Putting an end to diamond confusion

There are few things as confusing to buy as a diamond.

Most people don't shop for one more than once or twice in their lives, so they don't know what a reasonable price is. They're often S.W.I.L (Shopping While In Love).

They are intimidated by jargon tossed around the jewelry store and they're inundated by industry admonitions that if they don't plunk down three months' salary for an engagement ring, they're not really in love.

Don't forget, you don't have to buy one, even if society tells us an expensive diamond is a necessity for getting engaged. So what? Our society has also told us that women should wear girdles and bell-bottom jeans.

But if you do decide to buy, here are some things you should know:

Find a vendor you trust. You might be a whiz at comparison shopping for cars, cameras or groceries, but it's very difficult for most shoppers to figure out what they should pay for a diamond. So find a jeweler you trust, and that doesn't just mean the one who seems the nicest.

"If you start asking questions and you're getting reluctance to answering them, you're shopping in the wrong place," said Cecilia Gardner, chief executive of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee.

Get the papers. If you're looking at bigger diamonds, ask for a certificate from an independent grader, like the Gemological Institute of America or the American Gem Society Laboratories.

One rule of thumb is that any diamond that costs more than $1,000 should come with a grading certificate.

A sale is not always a sale. There are no reliable diamond price sheets consumers can use, and prices are largely driven by mining companies, said Ken Gassman, a longtime diamond industry analyst. So be wary of stores that promote big discounts; they know that most shoppers won't know the difference.

Learn the lingo. The vocabulary of diamond buying is more than confusing. You don't need to be an expert, but the JVC's "For Consumers" section at www.jvclegal.org will help you decipher what the jewelers are talking about.

Buy small. A ring with several smaller stones can cost much less than a ring with one big stone, because diamond prices increase exponentially with size.

A 1 carat diamond of a certain grade might cost $5,500, but 10 smaller diamonds that collectively weigh 1 carat could cost $1,800.

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