Many people want to know how RDI Diamonds has experienced double-digit growth for the past 18 years. The only way to know is to understand how they operate, and to know their story. It all started with an 18 year old with no jewelry experience, thrust into selling gold. Gold his father was selling “on the side” prior to his untimely death from cancer.
Working simply to make the family’s ends meet, this same kid, Michael Indelicato, hustled, fought and sold his way into the world of jewelry. “I never knew I was going to do this, its just what happened. I loved sales and before you know it, gold became diamonds,” says Indelicato.
It didn’t take long for the scrappy kid to build a diamond empire, growing from one employee to 40, and building one of the nation’s largest memo houses. Throughout this growth, Michael, RDI’s president and CEO, has maintained the same approach, “make the customer your number one priority.”
Regardless of the amount of their growth, this company has remained dedicated to the independent retailer. RDI Diamonds “lays their heart and soul on the line” every day for their clients because, according to Andrew Rickard, vice president of operations, “it comes down to honesty and trust. Some days I’m sure to the jewelers it seems like there are millions of us out there, memo houses, but our approach is different. We partner with our jewelers and strive to help them to make more sales. If our jewelers aren’t growing the way we are, then we aren’t satisfied!”
Striving to be much more than just another diamond wholesaler is at the core of what drives RDI Diamonds. The employees and leadership of the company strongly convey that they never settle for last year’s success stories. They are continually seeking new and innovative ways to put better business tools in the hands of their clients.
Take their web site for example, the results are fast, the information is detailed, and retailers know whether their stone is in stock right away. Each stone has six images available for viewing with amazing detail. Looking at diamonds through the RDI site will cause you to reevaluate the authenticity of your loop. That’s because an RDI diamond is shown at 300x magnification. That’s 30 times the magnification of a loop. Chances are you’ll see detail in the RDI images you’d never be able to see with a loop. All aspects of each diamond are clearly visible, making even the smallest inclusions come to life for the viewer.
“Our images are so magnified that even experienced jewelers might not understand the degree of enlargement that they are looking at,” remarks Rickard. “We choose to disclose everything about our diamonds so our customers know exactly what they are getting. We don’t hide a thing. In fact, we bring everything out in the open because we believe in credibility.”
“One look at the images, and it’s apparent that RDI has gone out of its way to capture each diamond exactly as it is, flaws and all,” says Indelicato. “Yes, we have grown, but I still look at every single diamond we purchase. I hate buying parcels. I want to make my jeweler’s life easier, so I do the cherry-picking for them.”
In addition, RDI offers an industry leading trade up program. The jeweler gets full value back on all certified purchases and only has to spend a single dollar more to purchase a different diamond. “Our jewelers just love that program” says Rickard. “They never get stuck with a stone when a client changes their mind. It allows them the flexibility to always make the next deal. They just love the freedom it offers them.”
RDI offers all of the bells and whistles with a customer first approach and yet still delivers competitive pricing. It is this rare combination of service and pricing that has made RDI a serious player in the worldwide diamond market. “We are always looking to improve for our clients. Sure, we are in little
We’re sure dad would be very proud.
For more information about RDI Diamonds, please call 800-874-8768 or visit www.rdidiamonds.com.
