If you are from cities like New York, you are already familiar with the term diamond district. Shopping for diamonds in a diamond district comes with numerous rewards. Of notable mention is the full range of gems you can find in one place. Diamond districts also come with the advantage of competitive prices.
Sadly, Louisville does not have a diamond district, making shopping for jewelry in the city a little complicated. Hence, it pays to be prepared if you wish to have an enjoyable shopping experience.
Are you itching for a fantastic diamond shopping experience in Louisville? The following is a rundown of the things you must take care of:
1. Determine Your Needs
The first step when shopping for diamonds is the most crucial, and you need to be sure about what you want. Irrespective of whether it is a personal gift or a present for someone else, you must first establish the specifications of the jewelry.
For example, if you are looking for a diamond engagement ring, find out how the ring fits on your finger. The same goes for a diamond necklace - how does the necklace fit around your neck? You must understand specific aspects like carat weight and cut to work that out. It also means honing in on the right store.
Some stores in Louisville offer loose diamonds. If you have unique specifications, you might consider buying loose diamonds. Doing so will enable you to choose a piece of jewelry separately. Afterward, you can have the diamond mounted onto your jewelry. If your requirements are flexible, you can buy jewelry with pre-mounted diamonds.
2. Choose Whether to Buy Online or Offline
When it comes to jewelry shopping, experts recommend buying online because it comes with many conveniences. It enables you to shop from anywhere within the city, and after placing your order, you sit tight and wait for the dealer to ship the merchandise to you. Besides, there is an extra layer of security. The best part is that buying diamonds online in Louisville is more affordable.
However, it may be possible that you prefer the experience of touching and feeling the real gem. As such, you might consider buying your diamond from a brick-and-mortar store. Besides the realistic experience, buying diamonds in Louisville from a physical store comes with additional rewards. It is a way to experience the majestic beauty of the city. As you traverse Louisville streets looking for your ideal diamond, you will also behold the city’s architectural and infrastructural marvels.
3. Choose a Store Wisely
When buying anything, you are often encouraged to shop from reputable dealers. One thing that determines a merchant’s reputation is their length of stay in the industry. Fortunately, Louisville boasts diamond merchants with a long history, which is especially important when looking for vintage diamonds.
But a long history is not the only marker of a reputable diamond dealer in Louisville. Another thing you would want to find out is the range of jewelry the merchant sells. The broader the range, the better for you. However, you will occasionally come across stores that stock unique kinds of diamonds. For instance, specific diamond dealers in Louisville primarily sell bridal jewelry. Such stores target certain market segments. But even then, ensure they offer color, cut, carat weight, and clarity flexibility.
Another marker of a reputable store is the kind of diamonds they deal with. In this regard, are the diamonds conflict-free or blood diamonds? Conflict-free diamonds refer to those that are not traded to finance armed conflicts. The opposite is blood diamonds. You are a responsible jewelry consumer. As such, you must ensure the store abides by all the required ethical business practices. You will come across diamond dealers that offer some form of conflict-free guarantee to that effect. If you doubt, insist on diamonds mined in countries like Russia.
So, you have filtered stores based on the range and kind of diamonds they offer. Now, check their customer service. It does not matter whether you are shopping offline or online. You must try and gauge how responsive a diamond store is to your needs.
Professional dealers would be happy to settle as many of your questions as possible. The sheer profit objective does not move such dealers. Instead, they place customer satisfaction above everything else. Thus, while making inquiries, understand the red flags to watch out for. Are the staff unreasonably pushy? Are there evident hard-selling tactics? Dealers are more inclined towards profit-making and will not have time to address your queries. Instead, they will be more concerned about getting you to buy their jewelry.
The next step is to check if a store deals with graded diamonds. Diamond grading is instrumental in helping you establish the value of the jewelry. However, not every grading is done by credible institutions. Therefore, only consider stores that stock diamonds graded by reliable organizations like the GIA. Besides, a proper grading report also helps establish the diamond’s financial worth. The reports do not necessarily put a fixed price on a diamond. However, they could educate you on the approximate cost of a gem based on the parameters of the Four Cs.
If you are having trouble interpreting these reports, you could enlist the services of professional appraisers. You can either choose to hire independent appraisers or use a store’s in-house appraiser. To avoid conflicts of interest, your best bet is to source for an independent appraiser. The appraiser will help you determine the worth of the diamond. Also, they might refer you to some of the city’s finest diamond merchants.
Lastly, try to ask about the store’s after-sale policies. Do they accept returns, and if they do, what is the valid return period? As for shipping, establish whether the store ships to your location. As you may expect, this matters most when you are shopping online. You might also ask if the store offers insurance for the jewelry. Most of these services come with extra markups. Nonetheless, they are necessary.
4. Compare Prices
The last step in buying diamonds in Louisville is comparing prices across multiple stores. It is easier to compare prices online because you can leverage certain online features, like online price calculators, to do so.
When comparing prices, eliminate all differentiators. Instead, ensure you are comparing the cost of the same gem. While at it, be wary of stores with unreasonably cheap rates since those diamonds can be of inferior quality.
