Diamond Merchant

As a Diamond Merchant, you buy and sell diamonds as a principal — meaning you own the inventory and take market risk. You might source rough diamonds from mines, purchase polished stones from cutters, or acquire parcels from other merchants. You then sell to jewelers, retailers, or other dealers at a markup. Success requires deep knowledge of diamond values, market trends, and strong relationships on both buy and sell sides.

Your day combines evaluation, negotiation, and sales. You might spend morning hours sorting through parcels, grading stones, and assessing purchase opportunities. Afternoons could involve showing merchandise to jeweler clients, negotiating prices, and arranging transactions. You need to know what you can sell a stone for before you buy it, which requires constant market intelligence.

The hardest part is managing inventory risk. Diamonds tie up significant capital, and market values fluctuate. You need to turn inventory quickly enough to generate returns while maintaining selection to serve clients. You're also constantly judging quality — a mistake in grading can eliminate your margin on a stone. The people who thrive here have exceptional product knowledge, strong relationships, and the financial acumen to manage working capital.