Misrepresentation in the Marketplace
A friend of mine recently asked me to go shopping for an engagement ring with him. His jeweler of choice was one of the large national chain jewelers, mostly located in area malls. When we walked in, we were immediately greeted by a woman whose only goal seemed to be for us to open a […]
Louis Vuitton vs Target
Successful brand names can help create an allure and the idea of high quality. A woman may choose to pay more for a leather handbag because it carries the name “Louis Vuitton” or she may choose to purchase a specific line of hair care products because she’s “worth it”. Branding can help to distinguish products […]
The Diamond Pipeline: A breakdown of the world travels of diamonds, and who pays the bill
The fine jewelry industry seems to be perpetually filled with notorious mark-ups and yet what appear to be constant blow out sales. Diamonds fall directly into this mysterious game of price shopping, and sale hunting. How is it that a jewelry sales person seems to always be able to pull out a calculator and knock […]
Diamonds Are Forever, But is their Value?
Diamonds; they are the quintessential representation of value, wealth, luxury, strength, sparkle, and beauty. According to De Beers Consolidated Mines Company of South Africa, “A Diamond is Forever”(De Beers, 2011). Diamonds are Forever: These four words seem to have capsulated the retail diamond industry and are responsible for planting a misconceived idea of a diamond’s […]
Taking a Step Back – diamond buying companies
In our previous blog posts, I have written mostly about the process and mechanics behind the diamond industry. Truths about the actual value of diamonds, as well as how they reach their price tag value by the time they reach a woman’s finger. While our website sheds light onto our massive crush on diamonds and […]
Knowing your diamond can spare one broken dreams
When it comes to selling something, whether it’s a complex electronic or a chocolate chip muffin, it is critical to know what you’ve got. If you were at a local bake sale and asked if the chocolate chip muffins had nuts in them, and the baker replied, “I don’t know”, you likely would not take […]
Fancy Cut Diamonds: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
It seems that everywhere one turns there are new colors your supposed to wear this summer, the hottest shoes seen in store everywhere, right down to the newest engagement ring design Angelina Jolie is sporting. When it comes down to it though, these products only carry value if someone finds them appealing. The same bright […]
Ethical Standards in the Diamond Retail Industry
I want to start off by pointing out that these are blanket observations, and are my own. There are many loyal, trustworthy, and honest individuals in the diamond retail industry and it is important to give them credit for their efforts to keep the industry ethical, and to keep hard earned consumer confidence. Ethics. They […]
The Power of the Diamond Consult
In a busy season that has been filled with client appointments, phone consultations, and auctions this past week has stuck out above all others. I had two appointments this week that resulted in some reflection and a new drive that I feel is important to share! As I entered this business, I thought I would […]
Diamond Déjà-vu
Three times last week I felt like I was having déjà-vu. That feeling like you have already been somewhere before, or had a similar conversation but you cannot place it. I quickly realized that it was not déjà-vu but rather I actually was having the same conversation multiple times. They all went something like this: […]