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"Hello Rob,
Your site is a life-saver. I've heard about the site BlueNile.com, but never realized its reliability and reputation.
Thanks a lot. I really appreciate it."
- Greg
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"Hi Rob!
Terrific web site - and perfect, too! Everything's right there!
Thanks!"
- jl scott, ph.d.
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"Good day,
I am the Webmaster for {Top Ranked Diamond Site} and I am interested in purchasing your site: helpwithdiamonds.com
If you are interested in selling it, can you please email me back with a quote for how much you are looking to sell for?
Thank you for your time, I hope to hear back from you soon!
Regards,
-Webmaster
{Top Ranked Diamond Site} |
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Quickly Learn How To Save Thousands On A Diamond Engagement Ring
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Learn How To Save A Lot Of Time And Money When Buying A Diamond Engagement Ring And How To Avoid Getting Scammed.
- By Rob Cross
This guide can help you in three ways:
- Give you a boiled down "just the facts, not the fluff" education of how to recognize value in a Diamond (help you understand how to get a good looking diamond without overpaying).
- Show you where to find people who will sell quality diamonds for much less of a markup.
- Teach you how to avoid common Diamond scams (how to protect yourself when buying a Diamond).
| Click Here to see how Blue Nile got an A+ when I tested their return policy. |
What You Need To Know To Protect Yourself:
You are busy my friend; so let's get started with your accelerated education of how to recognize value in a Diamond. This is very important, because, if you go shopping for a Diamond and you really don't know much about them, you will be easy prey for someone to rip you off for thousands of dollars.
It would be an easy matter for an experienced Diamond merchant to pull the wool over your eyes, reach into your wallet and help themselves to thousands of extra dollars when you buy a diamond.
I don't want that to happen, so let's get you educated. A short time on this site will help you to be more educated than 98% of the people on the planet in regards to how to purchase a quality diamond ring for less.
How To Determine The Value Of A Diamond:
There are six basic things to look for when examining a Diamond to see if it is priced properly and to see if it is a good value.
They are:
- Clarity
- Color
- Cut
- Carat (how much it weighs)
- Transparency
- Florescence
These are the important concepts to understand before you buy a Diamond or you will be in the dark.
Diamond Clarity:
Clarity is basically whether or not your diamond has flaws (little inclusions). Flaws are not necessarily a bad thing because all diamonds have flaws. Many are not visible to the naked eye and therefore do not hurt the overall appearance of your diamond.
The flaws in your diamond can actually help you make a "map" of it so you can identify it if you need to.
Basically the trick with clarity (if you're looking to save money) is to not be too picky about the slight imperfections that are not even visible to the naked eye.
The standard grading scale for clarity looks like this:
On the clarity scale from Fl to SI2 you can't even really notice the blemishes with the naked eye.
So if you trying to save money don't even bother buying a Diamond that is higher in grade than an SI1 or SI2.
Any decent lab report or diamond certificate should tell you the clarity grade. Most diamond certificates can be viewed before purchase if you are dealing with a good online discount diamond store. These reports are not hard to read (more about lab reports later).
Diamond Color:
Color is one of the best areas to save money on a Diamond if your budget is limited. Most experts cannot tell the difference with their naked eye between color grades when it comes to two similar diamonds (of two different color grades) unless they are looking at a master set of diamonds to judge them by.
Here is the standard grading scale for color:
When it comes to buying a diamond, the clearer (or colorless) the Diamond is the better (generally speaking). Unless you're very rich, don't bother getting a Diamond that is real high on the color scale because you will pay through the nose for it.
In my opinion, anything higher than an "H" or an "I" grade is for someone who has a lot of extra money to spend. "I" diamonds still look nice and cost less. Diamonds worse than the "I" rating (J-Z), in my opinion start to look a little questionable.
Some diamonds have their color changed (or treated) by being heated under high pressure. Don't buy a Diamond that has been treated. Some other treatments include irradiation, laser drilling, coating and fracture filling.
Your online lab report should tell you whether or not a diamond is untreated.
Diamond Cut:
How a Diamond is cut can affect its value by 50 percent or more. The cut will affect the brilliance and sparkle of the Diamond which is what most people want a Diamond for. If you're not concerned about brilliance and sparkle, you can simply by a piece of glass.
Most modern round brilliant cut diamonds have 58 facets. There are generally 33 on the top and 24 on the bottom (plus the bottom "point").
Typically a Diamond is divided into two parts. There is the top part, which is the crown, and there is the bottom part, which is the pavilion. In a reasonably well proportioned Diamond, the crown should be about one-third the length of the total Diamond. So therefore the pavilion should be about two-thirds of the total length of the diamond from top to bottom.
Take a look at my diagram to familiarize yourself with the shape and cut of an ideally cut diamond (the one in the middle is properly proportioned).
The first diamond is too shallow, the third is too deep and the second is just right. If the Diamond does not resemble this shape, as a general rule it may not reflect light very well and it may not have a lot of sparkle or brilliance. There are sometimes exceptions, but as a general rule look for these general dimensions.
When you're looking at a lab report or a certificate of a Diamond check to see if the diamond has the right proportions. They should be very clearly labeled on your certificate so you can examine them before you buy.
Here are the appropriate proportions to look for on the certificate:
When it comes to debt percentage, a round Diamond should have a debt percentage between 58 and 64 percent.
For the table percentage look for a Diamond that is between 53 and 64 percent.
The polish on the grading report should be in "good" or better. Sometimes "fair" is okay.
Make sure you buy a stone that has a lab certificate so that you can have the stone checked out to see if it is really what the seller said it was when they sold it to you.
Here's a nifty trick, if you are online looking at a Diamond and you want to see if the certificate representing the Diamond is a fake, simply call the GIA at (800-421-7250) and tell them the report number and important stats on the report to see if the report is a fake or not.
There is no charge for the call.
Keep in mind that you will need to actually send the Diamond and the report to the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) after your purchase to verify that the Diamond and the report match up if you want to be sure of your purchase.
This is why you need to buy from an outfit that offers lab reports (certificates) and has a very liberal money back guarantee so that you can send the Diamond back if there are any complications. (I will show you how to do that later).
Diamond Carat:
Carat is simply how much the stone weighs. A lot of marketing forces out there have tried to make the standard minimum weight for an engagement ring to be 1 carat (also measured as 100 pts).
One way to save quite a bit of money on a diamond is to buy just below the 1 carat mark (at say 90 pts). A 90 pt diamond can be priced much less than a 100 pt (or 1 carat) diamond and it may look identical to the naked eye. A similar savings could be attained by buying a 45 pt ring rather than a 50 pt (1/2 carat) ring.
Another way to save a great deal of money is to buy three 1/3 carat diamonds that are placed on one ring instead of one large 1 carat stone. This is not always a popular route to go (most people like one big stone), but I wanted you to be aware that many smaller stones on a diamond ring generally cost much less than 1 large stone of the same total weight.
Be aware that the "carat weight" of the large stone in your ring and "total carat weight" are two different things. "Total carat weight" stands for the sum total Diamond weight for all the diamonds on the ring, not just the biggest stone.
Society and peer pressure, will try to pressure you into buying at least a one carat ring. If you can afford it, more power to you. Be aware though, that just because a ring is one carat, does not mean it will be beautiful.
A ring cut poorly, will not have much brilliance or sparkle. If it's the wrong color it may not be pleasing to the eye, and if it's murky (cloudy) it can look poor as well.
A common mistake for Diamond novices is that they "need a one carat ring" and quickly go out and buy one of the first 1 carat diamonds they see. They do not realize that there are many other factors involved in actually purchasing a beautiful ring.
A smaller Diamond that is of a better color and cut and that does not have noticeable inclusions may be much prettier to the eye than a roughly cut one carat Diamond that has a yellow color.
Diamond Transparency:
Transparency is something you can notice with your naked eye. Just be careful not to buy a Diamond that is cloudy, milky or murky because it will lack brilliance. Most clarity grades do not take into account transparency much. This is something you will just have to keep your eyes open for. If you buy a reasonably priced Diamond online and it looks murky or cloudy to you, just send it back (be sure to buy one from a trusted online source with a good return policy).
Diamond Florescence:
Whatever color produced by the florescent property the Diamond generally only occurs in daylight or florescent light. A stone with strong yellow florescence will appear more tinted when worn in daylight or florescent lighting.
A stone with very strong blue florescence might appear oily or murky in daylight or florescence lighting.
If strong yellow or strong blue fluorescence is present in a stone it should be indicated on the diamond grading report. I would not recommend buying a ring with "strong" yellow or "strong" blue fluorescence.
How To Put It All Together To Find a Nice Looking Diamond For Less Money:
To get a good buy, you ideally want a color grade between h-i, a clarity grade between SI1-SI2, and a proportion of (table (between 53 and 64 percent), dept (between 58 and 64 percent)), and carat weight of what you can afford (try to buy a little under 1/2, 1, 1.5, or 2 carats). The polish on the grading report should be in "good" or better. All of these things should be easy to check on the online diamond certificate.
My Top Choice For An Online Jeweler With Great Quality And Great Prices:
How To Save Money When Buying A Diamond.
Now that you know more about how to look for value in a Diamond, the next information you want is where to buy a quality Diamond for less money.
Here's the quick rundown on price. The Diamond cartel has quite a monopoly going on diamonds which means they are pretty much going to get their cut of the action.
Finding The Right Ring:
Regarding the ring itself, you can save money by getting a ring that has:
- good color, but not perfect color (h-i)
- good clarity, but not perfect clarity (SI1-SI2)
- just a little less carat weight than 1 carat or ½ carat weight (around .90 pts or .45 pts)
Finding A Reputable Diamond Dealer Who Will Sell For Less:
Regarding who sells you the ring, the best way for you to save money is to find a retailer that has low overhead, quality products, and is willing to take less of a mark up on the price than the other guy.
If you go to your local jewelry store or to some mega-mall, you are paying for the rent on their fancy real estate property. You're also paying for whatever advertising costs they are putting out.
Dealing with a good internet diamond store can bring the price down dramatically because you don't have the high overhead costs (no big fancy retail outlet building) and advertising on the Internet can be much cheaper than advertising in the real world. These cost savings can be passed on to you the customer.
You also don't have to deal with the high pressure retail sales people who make you feel like a bum if you don't reach into your wallet and give them thousands of dollars.
The trick is to find a quality online diamond dealer that has a good return policy. This way, if you don't like the ring that arrives in the mail, you simply go to the post office send it back by registered, insured mail (this is not very expensive) and you should be fine.
How do you find a good online jewelry store that you can trust that has great prices?
Here's what to look for:
- Make sure they are registered with the Better Business Bureau and have a good track record. If you want to look them up, the Better Business Bureau's web site is here. Blue Nile is registered with the BBB in Seattle WA.
They are also a "Forbes Favorite: Best of The Web" Pick. Forbes Magazine has consistently voted Blue Nile their favorite online jeweler.
Blue Nile has also been honored with Bizrate's Circle of Excellence Platinum Award. Blue Nile is one of only 20 companies to be honored with this award.
Blue Nile was named a Best Overall Company category finalist in the first national, American Business Awards.
- Make sure they have a great return policy. If you read the fine print of some online jewelry stores they will tell you that returns on custom orders have a restocking fee. Then they may define a custom order as any purchase over $2000.
So if you buy a ring and you it arrives and you don't like it and it is priced at $2500, you may be paying a substantial penalty to return the ring.
This is why it's very important to understand the return policy of an online jeweler before you order. I like the return policy of Blue Nile. They don't charge a restocking fee if your order is over $2000, like some other companies do.
Some other companies will also not accept returns if you make your own custom ring with them. Blue Nile will still give you a full refund, even if you custom make your ring on their site.
| Here's what happened when I ordered a diamond ring from Blue Nile and returned it to test their return policy: |
- The process of ordering the ring was very easy.
- Their customer service was always available, very courteous and helpful. No attitude or heavy sales.
- The ring arrived 5 business days after I ordered it (I ordered a custom setting so it took a little longer than normal).
- The ring arrived in a beautiful cherry wood box with leather interior, a polishing cloth and it came with a nice GIA certificate and a couple of appraisal certificates. Everything looked sharp and very professional.
- The diamond ring itself was beautiful and very high quality and I did not want to send it back even though this was a test of the return policy. The ring made me feel like proposing to some gal.
- I called Blue Nile customer service to let them know I wanted to return the ring and they were very courteous. They gave me a return code number. The shipping label sticker and instructions to return the ring were already in the shipping box with the ring. The instructions were easy to follow.
- They instructed me I had a full 30 days to return the ring.
- After a week of enjoying looking at the ring, I took it to the post office. I sent it to Blue Nile by registered insured mail and the whole process, including the packing of the ring, took less than 30 minutes. It was easy. The shipping cost me around $14 to return the ring, but that's not bad considering you can save thousands using Blue Nile.
- Within 5 business days of my sending the ring, Blue Nile had refunded the price of the ring to my bank account.
- The whole process of ordering the ring and returning it was easy and seemed very risk free. Blue Nile was a class act through the whole process. I highly recommend them. I now see why they have the highest customer satisfaction rating of any online diamond company I could find (96%).
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Click Here To Find My Current Best Buy Recommendations For Blue Nile
- Make sure the lab document or GIA certification is available online to look at for the ring you want to buy. This will give you the valuable stats on the ring that you need to know.
Check the information on the certificate against the educational section above on this site to be sure of what you are getting.
To get a good buy, you ideally want a color grade between h-i, a clarity grade between SI1-SI2, and a proportion of (table (between 53 and 64 percent), dept (between 58 and 64 percent), and carat weight of what you can afford (try to buy a little under 1/2, 1, 1.5, or 2 carats). The polish on the grading report should be in "good" or better.
While you are online and looking at the laboratory certificate for a ring, you can call the GIA for free (800-421-7250) and let them know you're looking at a lab certificate and would like to find out if it is a fake certificate or not.
Simply tell them the certificate number and any important stats on the certificate like color and clarity grades. They will let you know if it is an authentic certificate or not. They do not charge for this call.
Send them the certificate and the ring after you buy it to be sure the ring and the certificate actually match if you want to be 100% sure of your purchase (I will explain how to do this later).
- Check their shipping prices. The shipping prices should be clearly labeled on the site and easy to find. Shipping fees should be nominal. I like the shipping policy of Blue Nile. They offer free FedEx 2nd Day® shipping with all orders.
You do have to pay the shipping and insurance charges (for the return trip only) if you don't like the diamond, but Blue Nile has very high customer approval ratings.
- Check how long they have been in business. The company that has been around for 5 years is a safer bet than some company that has only been in business for two weeks.
Blue Nile has been around for approximately 5 years and has the highest customer approval ratings of any online diamond store I could find.
My Top Choice For An Online Jeweler With Great Quality And Great Prices:
| The reasons I am recommending Blue Nile over the competition are: |
- They received the highest customer satisfaction ratings (96%) I could find!
- Their prices are very good (thousands less than many retail outlet stores)
- They have a great return policy (the best I could find). Click Here to read about a test of Blue Nile's return policy.
- There is no sales tax on your order unless you are from Washington State or Canada
- They are registered with the BBB in Seattle, Washington
- They have great customer service
- They have won many awards for being the best online jeweler
- They offer free shipping
- They have been in business for approximately 5 years
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To find my recommended best buys, click on the link directly below that says "Search for diamonds at Blue Nile".
Search for diamonds at Blue Nile
You should then see a screen that looks like this:
Choose the diamond shape you want (most people choose round) and type in a range for your budget and then click on the purple button that says "search for diamonds".
You should then see a handy search tool that looks like this:
Drag the purple arrows on the right until they only display these diamonds:
Cut: Very good - Ideal
Color: Only "I" or "H" color
Clarity: SI1 - SI2 range
When you are done setting the arrows they should look like this:
Select a diamond from the results. These are "great deals". A retail store may charge you thousands more for similar looking diamonds.
Using this method, you can get a nice one carat diamond at Blue Nile for around $3400. When I go to the retail stores, I see similar diamonds priced at $6000. The ones I see in the retail stores for $3995 are ugly with very large inclusions that are visible to the eye.
With Blue Nile's great reputation and quality customer service, it seems like a shame not to save thousands of dollars. Also there is no sales tax on your order unless you are from Washington State or Canada.
How To Avoid Diamond Ring Scams:
Unfortunately, a lot of people overpay for their diamond rings. My goal is to protect you from doing that.
Here are some typical bad situations to watch out for:
- The large page "50% Off Sale" newspaper ad. You see some big newspaper ad describing how you can buy a wonderful Diamond for 50 percent off if you act within the next two days (this deadline provides a sense of urgency). Supposedly a $5000 ring is being temporarily reduced to only $2500.
Wow, it sure seems like a great opportunity. Unfortunately the person running the ad has taken a $1500 ring and claimed it's worth $5000 and they are selling it for $2500.
So the unwary customer (who has not educated themselves like you) winds up buying a ring for $2500 that was only worth $1500. Oops.
- The "he said-she said" scam. You buy a diamond ring at the local jewelry store and unfortunately the diamond ring did not come with any kind of lab certificate. Most offline jewelry stores don't provide lab certificates for many of their diamonds.
This is another reason why buying from a reputable online jeweler can be better because most of the good ones provide the certificates online for easy viewing.
The jeweler told you the ring had a certain carat weight and clarity grade, a certain color grade and was cut proportionately. You tell him you're going to have the ring appraised to verify these facts. He says, "no problem, if the ring doesn't check out simply bring it back and I will refund your money".
You have the ring checked out by a qualified appraiser, and sure enough, the ring really wasn't even close to what the jeweler said it was. You bring it back for the refund and the jeweler claims you have switched the diamond.
You call the police and the police really don't know whose story to believe. How could they?
This is why, if you buy a ring from a jewelry store, you must have the jeweler write on the receipt all of the important identifying characteristics of the diamond (carat weight, color grade, clarity grade (draw a little map of the inclusions and have him initial it) and, cut proportions, etc). Have him sign it and state that the sale is contingent upon a third party appraisal of your choice.
Do not let him talk you into taking it to "his friend", because his friend may mislead you just like he did. He may give his friend a call while you are on your way and tell his friend how to rate or grade the diamond so that you won't realize you have been ripped off.
This is why I prefer to go with an online jewelry store, because they provide certificates that you can view when you are looking at a diamond online. Blue Nile also has a 96% customer satisfaction rating. It's a shame most brick and mortar stores don't have those kind or stats hanging outside their store.
If an online diamond store has a liberal return policy, a good record with the Better Business Bureau, and plenty of years in business, you should be fine (and it should be much cheaper than buying from a brick and mortar retail store).
If you would like some free assistance locating a good diamond online within your budget, call us at 619-462-2996 or email us at support@helpwithdiamonds.com.
My Top Choice For An Online Jeweler With Great Quality And Great Prices:
What To Do After You Get Your Diamond Ring:
After you buy your ring from a reliable online jewelry store it should arrive with its lab certificate. Send the ring (leave it in the mounting) and the original lab report by registered and insured mail from your local post office (prices are minimal and depend on how much you want to insure the diamond for) to the GIA (Gemological Institute of America).
Ask for a verification report. A verification report will insure that you actually bought the diamond listed on the report. If there turns out to be a problem, you simply send the diamond back by registered and insured mail from your local post office.
If it checks out, you can have the confidence that you have a quality ring and you are more protected if you ever have the ring taken in to be cleaned, if you need to get it insured, or if you need to reclaim it from the police.
Your verified lab report tells the dimensions and characteristics of your ring. You can also have it laser inscribed for easier identification (for a low fee).
When I spoke with a GIA a representative on the phone, they said the verification service prices vary by the weight of the diamond.
You have to call them to get the exact current prices, but when I checked in the prices were:
$43 for a .47 - .69 carat diamond
$53 for a .70 - .99 carat diamond
$89 for a 1.0 - 1.49 carat diamond.
Call them to get the details: Here is their contact info:
Gemological Institute of America
World Headquarters
The Robert Mouawad Campus
Web Master - Mail Stop 43
5345 Armada Drive
Carlsbad, California 92008
800-421-7250
760-603-4000
Fax 760-603-4153
If you would like to get the ring appraised, here is a link that will give you some phone numbers of appraisal associations that will give you phone numbers of appraisers in your area.
Appraisal Associations
Call a number of them and shop around. An appraisal usually runs between $50 and $150 an hour and the appraisal takes about ½ hour.
Be sure the appraisal is done right in front of you and the ring never leaves your sight. You don't want anyone to switch the diamond on you.
In order to get the diamond insured, some insurance companies will require a GIA lab report and an appraisal. Check with your insurance to see what the coverage is and what their requirements are.
If you don't already have insurance, shop around for the best deal.
If you ever need to bring the diamond in to get it cleaned or to get the setting checked, be sure to draw a map of the diamond's inclusions and show the jeweler the verified lab report and have him put in writing that this is the exact diamond you are dropping off.
Try to ask friends or family if they know of a trusted jeweler.
Having bought your diamond from a trusted online jeweler you should have saved a lot of money and you should now be more protected because you have your diamond certificate to help identify and keep track of your diamond.
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