402: Mike Fried | How to Buy a Diamond Without Getting Ripped Off

The Art of Charm

http://www.TheArtOfCharm.com

Business, Health & Fitness, Education

4.7 • 11K Ratings

🗓️ 13 May 2015

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

You can save a lot of money and still buy a great diamond. "Nobody wants to spend more for less." -Mike Fried The Cheat Sheet: How diamond websites are shifting the industry like Zappos did with shoes. Are diamonds a dime a dozen? The 4 Cs: which of the four are most important? What does the term "eye clean" mean? The top two certification companies you can trust. And so much more... When you're shopping for an engagement ring you might think you're getting a great deal from a reputable buyer but how do you really know you aren't being taken for a ride? Listen to today's guest and you'll know for sure. Mike Fried has been in the diamond industry for nearly 15 years. He and his business partner run a web site that helps people buy diamonds without being ripped off. Today on the 402nd episode of The Art of Charm we talk about which of the 4 Cs are most important, whether or not you should really spend 3 months' salary on a ring and what certification companies you can trust, and which you can't. Click Here to Support The Show and Check Out HostGator! More About This Show When Mike Fried first got into the diamond industry he was working on the wholesale side. The company he worked for helped jewelers maximize profitable - in other words they helped jewelers make the most money on any diamond ring sale. After 8 years he was tired of that end of the business and left. His now-business partner Ari came to him with an idea: why not create an online spot to help people buy the best diamond for the best price? Together they created Diamonds.pro. The concept is simple: they help you find the best diamond for your needs and then recommend several web sites where you can buy it for your budget. They earn a commission from the web sites, but that commission is paid by the sites and not an extra mark-up for you down the road. Their site provides education so you know what to look for and how to get the most value for what you're spending. On today's show Mike debunks many of the myths of the diamond industry like the 3 months' salary myth, the myth that diamonds are somehow more precious than other stones and that diamonds are actually not an investment; they are simply a commodity you're paying for, not an investment for the future. If you are shopping for rings you've probably heard of the 4 Cs: cut, color, clarity and carats. Mike says you can't get a "top quality" diamond that excels in all four areas. Instead you should focus on cut and carats. Get the best cut at the best size you can afford. How well cut the diamond is will be reflected in its brilliance and shine; and size definitely matters! People will notice how it shines and how big it is. Certification is also another tricky area. Mike recommends only relying on certification from GIA and AGS, those two are the gold standard of the diamond industry and you can count on their consistency and reliability. When they rate a diamond you can be sure that's what you're getting. He also says IGI and HRD are a step below, they're not as consistent. But avoid EGL, many jewelers are facing lawsuits because they sold poor quality diamonds rated highly by EGL. Mike also has recommendations on how to set your budget, why surprising your girl with a ring isn't the best idea and the truth about the cartel behind the diamond industry. Check it out on today's episode of The Art of Charm. THANKS, MIKE FRIED! If you enjoyed this session with Mike Fried, let him know by clicking on the link below and sending him a quick shout out on Twitter: Click here to thank Mike on Twitter! Resources from this episode: Diamonds Pro website Diamonds Pro on Twitter The Art of Charm bootcamps Also sponsored by: Try Squarespace (Free) and Support Our Supporters! You'll also like: -The Art of Charm Toolbox-Best of The Art of Charm Podcast Wanna leave a comment? Too bad! Email me instead (we read everything)! HELP US SPREAD THE WORD! If you dug this episode, please subscribe in iTunes and write us a review! This is what helps us stand out from all the fluff out there. Ways to subscribe to The Art of Charm Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS You can also subscribe via Stitcher FEEDBACK + PROMOTION Hit us up with your comments and guest suggestions. We read EVERYTHING. Download the FREE AoC app for iPhone Email [email protected] Give us a call at 888.413.7177 Stay Charming!

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the Art of Charm. Learn everything you need to know to crush it in business, love, and life.
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1:28.0	I read everything and I'm looking forward to meeting you here at AOC.
1:31.0	Today we're talking with my friend Mike Fried. He saved me a ton of money on my engagement ring. He saved my friend a megaton of money on his engagement ring. He's a diamond consultant.
1:41.0	He works for you for free and he works for the companies in exchange for an affiliate commission but it's set up really well in terms of incentive so he's not incentivized to sell you something you don't want or don't need.
1:52.0	And we're going to talk about some pitfalls of diamonds. Why buying a diamond online is something you should look into certification of what it means to certify a diamond, why this matters.
2:01.0	Finding the balance of spending what you quote unquote should spend and not overpaying for something that's only noticeable on paper and of course why diamonds are terrible investments.
2:11.0	So enjoy this one with Mike Fried of diamonds, bro.
2:16.0	Tell us in sort of one sentence what you do for your clients.
2:21.0	One sentence we help people market for when they're buying diamonds.
2:26.0	Right. Awesome. Yeah. And at first I was kind of like, well, you know, I'm not going to because I have a reputable jeweler and I remember you kind of laughed about that involuntarily when I first told you and that was kind of an interesting signal for me because you're like, oh, sorry.
2:44.0	Like a salesy like, ha, ha, ha, you don't know anything. It was like, yeah, yeah. Okay. You're never anybody else. And the joke is that even a reputable jeweler makes a ton of money marking up the stones, right?
2:59.0	Absolutely. And to be honest, I'm sure there are plenty of reputable jeweler's out there, but every horror story that we get from readers starts with a reputable jeweler or a friend of a friend.
	...

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