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Diamonds:  The Beauties and The Beast

By  Judith Anderson  GG, CGA

Ever since diamonds were first found lying in the sands of ancient river beds in the Golconda region of India (circa 800 BC) they have captivated us with their beauty and mystique.   To the classical Greeks and Romans, diamonds were symbols of great wealth, strength and loyalty.   While in 1477, Archduke Maximillian celebrated his betrothal to Mary of Burgundy by giving her a gold ring set with a diamond - the world's first diamond engagement ring.   Throughout history diamonds have been a popular symbol of love, trust and faith.   They are true Beauties.

Unfortunately, for as long as diamonds have been treasured and admired, unscrupulous characters have attempted to deceptively sell under-carated,  misgraded and even synthetic gemstones.   We call these scurrilous individuals the Beast.

Throughout the ages, jewelry consumers have been challenged to find diamonds that are honestly represented, accurately graded and fairly priced.   To better understand the challenges facing today's jewelry consumer, let's take a look at the workings of the retail and wholesale diamond markets.

Diamond sales in the retail market involve a transaction between a retail jeweler and a jewelry consumer.   Usually the consumer is significantly less knowledgeable about the pricing and grading of diamonds than the seller.   As a result, the consumer faces the very real risk of purchasing a diamond with a quality and value that is significantly less than what was represented by the seller.   To add insult to injury, diamonds in the retail market are often sold at mark-ups as high as 100% to 300% over the wholesale cost.

In contrast, the wholesale diamond market involves transactions within the "trade", that is between knowledgeable mine owners, stone cutters, wholesalers and retailers.   In the wholesale markets both the sellers and the buyers are experts in assessing the quality and value of diamonds.   The large number of knowledgeable participants assures that diamonds in the wholesale market trade at the lowest possible price and are accurately graded.   As a result, the seller's mark-up on a wholesale transaction is often less than 10%.

At Bijoux Extraordinaire, we offer you the opportunity to purchase a diamond in the wholesale market.   We will act as your agent to help you realize the cost savings possible in the wholesale market, while protecting you from the frustration and pitfalls of a retail sale.   Our knowledge of diamonds, the wholesale markets, and appraisal expertise allows us to:

1.   Provide you with the gemological expertise needed to acquire a diamond of the highest quality and value.   You do not have to worry about being sold a misgraded or under-carated stone.

2.   Act as your agent and help you acquire a quality diamond at a low cost.

If you are considering the purchase of a diamond or other precious gemstone,  let us act as your diamond experts.  We can help you acquire a gemstone of high quality and value while saving you time and money.  To learn more about how we help consumer's purchase diamonds and other precious gemstones,  please visit our  Diamond and Gemstone Brokering  page.



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