Diamond Engagement Ring Scams, Rip Offs and Mistakes. Don't Get Cheated Shopping Buying Tutorial Tip 

I bought my fiancee's engagement ring in Memphis TN when we were in college. They emphasized for her to bring it back in a couple of weeks to recheck the mounting and give it a clean. After we did that the ring was not as bright as I remembered and there was a visible flaw (to the naked eye); I remember thinking that I didn't remember that. It was years later that I realized that they had switched the diamond when we brought it back...

My biggest piece of advice when looking for a diamond online is DON’T search by price. This whole video was based around pricing being confusing from place to place and a certain price point getting you vastly different qualities of diamonds, so why would you search by price? Research what type of diamond you’d like and set the filters accordingly, and don’t touch the price slider. You’d be surprised what actually is in your price range.

It’s sad that you have to constantly look out for fraudulent advertising in any industry while these companies never get in trouble for it.

Tip- Take your own LOUPE! And Also, ask to look at the stone in daylight. I got stung! And since then, Ive learnt alot more. I was sold a CHIPPED stone! It was hidden under the clasp!.. So beware.

I still don't get why a stone costs more than a car 😂😂

Would you trust a guy who wears spectacle frames without lenses to look smarter?

Everyone should take a course on diamonds I took a 2 week course and when I went to a jewelry shop that my family has used for 65 years they were blown away I even walked in with my loop and told them to turn off those crazy lights then Asked them to let me take it outside they actually called a cop into the shop for he could walk me outside to look at the diamond. Also like you said my wife diamond has the numbers lasered into the stone so if we cant go get it cleaned at our normal shop we always have the certificate to go by before leaving

Cut advice: Look for misaligned pavilion facets. They should be lined up with the crown facets. Misaligned facets hurt the grade, and hurt the brilliance (symmetry). Ask about Extra facets; these are typically located just under the girdle to wipe out an inclusion that would've otherwise hurt the clarity grade. Extra facets are widely seen in big box stores. Evenness of faceting; This is most noticeable in the pavilion. Look for facets that are wider than others of the same type. Some of these are super hard to spot in fancy shapes. Crispness of facet lines is another big one; do all of the lines between the facets look razor-crisp? Is the girdle of even thickness all the way around? Is the culet faceted off? Is the diamond wider or smaller (facing up) than those of the same or similar carat weight? Could be a deep or shallow stone. Lots of factors in cut. The bit about inflated grades is right; it doesn't happen with GIA. I've seen it happen tons with IGL, EGL and AGS grading reports. Stopped dealing in those. GIA has more graders critique the grade than the other indie labs, so it's usually a safe bet to go with a GIA certed stone. Forevermark holds Cut as their highest priority, but can be graded pretty unfairly high in some other respects. When clients ask about prospective stones, I always lead with GIA; they come at a slight premium but the soundness of the purchase is peace of mind. I would personally only buy a GIA diamond that has a laser-engraved serial number; these are really important for ensuring you have the stone you were sold on. I find Color affects the price quite a bit when I'm showing diamonds to clients. When someone like EGL grades a stone, they will cheat you of money at the counter with color. These folks know what they're talking about, for sure. Lots of words to live by in the diamond world are revealed in this video. The one thing I refuse to get behind is buying a diamond online. Stay off of the internet and out of big box mall stores. Find a reputable local diamond dealer (who has a LOT of experience) for your diamonds; they will have access to rapnet's marketplace and will be able to broker a deal for you. Rapnet is the foremost global trading platform used by all wholesalers to trade diamonds in a secure environment, and you can be rest-assured that your perfect GIA-certed stone is out there. Buying online allows for an even thicker veil of trickery. Here's some homework; go to bluenile and look up a 1 carat H SI1 round brilliant diamond in their marketplace. You will find dozens of stones that share (apparently) every grade identically, but there will be various pricepoints, thousands of dollars apart. Then I ask: Why would there be an H SI1 for 6,000 dollars, and one just a few scrolls away for 10,000 dollars? Aren't they the same grade? The answer is a bit complicated, but there exists a subcategory of diamond grading that IS NOT by any means customer-facing. No two 1 carat H SI1s are identical. You would have to see the stones in person, or the plots on their certs (and understand what it means) before coming to a sound decision as to why one would be the stone for you. You have to see it with your actual ocular orbs. I recommend learning to proficiently use a loupe and find out what to look for inside of the diamond to be able to lay claim to your perfect stone. Buying online is playing with money if you don't know the pitfalls. I'm a professional diamond dealer. Been in the industry my whole life. Honesty and transparency is what sets me apart from my big-box peers. I work for a reputable Florida-based jewelry business. I make it a point to teach my clients how to use a loupe, so they can see the diamond with the same eyes that I do. I teach them what each term means on their cert's plot, and I DO NOT EVER advocate shopping online. Businesses will buy a parcel of diamonds, wholesale the junk, put the best in their showcases, and put their b-stock to an online marketplace. This is a commonplace practice in the industry. Loupe your damn stones, people, it's a major investment. Do your homework.

I have a friend who is a jewelry designer for over 30 years and told me the same thing about cut quality and how a larger carat does not mean it will show better.

I always thought car salesmen were the scummiest people until I started shopping for engagement rings at local brick and mortar stores. So glad I decided to go with James Allen instead, these people will sell you HARD and use such sleazy tactics like making you seem cheap in front of your girlfriend and saying “what matters most is that she is happy.”

I imagine her hair and makeup channel is all about how not to buy from stores, but rather shop online!

Super useful info. Thank you. Verragio rep was pricing a diamond for almost twice as much as the website offers. I'm most likely going to buy it online then buy their band

It is so important for the consumer to educate themselves before diamond shopping. I am not a gemologist however, I pride myself with enough knowledge never to get ripped off. Never wait for the jeweler to volunteer information, rather ask a lot of questions, look at the certificate carefully and always look at the stone under the scope. Ask the same question twice and you will usually get two different answers - busted lying! Walk away from the jewelry store lighting or cover the diamond to get a much clearer look. The amount of fluorescence is very important as well, especially in grades D to G in which you want none to very faint. Education is everything. Most importantly confirm the return policy and get your diamond appraised by an independent gia appraiser, so you can return it if the grading is different from the certificate. Your video is very helpful.

Very good. Made us aware of things taken for granted.

Great video- great info & presentation!

Awesome videos Rick!!!! 2 thumbs up!

Thank you Boris Becker for retiring from tennis and learning us about diamonds! This little diamond next to you is VS1 fancy yellow!

Dang, I wish ppl would do the right thing without making everyone turn into inspector gadget 😡

Liked, subscribed, and will be sharing!

It will get switched out if you take it anywhere even for a cleaning, you will get a CZ , only takes 2 minutes so just don’t spend much on any of it, had a diamond 25 years ago now a CZ stolen over time who know where or who took it.

When buying a watch, I always ask if I can see it in daylight, e.g. outside the store...

why i am watching this ? i dont even have a gf :( . what cut/grade should i look when searching GF ?

NEVER buy a diamond from a store that won’t let you return it. That’s a huge red flag. My second husband went all by himself to buy my engagement ring. Even though my family was in the diamond business, he didn’t want me to know about it as a surprise. Well, I was surprised, he bought a beautiful one carat round brilliant diamond solitaire. We took it to my uncles’ store to get it cleaned and they checked it out, under 30 power, there was an internal crack. The jewelry store where he bought it…..in a mall….would not take it back, but offered an exchange. Everything they offered was much more money. Lesson learned.

I'd take a Moissanite stone over a natural stone any day.

Nice information.

Best educational video I found. Thank you

Good video there’s just one thing in my opinion that’s all, I would definitely put the cut about the carat in terms of value, because no matter how big the carat is without the cut it might as well not be a diamond because the diamond industry states that the cut holds the beauty and the value of the diamond.

My mind is Blown away at all the things I’ve learned from this video . Seriously watching this over again . Plus sending it to my significant other . Thank you !

Wow this video is sooooo good thank you so much

great video

In the video you mention ideal cut diamonds from GIA, but the highest grade for cut given by GIA is Excellent. AGS is the lab that actually grades diamonds as ideal cut.

I only buy solitaire rings. No need for TW crap. No tiny diamonds to take away beauty of the stone

To buy or not buy? Keeping the money in a savings account will be more impressive.

Buying diamonds is a dumb investment.

Hi guys! Very helpful video :) do you know any websites to find good aquamarine stones?

Full watch. Helpfully video~🥰~☆

Be careful when you go to one of those Jewelry market places. They work together to keep their prices high and consistent. Turns out every store I went to had the same pitch and strategy. They only tried to sell me the highest priced loose Diamond. When they did show me a lower color Diamond their quote seemed very high. I said I was going to look around and like that one guy dropped his price by $1,000. I thought hold on. That means he tried to rip me off by 1k. I couldn't trust him now. I left looked online found tons of similar quality Diamonds like the one he tried to sell me and his mark up was at least $6,000k over the online price. That's how he was able to take 1k off just like that. I bought a bigger better Diamond online and saved 5k. You should walk in knowing the going rates. Especially when you get into the bigger Diamonds like 2 carots or above. The thing is every store in that place worked off a similar script.

Kay jewellers are famous for selling you a $200 ring for $4,000 to unsuspecting customers.. That's why they want you to come to them for cleaning and repairs, so you wont find out.

Just to add a little more confusion, and then clarity, I am a Gemologist. The most important factor in determining the value of the gem is not actually what is on the report. The most important factor will be, #1, is it NATURAL***, aka, not lab grown or free of treatments, and #2, how it looks TO YOU. By nature you will instantly be drawn to the more beautiful diamond, even if the color may be lower or clarity than a more expensive one, but with a less appealing luster and shine. Lastly, diamonds ARE COMMON. True. But what a lot of these anti-diamond videos don't explain is that the only common type of diamonds are actually industrial grade, chalky gray/brown/black/piss yellow raw diamonds with no clarity. Getting a pure crystal diamond IS rare, and holds it value better than most gems simply because it is extremely durable and shines brighter than any other gemstone.

To be honest I think that person who emailed you looked out for your best interest. Exclaiming the diamond you picked out was not GIA certified and gave you options. A bait and switch would probably be you picking out the GIA than them selling you the inflated graded diamond.

good presentation of good information. but diamonds are still a rip-off

Diamonds are so overrated.

Ouch! Makes perfect sense to me. I even have wondered what that TW was when I was shopping for an engagement ring.

They got me on the total carat weight at Walmart. I thought I was getting a 1carat center stone but after fully reading the certificate it was getting a 1carat with all the pava side stones and the center stone. I finally went to a different personal store owner jeweler in my town and we started from scratch and creating my own wedding ring. We went through GIA got a 2.5 carat center stone. Once the stone arrives, we will start building the ring around the stone.

I like how the lady at my local independent jewelry store quoted me $30k+ for a 2 carat round diamond?! Umm...it should only be $15-20k....

Very true, I went to a jewelry store and asked about the cut and she couldn’t tell me

Ooor don't pretend you're not getting ripped off when buying a diamond in the first place, and buy a replacement gemstone which is a fraction of the price of a diamond and arguably better. Moissanite for example.

I love you guys...

How is Ben Bridges rated as a jewelry store? I ask this bc my husband bought my ring there. It was/is a lovely ring. The ring needed to be sized & he picked it up a cpl days later. Since I have had 3-4 incidences where a prong holding the stone has needed work bc it started picking my clothes or snagging them. Now in hindsight after watching this video I wonder if hubby was a switcheroo victim. Just curious bc it seems odd that a prong would continue to be a problem but it would make sense if the diamond had been taken out of the setting!?

I took my 2 ct ring in for appraisal and the jeweler who had been there for 25 years would NOT do it in front of me. I had visions of him trying to switch it out for a cheap knockoff. He wanted it overnight then agreed if he could 'take it in the back'. I noped out of there. Shady as heck. He could have just said 'that looks like a 2 or 2.5 carat, I'd keep it in a safe deposit box as it's probably $20K' But he didn't I'm sure he was thinking it though because he was excited to 'get his hands on it'. Ahole.

I’m actually looking for blue sapphires. How much of what you say about diamonds is true of sapphires. Are there reliable independent reports? Do the stones come with ID numbers?

Actually didnt know gia numbers on sides thanks

Thanks. This video is extremely helpful

Question: would you know about diamonds and certifications in Mauritius? That’s where I live. And also about online stores that deliver in Mauritius? Thanks a lot for your help!

Right now at this very moment this video just save me from buying a IGL diamond total weight 0.85 when the actual diamond 2.5.....(tw)..... smh

Mannn this is great that u guys did this video had no idea about all this stuff that they still from u

As someone with enough experience buying diamonds onsite and online, these are valid information. Except that inclusion ARE considered as beauty marks. They make your diamond unique and special, and diamonds that are VS2 and above usually do not affect the sparkle and quality of the diamond. However, just like beauty marks on the human body, they’re only nice when there’s a few small ones. You would want to avoid diamonds with big visible inclusions.

Thanks

If we purchase from blue nile using the link listed, is there a promo code?

Yes!!! I was told my engagement ring’s occlusion was its beauty mark. I spotted it with the naked eye. My fiancé at the time did not believe me but sure enough... it was there. Even the salesman tried to deny it but I was very persistent. Smh.

All these problems mentioned can be avoided totally when bought ONLINE

Is there a good place to find a pink diamond? I was looking at brilliant earth and they sound alright, however the pink heart diamond I was looking at had clarity was SI1. Everything else sounded good though.

My question, if you looking to trade in diamonds for an upgrade what are thing to know to get the most bang for your buck. How do you know you are getting a good trade in value on your diamond (heirloom diamonds).

Tw2775 seller on eBay has fabulous rings, high quality for decent prices.,we got my .65 ct d vvs white gold,engagement ring,from,them for 620$ . also got a sapphire from them. Fair and trustworthy seller with classic styles and always am accurate color/clarity description. Also have got a few things on etsy and not been disappointed.

I remember walking into a store in London, Westway Shopping Centre and my husband asked, "Can we have a look at your GIA coloured diamonds please?" .."What's that?" she replied.. LOL! We had to walk into deBeers to prove to me that GIA does exist, and they have beautiful stones. Absolutely breath-taking, some pieces are! I would still want to see the diamond in person, because if you have to look at it all day.. You want to see what your paying for. Just do your research before going shopping. And run out straight away if they don't know what GIA is! Hahahaha!

Yet again carat weight the least most important c It goes cut, color, clarity, then carat. These people don't know what they are taking about. Please do not take these people seriously

well done

Your suggestion to shop online is idiotic and reveals your ignorance. Independent small jewelry businesses rely on trust and the relationship with their client. You can loupe the diamond and see different stones side by side and often get deals and negotiate final pricing, all which is unavailable online. I hope anybody watching this understands that relying on a 2D image on a website without a physical storefront is far riskier than going to well established, well reviewed jewelers who dedicate their lives to the industry.

I wonder who is paying who to tell people to buy on line. I am a Diamond Cutter by trade when people come in to buy a Diamond they are intrigued and facinated to see how a Diamond is Cut. As you know every Diamond is unique and different,( placement of inclusions, eye visable flaws and performance especially on a Fancy cuts) so how can you say to people to buy on line off a piece of paper, when they don't have privey to see and compare with other live Stones. I consider myself an expert in the Trade and I find it extremely difficult buying a Diamond from a Cert without seeing the Stone in Person. Our Indusrty is based on Trust, look up the stats more people prefer to buy from a Brick and Mortar Store then on line.

What are your Profesional thoughts on Tiffany & Co. diamonds?

poor sparkle* is just funny sounding

amazing how much ppl will pay for some rocks

How do the cut grades from different websites compare? Such as Astor Ideal vs True Hearts? I notice both of these websites second best cut is ideal, are they similar cut qualities or is one ideal better than the other?

can you tell me what is the link for the online you suggest for loose diamnods

Screw them -get hpht diamonds for half the price . Diamonds are worthless when you go to sell them. You pay 10000 and you might get 1000 back if you are lucky! Hotel buyers and pawnshops won’t pay you anything for that-you better off putting a CZ on your ring and taking a vacation. Jewelry and diamonds are the biggest scam

Hi Rick. My boyfriend and I are talking about marriage and he's asking me what kind of ring do I want? I need your help and guidance on what to look for when purchasing an engagement ring. I have seen a couple of videos but, I'm still not clear with the letters, numbers, clarity and the right prices. I don't want us to get scam by vendors.

Hey would you recommend Bluenile?..

This would be so helpful but my girlfriend doesn’t want diamonds lol because there a scam

I Have a done diploma in diamond grading

How long would the "switcheroo" take (i.e. to take out the original diamond and put in another into your ring's setting)? If a jeweler is cleaning & polishing your ring and it's out of your sight for, say, 20-30 minutes, is that too long??

Very informative

Hey Rick! Any suggestions when shopping for an Asscher cut diamond?! Please & Thank You!

I’m looking to spend a couple thousand in loose stones. Where do I go to do that? Thanks

Rick Buck, have you looked at a GIA certificate of a diamond that is not round in shape? Like a princess cut, cushion, marquis, ANY other shape than round? If so please make a video where the cut grades are on those certificates. Also in that same video, show on the online sites like James allen, blue nile, or Ritani and show us the cut grades of shapes other than round on their sites and pull up Gia certificates of those diamonds. See if a GIA certificate for a diamond that is not round has a cut grade. What I’m getting at is maybe you should do a little more research before spreading wrong information online and only painting jewelry stores as the bad guys that try to rip people off.

"A beauty mark" 💀💀💀

Don't get rob buying diamonds people need to wake-up and stop spending money on this bullshit they robbing people with them diamonds

Rick why do you think buying online would protect us from being ripped off? Online, as a customer you give so much trust, and all decision making to the seller or sales person, whom you say we have to avoid their trickery by buying online. Is there another alternative way (besides online) of ensuring that the product one is buying is the real thing?

You did pretty good for yourself man

Wow who can afford a 10k diamond??? I can't.

I want to buy a 2 carat diamond studs tw! I color excellent cut h color. They are already in a set most of the time. So what do I need to ask for in the store? The jewelers are a family owned store. I can ask to view the diamond with outside light instead of the store. What else should I ask? I will ask for a GIA certificate or do it myself

Or don't waste your money on one.

I need help buying an engagement ring I don't know anything about it and I'm really nervous to buy a conflict diamonds

Just buy a Lab Grown diamond, they’re the same thing😂

How is the best way to sell diamonds?

put all diamond stores in distress dont buy diamonds until they are real and true to you and bring a lawyer

If you shop online how can you see the laser code at home? How can you make sure they sent you the authentic diamond?

Most jewelry stores are no longer actual jewelers. An actual jeweler will be honest and takes pride in there craftsmanship. People buy a $15k diamond and put it in a 3D modeled setting that looks like trash with unfinished components. That’s like getting a built engine in slapping it in a Geo metro. 🤣😂 support a small businesses not Jared or any other garbage mall jewelers. Buy something quality it’s supposed to be a one time thing.

Wtf 19k, Jesus! 🙌

What if you catch a diamond switch after getting it resize?....What should you do?

I have seen ppl wearing cloudy diamond.Big but cloudy.