Having experienced and learned the difficulties in finding that perfect engagement ring for his then girlfriend, John Costello decided that it was high-time somebody provided a service where people could be offered a greater choice of diamonds at a more affordable price and it is from here that Diamonds and Gold was born.  

For John Costello, entering the diamond business was an unprecedented and unplanned move. Jewellery had certainly not been his childhood dream and he had not spent years contemplating moving into the business. Instead, it was one single but, very important act that changed John’s career path; deciding to propose to his then girlfriend.

Like many men about to propose, John started to build a new interest in diamonds and their value, especially as he began the arduous task of finding that one ring that would guarantee him a yes answer. During his days and weeks of peering through jewellers windows, examining rings up close and browsing diamonds online, John began to become very interested in the actual variety of diamonds available to him, whether they were certified and of course their price.

As this interest began to blossom, John enrolled in a course at the Birmingham School of Jewellery to learn more about this intriguing trade and from here, decided to take the big step and open his very own diamond shop in Galway city three and a half years ago, expanding to the capital earlier this year.

These new stores proved extremely popular and  as word of mouth began to spread about the new stores, their services and the affordability of their quality diamonds, the shops became increasingly busy with customers from all corners of the country travelling to them for a consultation.

At his new Cork store, John provides the same exceptional service and value available at both his flagship and Dublin stores.

For a start, all the diamond rings available instore are designed and handcrafted  in Ireland to the highest specifications and all diamonds above .40 carat are accompanied by an authentic diamond certificate describing their cut, clarity, colour and carat.

Furthermore, because John is a member of the International Diamond Exchange, he has access to all the diamonds available in the world at any time which means he can buy diamonds at the best price. These savings combined with the fact that John keeps his overheads low means that Diamonds and Gold can pass on significant savings to their customers, reducing the price of diamonds by up to 50 per cent.