Gentlemen prefer buying diamonds online
A good looking jewelry website makes it easy for men to learn about diamonds before buying because they may be slightly intimidated when they go into a jewelery store to buy their first diamond.
A important reason why men choose to buy diamonds online is that the World Wide Web has risen to be one of the most powerful tools of modern technology. And boys just love anything that has to do with technology. It has evolved as modern man’s treasure trove of valuable information and an indispensable hub for trade and commerce. As a matter of fact, almost all of our shopping nowadays can be taken care of by just pressing a few buttons on our computers!
Although the majority of visitors to the JR Jewelers site are women, the majority of purchasers are still men. JR Jewelers was one of several diamond or jewelery sites launched in 2001. The traditional approach is for a retailer to buy a diamond which then sits in its inventory awaiting a buyer, often for months or even years.
However, if you really think things over, you can see that buying diamonds online does have its advantages over buying from a traditional jewelry outlet. Consider these benefits:
- You can choose among a wider selection of quality diamond pieces. Feast your eyes on the almost endless selections available online. There simply are no limits!
- You get a better value for your money. Wondering why diamond pieces in online jewelry stores are priced much lower than those in traditional jewelry stores? Online operations require lower overhead and inventory costs. This is the main reason why online merchandisers can afford to give you a better value for your chosen piece.
- You can shop almost effortlessly! If you find your mall or department store shopping exhausting enough, you will definitely appreciate buying your precious diamond online. In shopping online, you do away with the traffic, the parking issues, the crowds and everything else that makes traditional shopping an almost unbearable task. Plus, you can make speedy transactions. Just type in a little information in the appropriate places, press a button and you’re done!
So, how do you buy diamonds safely online? Here are some helpful tips that can guide you in making your online diamond shopping an enjoyable and safe experience.
1. Learn as much as you can about diamonds. Be knowledgeable about the 4C’s (cut, color, clarity and carat weights) of a diamond. The more knowledgeable you are, the less your chances are of being conned by all those scams lurking in the internet!
2. Do your research well. Now that you are more knowledgeable about diamonds, go around and look for diamonds that interest you. Do not just grab the first thing you see that piques your fancy! Instead, do some comparison-shopping and look for the best deals in town. There are a lot of credible online jewelry stores so take your time.
3. Understand the merchandiser’s store policies. So, you have found the diamond piece that you love. It is so perfect! You have looked around and found the best deal there is. All that is left for you to do is the actual purchase and you can have that valuable piece. But wait! Have you asked about the store’s policies yet? Here are some things you need to know before you make the final purchase:
- Ask for the merchandiser’s credentials: Do they belong to a professional jewelry association?
- What are their policies regarding return, refund and upgrades? Go for those with a 30-day return policy and be sure to read the fine prints to avoid any confusion.
- Do they have a Customer Service available? Have their phone numbers ready. You do not know when you will need them.
- How will the purchase be shipped? Are they willing to replace or refund any item that are lost or damaged in shipment?
- Do they have certifications, or diamond grading reports, for the individual diamond pieces? To be sure about your purchase, buy only from sites that provide diamond AGS or GIA certificates. These two independent laboratories are considered to be the world’s premier diamond grading laboratories.
- Have you checked their BBB Online rating? Are there any complaints filed against them?
4. As much as possible, use an escrow service. This is especially important in purchasing very expensive diamonds. Look for an escrow service that also has the capability to appraise the diamond. This way, you can be sure that your purchase is safe and sound.
Recently, a pink coloured diamond weighing 0.70ct was submitted to DCLA laboratory for certification and colour authentication. The colour was described as 3 PP on a diamond report issued by another Australian-based laboratory.
After routine examination however, DCLA discovered that when the diamond is viewed under high magnification with reflected diffused light, a patchy iridescent coating is visible on the surface. This coating is also easily visible on the pavilion facets of the diamond when viewed through the table. However, when the diamond is observed under magnification with regular diffused light, the pink coloration appears evenly distributed, particularly when viewed face up.
The pink colour is the result of a coating rather than from natural lattice defects in natural pink diamonds. Surface coating is the process of adding a thin layer of coloured foreign material to all or part of a gemstone’s surface, with the intent of either masking the underlying body colour or enhancing a desirable colour. Most often, this coating is applied to the pavilion and/or girdle of the diamond; the way that light refracts as it passes through a diamond creates the illusion of uniform colour distribution.
The durability of diamond coatings vary considerably, depending on materials used and methods of coating applied. Most recent advances in technology employ a very thin optical or chemical film which is more durable than older methods, but still readily worn away by heat, scratching, abrasion, polishing, and just everyday wear.
Coating is a deceptive practice; we do not know the number of coated pink diamonds which have entered the marketplace, but the DCLA has seen a number of treated stones of late. Of particular concern is when such treated diamonds are accompanied by seemingly legitimate reports or paperwork.
DCLA screens every diamond submitted to the laboratory for all known treatments, and will not issue a diamond certificate for treated or synthetic diamonds.
Jogia diamonds has identified the laboratory that did the certificate on his web site as Auscert (SGTL) of Melbourne Australia.
DCLA issues Diamond Grading Guarantee Cards for Consumers
The Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia (DCLA) announces the launch of a full-replacement guarantee to stand behind all DCLA Diamond Grading Certificates, providing complete and unsurpassed confidence for diamond consumers.
Australian diamond consumers can be 100% secure that every DCLA-certified diamond is of the quality stated on the accompanying DCLA Diamond Grading Certificate.
DCLA warrants that every diamond certified by the Laboratory is a natural diamond, accurately graded in accordance with the International Diamond Council (IDC) and World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) standards for grading polished diamonds. This is a first for diamond grading in Australia, and is the only guarantee of its kind in the world.
It is vital that consumers are secure in a diamond purchase, knowing that they are getting what they pay for. Accuracy and consistency in grading at DCLA provides the Laboratory with the ability and confidence to offer this Guarantee.
Effective December 1 2008, every DCLA Diamond Grading Certificate will be accompanied by a Diamond Grading Guarantee Card, to be issued to a consumer at the time of purchase.
Growing Incidence of Undisclosed Treated Diamonds in Australia
DCLA has seen an alarming increase in the number of treated diamonds being submitted as natural diamonds to the laboratory for certification.
It should first be said that diamond treatments are neither good, nor intrinsically bad in and of themselves. There is nothing wrong with buying a treated diamond, provided that the treatment is fully disclosed and that you pay the appropriate price for the diamond. Because of their lower cost and value, treated diamonds can allow a person to buy a diamond that appears to be of a higher quality than it truly is.
However, too often the presence of such diamond treatments is concealed. Whether this deception is by intent or negligence, such concealment is tantamount to fraud.
Not only does artificially treating a diamond significantly reduce its value, but most diamond treatments are unstable and reversible. For this reason, all internationally accepted rules for diamond grading forbid the certification of treated diamonds. An extremely disturbing discovery just recently in the DCLA Laboratory was that of a coated diamond accompanied by a certificate from a supposedly legitimate Australian ‘laboratory’.
Members of the diamond industry have a responsibility to consumers to convey accurate and transparent information, and each individual that handles a diamond as it moves down the diamond pipeline from the mines should be held accountable for making known any treatments that a diamond has undergone.
It is deceptive and unfair to fail to disclose treatment of a diamond when it has a significant effect on a diamond’s value. In its pursuit of consumer protection, DCLA is offering a ‘Diamond Amnesty’ for diamond owners Australia-wide – any diamond brought in with its matching diamond grading certificate will be verified for grading accuracy and tested to ensure that it is natural and free of treatments. This service will be provided free of charge.
Diamonds Online – Savings or Scam?
Does buying diamonds on the internet offer huge savings? Is it safe? Why does it appear so much cheaper?
The internet has become saturated with online diamond retailers promising unparalleled quality, selection and low prices. But has this been a positive development for consumers and the diamond industry in general? Opinions are clearly divided.
Whilst there are some genuine online retailers providing real value, regrettably the net has become the perfect avenue for selling the “leftovers”. What does this mean?
Through the traditional distribution channel in the trade, reputable diamond merchants and jewellers scrutinise, select and buy the diamonds they sell. This process ensures you as the ultimate buyer get a correctly graded diamond. With most internet retailers, a list of diamonds is received from overseas suppliers and listed on the site. These retailers do not sight the diamonds until you have bought and paid for them. Buying from these online retailers, you are not seeing and buying the diamond, you are relying on the information and advice provided by online-sellers commonly referred to as drop shippers, who haven’t seen the diamonds themselves much less paid for them.
While the internet has brought convenience, increased selection and greater competition, it has also provided the perfect vehicle for selling these “leftovers” – over graded and therefore over valued as well as treated diamonds, some with overseas certificates to lend credibility, that cannot be sold through the accountable traditional channels. Although these diamonds are listed for sale at seemingly fantastically low prices, generally one fact remains true: you get what you pay for. There have been many instances where consumers who have bought diamonds online come in to the lab for verification, only to find they have not received the quality represented.
Remember: Low price doesn’t necessarily mean a good deal.
Both the Government and the Industry bodies are aware of, and looking into these issues, but do not know how to, or even if it is possible to police.
Tips for Safely Buying a Diamond Online1. Buy from an Australian-based website that has a clear money-back return policy. Buying locally, you have recourse if anything is wrong or if you are not happy with your purchase.
2. Australia only buy a DCLA-certified diamond. DCLA is the only internationally recognised lab inAustralia, and the only lab worldwide guaranteeing that the stated quality of a DCLA certified diamond is accurate, with a third-party full-replacement Diamond Grading Guarantee. Since the grading is guaranteed, you know you’re comparing apples with apples when comparing DCLA certified diamonds to buy – you can decide on your desired quality then shop around for the best price.
Common Online Buying Issues to be Aware ofBAIT AND SWITCH
Thousands of diamonds listed, little or no diamonds physically in stock or available. We call these “ghost diamonds”. Too often when an enquiry is made, that particular diamond is not available and an alternative is offered.This is an old trick – a diamond is listed at a great price, making real jewellers look expensive, but when you want to buy it it’s not available. You will often see terms like “subject to availability” and “Your money will be refunded if we happen to miss the diamond”. “If you wish, we will find a suitable replacement.”
What should you do? Ask if the diamond is in stock and available for you to view. If not, shop elsewhere.
DROP SHIPPING
Many online sellers simply list diamonds from overseas suppliers that they have never seen before. Once you, the customer, buy and pay for the diamond, it is then imported intoAustralia.
What should you do? Ask. Is the diamond available to view before you buy it? If not, shop elsewhere.
EXAGERATED GRADES
Many diamonds listed on the net are either not certified or have “in house” reports or valuations allowing grades to be exaggerated and treatments to be hidden.
What should you do? Only accept a certificate from a respected independent diamond grading lab and make sure the diamond is laser inscribed for identification. This helps ensure that you receive the diamond you bought and paid for. Only compare prices of diamonds with proper certificates. Don’t be fooled by official-looking certificates or valuations from local “gemmologists”. They are probably not independent and exaggerate the grades to make the prices look good.
For the attention of John Marks.
It is not usual for me to enter into such webpage conversation but John, please check your facts before you post something. A simple phone call to either party would have been enough to deem that AUSCERT was NOT the lab involved in the PINK diamond story nor does it seem to be reported by Jogia diamonds. If you would be so kind to retract this statement both parties would be grateful or if you wish to call me directly please do so. I look forward to yourcall,
Have a nive day – Anthony