YOU BOYFRIEND BOUGHT YOU A BAD DIAMOND?

He bought you WHAT?

Did your boyfriend buy you a bad looking diamond?

I feel sorry for you. I do. But I see it all the time…

Girls will come into the jewelry store and say that there’s a crack in their diamond or there’s an ugly black spot in their stone. They’ll ask what it means, and I’ll have to tell them…

It’s the quality.

He bought a quality that isn’t that high in the ratings. She’ll ask if there’s anything that can be done about it?

Frankly, NO!

He bought a low clarity diamond, probably I clarity (I1, I2 or I3). Which means, he bought a diamond that had eye-visible inclusions or cracks in it. He paid as less as possible, and got what he paid for. He was probably looking for a good deal, saw an opportunity to buy a huge stone for a great bargain and went for it. Granted, some guys don’t know they bought bad quality, and some guys don’t want to learn either.

What girls have to decide is:

What are you going to do about it?

Do you accept the diamond and live forever with the imperfections?

Should you bring up the flaws, slyly asking why you can see them?

WI would say “sure.”

It’s better to bring them up now, absolutely. Just try not insulting him or embarrassing him in the process.

The good thing is, there are options. Let’s look at them…

Exchange the diamond:

See if the jewelry store will allow you to do an even exchange for the diamond. Since all diamonds are different, you might be able to exchange it for another diamond (of the exact same color and clarity) that may look better. Compare same quality stones and you may see a difference that will keep you both happy. This is the best option because it doesn’t cost you any more money and you don’t end up with a smaller stone.

But then again, you could…

Buy a smaller diamond:

Downsize.

Buying a smaller stone allows you to get a better clarity of diamond (hopefully for the same price). You may have to drop 20-25% of the carat weight or more, but it should put you in a higher clarity range that looks much better with no obvious flaws or imperfections.

Upgrade the diamond:

Fork out more money. Buy the same size of diamond (same carat weight), just buy a better clarity (like SI or VS). That way she won’t end up getting a smaller diamond, just a nicer one.

Return the diamond:

You can always return the ring (depending on their return policy) and buy it somewhere else. But trust me, that really won’t help you much…

1) You’ll be ringless for a while and even more sad and blue.

2) He’ll still have to buy you an engagement ring with either a smaller diamond or a higher clarity (more money). The choices are the same no matter where you go (unless you shop online with James Allen, or Blue Nile, their prices beat any mall store or jewelry store). None of these options are really great options, since you’re starting over… But, you do have to wear this ring for the rest of your life, so you better be happy with it.

Talk to him:

Talking to him is the first step.

I say do it now, don’t wait.

Return or exchange policies don’t last long. Just mention to him that you can see dark flaws in the stone. You may also mention that they take away from the beauty of the diamond. Do it nicely. Don’t pop his ego.

This should be enough to coax him into going back to the store (let him go by himself if you can) and find out what it all means. Doing it this way, puts all the burden on him. He’ll take the ring in and find out that he bought a low clarity diamond (if he didn’t already know).

It will then be up to him to decide whether to exchange it, get a smaller diamond, or spend more money and get you a better clarity.

He could also just keep the ring and you’ll have to wear it… So cross your fingers that doesn’t happen. But who knows, you may be able to talk him into a nice upgrade later, like on your 5th anniversary?

It doesn’t hurt to try:

Some women even upgrade the diamond themselves. Really! Some won’t even tell the guys they’re doing it (doesn’t hurt his feelings). They just get a better quality and are happy about it. Problem solved.

It’s all up to you and what you feel comfortable with.

I have seen some women just hand the ring back as well and say “It won’t do.” I wouldn’t recommend that approach, but if the shoe fits…

Best advice:

Learn about quality before you buy a diamond. Women don’t want to see eye-visible inclusions in their engagement ring. Women have to show this ring off to everyone… They don’t want to show off flaws.

Learn about clarity (and all the 4C’s). Study the grading charts. Shop and compare diamonds and jewelers. Don’t buy based upon price alone.

More than anything, buy SI1 clarity or higher).

With SI1 clarity, you’ll never run into these uncomfortable type of situations. It doesn’t make anyone feel good. SI1 clarity or higher is a great looking clarity with no visible inclusions in them.

It all comes down to quality.

If you buy good quality, you’ll never regret it.

Cheers! :)