When I decided to buy my wife a new diamond ring for our 30th wedding anniversary I knew I must allow her the simple pleasure of picking it out. Little did I know it would turn into a 6 month journey.
We have visited just about every jewelry store in the Triangle and the diversity in customer service, quality, and honesty in this business is astounding. Obviously what you want is the best combination of service, quality, and price, right? Well, let me tell you that that is very hard to find these days when it comes to buying a diamond.
My best advice is to just go to straight CMI Jewelery. Barring that, my best advice is to take your time, visit many stores, and then visit some more. Visit the same ones several times. Ask a lot of questions, ask the same questions again on repeat visits, become an expert in diamonds, and if you ever feel pressured into buying something, run for the hills. I wish I had a nickel for each times I must have been looking at the most precious diamond in the world because I was made to feel like if I did not buy it on the spot it would be lost forever and I would never see one as nice ever again. Don't believe it.
If you follow my advice you will eventually visit CMI and it is here that you will find what you are looking for. CMI takes an approach to selling fine jewelry that is from a time gone by. They get to know you, learn your likes and dislikes, show you diamonds of different grades side by side, point out the differences, make sure you understand what you are looking at, and they never, ever, ever pressure you into making a decision right now. The whole process is kind of like being courted and doesn't everyone like to be courted?
We had the pleasure of working with Pat with Tim and Kim helping. Pat helped us zero in a setting that my wife fell in love with, but I warned Pat on our first visit that my wife had fallen in and out of love with many settings already and that we needed to give her time to let it stew. Pat was very understanding and supportive of taking our time.
Not to anyone?s surprise, one week later we were back looking at different setting in the same collection that my wife saw on the designer?s website. After a few more visits my wife was still in love with this setting and that is when Pat and I knew that it was time to start zeroing in on a center stone. We discussed the characteristics of the stone that would be best for the setting and developed some target specs for a diamond. I must mention here that throughout this entire process Pat worked within our budget that we set for this ring. She never tried to upsell us in anyway and in fact I feel they bent over backwards to get us the most for our money.
They did not have the stone we needed so they kicked off a search the perfect stone. What they did not do was try to jam the stone they really wanted to get rid of down our throats with pressure sales tactics. What they did do was find us a stone that is perfect in every way.
So, today, six months after we started, we bought the center stone and ordered the ring. Now this may sound like a painfully drawn out process but if you?re paying this kind of money for a ring, you want to have the peace of mind knowing that you got everything you expected and more for the money you paid. This ring will be loved and cherished by my wife because of the journey we went on picking it out and CMI Jewlery helped make the journey special. Thanks Pat, Tim, & Kim.
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