I have written several posts over time regarding the diamond purchase process and the Internet.
Those who do not know me may think my repeated postings on the subject are a case of sour grapes in that the internet has changed the diamond business. Though the internet has changed the diamond business in a few significant ways, my posts are my way of dealing with my frustrations of seeing the detrimental effects that the internet has on the consumer/diamond buyer.
I did a diamond appraisal this week for a Millennial. He was obviously proud of the wonderful deal he got after I can’t even imagine how many hours or days of research. When I asked him how he got to the internet vendor company (one that I never heard of and which must take many hours or days to get to!), he proudly told me that he found this company after much research and that this company had the best prices.
As requested I evaluated his diamond and assured him that he got a great deal on his diamond with regard to the underlying GIA specifications. He smiled as if I confirmed to him that he “beat” the system.
It is my honest professional opinion that this Millennial has just spent in excess of $10,000.00 on something that is not beautiful at all – unless, of course, one considers that specifications as set out on a piece of paper (the GIA grading report) to be the underlying beauty of a diamond.
This is a photo of the diamond that he purchased . . 
Though it may be somewhat difficult to see in the photo, this diamond looks somewhat dull as it severely lacking the scintillation and fire that makes a diamond beautiful. This is despite the fact that the G/VVS2 color/clarity grade on the GIA report denotes a diamond that is truly fine.
The photo on the right is a different diamond that I photographed under the exact same lighting conditions.
This diamond jumps out at you. It draws you in as you look at the faceting and it’s scintillation and brilliance. This is what a beautiful Cushion Cut diamond is supposed to look like.
To be honest with the reader it is the rare Cushion Cut diamond that looks like the diamond on the right. It is also true that the cut on this diamond commands a premium price in the wholesale market when compared to the majority of Cushion Cut diamonds.
The Millennial who purchased the above diamond (in the ring) could have purchased the more beautiful diamond for a similar price to the diamond he purchased. The reason he did not purchase the nicer diamond is twofold: Firstly, he was only shopping for the best “deal” in terms of low price. Secondly, he never had the opportunity to see the diamonds with his eyes as he was simply comparing the paper specifications of diamonds on the internet as opposed to actually having the opportunity to evaluate the underlying beauty of a diamond.
Most importantly, what is important for the reader to understand is that both of these two diamonds will someday be an engagement ring that someone will wear for many years. The differences in the two diamonds, though seen somewhat significantly in these photos, will be much more apparent when the ring is worn.
One of these diamonds will be dull and somewhat lifeless, despite the fact that the buyer has a beautiful GIA grading report. The other diamond (which also has a nice GIA grading report) will be appreciated by the owner/wearer and many others for a lifetime!
With regard to this author, I have once again temporarily relieved my frustrations that are inherent with the new age diamond buying process. More importantly, perhaps I have given a potential diamond buyer some food for thought as he contemplates making the right choices in the diamond buying process.
Neil Reiff