Diamond Disclosure
When it comes to diamonds, customer trust is our number one priority. It’s also the biggest factor that influences our newest generation of diamond buyers. And it’s so important, we’re opening up an entirely new store just to cater to this need.
And with diamonds, it’s easy to start shopping with your defenses up. With a car buying mentality. You’re about to drop a significant chunk of cash on something with nuanced characteristics that affect its price by thousands of dollars. It’s also a product most customers are blissfully ignorant about until it’s go-time. Then, when it’s time to start shopping, they can get overwhelmed easily thanks to the mountains of (helpful!) advice online.
So for a client to feel heard, respected, and like a true partner in the diamond buying process, we make sure to disclose absolutely everything we know about our diamonds. We’re not afraid to chat about how our industry works, markups and diamond grading games included. We won’t shy away from showing a customer the imperceptible differences in appearance between two very differently priced diamonds.
And, most importantly, we have a no exceptions diamond disclosure policy. This means that if there’s any kind of asterisk on your stone’s certificate or price tag you’re going to hear about it. Especially when it comes to these three biggies.
Clarity Enhanced Diamonds
This treatment is usually the culprit behind the ridiculously low prices you’ll occasionally see on eBay listing shared to Pinterest. It typically involved filling in fractures with a foreign substance to give the diamond a better clarity appearance. The diamonds look fabulous, but the treatments don’t necessarily hold up over time. And this lowers the price significantly – you should always know when you’re buying clarity enhanced diamonds because otherwise you’re way overpaying. And dealing with a shady jeweler to boot. Read more about clarity enhancement here.
Color Treatment
Color treatment is typically reserved for gemstones, though it does affect fancy colored diamonds. If a diamond is just shy of being fancy, a process called irradiation can intensify the color present in the diamond. It produces a rich, vibrant look – though they are noticeably different from natural fancy intense colored diamonds. The biggest difference, of course, is in the price tag. An irradiated diamond will be a fraction of the cost of a natural fancy. Compare these pretty pink diamonds.
This pear-shaped 1 carat pink is irradiated, and the ring’s total is $7,000.
And this natural, untreated fancy pink pear shape is 1.01 carats and the ring’s total is $37,000. Big difference!
Fluorescence
We’ve chatted about fluorescence a lot lately, especially in regards to diamond certificates and online engagement ring shopping. It’s exactly what it sounds like – a fluorescent quality to a diamond that will make it glow under blacklight. Lest you think you’re ok with this flaw because, you know, you don’t frequent nightclubs, fluorescence is also visible in daylight. It can give the diamond a blue, hazy appearance, or make it look more like a CZ. It’s usually listed at the bottom of a GIA certificate as a footnote, and skews the perception of pricing for many an online shopper who wants to know, as he should, why our diamond is several thousand dollars more expensive than the one he found online. 9 times out of 10, it’s because of a little denotation that reads: STRONG BLUE fluorescence.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with buying a treated diamond or gemstone. They are a great way to get a much bigger diamond on a much smaller budget – as long as you’re informed. You can typically find a beautiful, untreated diamond for the same price or less, if you shop smart. But the most important thing is shopping informed!
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