Bricks & Mortar vs. E-commerce Jewelers?

[psadmin]

A new article "Bricks & Mortar vs. E-commerce Jewelers?"


http://journal.pricescope.com/Articles/79/1/Bricks--Mortar-vs-E-commerce-Jewelers.aspx



Thank you Judah.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

A very interesting point of view Judah.

You wrote this at the start:
First a brief disclaimer:

This article was written by a retail jeweler operating from an e-commerce platform.

I thought your background was wholesale and you turned direct to the public e-tail?

And:

However, where there should be absolutely no room for deviation and rejection is in every businesses obligation to respect today’s diamond shopper and his or her intelligence by offering an education and acknowledging their already assimilated knowledge.

Conside Tiffany - in my experiance as a secret shopper in several countries their staff would simply say "A tiffany diamond is the best - you do not need to know more than that".
Now Tiffany previously had a quite deep tutorial (with many mistakes) but after searching for several minutes I can not find any tutorial at all on their site? (I am sure someone smarter can?)

So my question is Judah, are Tiffany (and many other big name brands) wrong, bad, whatever?

 

[Regular Guy]

Judah,

Thanks for your article. I like the analogy of painting the circle around the arrow, and can imagine it may be a more typical approach a store of any type could take with respect to its existing inventory.

Not pointing to either your article or own shop, however, I will share some disappointment in Pricescope's prosumers and experts recently...motivated by the very heart of your article.

On the one hand...you could say that the technologies for identifying ideal makes are widely known and reported here, and if one wishes be insured they would only invest in the best...they would seek a diamond that simply qualifies on all fronts...and has high grades on virtually all of the respective technologies, to include reflector, AGS platinum, HCA, brilliancescope (not mentioned too often here), H&A, ISEE, etc.

But, on the other hand, when some diamonds may be on the margin, in some way, not scoring high everywhere, there is no rush to explain, and this can be at least somewhat problematic when the very foundations of the represented technology might be questioned in concert with the query.

As I write this...I worry that David is over my shoulder...and these notes are not for him. But, they are for the many experts on this board who have sought, also as purveyors of this instrumentation, to use these tools to represent the excellence of their products.

When the results of tools come into some question, and I could give some examples here that are recent, they might be more willing to jump into the breach, and come forward with more satisfying explanations than I have seen.

Then again...most of us do otherwise have a day job...(and now I need to go to mine) so everyone is forgiven.

Judah, many thanks again,

 

[strmrdr]

Interesting article.
I think the title is going to turn some people off who would gain the most from reading it.

A better name would be "How to treat your customers in today''s retail environment"
E-commerce Jewelers are just as likely to make the same mistakes mentioned as B&M Jewelers.

 

[Judah Gutwein]

Folks,

First, a big thank you to Andrey for reviewing, vetting and ultimately - publishing this article. I appreciate it.

I am actually about to catch a flight in just a few hours and will be away for a few weeks, during which time I won't be able to respond to the feedback here. Therefore, I'd like to pro-actively state in advance, how much I appreciate all of your feedback. An article such as this, is made more valuable by the input, contributions and feedback of its readers.

Now a few points to the first few responders:

Garry, it is no secret (as you very well know) that we have evolved (already some time ago) into a full retailer opertaing from an e-commerce platform; hence the disclaimer. The term "retail jeweler", is not strictly reserved for those operating from traditional B&M's. "Retailer" in its proper lexicon (imo) alludes to anyone selling directly to the end consumer. There are retailers operating from stores and there are retailers operating on the net (e-commerce)...and then, there are even those who do both. In fact, this goes to the entire crux of this article.

Re: Tiffany: It can be argued that Tiffany's approach to "branding" is also a form of educating. I do not address it, for the simple reason that it is not directly related to the specific core focus and scope of this article. Interesting point though.


Ira, thanks for your perspective and valid points. "Quality" comes in more than one form.

Re: The Title of this article: I completely disagree. While there may have been more than one applicable title for this article, the one actually chosen is entirely appropriate.

In fact, the article is purposefully and specifically balanced, so as NOT to favor or mitigate any one business model over the other with respect to the heart of its message. No one business model has a mandate on providing an education and It is made quite clear in the article that both the stores and the e-tailers have empowered and continue to empower consumers.

Cheers,

 

[denverappraiser]

Thanks for the article Judah,

I too was a little taken aback by the title because so many folks, jewelers included, consider it something of an either/or proposition. The whole issue of calling it one vs. the other strikes me as something of a distraction. As you correctly point out, there’s really no difference. An e-tailer is no more or less than a jeweler who is in someone else’s neighborhood and who is using the internet to advertise to a broader marketplace. Just like the B&M stores, some have fancy showrooms or snazzy websites, some have lots of inventory and some have none at all. Some are strong on education and some are not. They are NOT all the same and not everyone agrees on what's important. The big difference to watch out for isn’t one of décor, style of advertising or even address but the character of the people behind the keyboard/counter.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[Todd Gray]

Interesting read... Thank you Judah.

I like to think that today''s diamond / jewelry buyers are more educated and market savvy than their predecessors, but in reality I find that our internet customers are far more inquisitive and better informed than our in-store customers were - I say were because I closed our traditional Brick and Mortar Jewelry store in 2006 and work out of an office on the 4th floor of a commercial building now. The fact is that most of our sales are conducted online and I no longer see the need for the presence or expense of a traditional store front and I like the freedom presented by conducting business online; and in truth, I tend to prefer the more detailed conversations I have with our online customers because I don''t seem to be able to perform the "ooh, isn''t it pretty!" dog and pony show that seems to be relied upon by so many of our traditional brick and mortar counterparts.

Like Garry, I''m a bit surprised that in this day and age stores like Tiffany & Co. can get away with the "it''s a Tiffany diamond" approach to sales, but I''ve actually seen it first hand and that statement closed the sale! [Shock]

When Valerie and I first got together and she asked what I did, I said "diamonds" and she said "yea, right!" because I guess I don''t look like a typical diamond guy (?) so the next day when she and I were walking through Santana Row in the S.F. Bay Area she literally pulled me into a Tiffany store and said "prove it" [long story, but let''s just say I was able to ''walk the talk''] and while we were there I watched a guy walk up to the counter, announce that he was looking for a diamond, inform the sales clerk that he''d been researching diamonds on the internet, and then accept "it''s a Tiffany diamond" as the answer when he asked for details such as the overall cut rating, crown angle, pavilion angle, etc. and actually buy the stone! I was stunned! And I walked out of the store muttering something about how I''ve apparently been doing it all wrong for all of these years by actually providing detailed information... Who knew that the answer to everything you wanted to know about a diamond is "it''s a Tiffany diamond" or for that matter "it''s Nice Ice" or "it''s a GOG" or "an ACA" or whatever! Obviously the customer I watched lay down and roll over in the Tiffany store was not a member of Price Scope, that much is for sure!

 

[Judah Gutwein]

...Just a bit longer before I fly....I may be an addict..

"I too was a little taken aback by the title because so many folks, jewelers included, consider it something of an either/or proposition. The whole issue of calling it one vs. the other strikes me as something of a distraction.
As you correctly point out, there’s really no difference. "

This is why I actually place a "?" at the end of the title.

The crux of the article is really to point to the idea that it isn't (and doesn't have to be) an "either or scenario", with respect to shared principles.

Within this context and after reading the article, it should hopefully be clear that the title is designed to encapsulate the theme of the read.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Excellent article Judah!
Without question any salesperson will benefit from the suggestions you made.

Ira, if I was over your shoulder, you''d know it for sure! ( I''m not the quietest guy on the block..hehe)

I agree that technologies used by some, and not by others, does create some new and unusual situations.

Personally, I believe that if a seller does not use the tools- such as Tiffany''s- this does not necessarily indicate a lack of desire to sell the best stone. There are still many extremely fine sellers not using ASET IS or HCA.
If such a seller is showing a stone they find value in based on visual selection, there would be no need to "explain" why such a stone would be considered "on the margin" by ASET/IS or HCA. Basically, if a seller does not find these tools effective, it make no sense at all to bring them up if not asked. Not to skirt the issue if asked- but if a seller honestly does not believe in the use of these tools, why mention them?

Remember, many in the trade do not endorse these tools, or find them effective.
Will theses technologies ever overtake the "art" of buying diamonds by eye? Who knows.
I do believe there will always be a camp on each side of this issue.

If a consumer wants "quantification tools", they should surely select a retailer that offers them
I also agree that the onus is on the seller to explain why the tools are not used, if the consumer asks for such quantification. I especially like what Judah wrote about treating others the way you''d want to be treated. A question asked deserves an honest answer- if one does not know, honestly saying so is a world apart from BS''ing one''s way through.
If it''s a well informed answer, so much the better.

Thanks again Judah!

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Not many diamond buying people want too much techy info.
All diamond buyers want to know they are getting a good diamond (or as good/big as they can reasonably get for the $'s).
If the buyer has a prestige social situation - then a prestige jeweller is an added overlay.
In that case Judah your journal article is possibly inaccurate.
There is one overarching principal I think you missed - it is the first rule of retail
The customer is always right

 

[AprilBaby]

From a consumer view: NICE article!

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Date: 9/30/2009 6:28:14 PM
Author: Rockdiamond
Excellent article Judah!
Without question any salesperson will benefit from the suggestions you made.

Ira, if I was over your shoulder, you''d know it for sure! ( I''m not the quietest guy on the block..hehe)

I agree that technologies used by some, and not by others, does create some new and unusual situations.

Personally, I believe that if a seller does not use the tools- such as Tiffany''s- this does not necessarily indicate a lack of desire to sell the best stone. There are still many extremely fine sellers not using ASET IS or HCA.
If such a seller is showing a stone they find value in based on visual selection, there would be no need to ''explain'' why such a stone would be considered ''on the margin'' by ASET/IS or HCA. Basically, if a seller does not find these tools effective, it make no sense at all to bring them up if not asked. Not to skirt the issue if asked- but if a seller honestly does not believe in the use of these tools, why mention them?

Remember, many in the trade do not endorse these tools, or find them effective.
Will theses technologies ever overtake the ''art'' of buying diamonds by eye? Who knows.
I do believe there will always be a camp on each side of this issue.

If a consumer wants ''quantification tools'', they should surely select a retailer that offers them
I also agree that the onus is on the seller to explain why the tools are not used, if the consumer asks for such quantification. I especially like what Judah wrote about treating others the way you''d want to be treated. A question asked deserves an honest answer- if one does not know, honestly saying so is a world apart from BS''ing one''s way through.
If it''s a well informed answer, so much the better.

Thanks again Judah!

Judah,

Interesting article I notice you offer those tools upon request on your website but I do wonder a few things:

1) In your retail b&m store do you have an ASET and idealscope readily available for walk in customers?
2) Is your sales staff well educated in using and interpreting of Idealscope and ASET images? What percentage of them are?
3) Please tell me what would be a "valid" reason for NOT using these tools that you would explain to someone.
4) I assume you sell both ideal and near ideal round diamond cuts. Do you routinely show customers a comparison of a "near ideal" with an ideal HA AGS0 stone beside it?
Would you also show them the difference in Idealscope images if they requested this as well as a comparison right in front of them at your store?

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

 

[Rockdiamond]

Hi ccl,
you quoted my post but directed your question at Judah.
Did you intend to ask me those questions?

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Date: 10/2/2009 6:16:24 PM
Author: Rockdiamond
Hi ccl,
you quoted my post but directed your question at Judah.
Did you intend to ask me those questions?

Misquote but go ahead and answer them honestly please.

 

[Rockdiamond]

HI all
cll:
1)We have an IS, and ASET here, although we do not operate a B&M walk in store.
2)Generally, when people do come for an appointment, they want to meet with me, and I am familiar with technology.
3) I would never discourage anyone from using ASET/IS if that's their desire. If the subject comes up and my opinion requested, , I would tell someone that I have seen many cases of stones that did not perform as well on ASET/IS, yet looked better to me in real life. I can demonstrate this with actual stones, when the need arises. Rather than turn this into a debate about the usage of ASET/IS, let's agree. If a client wants to use them, they should. if a consumer wants IS/ASET, they need not compromise.
4) Colorless Round diamonds represent a small percentage of what we sell. When someone has wanted an "Ideal" Cut or EX GIA cut grade, and asks my opinion, I do suggest they also consider VG cut grade stones.
Some will, and some won't. In either case, it makes sense to remember the essence of this conversation.
Inform the consumer- then allow them to give you direction. We have showed both VG, and EX cut stones to clients on occasion.
If you're a smart seller you find out what the consumer wants, and provide it. That is always our goal when someone calls or writes.

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Date: 10/4/2009 8:53:57 PM
Author: Rockdiamond
HI all
cll:
1)We have an IS, and ASET here, although we do not operate a B&M walk in store.
2)Generally, when people do come for an appointment, they want to meet with me, and I am familiar with technology.
3) I would never discourage anyone from using ASET/IS if that''s their desire. If the subject comes up and my opinion requested, , I would tell someone that I have seen many cases of stones that did not perform as well on ASET/IS, yet looked better to me in real life. I can demonstrate this with actual stones, when the need arises. Rather than turn this into a debate about the usage of ASET/IS, let''s agree. If a client wants to use them, they should. if a consumer wants IS/ASET, they need not compromise.
4) Colorless Round diamonds represent a small percentage of what we sell. When someone has wanted an ''Ideal'' Cut or EX GIA cut grade, and asks my opinion, I do suggest they also consider VG cut grade stones.
Some will, and some won''t. In either case, it makes sense to remember the essence of this conversation.
Inform the consumer- then allow them to give you direction. We have showed both VG, and EX cut stones to clients on occasion.
If you''re a smart seller you find out what the consumer wants, and provide it. That is always our goal when someone calls or writes.

RD,

Giving your opinion is not the same as educating someone. If you don''t show a comparison or give examples you are just PUSHING what you sell and NOT educating.
What comparisons do you give? and visual tools do you use to educate consumers who come to you for an appointment?
How would you educate someone on competitive pricing and expected price ranges for 0.1 Ct Fancy Intense Pink Diamonds? (Maybe a little more in your area of focus)

 

[Rockdiamond]

HI All,
ccl- all due respect, but much of teaching will always involve things that are subjective....including people''s opinions.

Does 2 plus two equal 4? Yes.
Could it be said that it''s a fact that ASET proves more light comes out of one diamond than another? Maybe, although there''s debate about this. There are variables such as how the photo is taken, how the stone is placed, etc....

Could it be said that it''s a fact that a better ASET equals a prettier diamond- CLEARLY not. That''s an opinion.

"Educating" someone on price ranges of Ten point (.10) Fancy Intense Pink diamonds: They can range from about $10,000 per carat up to over $25,000 per carat.
There are many reasons for such a large price range.
Such as; the rarity of such an item- and the fact that .10ct stones won''t have GIA reports. Also the fact that some intense pinks are just alot more attractive than others.
As opposed to colorless stones, imperfection has far less of an impact on price if the color is there.


CCL- I used the term "All due respect" how about we all try to take that course?
I have answered your questions in a respectful manner and would appreciate the same in return.
Thanks for your opinion.

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Date: 10/5/2009 1:32:10 PM
Author: Rockdiamond
HI All,
ccl- all due respect, but much of teaching will always involve things that are subjective....including people''s opinions.

Does 2 plus two equal 4? Yes.
Could it be said that it''s a fact that ASET proves more light comes out of one diamond than another? Maybe, although there''s debate about this. There are variables such as how the photo is taken, how the stone is placed, etc....

Could it be said that it''s a fact that a better ASET equals a prettier diamond- CLEARLY not. That''s an opinion.

''Educating'' someone on price ranges of Ten point (.10) Fancy Intense Pink diamonds: They can range from about $10,000 per carat up to over $25,000 per carat.
There are many reasons for such a large price range.
Such as; the rarity of such an item- and the fact that .10ct stones won''t have GIA reports. Also the fact that some intense pinks are just alot more attractive than others.
As opposed to colorless stones, imperfection has far less of an impact on price if the color is there.


CCL- I used the term ''All due respect'' how about we all try to take that course?
I have answered your questions in a respectful manner and would appreciate the same in return.
Thanks for your opinion.

RD,

This entire thread is dedicated to education not yours or my opinion on any subject if you want to be treated with respect stick to the questions and answer them keeping in mind all questions and answers relate to educating consumers.

1) Lets ignore ASET/IS for a second which we already know from previous threads you won''t suggest for your customers or use as an education tool.
2) How do you compare your reccomended 60/60 RB to the ideal hearts and arrows which is often suggested here, or any AGS000 or GIA ex ex. I already agreed with you previously that some consumers might like this choice and would benefit from being educated by a comparison. I was hoping to hear you show the customer a side by side of a 60/60 beside an ideal Ex/Ex of similar size do you actually do this? What percentage of the time do you actually help the consumer by comparison or visual display buy the best diamond for their budget and specs which may also include admitting you don''t have it available for them?

3) Now on to Fancy Intense Pink Diamonds http://rockdiamond.com/index.php/jewelry/diamond-earrings-22carat-total-weight-natural-deep-pink-cushion-diamond I really like these earrings and might buy them except for the price which I don''t understand. Please educate me:

Your website you have called the centre diamonds "Fancy Pure Pink", "Fancy Deep Pink", "Natural Deep Pink", how about one simple statement to help me understand your pricing of this item.

1) What color would GIA likely give these stones?
2) Based on this what would be the competitive price for just the pair of 0.11 pt centre stones in these earrings be? Justify your price by explaning the criteria you used to price these diamonds. FYI if you simply say based on my opinion of their visual beauty than I have learned nothing and you will not help me compare these to other strong pink 0.1Ct diamonds.
3) https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/10-point-pink-diamond-how-much.86958/ Do you disagree with Mr Kodner? he seems to provide a lot more information and tighter ranges than you have regarding this subject.

I am actually trying to learn how you would actually teach your customers the ones considering a purchase here.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Hi all!

ccl- thank you for pointing out an inconsistency on the site.
I have corrected the page to indicate what I believe GIA would have given these diamonds, had we submitted them.
I believe they would grade "Natural Fancy Deep Pink"

As far as DKodner- I have a lot of respect for him.
I'm sure we agree on many things. I do not agree that natural Fancy Intense Pink .10ct Diamonds are readily available for $10k per carat. In my experience it might be possible to find "Fancy Pink" .10ct stones for $10k per carat

I have seen some amazing .10ct pink diamonds- that were offered at around $20,000 per carat. A parcel of about 14 stones ( if memory serves), really nicely matched, really well cut round brilliant cuts of a shade I saw as "fancy Intense Pink"- which is how the cutter described them. Not that it makes as much difference as in colorless, but they were all VS goods as well- adding to the desirability.
No GIA reports, but they they were from a cutter who is beyond reproach.
I feel quite sure that DKodner would have seen the value in that parcel.

The price of the earrings on our site that you linked to is based on both the cost of the diamonds, as well as that of the design and manufacture which is second to none IMO. The work is extremely clean.
The stones are offered as listed for about $16k per carat- I feel the stones are fairly priced at that.


I had a thread where I showed an "non-ideal" 60% table diamond next to a AGS0. It's there somewhere from about 6 months back.
AS I've already mentioned we have shown stones side by side many times.
ccl- at this point let's just agree to disagree.

It seems to me this is not what the thread is about...Sorry if my answer contributed to a thread-jack

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Date: 10/5/2009 9:16:33 PM
Author: Rockdiamond
Hi all!

ccl- thank you for pointing out an inconsistency on the site.
I have corrected the page to indicate what I believe GIA would have given these diamonds, had we submitted them.
I believe they would grade 'Natural Fancy Deep Pink'

As far as DKodner- I have a lot of respect for him.
I'm sure we agree on many things. I do not agree that natural Fancy Intense Pink .10ct Diamonds are readily available for $10k per carat. In my experience it might be possible to find 'Fancy Pink' .10ct stones for $10k per carat

I have seen some amazing .10ct pink diamonds- that were offered at around $20,000 per carat. A parcel of about 14 stones ( if memory serves), really nicely matched, really well cut round brilliant cuts of a shade I saw as 'fancy Intense Pink'- which is how the cutter described them. Not that it makes as much difference as in colorless, but they were all VS goods as well- adding to the desirability.
No GIA reports, but they they were from a cutter who is beyond reproach.
I feel quite sure that DKodner would have seen the value in that parcel.

The price of the earrings on our site that you linked to is based on both the cost of the diamonds, as well as that of the design and manufacture which is second to none IMO. The work is extremely clean.
The stones are offered as listed for about $16k per carat- I feel the stones are fairly priced at that.


I had a thread where I showed an 'non-ideal' 60% table diamond next to a AGS0. It's there somewhere from about 6 months back.
AS I've already mentioned we have shown stones side by side many times.
ccl- at this point let's just agree to disagree.

It seems to me this is not what the thread is about...Sorry if my answer contributed to a thread-jack

Yes RD we do disagree.
I keep giving you ample opportunity to STOP SELLING HERE and focus more on education and you don't get it.

1) You don't follow Judah's article or for that matter educate your consumers.
2) You don't use ASET/IS because it would emphasize the leakage of your VG colorless stones and make it harder for you to sell them as you prefer stones cut for spread rather than light performance.
3) Instead of showing customers a side by side WHICH YOU DON'T ROUTINELY, your lack of answers confirm you provide NO visual education or comparison tools whatsoever and referring a customer to a PS thread just isn't going to help educate a person with real life examples.
4) Your website is a hot mess of rhetoric, misdirecting statements and puffery designed to mislead and confuse consumers so that they cannot make an informed decision and might accept whatever price you list on your website without the ability to make a reasonable comparison of like wares and the competitive market price.
5) You can't answer questions and give comparison criteria without selling your wares or giving your opinion, there is virtually no unbiased information you are ever able to give to consumers.

Its a joke you post in an Education thread as most of your posts educate us on your opinion and nothing else.
I am not sure if you need a better education or you need to learn to be a better educator either way you are too stubborn to understand where you fall short.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Thanks again for your wonderful critique ccl!

So we agree that we disagree...... excellent!

Have a great day!

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Date: 10/7/2009 12:05:35 PM
Author: Rockdiamond
Thanks again for your wonderful critique ccl!

So we agree that we disagree...... excellent!

Have a great day!

RD,

I also hope you read this http://journal.pricescope.com/Articles/71/1/6060-or-ideal-cut--How-do-you-know-what-to-choose.aspx that is a fine example of how to give an educational and balanced viewpoint on a subject.

CCL

 

[Rockdiamond]

The debate about ideal cut diamonds outperforming other cuts is not in question.

The above is from the link ccl posted.
Although David Atlas and I agree about many things, I could not disagree more strongly with the above statement. The entire theory of "performance" regarding a diamond''s visual aspects is by no means agreed upon by the trade as a whole. IN fact, there are other parts of the article where David and I seem to agree.

... visually, these diamonds are far more alike than different in beauty and appearance.

If I''m not mistaken, I provided the two diamonds David is referring to- and I have no doubt that many interested observers would choose the "non ideal" stone based on it''s visual characteristics.



ccl- I have patiently and politely responded to your rude and condescending remarks.
When you start a company, run it how you see fit.
When you design a website with over 400 pages, all written individually, by all means, write it how you want it.
When you start a diamond forum, ban me.


Until then I ask again- can we politely agree to disagree?

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Date: 10/8/2009 2:41:36 PM
Author: Rockdiamond

The debate about ideal cut diamonds outperforming other cuts is not in question.

The above is from the link ccl posted.
Although David Atlas and I agree about many things, I could not disagree more strongly with the above statement. The entire theory of 'performance' regarding a diamond's visual aspects is by no means agreed upon by the trade as a whole. IN fact, there are other parts of the article where David and I seem to agree.

... visually, these diamonds are far more alike than different in beauty and appearance.

If I'm not mistaken, I provided the two diamonds David is referring to- and I have no doubt that many interested observers would choose the 'non ideal' stone based on it's visual characteristics.



ccl- I have patiently and politely responded to your rude and condescending remarks.
When you start a company, run it how you see fit.
When you design a website with over 400 pages, all written individually, by all means, write it how you want it.
When you start a diamond forum, ban me.


Until then I ask again- can we politely agree to disagree?

David(RD),

When you post on a public forum and your purpose is to sell diamonds and constantly remind everyone neauseatingly of your biased opinion and to draw attention to your website, expect posters far less patient than me to put you in your place.
To even associate your name and to give credibility to your operation by posting in a thread about consumer education really insults me and the values I beleive pricescope is about. You can keep going in this thread as long as you like and I will make it more and more obvious what you are doing.

Here are the concluding points for Judah's article:

" Educate yourself, so that you may educate the consumer.
Be familiar with the latest diamond evaluation tools & technologies
Instead of summarily and superficially promoting or dismissing certain of the diamond tools, explain your positions clearly.
Empower the consumer to reach his/her own conclusion.
Empowering the consumer, means providing information and opinion with the expressed appreciation that these two elements can be mutually exclusive.
Satisfy every single customer (“there is no competition when you go the extra mile”).
Place yourself into the shoes of your customers and treat them as you wish to be treated.
Present with enthusiasm. If you are passionate about what you do, prove it.
Give the consumer some space. Do not be an overbearing and pushy salesperson.
Leave your personal life at home. Your customer is not your shrink…or your punching bag."

It is rather irritating to me that you can come here and pay some lip service to this article when you fall so far short on those three points and really have no intention of changing the way you do business.
If you think its worth it you can continue to respond and get the last word in, nothing you have said and no matter how many times you give your opinion are you going to look any better in this thread to a casual reader. I feel quite certiain I have gotten my point across to my intended audience.

It is an absolute shame that you aren't a better communicator and educator. There are many other old school diamond experts (they prefer not to use reflector tests) like Mark at ERD who are excellent educators as well as vendors who have gracefully been able to do both much to the benefit of their respective customers and their businesses.

Good-Luck,
CCL

 

[AGBF]

Date: 9/30/2009 1:12:53 PM
Author: Todd Gray

Who knew that the answer to everything you wanted to know about a diamond is 'it's a Tiffany diamond' or for that matter 'it's Nice Ice' or 'it's a GOG' or 'an ACA' or whatever! Obviously the customer I watched lay down and roll over in the Tiffany store was not a member of Price Scope, that much is for sure!

I just found out about this thread because a poster referred to it in another thread I was I reading. Todd's comment hit too close to home for me. I wouldn't buy a diamond just because it was, "a Tiffany diamond", but I rely on the GIA or AGS cert. for most of my information. I do not know a great deal more than that I like to look for an ideal cut, no culet, no fluorescence (since I get high color stones), a girdle that is not too thin, and maybe a couple of other things like that. I buy VS clarity stones and above and I wouldn't buy one with a black carbon dot or a feather that bothered me. I'm pretty much as clueless as other consumers beyond that, though. I often do look for a good cutter or a good vendor to help me choose a good stone (as well as one that has a good cert.). The one thing I can trust my own eye about is color.

PS-I am off to read Judah's article!

AGBF

 

[AGBF]

Date: 9/30/2009 8:07:42 AM
Author: Regular Guy

On the one hand...you could say that the technologies for identifying ideal makes are widely known and reported here, and if one wishes be insured they would only invest in the best...they would seek a diamond that simply qualifies on all fronts...and has high grades on virtually all of the respective technologies, to include reflector, AGS platinum, HCA, brilliancescope (not mentioned too often here), H&A, ISEE, etc.

Ira is right that all the technology mentioned above is available to the engineer-I mean consumer-who is interested in getting the diamond with the most fire and the best light return, the least light leakage, the best hearts and arrows pattern, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

And Garry is right that the average consumer doesn''t want to fool around with all of that stuff in order to buy a great diamond. I am the average consumer. I really, really hate the idea of having to think about the measurement of the crown angle of my diamond. I would like to rely on a grading laboratory, a cutter, or a jeweler I trust to look at things like that for me. If there are mistakes made by the lab; the cutter; and the jeweler/vendor upon whom I rely I guess the stone is probably good enough to fool me and my friends and so I''ll probably never know that that it was leaking a little light. I''m sorry, but I cannot worry about things that engineers do. I am a consumer, not a diamond cutter. If it were my job to cut diamonds, I would have to worry. As it is, I will take a pass.

Now I am going to go read Judah''s article! (I had to cook pasta for my daughter.)

AGBF

 

[AGBF]

Judah, That is a really great article! Thank you so much for sharing it here. I often shy away from articles because they are, by definition, written by people in the trade. Since they are written by people in the trade I am afraid that they will discuss things like crown angles and other numbers with which I do not wish to become entangled. Your article, however, never once mentioned a crown angle and was quite lucid and easy to read.

Actually, your point of view and the point of view I have been espousing in my postings above are not dissimilar. I have been writing that I want to be able to rely on a professional jeweler or vendor, so that he-not I-can interpret the HCA, the Brilliancescope, the Firescope, or whatever else is measuring light at the time. You are saying that it behooves the jeweler/vendor to educate himself in all the technology of the day, not just the instruments he prefers for marketing, so that he may help consumers (like me) to make choices without learning to do arithmetic.

OK...you didn''t put it exactly that way, but you get the idea. I loved your article, Judah. Great, great work!

AGBF

 

[Judah Gutwein]

AGBF,

You are too kind.
I appreciate your feedback and the time you took to read the article.

Many thanks!