How to Buy a Diamond: Insider Secrets for Getting Your Money's Worth (4th Edition) (Paperback)

by Cuellar (Author) "Diamonds have been prized through the ages for their beauty and rarity..." (more)
Key Phrases: Fact Fiction, United States, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Buying guides for gems and jewelry appear on the market with some regularity, and these two are similar in scope and content to their predecessors. Cuellar, founder and president of Diamond Cutters International, covers the standard topics of the four Cs (carat, clarity, color, cut), as well as the fifth C, cost. Various chapters focus on everything from ring settings to insurance, investment, and selling diamonds; other tidbits include carat size charts and even a list of 101 ways to be romantic. This serious yet lighthearted guide is geared to anyone looking for inside information on purchasing a diamond. Matlins's (Jewelry and Gems, LJ 5/1/94) work is equally informative yet more serious in nature. Each of the seven parts focuses on a variety of topics from the historical significance of pearls to pearl types and quality, from selection to caring for and wearing pearls. The two most important sections deal with insider tips and advice from the experts and what to ask when purchasing pearls. Other features include price guides, special charts, and a special color photograph section. Both of these books are suitable for public libraries.?Stephen Allan Patrick, East Tennessee State Univ. Lib., Johnson City
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"Educate yourself before you make the big purchase." -- Money's Worth

"He's what people are talking about." -- USA Today

"Inside informtion on purchasing a diamond." -- Library Journal

"The book helps make dreams come true." -- Houston Chronicle, March 27,1997

"Whenever anybody asks me about buying a diamond, I give them this book. It's filled with a lot of common sense, practical advice. Diamond buying can be difficult, this book can help." -- Rob Bates, Editor, National Jeweler magazine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; 4th edition (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402200013
• ISBN-13: 978-1402200014
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #620,089 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Informative & Highly Recommended, September 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Buy a Diamond: Insider Secrets for Getting Your Money's Worth (How to Buy a Diamond) (Paperback)

I found & read this book along with "Diamond Ring Buying Guide" by Renee Newman. Fred Cuellar really gives you insight on how diamonds are rated "The 4 C's" and gives you suggestions on what to look for based on what type of buyer you are. I found his inside information on what goes on in the diamond buying/selling business very helpful. He also provides you with questions to ask a Jeweler to interview them and see if they are a legitimate company to deal with. I like his no-nonsense approach and recommendations of pricing for different cuts, clarity and color. One thing the book lacked was actual pictures for examples. I found Renee Newman's book "Diamond Ring Buying Guide" was excellent in providing color/B&W picture examples but Fred's book was better laid out in educating the reader. After reading Fred's book and looking at Renee's pictures, I felt very confident in going into a jeweler to look at diamonds. In fact, once I went into a jeweler for the first time and explained in detail what I was looking for, I was treated completely different than the other customer's. The sales rep brought out the manager, and both of them treated me with respect. In fact, make sure you use Fred's example of asking the manager if they would GIA certify the diamonds. This tells you alot about the jeweler you are doing business with.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Word of Warning , February 27, 2006

By	Sarah Mc Bride (Concord, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: How To Buy A Diamond: Insider Secrets For Getting Your Money's Worth, 5th Edition (Paperback)

I just wanted to put in a word of warning with all the praise this book has mustered. Fred Cuellar knows his stuff and is usually correct in what he says about diamonds but he please keep in mind that he is sales person - first, last and always. After discussing all the 4Cs, he puts one last bit of advice into the chapters about un-warped stones. And that's were it all unravels; for all the importance he places on this topic, he writes only a paragraph or two about it. Incredible.

Fred puts a lot of emphasis on finding an un-warped stone and eventually points the reader to his own store for "advice." In several months of research about round cut stones, I have found that most people in the business or hobbyists do not necessarily respect his opinions.

Let me explain ...

After trying to locate a reasonably priced stone that matched Fred's guidelines for dimensions, I called his 800 number looking for guidance. I found several stones on bluenile.com that matched all of Fred's recommended dimensions (but were low in price and therefore too good to be true?) but every time I asked the guys at DCI (Diamond Cutter's International, Fred's company), they told me it was an okay stone but warped meaning that the measurements around the stone weren't symmetrical all the way around. Even though the dimensions all matched the ideals for what Fred said in his book, according to DCI, the stones all suffered from a so called tragic flaw that Fred only devotes half a page to.

Yes, this is an important point and they did assure me that bluenile's prices were fair but I was still getting a warped stone which I should avoid. I asked for advice on where I could find a non warped stone because, after lots of phone calls and several months spent visiting jewelry stores, none of the local jewelers in Boston including those in the Diamond District on Washington Street had those types of stones. Except Tiffany's (but they don't have unmounted stones) and I didn't want to pay the 50% price premium for a brand name. I got an email back from the DCI guys with two stones that they could sell to me. I was a bit taken aback. I thought it was a conflict of interest to try and write an informational book about buying diamonds all the while pushing their own agenda and eventually scaring customers to purchase from him.

I ended up with a beautiful round cut, .98, G, SI1 (very nice, eye clean), GIA ideal cut for just under $4400 in Feb. 2006. I had it measured again by GIA and the certification was almost identical to the one I got from the dealer But it was supposedly warped according to Fred's DCI guy. This stone should have gone for $7500 according to Fred (if it were un-warped).

Readers should realized that ultimately, this book will point you to DCI and Fred's own diamond store. See one poor sap's comments, (Derek M. Hardwick "A Very Happy Customer") who fell for the entire scheme. Fred not only made a buck off of the sale of the book but lead this reader right to his store! Google Fred's name for more information about lawsuits against him. And check out this thread and look for his threads on Pricescope.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this book before buying a diamond!, November 13, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Buy a Diamond: Insider Secrets for Getting Your Money's Worth (How to Buy a Diamond) (Paperback)

Simply put, anyone who is in the market for a diamond, in particular for an engagement ring, must read this book. In about 200 hundred pages Mr. Cuellar explains everything you need to know to get a great stone at a great price. I was so fascinated by the book that I read it in one sitting. After reading the book, I knew more about diamonds than a number of the people who were trying to sell them to me. He exhaustively reviews the 4 C's and talks about tricks of the trade to protect yourself from getting ripped off. A great asset of the book is the price guide that is included. It gives you a good idea of how much you should expect to pay for a diamond of a given size and quality. Mr. Cuellar also provides a phone number so that you can call and talk to one of his associates about a stone that you are interested in. In fact, I got to speak with Mr. Cuellar himself this week about a stone that I just purchased. I thought I was getting a good deal; he said I got a great deal. I owe it all to his book and the fantastic jeweler I was fortunate enough to do business with. Five stars all the way!