If you're like most people you know diamond engagement rings and diamond fashion jewelry symbolize strong personal emotions of love , commitment and admiration. But when it comes to the quality or authenticity of what the diamond ring, diamond earrings, or diamond bracelet you want to purchase you have to trust your jeweler.

Lee Read has been specializing in natural diamond engagement rings, diamond wedding bands, and diamond anniversary rings for over 58 years. Still owned and operated by the Read family, more people in Boise, Nampa, Meridian, Caldwell, and Kuna wear diamonds from Lee Read than from any other jeweler.

It's hard to overstate the differences between locally owned and operated jewelers like Lee Read and the national and regional chain jewelers you will find in the mall. Big corporate jewelers focus on one thing, making a profit. They have slick advertising and online websites that will make you feel warm and important but the whole point of everything they do is to "drive people in the door or to their site" and "close the sale or make the transaction". There is no personal touch because no one that you are going to meet has a vested interest in your satisfaction as a person.

The Lee Read family has lived and worked in the Treasure Valley since 1950. Lee Read has had 2 jewelry stores in downtown Boise, a jewelry store in Nampa and now operates the Lee Read Diamond Dream Store in Meridian. Yes, we make a living selling diamonds and repairing jewelry at The Ring Doctors but we also take personal satisfaction in serving the people of Idaho.

Finally, when you purchase from Lee Read Diamonds, you're supporting the local economy. We spend most of the money we make with other local businesses we use to support our business and in turn they support us. Purchasing jewelry locally is always the best choice.

2. Find a Jeweler that specializes in Natural Diamonds and engagement rings.

Everyone wants to find the perfect diamond engagement ring. She wants her engagement ring to represent her style and tastes and he wants a diamond ring that fits his budget. It's not hard to make both of you happy when you choose the right place to start looking. You can eliminate a number of places just by doing internet research.

Here is a quick list of what to look for online,

Does the Jeweler have a large selection in stock or do they show you brass samples and order everything? Chain stores, in general, carry a limited number of natural diamond engagement rings because engagement rings represent only a small amount of all the jewelry they offer. At Lee Read Diamonds we specialize in only natural diamond jewelry. No watches, no pearls, and no lab-grown diamonds. Instead, we show you a great selection of round and oval-shaped diamonds. Princess cut and emerald cut diamonds and we have the largest selection of natural colored diamonds in Boise, Meridian, and Nampa.
When it comes to engagement rings, you would have to visit 3 to 4 mall stores to see even close to the selection we show you in the Lee Read Diamond Dream Store.
Another big difference is we don't have gold-plated brass samples like other jewelry stores. We want you to feel the actual weight of the engagement ring you are looking to purchase. How your engagement ring feels on your hand is as important as what it looks like. It not only has to look great, it has to feel right and you can only know that when you are looking is the real thing.
We specialize in white gold engagement rings, yellow gold engagement rings, and rose gold engagement rings. We also customized almost every engagement ring we sell so it is just exactly what you want.

Customers being helped inside Lee Read Diamonds in Meridian Idaho..

The Lee Read Diamond Dream Store is the largest jewelry store in Idaho. It's a warm and inviting atmosphere and an enjoyable place to select the perfect engagement ring.

3. Be yourself and don't worry if you don't know much about Diamonds.

Many people don't know much about shopping for engagement rings or diamonds and worry they are going to be taken advantage of by the salesperson in the store. We understand how you feel. We are everyday people just like you, only we are diamond engagement ring experts. We know why some diamonds sparkle and some don't. Why lab-grown diamonds are so cheap and how they differ from natural diamonds. And we enjoy answering your questions and sharing our diamond knowledge with you.

At Lee Read Diamonds we're locally owned and operated and have been for 58 years. We come to work each day looking forward to the interesting people we are going to meet. We don't have sales quotas because we don't need them. Our job is to answer your questions, fit your budget and make you happy. That's it! When we do that, you will not only purchase your engagement ring from us but you will be back for the diamond wedding band to match your wedding set and purchase a man's wedding band as well. And you'll tell your friends. This is why we love helping you find the perfect engagement ring.

The Pros know: If at any time you feel pressured into making a purchase in any jewelry store, our advice is to take some time and simply walk away. Watch out for special offers where you have the diamond to buy today. This is a sure sign the person helping you is more interested in making selling a ring than making you happy.

At Lee Read, our role is to find out what you like and then show you engagement rings and natural diamonds unmounted diamonds you will love and that fit your budget.

4. Keep an open mind as to the style of the ring or the size of the diamond you are looking for.

Many Jewelers, particularly the mall stores, carry a lot of the same styles. They have to as they don't have the ability to buy engagement rings or diamond bands that are unique to an Idaho lifestyle. At Lee Read Diamonds we also have the most popular halo styles. But we specialize in more creative designer looks that make our natural diamond engagement rings so desirable. If you see a ring you like at another store feel free to snap a pic of it and we are happy to compare what we have to offer with what you have seen.

5. Ask questions about Lab-Grown Diamonds and Natural Diamonds.

There is a tremendous amount of misinformation on the web and being told to couples in jewelry stores regarding Lab-Grown diamonds. Lab-grown diamonds are not a bad thing but everyone knows they are not the same as natural diamonds. It's a shame so many people will tell you lab-grown and natural diamonds are the same only they cost less.

The differences are very real and important to the long-term enjoyment of your engagement ring. At Lee Read Diamonds we're happy to take the time and show you the pros and cons of both lab-grown vs natural diamonds in our Diamond Education Center. We have the largest selection of Natural Diamonds in Idaho but if you feel a lab-grown diamond fits your needs better we understand. Based on our research of the lab-grown diamond market, we recommend you shop lightboxjewelry.com to get the best quality for the lowest price in a lab-grown diamond.

A damond necklace in a Lee Read lab grown diamond tester showing lab grown diamonds in orange and natural diamonds in blue.

A diamond necklace in one of the Lee Read lab-grown diamond testers. The red stones are lab grown and the blue stones are natural diamonds.

6. Look for Jewelers that offer good advice and respect your budget.

To be the right engagement ring it has to be affordable. Your Love isn't measured by how much you spend. The engagement ring you select is a symbol of your commitment to each other. How much to spend is entirely up to you and no one else.

Many couples choose engagement rings that are more expensive than they originally planned because it is a one-in-a-lifetime purchase she will wear for the rest of her life. To do this they may delay some of their near-term purchases that are not as important or choose to finance the purchase of her engagement ring.

Most experts agree that purchasing a vacation on credit is not a good idea because it is quickly over. Financing a natural diamond engagement ring is a smart choice, as it is a lifelong investment in something she will enjoy every day.

At Lee Read Diamonds we believe the only right choice, is the amount that works for the two of you and we can fit just about any budget.

7. Seeing is believing. Always look at diamonds with your own eyes.

Every Natural Diamond is unique and no two are identical. No reputable Jeweler purchases diamonds sight unseen because they know it's impossible to tell what a diamond looks like by using just the 4Cs. The 4Cs are general guidelines, just like an online dating profile, it gives you an idea of the person you are going to meet.

Looking at a large selection of real natural diamonds is the only way to tell which one is the best for you. It is not unusual for diamonds to speak to couples looking for engagement rings. Not verbally, but once you see the right one, you'll know it. It's a magical moment and it happens all the time at Lee Read Diamonds.

It's sad most internet advisors and many jewelry stores treat even natural diamonds as a commodity like electronics or smartphones. To them, all that's important is the biggest size for the lowest price. The diamond you give her may very well carry your name to the next generation. Sixty years from now your grandkids may be talking about "this is the diamond grandpa gave grandma" when they were married. Nothing you will purchase together will stand the test of time like her natural diamond engagement ring.

8. Give her the opportunity to see Fire & Ice Diamonds, they look bigger, brighter, and whiter than even ideal cut diamonds.

The truth is 80% of diamonds for sale on the internet and in local jewelry stores are average to below average. Why? Because they are cheaper and low cost is all online merchants want to talk about. The diamonds you see in online search engines are the diamonds that quality Jewelers like Lee Read Diamonds have looked at and rejected. Everyone knows buying from a photo or even a video is taking a big risk as it is easy to make diamonds look much better than they really are using the right lighting or editing. That is why it is so important to look at any diamond you are considering side by side with other similar diamonds. You will see the difference with your own eyes.

Before you purchase any diamond you need to at least look at Fire and Ice natural diamonds. They are the most amazingly beautiful diamond we have ever seen at Lee Read Diamonds. Lee Read is one, of less than a hundred Jewelers worldwide that are authorized to sell Fire & Ice Natural Diamonds. Fire & Ice Diamonds start with exceptionally clear natural diamond crystals and then are cut to maximize the beauty of the diamond, not to save weight as other diamond cutters do. This is what gives them their exceptional beauty. It's something you can actually see when you look at them and once you see Fire & Ice all other diamonds look different.

Fire & Ice Diamonds are the most expensive diamond you can buy but they look noticeably better than other diamonds. But on average they are only 10 to 15% more than other average diamonds, so for just a little more she can be wearing one of the most beautiful diamonds money can buy. Come in today and see the difference for yourself.

9. Is a Care Plan included with your engagement ring purchase?

This is one of the most important and overlooked questions you need to ask when purchasing her engagement ring. Couples spend countless hours looking for the perfect Rose gold engagement ring and unless they have a maintenance plan it will look old in just a year or two.

Many mall Jewelers sell add-on plans after you decide to purchase the ring. It not only increases the price of the engagement ring but you have to read the fine print very carefully to see what it covers and for how long.

If you look closely, most engagement ring care plans are void if she simply misses 1 six month inspection. In some cases, this is true even if you paid extra for an engagement ring care plan. The reality is it is next to impossible to have her ring inspected every six months and the stores selling these plans use this as a way out. It's like purchasing an extended warranty on your truck and having it canceled because you didn't have the oil changed every 6 months.

Some local Jewelers offer limited "lifetime plans" but only cover a small amount of maintenance. And again they are dependent on 6-month check-ups.

At Lee Read Diamonds we take care of all maintenance her ring requires for as long as she owns it, at no charge to her.

When you slip a Lee Read Diamond engagement ring on her finger we want it to look as good in 10 or 20 years as the day you purchased it. Here's how we can offer the best diamond maintenance plan in the jewelry industry.

First, we sell only exceptionally high-quality ring settings and jewelry. High-quality jewelry stays nicer longer and is easier to keep looking great year after year.
Second, we charge a little more when you purchase her engagement ring but neither of you ever has to pay again for regular maintenance or resizing. The only thing the Lee Read Diamonds "Rx Plan" doesn't cover is accidental damage or total loss and we recommend you have insurance for that.
Third, The Ring Doctors are located in our store and specialize in jewelry repair. When you're as good as these professionals, it doesn't take much time to keep quality jewelry looking great.

The Ring Doctors Guest Service Counter

The Ring Doctors, is located off the I-84. at the Meridian Exit inside Lee Read Diamonds

Plus, The Ring Doctors always work on items purchased from Lee Read Diamonds first and in most instances, the repairs are usually done the same day.

Check out The Ring Doctors

10. Shop for her engagement ring at a Jeweler you can trust.

Trust is the most important factor in purchasing any jewelry. Most people are not diamond experts and you have to depend on what you're told in a jewelry store or what they have read online. Unfortunately, much of the information you will see and hear is more half-truths, promoted by the marketing departments, than something you can depend on when spending thousands of dollars.

At Lee Read Diamonds we welcome the opportunity to talk about the differences between natural and lab-grown diamonds and why we think it's better to purchase from a locally owned Jeweler than from mall stores or the internet.

Lee Read has been selling Natural Diamond engagement rings for 59 years. More Idahoans wear diamonds from Lee Read than from any other Jeweler in the Treasure Valley. Over the years each of these couples probably had many of the same questions you do now. In the end, they did their research, talked to their friends, and made their own decision to come in and trust Lee Read to help them celebrate one of the most important moments in their life.

We invite you to do the same. Become a part of our #LeeReadian family today!

Steet view of Lee Read Diamonds and The Ring Doctors from Interstate I-84 in Meridian Idaho.

Lee Read Diamonds and The Ring Doctors, serving Nampa, Kuna, Meridian, Boise, and Caldwell from the Lee Read Diamond Dream store in Meridian Idaho.

Next Step: Make an appointment with our Diamond Consultants and see how enjoyable selecting her engagement ring can be.

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