Thank you to 94.7 The Globe for having me on the air this morning. As always, I had a good time with Weasel and Kelly. Sometimes I wonder where I feel more at home, the radio studio or the diamond world. Maybe in my next life, I’ll do a morning show.

So we talked the usual Christmas talk, what’s hot this year, etc…  And my answer, for those that missed, is that it’s back to the classics: Diamond studs. For as long as I’ve been in the business, and I’m glad Weasel didn’t ask me the years, diamond studs have been the go-to-gift. 

For guys that just don’t know what to get, I recommend earrings because they’re so versatile and your girl can get a lot of use out of them. She can wear them with denim, a cocktail dress, or out formally.  You can’t go wrong. 

Trend Spotter & Co. wonders how relevant the engagement ring really is anymore. Some argue that it’s expensive and unnecessary. Others maintain that an engagement just isn’t an engagement if a man isn’t on bended knee with a ring in his hand.

From my angle, I don’t see the tradition fading at all. It’s ingrained in our culture and simply too beautiful for most women to resist. It’s one thing to skip out on an old family tradition that’s boring and irrelevant to your modern life, but when it comes to something that will give you so much pleasure for years to come, what’s the point?

 I’ve heard some women tell me that they never want to wear a diamond after seeing the film, Blood Diamond. This I understand well because the movie was jarring and played a very important role in educating consumers of the problem of conflict diamonds in West Africa.  The situation there was tragic, but thankfully, it’s now resolved.

All diamonds in our stores are 100% certified as conflict-free. This is the case with most reputable jewelers.  In fact, if you’re concerned about the ongoing welfare of the African mining communities, buying a legitimate African diamond is probably the best thing you can do to support them. Diamonds and precious metals are some of the only resources these poor countries have and make up a large portion of their GDPs. It only does them a disservice when consumers avoid all African diamonds, citing ethical reasons.

When buying a diamond, a certificate is your best friend. It’s your guarantee from a third-party that you’re getting what you’re paying for. However, you should be wary of who is issuing the certificate. The leading names and authorities in the industry are: GIA (Gemological Institute of America), AGS (American Gemological Society) and EGL (European Gemological Laboritories). These are all trustworthy, but you should be skeptical of anyone else.

Here is an NBC Dateline report on inflated grading from other labs.

I came across this great article below on how to avoid getting scammed. For a purchase this important, it’s important to deal only with reputable sources. I’ll copy the full article here:

How do I buy a diamond and avoid all the scams at the jewelry stores?

Below are the common scams and mistakes we see every day…and tips to help you avoid them. We also wrote a few basic precautions to protect you against almost any trick you might encounter.

The 50% Off Sale
Huge Sales at Jewelry Stores
If you see a sale price in the newspaper, don’t fall for it. You will probably pay much more than the regular price at an honest dealer. We know of a major store in Florida that marked gold chains up from $100 cost to $500 regular price, then marked them half-price during a sale. That means the customer paid $250, thinking it was a great price. This same thing happens with diamonds on sale. Liquidation and “going out of business” sales are usually no different. We heard of one store in New York City that has been going out of business for 15 years.
Solution: Don’t fall for sales of any kind. If a dealer can afford to mark it down, then he marked it up too high at the start.

Bait-and-Switch
The advertised diamond is sold when you get there
This is an old trick still used by many stores. Although outlawed by the FTC, it still happens because it is hard to monitor 25,000 stores in the U.S. Bait-and-Switch is when a store advertises a diamond at a great price, but when you arrive to buy it, it’s already sold. They usually offer to show you something much more expensive. They bait you with the fake item, then switch you to something at a high profit.
Solution: If the advertised item is not in stock, don’t settle for anything else. If the store can’t locate another diamond just like it and offer you the same price, then leave.

Light Makes White
Bright lights make every diamond look better
Of course, every jeweler wants to show his or her diamonds in the best light, but there are some lighting tricks you should avoid. Some bulbs have a strong blue component, which makes yellow stones look whiter. Special bulbs are often used with strong ultraviolet wavelengths, which make most diamonds fluoresce blue. This also has a whitening effect for stones in the lower color ranges.
Solution: In any case, ask if the diamond has fluorescence, and ask to see it without the bright lights in another part of the store before you agree to buy. And always ask for a certificate from an independent lab to verify the grade if you are looking for a fine color. The labs always mention any fluorescence. If the store agrees, continue. If not, walk out.

Grade Bumping
When a jeweler exaggerates the grade even a little
The FTC says that a jeweler must be accurate within one grade of color and one grade of clarity on a diamond. So many jewelers bump the color and clarity just one grade. Unfortunately, this can mean a great deal of money if you are talking about a fine-quality, 1-carat diamond. For instance, you might find a stone that the jeweler quotes as a 1.00 carat F color / VS1 clarity for $6,500. However, if you sent it to a reputable gem lab like GIA, it would come back as a G color / VS2 clarity, which is only worth about $5,500. This means you lose (and they profit) about $1,000.
Solution: If you are looking for a fine-quality diamond, insist on a recent certificate from a respected gemological lab, such as GIA, AGS, or EGL. And only compare prices of other stones with like certificates.

The Fraction Scam
The tag says 3/4 carat
The FTC allows jewelers to round off diamond weights. So a diamond labeled as 3/4 carat in weight might actually weigh anywhere between .69 and .81 carat. This could mean a significant amount of money, since diamond prices leap at certain popular sizes. In this example, you might be buying a .69 carat round G/VS2 worth about $2,100… but paying for what you thought was a 0.75 carat worth $3,000. You lose $900.
Solution: If the store will not give you the exact weight of the center diamond, leave the store. No chance for any deals here.

The Lowball
The appraiser says your diamond is worthless
After you buy your diamond and take it to an appraiser for an insurance valuation, the appraiser tells you the stone is not what you thought. He might say it’s worthless or not the quality you were promised. In either case, he tells you where to buy one, or tells you to buy it from him. Beware. He may well be lowballing or downgrading a fine stone to persuade you to buy from him (or from some store that gives him a kickback).
Solution: Always use a truly independent appraiser who is not connected with any seller of diamonds. Make sure the appraiser is well known in the community, has been in business for at least 5 years and has no outstanding complaints with the Better Business Bureau. If you follow all the precautions and guidelines in this site, you will not run into this problem.

Laser Drilling
Dealers drill holes to burn out black carbon spots
About 1 in 3 diamonds in this country is laser drilled, according to Fred Cuellar, a leading diamond expert. Dealers use lasers to drill a tiny hole into the depths of a diamond to burn and evaporate large black inclusions to make them disappear. The trouble with this little trick is that laser drilling can make the diamond a little more fragile to breaking with a good knock. Most dealers trade laser-drilled stones for much less.
Solution: Ask your jeweler if the stone has been laser drilled. We suggest always insisting on a certificate, since a certificate from any respected gemological lab will clearly note that a stone has been laser drilled. Some labs will not even accept diamonds for grading if they have been drilled.

The Old Switcheroo
You pay for one stone, get another
When you leave your new diamond purchase at the store to be set in your chosen ring, the jeweler might switch it and set a cheaper stone. You don’t find out until you take it to an appraiser later. The original jeweler will claim that you must have switched it yourself, or accuse the appraiser. You have no recourse here.
Solution: The only cure for this scam is prevention. Follow the precautions in this site and this should not happen. In short, tell the jeweler to put the weight, color, clarity and measurements in writing on your receipt to give you proof in the event of a switch.

Diamond Districts
Avoid the diamond districts in New York
You may have heard that the major diamond trading center in the U.S. is located on 47th Street in New York. No jeweler buys on the street level. All the actual trading at wholesale prices takes place in high-security buildings hidden from the public. The vendors on the street level are more skilled at taking your money than anyone we have seen anywhere else. They are so slick that you won’t know you are being taken for a ride until it is too late.
Solution: It’s simple. Never buy from anyone in the Diamond District in New York…unless you go with a jeweler who will take you up to the real dealers in the trading centers. The dealers on the street are no deal. You will most likely get ripped off, by the very best, if you shop on the street level.

Hiding the Flaws
Every jeweler hides flaws under the prongs if he can
Although you will probably choose to do the same after you have examined and purchased your diamond, you should be aware that all jewelers will place any flaws under a prong in the ring if possible. In many cases, this can make an I1 clarity appear like a VS2 if you look at it in a ring setting. Rings are not your friend when it comes to taking an honest look at a diamond. But if you choose a clarity with some visible inclusions, we do suggest “pronging” the flaws if they are not structural in nature. (Structural flaws like feathers and cleavages can be damaged by the high pressure exerted by the prong on the diamond to hold it snug in the ring.)
Solution: Always look at a stone loose, out of any kind of ring or setting if you want to examine it properly. The stone can turn in the ring some day and you could be very surprised to see suddenly a huge “new” black spot that was actually there along.

Altering Certificates
The grade of the diamond is altered on the certificate
This can happen, although it is difficult to do because all reputable gem labs laminate their certificates to prevent alterations.
Solution: You can usually tell an altered certificate by examining the lamination. If the lamination looks torn at the corners, or if the front of the certificate is not laminated, it is not valid and should not be used. Leave such a store on the spot.

Bogus Lab Certificates
Certificates from non-existent “sound-alike” labs
Don’t be fooled by official-looking certificates from local “certified gemologist” gem labs. They are probably owned by the store and exaggerate the grades to make the prices look good. Don’t accept certificates from labs with familiar-sounding names like “Gemological Institutions of America” (instead of Gemological Institute of America), or American Gemological Services (instead of American Gemological Society). If it is not from the true GIA, AGS or EGL gem labs as described on other pages of our site, don’t believe it. These respected institutions have spent millions of dollars toward advanced equipment and staff training to produce the most reliable and consistent (though not totally infallible) grading reports.
Solution: Ask any dealer who shows certificates from other labs if he has any authentic certificates from the big labs. If not, leave the store. Smaller labs can do good work, but you have no way to know if they are qualified, legitimate and unbiased.

Deposit Scheme
They suggest you leave a deposit and take it for an appraisal
If you leave a deposit on a diamond, you should be very careful that the deposit is refundable. In many cases, this is just a way to steal your money, which later turns out to be non-refundable. You will only receive a credit toward another diamond.
Solution: Never leave a deposit on a diamond unless you have it in writing that the deposit is completely refundable if the appraisal is not favorable. And always insist that the store write down the exact measurements (WxWxD), shape, weight, color and clarity of the diamond on your agreement form.

Inflated List Prices
Artificially inflated “list” prices on the tags
Many stores will try to lure you into thinking their prices are great by listing inflated retail prices on the price tag s. They might call these “list” prices or “compare at” prices. This practice is very common, so watch out for it.
Solution: The honest jeweler will tell the truth about the savings he offers, but the dishonest will inflate the prices. How can you tell the difference? Ignore such comparison information and learn how to judge for yourself about the prices. The most accurate way to determine diamond prices these days is to use the huge online diamond databases. But don’t try it alone. First take our easy, fast, step-by-step Diamond Price Tutorial.

Diamond, CZ or Moissanite?
Diamond lookalikes can fool you
This does not happen too much in the U.S., but when you go overseas or to the Caribbean isles, there are no laws protecting the consumer. Some diamond lookalikes can fool you. You might come home from Mexico with a $2 cubic zirconia that cost you $2,000. In our opinion, you will not get any deals in Cozumel or Jamaica or anywhere else, and you are quite likely to pay too much or not receive a diamond at all. Diamonds are a world market and trade at essentially the same price everywhere. There is no such thing as a better place to buy diamonds.
Solution: Never buy a diamond on a trip. You have no recourse if something goes wrong.

Fracture Filling
New treatments to make flaws invisible
There is a new process patented a few years ago that melts a kind of crystal into surface-breaking fractures in a diamond. This technique went unnoticed for a short time, but now is better understood and more easily detected by most of the better dealers. The treatment is considered slightly fragile because it can be damaged under the extreme heat of a torch when the diamond is set into a ring. We feel it is unethical for fracture-filled diamonds to be sold without full disclosure of this fact to the consumer. Fracture-filled diamonds should trade for much less than diamonds without this treatment, but in reality they often sell for as much or more because they look like a higher, more expensive clarity grade. Any gem lab certificate will note this treatment, and some labs will not give a certificate for fracture-filled diamonds.
Solution: Ask for a written statement from your jeweler regarding any color or clarity enhancements used. We recommend a certificate from one of the three most respected labs…GIA, AGS or EGL.

Chemical Color Coatings
A little paint goes a long way
This very deceptive practice involves a little point of blue or purple paint on the lowest tip of the diamond, called the culet. This is small enough that you might not detect it, but the location spreads the color throughout the stone. This counters the yellow tint in lower color grades, making a diamond look like a more expensive, colorless grade. Very sneaky.
Solution: If you are suspicious about this possibility (the diamond looks better than any other diamond with this color grade that you have seen so far), the only way to guard against this little trick is to have the diamond washed before your eyes in an ultrasonic cleaner. If they will not do this for you, it might not be the best place to buy a diamond.

It’s hard to keep a diamond ring clean. Diamonds are natural grease attractors and can become coated with grease when they are immersed in dishwater or when they come in contact with lotions or natural skin oils. Powders, hair spray and soap also cut down on a diamond’s brilliance.

Keeping your diamond looking like a diamond is even more important now in the summertime, when rubbing sunblock becomes a regular activity.

A safe and easy way to clean a diamond ring is to soak and wash it in warm sudsy water using a mild liquid detergent. Then it can be dried with a soft, lint-free cloth. If the dirt on the diamond cannot be washed off after soaking, try using a tooth pick, a Water Pick or unwaxed dental floss to removed caked-on dirt. An old, soft toothbrush works well too, but beware of hard bristles that can scratch gold mountings!

You can also buy one of the brand-name liquid jewelry cleaners, which usually include a container of cleaner, a basket to soak the ring in and a small brush to clean hard to get at areas. Read the label and follow its instructions. Don’t touch your clean diamonds with your fingers since that simply puts oil back on them.

Ethyl alcohol and ammonia are also good for cleaning diamonds because they help avoid the problem of water spots.

To get rid of encrusted dirt, it is sometimes necessary to have the diamond cleaned professionally with steamers and ultrasonics. You’re welcome to come in and let us do the polishing. If you haven’t been regularly cleaning your ring, you‘ll be pleasantly surprised when you see the results. The sparkle will be back!

I received a great question a few days ago and I wanted to copy it here for everyone:

Tim Says:
I’ve been browsing through rings at a few different sites online. Now, I’m from the DC area, so of course I know Mervis from the ads, but I’m curious why I shouldn’t just buy my engagement ring online. Their rings look beautiful and they claim to be much cheaper.

1. Ronnie Mervis Says:Tim:
2. That’s a great question and I’m glad you asked it. First and foremost, it’s important to keep in mind that every diamond is unique. After billions of years underground and impossible probabilities of survival, it has been unearthed. Each diamond has its own chemical properties, trace impurities and natural birthmarks, known as inclusions.

1. And like any other consumer good, diamonds come in a range of qualities. By now, I’m sure you’re familiar with the 4 Cs. That’s the starting point of classifying diamonds, but it’s important to know that it only begins to tell the story.
3. Without getting too technical, there are 58 facets in a properly cut diamond. Each angle has to be cut in perfect symmetry to its opposite angle in order to produce the maximum sparkle and brilliance. With 58 facets, there are many, many proportions (of one angle to another) that ultimately determine a diamond’s beauty. The 4 Cs can’t possibly account for everything; they are used as classifications to simplify the many variables involved, but there can (and are) still relatively significant differences between any two stones of the same classification.
5. Diamond traders know that better than anyone. At the major diamond trading centers, buyers wouldn’t think to buy anything of significant value without first seeing and examining it.
   
   So, to answer your question, you could buy a diamond off the Internet and take a chance. But the odds are that, despite the low price, you’re overpaying for poor quality. Online retailers typically stock diamonds that experienced diamond traders would never buy. These are the stones that my brother Zed looked at and refused because they didn’t meet our standards.
7. So my advice to you is to buy like an expert and inspect a diamond yourself. Compare it to other stones of similar characteristics and pick the one with most sparkle. And be sure to get a expert’s advice. Whether you shop with us at Mervis Diamond Importers or elsewhere, don’t take the jump (completely) on your own. Inspect for yourself, of course, but take the guidance of an expert.
8. Buying your first diamond may be the most important purchase of your life, so you’ll want to feel completely confident that you’ve made the right choice. You want to know it’s the right one FOR YOU.
9. Presumably, you dated your partner for some time before popping the question. You didn’t just look at a picture and a description of the person and send an e-mail, “Will you marry me?” I joke because many people meet online, but even if they do, they still meet in person a few times before making the life commitment.
10. It’s the same with buying fruit at the grocery store, choosing a puppy at the breeder or buying a diamond. You’ll want to see the product in person to really feel it, touch it and see if it “fits” you.