Thorough Research: A Prerequisite
Imagine walking into a motor showroom without the slightest idea of your desired car. It is worse if you are shopping for a car to gift your friend or partner. While sampling the exhibitions, everything will look stunning, and since you are inexperienced in automobiles, you will be at the mercy of the salesmen. Remember that sales assistants are known for their persuasive selling tactics. Before you know it, you will be driving the wrong car and possibly blaming yourself for being so naïve.
Shopping for a diamond is almost akin to shopping for an automobile. The stakes are mostly the same because you are looking for a precious commodity. Hence, you may end up spending big. Furthermore, you would also want to buy high-quality gems at reasonable prices. Finding diamonds of exceptional quality at competitive prices is easier said than done. But with adequate research, you can nail it.
Diamonds are mostly graded based on the Four Cs. Do yourself a favor and understand what these Four Cs are. For instance, what color of diamonds do you desire? Are you into red, blue, or white diamonds? Similarly, you should settle on your preferred cut. While some people love the round cut, others find the oval, and Asscher cuts awesome.
Clarity is another important consideration. Diamonds are sold based on their scores on the clarity scale chart. However, clarity is quite relative. Therefore, your best bet is to look for what appears eye clean. The last element of the Four Cs is carat weight which is the easiest aspect to grasp. Above all, you should remember that these four elements affect the price of diamonds.
This knowledge will help you determine what to prioritize and sacrifice when shopping for diamonds in San Francisco. Let us say you are looking for a cut that blends well with the carat weight that you have chosen. You will realize that Asscher cuts tend to make diamonds look smaller than they are. With such a cut, you can freely increase the carat weight without sacrificing beauty.
So, before shopping, have a specific description of the diamond you want that encompasses every element of the Four Cs.
Know Where to Look
You can choose to buy diamonds in San Francisco online or offline. As you will discover, buying diamonds online is the better option. You get the convenience of shopping and having the merchandise delivered to your address of choice. Besides, the online marketplace features a variety. You can sample diamonds on the displays of popular sellers comfortably for days. No cases of crowding exist, and no bugging salesmen apply pressure selling tactics on you.
Another benefit of shopping for diamonds online is that it is secure. Incidences of jewelry heists are not rampant in San Francisco as the city is reasonably safe. However, such cases are not nonexistent. Some brazen diamond heists have appeared on the San Francisco CBS Local. Though jewelry thieves mostly target shop owners, you are not entirely safe either.
But the main reason for buying diamonds in San Francisco online is that the city has no diamond district. A diamond district is a designated street or section within a town and has a higher concentration of diamond vendors. An example is the New York Diamond District.
When searching for your ideal diamond vendor in San Francisco, the name San Francisco Diamond District may come up quite often. However, do not get confused. The San Francisco Diamond District is an individual merchant, not a diamond district. Therefore, you may have to research more on the vendor before buying from their store. Another store with a confusing name is the San Francisco Diamond Exchange, which is a significant diamond wholesaler in the city.
Shopping for diamonds in a diamond district is an experience of its kind. You can sample many offers within a small area without traversing the entire city. In the case of San Francisco, buying diamonds at brick-and-mortar stores is not easy. You may have to hop from one store to another throughout the city. You cannot complete a trip in a day or two. Therefore, your best bet is to buy diamonds online.
Choose a Store Wisely
This is the most hectic part of shopping for diamonds in San Francisco. But as an astute shopper, you should be discerning enough to tell a reputable dealer when you see one.
First, you should establish how long the company has been in business. The longer, the better. You might also want to find out the reviews the vendor has garnered. Most reputable merchants enjoy favorable reviews across legitimate review websites like Yelp. When checking reviews, focus on buyer feedback so that you may establish whether the seller delivers on their claims or not.
The next thing is to go with a store that offers graded diamonds. Some sellers employ in-house grading professionals. However, experts recommend choosing a vendor whose diamonds are graded by third-party agencies. To ensure that, always insist on seeing an independent grading report. Such reports provide consistent analysis of diamonds based on the four Cs. It might be readily available on the merchant’s website. But if it is not, request to see it before proceeding further. If a vendor produces the report, you should check its authenticity. You can do so by verifying the details on the Report Check.
But what if you do not have the time to substantiate the details on the Report Check? Do not fret and establish whether the report number is laser-inscribed on the girdle.
Membership in reputable jewelry trade associations, like the Jewelers of America, is a plus. It shows that the seller adheres to the ethical standards set by such associations.
After establishing these facts, check on the seller’s physical location. If they have a brick-and-mortar store near you, you might want to head there personally. But if you prefer to complete the process online, check on the vendor’s shipping policy: do they ship to your location?; If they do, what is the average shipping duration?
Most importantly, check for any shipping insurance and whether you are required to sign anything. Also, ensure the vendor offers an excellent return policy, as this will come in handy on the off chance you need to return the merchandise.
The final consideration is the payment options the merchant offers. If paying online, insist on secure payment methods such as PayPal. For credit card payments, ensure the credit card company offers some recourse if things go wrong.