Marilyn Monroe was famous for a lot of things; she was the one who coined the “diamonds are a girl’s best friend” catchphrase. Yes, diamonds serve as the right jewelry; however, diamonds can also be a significant investment on paper.
Diamonds have high intrinsic value because they’re always in demand, plus the right diamond can last forever. They are also small, portable, and very easy to store. Like most precious metals and gems, past performance shows that diamonds will increase in value over time.
It is one thing to buy those beautiful diamond stud earrings you spotted at a store to go with your diamond ring. It is another thing to buy them with an investment prerogative in mind. Diamonds speak louder than words!
They can be the ultimate symbol of love and make you look elegant and classy, but they can also be a worthwhile investment for your kids and family because they will probably never go out of fashion.
The right piece of diamond jewelry can appreciate in value and become a beautiful, tangible investment overtime. As long as you do it properly, jewelry investment can be profitable. So before buying those three stone diamond rings, diamond necklace, or engagement ring, here are four tips you should pay close attention to:
1. Where to Purchase Jewelry
It is always best to follow a jewelry piece from its inception to the final sale to avoid being cheated, which happens a lot in the jewelry business. The last thing you need is to invest a chunk of money on a fake diamond.
Metals and jewels are mined, processed, and sent to a lab before being sold to a manufacturer. The manufacturer then creates the jewelry piece and sells it to a viable wholesaler at a price that covers the cost they bought the jewel to cover their operating expenses and gain profit.
The wholesaler sells the jewelry to the retailer at a price that will cover their cost of buying the jewel also equally to cover their operating expenses and gain profit. The retailer sells the jewelry to you at a price that will also give him the same leverage. And so that diamond engagement ring on your finger, marked up three times before it got there.
To guarantee your peace of mind when purchasing jewelry as an investment, we recommend that you take time to do your research and make sure you invest in certified diamonds. Diamonds that go through the above process are likely to be certified.
It best to single out reputable brands and labels because they give you a guarantee and assurance that you are getting good jewel quality. If you are buying diamonds, ask for a diamond with a certificate from accredited gem labs like American Gem Society Laboratories (AGSL) or Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
The certificates will point out all the stone’s unique characteristics, including the exact carat weight, measurements, clarity, cut, polish, color, symmetry, and quality. This will help you make an informed decision about the jewel you intend to buy.
2. Know What to Buy
While gems can appreciate in value over time, not all high-quality jewelry pieces will go up in value – including older, vintage pieces. Hence, if you want to invest in jewelry, whether from an auction house or wholesaler, know which trends on the pieces you are looking to buy will have lasting value.
Most jewelry auctioneers have pointed out that pieces made between 1920 – 1935 have strong linear designs that look modern to date. However, just because old jewelry is antique, it will do you no good if it is not attractive.
Hence, when buying old jewelry, make sure that it is also attractive, according to today’s trends; otherwise, no one will want to buy it. Go for a classic piece that will make a lasting impression on whether trends change or not.
Loose diamonds are also a great investment. Target wholesale certified diamonds because they rarely lose value, and you can easily search and shop them online.
3. Cheap is Expensive
Low-priced diamonds tend to have a low carat weight, poor cut, scratches, and interior flaws. If you have a tight budget and are looking to invest in jewelry, the best thing to do is save up a little more and invest in bigger and heavier diamonds with high carat weight.
When it comes to jewelry, avoid uncertainty because it always leads to disappointment. For diamond jewelry, price and quality have a direct correlation. While the jewel could cost less if it has a poor cut, it will look dull, dark, and lifeless and give you no value for your money.
If the diamond is poorly cut in the first place, that means that the facets were also polished poorly, which results in visible scratches on the jewelry’s exterior. No one will go for diamonds with scratches.
We recommend asking the jeweler about any interior flaws because this will eventually affect the value and durability. Just because the flaws don’t show on the outside doesn’t mean you are getting a worthy investment.
A flaw is flawed, and any inclusions like cracks, air bubbles, and non-diamond minerals will not let light enter and reflect. This ultimately affects and reduces the brilliance of the diamond over the years. With investment diamonds, ignorance isn’t bliss.
4. Don’t Just Settle for Any Color
The idea that all fancy-colored diamonds are more expensive than pure white ones is nothing but a myth. Diamonds are available in different fancy colors, and jewelers will sometimes try to trick you into paying more for them.
Hence, we recommend that you do your research and find more about them before you go shopping. Fancy brown or yellow diamonds may be common, but they cost less than the colorless ones. Red, green, pink, and blue diamonds, on the other hand, are considered rate and can value more than colorless diamonds.
Regardless of the investment types, experts have always encouraged people not to put all their nest eggs in one basket. However, the beauty of jewelry investment overstocks and banks is that it is beautiful, impressive, and you can easily hand it down to your children and the generations after that as items with both personal and financial value. If you invest in jewelry correctly, you can yield sizeable profits and benefit your family for generations to come.