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Our Sponsors
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Books
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How to Buy a Diamond
by Fred Cuellar
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This book comes from an industry insider who will tell you all about the business and how
to protect yourself when purchasing diamond jewelry. Highly recommended.
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Diamond Ring Buying Guide
by Renee Newman
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The clear illustrations and enlarged pictures of actual diamonds are what add tremendous value to this book. You can
learn to recognize blemishes, inferior cuts, etc., without having to set foot in a jewelry store. Also recommended.
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Next Steps
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS
for finishing the diamond tutorial! Unless, of
course, you cheated by jumping directly to this page :-)
Unfortunately, your work has just begun! You must
now decide what type of diamond you would like to purchase. To make your task even
more difficult, you must also decide on a ring. While Diamond ReviewTM
can't make the diamond and ring decision for you, we can help you in some of the other
finer points, such as selecting a jeweler, negotiating a fair price, and caring for your
jewelry.
Selecting a Jeweler
By far, the easiest and most reliable way to find a jeweler is
to submit a request to FindMyJeweler.com. After you submit your request (i.e. a
description of the diamond you seek, plus your name and a phone number where you can be reached
without the possibility of ruining any surprises), this FREE innovative service matches you up with
an independent diamond consultant who then helps you select a jeweler in your area.
One of FindMyJeweler.com's neatest benefits is how thoroughly they rate jewelers throughout
the U.S. They employ everything from random customer satisfaction surveys, to Better Business Bureau records, to
"secret shopper" tests to assure the highest quality. And because FindMyJeweler.com is committed to your
privacy, you can be assured that your personal information will never be disclosed to anyone other than
the jeweler that the independent diamond consultant selects for you. Submit a FindMyJeweler.com request
Local vs. Internet
If you are not in a hurry and are able
to find a good local jeweler, chances are that the local jeweler will be able to beat any Internet jeweler
in terms of value (value being the combination of service, quality, local convenience, and prices).
Finding a good local jeweler is tough -- there aren't that many out there, and the best ones
don't usually advertise because more of their clientele is based on referrals. If someone you completely trust
can refer you to a jeweler they trust, this is probably the best way to go. If not, try
submitting a FindMyJeweler.com request.
Once you have found a good local jeweler, be sure to:
1) Know the prices of diamonds (visit our price database),
2) Ask the right questions and examine the diamond
yourself (in person), and
3) Immediately after making the purchase,
have the diamond checked by an unbiased third party just to make sure you bought what you
think you bought. Warning: A second jeweler is NOT an unbiased third party. There
have been many cases in which consumers made a purchase at Jeweler #1, and then were lead to believe
that it was a poor purchase by Jeweler #2. The second jeweler always has a strong incentive to
condemn a purchase if there is a chance that the consumer might return his purchase to Jeweler #1
and make a purchase at Jeweler #2.
In general, approach the local jewelers first, since they will spend the time to educate you. Once you have a good idea of
what's out there, talk to wholesalers and definitely visit some of the Internet jewelers. Don't
assume that a wholesaler will price diamonds lower than retailers. The trick is to find
the best value, which simply means trying to find the highest quality diamond jewelery, at the
level of service, selection, and convenience that meets your needs.
Negotiating a Fair
Price
Everything in life is negotiable. Your first step
should be to learn to negotiate -- visit our
negotiation primer for a few general tips. The first thing you'll learn when you read
about negotiation is that you should know how much you're willing to pay before you walk
into a negotiation. Visit our price database
for help in that department.
Caring for your
Jewelry
Visit our
tutorial area for instructions on how to properly clean and store a diamond ring.
You should also strongly consider insuring your ring.
Most homeowner's and renter's insurance policies specifically exclude expensive
jewelry, and none will cover a loss or theft if it occurs outside of your home.
Also, consider how easily you could lose the stone if one of those teeny little prongs
that holds it in place happens to bend or break.
Continue to next topic - Rings
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