Next Steps

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS for finishing the diamond portion of the tutorial!

Unfortunately, your work has just begun!  You must now decide what type of diamond you would like to purchase.  To make your task even more difficult, you must also decide on a ring.  While Diamond Review can't make the diamond and ring decision for you, we can help you in some of the other finer points, such as selecting a jeweler, negotiating a fair price, and caring for your jewelry.

Selecting a Jeweler

By far, the easiest and most reliable way to find a jeweler is to submit a request to FindMyJeweler.com. After you submit your request (i.e. a description of the diamond you seek, plus your name and a phone number where you can be reached without the possibility of ruining any surprises), this FREE innovative service matches you up with an independent diamond consultant who then helps you select a jeweler in your area.

One of FindMyJeweler.com's neatest benefits is how thoroughly they rate jewelers throughout the U.S. They employ everything from random customer satisfaction surveys, to Better Business Bureau records, to "secret shopper" tests to assure the highest quality. And because FindMyJeweler.com is committed to your privacy, you can be assured that your personal information will never be disclosed to anyone other than the jeweler that the independent diamond consultant selects for you. Submit a FindMyJeweler.com request

Local vs. Internet

If you are not in a hurry and are able to find a good local jeweler, chances are that the local jeweler will be able to beat any Internet jeweler in terms of value (value being the combination of service, quality, local convenience, and prices).

Finding a good local jeweler is tough -- there aren't that many out there, and the best ones don't usually advertise because more of their clientele is based on referrals. If someone you completely trust can refer you to a jeweler they trust, this is probably the best way to go. If not, try submitting a FindMyJeweler.com request.

Once you have found a good local jeweler, be sure to:

• Ask the right questions and examine the diamond yourself (in person), and
• Immediately after making the purchase, consider having the diamond checked by an unbiased third party just to make sure you bought what you think you bought. Warning: A second jeweler is NOT an unbiased third party. There have been many cases in which consumers made a purchase at Jeweler #1, and then were lead to believe that it was a poor purchase by Jeweler #2. The second jeweler always has a strong incentive to condemn a purchase if there is a chance that the consumer might return his purchase to Jeweler #1 and make a purchase at Jeweler #2.

In general, approach the local jewelers first, since they will spend the time to educate you. Once you have a good idea of what's out there, talk to wholesalers and definitely visit some of the Internet jewelers. Don't assume that a wholesaler will price diamonds lower than retailers. The trick is to find the best value, which simply means trying to find the highest quality diamond jewelry, at the level of service, selection, and convenience that meets your needs.

Negotiating a Fair Price

Everything in life is negotiable. Your first step should be to learn to negotiate -- visit >our negotiation primer for a few general tips. The first thing you'll learn when you read about negotiation is that you should know how much you're willing to pay before you walk into a negotiation.

Caring for your Jewelry

Visit our care & cleaning guidelines for instructions on how to properly clean and store a diamond ring.

You should also strongly consider insuring your ring. Most homeowner's and renter's insurance policies specifically exclude expensive jewelry, and none will cover a loss or theft if it occurs outside of your home. Also, consider how easily you could lose the stone if one of those teeny little prongs that holds it in place happens to bend or break.