds that enter the country go through New York City, and most of them go through the Diamond District (the stretch of 47th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue). The diamond business in New York began in the late 1800s and early 1900s when the first diamond merchants set up shop in lower Manhattan, first on Maiden Lane and then on Canal Street. By the mid 1920's a thriving diamond industry had been established that was known as the "Diamond District". In 1941, the Diamond District began to move uptown to its current location today. Today the Diamond District sells a lot more than diamonds: savvy shoppers will tell you that the area offers virtually any type of jewelry imaginable, as well as jewelry related services, such as cleaning, pearl restringing or watch repair.

Lotsa Shops in One Small Block!
How is it possible to fit 2,600 jewelry stores in a one block stretch anyway? Most of these businesses don't operate out of their own storefront--they have a booth in one of the 25 jewelry "exchanges" scattered throughout the district. Each exchange is home to up to 100 separate, independent jewelry businesses, offering curious consumers a lot of opportunities for comparison shopping. Step five steps to the right or five steps to the left in the exchanges and you'll find yourself facing a different jeweler with a totally different selection, eager to help you find your ideal piece. Get started by visiting the World's Largest Jewelry Exchange at 55 W. 47th Street where you can visit 115 independent jewelers at once!

A New York Tradition
The Diamond District is all about tradition-both for those who shop and work there. Many families have cemented relationships with their Diamond District jeweler that span generations. Jewelers will tell stories of how they helped a couple pick out a wedding ring and helped that couple's son or daughter do the same 25 years later, and it's not unusual to see pictures of their customers (and their children and grandchildren) taped to the walls above their jewelry cases and register. For the various jewelers and merchants that work on 47th Street, this respect for tradition and relationship building is held in the highest regard. Deals are based on relationships and trust, and one's word often replaces a written contract, as it has for generations.

"Ask a Jeweler"
As the saying goes, "Diamonds are a girl's best friend". But with so many different styles of diamonds and jewelry to choose from, how can a gentleman make sure he's picking out the right bauble for his better half? Dennis Marlow, owner of Solitaire Creations, Inc. (15 West 47th Street) offers the following advice:

Getting Here:
Subway B,D,F and V trains: 47th -50th Streets/Rockefeller Center
N and R trains: 49th Street and 7th Avenue
4,5,6, 7 and Times Square Shuttle: Grand Central stations- 42nd Street between Park and Lexington Avenues
Parking Kinney Systems- 38 West 46th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues
Rockefeller Center Garage- 25 West 48th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues
Central Parking- 50 West 49th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues
Manhattan Parking- -137 West 45th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues
Central Parking Systems- 100 West 44th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues
Resource Parking- 164 West 46th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues
Edison Park Fast- 1120 6th Avenue at 44th Street
Kinney Systems- 155 West 48th Street between 6th and 7th Avenue