1. I can't help myself but to keep on emphasizing this to anyone
who wants to buy a diamond online: LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT
DIAMONDS! Sorry, I don't mean to shout. But in reality, many
people are still very ignorant about diamond, believe it a not,
there are jewelers who are unable to differentiate a diamond cut
from a diamond shape. Everyone is so hyped up about the carat
weight and has totally forgotten about the other 3
characteristics of a diamond.
Still unconvinced? Here's another great reason to start learning
about diamonds. Remember this saying: "Diamonds are women's best
friend."? You want to win your girl's heart with her 'best
friend's' help and yet you do not know anything about a diamond?
You might even get yourself scammed before you even present the
stone to her.
Anyway you aren't trying to get a qualification in gemology, so
it won't take you years or months to learn something about
diamond. There are plenty of articles and information on the 4C
of a diamond. Spend some useful time in the library or internet
and learn about diamonds. Who knows, you may become an expert in
diamonds.
2. Prioritize the 4 characteristics. There are much more about
diamonds than just the 4C. But at the end of the day, the 4Cs
are still the major factors influencing the quality and price of
a diamond.
Before you start prioritizing the 4Cs, you got to know what your
girl actually likes about a diamond. If she like big one, go for
a diamond with big carat weight but with poorer quality in terms
of color, cut or clarity. If she likes the brilliance of a
diamond and doesn't mind the size, choose one with excellent cut
and clarity. Whichever the case is, prioritizing the 4Cs will
give you a better idea of what diamonds will suit her taste as
well as your budget.
3. With your list, do some price research at the jewelry retail
stores. Based on your list, the dealers should be able to give
you a rough estimate on the market price. If the price is out of
your budget, try to go for a grade lower than your expectation
and you may eventually find one that suits you well.
Another alternative is to purchase online jewelry stores. Online
jewelry stores make use of technologies to cut down on expenses
and hence they are able to offer you much competitive prices,
about 30% lower than average US retail price. The top online
jewelry stores often have excellent search engine to save you
the time and trouble of searching and comparing diamonds prices.
4. Whether you are buying diamond offline or online, being
comfortable with the dealer is very important. If you found
online jewelry stores or retail stores with great prices and
feel tempted to take out your card and start buying anything,
cool down first.
If you have been doing researching, you would have come across
information on cubic zirconium diamonds. These synthetic
diamonds are D-color graded, flawless and cut to perfection. In
short, a CZ diamond is a 'perfect' diamond. It is brilliant,
flawless and yet cheap. Their prices do not increase
exponentially with their quality unlike diamonds.
There are also some natural diamonds which have undergone
treatments to reduce its blemishes thus enhanced its appearance.
It is still a low grade diamond but dishonest dealers may try to
pass it off as a good graded diamond and sell you at a higher
price.
Before you start swiping your hard-earned money away, do some
research about the jeweler as well. Ask your family, relatives
or friend who have purchased from the dealer. Online forum is a
good place to ask around and there are plenty of sites that
review on jewelry store online. Give the jewelry store a visit
or call their hotline, talk to their staffs and decide for
yourself if you are comfortable with the store.
5. Always remember to ask for a money back guarantee. Especially
if you are intending to buy online, be doubly sure the store has
the complete details about their return policy, which should
include information about the validity period, what to do if you
wish to return your purchase and their address. As a rule of
thumb, online stores should offer you no less than 21 days
return policy. In fact, most of them have a return policy of 30
days.
6. Remember to ask about the grading report as well. Certified
diamond should come along with a grading report by reputable
gemology organizations such as GIA or AGS. Some dealers
certified their diamond by in-house gemologists and they may be
using different grading standards from GIA or AGS. After you
have purchase your diamond, get it appraised again with the
grading report by a trained gemologist.
About the author:
Kelvin Ong is the owner of The Perfect
Engagement, a website that offers reviews on online jewelry
stores selling engagement rings and on books about marriage
proposals and diamond engagement rings. The Perfect Engagement
has a growing collection of marriage
proposal ideas and diamond guides.
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