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Picking Out Your
Girl’s Best Friend
Finding That (Literal) Diamond in the Rough
by Su-Jit Lin
E
quality of the diamond, its price, and its ability to
veryone around you is doing it—friends, sib- dazzle.
lings, cousins… apparently, no one in your Carat size is usually the first question or cri-
age group is immune, transitioning in a matter of teria posed to the affianced, but interestingly,
a few short years from having commitment-phobia jewelers often consider this the least important
to wedding fever. And now, it’s come around your characteristic since it’s no indication of quality. A
way—time to pick a ring! saying hangs in Designs in Jewelry that says it best:
Easier said than done, right? For many couples, “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after
it’s not until they start looking in earnest that they the sweetness of low price is forgotten.” Often, a
find out how much there is to learn about buying a large diamond that seems like too great a deal just
diamond. Where to even begin? isn’t after closer examination, as Berg points out.
Botanas, Tacos, Breakfast & Brunch The journey usually starts with in-person visits Many women prefer a carat or more, but the vis-
to reputable jewelers, experienced professionals ible difference between a .90 carat and a full one
Join us in May for a who can guide you, teach you, and explain to you is negligible, while the price increases dramatically
month of Celebrations! the process, the pricing, and the options. This, ac- for a good stone over that weight.
cording to those experienced in the industry like On the other hand, cut usually tops the prior-
Cinco de Mayo, 5/5 Barry Pizzolato, GIA certified diamond appraiser ity list of educated consumers. Not to be confused
and jewelry designer and manufacturer of Designs with the shape (i.e. princess, round, cushion, Asher,
Mother’s Day , 5 / 9 in Jewelry, is the most important part of the adven- pear, marquis, emerald, and other designations),
ture—he considers himself more a teacher than the cut is essentially “where brilliancy comes from,
Flamenco Dinner Show, 5/15 anything else. and where it really begins,” says Pizzolato. He fur-
Menus available online “People do their homework online these ther explains that, “It’s how it handles light and
www.taquerosnola.com days, but my job is really to teach. I show differenc- emits it through refraction internally and reflection
es by example, ask questions, and use [analogies] on the surface,” giving each diamond that spark of
1432 St. Charles Ave.
to really illustrate the points. The personal interac- fire in its center and its glitter.
504.267.3032 tion with a knowledgeable, certified diamond ap- However, great cut alone is not enough to
praiser helps you understand your needs and what ensure that a diamond is the best. Color comes
you’re buying,” he says, emphasizing that sales next, since color absorbs light and robs sparkle.
comes second after education. Measured on a scale of D (colorless) to X (light yel-
Ryan Berg, vice president of Lee Michaels, low; anything darker is classified as “fancy” and
agrees wholeheartedly that the jeweler can really categorized separately), a lack of visible color lets
make the difference in this buying process. “You more light pass through uninhibited for greater
want to make the purchase from someone you shine. Of course, the cost of the diamond increases
really trust. If there’s a problem or concern down as the color decreases, but with the right mount
the road, you want to be able to address those and metal, subtle differences can be hidden from
concerns with a reputable jeweler… For most first the naked eye.
time engagements, it’s the most a guy’s ever spent The other C that may be seen by the naked eye
on anything that’s not a car or a house.” That trust, is clarity. Diamonds are naturally formed from ex-
built from properly educating the consumer, elimi- tremely compressed carbon, hence both its rarity
nates the looming fear some men may have about and its flaws. Most diamonds have some inclusions
making that large investment towards their future. from air bubbles, minerals, scratches, or internal
“Confidence,” Berg insists, “is the fifth C.” cracks; a perfect diamond (F or IF grade) is excep-
It’s a thorough explanation by a reputable tionally rare and difficult to find in large stones,
jeweler of the other four C's, though—cut, clarity, given the additional surface area that flaws can
color, and carat weight—that brings about that develop in. As long as you don’t wander from the
confidence. These basic traits are what define the more common VVS (“very, very slightly included”),
wyat • May 2010 • p. 38
VS (“very slightly”), and SI designer names like Tacori and
(“slightly”) ranges into the I Ritani don’t mean much more
(“included”) territory, these than a bigger price tag, es-
imperfections won’t be vis- pecially when they can enlist
ible without magnification. the help of custom jewelers
These specs, along with the like Designs in Jewelry. With
other C's, can be found of- a printout and a reasonable
ficially recorded on your budget, anything is possible;
diamond’s certificate should most importantly, the end re-
you opt to shop guaranteed sult is, in Pizzolato’s words, “a
stones. You’ll most often hear beautiful ring with a beautiful
the Gemological Institute diamond in it.”
of America (GIA) and the In the 18-25 age group,
American Gem Society ban- average sales at his store
died about, though other cer- range from $2,500-4,500 be-
tifying labs exist. cause of carat size and quality
There are other criteria of selection. “These days, the
Start Saving: The national-average
to consider when purchasing national average is $1,500-
spent on a ring is $1,500 - $1,800.
an engagement ring, too… 1,800, but higher end deal-
like style. Classic round dia- ers with finer products have
monds, square princess cuts, and cushions are the higher averages than bigger stores with different
dominating shapes of our generation. For mounts, product, like chain department stores or catalog
Berg and Pizzolato agree that the trends of today showroom stores that do volume and don’t show
include micro-pave rings, with small diamonds all four C's,” Pizzolato says.
throughout, and nouveau (lacy filigreed) or deco At Lee Michaels, the range is even greater,
(cubical) finely detailed antique settings. Timeless from $1,000 to $300,000, depending on the shop-
designs with platinum and white gold material per. Their selection and prices remain this competi-
and diamond baguettes framing the center stone tive and varied because Berg and his brother Scott
remain popular as well, effectively blending mod- travel overseas to deal directly with those at the
ern and classic aesthetic. source, to better stock their many locations for all
Traditional solitaires also remain in high de- demographics.
mand, a reason why Lee Michaels has developed In general, consumers tend to gravitate to-
their own signature solitaire mount. Created by a wards high quality, compromising with simpler
one-step/one-ring process, providing security for mounts with better stones as young couples, and
the diamond with a head that’s integrated into the upgrading down the road when they’ve become
ring, this setting has been designed to fit flush with more established or during key anniversaries. As
all wedding bands for a seamless, stacked look. long as buyers like yourself find a jeweler you trust,
As the savvy shopper knows, Lee Michaels a diamond with all its Cs in order, and love to last
isn’t the only shop on the block with their own a lifetime, you’ll find that this big step is only just
signature style—Cartier and Tiffany sound famil- the beginning.
iar? However, these savvy shoppers also know that
Local Retailers
Lee Michaels Fine Jewelery Zales Jewelers
333 Canal Street, Suite 106 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd.
(504) 581-6161 831-1329
www.lmfj.com www.zales.com
Symmetry Jewelers Jared Galleria of Jewlery
8138 Hampson St. 3400 Veterans Memorial Blvd.
861-9925 885-2221
www.symmetry-jewelers.com www.jared.com
Fischer’s Jewelry Designs in Jewelry
1036 Canal St. 3315 Severn Ave.
568-1168 888-0713
www.fischersjewelrynola.com www.designsinjewelryinc.com
Aucoin Hart Jewelers
1525 Metairie Rd.
834-9999
www.aucoinhart.com
wyat • May 2010 • p. 39
