Does all this knowledge make you feel "weird" going into a store to look at Diamonds?

[MelanieC]

Since I just bought the first stone for my first (smaller) set of earrings I went to the mall today just to get a look at what 4.53 mm would look like and see what prices they are going for. The first store I went into the lady was acting like I was a lunatic for wanting an SI1 stone in an earring. She told me that to get an SI1 or a VS2 in 3/4 CTTW earrings it would be too expensive. She fed me so much bull that I had a hard time not just walking out the door laughing. She even grabbed my ring, asked me what it was and pulled out a loop to see if I was lying. She couldn''t believe I had a VS2. You can''t even see the two small inclusions in it with a normal 10x loupe. She even asked if I had the cert on it, which I showed her. Does she think that people only buy the I2/I1/SI2''s that more stores sell or what? Or maybe she thought it was fake since it''s so well cut and sparkles so well and you can''t see any thing in it. I was so appauled at this lady''s ignorance. I wouldn''t have bought earrings from her even if I was buying them at a mall.

Is it just me, or does having some knowledge about diamonds make you feel weird going into stores to look at things. Do you just play dumb? 1 minute into the conversation when she said "oh these are colorless diamonds" and I replied that I am comfortable with an H and an I. She immediately wanted to know if I worked at a jewelery store or had training.

One store didn''t treat me like crazy for wanting SI1/VS2 quality. Another store had H/I certed diamond earrings that looked so yellow that had to be K''s. Imagine how horrible the grading is if an H/I looks that yellow.

 

[oldminer]

If only more consumers knew more of what you have learned there would be a huge shift in the appraoch these stores make to potential customers. Sadly, the vast majority of consumers only buy slop. They seem to like poor quality and low price. That's the way it is right now. Maybe someday there will be a change for the better because we can't possibly sell much worse in huge quantities.

There are so very few quality conscious shoppers compared to those that want mass marketed jewelry, that one must look hard to find a good store and then work hard to find a well educated member of their staff.

When people shop for a car the majority now go on the web and learn some important things first. It really makes selling cars less difficult in some cases. Nothing makes up for peoples lack of good credit or stupidity, but an informed consumer tends to be a shorter sell and a more satisified client in the long run. I can't see any way this won't come to shopping for jewelry, too. It just isn't yet the thing most people do.

 

[bling]

Thats a funny question..

i guess it depends on my mood. sometimes i go into stores to look, and most of the time i play dumb. if im looking for something in particular though, and they try telling me bunch of nonsense, then i lay it out. i think it does take them by surprise sometimes, and then i start to feel bad, like im trying to show them up? but thats not the case..im just a well informed consumer. i dont know why they take offense to that!
but i have to admit, it does make me chuckle after and its a little fun.

 

[LGail]

Melanie,
I do know how you feel. I recently purchased a dimaond from dirtcheapdiamonds.com and did all that I could to educate myself before making my decision. To ensure cut and color I went to a few B&Ms to make sure I know what I wanted. The fact that I knew the difference between EGL-USA, EGL-Europe, GIA and AGS made them think that I was a genius! When I was asking about the cut and APA grading scale I think they thought I was undercover. Ha Ha. If only they new that I know close to nothing, except that I have good resources to go to online.

 

[rfath]

Trying to keep my mother amused the last time I was visiting, we wandered into a few maul stores. The first, Zales, actually surprised me. The saleslady started off with humoring my mother exclaiming about the 'sparklies'. Once I started talking with her, though, she eventually insisted that I needed to come back to the store more often since I actually KNEW something about diamonds (we went on a spree through the store pulling out the cruddy ones and laughing...). She mentioned that even people pretty high up in the company didn't have the same depth of knowledge about what makes a diamond look good that I did.. which is sad since I'm SUCH a newbie compared to pretty much all of the posters here

The 'exclusive' boutique-type place that I went into was really pathetic. The saleslady flat out told me that I was wrong in my ordering of the C's... color HAD to come first, then carat! What was I worried about cut for?! I know that different people rank the C's differently, but I was actually totally wrong according to her. We won't talk about the panic attack she had when I was looking at the loose stones... I wasn't allowed to put the 'E' next to the 'I' to see the color difference.

 

[mostlywatching]

Some stores, for "insurance purposes" say that they can't show you more than one stone at a time, so forget comparing anything.

I hate that some jewelers look so visibly disappointed whe they realize you are an informed consumer.

 

[CaptAubrey]

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On 7/29/2004 3:07:42 PM oldminer wrote:





Nothing makes up for peoples lack of good credit or stupidity, but an informed consumer tends to be a shorter sell and a more satisified client in the long run. I can't see any way this won't come to shopping for jewelry, too. It just isn't yet the thing most people do.
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i think this is changing quickly, though. recent polls i have seen indicate that although only about 5% of consumers actually buy diamonds over the internet, close to 50% do some research there beforehand.

as many people have pointed out before, one must make a distinction between mall chains and independent stores. the former are interested in high-traffic volume sales and don't care to spend the money necessary to train their sale staff, many of whom were selling shoes last month and will be selling clothes next month. independent stores tend to take more pride in their sales force because each individual sale means a lot more. the mall stores don't much care about the negative experiences people often post here because they know there are 50 other clueless people coming in behind the one person who knows better.

and by the way, no matter where you are, it's not really nice to "mystery shop" just to amuse yourself at how stupid the salespeople are when you have no intention of buying anything. most of these people work on commission, remember--time is money.

 

[hoorray]

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On 7/29/2004 4:32:02 PM CaptAubrey wrote:

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and by the way, no matter where you are, it's not really nice to 'mystery shop' just to amuse yourself at how stupid the salespeople are when you have no intention of buying anything. most of these people work on commission, remember--time is money.
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I don't know about "nice" or not, but I am always a candidate to sell something to when I browse in stores. I am more likly to buy stones from the Internet, but who hasn't fallen in love or purchasee something on an impluse -- especially designed pieces? Thus I don't think it's a bad thing to do if the store isn't busy. Most sales people who've waited om me have not had someone waiting, so I'm not "costing them money".

I typically get a look of "what on earth are you talking about?" if I ask to many specific questions. Even with trained jewelers. I find it frustratin that I can't have an informed discussion with most of them. I'd like to learn something from the people in the trade!

 

[CaptAubrey]

i'm not talking about having an honest conversation with the salespeople. i'm talking about posts i've seen--not necessarily in this thread--from people who went into mall stores just to demonstrate to themselves how much they (now) know about diamonds and how dumb the salespeople are, so that they could then rush back here and post about it. that is what is not nice. knowledgeable or not, these are still human beings trying to earn a living.




keep in mind also that the knowledge you can pick up here is fairly limited. i have formal education and experience in this area, which i am continuing, and the more i learn, the more i feel like i really know very little.

 

[Jennifer5973]

I am lucky to have a wonderful jeweler who delights in what I have learned and works hard to meet my ever-increasing expectations...And the way he just helped my husband with my new stone--where I was not involved directly (on my!)--was just incredible.

I have never solicited advice from a sales person in a maul/chain store, or asked to see merchandise, but I have wandered in just to look in the cases...and I have overheard some real doosies of conversation bewteen stupid sales people and ignorant shoppers.

 

[cflutist]

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On 7/29/2004 4:30:03 PM mostlywatching wrote:

Some stores, for 'insurance purposes' say that they can't show you more than one stone at a time, so forget comparing anything.


The last time I was shopping for diamonds, they had three 3 ct stones sitting there for me to compare. Then the lady walked away and left me there with the GIA GTL reports and a loupe so I could check them out. I guess she trusted me. I do have to tell you that I bought my 2.05 D-VS2 Oval from them before we got the 3.01 F-SI1 Pear.

Maybe the people I deal with have some other insurance?

 

[valdo650]

I I've been to several private jewelers to see the ring settings that I'm shopping for. Still have to stop by some more private jewelers to check out some precision set settings in person and make my final decision. Before I got my diamond, I went to several jewelers to see diamonds near the quality of the diamond I eventually picked to get an ideal of what I should expect. I do get the cold shoulder sometimes. I think it's because I am fairly young. Most of my experiences have been helpful though. The people at the stores I've been too have treated me well and with respect. I do feel weird with the added knowledge I have now, but it has made for good decisions with the people at the stores.

 

[quaeritur]

I have a local jeweler (have yet to make a purchase other than watch repairs there) who actually seems very pleased when I come by. He used to be a GIA grader, and I think he enjoys having some "real" conversations about diamonds. Not that I know THAT much! I would seriously have considered purchasing a stone from that store if they had been able to find what I wanted... I'm happy to pay a little more to support a local business, especially one where I've been treated so well. I don't even go into the mall jewelry stores any more... it's been years. I remember looking for earrings five years ago and being appalled at the black chunks in the stones. Some even had large chips missing out of the girdles!

Anyway, I think my jeweler now is a little sad, because he doesn't see how he can compete with internet pricing. Still, I have at least steered other business his way, and hope to get some custom work done there, so it's not a loss for them in any case. I usually call ahead of time to make sure they're not too busy to talk with me for a little bit. One thing is for sure though... I won't be buying any of their HoF diamonds with the immense (and to me unjustifiable) premiums!

 

[Mara]

funny story...was at the SF gift show this week and they had some diamond people over in the 'jewelry' section who came over from the jewelry mart and gift center.




one guy had a bunch of large loose stones, so i was drooling over them. he had a 3c cushion which looked beautiful and a 2c asscher. i asked to see the asscher to show my colleague what it looked like with the step cut. it was a beautiful J VS2 that actually had amazing sparkle (or maybe it was those lights.

). i dont know much about asschers but we admired it. he offered it to us for $7500. i said no thanks and gave it back...he said well what if i gave you a great deal. i said i was just looking. he point blank asked what i was planning to buy that day. i, point blank, said nothing.

he looked disgruntled, we wandered off.




i didn't bother to act like i knew anything, though he gave me the loupe while i had the loose stone and i used the loupe like a pro, while my colleague put the loupe down to the stone on the velvet tray, and leaned in to look at it (hehee). the stone was EGL certed as was most of his stuff. the price was quite nice actually, had i been in the market i may have considered it but only after careful research here of course!

it kind of made me giggle that he expected me to say...yes i will get it for $6500 and walk away with it after 5 minutes of talking to him. do people actually do that?!?!?!

 

[diamondlil]

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On 7/30/2004 1:32:40 AM Mara wrote:









it kind of made me giggle that he expected me to say...yes i will get it for $6500 and walk away with it after 5 minutes of talking to him. do people actually do that?!?!?!

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Mara,

Your post is so familiar to me. My jewelry-nut girlfriends and I go to many DC area jewelry shows. When it comes to diamonds, your description of the interaction is dead on. It is amazing though how many people actually purchase this way -- look at a stone for 10 minutes, get good price, hand over thousands of dollars, and walk away happy. Over the years, I have made some good contacts and honest relationships with a few of the vendors. Most have limited knowledge, and even when you try to have an intelligent conversation with them, they get defensive and rude. On the other hand, there are a few who welcome the knowledge and are willing to learn from a consumer. Those are the vendors I visit with regularity and take my friends to see.

You should see the looks I get when I whip out my ideal-scope -- it can draw a small crowd in a matter of minutes. Some vendors welcome it and are truly interested. Others discount its usefullness and then shun you at their booth.

I've experienced a lot of personalities at these shows, but I can tell you I have brought a lot of business (all my friends ask me to help them) to those few vendors who have treated me with a little respect.

I have given up even going into maul/big chain jewlery stores. The sales staff really is not well trained. It's not their fault. It's just the nature of the business. Even at some of the high-end jewelers, their knowledge is limited. I look and listen to what they say and offer my knowledge, but if I get to *deep* with them, I end up with a blank stare. That's when I say thank you, back off, and move on. On the occasion that I find someone with some knowledge, it's really enjoyable. Even if we don't precisely agree (need for crown and pavillion angles for example), I think I have learned from them, and they have probably learned from me. Finding one of those people really makes my day.

DiamondLil

 

[fire&ice]

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On 7/29/2004 7:29:55 PM CaptAubrey wrote:


keep in mind also that the knowledge you can pick up here is fairly limited. i have formal education and experience in this area, which i am continuing, and the more i learn, the more i feel like i really know very little.
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Spoken like a true Pro. The term "expert" is for the people who have stopped learning because they *think* they know it all.

 

[nicknomo]

I find this industry to be full of uneducated crooks. Now I am not saying that there are not good jewelers out, but finding one that is knoweledgable or honest is harder than it should be.

Obviously the malls are not suited for finding these types, but a lot of independant jewelers that I've been to have tried to take advantage of me when I was searching for a diamond. Others simply just had very misguided information. In my encounters, only about 2 out of 10 are educated to an acceptable level and also exhibit a decent amount of honesty.

I've been told quite a lot of bull... Ignorance is one thing, but the dishonesty is another. I really can't stand the people who do know there stuff, but will make obvious lies to you to push their stone.

I guess if you find a good jeweler, hold onto them. They seem to be a rarity.

 

[GLudlow]

A local jeweler to my area claims to bo a trained gemologist, and then insisted that some emeralds he was showing me were "very high quality" and "cmpletely untreated" not even with oil! Not only is it impossible for him to say that (unless he cut them from the earth himself) but almost every emerald is oil treated.

It did surprise me, too, when I turned one of the emeralds to the side and, lo and behold! The stone turned clear. I'm not sure about him, but when I buy a colored gemstone, I expect it to have *color*!

When looking at diamonds, I just play dumb. But it is frustrating when someone tries to pass off a stone for 2 or 3 times what you can find one here for, and tell you it's a bargain!

 

[websailor]

I have to admit that we sometimes have fun at the Mall looking in the outside display windows of the jewelry chain stores at their featured items (whose grades are usually lower than what we'd buy if we were trying to scimp on a diamond).... We never bother the staff though....lost cause there.




I remember one time at a large Mall anchor department store overhearing a sales pitch to a young man obviously looking for an engagement ring (while we were shopping for some specific costume jewelry pieces). It was all I could do to refrain myself from dragging the poor soul away and giving him some real information....

 

[MichelleCarmen]

When it comes to jewelry stores, I either play dumb OR I act bratty and say I can do better online just to laugh at the expected lecture they give on how dangerous purchasing on the web can be. They don't like when you laugh!

lol

Michelle

 

[cody]

Hello. I just stumbled onto this web site and have been sitting here for hours reading. I have a question for those of you in the jewelry industry: I am seriously considering getting a GG diploma. I've reviewed the courses and costs. I have extensive management experience but truthfully don't really want to get back into 'managing' anyone. I looked on monster to see if there were any position open for those with a gg diploma. The top paying position was approximately $40k or commission. Can someone tell me if the money's reasonable (I think reasonable is around 80k a year within a few years) for this work or if it takes years and years to break in?

Thanks so much.

Cody

 

[quaeritur]

Cody-

I don't have an answer for ya, but you might want to re-post this as a new thread, maybe in Rocky Talky or the Diamond Hangout