I always crack up when I hear Jewelers advertising the 5th C! You know, they say
there aren't just 4 C's of Diamond Grading, BUT 5! That's right! 5 C's!
We all know what the 4 C's are: Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight. You get 4 and that's it! Nothing more, nothing less, just 4. But those 4 are pretty grand by themselves.
The 4 C's Grading System (Devised by G.I.A.) is so recognizable, that many Jewelers like to take advantage of that fact and add onto the scale...
They make up their own C:
The 5th C
And depending on what Jeweler you talk to, that 5th C could change. It could be anything that starts with a C.
Here are some C's you may have heard Jewelry Stores use before as the 5th C:
- Commitment
- Cutting Style
- Certification
- Clean
- Conflict Free
- Confidence
|
- Conscientious
- Credentials
- Comparison
- Credibility
- Confirmation
- Transparency
|
(Hey, that last one doesn't start with a C???)
That's a lot of C's! I think they missed one...
Confusing!
What's a customer to think when the 5th C is different everywhere they go? There is no Consistency! Are all the C's up for Jeweler Interpretation?
The 4 C's are there to represent Diamond Grading... Not Diamond Buying or Who you're Buying it from...
I think all it does is lose Credibility with the customer. Just listen to this line and see:
"That's right ma'am, we here at 'So-and-So' Jewelers have a 5th C that we like to call Confidence! Confidence means you can shop with a Jeweler that you can trust!"
Yeah, right...
I used to know this Jewelry Store Salesperson who always went around telling people "You can Trust me! I'm the most honest person you'll ever meet!"
Guess what? I didn't trust him!
You see, the 5th C is not helping anyone. Why? Because there is NO 5th C! There are only 4. Those 4 hold a mountain of information and knowledge, plenty enough to teach you about Diamonds and Buying the right Diamond.
Here's my advice:
Don't get caught up in the Marketing Ploy of the 5th C. It doesn't stand for:
- Cost
- Cash
- Credit
- Charge
- Candid
- Capable
|
- Carbon
- Care
- Courteous
- Cooperation
- Convenience
- Cabin Fever
|
(I've had that last one!) Point is, they are all made up!
Cost or Certification is probably the best of the bunch, but don't let them fool you. They have nothing to do with HOW a Diamond is Graded. They don't belong there!
Certification only lists WHAT the Diamond Grade is... It doesn't affect the actual Grade of the stone in any way.
A Diamond can be a VS2 Clarity, F Color, with or without the Certification Papers.
Cost is, well, the Cost of doing business with Jewelers that add on a 5th C. They are just trying to build customer Confidence... It doesn't work!
What if I were to tell you that the 5th C stands for Commission? Would that get you to buy into a false Confidence?
Probably not! But then again... It's your Choice!
P.S. Follow Jewelry Secrets on Twitter and Facebook.
Copyright © 01-15-2010 Jewelry-Secrets.com
