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Rating: 
Summary: Helpful
Review: After reading quite a few books in this category; I found Matlins book informative but not practical in the real world. The book was in my opinion too generalized and wasn't what I needed, i.e. expert advise on how to buy a top quality diamond from a reputable jeweler at the best price. If you want to learn about the history of the diamond the book might pass but won't tell you what you need to know if your out shopping for one.
Rating: 
Summary: Just buy it.
Review: And get a cup of coffee. And a high-lighter. And then just let this book do your work for you. Why? Because "Typical Joe" will wander into a nice jewelry store not knowing diddly about diamonds, sporting a deer-in-the-headlights look that serves as an aphrodisiac to the store clerks. The love Typical Joe! With their lush carpets, free coffee, revolving credit and halogen lights that would make a piece of tar light up like Vegas, the stores also provide an "education" about diamonds through brochures published by their trade association. But if you want the REAL skinny -- and not some puff piece that glosses over the important info -- get this book. It holds your hand, feeds your head and keeps your wallet MUCH fatter in the long run. ( I know am I going to get negative marks at the bottom of this review from annoyed jewelers...sorry, folks). I saved thousands of dollars. For instance,I never knew about diamond brokers until I read this book. The appendix helped me find a good one;I saved a lot of money on the ring. I should mention that the purpose of the book is to educate on diamonds, not diminish the importance of a good jeweler (although, after I saw the mark-up on loose stones, I was livid. I'm all for making a profit, but most jewelers just GOUGE you). Point is, by reading this little book, you can learn a good deal of pertinent info and translate that into an immediate savings. Buying an engagement ring, in theory at least, should be a one-time purchase. And no guy wants to mess it up. Get this book, understand the color, clarity, blah blah blah but focus on the CUT. If you understand that, you're miles ahead of Typical Joe. This book is well-organized, well-written and provides all the info you need to get a beautiful diamond from a position of strength.
Rating:
Summary: Best purchase I ever made
Review: Before I bought this book, nothing worried me more than buying a diamond (not even buying a car or a house). After visiting several jewelery stores I was even more worried. I was concerned that there was a lot of information that I was missing beyond the "4 C's" (Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat). So, I decided I needed to do some research before I purchased an engagement ring and luckily I stumbled across this wonderful book. This book provided me with all of that missing information in a format that was to the point and easy to understand. It taught me how to tell the difference between Cubic Zirconia and Diamond, how to tell if I was looking at the diamond that was listed on the certificate, convinced me that cut was the most important quality in a diamond and most importantly, it told my WHY. As a result, we have an engagement ring better than anything either of us had imagined and I saved thousands of dollars. Buy this book before you buy the ring, you won't regret it. Thank you, Antoinette and Antonio!
Rating:
Summary: Best purchase I ever made
Review: Before I bought this book, nothing worried me more than buying a diamond (not even buying a car or a house). After visiting several jewelery stores I was even more worried. I was concerned that there was a lot of information that I was missing beyond the "4 C's" (Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat). So, I decided I needed to do some research before I purchased an engagement ring and luckily I stumbled across this wonderful book. This book provided me with all of that missing information in a format that was to the point and easy to understand. It taught me how to tell the difference between Cubic Zirconia and Diamond, how to tell if I was looking at the diamond that was listed on the certificate, convinced me that cut was the most important quality in a diamond and most importantly, it told my WHY. As a result, we have an engagement ring better than anything either of us had imagined and I saved thousands of dollars. Buy this book before you buy the ring, you won't regret it. Thank you, Antoinette and Antonio!
Rating: 
Summary: What do diamond flaws look like? This book will not tell you
Review: I purchased this book along with the book Diamond Ring buying guide by Renee Newman. This book only contained B/W diagram drawings and described the 'flaw's that diamonds have. Hello? dianmonds are not B/W diagram drawings, that little dot on the drawing tells me nothing!
The book seems to ramble and drone on and on about diamonds, like a good old high school history book. Of all the 14 pages of color photos, there are 6 pages dedicated to 'designer rings' and the rest are just photos of different styles of jewelery. What does a yellow diamond look like? What about a diamond that was cut incorrectly? A simple line drawing does not help at all.
I found Newman's book much more detailed and well written than this book. Newman has many photos, practically the entire book is made up of color photos of diamonds and flawed diamonds (so you know that to look for).
If you have a lot of time on your hands and don't mind a boring book, then buy this book, other wise Newman has condensed this 300 page book into just a mere 150 pages or so into hers.
Rating:
Summary: What do diamond flaws look like? This book will not tell you
Review: I purchased this book along with the book Diamond Ring buying guide by Renee Newman. This book only contained B/W diagram drawings and described the 'flaw's that diamonds have. Hello? dianmonds are not B/W diagram drawings, that little dot on the drawing tells me nothing!
The book seems to ramble and drone on and on about diamonds, like a good old high school history book. Of all the 14 pages of color photos, there are 6 pages dedicated to 'designer rings' and the rest are just photos of different styles of jewelery. What does a yellow diamond look like? What about a diamond that was cut incorrectly? A simple line drawing does not help at all.
I found Newman's book much more detailed and well written than this book. Newman has many photos, practically the entire book is made up of color photos of diamonds and flawed diamonds (so you know that to look for).
If you have a lot of time on your hands and don't mind a boring book, then buy this book, other wise Newman has condensed this 300 page book into just a mere 150 pages or so into hers.
Rating:
Summary: GET IT! READ IT!
Review: I read the first edition of this book and was delighted to hear the second edition had hit the stores! What I never expected was the second edition was even BETTER than the first! A MUST READ - make sure you give your man a copy ! Engagement and Wedding Rings helped us to focus on what was really important in terms of knowing what we were really getting, and that we were paying the right price. In so doing, we were actually able to get a much larger ring than we originally thought our budget could afford.The section on avoiding rip-offs and what to watch out for were very useful! We actually encountered some of the scenarios Mrs Matlins outlines in her book. Except, this time, we knew how to handle them! It was so nice to get the WHOLE story so we could shop with confidence! I especially enjoyed its easy to read nature, as I am no expert on the subject, and wanted information in a form I could digest. My fiancee also read this book and is now getting the most marvellous engagement ring made for me. We would never have been able to design a ring of our own, with meaning and sentiments built in specifically for us, were it not for this book! I can't thank the author enough!
Rating:
Summary: What A Difference A Book Can Make!
Review: I recently purchased another book before I found this one, and quickly figured out the author was a diamond dealer trying to get my business. I was about to give up on finding a book that was written by a real expert who was NOT trying to sell me something, and then I found this one. What a treasure, written by someone who is really a consumer advocate, and tells the whole story. After reading Engagement & Wedding Rings, The Definitive Buying Guide For People in Love, I knew I wouldn't make a mistake or get ripped off. This book even told me what to ASK to be sure I was comparing "the same thing" when I went from store to store with my fiance (and even provided a place to write down information given from store to store)as well as what to get in writing. One of the things my fiance liked best, however, was the information on how to protect ourselves and how to find a reliable appraiser to verify what we were told. Personally, I loved the information on how to make our rings more personal and intimate, and the great advice on little design details that make such a difference in the appearance of the ring. We bought the diamond first, and then the ring, and even though the ring wasn't "custom made" , we knew what to ask for, so the jeweler knew what to show us and we found the perfect ring which the jeweler then ordered and engraved especially for us. So few things really affect what you do, but this book really did, and we can't thank the authors enough. I've even written a letter to the authors, to personally thank them (and that's something I've never done before). One thing was clear from the start: these authors not only know their stuff, but they really care about their readers making the best possible choice on this important decision. And without trying to sell us something!
Rating:
Summary: Helpful
Review: This book was really helpful in making me feel comfortable shopping for a ring for my girlfriend. I also used howtoproposemarriage. com to come up with a proposal that knocked her socks off.
Rating:
Summary: Buy this book before the ring
Review: This is a must read for anyone looking to purchase a ring. Like many men, a wedding ring is a one time thing. It really is unlike any other product or service you will buy throughout your lifetime; such as: college, cars, a house or a dog. And like marriage, the ring is forever. So don't get caught walking into a shop not knowing anything about the product. This book, Engagement & Wedding Rings, 2nd Edition : The Definitive Buying Guide for People in Love, is key to understanding everything you'll ever need to know about the ring. From color, clarity, size and quality, this book covers it all in any easy to read format. You'll thank yourself and your soon to be wife will also thank you forever for taking the time to read this book.
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