| How to Buy a Diamond on the Internet - Seven General Rules Opinion of Bill Bailey, G.G., Proprietor Dimonz |
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I. Only Buy Diamonds with Grading Reports from the Gemological Institute of America (G.I.A.)
There are many different diamond grading reports available. In my opinion, the most dependable certificates are those issued by G.I.A. It has been my experience, by and large, that the information contained on G.I.A. certificates is very reliable.
II. Only Buy Diamonds from a Reputable Company
There are numerous sources of information you can use to establish the reputation of the company you wish to buy from, including the local Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau, personal references, etc. Also note that companies who are members of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) are bound by a dispute resolution agreement and risk a good rating if they don't resolve differences with customers or honor return policies, etc. You should consider only buying diamonds from a company with a BBB rating of A+ (their highest rating).
III. Only Buy From a Company That Gives You A Complete Money Back Guarantee
Dimonz has a complete, unconditional 90 day money-back guarantee policy on all diamonds sold from our inventory.*
IV. Use a Major Credit Card to Purchase Your Diamond
Buying with a major credit card also offers the consumer considerable protection. Major credit cards (e.g., Visa, Mastercard, American Express) have a process for dispute resolution that protects customers in the event the company you are dealing with refuses to honor it's return policy or you are dissatisfied with your purchase.
V. Do Some Research on the 4 C's and Learn How to Interpret a G.I.A. Report and a Sarin Report
On this website, I've included what I consider to be sufficient information to make a good decision on purchasing a round diamond (evalutaing the cut of other shapes is more complcated and requires personal consultatation). You should familiarize yourself with all the information on color, cut, clarity and carat weight, and how to read G.I.A. Reports.
VI.Only Buy Round Diamonds on the Internet
G.I.A. Reports on round diamonds contain sufficient information to let you know whether or not the diamond you are considering is of good quality and a good buy. However, reports on fancy shaped diamonds (e.g., cushion cut, asscher, marquise, pear-shaped, emerald-cut, princess-cut, radiant, oval, heart-shaped, etc.) don't tell the whole story. While the color, clarity and carat weight of a fancy-shaped diamond are described, the report doesn't tell you enough about the cut. For example, marquises, pears, radiants and ovals frequently have pronounced dark spots in the center in the shape of a bow-tie and/or may have an undesirable shape. Pears are often shaped more like shields than the ideal "teardrop" shape (this is known as having "high shoulders and a flat head"). Princess cut diamonds tend to be cut too deep, have dark spots in the center, and look smaller than their weight would indicate when mounted. Emerald-cut diamonds tend to be cut too squarish and too deep (in order to save weight from the rough) creating a dark, smallish looking diamond with an unappealing shape. Oval and marquise shaped diamonds tend to be cut too wide or fat to retain weight from the rough and may have "flat wings" (i.e., the four arcs that form the outline of the stone are flattened rather than rounded), creating an undesirable shape. These are just a few of the problems you could encounter when buying a fancy shape. I would estimate that fewer than one in ten fancy shaped diamonds iare reasonably well cut.
The bottom line is that if you are buying a fancy shape, you need to work with an expert and actually see the diamond. You must also make sure that the expert is using his or her expertise to help you take advantage of an inefficient market (the fancy shape market)-- rather than using it to exploit you.
VII. When Comparison Shopping, be Sure to Compare Apples to Apples
Remember to consider only G.I.A. certified diamonds. When comparing diamonds, don't only consider color, clarity and carat weight- also consider cut. Make sure that any round diamond you purchase meets the cut criteria described on this web-site (see Cut and GIA). Remember, diamonds with an inferior cut can sell for up to 50% less than diamonds that are very finely cut.
*The 90 refund guarantee may not apply to some diamonds which are specially ordered to meet a customer's specifications or sold from a Dimonz supplier that lists their inventory on this website. However, customers will always be provided adequate time to have their purchases reviewed by an independent appraiser before sales are finalized.
