Diamond is Tiffany's best friend
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The necklace of diamond ribbons surrounding the Tiffany Diamond was worn by actress Audrey Hepburn in 1961. |
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With an increase in the number of rich young people in China, it's no wonder that Tiffany is paying more attention to this group of market, and decides to bring their unique diamond to meet its Chinese clients.
Kirtley has been with Tiffany for 20 years, and one of his main responsibilities is to work with clients all around the world to find out what they like.
"We have a lot of Chinese customers. Chinese customers have varied preferences on diamonds. They are very keen to understand what they may have never seen," Kirtley says.
For instance, back to yellow diamonds, not many Chinese customers have seen this kind of gems. They are eager to know about it. Kirtley interprets this curiosity as: Chinese people are open to all new possibilities in choosing precious stones.
He also indicates that Chinese customers want to find the finest quality, but that does not mean Westerners do not want good quality diamonds.
"There are specific ranges. We have D, completely colorless, to I, nearly colorless but still exceptional quality ... Chinese customers are very keen on the best quality. They might buy a small diamond that has a D color, instead of something bigger but has an I color," says Kirtley.
He has some suggestions for Chinese customers who want to choose an expensive piece of jewelry.
"The most important thing in buying a gemstone, or a diamond, is to feel a lot of trust with the company that you work with. Ultimately, it's all that trust that makes you know you will get the finest.
"But it's all to do with your taste about the color, the stone, and the settings. Jewelry is a very personal thing, and customers have their own different approaches to find what they like."
