Tuesday 26 June 2012

Buyers: Beware


These pictures are probably familiar to you already, and it's the most important things to have when purchasing a diamond.

Since this is the first time i'm able to speak out freely to viewers, i'd like to address an on going issue, not only in Singapore but internationally as well. I came to know of this from feedback of clients as well as suppliers attempting to perform the same "trick".

The Common Scam:

Super Ideal Cut diamonds Are not common, in fact very rare. As consumers these days become much more aware about the importance of the Cut of a diamond, retailers and jewelers find themselves at a lost of what to do with their diamonds not cut perfectly. 

So what do they do?

SITUATION:

Let's say you are looking at a 0.55 E VS1 diamond. You want a perfect Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Cut with no blatant light leakage or uneven girdles. The Jeweler takes out a diamond and shows you a diamond and the certificate which clearly states 0.55 E VS1.

THE SCAM: 

Here is the part which everyone forgets or ignores: How do you know, that diamond is not a 0.56 D VVS2, simply shown to you with a certificate that states 0.55 E VS1?. The Scopes look great, H&A, IdealScope and ASET. It looks very white, inclusions are hardly visible.

You're happy and you place a deposit on the diamond. When your ring is set upon your collection, You would not notice the minor detail difference as you viewed it the first time. The Seller gets away with a profit of 1 Color, 1 Clarity 0.01 Carat, Non-Super Ideal cut + on top of that the original profit. Chances are, you are not going to remove that diamond from the setting to view them through the scopes. But you have clearly overpaid.
 

PREVENTION:

When purchasing a diamond, always, ALWAYS request that the diamond you are looking at, is 
 immediately shown with the laser inscription on the girdle. Watch out for any "swaps" in between. From the time you ask "May i see the number on this diamond?" The Jeweler may simply swap the original diamond again, and show you the number. 

 So always make sure, the diamond you are looking at through scopes and certification, is the actual diamond.