Am I Misguided

[honda]

Just one Opinion:

As a reader of this forum I have come to a personal conclusion. Let us assume for the sake of my editorial that I have no knowledge or practical experience of the Loose Diamond/Bridal Business. Let us assume that the wonderful people of this forum who provide a copious amount data about the same have the same background.

I recognize the valuable need that this forum provides. I recognize that the guidance and sincere advice is provided to help those who are seeking help. I also understand that not all advice is factual, some of what is covered is one’s perception of what might be beautiful to one, is not to another. Most people in this forum do have the best interest of the advice seeker at heart. They appear to be honest, kind, and understanding.

I also think I understand that there are many quantitative methods to critically evaluate diamonds. My perception is now diamonds (in recent years) can now be more easily compared as a commodity because of the marvelous technology that is now available to the industry. This technology can be critical to keep the "bad people" in check.

I also see another side of this techno revolution. I see a desensitized approach to the buying of the engagement ring. What happened to the excited couple shopping for their engagement ring. That moment that "The bride to be will never forget for the rest of her life". The sharing and exchanging of their ideas of what their personal styles, desired shapes and money should go. The joy of trying on various ring styles on her finger. The joy of making a day/afternoon to find "The Ring" It is suppose to be a day etched their own personal life’s libraries. Has shopping for the perennial engagement/bridal ring been reduce to going to a computer and ordering with your mouse.

 

[aljdewey]

I wouldn't say you're misguided.....I'd say you're perhaps oversimplifying things.



Not everyone today buys a diamond online....many folks are willing to pay a bit more to have the "hands on" experience.




For those who do buy online, you're assuming they click and that's it. Not so. I'm likely going to buy online, but I went to three jewelers last night with my honey to SEE what's available, to see how their prices/services compare, to SEE how the colors compare in person, to SEE how much difference I could see in ideal vs. average cut stones.




Had any of them been even *remotely* reasonably priced, they too would have have equal opportunity for my business. Of the three, only one had a decent selection of GIA/AGS ideal stones. The "deal" being offered: A 1.01, G, SI1, 59/59 (which is NOT ideal, by the way, despite the woman's claims otherwise), with an EGL report (snort) which wasn't available to view in person....all this for the bargain price of $6400.....marked down from the suggested retail of $15,900!!!! GET SERIOUS. A true H&A, ideal stone with a better grading lab and same weight/specs can be had here for $5150.




I'd also point out that many women didn't have the "shop all day for the ring" experience you allude to even prior to online sales. There are tons of guys out there who want to pick it and have the proposal be a total surprise.....and that still happens quite a bit.




Online purchases can be your friend, if you let them.!

 

[fire&ice]

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On 11/25/2003 2:48:23 PM honda wrote:

Just one Opinion:

>I also see another side of this techno revolution. I see a desensitized approach to the buying of the engagement ring. What happened to the excited couple shopping for their engagement ring. That moment that 'The bride to be will never forget for the rest of her life'. The sharing and exchanging of their ideas of what their personal styles, desired shapes and money should go. The joy of trying on various ring styles on her finger. The joy of making a day/afternoon to find 'The Ring' It is suppose to be a day etched their own personal life’s libraries. Has shopping for the perennial engagement/bridal ring been reduce to going to a computer and ordering with your mouse.

----------------

First, you assume that couples go shopping together. Often, this is not the case & the boy just has to guess one.

Having done the shopping in a B&M store for the initial ring, you have way too grandiose a notion of what shopping for a ring in the traditional sense entails. We did shop together. We had no choice in shopping on the internet. Cell phones were a rarity. You can not believe the crap we were told. You can not believe the treatment we were given. And, you can not believe the price swings on like stones. We were lucky. We happen to stumble upon Lazare Kaplan stones. We knew instantly that cut is king. We came very close to spending a premium on the LK because no one could talk about cut with us. Some of the jewelers (one who called me "little girl") told me I was too hard to please. A business associate mentioned a jeweler in a trailer in a commercial section of town. We went to this trailer. Certainly no great ambience. The guy happened to have a packet of stones in the color/clarity we wanted. He weeded out some of the poor cuts & we picked one that was most appealing to our eye. Just like that. This guy in a dopey trailer in the wrong section of town was able to find us a stone w/in our parameters that was of excellent cut and quite a bit lower than anything else we priced. I have had the stone appraised twice. It is that well cut.

Quite frankly, our experience was confusing & stressful.

I don't think that the shopping experience on the net has been reduced to a click of the mouse. Your options are much more clearly laid out. Your pricing is no big secret w/ flexible price swings. Also, I see many guys on here agonize over which stone to pick. Carefully reviewing all the data.

That said, an awful lot a folks go to Zales & pick one. How is that carefully selected a ring for your to be?

JMHO.

 

[derekinla]

Honda,

Some interesting points. One might also argue that the technology revolution has added even more excitement to the whole diamond buying process and provides for even more opportunities for couples to discuss "personal styles, desired shapes, and where money should go". The joy of making a day to find the 'Ring' is actually an integral part of the internet buying experience. For example, my fiance and I spent quite a few Saturday afternoons checking out brick and mortar vendors like Tiffany's in Beverly Hills, the downtown diamond district in LA, Diasource (in West LA), and even Robbin's Brothers in Torrance. We took these opportunities to see loose stones, practice our loupe skills, and try on many different ring settings. I would agree that some spontaneity is lost but the romantic notion of going out one afternoon, falling in love with a particular diamond ring, and making the big purchase there an then seems to be fraught with the potential for disaster. I would gladly sacrifice some spontaneity In order to make the most informed decision possible.

P.S. I drive a 2003 Honda Accord EX V6 Coupe

 

[Mikesgirl]

The internet can be a great way for a couple to shop, or an individual. I love going to some sites to "build a ring" or browse through their inventory, dream and drool. I hate going to jewelry stores because of the pressure to buy and the way the salespeople size you up. If I'm going to shop "live" it's usually for estate jewelry or one of a kind things.

I can't imagine a store where I can call my whole group of friends and budding experts together to look at a stone, unless it's on the internet. Hey, Mara, Canadiangrrl, Richard, Kayla, Lawgem, etc, etc, come look at this stone - what do you think? I mean, what could be better than having all of this feedback and the joy of sharing the story?

It's not like going to a vending machine - it's just not as cold as you depicted to me, and it's certainly less frightening.

 

[Hest88]

Well, all you have to do is look at some of the posts where people list 10 different diamonds they're considering to see that the choosing part is hardly diminished. In fact, the Internet has allowed some people even more choices.

If I had only been able to go to B&M stores to look at settings, I probably would have settled for something rather blah--and in the end my feet would have been full of blisters. Instead, I spent months surfing AND going to B&M stores and it was via the Internet that I found my perfect setting--and later bought by visiting the store.

It can be an either/or proposition, but I doubt that's really the case with the people who linger on Pricescope. Instead, it melds the best of human interaction and experience with the convenience and reach of the Internet.

 

[newenglandgemlab]

Hi,

I understand how you feel but times are changing. We have to learn to embrace technology and change with the times. Buying diamonds was very much a blind market not that many years ago. It is great working with consumers that are getting so well educated. The B&M experience can be frustrating for most unless by chance you get someone behind that counter that is knowledgable.

Look at it this way...would we like to go back to the horse and buggy? or to cloth diapers? or before the time of the microwave? think of the changes that have added tremendously to our lives. I am sure you can add many more. Cindy

 

[Caratz]

I'm all in favor of sharing ideas, considering different styles, doing some window shopping, all those things you mentioned. But the special moment is not the moment the guy forks over the cash at the B&M store. It's when he gets down on one knee. I don't think it makes any difference when or where he forks over the cash.

To me, the great thing about the internet is that it made it a lot easier to learn about having a ring custom made -- I would have never seriously considered that option before, and to me that makes everything far more personal and unique.

So I guess I feel exactly the opposite as you.

I think I'm a typical guy in that the less time I spend in a jewelry store the better.

 

[Chrisk327]

your opinion seems well presented, however, learn all you can about pricing and quality first, then go to a normal B&M place. Check them out, check out the mall stores and see what you think.

As for the tradition of ring day... I thought tradition was more guy buying the ring and surprising the girl... thats what im' doing.

There are good B&M stores out there. I did all my research online, then went to Good Old Gold in person. They were very helpful and informative. I would say you shouldn't buy a diamond without looking at them. I would say pics online can be misleading, in good and bad ways.. per online images from GOG website, I wouldn't buy a SI1. after seeing them in person... there are some very nice stones out there.

Online si great... seeing for yourself is great. I combined the two and I think I got a better stone for it. If you don't see what quality is you're not going to make an informed decision. If you don't do research you WILL pay too much. Im not knocking B&Ms just find a good reputable one that charges good prices.

 

[Mara]

Honda--you're assuming that the bride and groom even go shopping together. This doesn't happen as often as you may think. As F&I notes, many guys just shop on their own and some poor unsuspecting bride ends with frozen spit from the local maul. Many guys still do this, many girls still end up with it.

Good old general public!




I think today's women are also a little more educated and demanding (well some

)--and many women are aware of the different possibilities out there..and are not afraid to speak up. It's not like 50 years ago when the possibilities were limited--you got what the local store had and your guy chose and that was it. The internet has opened up so many new avenues. I was talking the other day about how I can't even imagine what we did before the internet. How would I plan a wedding in Hawaii from California? With a phonebook? How passe!

I don't think shopping online makes it any less special. In fact quite the opposite, I think it makes it more fun and really puts the b/g in charge of what they end up with. I did the 'going into stores and trying on rings'. I did the 'lets go look at rings and stones'. BUT I also did the fun online research, with pictures and graphics and comments. And in the end, we built the ring together and those are the memories we have. I wouldn't have had it any other way.

 

[canadiangrrl]

Just one Opinion:

As a reader of this forum I have come to a personal conclusion. Let us assume for the sake of my editorial that I have no knowledge or practical experience of the Loose Diamond/Bridal Business. Let us assume that the wonderful people of this forum who provide a copious amount data about the same have the same background.

>>> Can't follow with your premise here. Many of the contributors to this forum do indeed have experience in the diamond business. I'm a consumer, but Rich Sherwood, for example, is an appraiser. Two very different levels of knowledge and entirely different backgrounds.

I recognize the valuable need that this forum provides. I recognize that the guidance and sincere advice is provided to help those who are seeking help. I also understand that not all advice is factual, some of what is covered is one’s perception of what might be beautiful to one, is not to another. Most people in this forum do have the best interest of the advice seeker at heart. They appear to be honest, kind, and understanding.

>>>> Yup. I'm with you here.

I also think I understand that there are many quantitative methods to critically evaluate diamonds. My perception is now diamonds (in recent years) can now be more easily compared as a commodity because of the marvelous technology that is now available to the industry. This technology can be critical to keep the "bad people" in check.

>>>> Well, I don't know about "bad people"...but okay, I'm still with you.

I also see another side of this techno revolution. I see a desensitized approach to the buying of the engagement ring. What happened to the excited couple shopping for their engagement ring. That moment that "The bride to be will never forget for the rest of her life". The sharing and exchanging of their ideas of what their personal styles, desired shapes and money should go. The joy of trying on various ring styles on her finger. The joy of making a day/afternoon to find "The Ring" It is suppose to be a day etched their own personal life’s libraries. Has shopping for the perennial engagement/bridal ring been reduce to going to a computer and ordering with your mouse.

>>> Online sales represent maybe 1% of the total e-ring business. So the traditional e-ring shopping experience (whether the guy buys it alone, or with her) isn't exactly dead in the water.

There is an evolution happening in terms of consumer behaviour - consumers are getting smarter than the marketers.

They accept less BS, less hype, less sales patter than they did even 5 years ago. Traditional modes of advertising are less effective in influencing favourable behaviour.

Enter the internet. Why do people use the internet? What are they getting? Information, and a sense of community. People want information, but they want someone to talk to them like they're a human being, and not just a wallet. The buying part is secondary (or even tertiary.) Many people come here seeking information, and buy offline. Some people like it here so much that they end up staying, and getting acquainted with others.

We all know information can be power. But it's how you disseminate & choose to use that information (or choose not to use it) that should matter to you.

The internet takes some of the romance out of it - but not all. I do agree that sometimes we tend to lose focus on what really matters - which is what makes the buyer and wearer happy. And if it's a $1999 1 carat ring that floats your boat, who am I to say that it's wrong. It's just not what I would choose - and I am very happy that the information was available to assist me in making that choice.