Diamond Shopping at B&M

[slacktr]

Hi All!
I was planning on making a trip to a local B&M just to see what their diamond selection is. I am told that they are a very good jeweler, but have never been there myself. I was wondering if there are any steps I should make sure to take while examining their diamonds (ie: should they have ideal scope images, etc)? I will be sure to note the dimensions and information about any I might be interested in and plug it into the HCA, but I just wanted some thoughts on other things I should look out for. Thanks!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 12/17/2008 1:41:49 PM
Author:slatnewb
Hi All!
I was planning on making a trip to a local B&M just to see what their diamond selection is. I am told that they are a very good jeweler, but have never been there myself. I was wondering if there are any steps I should make sure to take while examining their diamonds (ie: should they have ideal scope images, etc)? I will be sure to note the dimensions and information about any I might be interested in and plug it into the HCA, but I just wanted some thoughts on other things I should look out for. Thanks!

Hi there!

One thing you can do is to buy this handy tool, for $25 you can get your own Idealscope which will assist you in judging the cut of the diamonds you see.

http://www.ideal-scope.com/cart_zoom_item.asp?Id=2&ShowAdd=Y

Here is a chart you can use to interpret the results and so you can get an idea of what to look for.

http://www.ideal-scope.com/using_reference_chart.asp

If you see some diamonds that you really like and that you would seriously consider for purchase, then ask if you can look at the diamonds away from the store lights, viewing in plain daylight will give you a better idea of how the diamond will look when worn. Bascially you want the diamond to appeal to you, to look bright and lively with no 'dead' areas, and it should still look attractive even when in ' rest mode' if the lighting is not conducive to sparkle. In other words try to put each diamond through its paces to see which you like best. But overall your own eyes are the most important selection tool you have!

 

[dbsdiamonds]

Hi there, the process is rather simple.

1. Check onine to get an idea of what a GIA certified diamond of the caliber you are looking for would run.
2. At B and M see if they have GIA certed goods to give you an idea of what the color/clarity means for you.
3. See what their price is and see how much savings you will get from an online power.
4. From there using the educated budget for size/quality the best options for you can be figured out using isolation info like polish/symmetry, measurements, depth, table and all the specs to get you into the finest diamond for the budget.
5. From there you can use the hyped up ideal scope or HCA models if it helps fit you in some more technical considerations.

Marty
Diamond Brokerage Service, Inc
www.dbsdiamonds.com
"only the best for less"

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 12/17/2008 4:04:29 PM
Author: dbsdiamonds
1. Check onine to get an idea of what a GIA certified diamond of the caliber you are looking for would run.

Also look at AGS certified diamonds. They are more strict in grading than GIA is.

 

[kcoursolle]

Ditto, buy an ideal scope and learn how to use it. This is cheap and extremely helpful. Stick to GIA or AGS stones and make sure they only show you "excellent" (GIA) or AGS "ideal", these are more likely to be well-cut than others. Don''t buy anything right away. Instead, write down the specs and prices of your top choices and show them to us to make sure they are well-cut stones and compare prices online. If you can, try to get the diamonds out of the jewelry store lighting by going to a window or a back room if they let you. It can make even poorly cut stones look great. Ask them for a loupe and look at the stones to make sure they are eye clean of inclusions.