This is very tough to purchase diamonds at wholesale prices. Now-a-days there are so many ways to find good deals on diamonds, but if you look back, there were no ways in last century. If the diamond distribution system is clear to you, you will be able to understand where and how you will buy your diamond in the next time.
Now get an idea about the source of the diamond. Its source is diamond mine and then the steps of diamond cutters and this is the manufacturer level concept. From the manufacturer, the diamonds usually move on to the dealers, these people are the wholesale level. Then it goes to retail level where diamonds are showing up in the showcases of local jewellery shop. Most people are used to seeing and buying diamonds at a local retail diamond jewellery store, actually 95% of all diamond jewellery is sold at retail diamond jewellery stores.
There is a wrong concept in the market about the wholesale diamonds. If a company is selling diamond to the public, it is not wholesale, it is actually retail and sometimes it is seen the outside that a board is displaying outside the office with a message like "wholesale to the public". A retail customer needs many different levels of "service" that retail stores are set up to offer and the costs of these services are included in their pricing structure. Many of the diamond wholesalers that I have been in are basically a simple office setting with desks, maybe a computer, some diamond scales, large tables, and some safes. Diamond wholesalers do not have offices in popular retail areas because the office spaces would end up being too expensive. Diamond wholesalers generally have a small staff and have limited hours (no weekends or evening hours). If a diamond wholesaler regularly opened their doors to the retail public, then they would soon find that the retail diamond jewellery stores that they have been doing business with for years would not be happy and these retail diamond jewellery stores will no longer want to do business with that diamond wholesaler because now that diamond wholesaler is in competition with them. A diamond wholesaler will not give you a chance to buy diamonds directly from him as the wholesalers want major billing in sale, so if your order for purchasing diamonds is huge, there might be a chance to deal with wholesalers directly.
The universally accepted GIA diamond grading system has had the effect of "commoditizing" diamonds. When something has become a commodity, it will have the same quality regardless of its source, so price will become the determining factor. The diamond distribution system has become more efficient and streamlined over the years and I think that now is a very good time to buy a diamond.
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