Ch. 15: How to Buy Diamonds

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	HOW TO BUY DIAMONDS	349

	can may be a little more difficult; he may want to know more about the thing he buys; be too exacting, and inclined to chaffer, but he buys. People here, of classes which in other countries never expect to own diamonds, buy a large part of the diamonds sold. In other countries the buyers are generally persons of inherited wealth, or the newly rich who, like ours, prefer obsequious service to low prices. Ignorance helps to sell trash at high prices occasionally, but knowledge increases the sales of fine goods at fair prices. It is the man who knows, that is willing to pay a good price for a good thing and does not expect the best for the price of the poorest. The ignorant buyer is usually suspicious. The only reason why the American people do not buy more of the many other precious and semi-precious stones is, that they do not very generally know of them. One cannot want a thing, of which he has not heard, nor to his knowledge, seen. Unless one is confident that the dealer will be quite frank about the stone he offers, it is better to see the stone unmounted, to judge of color and perfection. A platinum mounting will hide a strong tinge of yellow; a gold mounting will sometimes throw an appearance of color into a white stone. The prongs of a mounting frequently cover flaws and breaks in the edge of the diamond. It is possible to be hypercritical in these matters, but it is only just that one should have all that he pays for. If a perfect white stone is wanted, it should be supplied, unless the buyer will not pay the price of such a stone. In that case it is better business, in the long run, for the dealer to be frank and state the facts. An observation of the methods of many dealers, cover-

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