| SPRIGG NET |
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| SPRIGG NET |
| How to Buy a Diamond Ring |
| Contents - Summary - Disclaimer - Diamonds - Round (brilliant) Diamonds - Getting Started - Looking at Diamonds - Purchasing a Diamond - Choosing a Ring _____________________________________________________________________________ ( Page 2 of 3) Getting Started: If the ring is going to be a surprise, then you need to get an idea of ring styles and diamond sizes to figure out what she will like. This is the only stage of the process where you want to go to the mall, because each mall has several jewelry stores for you to conveniently visit one after the other. When talking to the salespersons at these national chain stores, don't ask technical questions, such as regarding diamond quality or the benefits of platinun over white gold. Such questions will waste time and might make the salesperson uncomfortable. Rather, stick to two questions: (1) How many carats is this one?, and (2) How much is it? Try to go during the week, when the stores are less crowded, so they won't mind spending time with you. Act very interested in comparing styles (as if that is all you really care about) so that they think they have a live one. Remember, your goal in the chain stores is to get the salespersons to show you as many rings as possible while you form a sense of how different ring styles and diamond sizes will look. You might even find a salesperson to help you figure out what style of ring will fit your intended's preferences and lifestyle, but I didn't find any of those salespersons in the mall. Looking at Diamonds: The next step is to visit several AGS member jewelers. You can search for local AGS members at the AGS website: www.ags.org. If the place is busy, then leave and come back later because you want someone to spent plenty of time with you without keeping them from helping other customers. When someone asks to assist you, tell them you want to look at AGS ideal-cut diamonds. If they ask about setting, then tell them you will probably get a white-metal solitaire. They will ask you for either a price range or carat range. Tell them you've been thinking about a third or half carat, but are considering a larger stone... maybe up to a carat. This way they will show you the full range. Remember, your goal at the jeweler is to get them to show you several diamonds, at least 5 or 8 or more. Some jewelers might not be helpful, but a good one will try to educate you. They should pull out several diamonds, show them to you under a scope so you can see inclusions and patterns (such as "hearts and arrows"), and let you look at the stones two-at-a-time so you can compare size, color, and sparkles. They should also show you some of a AGS certificates. Some jewelers are very honest and forthcoming, others are not. You should get a sense of each jewelers integrity, so you know who to visit again and who to avoid. - Many jewelers will try to change your preferences to fit there inventory. For example, one jewelry responded to my request for an AGS triple-ideal diamond by stating "So you just want a well-cut diamond." NO! There are many well-cut diamonds that are not as well-cut as triple-ideals. Of course, you might indeed want to look at an AGS "0" (which means ideal) along with an AGS "1" and AGS "2", in case you decide you accept a lower cut in order to afford a larger diamond. But don't let the jeweler make that decision for you. Write down the four "C"s and price for each diamond you look at so you can compare price on similar diamonds with other jewelers and web-based diamond distributors. Before you leave, look at the rings through the glass cases, because many jewelry make their own settings and you might get more ideas. Purchasing a Diamond: Local jewelers with stores must put about a 20% to 30% mark-up on their diamonds beyond that of web-based distributors. Whether or not you consider ordering a diamond from elsewhere (usually New York), you should search a few sites to get a sense of price. If you want less risk and better personal attention, return policy and upgrade policy, and you don't mind paying an extra 20%-30% (about $1000 per carat), then you might want to go back to one of the honest jewelers to build your ring, particularly if they have a setting you like. In Albuquerque, I would recommend Robert Weber at Beauchamp & Company. He is very forthcoming, helpful, and doesn't try to pressure or manipulate. - If you would rather purchase on-line to get more diamond for your money, then use sites that allow you to search on-line for the characteristics you want and let you view on-line the AGS certificates. A well-known and reputable distributor among the jewelers is www.bluenile.com. I purchased my diamond from www.diamondideals.com, because they seemed to have a larger on-line inventory, slightly lower prices, and they have AGS inscribe each stone with its AGS certification number for quick and easy identification under a microscope. Other sites are www.marshalledwards.com and www.mondera.com. These distributors generally have a 30-day return policy with no additional warrantees. - If you buy from a distributor, you should immediate take your diamond for inspection. A full appraisal by a reputable independent appraiser is ideal, but this might cost a couple hundred dollars and you will probably have to leave the diamond with the appraiser for a few days. Personally, I didn't want a full appraisal and I didn't want to leave my diamond. I only wanted an inspection to verify that the diamond sent to me matched the ceretificate that was sent to me. My jeweler performed an inspection in 20 minutes in which he (1) showed me the carat weight, (2) allowed me to view the inscription under the microscope, (3) allowed me to view the inclusions under the microscope to compare them with the markings on the diagram in the certificate, and (4) showed the diamond's color in a line-up with several benchmark diamonds of increasing yellowness. He only charged me $50 and never took my diamond out of my sight. This was perfect! If he had the setting I liked, then I would have had him perfrom the mounting as well, but I wanted more time to find the perfect setting. |
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