Top 10 Ways to Buy a Diamond
You’ve found the girl of your dreams and you want to gift her with the diamond of her dreams. Where do you start? Where do you go? How do you figure out what you are doing? If you have found yourself reading this article, then you are definitely on the right track to buy a diamond the right way. It’s taken me years and a GIA education to learn about diamonds, but I know that you don’t want to spend that long figuring it out, so I am condensing it down for you in one article to learn the top 10 ways to buy a diamond.
Top 10 Ways to Buy a Diamond
1. Know your C’s. It’s hugely important that before you even step foot into a store to buy a diamond that you know and understand your C’s. Yes, you will need to some research and studying before you even step foot into a diamond dealers place of business, whether it is a retailer or a wholesaler. I’ve written some pretty in-depth articles about each of these, but for the sake of brevity, I am going to just touch on each right here.
- Carat – The size and weight of the diamond.
- Color – This can be misleading, because the less color a diamond has, the better the diamond is! Color refers to how “white” the diamond is.
- Clarity – Once again, this can be misleading! Clarity doesn’t mean you can see through the diamond, but what imperfections are inside the diamond.
- Cut – And yet again, misleading. Cut doesn’t refer to the shape of the diamond, but how the light sparkles through the diamond.
- Cost – This is my own 5th C, because if you don’t understand the first 4 C’s, then you won’t understand why your diamond costs what it does!
2. Have a budget in mind. It’s easier to buy a diamond with a budget than to buy a diamond based on the size you might be expecting, especially since there are so many factors that go into the way a diamond is priced. If you have a budget in mind, the jeweler can pull diamonds based on what you can afford, showing you the best diamond they have in stock to the biggest your money can buy, but it might not be the best quality, so you can really compare and see what you are getting for your money.
I can tell you from experience that when I am helping a young man with a diamond purchase and he has a budget, it is much easier for me to pull a range of diamonds for him to look at and compare, than if he is vague on how much he wants to spend.
3. Choose your shopping experience. You might be wondering why I included this as how to buy a diamond, but the fact is, where you purchase the diamond is very important. You need to feel comfortable, safe and secure in your shopping experience. You need to feel as though you are getting the best deal, the best treatment and the best experience. Buying a diamond isn’t a quick process, even if you are going to purchase a pre-made ring. Make sure you don’t feel intimidated when you walk into the place you are ultimately going to lay down your cash or credit card, and most importantly, that you are in charge.
Visit diamond wholesalers, such as Jonathan’s Fine Jewelers, and retailers. Note the differences in the sales people and the store layout. Check out the quality of merchandise and decide where your comfort level is and then make a decision as to where you want to buy a diamond.
4. Pick a salesperson. If you aren’t comfortable and don’t connect with your salesperson, than you won’t trust them to tell you the truth, and remember, they are the more knowledgeable of you both, so you need to trust them. Interview your sales person before you commit to even seeing one diamond. It’s so important that you bond and connect with that person, because you will be spending not only a lot of time with them, but a lot of money as well.
For instance, Jay Freedman connects with his clients through his love of boats and his devotion to his family and Jonny connects with his clients because he is a triathlete and he went to Texas A&M and has a very strong presence on the TexAgs forum. Keifer is a collector of vintage Rolex Watches and played baseball at University of Texas and Sergio is a watch aficionado and knows everything there is to know about salt water aquariums, and then there’s me who is just your average rock hound. See, when you come to Jonathan’s Fine Jewelers, there is always someone you can connect with that can help you buy the perfect diamond.
5. See the merchandise. There’s no doubt that shopping online is the easy way to do everything these days, but when it comes to buying a diamond, you need to see the merchandise. This is a huge purchase and nothing will prepare for you the differences in the stones unless you can look at them under all different kinds of light and with a loupe. Add that to the experience of the sales person that you have chosen and you will be able to pick the perfect stone.
I’ve watched all of our guys in action, and what I love about the way they help each person that chooses them is so unique. First, they ask the right questions, so they know what shape to pull out of our own inventory and they will know your budget and the best part is that they will never judge a customer, whether you are want to spend $1,000 or $10,000. Then they never show fewer than five stones, and these diamonds are always within their budgets. Next they discuss each stone until a decision is made and they never put any pressure on the customer to hurry up and make a decision, because patience is a virtue, and they understand the seriousness of this type of purchase.
6. Keep HER in mind. This ring is not about you, and when you are out there going to buy a diamond and getting ready to start to design the setting, it’s important to keep her in mind. This is also when it’s great to work with a sales person you have connected with, because they will once again ask the right questions. Is your girl casual or more formal? Is she active? What type of work does she do? Does she wear more yellow gold or silver jewelry? Is her style classic or trendy?
We often get grooms to be sitting across from us that don’t have any idea what they want the ring to look like, but once we ask the right questions, we can show them pictures of rings we have done in the past and even current rings that are just finished. The great thing about coming to a place like Jonathan’s Fine Jewelers is that anything is possible. We can draw it out and make any changes you want to any ring and the only thing that can stand in your way is your own imagination. We believe that if you can dream it up, we can design it and make it and guarantee it will be stunning.
7. Think past the engagement ring. So, you might be wondering what thinking past the engagement ring has to do with how to buy a diamond, but it actually has a lot to do with it, because the wedding band is just as important. For instance, will you want a matched set? Will you want the two to be worn together, or will you be going with a plain gold band? Will you just purchase a plain diamond band or do you want to have one made?
This all figures into your initial budget when you are looking to buy a diamond because if you want to build a wedding band too, we need to know so we can plan for that. We want you to walk away with the best experience of your life, and the only way to do that is to know everything.
8. Set a timeline. Most guys know when they are going to propose, so they know when they want the ring done, but when you go to buy a diamond and have the ring made, it takes time. Depending on the setting you choose, it could take as long as six weeks if it’s done right. If you have a timeline in your head and plan ahead, then any plans you have made for yourself won’t be thwarted by having a custom ring made, which is truly the only way to get a one of a kind design with the diamond you choose.
9. Ask questions. There is no stupid question when you are going to buy a diamond. We want you to ask us questions and encourage it. In fact, when we have a phone consultation, we encourage our guys to write down all their questions before they come in and even sit down in front of us. When you leave our showroom, we want you to feel good about your purchase and 100% sure that you are getting the best diamond for the money you have and it is being made by the best jeweler in the city.
10. Have fun. Sounds easier said than done, doesn’t it? You would be surprised the amount of laughter that you can hear around our showroom floor. I can count on one hand the number of guys that have left us feeling disappointed, and that was because they had unrealistic expectations. When you go to buy a diamond set your expectations, stick to your budget, remember that a beautiful ring can’t be made overnight and that the end result will be happily ever after with the woman you love and you will have the best experience when you go to buy a diamond.
If you are in the market to buy a diamond and want the best experience, contact us for an appointment. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
