written by Mo
The Worst Way to Buy a Diamond
If you approached buying a diamond like any other purchase you might tell me you wanted a VS1, F color 1.5 carat diamond, right? Wrong.
Welcome to Engage Academy
Today we’re going to be teaching you how to buy a diamond and why focusing on the grade is actually the worst way. *yikes*
Why is focusing on the grade the worst way to buy a diamond?
So why is focusing on the grade the worst way to buy a diamond?
First off, most people that fixate on the grading – the 4Cs aspects of a diamond, don’t really understand how diamonds are graded to begin with.
They often think that it’s scientific, but it is not.
They don’t realize that diamonds are graded by people, which means grading is subjective because it’s determined by personal perspective.
Let’s think about it like this, grading diamonds is more like grading an English paper than a math test because it is so subjective.
One of the ironies a lot of people are not aware of is that ever since e-commerce came onto the scene, people have fixated on diamond grading more than ever, which has meant that the diamond industry has had to hire a lot more people to be able to meet the demand, which in turn has made diamond grading less reliable because you have a lot more opinions.
The result? Inconsistency in grading.
Example 1
Check out these five diamonds side by side. One of these diamonds does not sparkle like the other.
Can you identify which one? It’s the last one on the right.
They’re all G color, VS1 clarity, triple excellent cut. However, number five is not sparkling the way that it should. It falls short of the grade.
Wait, there's more...
How about these stones?
Example 2
The first thing you’ll notice is that they’re obviously very different in size. Check this out, they’re all ONE CARAT (1.00 ct.) but they’re not the same size!
Example 3
Or how about this example? Take a look at these stones. Do you see a difference in color?
They’re both a G color.
And yet you can see that one is more yellow than the other. Again, not scientific.
As you can clearly see, the grade does not define what you can expect to see in the actual stone itself. And we’re going to explain why- why are people obsessed with the grade?
The answer is one simple word…
E-COMMERCE.
Let's go deeper
Companies that only sell diamonds online, put a lot of effort into making people believe that diamond grading is scientific. So that you feel comfortable buying a diamond based on its specifications, essentially, buying a diamond completely BLIND.
But we’re not talking about buying diapers or wipes. You can’t just order a diamond on the Internet and hope it meets your expectations.
We’ve told you a lot about the worst way to buy a diamond, so by now I’m sure you’re wondering what the best way to buy a diamond is?
What's the best way to buy a diamond?
The best way to buy a diamond is really just by looking at them side by side, comparing them for yourself and really assessing what characteristics are most important for you. Never just look at one and buy one.
It’s really important to understand, that even if you know nothing about diamonds, our brains are incredible machines that go into super comparative mode when looking at things side by side.
Example 4
Take a look at this stone. If you look at it by itself, it’s going to look fantastic.
But look at this, when you put it in a row and line it up against the four other diamonds…
…All of a sudden, you’re going to notice that the stone doesn’t sparkle like the other four. That’s the miracle of the human brain! When you do a side-by-side comparison, you can see for yourself, if there’s something off about a diamond.
Another key to diamond shopping the right way, is to work with people you trust. Like every other profession in the service industry, whether you’re choosing a mechanic or a lawyer, any service that requires you to rely on someone’s expertise needs to have that trust factor.
HOW ARE WE DIFFERENT?
At Engage Studio, we want to make sure the diamond is true to the grade or higher, because as the grade goes up, you’re going to pay a bigger premium and if the diamond falls short of the grade, you just overpaid for that stone. It’s important not to be fooled by high-definition videos or photos of diamonds taken in studio lighting. Lots of people think they’re getting a really good look at this stone but what they don’t realize is you are not seeing them side by side in the same environment in real time so you’re seeing a partial truth, only half the story.
So what's the Hack here?
#1
Hold the grade loosely
#2
Work with someone that you trust
#3
Look at diamonds side by side
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Until next time, friends!
