Who do you trust?????

I was reading Pricescope yesterday and there was an interesting thread that talked about a certain individual who is always disparaging everyone other than himself who sells diamonds.

Several of the posters are upset about this guy's tactics, and the fact that so many people seem to listen to him. He gets great publicity and obviously has learned how to use PR to his advantage, but still finds it necessary to disparage any one else in the world who sells diamonds.

So, who do you trust?

I could tell you to look for testimonials, but this guy has a ton of them, even though he is a convicted felon who defrauded some investors who bought diamonds from him. So do all of the sites he complains about, heck, I have a bunch of them too.

So, who do you trust?

I could tell you to look at sites like Pricescope that are wonderful discussion boards primarily for consumers to go and find out who is trust worthy and to learn many things about diamonds and gems.

But hey, the person being talked about in that thread says that all Pricescope vendors are evil and that if you trust them you are as stupid as they are. If you believe him, that would be bad advice. (Personally I think going to sites like Pricescope is excellent advice, but then, I am one of those stupid misguided Pricescope vendors.)

So, who do you trust?

NO ONE. Don't trust anyone until you have done your homework. Then, trust but verify. When buying diamonds of over 1/2 carat insist on a lab grade on the diamond, preferably from one of the better labs such as GIA, AGS or PGS. I have had great results with all three of these labs, although it is no secret that I am currently at odds with the new GIA cut grading system. I have had not as reliable results with EGL and I just plain do not accept anything with an IGI paper on it as they have been consistently stinkers as far as I am concerned. A few of my colleagues tell me that they are cleaning up their act, and if so I will be pleased to see it, but many of the big players who use them use them BECAUSE they are lax, not because they are accurate as this enables them to buy cheaply and sell dearly to the detriment of their clientele.

Go to sites like Pricescope and read the discussions there and do searches for vendors in your area. Call or email the vendors that you are interested in talking with, and basically interview them for your business. Be quick to cut any who do not make you feel special.

Research what you are looking for and then go talk with your local jewelers. Many of them will be competitive with Internet pricing, especially if they know you have been on the internet looking and learning. It is always nice if you can get your jewelry done locally, as it relieves the anxiety of needing to ship things here and there, and it is nice to see your work in progress.

If you have a question about a vendor, you can usually ask on the diamond discussion boards and get many responses about good, bad, or indifferent experiences with the various vendors.

And of course, you can always trust me...