IAMA Jewelry store clerk. I handle thousands of dollars of merchandise every day, and I'm ready to spill the beans on the industry to help redditors. Boyfriends and husbands, take note. Girlfriends and wives, learn and appreciate.

In the movie 'Batman and Robin', how exactly did Mr. Freeze's suit run on diamonds? That one's always puzzled me.

Diamonds are a compressed carbon structure. That's my best guess.

Is it true that you can x-ray a diamond (I.e. take a radiograph of it) to see if it's real or fake? I work in a hospital and did this for a pair of "real" gorgeous earrings my now-ex gave me, and they came out radio-opaque, not radiolucent. Fake?

They are fake. You can also use it's thermal index.

Most crazy/wierdest experience you have ever had so far?

Some guy came in, and within 5 minutes, picked out and purchased 10 grand in jewelry. Paid it in cash.

Hey, my dad has been a jewelry store owner for 52 years... however, right now he has trouble finding people who are willing to work for him and who won't steal his shit when he isn't looking...

Has your store had any problems dealing with employees? And as a store clerk yourself, where would you start looking for employees?

We hire family and good friends. And in this economy, that's fairly easy.

Does every kiss begin with Kay?

Yes, kiss starts with the letter K.

What can you say about conflict diamonds? Does the conflict-free label mean anything?

It means that they're not harvested through slave labor. I'm a little skeptical when it comes to labels, but they charge more for the label. I say, if you really want conflict-free, go lab-grown.

I've never compared lab-grown diamonds to real ones. How similar do they look? Would anyone really know the difference?

Edit: Nevermind, just read your post below ;)

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I would rephrase that as "identical at the atomic level". Natural diamonds have flaws that are not inherent in lab-grown diamonds.

Correct.

A lot of vendors, especially stateside vendors, have switched to suppliers that claim to be conflict free. It's pretty difficult to be certain but they do make an effort. The vast majority of the U.S.-based bridal manufacturers have changed to conflict-free suppliers.

It's difficult to authenticate, that's for sure. It's like environmental safety ratings: There's no law that prevents people from having below-standard policies when authenticating.

What is the most unique wedding ring and/or piece of jewelry you've sold? Maybe my question should be stated better. How can a guy be unique with jewelry besides diamonds and gold?

What is the most unique wedding ring and/or piece of jewelry you've sold?

That would probably be this really interesting men's aquamarine ring. It had a square cut. and was completely enclosed in white gold. Aquamarine is very brittle and not very colorful, so even though it was very interesting stone, I didn't expect it to sell. But this guy came in and just... wanted it. I said "We can exchange it for any gem you want," and he said "No, I like that." And then he paid in cash. We like things to have good homes.

How can a guy be unique with jewelry besides diamonds and gold?

Diamonds and gold come in all different colors, if you want to be different. That's what white and rose gold come in, when other metals are mixed in with non-100% gold to give it a different color. Diamonds can be irradiated or heat-treated to change their color. Same hardness, different color.

Of course, you could always go platinum, and then do a sapphire. Sapphires also come in almost every color.

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Know the market in gold and diamonds. Know the price per ounce for gold and the price per carat for A/AA-quality diamond so that you know what to expect. (~$1600/oz. and ~$3,000 carat currently)

Another great tip is learn what gemstones are good alternatives to your partners' birthstone and commonly known gemstones, like sapphire, emerald and ruby. They'll save you money, and most still are very beautiful.

If you're running into the top of your budget... trade carat for clarity and cut.

A .8C diamond that has a good cut and good-great clarity will look astoundingly better than a 1C where you sacrifice either the cut or the clarity.

edit: also bring a flat-white piece of paper with you when judging the color of a diamond.

I'd say color on white and clarity on yellow or rose gold.

Chocolate diamonds: total shit marketing or compelling product?

In my opinion: Total shit. If you look at it, it's marketed as "Natural" instead of "Irradiated". There's a reason for this. It's basically the end of the color spectrum when it comes to natural diamonds.

On earrings, they can look okay, but okay is all they'll ever be.

Why do certain stores (Tiffany's, Cartier, etc) charge so goddamn much for their jewelry? Is it higher quality materials, better made jewelry, just because they can...?

They aren't too much more expensive. But it's the name brand that's associated with quality.

I mean, you can buy that Calvin Klein jacket right over there, or you can buy from that weird named brand jacket over there. They look the same, but you might want the C.K. jacket, just because you know it'll be better.

Not that much more expensive? The Tiffany heart bracelet sells on their site for $275 but it is $129 on Amazon. But I guess a 47% markup isn't that much...

I've been selling jewelry for over a decade and completely disagree with you about difference in quality. Those brand names are not better quality; they are just brand names! 92.5 sterling silver and 14k gold is the same regardless of where you buy it. Still, I understand why people would choose a brand name over buying from a small shop--guaranteed after-sales service.

It's definitely the name for sure, but they were brought up in quality. I'm pretty young, I know they used to make great things, and I know it's bad now. But that's the price you pay: The brand name.

I'm looking into buying an engagement ring soon... Is there anything I should definitely know when looking?

Simple is always better. You can go back to the jeweller and change the stone and add details if you want to.

Also, know what kind of work she does with her hands. (That's what she said.) If she does a lot of intensive, difficult work, go with harder stones and a setting that doesn't involve prongs.

I have a diamond (its been too long to remember specifics on) that I paid about 3k for. I don't have any of the paperwork that came with it, or any other information. What is the best way to go about selling it? If I take it to get appraised by a gemologist how can I be absolutely sure, I get the same diamond I gave them back? What is the best way to go about finding someone to do an appraisal?

First, go to a local place with the microscope. Ask to see your diamond, and have them point out any imperfections, and to estimate the quality. They'll do it in front of your eyes, so you'll know it's yours.

Then you can have it certified. Then you can look for where the imperfections would be with your naked eye, and if it seems off, go check it with a microscope again.

As for appraisals, I'm not exactly sure. That's not my department.

What are mistakes typical customers make most frequently when buying jewelry?

The biggest one is ring size. Tips for gentlemen: If you want to buy your girlfriend a ring, bring her in. She can find the one she wants and we can make sure it fits on her finger perfectly. It's not any less romantic unless you're picking your nose the entire time.

Why do the price of diamonds vary so much from store to store? I'm talking about the same size gemstone, same quality, clarity, certification rating, etc. It's very confusing.

It really depends on how they obtain the diamonds and how low they are able to buy and sell. Gemstones go up 2-4 times in price between wholesale and retail depending on the gemstone, because most items sit in the store for quite a while.

A lot of stores with low diamond prices actually purchase lab-grown diamonds nowadays. It costs hundreds of dollars a carat less, and it's the same material.

How do you know if a diamond is lab grown? Can it still be certified with the same credentials as natural diamonds? How about places like Blue Nile? Are their prices cheaper because they order wholesale and don't have a store, or is there more to that?

How do you know if a diamond is lab grown?

That's the beauty of them. You really can't. That's why good priced diamonds are so great. If you're a purist (jeweler talk for someone who only wants to buy natural), you're gonna want to shop local instead of big-name.

Can it still be certified with the same credentials as natural diamonds?

Always are.

How about places like Blue Nile? Are their prices cheaper because they order wholesale and don't have a store, or is there more to that?

Everywhere orders wholesale from gemcutters. Some are independent, and some are big-name and have catalogues. Big-name places that can sell on the cheap usually can because they deal with big amounts, or they own their own cutting and processing facilities (usually in China). Big Nile is selling their things below suggested retail in order to attract customers. Because of that, I've always been skeptical of their quality.

I could have sworn reading somewhere that all lab grown diamonds have a serial number etched on them. Would being completely perfect be a giveaway that the diamond in question was lab grown? With the ability to grow diamonds now, do you believe that other applications for diamonds will arise?

I could have sworn reading somewhere that all lab grown diamonds have a serial number etched on them.

Most do. I meant to the naked eye. No jeweler trying to scam you is going to show you the serial number, and you wouldn't be able to see it without a microscope.

Would being completely perfect be a giveaway that the diamond in question was lab grown?

Lab grown diamonds aren't perfect. They can very easily be a better quality, yes.

With the ability to grow diamonds now, do you believe that other applications for diamonds will arise?

Yes and no. It's still an expensive process to do. It'll just make popping a good diamond into your rings or earrings easier on your wallet.

The most expensive piece of jewelry you've ever handled?

A $15,000 custom-made alexanderite anniversary band a man got his wife. The majority of the value came from the size of the stone.

I've been researching possible engagement-ring stone alternatives that have a "true" value to them based on the actual rarity of the gem. So far I've only come up with tanzanite. Can you recommend any other stone that might have a diamond-sized price tag, but will maintain it's value for a long time?

Slight back story: I've essentially found my perfect match with my boyfriend. We were talking to friends one day about diamonds and I just said it: I think they're overpriced especially considering how they're NOT AT ALL RARE anymore. We put a price on them based on their perceived value, where there are a lot of gems out there that have a lasting true value because of their general rarity. My boyfriend has another take on why diamonds are lame, but essentially holds the same view of the false "value" of diamonds.

I'd second alexanderite. It's skyrocketing in price nowadays, and it's an amazing stone.

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If they're pointing you towards one option, then be wary. In some stores, this is a selling point because if the customer doesn't need to decide between many options, they're more willing to buy. In others, they take advantage of this selling tool to push bad merchandise.

• Which non-diamond gemstones are the most popular with your customers? Any unusual/unpopular ones you'd like to see more of? Does your inventory tend to reflect customer preferences accurately?

• Have yellow gold, rose gold or white metals been the most popular this year? How has this changed since you started in the business?

• How many of your women customers are buying for themselves? How do their selections tend to differ from those of customers who are buying for others, if at all?

• Do you have many customers who buy for others blindly?

• Do you have many customers who don't seem rich and are apparently overspending?

Which non-diamond gemstones are the most popular with your customers? Any unusual/unpopular ones you'd like to see more of? Does your inventory tend to reflect customer preferences accurately?

Cheap alternatives. Garnet, especially, since it comes in many colors and it has a high refractive index. I'd love to see more of two stones, called Watermelon Tourmaline and Moonstone. Just google them.

Have yellow gold, rose gold or white metals been the most popular this year? How has this changed since you started in the business?

Yellow gold is the most popular, but that's because a lot of the things we make are in yellow gold. I wasn't there for the start of the business, I've just been here a while, and it's pretty much been yellow gold for a while. White gold is struggling, for sure. (I'm a clerk, not the owner.)

How many of your women customers are buying for themselves? How do their selections tend to differ from those of customers who are buying for others, if at all?

Most change their minds halfway through while looking for gifts. Their selections are usually mid-ranged, usually earrings and pendants.

Do you have many customers who buy for others blindly?

You mean husbands?

Do you have many customers who don't seem rich and are apparently overspending?

No, we have a lot of people who have a budget nowadays. They usually spend over their budget, but we always make sure they are happy with their choice. If they look like they're really dedicated, we throw in a small discount to help ease their financial pain.

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If it weren't for silver, we'd be gone by now.