Image Source: Caroline Tran
Yesterday was President's day. For those who are interested, President's day is always the third Monday in February. It is in honor of our First President, George Washington. Some states say it is in honor of all presidents, but other states say it is only for Washington and Lincoln. The holiday is near both Lincoln and Washington's birthdays. Some government offices are also closed on February 12th to honor Lincoln's birthday.Nonetheless, on this President's day weekend, it was also Valentine's weekend. Some people celebrated V-Day for three nights instead of one! It was predicted by the American Express Spending and Savings Tracker that approximately six million couples were going to get engaged on February 14th!The New York Post chose not to write about any of these engagements, but instead, wrote a story on how a man from L.A. got ripped off by an Upper East Side gemologist. Let's hope he wasn't one of the six million that proposed on the day of love.The L.A. man bought a 3.68 carat engagement ring for $50,000. The gemologist told him it was worth $70,000. When he brought it to a store in L.A. the store told him it was worth about $10,000. Here are some things you can do to make sure this doesn't happen to you!1. Make sure the diamond has a grading report from a lab. AGS (American Gem Society) and GIA (Gemological Institute of America) are two great labs in the U.S.A.2. Do your research. If it seems to good to be true, it probably is.3. Go to a reputable jeweler. If you don't know one, ask friends and family, they are sure to have had a good experience with their local jeweler. Email us to help you find a jeweler in your area at info@jabel.com4. Ask a lot of questions. Jewelers are there two help you. They can guide you through the buying process.5. Ask for an appraisal. The person who bought the 3.68 carat diamond in New York didn't even get any paperwork!6. Email us at info@jabel.com if you have found a vintage design you would like restored and we will put you in contact with a local jeweler to get the process started and restore your ring!