Texas may be the cowboys' official home, but no city has immortalized the cowboys better than Dallas. The town features the tallest cowboy: not a live one but a magnificent statue that has become one of the city's signature landmarks. Since immemorial, the 52-foot Big Tex statue has continued to inspire locals and tourists alike during the annual State Fair of Texas.

But cowboys are not the only attraction in Dallas. Being the third-largest city in Texas, it is an economic powerhouse in its own right.

It is hard to miss the city's architectural landmarks, such as the Bank of America Plaza and the Comerica Bank. Numerous high-end accommodation facilities, including The Ritz Carlton, The Rosewood Mansion, and The Four Seasons Resort, are also at your disposal.

Dallas also features cultural events that offer a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of ordinary city life. The State Fair of Texas is a festival with a history spanning more than a century. Apart from allowing you to meet like-minded individuals, it is an ideal event to attend if you wish to take a trip down memory lane and uncover some critical socio-cultural milestones the city has achieved. In addition to this event, other significant festivals include the Fan Expo Dallas, the Fen Con, and the North Texas Irish Fest.

But amidst all these attractions, what is the experience of buying jewelry in Dallas like? More specifically, is it easy to purchase diamonds in Dallas? Continue reading for an insightful guide.

Choosing the Right Diamond Store

Choosing the right diamond store is the first step in getting good value for your money. Dallas features hundreds of these stores, each of which prides itself on offering high-end jewelry, including the Dallas Diamond Direct, Diamond & Gold Warehouse, Robbins Brothers, and Mariloff Diamonds & Fine Jewelry, many among others.

But when choosing a diamond store, there are many factors to consider. First, a diamond is a gemstone that is best purchased when already cut and polished. A well-cut diamond comes in different shapes. Having insights on a specific color, cut, clarity or carat weight is very important. 

However, it may take much work to walk into a jewelry store in Dallas and find your preferred diamond ready for purchase. In most cases, you would need to make prior arrangements with the store to ensure they have the right stone for you. But then again, you may need more time to do so.

So, how do you proceed in such situations? Ideally, it would be best if you opted for a store that has a large inventory of in-house diamonds. Many local stores do not have inventory and get stones from other dealers on a memo (a term used in the diamond industry for borrowing the diamond, and when sold, the store pays the dealer).

The supply chain of the diamond industry works as follows:

• Large corporations such as De Beers mine the stones.
• These diamonds are sold to dealers who then cut and polish them.
• After cutting the stone, they are sold to jewelers to be sold to you.

When shopping for a diamond at your favorite local retailer, here is what to watch out for:

First, does the store offer professionally graded diamonds? A diamond must have been graded in a reputable lab to pass as professionally graded. Now, this is where you should exercise due diligence. We only have a few reputable diamond grading companies — notable ones are the GIA and AGS. If you find a store whose diamonds have GIA or AGS certification, there is a possibility that it is a reliable store. Other labs have been associated with gross inconsistencies in their jewelry-grading systems. It would be best if you avoided any diamond that does not bear a grading certification from the GIA or the AGS.

Remember that the importance of proper grading cannot be overstated. Therefore, it does not matter where the shop sources its jewelry; the first mark of quality should be a GIA or AGS certification. 

If you are on a budget, lab-grown diamonds offer great value and also very popular among young buyers.

Factors to Consider About Each Store

We have already discussed a few tips on locating the best diamond store in Dallas. With staff known for their friendly manner and ready-to-help attitude, most of the city's jewelry stores have a strong selling point.

When buying a diamond, several intricacies are involved. If you are not a very discerning buyer, aspects like blemishes can easily escape your attention. Hence, you would be better off finding a store that is not merely profit-inclined but also features a specialized customer support desk where you can post your queries and have them addressed.

It is relieving to find a store ready to offer you vital information on diamonds before buying from them. It allows you to establish whether the stone is your best fit. Be that as it may, exemplary customer service is not the only thing that gives these stores a cut above the rest.

The following are more reasons you should consider purchasing all your diamonds in Dallas from any of these outlets:

Reasonable Warranty and Favorable Returns Purchases

In some instances, you might discover that the diamond delivered to you differs from what you expected. Therefore, you would wish to return the jewelry and have it replaced or refunded.

This is where a good return policy and warranty come in. For instance, Blue Nile offers free returns, though you must ensure that the pieces of jewelry returned are not damaged in any way.

Conflict-free Diamonds

Another reason for buying diamonds in Dallas is that reputed local jewelers sell conflict-free diamonds, which is part of their broader effort to foster ethical business practices. For starters, most stores do not source their diamonds from conflict-torn countries like the DRC, nor do they get their jewelry from the black market. Instead, they obtain all their diamonds legitimately through responsible mining activities.

Interactive Diamond Displays

If you have purchased diamonds before, you understand how treacherous it is to sift through hundreds of diamonds trying to locate your favorite stone. Luckily, it does not persist anymore. High-end jewelry stores in Dallas now deploy interactive pictures and videos on their online displays, essential in helping you hone in on your desired stone.

Custom-made Jewelry

Here is another critical reason why the above-recommended stores should be your go-to jewelry outlets for your diamond shopping needs in Dallas. We already highlighted the importance of custom-designed diamonds. They save a great deal of your time—the time you would otherwise spend trying to get the store to recreate the stone to your specifications.

Fortunately, most stores in Dallas understand the significance of custom-made jewelry. Having been in this industry for years, they have carefully collected and collated data on their customers' varied tastes. Whether you are looking for in-house ring designs or designer engagement rings, you can trust them to deliver.

How to Compare Prices

After locating your ideal diamond store, the next step is price comparison. Though all the jewelry outlets listed above deal in high-end diamonds, each store prices its gems differently. The best place to compare diamond prices is online. The websites of reputable diamond stores usually feature online calculators that you can use to estimate the cost of your preferred jewelry.

But before you can use these calculators, you should already have identified your preferred stone. Moreover, when comparing prices, ascertain that all other aspects remain constant. For instance, if you are looking for a 2-carat blue diamond, compare prices across as many stores as possible based on the same parameters. You will often discover that the price variations are significant.

It does not harm to haggle after learning about the general price a store charges for your preferred diamond, though it does require special skills. Negotiate persistently but politely when haggling for the cost of your dream diamond. While you expect a great bargain from your purchase, remember that the store is also keen on making some profits. Therefore, do not drag them down to rock bottom.

Another essential tip when negotiating the price of a diamond in Dallas is to have cash at the ready. One mistake most jewelry buyers often make is haggling for the price of gems when they do not have the money to spend. Remember that the costs of precious metals are fluid, and in most cases, they depend on seasons and occasions. Imagine negotiating for the price of a diamond days before Valentine's Day, but upon settling on a great offer, you postpone your purchase. The chances are that you will likely pay more when you visit the store on Valentine's Day, but only if you are lucky enough to find the stone there.

Conclusion

Buying diamonds in Dallas is indeed a thrilling experience. However, it depends on where you shop. Shopping for your diamond online is also a great option. When doing so, you will have ample time to compare various stones before placing your order. Buying diamonds online also enables you to read the history and reviews of a jewelry outlet before ordering from them. The best part is that you can place your order from anywhere.