With the economic outlook still uncertain, today’s consumers are searching for dynamic, meaningful jewelry on a budget. Fancy color enhanced diamonds may be just the answer. Natural fancy color diamonds account for less than two percent of the total rough diamond production, leading to high prices. Consumers are ready for a more realistic alternative. Nice Diamonds, a multi-faceted family run business, is ready to meet their needs.
Retail woes equal opportunity
We all know that high priced metals and expensive rare stones are not at the top of the average jewelry consumer’s shopping list. Although diamonds remain a consumer mainstay, many are looking to ‘downsize’ their purchase to stay within their budget. Enhanced fancy color diamonds offer consumers a lower price point without compromising the value and creditability that comes with owning a diamond.
Nilesh Sheth, president of Nice Diamonds, understands the needs of retailers. “We are serious about offering retailers many different ways to accommodate all consumers,” states Nilesh. “Besides offering fancy color diamonds, we also offer, colorless, unique and antique cuts starting at very low price-points.”
Natural fancy colored diamonds owe their color to impurities (nitrogen, boron or hydrogen) or radiation. These diamonds are rare and expensive. Natural fancy colored polished diamonds occur only once in every 10,000 carats, making them inaccessible to the average consumer.
Fancy color enhanced diamonds from Nice Diamonds offer the same
fundamental features as their natural counterparts at attractive prices.
Color enhanced diamonds offer the same fundamental features as their natural counterpart. They remain authentic diamonds, even after enhancement. They are structurally similar to natural color diamonds. Some colors are difficult to identify as enhanced without the proper equipment.
“I work closely with GIA in research and identification of new treatments,” remarks Nilesh. “We provide only the highest quality diamonds, most of which are certified from GIA, EGL & IGI. We fully disclose all enhancements. As industry leaders we support strict disclosure of any enhancements. Disclosure and education are very important. An educated consumer is your best customer,” remarks Nilesh.
There are several permanent enhancement processes which mimic the way diamonds are colored naturally. Irradiation is a process that begins with natural, near colorless or off-color diamonds that are subjected to high-energy electron particles in an accelerator (a process similar to the one used in food irradiation). They are then annealed (heated) to produce the desired color.
HPHT is another common permanent process. Here, off-color diamonds are subjected to High Pressure and High Temperature to change the color. Diamonds enhanced in either of these processes are safe to wear and the color is permanent.
“We are a company of high integrity that prides itself on providing goods and services that are unprecedented. We conduct extensive research and test different permanent processes, ensuring our customers receive the highest, most consistent quality diamonds.”
Nice Diamonds started serving the United States diamond industry in 1979 when Rasik Sheth, Nilesh’s father, moved to the US with a plan to further his children’s education. Three years later, his children joined him in the US to obtain their college degrees. Today, Rasik is back in Bombay to head-up the diamond procurement part of the business. Hitesh and Samir manage the Los Angeles office, and Nilesh runs the New York office along with his cousin Kalpesh.
A worldwide presence
With associate manufacturers in Israel, Belgium and India, Nice Diamonds has a worldwide presence when it comes to securing high quality goods. The company is also a member in the following trade organizations: Natural Color Diamond Association, the Diamond Dealers Club, and the American Gem Trade Association. Nilesh & Hitesh also hold positions at Natural Color Diamond Association and the Diamond Club West Coast respectively.
Retailers looking for quality loose diamonds and expertise should peruse the Nice Diamonds’ website at www.nicediamond.com. Wholesalers and retailers will find ample information on everything from natural Chameleon diamonds to pink diamond treatments, as well as information to further education about the color enhancement process.
“Our website is a portal to learning,” states Nilesh. “We want to educate as well as sell our products. Visitors to our site will find suggested reading materials, articles pertaining to color diamonds, as well as frequently asked questions, an appendix and web links section. We want to give our customers a chance to make more profit by selling variety and that process starts with education.”
The other half of that equation lies in service, which is also a company strength. Nice Diamonds offers retailers an overnight memo program, with no minimums, from their vast variety of in stock items.
“Although we have many larger customers, we make sure that our buying programs are small business friendly,” remarks Nilesh. “Our goal is to help our customers thrive.”
Contact either the New York or Los Angeles Nice Diamonds’ office by dialing their toll-free number 800-536-NICE or 212-764-3916. You can also visit them in their offices or at the upcoming JCK Las Vegas Show Booth # 2036.
