The Effect of Coronavirus on Diamonds

The lockdown due to the coronavirus has certainly impacted traditional retail when it comes to engagement ring. The effect has also seem to impact its e-commerce counterpart as well. Recently, I see that a lot of jewellers are busy with social media updates, throwing out various eye candies and promotions.

Understandably, with the current mood and current economy situation, it is already consider good enough that one is still getting full salary from their company, especially when that person is working for SME that does not benefit well from government's stimulus package (well, at least that's what I heard). So, having to spend on something that is considered "luxury" now, may not be the best time, as it is still consider something that is good to have, as we do not know how long the lockdown can sustain and how bad the effect of the lockdown can affect the company that one is working for. It would be a wiser choice to save up the money for the unforeseen future ahead. Also, some people may prefer to invest their money in stock market now and hopefully, make a good return when the market blooms later.

The virtual inventory (RapNet) is also a mess lately as a lot of vendors are not satisfy with the prices posted in one of the recent Rapaport Price List, which has now been suspended. Read: https://www.jckonline.com/editorial-article/rapaport-suspend-price-list-furor/. So for those who rely on the list to sell diamonds, there will be much lesser diamonds to be listed. However, as far as Malaysia is concerned, I believe our local jewellers here have their own preferred supplier(s), that they can deal directly, so I don't think getting diamonds is a big problem, but I believe selling diamonds at a difficult time now, could be an issue. Getting the engagement ring done by the factory is yet another challenge, as the jeweller production house that I know of is under MCO, so it is really surprising to me that some jewellers still manage to deliver orders, making me curious about how they do it.

My affiliate manager at WhiteFlash told me that some companies may have problem fulfilling virtual inventory diamonds, but as far as local vendors are concerned, I don't think that is a problem. In fact, with the promotion that they are giving out now, like the one from Tailored Jewel, it seems worth quite worth it.

Tailored Jewel promotion during MCO, with free Japanese Akoya Pearl Earrings

Of course, we have the usual ZCOVA promotion, which of course, is more expensive compared to their previous promotions. One of the reasons is probably the not-so-friendly exchange rates these days. Although they are not the cheapest option, but for the service quality they can provide, it is one of the better choices when it comes to engagement ring.

ZCOVA 0.3ct Promotion

ZCOVA 0.5ct Promotion

Of course, if you don't mind doing some footwork to set the engagement ring elsewhere, like Memory Jewellery, personally, I can get some good quality diamonds at a reasonable price too. You can check it out at my own Facebook page. PM me at Facebook for prices if they are not listed. Remember to take note on the 4Cs and the cut quality of the diamonds I listed. ;) Oh, and the diamonds I listed are readily available diamonds.

Welcome to My Facebook Page

Now, what about buying diamond from overseas? Well, I believe businesses are impacted in some way, but overall, they are still fulfilling orders and sending out products, so I would say they can sustain pretty well. Scare that virtual inventory cannot fulfil your needs? Then you can comfortably know that WhiteFlash have million dollars worth of in-house diamonds for your selection. All diamonds are guaranteed to be available since they own the diamonds. As far as round brilliant is concerned, they feature some of the best cut diamonds that are available in the world.

WhiteFlash - A CUT ABOVE

We still have another wonderful option that features very precise Hearts & Arrows diamonds - Brian Gavin Diamonds. While Black by Brian Gavin is the top-of-the-line collection from Brian Gavin Diamonds, its performance compared to its standard signature line may not be that obvious to a casual observer, so, if you prefer a very well-cut diamond that is friendly for your pocket, I highly suggest to buy their signature line diamonds, which have frequent promotions these days, such as this:

Brian Gavin Diamonds Promotion

Remember to read their terms and conditions for better understanding on how the promotion works. For starters, the discount listed have included the wire transfer discount. Also, one of their customers told me that if you register for their newsletter, you can get USD 100 off. I am not sure whether it applies for all orders, but it is worth to ask. I believe you cannot have multiple promotions to apply together, so see which one benefits you more. Of course, if you are the type that appreciate a very very well-cut diamond with exceptional performance, then please opt for Black by Brian Gavin. They are a beauty to behold.

Well, I want to save the most unique one for the last - High Performance Diamonds, which carries the brand Crafted by Inifinity. Don't be confused, High Performance Diamonds is a company, while Crafted by Infinity is a brand that can be distributed by different companies, and High Performance Diamonds is one of their dealer.

High Performance Diamonds

Crafted by Infinity

What I really like about High Performance Diamonds is how humble they are, how close they can get to each and every customer. The owner, Wink Jones, is very attentive to his customers' needs and I personally felt that his service is very very personal. It's like talking to a friend in the diamond trade. On top of that, I really like his passion for diamonds, as well as the articles he posted on his High Performance Diamonds website. In fact, it is one of his recent articles about the situation during coronavirus that triggers me to write this blog post. I don't know about you, but that article brings much positivity to me until I decided to write this. Besides, they also highlight on how they can help you to propose within your budget!

If you ask me, what I really like about Crafted by Infinity is that they really have their own way to calculate the angles to maximize a diamond's performance and to them, Hearts & Arrows is just a by-product when cutting their diamonds. This is quite an honest answer because a well-cut round brilliant diamond will always exhibit Hearts & Arrows. It is really not a cutting method, any round brilliant that cuts til high precision will exhibit such phenomenal. What makes Hearts & Arrows so special is that not all cutters or companies are willing to sacrifice the extra carat to polish til high precision, while some others simply do not have the necessary skillset to do so consistently. As far as Crafted by Infinity is concerned, there can be a small subset of diamonds that do not exhibit Hearts & Arrows that are as good as Brian Gavin Diamonds, BUT (a big but), they are still pretty obvious and are considered way above the cut quality of a lot Excellent Cut diamonds. I think the same can be said for WhiteFlash's diamonds.

Some people usually ask me which brand I prefer, when I compare the 3 diamonds I have, most of the time, I will favour Crafted by Infinity. I guess their proprietary way to calculate angels do help their diamonds' performance! I cannot say that the other brands are not as good, as we need to go case-by-case basis, but as far as I know, Crafted by Infinity always bring a good contrast that is consistent, according to their proud owners. Anyway, this is just my personal preference and it is just for your reference. I recently did the same experiment again and I am waiting to see which diamond I have picked. I do not know yet as I left my microscope in office. If you are interested to purchase Crafted by Infinity from High Performance Diamonds, let them know Yang Kin from Malaysia recommended you.

Nonetheless, at the end of the day, I think buying from wherever you are comfortable with is the most important. Personally, as a buyer, I will always want to know how well-cut my diamond by observing both Hearts & Arrows, and this alone is something you can rarely get it in most places. I will also prefer an ASET image to come with the diamond as well, but this is even rarer to get. Understandably, ASET is something developed by AGS that will not be used by GIA, so it is certainly fine if you prefer not to believe in it. However, I would consider Hearts & Arrows as a general standard for round brilliant, so if possible, I would prefer to be able to view them.

Alright! That's all for this time. See you next time!