How to Avoid Diamond Ripoff

When purchasing diamonds one can be easily tricked into buying a stone which isn't truly worth the expense. As each vendor has his or her cunning style, no guide could alert you about every trick in the book, however we still want to provide you with some tools, which would enable you to avoid some common diamond scams.

Round off carat weight – Concealing the precise size
When jewelry shops round off diamond weights a consumer should assume that the stone actually weighs less than the marked label. A 2/3 carat diamond usually doesn't weigh exactly 66.7 points, and can just as well weigh 61 or 72 points. As every point has a significant effect on the price of the diamond, jewelers can use this round off numbers to manipulate the customer. You should insist on being informed about the exact diamond carat weight in such a case, otherwise you shouldn't agree to purchase the stone.

Vulnerable laser drilled diamonds
Laser drilling is a technique that is used to remove black inclusions from diamonds. Although inclusions are indeed burned permanently, this procedure causes the diamond to be less durable and more fragile. Most dealers do notify the consumers whether a diamond underwent such a procedure and therefore reduce its price, but in some cases such information is concealed. Diamond consumers could avoid such a risk by obtaining and reading the diamond quality certificate (which would certainly not exclude the fact that a diamond has been laser drilled) in addition to asking the jeweler if the purchased stone has been modified in such a manner.

A Store's in-house appraisal – Merely a marketing tool
Though much has been said about stores which hire appraisers, who clearly over appraise a diamond's value, and it makes sense not to trust the vendor for a quality evaluation of a stone, many consumers are still fooled by this trick. Somehow the satisfaction in obtaining a good deal by buying a diamond for a lower value than stated in its 'professional' appraisal quite often does the trick. Don't be dazzled by the appraisal, find an independent unbiased diamond appraiser and find out a stone's real value.

Alternative lab quality report – Unknown equals unreliable
GIA, EGL, AGS as well as several other professional labs in Europe are the only reliable institutes for diamond grading. If a store provides such a certificate, issued by an unfamiliar lab, you should treat them with suspicion, especially if the diamond is highly graded. Besides of being easily influenced by stores' marketing needs, small labs simply do not posses equipment as advanced as that of the major grading institutes. A diamond consumer should always ask whether a diamond has a reliable quality certificate, and if the answer is negative he should inquire why this is the case. Generally speaking, such diamonds shouldn't be purchased, or at least should be additionally appraised by an unbiased gemologist.

Diamond substitutes – Not the real thing
In some countries, including tourist destinations, Cubic Zirconia and Moissanite are sold under the title of a real diamonds. Some tourists suppose that as they are in a relatively cheap country diamonds might also be sold cheaply. The world market of diamonds cannot enable such price gaps, thus an exceptionally cheap diamond is not a genuine one.

Misleading in-store lighting
A customer is generally aware of illumination and how it affects the appearance of items, though with diamonds this issue can become even trickier. Some stores install light bulbs which cause yellow diamonds seem whiter. If you suspect a misleading lightning effect, you should ask to view the diamond in a different section of the store, or settle for checking the color grade of the stone in its quality grading certificate.

Carat Total Weight – Concealing the weight of the central stone
Carat total weight (CTW) is a measure of the overall weight of diamonds in a jewelry item. When diamond rings are compared one to another, the customer must not settle for this weight unit because several small diamonds are worth much less than one big diamond. This could be the case even if the total weight of the small stones exceeds the weight of the large diamond. Hence, a diamond consumer should never buy a diamond ring without knowing the carat weight (along with other attributes) of the main stone.

Huge jewelry sales – Usually a reduction of an overpriced diamond
20%, 30%, 40% off sales are often a marketing manipulating trick. While purchasing any kind of merchandise a consumer is aware of the fact, that sometimes dealers reduce a price from already over-priced items. In jewelry stores, this habit is even more misleading, as it's difficult for the consumer to evaluate the true worth of a diamond. A dealer would never risk losing money, especially when it comes to expensive diamonds, thus the customer should assume that the original, pre-sale price of the items was highly exaggerated.