People buy fake diamonds. Sometimes, this may be on purpose for budgetary reasons, but it can also happen accidentally. Determining the fake from the real jewel can be difficult to the untrained eye, but there are some key clues as to the authenticity of a diamond.
Nicholas Flathau, the owner of Flawless Diamonds Co., explains how to determine a gem’s authenticity. Some online methods work, but most are best left alone. Having worked with diamonds for several years now, Flathau knows what it takes for a diamond to truly make the cut.
Always Buy From a Reputable Source
There are a lot of middlemen out there, and Flathau isn’t wasting his time with them. When he chooses diamonds, he does it himself – only choosing the highest quality. Having learned from his Dallas, Texas mentor, he knows exactly what he should be looking for and what indicates poor quality (or worse, a fake). If you question the source of the diamond in even the least capacity, it might be worth considering another option.
Every one-of-a-kind piece that Flathau creates is stamped with the Flawless logo. In 2019, Flathau began researching diamond suppliers. He looked for the highest quality, the best prices, and the best reputations. The result of his research has become a successful custom jewelry business that A-Listers seek out for custom pieces. Flathau plans to expand the business from coast to coast.
Flathau doesn’t just create custom diamond jewelry. He also works in real estate and has an AT&T franchise. The franchise is what originally made him his first million at the age of 25. Now, at 27, his biggest goal is to support his family and make sure that his daughter’s future is secure. He doesn’t want her to struggle paycheck-to-paycheck as he did.
Pay Attention to the Price
There are diamonds, and then there are cheap diamonds. Prices found at a major jewelry chain are likely to be higher than those from an independent company like Flawless Diamonds Co. Chains often use a third party to help them find and procure the diamonds that they use. A diamond broker requires a fee – which is often translated into the price of the piece.
Flathau handles his own diamond search, negating the extra fees that one would typically pay to get diamonds. Thanks to his mentor, Flathau has been able to assess his diamonds himself, and assign fair pricing to his custom pieces. Each diamond is assessed based on characteristics like cut and clarity, but overall, you should not be shocked by the price. Rule of thumb with diamonds, if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.
