1. The Diamond District — West 47th Street, Manhattan
The obvious New York answer — the same gold, a fraction of the boutique price.
For plain bands in particular, West 47th Street is hard to argue with: the dealers and the workshops above them make and sell the same metal that ends up in boutique cases, without the boutique on top of it.
The exchanges at street level are the place to compare quickly — dozens of counters in one room — and the offices upstairs hold the setters and engravers who will do custom work directly.
Ask for the weight in grams as well as the price. It is the only honest way to compare two gold quotes, and the dealers expect the question.
Good to know: Most of the block closes early Friday and all day Saturday. Monday to Thursday.