Diamonds-Engagement Rings

Straight Talk for Men - Engagement Diamonds

Welcome, Gents. Grab a glass, cup, or bottle of your favorite beverage and relax.

"I don't have time for all this, I want a quick overview "

What I will attempt to tell you in the following episodes could save you

• A fair amount of time
• A good bit of money
• Some future problems

If things work well in your life, you should only be buying one engagement diamond. This is one part you really want to do right.

Your strongest allies in this transaction are knowledge and courage. While your greatest potential opposition are jewelers and the Local Bitch, who will hereafter be referred to as LB.

Okay, Lets Talk Diamonds

Engagement Diamond Parameters

Setting parameters is something that should be done up front. Maybe you involve your fiancee, maybe you don't. Hopefully you know her well enough to decide which is best.

Price. You need to establish what you're going to spend for the diamond .. and be sure to factor in the setting .. more parameters for engagement diamonds

Diamond Quality is Job 2

This is a tough call but it has to be made. Are you going for size or beauty. If you're talking both, you're looking at serious money. I always recommend quality - your wife will never have to apologize for quality .. more quality engagement diamonds

A round brilliant diamond is traditional, but your choice may be different. This needs to be an early choice. Some factors to consider on diamond cuts

I thought I-5 Was an Interstate Highway
If you don't get the sarcasm, you don't know enough about Clarity. That's one of those omnipresent 4 C's. If the LB ever made a comment like that about your woman's diamond, you are due some serious payback .. more clarity of engagement diamonds

Is That a Drop of Motor Oil on Your Wedding Band?
Did you get that one? If not, you need to find out a lot more about Color. Very few of us can afford a "D", but avoid obvious disasters - and cognac is for the bar, not a diamond .. more color for engagement diamond

Wow! Did You See That!
How many times has that exclamation turned your head? A 930 Turbo, a Lear Jet, Jessica Alba in anything tight. They all have that one thing in common. Perfect proportions. When you see near-perfect proportions you have to admire them .. more proportions for engagement diamond

I Think It's a Carat
You buy most things at a diminishing price per unit as it gets larger. You will pay less per gigabyte for a 1T hard drive than a 320 gig drive of the same species. Not so with diamonds. A .95 carat diamond will sell for less "per carat" than a 1.05. You can turn that to your advantage - so long as you don't lie to your fiancee .. more carat weight for engagement diamonds

Buy On Your Own Terms or Buy Not At All - Sun Tsu
Okay, the great Chinese General Sun Tsu actually said "Fight on your own terms or fight not at all." But if he had been buying a diamond instead of waging a war .. more control your diamond buying environment

If It Walks Like a Diamond Scam ..

Sales tactics are not necessarily scams. Yeah, I know it's fashionable to call them scams. But you probably use sales tactics in your own business. Some sales tactics may not be pleasant, but they're legal. A scam is patently dishonest and fraudulent. Arm yourself with knowledge of .. what is a diamond scam

Plagues on Engagement "Diamonds"

• "Moissanite", don't even go there
• "Cultured", walk away quickly, Grasshopper!
• "Laser Drilled", beam me up, Scotty!
• "Clarity enhanced", run screaming, begging the IM Force for an emergency rescue .. more diamond substitutes

Diamonds