Buying a diamond engagement ring can be a risky business! For most of us an engagement ring is the third most expensive purchase we are likely to make, after our home and car. However I can guarantee you know much more about buying a house, or a car than you do about buying a diamond ring! This lack of knowledge opens up the opportunity for dishonest people to take advantage of you.

This generally takes the form of selling you a poor quality diamond ring for a higly inflated price.

How can you avoid the pitfalls?

There are some basic precautions you can take, which will significantly reduce the risk. Some of these include:

Get Educated - Research the subject of buying diamonds, in exactly the same way you would if you were buying a car. There is no substituted for this, and if you are willing to make the effort you can have more knowledge of the subject in 2 hours, than 95% of your fellow consumers.

Buy from a reputable source - Whether you decide to make your purchase online or at a Jewelry store, make sure you have some background on the store. Visit the store and ask the salesman questions to gauge his level of knowledge. I would suggest you avoid the Jewelry districts, simply because the competition is so fierce that it breeds questionable practices and half truths amongst the occupants.

Never buy a diamond without a certificate - Without a certificate you could quite easily buy a piece of glass set into an engagement ring setting and be non the wiser, but up to $5000 poorer. However a certificate alone does not guarantee a better deal, you need to be proficient in understanding exactly what it is telling you, and how each factor that is covered affects the price and quality of the ring.

Understand the 4 C's of diamonds - Most people know something about the 4 C's of diamond buying including, Cut, Clarity, Carat and Color. However very few people know how to each of the 4 factors interact to determine the price and quality of a diamond.

If you follow this advice you significantly reduce your chance of being fleeced by a dishonest salesman. Treat your purchase as a significant financial purchase. Set your budget up-front and do not go too much above or below the price you've set yourself. Try not to get to emotionally involved in the purchase and the outcome should be favorable.

Peter Vine is the author of "Diamond Ring Secrets" the first easy to read guide to buying the perfect diamond engagement ring. Get a free chapter from the book at:

http://www.diamond-ring-secrets.com

For More Information Just Like This - Click Here Now



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How safe is diamond and jewelry shopping on the internet? What do you need to know! An interview with Patrick J. Boening, President & CEO of the Diamond Wholesale Corporation, aka: DWC Inc. One of North America's top firms in the diamond online and wholesale business. (http://www.DiamondWholesaleCorporation.com)

February 11, 2004-- Interviewing Patrick J. Boening, President and CEO of the Diamond Wholesale Corporation.

Q: More and more people decide to purchase their diamonds online. DWC Inc. could improve its online sales by an impressive 83%. How come?

A: Price, Quality, Variety, Availability and good Customer Service. The confidence and trust in online diamond firms grow over the last years enormously, as most online businesses did. This is the 21st century; you don't have to spend hours in jewelry stores only to be shown a medium quality diamond, in dimmed light for a ridicules price. Then you need to compare and run to the next store to start the whole process over and over again. A tiring, long and expensive way to do business. Retail stores will not give prices over the phone. They need you trapped within their environment. They have to sell you what they have on stock rather then what is available on the market. Remember, when you purchase a diamond or a piece of jewelry in a store, you pay for everything, the expensive location, the beautiful and costly store decoration, sales and security staff etc. etc. The price differences between online and store can easily be 50 � 70 %. On the other hand, jewelers are spoiled and hate the internet. It is like a secret leaked out. Did you ever wonder why jewelers did so well and whenever you passed by the store, their is hardly customer traffic? The smart and educated client with access to the internet realized all that.

Q: Isn't it to risky to purchase such expensive items over the internet, and how can one minimize that risk?

A: I have never heard of an internet diamond firm that "ran off" with the client's money. That would be a one time action. The internet is the fastest media in the world, such actions would be known and spread in hours, around the world and this company would be black listed forever. Surely you should not trust anyone just because they have a web site. If you keep these 9 rules, your purchase will be safer then in most stores:

Rule # 1: Trust a web site (company or organization) only if they publish on their web site, the full businesses address (not only a PO. Box) and phone number. If they don't, they have a reason. Many web sites are owned by the same company or person and would show the same address and phone number.

Rule # 2: Check their references (Testimonials) and talk to existing clients. You will quick find out if they are real or made up.

Rule # 3: Check the professional trade networks and organizations, in the diamond and jewelry field: JBT (Jewelers Board of Trade), Polygon, Rapaport Network etc. If they are not registered there, they are no professionals.

Rule # 4: Check with your local BBB (Better Business Bureau). This is usually one of the first organizations that will receive a customer's complaint.

Rule # 5: Make sure the company you are dealing with gives a full money back guarantee of at least 5 days. This will give you enough time to have the item checked by a professional (Gemologist/Appraiser) of your choice.

Rule # 6: Always choose the appraiser / gemologist yourself. Never let the salesperson recommend one. If the firm recommends an "independent" appraiser or sends the item (s) to an "independent" appraiser/gemologist of their choice, rest assure, that they are in cahoots. (If you have to sign a contract, would you ask the other parties lawyer for advice? Or would you hire your own lawyer?)

Rule # 7: Don't be blinded by photos of diamonds. In most cases the are very misleading. Everyone who understands a little about photography knows that, photos are totally worthless. You need the scientific facts of the diamond, which are written in the Diamond Report, or Certificate. The more details you get the better. AGS (American Gemological Society) provides at the moment North Americas top certificate. It will mention details of cut that are most important and unfortunately most ignored. Crown angle in degrees and height in percent. Pavilion depth and girdle thickness. AGS is as tough as GIA (Gemological Institute of America), but gives you much more scientific details.

Rule # 8: If you found your stone, go for it! Don't wait too long because this diamond could be sold to someone else and you have to start all over again. There are no endless supplies on diamonds in every size, shape, clarity and color out there. Like with most things in life, you often have to compromise.

Rule # 9: Compare apples with apples! When you compare one diamond and it's price with another, hold both certificates (print out the copies that you get via e-mail) next to each other. Look at all the facts and compare, consult the gemologist if data is not clear or you need advice. Comparing one company and their prices with another, take in consideration if taxes, insurance during transport and shipping are included, is any extra cost involved, certificate, appraisal etc., or does it all come as a complete package?

Q: What will the New Year (2004) bring the Diamond Online Industry?

A: Growth! We expect a minimum total growth of 37% this year for the diamond online firms. The Diamond Wholesale Corporation (DWC Inc.) invested heavily and increased customer service as well as keeping the prices at the lowest level possible in order to insure satisfied clients.

Angelo Tambe is the PR Director of the Diamond Wholesale Corporation.

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A diamond is never a diamond

A diamond is never a diamond until it's refined. When first mined

it's an ugly piece of rock. When patient, skilled effort is put

to work on it, removing the dross and shaping it, the diamond's

value is revealed.

It's so much like an online business. The time and effort we put

into it determines its value whether by us or its visitors. Thus,

we must always place a high premium on refining our business.

In a previous blog, I wrote about taking a breather when

marketing frustration seeps in (look for the title, "When

Marketing Frustration Threatens to Overwhelm You," at my site).

Let me add this as a sixth point: Take time to refine your

business.

There are three areas you can refine:

1. Your organization.

I'm not talking about your downline or your staff, if you have

any, but how you organize yourself. Frustration is built by going

around in circles.

You must have an organized work time, whether you put in 2 or 10

hours in it. This means having a plan of action and an outcome of

that action. For example, if your first hour is answering e-mail,

you must know how that activity can help in your business. If a

certain activity has nothing to do with your business,

reorganize. It's always good practice to expend fresh energy on

your business, especially the important aspects of it.

2. Your marketing strategies.

It would be pointless to continue on a strategy with little or no

results. Or, for that matter, use a system that is fruitless. The

Internet is full of marketing systems and programs that promise

results. No doubt a good number of them work. Some are just full

of it, if you get my drift. Yet many take some time and effort

before you see any fruit.

The point is, you need to test different strategies and, if

possible, find one that is compatible to what you can do or enjoy

doing. Working on something that you have an aversion to can only

lead to stress and frustration if it turns out to be fruitless.

Thus, a refinement of strategies can only bring you a step closer

to success.

3. Your resources.

Determine what you have. Do you have more time, less money; or do

you have more money but less time? Perhaps you have an equal dose

of both. Learn how to use both to your advantage. Contrary to

what marketing trends want to dictate, there are still

inexpensive and free resources one can use to effectively market.

Go to my site and take a look what these are.

In contrast, there are expensive systems out there that give you

nothing but hype. Worse, they're outright scams. You can try to

find out what these are by going to Alexa.com and typing in a

site you're doubting or you can visit the marketing forums, where

you can get a ton of excellent information.

In conclusion, online marketing has to be valuable to you if you

wish to succeed in this business. It will return to you what you

make of it. If you treat it as cheap dirt, that's what you'll

reap. If you treat it as a business worth maintaining and

refining, you'll soon enough discover the gem that it is.

Copyright 2003 Dean F. Mapa



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March 3, 2004 -- Through an upgraded version of its online marketplace, IDEX Online S.A. delivers new capabilities and services to the world's diamond, colored gems and jewelry industry.



Along with new graphic design maintaining the traditional IDEX brand, the upgraded homepage offers the world's first live diamond market monitors. Derived from the company database, these monitors reflect demand and supply trends in real-time.



Listed below are the main additional features of the upgraded website:



An animated guided tour has been produced to support new visitors of www.idexonline.com as well as existing members, in utilizing the benefits of the international diamond and jewelry exchange to their full extent.



The new IDEX Magazine homepage provides users with search and browse capabilities of all magazine issues.



An online directory providing contact details of IDEX members.



A categorized selection of links to industry-related websites serving every aspect of day-to-day business needs.



An introduction to IDEX's future Real Prices service, invites industry members to submit their sales transactions information.



A free dynamic news feed from IDEX newsroom is available for all websites, along with other affiliation opportunities.



Ehud Cohen, Chief Executive Officer of IDEX Online, comments: "We aim to provide a neutral and comprehensive international marketplace on a stable trusted network and at low cost of membership. We believe our upgraded services take us a step further in that direction".



About IDEX Online

IDEX Online (www.idexonline.com) is an innovative diamond and jewelry trading environment linking diamond merchants and jewelers around the world. As a pioneering online diamond exchange and information provider, IDEX offers everything from breaking news to in-depth analysis, from provocative commentary on the diamond industry to business resources. From mining to retailing, offline and online, IDEX wishes to serve the entire diamond and jewelry community.



For further information please contact:

Osnat Davidov, Marketing Manager, IDEX Online Ltd.

Tel: +972 (3) 6128995

osnat@idexonline.com

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This article briefly summerizes symbolic value of engagement ring.

He Can't Afford a Diamond So What's the Poor Guy to Do? A young man recently asked me a question that really got my attention. He wanted to "pop the question" but couldn't afford a diamond. Nonetheless, he wanted to mark the moment with a ring and asked about buying an imitation CZ or "synthetic moissanite," the new diamond imitation that "fools diamond testers."

Well, it may fool some, but it will never fool her. Nor should you even try. For all you men out there facing the same dilemma, take heart. Today there are many romantic--and affordable--alternatives with which to create that special moment.

First, the most important thing about an engagement ring is its symbolism. The ring itself is meant to symbolize something beautiful, rare, and precious--like the love the couple hopes to share for life. It doesn't have to be costly, and it doesn't have to be a diamond ring (just take a look at the royal family--the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Anne and Princess Diana received sapphire engagement rings, and Princess Sarah Ferguson, a ruby). It simply has to show thoughtfulness and caring, and incorporate appropriate symbolism for the particular couple.

For example, there are many colored gemstones that have historical associations to love. Red stones symbolize the heart, and thus, passion and a zest for life. With red, one instantly thinks of ruby, but the same symbolism can be conveyed very inexpensively with red garnet, or with a little larger budget, red tourmaline, or for a little more, red spinel. All natural gemstones, and all beautiful. We can find similar choices for green (which symbolizes "faithfulness and "continuity") where choices include not only emerald, but green garnet or green tourmaline; for blue (which symbolizes "spirituality" and "purity") in addition to sapphire we have blue spinel, iolite, and blue tourmaline. You might also combine whatever stone you choose with a small diamond on each side, thereby completing the ring with the symbolism of diamond, which, because of its unrivaled hardness was believed to be "indestructible." And lets not forget the gem that has been associated with love and with the wedding itself longer than all others, the pearl; one might seek a "natural" pearl in an antique or heirloom piece.

There is also a tradition of using a birthstone in the ring--hers or his--something connected to the couple in a very personal way, perhaps also combined with diamonds and their symbolism.

So whatever the budget, whatever the message, there are beautiful, rare, symbolic and precious choices. Just as you've found the "real thing" in your bride-to-be, go for the "real thing" in the ring you select. You can get her a CZ for the anniversary!Visit http://venturemall.tripod.com to buy jewelry and read more jewelry related articles.

About the Author

Ajay Patole is a qualified management professional working as sales manager and runs a site 'Venturemall',a cool hangout to play money games,buy and sell in auctions,date and photochat.It is available at URL http://venturemall.tripod.com and newsletter to rediscover true colors of life at http://www.topica.com/lists/venturemall.Also he runs a community 'Venturecon', for entrepreneurs which is available at URL http://groups.msn.com/venturecon.

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New York, NY, February 9, 2004--Federico Castelluccio, (Furio Giunta of the award-winning HBO series, "The Sopranos") will be presenting a diamond engagement ring, compliments of Diana Classic, to one lucky couple this Valentine's Day at Sugar, (in Tribeca - 311 Church St between Walker and Lispenard, tel # 212-431-8642), Saturday, February 14th from 9pm-4am. Contestants will share their most romantic stories on falling in love at first sight (in 30 words or less) by 11 p.m. The top three most romantic stories will be chosen and judged by the audience at midnight.



In Italy, it is a tradition to get engaged on Valentine's Day. In keeping with this tradition and his heritage, Federico will play a major role in joining two people wishing to spend their lives together. Federico may play a Neapolitan enforcer on television, but deep down he is a softie and is a believer in true love and the art of romance. Asked on his reason for participating, Castelluccio commented, "I believe in love at first sight and can only imagine the wonderful stories New Yorkers will share that evening. It will most certainly be an unforgettable NY moment."



Some of Castelluccio's recent credits include: "Made" with Jon Favreau, "Fire," with Robert Klein, and "Eighteen Shades of Dust" with Danny Aiello. His television credits include the NY soaps "As the World Turns" and "The Guiding Light". Castelluccio's most recent television credits include NYPD-Blue, the HBO Comedy Special with Robert Klein, and the critically acclaimed, award-winning HBO series, "The Sopranos", where he plays the Neapolitan enforcer Furio Giunta. He's currently working on a series of paintings for an exhibit in October 2004.



Diana Classic will be providing a 1.0 carat diamond (SI quality) platinum ring to the winning couple. "No other brand is better suited to sponsor this event on Valentines' Day because, we at Diana Classic, truly believe in love and romance. As a matter of fact, just as our advertising states "We Do It All For Love". The look and feel of Diana Classic rings is incredible and the quality is unsurpassed. As long as there are people who commit to each other and fill their lives with romance, we will continue to do so," said Rebecca Foerster, Vice President of Marketing for Diana Classic.



Diana Classic rings are rendered in lasting lines of style and beauty. The extraordinary commitment to detail, coupled with legendary jewelry expertise, make these rings true foundations on which to build lifetimes of love.



Admission is $25 at the Door, Guest List is $15. For Guest List email: info@sveltevents.com or call 212-945-9696

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Buying a diamond engagement ring can be a risky business! For most of us an engagement ring is the third most expensive purchase we are likely to make, after our home and car. However I can guarantee you know much more about buying a house, or a car than you do about buying a diamond ring! This lack of knowledge opens up the opportunity for dishonest people to take advantage of you.

This generally takes the form of selling you a poor quality diamond ring for a higly inflated price.

How can you avoid the pitfalls?

There are some basic precautions you can take, which will significantly reduce the risk. Some of these include:

Get Educated - Research the subject of buying diamonds, in exactly the same way you would if you were buying a car. There is no substituted for this, and if you are willing to make the effort you can have more knowledge of the subject in 2 hours, than 95% of your fellow consumers.

Buy from a reputable source - Whether you decide to make your purchase online or at a Jewelry store, make sure you have some background on the store. Visit the store and ask the salesman questions to gauge his level of knowledge. I would suggest you avoid the Jewelry districts, simply because the competition is so fierce that it breeds questionable practices and half truths amongst the occupants.

Never buy a diamond without a certificate - Without a certificate you could quite easily buy a piece of glass set into an engagement ring setting and be non the wiser, but up to $5000 poorer. However a certificate alone does not guarantee a better deal, you need to be proficient in understanding exactly what it is telling you, and how each factor that is covered affects the price and quality of the ring.

Understand the 4 C's of diamonds - Most people know something about the 4 C's of diamond buying including, Cut, Clarity, Carat and Color. However very few people know how to each of the 4 factors interact to determine the price and quality of a diamond.

If you follow this advice you significantly reduce your chance of being fleeced by a dishonest salesman. Treat your purchase as a significant financial purchase. Set your budget up-front and do not go too much above or below the price you've set yourself. Try not to get to emotionally involved in the purchase and the outcome should be favorable.

Peter Vine is the author of "Diamond Ring Secrets" the first easy to read guide to buying the perfect diamond engagement ring. Get a free chapter from the book at:

http://www.diamond-ring-secrets.com

For More Information Just Like This - Click Here Now



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Buying a diamond engagement ring can be a risky business! For most of us an engagement ring is the third most expensive purchase we are likely to make, after our home and car. However I can guarantee you know much more about buying a house, or a car than you do about buying a diamond ring! This lack of knowledge opens up the opportunity for dishonest people to take advantage of you.

This generally takes the form of selling you a poor quality diamond ring for a higly inflated price.

How can you avoid the pitfalls?

There are some basic precautions you can take, which will significantly reduce the risk. Some of these include:

Get Educated - Research the subject of buying diamonds, in exactly the same way you would if you were buying a car. There is no substituted for this, and if you are willing to make the effort you can have more knowledge of the subject in 2 hours, than 95% of your fellow consumers.

Buy from a reputable source - Whether you decide to make your purchase online or at a Jewelry store, make sure you have some background on the store. Visit the store and ask the salesman questions to gauge his level of knowledge. I would suggest you avoid the Jewelry districts, simply because the competition is so fierce that it breeds questionable practices and half truths amongst the occupants.

Never buy a diamond without a certificate - Without a certificate you could quite easily buy a piece of glass set into an engagement ring setting and be non the wiser, but up to $5000 poorer. However a certificate alone does not guarantee a better deal, you need to be proficient in understanding exactly what it is telling you, and how each factor that is covered affects the price and quality of the ring.

Understand the 4 C's of diamonds - Most people know something about the 4 C's of diamond buying including, Cut, Clarity, Carat and Color. However very few people know how to each of the 4 factors interact to determine the price and quality of a diamond.

If you follow this advice you significantly reduce your chance of being fleeced by a dishonest salesman. Treat your purchase as a significant financial purchase. Set your budget up-front and do not go too much above or below the price you've set yourself. Try not to get to emotionally involved in the purchase and the outcome should be favorable.

Peter Vine is the author of "Diamond Ring Secrets" the first easy to read guide to buying the perfect diamond engagement ring. Get a free chapter from the book at:

http://www.diamond-ring-secrets.com

For More Information Just Like This - Click Here Now



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