There is an element to buying anything overseas that makes it more exciting and speacial. Maybe it’s being able to say “Oh i picked this up in London!”
Or maybe you’re planning a proposal in Paris, or you’ve found yourself in Mumbai’s jewellery quarter thinking “these prices can’t be real.”
And yeah, most of the time they’re not real, but not in the good way.
Part of the magic of travelling is bringing home something meaningful, not just another fridge magnet, but something you’ll actually wear and remember the trip by every time you look at it.
And buying jewellery overseas normally means you can buy it for better prices and also have more selection of unique jewellery designs you won’t find at home.
Unless you are a professional jeweller, then you probably don’t have professional knowledge on jewellery, and that’s completely normal!
But this knowledge can be the difference between knowing you’re looking at a piece worth thousands or hundreds of thousands.
And that’s exactly when things can go sideways.
Why diamonds are different when you’re travelling
When you’re at home, you have time to think about your purchases. You have time to come back another day and have a second opinion.
But when you’re travelling, you are usually short on time. You don’t necessarily have time to “sleep on it”.
There also seems to be a subconscious pressure that you’re there, and you may as well get something.
That combination makes tourists prime targets for dodgy diamond dealers.
Not saying everywhere is dodgy because they aren’t, there are many professional and highly trusted jewellers in every corner of the world, it’s just important that you find them.
The other issue is that diamond prices vary wildly by country. A diamond in India might legitimately cost 30-40% less than the same quality stone in Australia because of different supply chains, labour costs and market structures.
But it might also be fake, or low quality being passed off as high quality, or even real but with inflated origin stories to justify higher prices.
So how do you navigate this without either getting scammed or being so paranoid you miss out on genuine opportunities?
The 4Cs: your defence against getting screwed
The diamond industry uses something called the “4Cs” to value stones. It’s not completely perfect, and some jewellers often have more errors to take to check.
But overall, the 4Cs rule gives you enough knowledge to ask the right questions and spot any scammers.
We’re not saying you’ll become an expert from reading this. What we are saying is that knowing how diamonds are valued is like knowing how cars or hotels are valued when you’re travelling, it stops you from paying luxury prices for budget quality.
Cut: the one that matters most
The cut is what forms the facets, proportions, symmetry, brilliance, angles and finishing of the diamond. It’s often looked at as one of the most important factors of the diamond.
The cut influences the appearance and perceived beauty of the diamond more than any of the other characteristics.
An exceptional cut will increase the value significantly regardless of the clarity and colour. That’s just how light works when it hits a properly faceted stone.
If a jeweller is trying to sell you a diamond without mentioning the cut quality, that’s a big red flag right there.
What this means when you’re shopping abroad
In places like India or Thailand where labour costs are lower, you’ll sometimes find beautifully cut diamonds at prices that seem too good to be true but actually aren’t. This is because the cutting work is skilled but costs less there, so this can make it tricky when trying to narrow down.
You can also come across mass-produced stones that have been cut poorly. The diamond may be real, but if it’s cut badly, it won’t sparkle. So ask to see the diamond in different places and lighting, if it’s cut well, it will sparkle anywhere.
A poorly cut one needs perfect spotlight conditions to look good.
Colour: or rather, the lack of it
After the cut comes colour.
Which may sounds cofnusing to you because diamonds dont have any colour?
But when jewellers talk about colour it’s about how much colour the diamond has rather than it being a specific colour.
The colour in a diamond is classified using letters that start at D (completely colourless) through to Z (noticeably yellow or brown).
Most jewellery uses diamonds in the D-J range because beyond that the colour becomes pretty obvious to the naked eye.
The thing is that diamonds in the D-F range cost significantly more than diamonds in the G-J range.
But to most people’s naked eye the difference between an F and a G is basically invisible without comparison and professional equipment.
Clarity: the blemishes you probably can’t see
Clarity is not a reference to how clear a diamond is but instead to how unblemished the diamond is.
Pretty much how perfcet is teh diamond. Are there any imperfections or flaws?
Clarity is measured on a sliding scale ranging from FL (flawless and 100% clear of blemishes) to I3 (numerous blemishes present that you can see with your naked eye).
Most engagement rings and quality jewellery sit somewhere in the VS (Very Slightly Included) to SI (Slightly Included) range.
You need a special magnifying glass to be able to spot some of these, which means you won’t actually notice when wearing the ring.
Carat: size matters, but not how you think
Once you’ve assessed the other Cs, the carat is the final determinant of a diamond’s value. The carat means how much the diamond weighs.
It’s about the weight of the diamond, not the size, which is often confused by people. However, if you think about it logically, the bigger something is, the more it will weigh.
The normal scale used starts at 0.02 carats and rises to 4 carats and beyond, though most engagement rings sit somewhere between 0.5 and 2 carats.
Bigger diamonds cost more per carat because large, high quality diamonds are rarer than small ones.
A 2 carat diamond costs way more than two 1 carat diamonds of the same quality, simply because actually finding the stone that size is more difficult, meaning a higher price.
Actually though, should you buy diamonds while travelling?
Depends what you want, honestly.
If you just happen to stumble across something you fall in love with, if you can get proper certification, the place is legit, and the price is genuine, then why not!
However, if you’re feeling on the edge about it, a feeling in your gut maybe? Pass on it.
Don’t buy anything you’re not 100% certain on! There’s no shame in saying I’ll think about it and walking away! Afterall this if your life and you can choose what to do with it!