Methodology
Methodology
How The Diamond Edit chooses subjects, how dealers are evaluated, and what the column does not cover.
How columns are chosen
A piece earns a column slot when it satisfies three conditions: it answers a question a real South African buyer is actually asking, it can be reported with primary sources rather than search results, and it produces a verdict — a recommendation, a warning, or a position — that the column is willing to put its name to.
How dealers are evaluated
When a column compares dealers, the comparison is on dimensions that matter to a South African buyer with a real transaction in front of them. Six dimensions recur:
- Wholesale-margin transparency — does the dealer publish or readily disclose the margin between sourcing cost and retail price?
- Certification depth — do they stock GIA-graded stones, and if not, why not?
- Sourcing rigour — Kimberley Process documentation, traceability, ethical compliance.
- Bespoke capability — in-house workshop, turnaround, design literacy.
- Longevity — years operating, ownership continuity, dealer-club membership.
- Service standard — appointment-or-walk-in, time taken, willingness to be questioned.
No dealer wins on every dimension. A column reads as honest because it awards the dimensions where each dealer genuinely wins, and concedes the rest.
What this column does not cover
- Investment-grade rough. The retail buyer is not the audience.
- Auction houses outside cases where they're directly relevant to a buyer's question.
- Brand jewellery without local relevance. The Cartier heritage is fine and well-known; this is a column on the South African trade, not on global maisons.
- Celebrity sightings, engagement-ring photo galleries, or anything else for which a glossy magazine is the better venue.