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CarterCast

with John Carter

CarterCast is the pre-proposal show for dating couples designed to make diamond engagement ring shopping easy, understandable and fun. Join CGA, GG, past president of the AGS, and Jack Lewis Jewelers CEO John Carter on this journey into rings, relationships, and heartfelt reminders of what this all means. You can get the 4C’s anywhere, but only here do you get the 5th C... called Carter.

Newest Episode

The Most Searched Questions About Diamonds | CarterCast Ep12 – Google AutoFill Q&A

It's early 2023 at the time of this premiere! So if you're watching this in the distant future, hello from the past. Hope things are going well. In this episode, we revisit the Google machine for another Search AutoFill show, this time about Diamonds. So when you go to Google and start typing, "Do Diamonds...", what AutoFill options does Google start to populate? Those are allegedly the questions you care about most, so we wrote 10 of them down and asked Carter for the answers. It's another fun episode with lots of great diamond tips and tricks, so let's get this new year started bright and blingy.

View Previous CarterCast Episodes

The Most Searched Questions About Engagement Rings | CarterCast Ep11 – Google AutoFill Q&A

After a long hiatus, the show returns in a new studio with new lights, new mics, new decor, and a google of new topics. That's because we're doing a classic Search AutoFill episode about Engagement Rings. When you go to Google and start typing, "Do Engagement Rings...", what AutoFill options does Google start to populate? Those are apparently the questions people are asking, so we picked our favorite 10 and asked Carter for the answers. It's a fun, rapid-fire episode with lots of great engagement ring tips and tricks, so let's shake off the rust and dive back in.

Real Talk About Lab-Grown Diamonds | CarterCast Ep10 – Synthetic Gemstones

Bravely dive into one of the most controversial topics in the jewelry world: lab-grown, synthetic, man-made, artificial diamonds. What are we supposed to call these stones anyway? And how similar are they really to natural diamonds? And are they really more sustainable? How much should you really still be paying for something you can make a million of? Plus, Jack Lewis Jewelers doesn’t currently sell them, so why not? Lots of questions and strong thoughts in a powerful episode that is sure to cause a ruckus.

All That Glitters is Gold | CarterCast Ep9 – Jewelry Metals

Diamonds and designs often steal the engagement ring show, which means we don’t often hear about the metal. What’s your ring made of, anyway? Gold, platinum, titanium? There are pros and cons to consider, and this episode points you in the right direction. Jewelry metal matters, so put on the leather pants, fluff-out your mullet, plant yourself front row center, and throw up the horns for a five-octave conversation about metal.

Are Diamonds Just Marketing Hype

Tempted to buy a diamond online? We get it. After all, isn’t it cheaper, with a bigger selection, where you can go at your own pace without being pressured and intimidated by an icky salesperson who wants to exploit your ignorance and swindle you into a bad decision? That’s the narrative. But is any of that really true? Actually, some of it, yes. But some of it, no. Come on inside as we do our best to help you make sense of whether you should buy a diamond online.

Should You Buy A Diamond Online?

Do you like documentation? Are you militant about millimeters? Do you prefer paperwork that displays metrics out to the thousandth decimal? Then you’ll love this episode on Grading Reports, because nothing says I love you like math. Truth is though, when it comes to diamonds, you deserve to have confidence in exactly what you’re buying. Check out this surprisingly entertaining conversation on diamond grading reports, what they are, and why you should care.

The Key To Buying A Diamond with Confidence

Float around the Internet for 5 minutes, and you’ll be bashed with snarky posts, sarcastic memes, and cynical threads about diamonds. Those criticisms usually come from 2 directions: either criticizing the ethics and sustainability of diamond mining, or criticizing the value and intrinsic worth of diamonds. We’ll save the first criticism for a future episode, but today we tackle the second criticism head-on: that diamonds are worthless. It’s all a scam. They have no real value. It’s all just marketing hype. Everybody knows this because "reasons from the Internet". How can you still be spending thousands of dollars on a diamond in current year? But…is any of that really true? Carter and Josh have a blunt and sometimes surprising conversation about the value of diamonds and whether the whole thing is just manufactured smoke and mirrors. If you’re on the fence about diamonds, this episode is for you.

Top 3 Gems To Choose If You Don’t Want A Diamond

After discussing which gemstones to avoid as the center stone in your engagement ring if you don’t want a diamond, we shift into positive gear and spread the good news about which gemstones you should choose. As with the ones to avoid, most of it centers around hardness and toughness factors, but we also tell jokes and come up with the greatest jewelry pickup line of all time. It’s our rundown of the Top 3 gemstones to choose if you don’t want a diamond, on the pre-proposal show for dating couples designed to make engagement ring shopping easy, understandable, and fun.

Top 3 Gems To Avoid If You Don’t Want A Diamond

We love diamonds around here, but…we also realize that, for various reasons, not everyone wants a diamond in their engagement ring. Maybe you are that person. And that’s perfectly fine. But if you’re gonna go with an alternative gemstone, there are some that we strongly suggest you skip. If you don’t, you’re gonna have a bad time. In this episode, we rundown the Top 3 gemstones to avoid if you don’t want a diamond.

Why Cut Is The Most Important C of the 4C’s

Carter goes into thrilling detail about Carat and Cut. When you think Carat, do you think size? If so, you’d be wrong. Find out why. Mostly though, this episode is about Cut because Carter believes Cut is by far the single most important of the 4C’s, and that you always should prioritize Cut when spending your money. Josh makes him defend that position, so take a listen and see if his argument is persuasive. If you’re shopping for a diamond for your engagement ring, this is the episode you don’t wanna miss.

Diamond Color & Clarity: Explained

Today we dive into the 4C’s as Carter tries to sell Josh a diamond. Even if you don’t know a thing about diamonds, you’ve probably heard of the 4C’s, or at least seen them come up when you Googled diamonds for the first time. But what are they? And are they really that important? In part 1 of our conversation, Carter talks about the first 2 C’s: Color and Clarity, the extent to which each one matters, and why smart shoppers know these are the areas where you can save a little money. After this episode, that smart shopper will be you.

The Diamond Engagement Ring Show Dating Couples Need

The pre-proposal show for dating couples designed to make diamond engagement ring shopping easy, understandable, and fun. This is the CarterCast. Live from Jack Lewis Jewelers in beautiful Bloomington, IL, the star of the show is Jack Lewis Jewelers CEO John Carter, and along with host Joshua Shull, the series premiere gives you lots of typical first episode things like introductions, upcoming episode previews, and harsh awkward jokes at the other’s expense. Primarily, you’ll learn what this is, who it’s for, why it exists, and why –if you’re a dating couple starting to think about engagement rings- you need this show, because it’s been designed with you in mind.