As a leading Midwest jeweler, Droste's Jewelry Shoppes operates two free standing Bavarian style jewelry stores in Evansville, Indiana. Droste's opened for business in 1967 and since that time Droste's has provided thousands of quality diamonds to individuals, couples and families throughout Southern Indiana, Western Kentucky and Eastern Illinois.

Droste's Online Diamond Sales Operation Begins:

In 1996, Droste's expanded jewelry and diamond sales to an international diamond market to become one of the first jewelers in the nation to offer thousands of Certified Diamonds. From the early days of the internet, Droste's has provided people the opportunity to compare and purchase certified diamonds at very low prices. Since that time, Droste's loose diamond division, Certified -Plus Diamonds has sold thousands of diamonds to clients throughout the U.S. and abroad, giving them the assurance of Certified Quality + Better Diamond Value.

Droste's online division continues to grow and provide fine quality certified diamonds at prices that are comparably less than most other online diamond companies. If you are considering the purchase of a quality certified diamond at the lowest price possible, visit either of Droste's two convenient free standing locations in Evansville, Indiana, or select one of the many certified diamonds from our large selection of thousands of Certified Diamonds we offer online to clients around the world.

If you would like to purchase a diamond online, please follow the suggestions below and let a trained Droste's Certified Gemologist-Appaiser assist you in finding the best diamond value possible.

• Step 1: Begin by choosing the style of diamond cut you like most:
  
  (1) Round brilliant cut
  (2) Princess cut
  (3) Marquise cut
  (4) Oval cut
  (5) Radiant cut
  (6) Heart shape
  (7) Emerald cut
  (8) Pear
  (9) Asscher
  (10) Cushion
   
• Step 2: Decide on a budget that you can afford to invest in your diamond.
   
• Step 3: See Our Guide-to-Diamond Investment. When you do, you will find helpful information regarding diamond investment. This section has illustrations showing which diamond qualities have increased in value the most over the past two decades. It is interesting to know that not always do the rarest and highest grades increase in value the most. This section will help you make a decision as to which diamond quality is right for you
   
• Step 4: Go to our Home Page and select the shape diamond you are interested in. Learn the detailed information about diamonds Cut, Color, and Clarity. Pay special attention to details involving the proper proportions that are needed for your diamond to have Ideal or near-Ideal cut. A diamond's cut, or its proportions, are totally responsible for your diamond's brilliance. Cut is the most important element in a diamond's beauty. Because Ideal proportions vary greatly depending on the shape of the diamond you choose, it is important to have a clear understanding of the Ideal-Cut diamond.
   
• Step 5: Utilize (CPD's) convenient diamond search engine to narrow your diamond search. Certified-Plus Diamonds has thousands of Certified Diamonds for you to choose from. This feature in our Web Site will enables you to save time finding the diamond that is right for you. Simply enter the size range and diamond quality range you have decided on, enter it into the appropriate category and click on Search. Be sure to give yourself extra latitude regarding the price ranges so that all the diamonds available are displayed in the quality ranges you have selected.
   
• Step 6: Begin evaluating your Certified-Plus Diamonds list of diamonds. The simplest way to cherry pick the very best diamond is to do it in the following way:
  
  I. View your condensed list of diamonds that appear on the monitor.
  
  II. Examine the diamonds for proportion and fluorescence.
  
  III. Note the diamonds that have the best proportions.
  
  IV. Evaluate the diamonds based on the elements that follow.
  They are numerically listed in order of importance of their contribution to overall beauty of a diamond:
  
     (1) Depth percentage
     (2) Measurements or length-to-width ratio for fancy shaped diamonds
     (3) Table percentage
     (4) Girdle thickness
     (5) Fluorescence
     (6) Symmetry
     (7) Polish
     (8) Culet size
  
  V. Be aware that few diamonds are perfect in every way, and you will have to make an educated judgment of what diamonds are closest to the ideal.
  
  VI. Next select the diamond or diamonds that best fit your budget.
  
  VII. Narrow this selection further by selecting the diamonds that have the highest color grade, the highest clarity grade, the largest carat weight, and the lowest price. You should now have two or three diamonds that are the very best Certified-Plus Diamonds available.
   
• Step 7: Call Certified-Plus Diamonds at 1-800-766-7119. Our Certified Gemologist-Appraisers will be happy to answer any further questions you may have regarding your selection. We will then confirm that the diamonds you have chosen are still currently available. Although approximately 80% of the diamonds listed should be available, the other 20% may be working with other customers or on a pending sale. Unfortunately, the best diamonds are often sold first. Do not hesitate to contact us as quickly as possible regarding your diamond choices because diamonds available one day will often be gone that day or within a few days.
   
• Step 8: Certified-Plus Diamonds is a division of Droste's Jewelry Shoppes, Inc. established in 1967. (CPD) Droste's Jewelry Shoppes, Inc. maintains the highest credentials and credit rating in the diamond and jewelry industry. (Our Credentials) Our buying power allows us to buy from only the largest and best diamond sources in the world. The diamonds that are listed on our site are a combined listing of the inventories of over one hundred diamond cutters we personally selected, based on past experience, to have the best quality, price and available certified diamonds. Because we do not carry these diamonds in our own personal inventory, we can sell them to you at the lowest price possible. Our very low overhead results in your receiving the very best diamond at the very lowest price. (See Our Low Prices)
   
• Step 9: Next, we will confirm the availability of the diamond or diamonds you have selected with the diamond cutter or cutters, if more than one diamond has been selected.
   
• Step 10: We will call you back with the availability report.
   
• Step 11: If more than one diamond is available, you can decide which diamond is the best value. If you prefer, we will gladly help you with your decision.
   
• Step 12: Next, we request the cutter to send the diamond to us, Certified-Plus Diamonds, for inspection by our gemological laboratory. (See the Home of the United States Gemological Laboratory) Shipping to us usually takes only one day except on weekends. We pay the cost of shipping the diamond to us, approximately $25 to $100 dollars with insurance depending on the diamond's value. You do not incur any cost for us to receive the diamond for inspection.
   
• Step 13: After inspecting the diamond we will contact you to give you our honest opinion of the diamond. The diamond must meet our strict standards for approval by our Certified Gemologist-Appraisers or we will not recommend it to you
   
• Step 14: Once a diamond selection is approved we will then make arrangements with you to send the diamond to you by Federal Express along with its certified laboratory diamond report for your inspection. We will need to confirm your home address, if you choose to have it sent to your home. A preferred optional method of mailing is to send it directly to the Federal Express location nearest your home or business. This method is preferred because it allows you to go to the Federal Express office to pick up the diamond at your convenience. It saves you from having to be home when the Federal Express parcel arrives.
   
• Step 15: Because of the value of your diamond purchase, we require full payment for your diamond before it is shipped to you. We have a variety of convenient payment options:
  
  (1) Visa
  (2) MasterCard
  (3) Discover
  (4) Bank Wire
  
  If your residence is outside the state of Indiana we do not include state sales tax in the price of the diamond. Certified-Plus Diamonds does include the cost of shipping to you. This is usually $15 to $100. When we have secured your payment, the diamond will be sent to you by Federal Express for next-day delivery.
   
• Step 16: Upon receiving and signing for your diamond you will have 10 full days from the date of receipt to decide if you want to keep the diamond. As with many of our other satisfied customers, you will be very pleased with the extraordinary beauty of the diamond you have chosen. If you choose to have your new diamond appraised, have it appraised by a qualified Gemologist. He or she will confirm its unsurpassed excellent value and quality.
   
• Step 17: Full Money Back Guarantee: If for any reason you choose to return to us your diamond choice, you may do so. You will receive a full refund of your payment minus only the cost of shipping to you. If you do choose to return the diamond to us, it is required that you call us for proper shipping authorization. At this time we will give you proper shipping instructions for the diamond's safe return to (CPD) Droste's Jewelry Shoppes Inc. The diamond must be received by (CPD) Droste's Jewelry Shoppes, Inc., in the original condition it was in when received by you. Once CPD has received the diamond, a full refund will be returned to you minus only CPD's cost of shipping the diamond to you. Usually, this is only about twenty to fifty dollars.
   
• Step 18: Your complete satisfaction is our top priority. Certified-Plus Diamonds is committed to providing you the very best diamonds at the lowest prices. If you have any questions regarding this process, please feel free to call us at 1-800-766-7119. Because of the low overhead of our web site, Certified-Plus Diamonds has made quality diamonds affordable to everyone. Thanks again for giving us the opportunity to serve you.