We've all heard the expression “put your best foot forward.”
The jewelry industry is no different.
A tremendous amount of thought goes into how jewelry is presented. Stores spend thousands on interior design. Display cases, colors and materials are carefully selected. Jewelry is polished, steamed and cleaned so that your first encounter with it is as impressive as possible.
But one of the most important parts of that presentation is something you may barely notice.
The lights.
If you've ever wondered why your jewelry never seems to sparkle quite as much at home as it did in the showcase, there's a good reason.
Diamonds are specifically cut to interact with light. Change the lighting and you can dramatically change what you see.
Jewelry stores understand this.
Spotlights and other carefully positioned light sources can produce tremendous fire and sparkle. Sometimes they're overhead. Sometimes they're directed toward individual showcases. Sometimes the source is positioned so discreetly that you barely notice where all that sparkle is coming from.
The result can be spectacular.
And there's nothing inherently dishonest about that.
Every retailer wants to present a product at its best. Clothing stores use flattering lighting. Restaurants carefully plate their food. Car dealerships polish their cars until they're immaculate.
Jewelry stores put jewelry in its best light—literally.
But there's something consumers should understand.
The lighting that makes a diamond look spectacular isn't necessarily the best lighting for evaluating it.
Within the jewelry trade, when we're seriously examining diamonds, we're often interested in something very different from presentation. We want to see what we're actually dealing with.
That means looking at the stone under more neutral, controlled conditions where we can evaluate characteristics without being overwhelmed by sparkle.
That's an important distinction.
Display lighting is designed to show you how beautiful a diamond can look. Evaluation lighting helps you understand the diamond itself.
And sometimes those can feel like two very different diamonds.
I've seen customers become convinced that one store simply has “better diamonds” because everything seemed to sparkle more there. What they may actually be responding to is a better presentation.
That doesn't mean the diamonds aren't beautiful.
It means the environment is part of what you're seeing.
So when you're seriously considering a diamond, don't be afraid to move it away from the showcase.
Look at it under different areas of the store. Ask to see it away from the strongest spotlights. Look at it under ordinary diffused lighting. If practical, ask to see it in natural daylight.
You can even shield some of the overhead lighting with your hand and see how the diamond responds when those intense light sources are reduced.
You're not trying to find a lighting environment where the diamond looks bad.
You're trying to find out whether you still love the diamond when the showroom stops helping it.
A beautiful, well-cut diamond will change character as the lighting changes. That's normal. Diamonds look different in sunlight, office lighting, restaurants and your home.
So enjoy the showroom.
Enjoy the sparkle.
That's part of the experience.
Just remember:
Before you buy the diamond, step out of the spotlight.