In part one of our stud earring series we looked at the basics of buying studs from your average jewelry store. That primarily focused on diamond studs because chain jewelers and your average jewelry store carry 80% diamonds versus 20% colored gems. But for many of us, studs set with colored gems are more desirable and more affordable. Most people we do business with want colored studs but are hesitant to buy a pair (or ten) because they are so unsure of the quality and value of the stones. This makes it exceptionally difficult to comparison shop colored gems. With diamonds, we have always been taught the 4 C’s to evaluate and grade the quality and value of a diamond, but with colored gemstones we have no similar system to use. On the surface, it appears that diamonds are easier and safer to buy for the average person….. but is that really true?

Secret #1 – The 4 C’s provide a false sense of security and false information to anyone who causally learns them like most jewelry buyers. It takes an exceptionally trained eye to truly evaluate the value of a diamond. If you want proof that this is true, just listen to so many jewelry ads on TV and radio saying things like ‘we reject 90 % of diamonds we look at and bring you only the best for your money.’ Read that, ‘we look for stones that have inclusions and flaws in places we can hide with the setting so the diamond will look to the casual observer to be more valuable than it really is.’

Secret #2 – With all fine jewelry at a lower price level, maybe under $250, buy what you love without regard to the any hype or sales lingo. Just make sure you have the exact description on your sales receipt. We will discuss why that is in a future post int his series… This information must include:
– Stone Type
– Stone Size and Weight
– Treatments
– Metal Type

Secret #3 -If the retailer will not put the exact description on the receipt, run don’t walk! There are no good reasons for them to do this. In fact, every reason I can think of benefits the retailer at your expense. This is in my opinion, the first and best line of defense in jewelry buying.

Next week we will look at how to handle the buying process for more expensive jewelry.