In the past year, N.J. Diamonds has seen more engagement ring buyers asking for GIA certified diamonds then at any other time.
RapNet stopped accepting all diamond grading reports from all the European Gemological Laboratories (EGL). Martin Rapaport, chairman of the Rapaport Group, made the announcement during the first annual RapNet Symposium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in September.
Diamond engagement ring buyers are more than ever going to the internet for information before they start shopping. We see more clients with their smartphones and tablets than ever in the store. Saved photos of rings they like. GIA certified diamonds they are looking at and explanations of terms they might not have known before. The GIA certified diamond has a very large price tag associated with it and the customer knows this and is willing to pay for peace of mind. They understand, for the most part, that when buying a GIA certified diamond you will not be overpaying for your stone. They understand that you are getting a true color, cut, clarity, and carat.
I love the knowing look that I will get when I’m explaining this to potential, diamond engagement ring buyers. I just know that they have read the information online, they have gone to many websites and are ready to hit the stores armed with knowledge. Yes, the Millennials are, for the most part, the ones taking advantage of this information. That’s not to say that the older generation isn’t getting in on the act. This has made our job so much easier. It no longer looks like we are trying to sell a “lie.” That’s how people used to look at us when we tried to explain to them why our 1.00 carat diamond SI1 clarity G color was so much more than the other stores stone with the same carat, color, and clarity. Those stones more often than not, offered by the other stores were EGL certified diamonds.
I want a GIA diamond only
What we love to hear after years of the diamond engagement ring buyer staying away from GIA certified diamonds in our store. Now, with information being king, the GIA certified diamond is at long last in demand in our store. Being able to tell our customers about RapNet and what they did and pointing them to different websites to give them more information on the subject. This Youtube Video EGL vs GIA is just one of many sites
that give a full picture of the difference more and more customers who leave the store are going online to verify just what we are telling them. They come back in ready to buy with the knowledge that what we told them is indeed true. Some are even doing that right in the store, pulling out their smart phones and typing away. We welcome this of course in the end we aren’t selling a “lie” and this makes it even easier, when you stick with the truth you can’t go wrong.
Over the years we’ve sold EGL certified diamonds, however, we never bought them from any vendor as is. Our GIA certified diamond grader re-grades each EGL diamond according to GIA standards. Doing this makes sure that our customers are paying for what they are buying. If an EGL cert said the stone is an SI1 after re-grading our Diamond Grader will put it at an SI2 or maybe lower. This was done for all the 4 c’s when a EGL stone was sold at our store it was sold at the price it should be and graded by GIA standards. Our GIA diamond grader has 20 years experience and has used that experience to make sure each of our Diamond customers gets the most for the budget they have set.
