I had planned it all, the time to propose, the place to propose, the dress to wear, the music to be played, everything was planned to the T. The only thing missing was the ring. I was unable to finalize on one and the reason was there are so many on offer plus so many exciting offers too. I was in a dilemma whether to go for a costly one carat diamond or to opt for a cheaper one carat diamond at wholesale prices. It was during this time that I met my uncle who is well versed with gems and jewellery. He told me a few facts and using those I was able to make my decision. The facts he mentioned which helped me is what I am detailing below:
Wholesale diamonds:
There is no such thing as wholesale diamonds. This is because nobody buys and sells a lot of stones to the consumer. Those who claim to do so are just misleading the buyers and are actually against FTC regulations. These cheap diamond deals are only to fleece you and to make money from you.
Discount engagement rings:
In a market, where margins are very low it is impossible to offer discount engagement rings. These are unethical marketing practices to entice the buyer. The false promises are used to cheat the customer. They usually sell a low quality diamond by passing it off as a high quality diamond. Unless you know your gems, you will not be able to find the difference as they seem similar to the naked eye. You will actually be paying more for a sub-standard diamond thinking that you bought one for a lesser price.
Diamond certification:
Diamond certification is very important. Diamonds are graded by authorities like GIA and the price is based on the grades. Normal diamonds are usually F or J grade but the best diamonds are D grade. When you are attracted to an offer that advertises a cheap diamond deal then you can be certain that the seller will not have any certification for the diamonds. They will try to pass of uncertified diamonds as the real thing. They could even be conflict diamonds, so you need to be aware. Also they may sell you a different grade diamond and pass it of as a higher grade. You will be shown the actual prices for a high grade diamond and they will tell you they have reduced the price especially for you, whereas in reality they would have just sold a lower grade diamond at a higher price.
In short, there is no such thing as a free lunch. If something seems too good to be true, then you can be sure it is false. These advertisements that misrepresent use words like ‘cheap’. Can a diamond be cheap? A diamond can never be cheap. However if you are looking for something within your budget, then you can surely get one. Diamonds are available at all prices but ensure that they are certified. Also when you know that you need to propose you will also know what diamond ring to buy, it will come naturally, after all it is preordained.
