Do you think people sometimes assume your diamond isn''t real?

[Daniela]

My fiancé and I have been shopping for wedding rings lately, and we''ve been in several different "maul" stores. I have not once had a saleslady compliment my engagement ring when we are trying on bands! Sometimes they even ask to see it and then don''t say anything at all.

My diamond outshines anything they''ve got in the store (hey, we''re talking about the mall here), and I''ve had sales girls comment on way less expensive jewellery that I''ve been wearing (locket, bracelet, promise ring...). So what gives?

My fiancé and my mom say that it''s because people might assume it''s not real. My diamond is a well-cut carat (H&A), which is a respectable size, but it is not so huge, in my opinion, that it should cause people to doubt its authenticity.

Is it my age? (I''m 23). Am I too young to be sporting such a diamond in these people''s minds? Or what?

Has this happened to anyone else? What is behind it all?

Daniela

 

[winyan]

I think some folks may assume mine are not real. I have two that could be considered questionable, one almost a carat Old Mine Cut, that isn't a common cut, and the other almost 3 carat Old European Cut, again an uncommon cut. Come to think of it, my almost .70 marquise peach diamond is probably not considered real either.

Oh dear.

win

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Chances are these ladies are all jealous. You're 23, sporting a killer stone that NONE of them realize was purchased for far less than what their store would charge for a similar *high quality* stone, so it probably makes them slightly bitter thinking you have a 10k+ ring. If you were making $8/hour in a store and couldn't afford ANYTHING of the same calibur, you'd be jealous too.

Is there a picture of your ring online? I want to see it!!!

Michelle

 

[MichelleCarmen]

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On 2/7/2004 7:53:44 PM winyan wrote:

I think some folks may assume mine are not real. I have two that could be considered questionable, one almost a carat Old Mine Cut, that isn't a common cut, and the other almost 3 carat Old European Cut, again an uncommon cut. Come to think of it, my almost .70 marquise peach diamond is probably not considered real either.

Oh dear.

win----------------

haha - I've wondered about the old cuts also. They're gorgeous and I'd love to get one someday and I'm imagining most will not recognize they're antiques rather than oddly cut czs

lol

A couple months ago, I found an old mine cut ring in an antique jewelry store in a Seattle mall and *the sales girl* didn't even know it was an old mine cut, so I doubt any of the average public would.

Michelle

 

[Jennifer5973]

An H&A is so spectacular and brilliant that it probably looks *fake* in the maul stores next to the frozen spit and poorly cut goods usually found there.... The people on this forum are so knowledgeable about diamonds, but most people know squat.

And don't discount the jealousy factor either....the green monster comes out even in strangers.

 

[luvmysparklies]

Yep. It's happened to me too. We went shopping for bands in the mall. Just to see what's out there. Some store called Reed's. I asked about some matching 2-tone bands and the "manager" was called over to assist since the salesman was new and didn't know where the tray of extra bands were kept. The manager came over sporting what looked to be a 2-ish carat princess that was filthy. The prongs were way too thick and high and the stone was dull and non sparkling. Her ring looked more like a sci-fi weapon than a ring. Our rings were similar in size appearance since she has a princess. I have a round 2.4. She just looked at my ring and casually glanced away. I wasn't even trying to show it off or anything, but I think she had to know it was real. CZs just can't perform the same way. Anyway, this same non-response happened in other stores in the mall except when we went to Bailey,Banks and Biddle and Khoury Brothers. They were complimentary of the stone and how sparkly it is. Could be that those othe people think its fake...Oh well!

Not to change the topic but, that manager wasn't the only staff person there with a dirty ring. How can you work in a diamond jewelry store and not care about your jewelry's appearance?!! Yuck!

 

[Daniela]

It's like working in a high-end clothing store and wearing crappy looking clothes. It should all be about trying to look high class enough to sell high class stuff.

I'm really glad to hear that I'm not the only one experiencing this. I was starting to feel a little jaded.

Daniela

 

[Daniela]

Win,

It sounds like you own some really beautiful and different diamonds. And the fact of the matter is that most people don't know that diamonds even come in peach!

 

[Jennifer5973]

Win, post a picture of your peach diamond. I know we'd love to see it!

 

[ringbling17]

It's probably just a jealousy thing. Of course people are going to notice if you are wearing a beautiful sparkly thing, especially in a jewelry store!! Maybe they were upset you didn't buy the diamond there?
When I was looking for an anniversary band and when I look at jewelry in general, I always get nice comments from the saleperson helping me. Once, when I was at a local HOF retail store, the saleslady asked me if the stone I had was a HOF, which I thought was kind of cool. Another woman at Fortunoff's kept telling me that my stone was super white and beautiful.
In fact, the only time no one noticed my new rings was when I wore it to my inlaws house. They noticed my SIL's new diamond bracelet, my mother in law even asked her to take it off so she could try it on, but no one made a comment about my new rings.
Oh well, boohoo.

 

[Bagpuss]

I've had similar experiences to you ladies. I have 2ct Old English Cut round ering and I'm convinced most people assume that it's fake so don't like to comment on it.

I was looking in a small (but nationwide chain) maul store for a curved band ring to go with it. The salesman (not a jeweler) complimented me on my ering, saying 'that's a lovely ring'. Then he asked me if it was a real diamond! When I said yes, he looked stunned and then asked what carat weight it was. I don't think they carried anything bigger than a one carat single stone ring (non-cert) so I doubt he'd ever seen the real deal, above a carat in size, before.

The people that do know it's real (friends and work colleagues) drool over it and oh and ah about its size, but strangers rarely comment on it. It may just be that famous British reserve, but I think it's more likely that most people just assume it's a fake.

For that very reason, I wear my simulated honkers with complete confidence, because I'm pretty sure most people can't really tell the difference.

 

[Mara]

I actually have wondered this myself at times....not because my rock is super enormous or anything, but the setting is pretty bling-bling and since I am a huge jeans and flip-flops gal...I wonder if they think that I got this ring at the local dime store. Oh well...que sera sera.

I love when I pair it with my pendant and really watch them scratch their heads.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Mara,

I'm a jeans gal too, lol, and come to think of it, when I use to go to a weekly playgroup w/my kids, all the moms would keep glancing over at my earrings but NEVER once did they comment on them. I'm betting THEY ALL were speculating on the authenticity of my earrings (LOL). . .

Personally, I love wearing diamonds and jeans. Comfort and Class

Michelle

 

[glitterata]

I used to volunteer in an adult literacy program several evenings a week after work. I taught a class of students of all ages, from 24 to 60. One day my students were talking about getting mugged on the subway, which had happened to all of them. I said, "Hey, how come I've lived in this city all my life and taken the subway every day since junior high, and nobody's ever even tried to mug me?"

They all looked at each other, embarrassed. Finally one of the most outgoing students, a young woman, said, "Don't take this the wrong way, but you sure don't look like you got any money!"

So I certainly HOPE everybody thinks my real stones are fake.

 

[babblingal]

Glitterata.

Your story reminds me of the attempted mugging my mother experienced on her way to work one day. My mother is a college professor and she was on her way to class in NYC, a teenager came up to her and grabbed a hold of my mother's briefcase. My mother said the kid kept pulling and saying "give that to me!" and my mother yanked her briefcase back from him yelling "It's just papers, it's worth nothing to you! Look at me, I'm a teacher I don't have anything you would want. I just have these papers that I was up all night grading!" According to my mother the mugger looked at her like she was insane and ran away fast.

Now back to the first question. My experience is that jewelers who sell jewelry don't comment on items purchased elsewhere. I know I have a lovely ring, yet no jeweler has ever commented on it and I have been in malls, independent store, chain stores, big stores and small stores. I think it must be a jewelry related norm. Maybe we could start a different thread asking for some of the pros who post here to give their take on why this occurs.

 

[jackieblue]

Jewelers comment on my ring all the time, but I think it's because emerald cut stones are uncommon in this area. I had one ask the stats one time, and she called over another salesperson to look at it after I gave them to her. Mall jewelers (at least in Central NY) just aren't accustomed to the highest color/clarity combos here, and the cut makes it more unusual.

 

[sluke]

you are right. Some people just don't know. I have a 1.51 E, SI1, unbranded H&A ideal cut RB e-ring. A co-worker asked if it was .5 carats or one carat. When I told her the size, she said "wow", it must be appraised for at least $2,500. I'd just smiled and said, "yeah, at least".

 

[ringbling17]

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On 2/14/2004 10:53:12 PM sluke wrote:

you are right. Some people just don't know. I have a 1.51 E, SI1, unbranded H&A ideal cut RB e-ring. A co-worker asked if it was .5 carats or one carat. When I told her the size, she said 'wow', it must be appraised for at least $2,500. I'd just smiled and said, 'yeah, at least'. ----------------

The same thing happened to me when I had my 1.51 ACA H&A. I had just received it and decided to wear it to work and my co-worker who is really into diamonds, although I have never actually seen her wear any, asked me the same exact question!!!
She was like, how big is that, half a carat? I replied no, it's 1.5 and then she asked me about the clarity and the color and I told her it was an F VVS2 and she said that it must of cost me at least $4000.
I didn't say anything when she said that, little did she know and I wasn't about to start bragging about the cost either.
Then, she goes on to tell me that the color and clarity was okay, that she once saw a woman wearing two carats in each ear and they were D Flawless and you could tell because they were so sparkly from across the room.
I thought about telling her that it was impossible to tell if something was D Flawless from just looking at it across a room, but I didn't bother.
I have a feeling that it was her way of trying to put me down or belittling me.

The other day I took my daughter to work and the same nurse asked me why my daughter didn't have any diamond earrings on.

FYI,
I am filipina and a nurse, I work with many filipina nurses at my hospital. I am the newest and youngest filipina nurse on the unit, so there can be a lot of cattiness at times. I also grew up in America, went to schools in America, and I speak very little Tagalog ( our national language). I never speak in Tagalog at work, even if I am asked a question in Tagalog.
So, I get the feeling sometimes that certain nurses just don't like me, because I am different!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

----------------
She was like, how big is that, half a carat? I replied no, it's 1.5 and then she asked me about the clarity and the color and I told her it was an F VVS2 and she said that it must of cost me at least $4000.

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Funny, I experience the opposite. Friends/family assume my jewelery costs more than I paid and for this reason, I get cattiness

lol I guess you just can't win.

Michelle