Experts say engagement rings and wedding bands from online jewellers can cost more than 20 % less, and that's before mentioning the outstanding range of products that are all available to you at the click of a finger. This is mainly because online retailers don't have any extra overhead costs that traditional retailers do. Online retailers, such as Blue Nile Inc., James Allen, and Couplez also offer more styles to choose from than their physical rivals.
Once you go on line, another way to further save money is to buy a ring with an enhanced diamonds. Most of the jewellery grade diamonds exhibit internal flaws (known professionally as “inclusions”) caused by minute deposits of graphite, sulphur, iron and other materials trapped inside the stone’s matrix during the tens of thousands of years that it took to create the raw diamond. These deposits are also called carbon deposits, due to the appearance of small black discolouring inside the diamond and close to its surface.
An Israeli scientist Zvi Yehuda, has invented in the eighties a chemical formula which eliminates these inclusions, with the use of a laser beam. This improves the visual gemmological characteristics of the diamond in many ways by clarity treatments, colour irradiation and annealing treatments that transform yellow and brown diamonds into vibrant fancy colours such as vivid yellow, blue, or pink. Diamonds that undergo this laser treatment can usually have their clarity rating raised by a factor of at least two.
Earlier in 1962, General Electric used a medical quality infra-red laser to remove inclusions from industrial grade diamonds and in 1963, New York a diamond dealer named Lois Pearlman, along with a leading defence contractor Raytheon, developed a similar technique to remove discolouration's from gem quality diamonds.
How does it work? A surgical grade laser is used to bore a microscopic channel, from the diamond’s surface to the inclusion. The laser beam can be used to either “burn out” the flaws, or the diamond can be placed in an acid solution. The acid then accesses the inclusion through the channel and dissolves it. Today, the levels of precision are so high that detecting the microscopic channels left by the laser drilling technique can be difficult, even for an experienced, professional jeweller.
Buying a laser drilled, clarity enhanced diamond allows you to buy a diamond that has greater clarity for the same price, or a bigger laser enhanced diamond, of the same clarity rating.
Couplez is an example of an online jewellery shop that sells engagement rings with enhanced diamonds at affordable prices, and ships them across the globe. In their online shop they offer to provide you with top of the line quality jewellery and a winning combination of design, excellence and price, enabling you to exploring a large variety that is tailor-made for each unique need. On their site you will find beautiful engagement rings at affordable prices, without having to compromise.
Gary Hart, the founder of Couplez and Diamond Factory talked to us about the online jewellery industry, and specifically about enhanced diamonds.What inspired you to open an online jewellery shop?
After working for many years as a diamond dealer in the global diamond market (New York, Los Angeles, London, Mumbai and Tel Aviv) I never understood why the end client is willing to pay so much for diamonds in the jewellery shops. I saw no logical reason for the prices of the diamonds sold to be so high, and found a way to sell high quality diamonds at an affordable prices, especially for young couples wanting to get engaged, whilst still making a profit for my business. From my experience, I have learned that if you offer a good deal and high quality products, the consumer will purchase your products.
What is different about your shop, compared to the other jewellery shops online?
Thanks to our “top the line technologically” we offer unique, high quality beautiful diamonds. We sell only 100% genuine diamonds that were dug up from the earth, like any other diamond. With our innovative process we give the diamonds a sparkling and impressive look and feel, 20% better than other diamonds. Since the diamonds have gone through this enhancing process, we can offer them for 40% less the price of a diamond that looks exactly the same. We also offer a unique shopping experience with free shipping around the world and the option to return the purchase within 30 days and receive a full refund.
Why would you recommend buying an enhanced diamond?
Most of our clientele are young people at the beginning of their way. For them, purchasing a ring at thousands of dollars is especially important. Here is where our unique advantage comes into the picture - enhanced diamonds cheaper by 40%. Our customers can afford purchasing a high quality large diamond, without having to strain their bank account from such an early stage in life.
What do people need to know before they shop online for an engagement ring?
I think that the most important thing to know is “who are you buying from”. This is a significant and important purchase, emotionally and financially. At the end of the day, the client wants to know that he is getting the best deal for his money, and that he is buying a high quality product, from a shop that will accompany him in the future too, by giving him full warranty on his purchase.
Another tip for the young lovers would be to set their budget before they start looking for the right ring. If they don't have a fixed budget, they will get lost online, discovering an endless amount of rings that they cannot afford to buy!
Every good marriage should begin with the right ring that has the right diamond, in order to honour love, in the best possible way. Diamonds are a girl's best friends, but it seems that enhanced diamonds are everyone's best friend. They are affordable, they look amazing and they will last forever, just like your love.
And as for buying online, the internet has opened up the world to global trading, so why not use this medium to buy the important things in life, like an engagement ring? If you do it right and follow the correct guidelines, it will probably be the best choice you will ever make, besides getting married to your loved one of course.