Diamond shoppers are faced with a daunting task of sorting through the advertising claims of jewelry stores and jewelry designers who promote their products as the highest quality possible. There are so many new branded diamonds introduced in the past few years, it is hard to keep up with all the marketing hype. It does not take long before the shopper is completely perplexed about how all these different brands could all be the best of the best.

The emphasis on branding has been stimulated by De Beers' requirements that diamond sightholders step up their advertising and branding efforts. Jewelry stores also see branding as a marketing strategy to maintain high profit margins as they fight their online diamond competitors.

Diamond shoppers have to understand that "branding" a diamond goes hand in hand with higher prices. Someone is paying for the expensive advertising that typically goes with branded diamonds.

To understand today's world of branded diamonds, it helps to step back and look at the history of branding in the diamond industry and understand the motivations for creating diamond brands.
 

History of Branded Diamonds

In the 1980's branded diamonds arrived on the diamond scene when Lazare -Kaplan branded and laser-inscribed the Lazare Diamond, the first branded round diamond. The Lazare Diamond is advertised as "The World's Most Beautiful Diamond" and was the first recognized brand name for a diamond.

After Lazare Kaplan, many companies followed and created brand names for round diamonds with the goal of convincing consumers that their diamonds were the best of the best.

Brand Names of Diamonds

Here is a list of branded diamonds: A Cut Above, Aglaia, EightStar, Hearts & Arrows, Hearts for Eternity, Hearts on Fire, Landau Ideal, Lazare Kaplan Ideal, The Leo, Signature Ideal, Super Ideal and more. Are these branded diamonds any better or prettier than non-branded diamonds?

Brand Names and GIA Cut Grades

The branding of diamonds has focused on the "cut" of the diamond and not on the quality of the diamond as reflected by the other elements of the 4 C's. The Gemological Institute of America ("GIA") does not recognize any brand name when it comes to evaluating the cut of a diamond. Just because a diamond has a brand name does not guarantee that it will get an "Excellent" cut grade from the GIA. In addition, it is certainly no guarantee that the diamond is a "pretty diamond." See What Makes a Diamond Pretty? It is only a guarantee that the diamond will cost more!

Economics of Branding

The goal of branding is to become a household name that consumers perceive in a positive manner when they are shopping and making a buying decision. Companies create a brand by marketing their product such that their branded product is perceived as the best. When consumers perceive higher quality, the logic is that they will be willing to pay a higher price. In the diamond industry, creating a "brand" is just another way to charge more for the diamond.

Should You Pay More for a Branded Diamond? What Should You Do?

Don't make the costly mistake of allowing any jeweler, sales person or on-line site to persuade you into paying a higher price for a diamond because they claim it belongs to a specific brand of diamonds that are more expensive than regular diamonds. This is a bit of trickery used by unscrupulous jewelers when they know that they are dealing with people who don't know much about diamonds. Remember that diamonds are not actually branded unless Mother Nature has her own brand!

What you should  do is rely on an honest diamantaire who owns his own diamonds and can guide you and advise you towards a diamond which is "pretty" and which is worth buying. That is the best way you can be sure that you will spend your money wisely and not overpay for a "brand" which actually adds no value to your purchase. It is only a "perceived" value. But if you went to sell that diamond back into the diamond market, no one will pay you more for that diamond than they would for a non-branded diamond of the same quality.

If you are looking for a "pretty" diamond, one that is worth spending your money on, call us at A. Fishman & Son and we will guide you and advise you to help you make  the right choice for your important purchase.