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Our advice on buying a diamond is the opinion of Joe and Sam Bruner based on combined experience of over 40 years of selling diamonds.. It is not self serving but is simply the rules we would follow if we were buying a diamond or we had to advise a friend or relative. We have always found that by helping customers and treating them as friends success has come to us without having to "hard sell" anything. Many jewelers will disagree with us but I can guarantee if you follow this advice you will buy a beautiful diamond which can be worn proudly for generations without ever having to apologize or explain to others about the quality. If however you are simply interested in getting the cheapest diamond possible then you might have to look elsewhere. Its not that you shouldn't be aware of prices and look for competitive values but we have found that those stores and consumers who put price before anything generally walk away with the worst diamonds I have ever seen. 1) Buy from someone you know or trust who has been around a long time and has a liberal exchange policy. When I say liberal I mean you can return it in 30 days NO questions asked. I say this because many stores have stipulations about what kind of appraiser you can use. When they do this they end up sending you to a so called "independent" appraiser who is not so independent because he/she is dependent upon jewelers sending the customers to that appraisal firm. That puts pressure on the appraiser to grade easier and put a very high value on the diamond. They don't charge as much as a major lab so to make a profit they grind them out in such quantity that there is little or no quality control. Many times all you have is a rubber stamped signature which allows the appraiser deniability if questioned. It happens quite often. I have appraisals on file from "independent" appraisers who have appraised a diamond TWO clarity grades higher and two and a half times the value. That means you could be seriously overcharged on a stone and the appraisal would still make the jeweler look like a hero. In many cases you could go to a competing jeweler with a qualified appraiser and get a much more realistic opinion. You should be the one making that decision. 2) Only deal with a store that has a graduate gemologist or better yet a Certified Gemologist Appraiser on staff for you to talk to. After all, you are spending a lot of money on a diamond why shouldn't a store have one for you to talk to? If they don't you should ask why not. In our state anyone can open a jewelry store and hold themselves out to the public to be an expert. You have no way of knowing that person's qualifications. It amazes me how many people I meet during an appraisal who are not happy with the results and say the jeweler had lots of diamonds in the store and sounded like he knew what he was talking about. The industry is full of these people. If I go have my teeth cleaned or even my hair cut I am dealing with someone who has been to some kind of school and has passed some kind of test. But you could spend thousands or tens of thousands of dollars for a diamond and be dealing with someone with no formal education. Gemology is not rocket science. It is six months in residence at the Gemological Institute of America or about a year and a half correspondence. I personally cannot understand why a person would have a jewelry store today and not want to have six months worth or formal training so they could insure their clients are getting the right information. 3) If you agree with number 1 and 2 you'll stay away from mass merchandisers, chain stores, and "jewelry districts" such as 47th street in New York. It is possible to get a good price on a poorly cut stone but the competition is so intense it could cause a jeweler to say or do things that they might not otherwise do in a different environment. You could be easily confused or led astray. If you have watched the stories done by Prime Time you would think more than twice. 4) Find an American Gem Society member if you can. If you can't locate one near you go to their Web site at www.ags.org. Locate a Certified Gemologist or Certified Gemologist Appraiser to help you. These people have gone out of their way (and well beyond that of a Graduate Gemologist) to become educated so they can better serve their customers in an honest and ethical fashion. They didn't have to do it. It indicates a jeweler who considers his reputation is important as how much money he makes. 5) Focus in on the cut. Grades are important but don't get obsessed with grades and forget about the cut. A good store will have equipment (either a proportionscope or Sarin machine) to demonstrate the cut. I have seen some very intelligent and educated people who have become obsessed with grades and end up buying some of the ugliest diamonds I've ever seen even though based on the certificate's specs it looked like a great deal. 6) Be careful about certificates. There are many labs around the country but there are only two that count in my book--The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the American Gem Society (AGS). Most of the others are less strict. Some are quite easy as explained in advice # 1. The GIA is strict in its grading and respected around the world. The AGS is also strict but includes a cut grade. There are other labs that have cut grades but they are very difficult to understand and almost seem to exist for the purpose of confusing the consumer. The AGS system is simple. The different parts of the diamond are given a numerical grade with 0 being the highest and 10 being the lowest. The lowest number given is then the grade. Its that easy to understand and it is the strictest system out there. 7) Buy our diamond information kit. Its only $19.95 plus shipping and its full of good info and advice. I have had many customers tell me that no one should shop for a diamond without reviewing the info in our kit. Good luck in your quest and don't be afraid to email us with any questions. |
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