This is my story. I planned to spend 20k on a diamond ring, but now I probably need to spend only 5k. I try to send this message: If diamond trade is not your way of living, don't let it take your life. There are sites emphasize the sentimental meaning of diamond so you should not be freugal, and others scare you to death on all the scams so you should never buy. But hey, it's just money not an arm or leg, unless you decide to risk an arm or leg.
In the past several months I have spent tons of hours on internet and had several trips to the mall to check on diamonds and to apply what I have learned. I haven't yet purchase the diamond, because after all the learning it appeared there is no good deal out there. I came to realise that it probably not worth the energy I invested for the shopping given the saving I possibly might make.
I really enjoyed the learning, but came to the point that I overkilled it. I stunned most of the local jewelers with my knowledge in diamond. I guess some of them may know better but prefer to act less competent? I found I was somehow trapped in the obssession, a phenomenon amonge educated consumers that I haven't yet found discussion on internet. Many so called "educated" consumers would not open their wallet until they found the lowest price, highest quality, fairest retailer and appraiser who had no ambition on money, a life time warrenty for their choise of breaking or losing the stone, and all at minemum cost. To search for this kind of deal is almost like to search for diamond on the beach.
Jewelers need to make money and that money has to come from our pocket. Aggressive bargaining may be essential for those live on diamond trading, but for most of us we just want to get a reasonable deal and a stone with sentimental meaning. I heard Donald Trump spent 2 million on engagement ring. I bet somebody made a lot of money in this deal, but I also believe Trump would not care too much whether the ring really worth 1.8 million or 0.5 million. A half million ring would be great enough on any TV show. He should rather spend the time to earning more money than to chase the 1.5 million loss. Well I don't know Trump and his ring so that's all my guess. But that "enough is enough" thought released me from obssessive learning on diamond and I decided to spend the amount I can afford to care less like 2 million to Trump.
All the original anxiety was from the plan of spending 20k in order to overwhelm her. But that thouhgt by itself was immature: A reasonably intelligent woman won't be overjoyed with this kind of impulsive spending, and a woman expecting this kind of gift may not be worthwhile. I decided to cut down the budget to 5k, with it I still can buy a diamond pleasing most of the untrained eyes including hers. I can trust most of the retailers are not inheritantly theaf, and the chance of selling me a piece of glass for 5k is probably not bigger than the chance of giving me a 5k diamond for 1k.
I remember a few years ago I went through a similar odeal when purchasing a car, which is like a diamond, with a lot of information on internet. I decided to skip all that bargain hassels. I decided which car I wanted through internet and one site visit to a dealer. Then I called all the dealers in my area asking if they would sell me a car for $600 profit. I told them streight forward I did all the research and demanded just discuss on how much they wanted to make. It was a hot Honda Pilot that most dealers wanted 2-3k profit. But I was able to cut the deal through telephone in 10 minutes for $1000 over invoice. One of my friends bought the same car for $200 less, but she spent 2 weeks driving around and wrestle with salepersons. Can I possibly do the same for the diamond?
Is there anybody know if the retailers will show me their invoice? What is a reasonable percentage a retailer should make? Maybe someone in the trade can tell me if a retailer, local or online, would tolerate my demand of reading the invoice? But anyway I will not do the overkilling bargaining and that makes my life a lot easier.
Besides the local retailers I also requested several online retailers send me copy of certificate, namely, diamondonweb.com and diamond.com. They are very cooperative with my request. I found they sell for $500-2000 less in general, and both have 30d return policy, same as many other online sellers. But none of their sales rep ever heard of EGL USA. Both told me the E in EGL stands for Europe so the lab is in Europe. One of them never heard of pavillion angle. Oh well whatever, I know much more than them from the beginning. I figured if the stone look fine, and if a local appraiser (I am not sure if I should bother) agreed on the authenticity, why would I have to think those who sell similar stones (similar in lab grading) for more have to be better in anyway? After 30 days, you have to swallow it no matter who were you dealing with.
I will post more with my final purchase.
In the past several months I have spent tons of hours on internet and had several trips to the mall to check on diamonds and to apply what I have learned. I haven't yet purchase the diamond, because after all the learning it appeared there is no good deal out there. I came to realise that it probably not worth the energy I invested for the shopping given the saving I possibly might make.
I really enjoyed the learning, but came to the point that I overkilled it. I stunned most of the local jewelers with my knowledge in diamond. I guess some of them may know better but prefer to act less competent? I found I was somehow trapped in the obssession, a phenomenon amonge educated consumers that I haven't yet found discussion on internet. Many so called "educated" consumers would not open their wallet until they found the lowest price, highest quality, fairest retailer and appraiser who had no ambition on money, a life time warrenty for their choise of breaking or losing the stone, and all at minemum cost. To search for this kind of deal is almost like to search for diamond on the beach.
Jewelers need to make money and that money has to come from our pocket. Aggressive bargaining may be essential for those live on diamond trading, but for most of us we just want to get a reasonable deal and a stone with sentimental meaning. I heard Donald Trump spent 2 million on engagement ring. I bet somebody made a lot of money in this deal, but I also believe Trump would not care too much whether the ring really worth 1.8 million or 0.5 million. A half million ring would be great enough on any TV show. He should rather spend the time to earning more money than to chase the 1.5 million loss. Well I don't know Trump and his ring so that's all my guess. But that "enough is enough" thought released me from obssessive learning on diamond and I decided to spend the amount I can afford to care less like 2 million to Trump.
All the original anxiety was from the plan of spending 20k in order to overwhelm her. But that thouhgt by itself was immature: A reasonably intelligent woman won't be overjoyed with this kind of impulsive spending, and a woman expecting this kind of gift may not be worthwhile. I decided to cut down the budget to 5k, with it I still can buy a diamond pleasing most of the untrained eyes including hers. I can trust most of the retailers are not inheritantly theaf, and the chance of selling me a piece of glass for 5k is probably not bigger than the chance of giving me a 5k diamond for 1k.
I remember a few years ago I went through a similar odeal when purchasing a car, which is like a diamond, with a lot of information on internet. I decided to skip all that bargain hassels. I decided which car I wanted through internet and one site visit to a dealer. Then I called all the dealers in my area asking if they would sell me a car for $600 profit. I told them streight forward I did all the research and demanded just discuss on how much they wanted to make. It was a hot Honda Pilot that most dealers wanted 2-3k profit. But I was able to cut the deal through telephone in 10 minutes for $1000 over invoice. One of my friends bought the same car for $200 less, but she spent 2 weeks driving around and wrestle with salepersons. Can I possibly do the same for the diamond?
Is there anybody know if the retailers will show me their invoice? What is a reasonable percentage a retailer should make? Maybe someone in the trade can tell me if a retailer, local or online, would tolerate my demand of reading the invoice? But anyway I will not do the overkilling bargaining and that makes my life a lot easier.
Besides the local retailers I also requested several online retailers send me copy of certificate, namely, diamondonweb.com and diamond.com. They are very cooperative with my request. I found they sell for $500-2000 less in general, and both have 30d return policy, same as many other online sellers. But none of their sales rep ever heard of EGL USA. Both told me the E in EGL stands for Europe so the lab is in Europe. One of them never heard of pavillion angle. Oh well whatever, I know much more than them from the beginning. I figured if the stone look fine, and if a local appraiser (I am not sure if I should bother) agreed on the authenticity, why would I have to think those who sell similar stones (similar in lab grading) for more have to be better in anyway? After 30 days, you have to swallow it no matter who were you dealing with.
I will post more with my final purchase.
, that if your fiancee had the possibility of having her "socks knocked off" and lost it because some bozo at the mall doesn''t know about EGL USA and turned you sour to the market, I think that''s kind of sad! I also think that there''s the potential that even a woman who *expects* [read: hopes for] an expensive ring may be worthwhile.
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