In this video we will go over the Top Ways Jewelry Stores Trick you into buying lesser
quality diamonds and engagement rings. So you don't get ripped off.
Where is the Cut Grade? Everybody learns about the four C's when buying diamonds. Carat is
the most important "C" because carat increases the price the most. Cut is the "C" that increases
the price the second most, not just for you, but the jewelry store as well. If they can
get you to pay more for a lower cut grade then they make more profit. It just so happens
cut is the easiest quality to trick you with because you can't tell the cut by just looking
at the diamond. So Diamond stores try to not even mention the Cut Grade. Here is how. Since
you already likely know cut is one of the 4 C grades they tell you and display the Cut
Shape, like a Round cut or Princess cut, but don't tell you the actual Cut Grade. They
bank on the fact that you don't even know what a cut grade is. Sometimes they post the
polish and symmetry grades, which aren't as important, and hope you think that those are
the cut grade as well. But no Cut Grade mentioned here. Cut Grades look like this.
Bait and Switch! This is the number one way diamond stores sell you lesser quality diamonds.
Most Diamonds are Graded by an independent diamond lab that issues a certificate. Sometimes,
diamond labs actually work with the Jewelry Stores to inflate their grades so you think
you are getting a better diamond than you actually are. The Standard for Diamond Certificate
labs is G.I.A. Take this email I got for example: I was trying to buy a nice H Colored diamond
but didn't notice the diamond's Lab was not G.I.A. It reads, "E.G.L. is a for Profit Lab.
They are very lenient in the grading system. When compared to G.I.A. this diamond will
be a lot closer to k l Color." Which is A LOT more yellow than the H colored diamond
that I thought I ordered. Then they offered me a higher priced diamond in its place. Classic
Bait and switch! In Short, order a G.I.A. diamond and you will get what you pay for.
The letters T.W. What does that mean? First understand: carat is not the size of a diamond
it is it's weight. Sometimes when you ask a salesperson what the carat is on a certain
ring they will tell you the Total Carat Weight even though they know you mean just the Carat
Weight of the center stone. This Engagement ring has a center stone that weighs .75 carats.
However, if you add up all the tiny diamonds on the engagement ring they add up to 1.75
carats. Hoping you don't know the difference, you would buy the engagement ring thinking
the center diamond is higher than it actually is. It's not just salespeople though. The
jewelry stores, like you see here with Kay Jewelers, will advertise the higher Carat
weight and just put the letters T.W. and hope you don't know that that is the Total Carat
Weight instead of just the Center Stone's Carat Weight.
Blinded by the Light. Diamond Stores use impressive lights that would make even the lowest quality
diamond sparkle. This does two things: first, it makes it hard to see any inclusions that
you would see under normal lights. Even cloudy diamonds will sparkle with these intense lights.
Second, it makes it seem like Cut doesn't matter. A diamond's second most important
quality, besides Carat, is cut. Cut is what makes the diamond sparkle. The more ideal
the diamond cut the more the engagement ring diamond sparkles at its peak. But, intense
jewelry store lights make the diamond sparkle at its peak no matter how poor the diamond
cut. That way Cut and Clarity seem less important with fancy lights. Buying engagement rings
from my recommended website below this video you can view the diamonds with the lights
that expose the imperfections instead of hiding them.
Hide and Seek. Most diamonds have inclusions or blemishes. Some are visible to the naked
eye and some are not. Sometimes diamond stores will hide the inclusions under the ring setting
clasps. This diamond has an inclusion on the side but we can easily hide it under this
clasp. While this is a bad thing if the store is hiding the diamond flaws from you and not
telling you, it can also be a strategy to your benefit if you knowingly buy a diamond
with visible inclusions on the side that can be hidden under the clasps. The best way to
avoid this scam is to just buy a diamond online where it can be seen before placing it in
the engagement ring itself. Watch my Diamond clarity comparison video for more on this.
Big Carat Doesn't Equal Bigger Appearance. Engagement ring stores can Cut diamonds to
make the carat bigger without it looking bigger, at certain angles. Here is a dramatic example.
The diamond on the left is the appropriate size the diamond on the right is a terrible
cut but the Diamond on the right has a higher Carat because it weighs more. If you looked
down at both of these diamonds the size looks just the same. In addition the light doesn't
bounce off the diamond correctly so it doesn't sparkle as much. If you bought a diamond like
this you'd be paying for a higher carat that doesn't even look bigger, and it has a poor
sparkle too. To avoid this I always buy an Ideal or Excellent cut Diamond by GIA standards.
Sneaky Salespeople! When you go in to buy a diamond the salespeople use all sorts of
deceiving words. Once I asked an engagement ring salesperson what a diamond inclusion
was. They said it was a "Beauty Mark" and it "gives the diamond character" Uh... an
inclusion is a blemish, or imperfection or impurity that lowers the value of the diamond.
They are always bending the truth to sell you. I suggest staying away from salespeople
and buying your engagement ring online. Salespeople often mislead you but also they increase the
cost of the diamond. My favorite online diamond store is linked to below this video.
The Switch-A-Roo. Be careful whenever buying an engagement ring or taking your diamond
to get it cleaned. Most diamonds certified today have a unique number inscribed on the
side. Demand to see the Certificate number inscribed on the side of the diamond and take
your certificate to make sure the numbers match. Do this before you buy the diamond,
before you take it home and when you take it in to get cleaned. There are very shady
people out there and the number is inscribed on the side for a reason.
Shop Online. All Brick and Mortar stores sell overpriced engagement rings. The salespeople,
the rent in the mall, the fancy showcases and lights all are costs that increase the
cost of your diamond. Like here: You can see that Kay Jewellers, Helzberg Diamonds, and
Jared's all have equal 1 carat D shade Excellent Cut and Flawless clarity diamonds. Compare
those to these two exceptional online websites that I will link to below this video and the
savings are thousands of dollars. And here is my number one tip. Have your girlfriend
shop for engagement ring with you or her best friend. Make note of the Engagment ring, the
specs of the diamond, and the price of the diamond. Go to my recommended diamond website
below this video plug in those same specs and get the same quality diamond for less
cost or plug in the price of the diamond that she liked and get a bigger or higher quality
diamond from the online website. Now just take that diamond that you got from the website
back to the jewelry store and set in the ring she likes or find a similar one from the websites
that I have linked to below this video.
If you guys go to buy a diamond on another device come back here and click on the link
below because it will help you out. And if you have any personal questions about buying
engagement rings leave a comment below. Also make sure you subscribe to my hair and makeup
channel. Like and subscribe.