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As we know and have said about a million times that buying a diamond is one of the largest purchases you are going to make in your life, next to a house and a car, so you need to be smart when it comes to choosing a jeweler. Whether you choose Jonathan’s Fine Jewelers as your jeweler or someone else, we think there are some universal questions you should ask your jeweler before buying a diamond from them, after all, you wouldn’t let a handyman build your house.
9 Questions You Should Ask Your Jeweler Before Buying a Diamond
1. How many years have you been in this business location and how many years have you been in business? I lump these two together because they are similar. The number of years the jeweler has been in business is important because longevity in this industry isn’t easy, so if they have been in the jewelry business for years that is a good sign and an even better one if they’ve stayed in either one location or moved maybe just once.
Red Flag – Don’t buy diamonds from someone who is selling them out of the back of a car or from the inside of an overcoat!
2. Are they with the Better Business Bureau? I don’t think you need to see credentials or anything, but even if they have a BBB logo on their website, that doesn’t mean they are affiliated with the Better Business Bureau. I know many a jeweler that has used that logo just because it looks good, so be sure to do your homework!
3. Can you have the names and numbers of referrals to speak to that they have worked with? This is HUGE. If your jeweler won’t give over the goods, and that means the names and numbers of at least 5 customers that they have worked with than get up and walk away. There isn’t a jeweler in the world that can’t find 5 customers who won’t vouch for them.
Red Flag – If your jeweler you are interviewing has a great website with all these glowing reviews, but face to face won’t give you one name and number for a referral, than you know that they made up every single one of those reviews sitting on their site!
4. Do they have an inventory of diamonds on hand or do they have to memo the diamonds out? Why do you want to know this? Because if you go to a jeweler that has to go to another jeweler to get the diamonds, then your jeweler is raising the price to sell you that diamond. When you get your diamond from the jeweler that has the inventory you are always getting the better price because it is coming from the source.
5. Does your jeweler have a bench jeweler or do they send their manufacturing work out of house? Here is another important question. A lot of jewelers also call themselves designers. Not all jewelers are designers and not all designers are jewelers. Designers can design jewelry, but that doesn’t mean they can make it and a lot of jewelers can make jewelry but it doesn’t mean we can design or draw worth a squat. I am a jeweler. I can’t really draw and my handwriting is more like a deranged doctor, but I know how a piece of jewelry is made and the best materials and how to put it together and what are the best stones and the nuts and bolts. I can take a bunch of ideas and merge it into a gorgeous ring and if you tell me what you want I can translate it into a stunning pair of earrings, but if you said to me, here is a diamond, create…I would be screwed.
Red Flag – If a designer tells you they “make” their jewelry, ask to see their shop! I can show you ours, and our guys are excellent, but I don’t set the diamonds, make the wax molds or melt the gold and mold and cast. If your designer says they do those things and you are paying that much for them, be sure you at least see what you are getting first.
6. What is the jeweler’s policy when it comes to buy backs, repairs on settings, cleanings and upgrades? Life isn’t perfect and things can happen. You can strike oil and want to get a bigger stone or you can get divorced and want to sell your stone. Either way you want to know that you are covered by the jeweler that you bought you diamond from.
7. Is their portfolio of work well rounded? Every jeweler should either have a case that has premade pieces out that they are selling or a book that has pictures of rings they have made or pictures on their website. What does their work look like? Is it clean or sloppy? And does it represent a wide range or a narrow margin?
Red Flag – If the jeweler doesn’t have anything to show you than you know are in trouble. If the work they do show you is not good craftsmanship or every single ring has a halo and looks the same, then you might want to find someone who has a little more vision!
8. Does your jeweler listen to you? When you walked in and started to tell your jeweler what you wanted did they listen to the fact that you wanted a 1.5-carat diamond and bring you what you were looking for did they come back with 2 and 3-carat diamonds? You want a jeweler who will listen, so you will not only get what you want, but also stay in your budget.
9. Do you LIKE the jeweler? This is really important, because you will be dealing with this jeweler a lot. You have to like them. So, pick someone you trust, like and that you know will do a good job for you.
Remember, not all jewelers are shyster’s and not all shyster’s are jewelers!
