Diamond Education and What It Can Do For You
Over the last few months, our gemologist Alicia has shared her expertise on buying diamonds, including a four-part buying guide and a four-part series on the 4Cs of diamonds. She did an awesome job, and if you read all of them, you are now a rock star in the diamond-buying world, ready to move forward toward your purchase armed with knowledge. So, why is this so important? Why have we spent so much time focusing on diamond education?
Its easy to identify the different parts of a diamond, but did you know that each part has specific proportions that must be met in order to maximize the sparkle?
Well, for most people, a diamond is a big investment. Making sure you have at least a basic understanding of what you’re buying is the most important aspect of purchasing a diamond. Just like when you get a new car — be it used or new — there is research to be done. If the car is brand new, you check pricing from multiple dealers, safety reports, compare similar makes and models, test drive it, etc.
If it’s used, you can check the CARFAX report, take it for a spin, look under the hood, and have a mechanic check it out for you. When buying a diamond, it’s no different. Enter the deal with as much knowledge as you can to ensure you know what you’re purchasing and that you are getting exactly what you want from who you want, and receiving the best price along the way.
Plus, your experience buying a diamond should be a pleasant one, not a scary one. This is yet another reason why educating yourself is so important. Just like with cars, diamonds come in all shapes, sizes, and qualities. There are diamonds out there that are equivalent to the heap of rusting junk your neighbors’ call a car, and there are diamonds that are equivalent to a Lamborghini that thunders down the road with beauty, ease, and grace.
Diamond education gives you the knowledge you need to understand this, as well as the ability to make the best decision on what to purchase and how it fits your budget and needs. So when you walk into a jewelry store and the sales associate blows a bunch of smoke in your eyes, you’ll know it. But you will also know when they are being helpful and truthful. Finding an ally that will work with you — and for you — is invaluable when purchasing a diamond.
Now, even if you’ve read all about diamond buying and the 4Cs, you may still be confused. It’s a lot of information! Don’t fret. Interpreting what you’ve read about diamonds will begin to translate when you start looking at them. If you really want to shock yourself into understanding, go to a volume sales store, like Walmart or Kohl’s, and really look at some of their diamond pieces.
Then go to a luxury jewelry store and look at theirs. It’s pretty easy to see the difference. For the purposes of your purchase, neither is bad or good; it’s more about understanding that there are differences in diamonds and being able to identify those differences. You then must determine what you want and what your needs are.
If you’ve read all of our diamond information here and would like even more information, make sure it take a look at the Gemological Institute of America’s website. They are the industry cornerstone on diamonds and can help you in your search.
And if you haven’t read any of Alicia’s diamond series, yet, and are in the market to buy, don’t miss these great articles:
Buying Diamonds 101 — Part I: An Introduction
Buying Diamonds 101 — Part II: What You Want to Buy
Buying Diamonds 101 — Part III: What You Are Buying
Buying Diamonds 101 — Part IV: Who to Buy From
Dissecting the 4Cs — Part I: Carat
Dissecting the 4Cs — Part II: Clarity
Dissecting the 4Cs — Part III: Color
Dissecting the 4Cs — Part IV: Cut
Happy diamond hunting from all of us here at Hammer + Gem.
Cheers,
Jess the Jeweler
