In every organization there are always the elite few that standout in the crowd. In the Army, you've got the "Rangers". In the Navy, you've got the "Seals". In the Air Force, you've got the "P.J.'s" and in a world filled with ordinary jewelers you have super jewelry stores called "Bonded Jewelers!" Why Fred, are "Bonded Jewelers" better than the rest? What are they bonded for? Well, hold onto your hats and I'll tell you.

For starters, only approximately 5% of the jewelers in the world are bonded. Only 1 out of every 20! By "bonded", I'm referring to the fact that they sell bonded diamonds, and bonded diamonds my friend, are the way to go if you can afford them. They typically run 10-15% above non-bonded diamonds. A bonded diamond is just a fancy way of describing a fully warranted diamond.

This is what you get when you buy a bonded diamond:

   1. All bonded diamonds come with a lifetime breakage policy. You bust the stone; the jeweler gives you a new one. (One bust per customer) This is a wonderful policy. Since treated stones tend to be brittle. No jeweler would give you this guarantee unless your diamond is 100% natural.

   2. And you're going to love this: all bonded stones come with a lifetime buy back policy. Translation, for the life of the diamond, you can take it back to the jewelers and get 100% of your money back on the diamond!! (Mountings and sales tax not included) How wonderful is this! If you're not 100% satisfied for the life of your purchase you get your money back. Now you might ask, "How can a jeweler afford to do this?" How can he not? Great diamonds are in demand, very liquid and easy to resell. Any jeweler worth his salt will be glad to buy back a good diamond. If a jeweler doesn't want to buy back your diamond, then there was probably something wrong with it in the first place.

   3. All bonded diamonds come with an unconditional lifetime exchange policy. This is great! If your fiancee ever gets bored with her shape, your jeweler will allow even exchanges. (You have to pay for resetting fees.)

   4. Bonded diamonds come with a lifetime trade-in policy with a fixed appreciation rate to keep up with inflation.

   5. Bonded diamonds come with a market crash protection policy. If the diamond market ever crashes and your diamond depreciates, the jeweler will refund the difference between what you paid from the new market value.

6. All bonded stones are guaranteed to be natural and untreated.

Final Comments: If you can find a bonded jeweler, they are the way to go. Dishonest jewelers thrive knowing that it's possible to take a bad diamond and make it look good. But looking good and staying looking good are two different things. That diamond needs to pop as much as the day you bought it as it will on your 25th wedding anniversary. With a bonded diamond, if the diamond doesn't always meet your expectations or surpass it, you get your money back.

One of the most commonly questions I get asked is, “Where can I find a bonded diamond jeweler in my area?” This is one thing DCI’s FREE MyGemologist™ program helps people do. Find out more and sign up for DCI’s MyGemologist™.

by Fred Cuellar, author of the best-selling book "How to Buy a Diamond." More questions? Ask the Diamond Guy®