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| Bracelet by Colette features natural diamonds. |
The 4Cs are not the only things that make a piece of diamond
jewelry a sales winner. In an ongoing series, Rapaport Magazine explores the
“3Ws” — what’s selling, what’s not and why — by going straight to the people
who really know — jewelry retailers. Each month, we ask a sampling of retailers
to comment on the important issues that are facing the industry today. Here is
what they had to say when asked: “Do you sell synthetic diamonds? Are you
worried that synthetic melee might be slipping into the loose diamonds you
buy?”
“As far as melee, especially if you’re buying things from
overseas, I’ve been told by several different people that a few synthetics are
being mixed into small parcels of smaller melee. It’s very difficult to detect.
But I’m buying from people I’ve bought from for 20 years, and the company that
I do business with is a Belgian company. Not that they can’t be taken in, too,
but they’ve been around for a very long time. So I’m not as concerned.
“I don’t sell synthetic diamonds. I’m very aware of them.
I’ve taken the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) courses on them, and I
have nothing against them. But I just don’t think my customers can get their
arms around giving someone they love something that’s synthetic. It’s like
saying their love is synthetic. That’s the way I feel. I can’t get excited and
say, ‘Hey look, nobody can tell the difference and it is a diamond.’ When
somebody buys something out of love, and most of the jewelry business is that
way, what are you telling the recipient with a synthetic? Even if they can get
twice as big a stone or a beautiful blue stone, or whatever, it doesn’t matter.
It’s what you’re implying to that person you’re giving it to.”
“We don’t sell synthetics. It’s not our clientele. In terms
of our loose diamonds, we haven’t had any problems. Never even thought about
it.”
“Synthetic diamonds are not for our customer. Even when the
Gemesis fancy yellows
came out a while back — and the company was close to my
location and I even know the
rep — it really wasn’t a huge value. The stones
were expensive and everybody I speak to wants the real deal. The aversion to a synthetic diamond is much stronger than to a
treated diamond.
“And I don’t worry about my loose diamonds because I trust
the people who are in my supply line that they will be diligent.”
“Synthetics are not something that we sell. In terms of
synthetic melee, I haven’t even thought about that question. It’s an excellent one.
And to the extent of where the production is, I would be concerned, absolutely.
But I’m confident in my suppliers, although that doesn’t mean they can’t be
duped.
“I think it’s an interesting question. When was the last
time a melee diamond was cut in this country? I know the melee prices have gone
crazy. One thing that always kills me is all the companies who are buying melee
are paying $35 a carat and when you go to buy the same thing, it’s $450 a
carat.”
“In our store, we don’t sell synthetics, other than Chatham
gemstones — and even then,
not very much, and the fact that the stone is lab
grown is the first thing that we declare.
“As for loose diamonds, our ‘newest’ supplier is someone we’ve
been with for eight and
a half years and our oldest supplier is someone we have
been buying from for almost
40 years. And we have two Certified Gemologist
Appraisers (CGA) and a certified goldsmith on staff.”
“We do not sell anything synthetic and the diamond people we
deal with are suppliers we have dealt with for many years. If I just bought
from anybody, then I might have a concern. But we deal with people we’ve bought
from for 30-years-plus and so we don’t give it a second thought.
“It’s just like with colored stones. I deal with certain
suppliers of colored stones who have the reputation they have and I have bought
from them for so many years, it’s not a concern for us what some of the marketplace
sees.”
“We don’t stock synthetics. Our clients are not interested
in them. It’s a pretty conservative market here and even the cluster-type
settings that are groupings of diamonds made to look like a bigger diamond don’t sell well here. So far, from
what I’ve seen with the pricing of the created diamonds, our clients would
rather have a natural; the price has not come to the point yet where it makes
it worth buying a grown diamond.
“Am I concerned about synthetics in loose diamonds? The
sightholders we buy from are very reputable, so at this point, it hasn’t become
an issue. Although I’m keeping very informed as new information comes out
through the GIA or the American Gem Society (AGS) or just the local trade
publications, to keep privy to things.”
“I don’t sell synthetics. I am worried about synthetic
diamonds. I don’t know how we’re going to be able to keep them out of melee.
But I’m less worried about synthetics getting into the melee than I am the
larger diamonds — above 10 pointers.
“I’m worried about half-carats up. I’m concerned about
buying off the street, of
someone coming in with a synthetic diamond and
selling it to me as a used diamond.
That’s my biggest worry. If someone comes
in with a one-and-a-half-carat diamond in a vintage-looking ring and they are
looking to use that stone toward buying a ring in my store, I’m worried that it
might be a synthetic. Supply-wise, I sell GIA stones and AGS stones so I’m
hoping that the labs are able to keep up with the technology.”
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - October 2012. To subscribe click here.