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"90,000" Loose Diamonds: Who Owns Them?
Drop ship diamonds is an unfortunate internet practice where many internet "jewelers" and diamond vendors will attach a virtual database of wholesale diamonds from various diamond wholesalers and manufacturers.
In most cases the same diamond can be found on many different websites, since none of these guys actually owns the stone. Then an unsuspecting customer comes along and makes a purchase for a diamond which the vendor has never seen or touched, and the stone gets "drop shipped" directly from the manufacturer to the end consumer, never once passing through the hands of the diamond seller!!
To be fair, this is a common practice by many reputable diamond e-tailers who offer thousands of diamonds for sale while not actually ever owning any of them. This in and of itself is not a big deal and certainly not when it is fully disclosed to the consumer. After all, the seller can be very reputable and the customer may choose to buy, or not to buy.
In fact, BlueNile.com who is a well known and reputable diamond e-tailer/retailer operates and sells off virtual diamond listings which they do not own. Still, they have built a strong reputation on the net for the quality and value of their merchandise.
A few very reputable diamond stores and websites will even go the extra mile to earn consumer trust and confidence by calling in these diamonds at their own expense for a full evaluation prior to making a sale. This is certainly the best and safest way to shop for a diamond on the Internet and from a vendor who does not own the stone or have it in his physical possession.
The problem arises with those internet diamond websites/stores that have no experience with diamonds and jewelry and in too many cases have no idea about the quality of the diamonds they are selling. They have no idea what exactly makes a diamond 'tick'. Indeed, they are clueless about the many important variables that would make one diamond look beautiful and another look like frozen spit....
They literally built a website and decided to sell diamonds! They will brag about how they have a database of a gazillion diamonds to sell. The only problem is that they not only do not own these diamonds,they never actually see these diamonds, much less know anything about the crucial nuances of any given stone. What they are doing is simply attaching a database of stones to their website with a built in markup.
"90,000" cheap wholesale diamonds to sell.....................from my basement!!??
This kind of paper pushing and "diamond prostitution" has resulted in many diamond e-tailers closing their doors, selling their companies to a diamond wholesaler, or going bankrupt entirely.
The reason for this is that as internet shoppers become more and more savvy, it is imperative that the diamond seller be able to add real value to the diamond purchase (ie: actual reports and photos of each and every diamond) in order to satisfy a customers request for this information.
If all the diamond vendor knows how to do is "push paper" on a virtual diamond listing he has previously uploaded from a diamond wholesaler, (while he is actually operating a computer from his basement in his pajamas....) he will ulitmately have only one item left to compete with; his final price.
He will bring the price down as much as is required to make the sale so that the customer not be bothered with "trivial matters" like getting comprehensive information on the diamond they are contemplating.....
Even with this "edge" most internet shoppers will opt to work instead with a jeweler who can combine lowest price with comprehensive diamond information.
Bottom line is; don't be ashamed to ask for and indeed demand, actual and comprehensive information, including actual photos, Ideal Scope photos, BrillianceScope results, Sarin/MegaScope diamond analyses, hearts & arrows photos, full scans of the diamond certification, etc.
This is an expensive purchase, not unlike purchasing a home and you therefore have a right to expect real data and information before you spend your hard earned money.
Knowledge is the power to buy informed!
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Comments
This is a GREAT post!!! Everyone interested in purchasing a diamond or involved in the jewelry industry should read and understand it.
Larry Horowitz
GersonandHorowitz.com
Posted by: Larry Horowitz on February 16, 2007 2:23 PM