Tips for Purchasing Your Next Diamond Jewelry

The diamond jewelry market has been characterized in recent years by intense competition among diamond dealers on the diamonds exchange who turned to profit through this channel. Naturally, everyone wants to profit honorably, but sometimes, fierce competition leads to a decline in the ethical standards, which I believe is crucial for maintaining trust between professionals and the customers purchasing the end product. At the end, this is a business based on trust, and the images of the jewelry that customers see on various websites don’t always reveal the true data (such as differences in gemological evaluations and the finishing quality of the jewelry), which significantly affects the final price for the consumer.

I believe that the trust I gain from my clients is sacred, and I strive not to exploit my knowledge and experience as a gemologist to gain profits at the expense of the trust I have earned.

Beyond that, the options for choosing diamonds based on budget and customer preference (not necessarily what is currently in stock for the dealer/shop) are almost limitless. We have 4-5 parameters to “play with” to find diamonds that fit your budget and taste. For example, if I want a 1-carat diamond and want a yellow gold ring, I can compromise a bit on color to achieve the size I desired, even if my budget wouldn’t allow it if I insisted on choosing a very high-color diamond.

Considering what I’ve written so far, I thought it appropriate to share some of the insider knowledge generally reserved for industry professionals. Here is a list of tips that will help you in your next purchase:

1. Most importantly, listen to your gut, not just the information given about the diamond. When presenting several options to my clients, I suggest they start with what they like the most. With the rest (price, weight, color, clarity, cut), we can later reach a “Common Ground” in the decision-making process.
2. Ensure whether you are buying a natural diamond or a lab-grown diamond. Make sure if you are buying a natural diamond or a laboratory-grown diamond. The dealer is supposed to mention it immediately, but for added assurance, ask. it could be that they forgot to state it, and there can be significant differences between them both in pricing and in maintaining their value after you have purchased them.
3. Request a gemological certificate from a reputable international institute or, at the very least, an evaluation by a gemologist in a strict standard (there are labs where there is no connection between them and a professional gemological evaluation – they serve traders and not the end customers).
4. Ensure that the diamond you are purchasing has a reasonable cut. This can affect both its brilliance and its proportions in terms of weight in carats versus its visible size.
5. A “K” color diamond and even L may appear very white in yellow gold. You don’t always have to pay the premium associated with choosing high-color diamonds.
6. In most cases, you won’t actually see the undeniable difference between VS2 and SI2 with the naked eye. You’ll see it in your bank account.
7. Ask if the diamond has the characteristic of fluorescence. It doesn’t always affect the diamond’s appearance, but it’s good to know that it reduces its value and, accordingly, should also reduce its price for the consumer.
8. If you feel that the diamond shown to you lacks sufficient brilliance, you are probably correct. There is such a characteristic in some diamonds (in the industry, we call it a “milky” or “cloudy” diamond), and some dealers take advantage of the lack of knowledge and confidence of customers and offer them such diamonds at full price.
9. The price difference between 18K gold jewelry and 14K gold jewelry can reach up to 20%, and the difference in appearance, especially in white gold, is not always significant. Ask to see the differences between the two types of jewelry before making a decision.
10. Sometimes we forget that a low price always has an explanation. In the world of diamond jewelry, it is very difficult for end customers to check the price difference between various traders. Still, I want to remind you that almost always (except for rare cases), “You get what you paid for.”