Diamond Engagement Rings - How To Buy And Avoid Scams

You should be as educated as the salespeople to play on a level
playing field as you shop. You should always ask to view the
diamond through a 10x viewing loupe. If the jeweler gives you
any bogus excuse why you can’t, then leave immediately. Any
legitimate jeweler would supply a loupe for you to inspect a
diamond, which you the consumer have a right to do.

You should also ask to see the GIA certificate or AGS
certificate for your diamond. If they make up excuses or
cannot produce this important diamond grading document,
then you should assume the worst and leave, as they probably
have something to hide.

Avoid synthetic Moissanite diamonds unless that is specifically
what you want. Some jewelers will try to rip you off by claiming
they are real diamonds. To head this off, look through a 10x loupe
and if you see double facets or a doubled diamond table reflection,
then you most likely have a Moissanite synthetic diamond.

A good way to spot Cubic Zirconia fake diamonds is to view a
newspaper placed behind the diamond. If you can read the print,
then it’s a fake Cubic Zirconia diamond. A real diamond scatters
the light so you should not be able to see the news print through
the diamond.

Another trick jewelers can pull on you is to show you a yellow
diamond and claim it’s a nice white diamond because they show
it to you in front of a black background so you cannot easily see
the color. You should also view your diamond in front of a white
background to better detect any yellow coloring in the stone,
and verify it against a color chart.

You also need to avoid jewelry store scams such as pricing
codes. Some jewelers don’t post a price on their diamond rings,
they post a cryptic code which they must decode for you. This
opens up the doorway to deceit and lies. If you look dumb, they
might quote you a much higher price than a buyer who they
know is informed. You should walk out of any jewelry
store that does not post the exact price on the tag.