Luxury of Buying Diamonds in the Internet

[pricescope]

I wonder whether buying diamonds/rings online constitutes a luxury experience or this stuff isn''t luxury anymore.

There is a new book: Let Them Eat Cake: Marketing Luxury to the Masses, by Pamela. N. Danziger.

The main idea of her study is that luxury retailers ought to be more concerned about their customer''s total shopping experience than they are about the price of their goods.

Article in Professional Jeweler: New Luxury Means Experience

This book at Amazon

 

[pricescope]

Date: 11/22/2004 4:32:15 PM
Author: Feydakin
That really is old news..

I''m not talking about the news, Steve.

I''m curious whether buying diamonds/rings online is still can be considered a luxury experience. Or maybe diamond rings are not luxury anymore.

 

[Nicrez]

I think that once a person actually worries about a pricetag over the sales experience, you have lost that feeling. Diamonds have been turned into a commodity, as people look for a 1.25ct, E color, eye clean SI1, 34.5 pav angle, 61.5% depth, blah blah blah...

They get so specific about the details and the pedigree, as well as the price, that they no longer see the stone as a thing of beauty for it''s sparkle, but are forced to feel triumphant that they bought a well qualified stone (in their eyes or someone''s numbers) that they LUXURY of just getting something to please yourself is lost.

Luxury is going to a designer''s site and seeing a beautiful brooch and buying it (considering a budget or not), but doing so because it''s lovely and not because each of those stones is perfectly cut to a 1.5 on the HCA.... (I am just as guilty of it!)

Online, it seems to have turned into a game of precision over pleasure...

Perhaps in person, it still happens, and those are the people who buy impulsively and prefer the higher price tag that comes with a soft seat to rest on while browsing, but on-line, it seems to be the most effiicient way a person can have more control over the quality of the product for their money and that''s it.

 

[suzannecallison]

Date: 11/22/2004 8:38:29 PM
Author: Nicrez
I think that once a person actually worries about a pricetag over the sales experience, you have lost that feeling. Diamonds have been turned into a commodity, as people look for a 1.25ct, E color, eye clean SI1, 34.5 pav angle, 61.5% depth, blah blah blah...


Luxury is going to a designer''s site and seeing a beautiful brooch and buying it (considering a budget or not), but doing so because it''s lovely and not because each of those stones is perfectly cut to a 1.5 on the HCA.... (I am just as guilty of it!)

Online, it seems to have turned into a game of precision over pleasure...

I agree that some of the sparkle is lost when you buy online using stats and calculators. At least, when you are buying it for yourself. As a gift, however, the sparkle comes right back when you see someone''s face light up.

The other day I almost bought a $400 set of earrings just because they were pretty and the store was nice and the people were nice. I didn''t buy because the salesman said they didn''t look good on me. Honesty in action. He lost a sale but gained a customer.

Suzanne

 

[bar01]

When it comes to buying something I am not really concerned about the luxury of the buying experience. Sure - I want friendly knowledgabe courteous responsive sales people who treat me with respect - But for me the luxury is the owning of a fine thing - not the buying of it.

However, I really enjoy getting educated and learning about something before I purchase something. The Internet plays a major part in that joy of learning about a luxury item before the sale.

 

[Regular Guy]

Interesting question, Leonid. I''m not entirely sure how this all works out, but I think a number of factors are in place.

How about buying a house? Remember a late scene in the original "Miracle on 34th Street?" Maybe if you''re in the house, the cane is there, the magic is right...you''ll figure...oh. what the hell, let''s just do it.

I''ve been famous for taking out the ledger sheet for decision making, for finding an apartment, and other things.

For your first e-ring, some intangibles may be there.

For more minor purchases, more than 1/2 of favorite purchases in the few hundred dollars came from Tiffany''s for the experience I''ve had, and that I think my wife shared in.

For a replacement e-ring (original lost), out came the spread sheet, and DCD was my vendor of choice.

Now that I''m getting studied on diamonds having certain attributes, maybe (if local vendors will indulge me), I''ll bother them with my pink thing (ideal scope = ledger sheets?) and other new small projects can come forward, sans the luxury aspect Tiffanys offered.

Speaking of which, I am looking for small project ideas. Further, my wife is proudly without pierced ears, and the pendant idea for a diamond isn''t doing it for me. Ideas are welcome.

 

[pricescope]

"... I really enjoy getting educated and learning about something before I purchase something. The Internet plays a major part in that joy of learning about a luxury item before the sale. "

Bar01, great stuff.

I might be wrong but there might be another sort of pleasure/luxury not everyone can afford: spending time on researching and buying not because of the name/brand tout in commercials but based on your knowledge and taste.

If one has enough self confidence and feels secure, she/he might not need romantic environment, smiles and flattery from sales people, or big brand name to feel good about her/himself.

That’s what can be another type of luxury not everyone can afford – think and act independently.

Internet becomes invaluable source, no matter what one’s buying and where. It can be anything, a car, electronics, jewelry, etc.

Another thing marketers used to talk about is “adding value”. But what is “value”? Each person can value different things… but this is another story.

For more thoughts, listen to D. Weinberger speech before the library of Congress. (open it with Windows Media Player or WinAmp) http://www.hyperorg.com/misc/library_of_congress_weinberger_speech.mp3

 

[strmrdr]

Buying diamonds is work and always has been.
The reward is not in the store but in the face and heart of the person recieving it.

Im just not a shopping experence type person give me the resources to learn on my own and I will make my own decisions.
Anything else is wasting my time.

A local stereo store setup a very nice showroom with comfortable chairs and nice surroundings.
The time skyrocketed that a salesman spent with each client and total sales went down.
Spot sales went up slightly but the look then return sales went down sharply.
It lasted about 2 months before they tore it out and went back to the old way.

 

[Regular Guy]

What do you think of this?

(Second question for Leonid...based on recollecting both a) restaurant and b) analogy, guess how I retrieved it?)

 

[valeria101]

Exchanging countless messages and calls... learning and exchanging impressions about the goods and fashion over a reasonably long time. These resemble more the way art and colectibles are purchased than supermarket shopping. Convenience is a luxury too.

Calling online diamond shopping "bargain hunting" lumps together Cost.co and the absentee bids to international auctions. PS comes somewhere mid-ground, IMO.

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

How about this luxurious shopping experience.

From your cosy home, you can visit a high number of high quality stores, find out what they have in stock, get free education from them and then compare their pluses and minuses.

After choosing one of them as your assigned jeweler, you can visit them online countless times, overload them with all kind of questions, and they will continue to treat you as if you are their only customer.

Do not forget that you do not only talk to a sales-clerk, but also to the diamond buyer, the owner of the shop and possibly even to the actual cutter of the stone, who might be on another continent.

Once you have your mind set on one stone, you can have it put on hold, and then go on a forum, where a lot of friends from all over the U.S., but also from Canada, Europe and even some nut of Australia will comment on your choice, and will make you feel even more comfortable about your pending purchase.

What a great shopping experience, wow.

When we are expanding our network of Infinity-dealers, we pay a lot of attention to the personality of our potential dealer. They always have to turn this purchase into a magical experience.

Take this example:

A few months ago, Wink had an online-customer, who wanted to make his anniversary-present to his wife not only extremely beautiful, but also an experience that neither of them would ever forget. On her birthday, he offered his wife two tickets for a short trip to Antwerp.

She wondered why in earth he had chosen Antwerp as a destination. ''Well, honey, because I have another present waiting for you there.'' He had arranged with Wink and me, that we kept two possible stones for him in Antwerp. On their first day here, they came to our office, we explained them all the basics of diamonds once again, showed them a lot of stones to compare, and finally the two Venus-by-Infinity-stones, which he had selected. They decided that they would think about their final choice for a day.

The second day, they spent visiting some museums in Antwerp, and they called us to let us know their decision. We then prepared their stone for customs.

On the third day, they came back to pick up the stone. As an extra, we had arranged for them to visit a diamond cutting factory. And to finalize their stay, my partner took them on a guided tour to the unknown parts of Antwerp.

Each time now, that they look at their diamond, it is not only shining and sparkling enormously, it is also a great memory of a fantastic experience. With many thanks to the online community of Pricescope, who has directed this customer to Wink.

To sum it up: this site here is a source of enormous luxury.

Compare it to buying a luxury car. Here you can have the CEO of Lexus, saying to you personally, that you are making a great choice with that BMW. At the same time, one of the world''s best car-scientists will give you his advice.

Live long,

 

[strmrdr]

WOW Paul they will never forget that experence!
Class act :}

 

[strmrdr]

Something else that Paul''s post promted, a thought that some times I dont appriciate just how good we have it here.
Where else could we get people like Paul, Jonathan, Robin and Todd, wink, Brian, John, Dave, Richard, Neil, Gary, Gary H ,Serg, and a dozen more experts all in one place to answer our every question?


Thank you!

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I think there have been some important key words i can take away from this.

I hope and believe that many of these concepts are enjoyed by my clients in my 2 stores:

Comfort - feeling ok with the buying process
Pleasure
Convenience
Experiance
Security
Expertise

Except for the lasst one - the others are all kinesthetic / feeling based!!!

(BTW Paul did they enjoy the Waffle''s? Since our last visit, Drena has them any time they are on the menu - but she is always dissapointed.)

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

BTW, how strange is it that we have possibly one of the most expensive retail only diamonds advertising here on Pricescope (8*), along with all the lowest price companies?

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 11/23/2004 4

7:58 PM
Author: strmrdr
Where else could we get people like Paul, Jonathan, Robin and Todd, wink, Brian, John, Dave, Richard, Neil, Gary, Gary H ,Serg, and a dozen more experts all in one place to answer our every question?

Strm - you left yourself off of the list...we need our village cynic!

 

[JohnQuixote]

Paul - What a great post.

You''ve managed to state in casual terms some very profound thoughts. The far-reaching nature of what the internet marketplace has to offer is enhanced exponentially by the presence of this forum.

I think the way you brought a tangible human element into it makes the whole concept more user-friendly. What a great tale.

Thanks for this. You made my day, friend.

 

[valeria101]

Here''s some more:

IHT: Who would have thought that virtual luxury could be so successful ? (LINK)

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

Date: 11/24/2004 3:17:19 PM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)
I think there have been some important key words i can take away from this.

I hope and believe that many of these concepts are enjoyed by my clients in my 2 stores:

Comfort - feeling ok with the buying process
Pleasure
Convenience
Experiance
Security
Expertise

Except for the lasst one - the others are all kinesthetic / feeling based!!!

(BTW Paul did they enjoy the Waffle''s? Since our last visit, Drena has them any time they are on the menu - but she is always dissapointed.)

Gary,

They enjoyed not only the waffles. But also some very rare lambic (the basis of kriek-beer and gueuze-beer), a fantastic coffee in the foyer of the theatre (must go there next time when you are here) and some ''genevers'' (Belgian schnaps) in a specialized bar.

And of course Drena is disappointed. She had better than super-ideal waffles here. No comparison possible.

Take care,