June 13, 2018
Our cases are full of stunning diamonds and gemstones, but ever wonder where they came from or how they were selected? Clients can be sure that each and every stone has been inspected and hand selected by Reeds’ owner Jeff Zimmer. Here is a first-hand account from his recent trip to India to find and buy diamonds and gemstones.
“Four to six times a year, I travel to India to purchase diamonds. I just arrived home from my latest trip last week. Larry Dautch, the owner of the gift side of our businesses, was turning 70. The trip coincided with his birthday, so I invited him to accompany me.
We landed in Mumbai on Monday evening, and we were in the hotel by 10:45 pm. I met Larry at the bar to have a drink and wish him Mazol Tov on his birthday at midnight.
Bright and early on Tuesday morning, we met for breakfast and then took the quick walk to the diamond bourse. I was hoping to find hundreds of diamonds that have GIA grading reports. Unfortunately, I didn’t do so well. I will only purchase diamonds that meet my standards for quality and value. At one point, I looked at over two hundred diamonds with grading reports, but I only purchased two.
Larry was able to experience our rigorous procurement process first hand. He could not believe how dedicated we are to selecting only the best diamonds and colored gemstones for our stores. Since returning home, he has shared the experience with family and friends.
Since I am only in India quarterly, I have to rely on my relationships there to keep me informed of marketplace trends. I was repeatedly told that my dissatisfaction with the stones being presented was due to the fact that rough stones are currently more valuable than polished diamonds. Thus, vendors were sitting on the rough stones until the polished prices caught up. What was left, for the most part, was what I considered to be undesirable, picked through diamonds.
Everyone is familiar with the national diamond e-tailers. These companies do not own their diamonds, but rather, accept lists of diamonds from the exact same vendors I use. They are not personally inspecting or selecting the stones. Consumers are essentially purchasing the report, not the diamond. On the contrary, Reeds diamonds and gemstones go through a rigorous screening process, and I personally hand pick the stones. This is why our diamonds of a comparable grade should look better to the naked eye and under magnification than our Internet competitors’ stones.
Our pricing is positioned to compete head-on with the Internet players. Most importantly, our customers can trust that we have beautiful, great value stones in stock that have been personally reviewed and selected by myself.”
Hopefully, this gives you a little more insight into our unique stone selection process. We also hope that you will allow us to assist you with all of your diamond needs.
