Are cruise ship deals your passport to diamond savings?
Hi Danny, I’m shopping for a diamond engagement ring, and am wondering how Brian Gavin diamond prices compare to the deals that are reportedly offered by cruise ship lines. Based upon the articles I’ve read on your web site, I’m looking for a 1.20 carat, G-I color, VS-2 clarity, round diamond with the best diamond cut quality possible, medium to strong blue fluorescence is preferred, set in a simple 6 prong solitaire. Thanks in advance. – Henry K.
How to Cruise Ship Diamond Prices Compare to Brian Gavin?
The allure of so-called special international diamond prices are little more than a marketing ploy which is promoted by cruise lines which profit from the referral in the form of commissions; the reality is that wholesale diamond prices are pretty much the same all over the world, it is the retail mark-up and tax structure which tends to be different from country to country.
The most important factor that contributes to the actual price of a diamond, excluding taxes, is the diamond cut quality; which is comprised of the proportions, polish, symmetry, and the degree of optical symmetry. The reality is that the majority of international diamond companies and jewelry stores which seem to cater to the cruise ship market, do not provide the reflector scope images which are necessary to judge the degree of optical symmetry that a diamond exhibits.
In addition, when I’ve been dragged along on tours of the jewelry stores which offer “special deals” and “jewelry discounts” to passengers of cruise ships, it seemed to me that the vast majority of diamonds and jewelry being offered were less than ideal, thus the prices appeared to be lower, when in fact they were on par for diamonds and jewelry of that quality; the only possible advantage that the passengers might gain by purchasing while on vacation, might be a small tax advantage, but the potential for paying too much for low quality merchandise seems to far outweigh that possibility.
How to get the best deal when buying a diamond:
It seems to me that the only way to truly ensure that you’re getting the best deal when buying a diamond, is to learn about diamonds before you buy… become familiar with the 4C’s of Diamond Grading; understand the effect that proportions have upon the volume of light return that a diamond exhibits; learn how to interpret the reflector scope images which are used to judge optical symmetry, such as an ASET scope, Ideal Scope, and a Hearts and Arrows scope, and insist on being provided with those scope images before trying to make a decision as to whether to buy a particular diamond or not.
Once you are familiar with the intricacies of diamond grading, and understand why a 40.8 degree pavilion angle is preferable to a 41.2 degree pavilion angle on a round diamond, and why a 34.5 degree crown angle is preferable to a 35.5 degree crown angle, and how the length of the lower girdle facets is likely to effect the size and intensity of sparkle, and why a crisp and complete pattern of hearts and arrows is important to the production of virtual facets, and how it affects the intensity of sparkle, etc., then you’ll be in a position to accurately judge whether cruise ship deals are your passport to diamond savings, or not… and of course, more insight regarding the concepts which I’ve raised can be found within the archives of my blog!
