Save That Sale!

Published

7 years ago

September 21, 2017

INSTORE Staff

Save That Sale!

The big and bold look today’s consumers want may be out of range. But Charles & Colvard Created Moissanite® offers more fire and brilliance—at a fraction of the cost.

Today’s consumer is presented with plenty of alternatives to traditional diamonds. But few offer the brilliance, clarity, durability, fire—and price points—of Charles & Colvard Created Moissanite^®.

As a jeweler, you should know that the popularity of moissanite is growing. Buoyed by consumer preferences for Fair Trade diamonds and gemstones, today’s moissanite offers your customers a truly luxurious eco-friendly gemstone at a fraction of the price. Your customers get the size and “wow” factor they desire in a lab-grown gemstone. You get better margins and an incredible selection of moissanite grades, sizes and cuts.

So, the question is: Why lose a sale when you don’t have to? Make moissanite a part of your store’s offerings and watch the sales roll in!

Imagine this: A couple comes into your store looking for a diamond engagement ring. They’re thinking of a one-and-a-half carat stone that will look as good as all of the celebrity rings the bride-to-be has seen in magazines and on social media. Problem is: They’ve got a budget. You can bring out the few small diamonds they can afford, but chances are they’re going to be disappointed. “Maybe,” the groom-to-be says, “we’ll look online.”

In this situation, which takes place regularly in jewelry stores across America, you can’t let them walk out the door. You can call your diamond supplier and beg for a deal, giving yourself an even thinner margin for a still-small stone. Or, you can put a box of Charles & Colvard Created Moissanite sample stones or a ring display filled with jewelry basics set with Charles & Colvard moissanite on the counter and ask one simple question, “have you ever heard of moissanite?”

Better still: why not try the “diamond versus moissanite” test? Lynne Armstrong-Ramirez and her husband, Andy Ramirez, own LARC Jewels, a custom jewelry salon in Dallas. When a client is undecided about what to buy, she’ll put a diamond and a moissanite gemstone side-by-side in front of her customers and let them decide which is more beautiful. Which one does the customer prefer? “Always the moissanite!” says Armstrong-Ramirez.

The brilliance and light of moissanite is hard to resist. Charles & Colvard’s Forever One^™ brand of colorless and near-colorless moissanite has been a game changer for the industry, offering the gemstone’s exceptional fire with the transparency of a D-E-F or G-H-I diamond. These color grades are based on the Gemological Institute of America’s diamond color grading scale.

Of course, as a retail jeweler, you may never have considered any diamond alternatives. But the times, as the song says, they are a changin’. Don’t be daunted—moissanite is much, much more than merely a diamond alternative. Discovered in a meteorite in 1893, this incredibly rare mineral has been re-created in a lab in gemstone quality after centuries of research and over two decades of refining its production process. Charles & Colvard produces two grades of moissanite in its North Carolina laboratories, all cut to perfection and available in a variety of sizes and shapes. With higher refractive index and brilliance ratings than diamond and a Mohs-scale grade second only to diamond, Charles & Colvard Created Moissanite fits the bill for your customers who want the size, brilliance and fire of a top quality diamond—at an average of one tenth of the price.

Loose and finished Charles & Colvard Created Moissanite is available through leading distributors including Stuller and Rio Grande. For a complete list, visit charlesandcolvard.com/authorized-distributors.

The new princess-cut Charles & Colvard Created Moissanite was introduced at this summer’s Las Vegas shows.

This Third-Generation Jeweler Was Ready for Retirement. He Called Wilkerson

Retirement is never easy, especially when it means the end to a business that was founded in 1884. But for Laura and Sam Sipe, it was time to put their own needs first. They decided to close J.C. Sipe Jewelers, one of Indianapolis’ most trusted names in fine jewelry, and call Wilkerson. “Laura and I decided the conditions were right,” says Sam. Wilkerson handled every detail in their going-out-of-business sale, from marketing to manning the sales floor. “The main goal was to sell our existing inventory that’s all paid for and turn that into cash for our retirement,” says Sam. “It’s been very, very productive.” Would they recommend Wilkerson to other jewelers who want to enjoy their golden years? Absolutely! “Call Wilkerson,” says Laura. “They can help you achieve your goals so you’ll be able to move into retirement comfortably.”