Japanese questions when at the jewelers

Hey

I hope someone can help. I�fm wanting to buy an engagement ring. I�fm totally new to buying jewelry, so I did some research on www.thediamondbuyingguide.com. I feel a little more in the know and think I know what I want to ask about. But my Japanese level is very low. Although I do have a denchi-jisho at hand for help. This is a lot of money for me, so I want to know what I�fm buying and I also want to tailor it to my needs.

I want to buy an authenticated diamond. I�fve read that jewelers who sell diamonds and settings (ring) separately are more likely to have certificates, rather than just buying a complete ring out the shop window.

I�fve found that Japan does follow GIA and IGI, but I don�ft know if all stores do, so I want to ask. How do I ask the jeweler if they have certificates (of authenticity) for their diamonds?
Is �gKono diamond wa certificate ga arimasenka?�h ok?

I also want to look at the diamond and its certificate details (cut, clarity, carat, colour, table sizes etc.). Is �g Kono diamond no certificate miru mou ii desuka?�h ok?

I�fd also like to compare a few diamonds together because I�fve only seen them online and sites recommend that I should view a lot to get a feel on what grades I like and what I don�ft need. How do I ask permission to see a few on the table at once?

I also want to buy a conflict-free diamond. There are some places that keep a paper trail and there are some certificates becoming more common. How do I ask if their store diamonds are conflict free and if they have some paper to authenticate that? It seems a bit cheeky to ask but this is just my personal choice and I would feel much more at ease that my happiness has not been a result of another�fs grief.

More questions, sorry. I want to ask if I can also have the setting (ring) engraved with a small design (like something Celtic). This is just to make the final ring more unique. I would just like to ask.

This question is on Japanese customs. Can you haggle a bit in a Japanese jewelers? I�fm not trying to be a tight-arse, but I�fm not wanting to be taken for a ride.

Finally, when I go into the shop, I want to explain first that I�fm here on research and looking for advice. I am not going to buy it that day, mainly because I haven�ft got an accurate measurement of my girlfriend�fs finger yet. (She doesn�ft wear rings, so I can�ft nick one of those for the day.) And I want to shop around (but I don�ft want to tell them that, even though she should know it). I�fm worried that because I�fm asking a lot of questions that they�fll think there�fs a sale in it for that day. And then get miffed when I walk out the door.

Oh, and if anyone knows some nice jewelers in the Tohoku region, especially Miyagi, Sendai then please let me know.

If anyone can answer even one of these questions, then it would be a great help to me.

Cheers in advance

Hi

I forgot to ask something else. I've read that many diamonds that you can buy in Japan are laboratory-grown diamonds. How do I ask if the diamonds have been mined naturally?

Also, I've read that some dimonds are treated, to improve the look of the diamond. Like "clarity enhancement", "fracture-filling", "laser-drilled" etc. The site says that they should tell you (by law). So how do I ask if the diamond is untreated?

I understaned that a natural, untreated diamond will be more expensive but I feel better about buying it and know that it will retain its individuality and value.

Thanks again

I think that you will find that a lot of what you want to do is not going to be possible at a lot of jewellers, particularly things like haggling. I would say the vast majority of jewellers in Japan are just ordinary retail outlets, and asking detailed questions about the origin etc of the diamonds would be like going into Gap and asking where the cotton used in a particular shirt is sourced- in most cases no-one is going to know.

A lot of the advice you have read seems to be more appropriate for countries like Thailand and India where it is more common to buy loose gems, and quality is perhaps more likely to be suspect. Here most people will just buy a ready-made ring, often from big name jewellers like Tiffany, Bulgari or Cartier, so even finding a store where you can inspect different diamonds is not going to be easy.

One thing that I can tell you is that staff will not be surprised if you leave without making a purchase, as this is common with an expensive purchase like jewellery. My husband and I visited a large number of shops and tried on a lot of rings before buying our wedding rings (no diamonds), and the staff never appeared bothered- that is their job. Most of them are not going to be so sales-focused that they would get annoyed if you don't make a purchase right away, and this being Japan, they certainly won't be visibly annoyed with you.

Thank you for your reply Sira. I'll take my time and ask what I can when in the shop.

I'm really new to this, so I'm excited but freaking out a bit. I tend to overthink things.

I was stretching at the haggling idea. I've just remembered trying to get a deal on a Wii package by changing some of the items. The woman looked at me as if I had just punched her in the face. It was a long shot, but I don't ask, I don't get.:)

I see what you mean about your GAP idea. Nobody asks if the cotton for their clothes was obtained fairly or not. Its an out-of-the-blue question that the staff might not know. It just that "blood-diamonds" sticks in my mind a bit. I can try asking the store if they follow the "Kimberley Process" when sourcing their diamonds. It's international and chances are they do anyway.

The reason I want to ask details about the diamonds grading is because it relates to the price. For example, like you said chances are the diamonds will be sold pre-set into the ring. If I get a gold ring I want to know its colour grading because "white" diamonds are more expensive but if they're set in gold, then they will have a hint of yellow from the reflection of the gold. So there'e no point paying for a high grade "white" diamond when a lower, cheaper grade will look the same when set on the gold ring.

The handy thing about knowing the gradings is that I can then check how much i'm paying for the diamond itself by checking the net or other shops. And then I can see what the "brand name" is charging.

I'm not fashion minded, so I don't know one name over the other. I always thought that the ring was to put focus on the stone. But if I like the design, then that's also a factor.

You mentioned Tiffany, Bulgari and Cartier and that you went around lots of jewelry shops when choosing your wedding rings. Did you find that any "brand" of shops had staff that really knew their stuff?

Thank you for your advice.

More advice is always welcome.

Have a great day.

The reason I want to ask details about the diamonds grading is because it relates to the price. For example, like you said chances are the diamonds will be sold pre-set into the ring

The carat, clarity, cut, and other details about the diamonds are most probably included in the display details. If not, then the sales person would surely know it. You don't need to ask the certificate to know these details

Thanks for that rings.

I forgot to explain that I just wanted to know the details by asking. I'm not wanting to have the certificate in my hand when I'm just shopping about. But if I buy the ring, I want it to be one that comes with a known certificate.

This is because (I read it anyway) some diamonds are only quickly checked for carat, cut, clarity and colour but don't get an official certificate. And different laboratories have different grading criteria. So an Ideal cut for one might only be a Premimum cut for another. By known the issuer of the certificate you can judge (through the net) what you're getting.

Also, I read that some Japanese jewelers list the carat weight as fractions. They are allowed to do so. But for example, a 1/2 carat weight can range from 0.47 to 0.54 carat. I've only researched prices on the net but even this kind of range can make the price jump. Having a look at the certificate, if there is one would help to sway me before I buy.

Cheers

I somewhat recently (under 2 years ago) was shopping for engagement rings in Japan so maybe some of my observations will be relavent to the discussion.

I was stretching at the haggling idea. I've just remembered trying to get a deal on a Wii package by changing some of the items. The woman looked at me as if I had just punched her in the face. It was a long shot, but I don't ask, I don't get.:)

Haggling isn't really done, especially when you're looking at preset stones. You can always ask, just be prepared to hear a lot of no's.

It just that "blood-diamonds" sticks in my mind a bit. I can try asking the store if they follow the "Kimberley Process" when sourcing their diamonds. It's international and chances are they do anyway.

Conflict free diamond's are definitely a hot topic these days, so you should definitely ask if it is important to you. Reputable dealers should know, and if they can't tell you then that may be a reason for you to keep on shopping.

The reason I want to ask details about the diamonds grading is because it relates to the price. For example, like you said chances are the diamonds will be sold pre-set into the ring.

Diamonds are virtually always graded, and every dealer will be able to show you the grade of their diamonds especially as they use it to justify pricing. Whether or not its certified can affect the price, and some places will offer both certified and uncertified stones. The better places will only deal in certified, as well as conflict free diamonds.

If I get a gold ring I want to know its colour grading because "white" diamonds are more expensive but if they're set in gold, then they will have a hint of yellow from the reflection of the gold. So there'e no point paying for a high grade "white" diamond when a lower, cheaper grade will look the same when set on the gold ring.

That's a great point to be aware of. Also what I learned is that shopping for diamonds is a lot like shopping for tv's. Its easy to see the differences when they are side by side, but once you get it home they pretty much all look good. For me, a nicer setting was more important then a slightly higher grade diamond so I spent my money there.

The handy thing about knowing the gradings is that I can then check how much i'm paying for the diamond itself by checking the net or other shops. And then I can see what the "brand name" is charging.

Yes, or you can see it as telling you what the setting costs. I found there was a marked increase in quality of the settings when you went to name brands. Whether that justifies the additional cost is up to you.

You mentioned Tiffany, Bulgari and Cartier and that you went around lots of jewelry shops when choosing your wedding rings. Did you find that any "brand" of shops had staff that really knew their stuff?

I went to Tiffany in addition to some Japanese retailers and found that they all knew their stuff and could answer any questions I had. That's their job. The more expensive the brand the nicer the presentation, but it was all generally the same info.

I also found that they all made shopping for different sizes and gradings very easy. If they didn't offer loose stones, then they had a selection of preset stones to choose from. Also the more expensive brand stores tended to only deal in the higher graded diamonds.

Also, I read that some Japanese jewelers list the carat weight as fractions. They are allowed to do so. But for example, a 1/2 carat weight can range from 0.47 to 0.54 carat. I've only researched prices on the net but even this kind of range can make the price jump. Having a look at the certificate, if there is one would help to sway me before I buy.

All the places I visited listed in decimals.

I'd recommend heading to a bunch of different stores and checking out what they have and the buying experience. Its great to be doing all this research beforehand, but I found it a lot easier to know what I was shopping for after getting some hands on experience.

Then if you are looking at a brand name ring, or a setting that is not unique to a particular store, then seriously consider purchasing outside of Japan. I found that diamonds on average were about 50% more expensive in Japan than comparable retail stores in the US for example.

That's great advice yllwsmrf. Cheers for your help.

It makes me feel better to know that jewelers and customers are taken the conflict-diamonds issue serously now.

I agree with the hands-on approach. I've been looking at so many websites for background information. So, its good because I have an idea of what to look for but the websites didn't give you images to compare. And the some of the online shops I checked stated they were using a generic image.

So, I need to get window shopping. I'm interested in seeing this "fire/sparkle" in a diamonds grade of cut (reflective properties) that so many sites talk about.

As for the setting, I'll just shop for what I like and can afford rather than caring much about the name. But like you said, I'll try and remember about the quality that comes with the name.

I've also heard that Japan is more expensive and that many people are buying online now. But I don't have a credit card at the moment and with my nature I would feel more comfortable going shop to shop and comparing rings first-hand.


I have another question (haha there's a surprise). When you buy a ring in Japan are you offered some kinds of insurance packages or cleaning services (e.g. we'll clean your ring every 5 years etc.)? The kind-of add-ons you get offered with a car and don't really need. With the insurance for a ring, I thought it would be covered in the owner's house insurance. Do I really need this insurance if they offer it?


Thanks again for your help yllwsmrf. I feel more comfortable in shopping next week.