Do and Don'ts of Diamond Buying

When it comes to buying your diamond, be it for an engagement or as gift for special loved ones, it is very important that you know exactly what you are looking for. Here are some pointers to make your quest for your special diamond easy.

Do some research first. Gather information before talking to jewelry professionals. This way, the jeweler is aware that you know what you want and you can start your dealing in an even footing so you will be taken seriously right from the start.

Do your best to listen to the jeweler’s suggestions. The knowledge you gain in this article will enable you to tell if the jeweler’s advice is for your best interest.

Do provide the jeweler with all the complete information about what you want him to do with your desired diamond. It’s better to take your time to consider everything that you want than to rush the order then have it redone later because of an incorrect ring size, setting, etc.

Do request a money back guarantee when possible. This will enable you to go elsewhere and be certain that indeed you received what you were told.

Do talk about your jeweler to other people if you were satisfied with his professional services. The greatest show of appreciation is a referral.

Don’t believe everything you see on online auction sites. If you know the price of a diamond from several sources and you see it on those sites for much less, chances are, it is not the same diamond.

Don’t forget that jewelers have their own in-house appraisals too. If the appraised value seems unrealistic, it probably is.

Don’t allow yourself to be pressured into making a purchase on the spot. Take time to think and buy the diamond when you feel that you are getting the best possible diamond for your money.

Don’t forget that this diamond ring is for your love for a special someone. Enjoy the process and think positive when making the purchase.


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How to Choose a Diamond

As precious as they are for jewelry like engagement ring, diamonds need precious time to be understood to be able to get the best one for yourself or someone important. As hard a mineral as they are, diamonds can be hard to choose from an array of diamond rings in various shapes, colors, sizes and the prices if you are not knowledgeable about how they are priced . If you really want to get the best buy for your money, get the diamond that you really want, then you’ll need to get to know more about it. Let no jewelry salesman sweet talk you into getting the diamond that you do not really want. Finding an accommodating jeweler who listens to you and understands what you want may be easy, but for him to understand what you want, you should be able to talk about what diamonds you prefer. A basic knowledge about this gemstone can be yours if you take the following steps to better understand diamonds.

Before the First Step

Diamonds are the best way to express love, appreciation or adoration for someone, and it could also be acquired just for the sheer joy of having it, the most frequent reasons for buying it. Diamonds are not an investment. As it is for the joy and pleasure of the receiver, you therefore must make the best and the right choices in buying a diamond ring.


The First Step

Understandably, the first step is to decide on how much money you are willing to spend. This will define your choices of a diamond ring. Once you know how far you will go as to its cost, you start your search for the diamond that can match your budget. Information is readily available from the Internet. As a guide, it pays to know that in buying diamond rings, the bulk of the price covers the cost of the diamond itself so you must know what you actually like as to its setting to know exactly how much you have left to pay for the diamond. An idea of the cost will show the jeweler that you know what you are looking for.


The Second Step

In selecting your diamond, you must take into account the four C’s that play an important role in its pricing. The 4 C’s are cut, color, clarity and carat. Start with knowing which of the four C’s is most important for you and list them in descending order from first priority to last. To better understand these C’s, here are some important points to remember. The cut or the shape of the diamond is responsible for its fire of rainbow colors that flashes inside the stone as well as its brilliance. There are many shapes to choose from like the classic round, the “new” classic, the square shape, known also as the “princess” cut, or the elegant European classic like the emerald shape or the asscher cut.

The other C is for color which is very influential in the appraisal of the diamond. The less color, the higher the price. Its color ranges from colorless which is the most expensive to light yellow which is the least expensive. Although the human eye cannot tell the difference, choosing the setting relative to the color of the diamond is important for properly selecting the diamond. You have a choice of either a white metal such as platinum or white gold or a yellow gold ring. Selecting a yellow gold ring for a diamond that is colorless is not wise because the yellow color of the ring will be reflected to some extent in the diamond making it look darker than it really is. It doesn’t make sense to spend extra money for a colorless diamond when it will be set in a yellow gold ring. If you really prefer the yellow gold ring, a diamond with an H, I, or even a J color which are near colorless will look great in the ring. If you are going for a white metal, you have to go with the colorless and the near colorless like the H and higher.

Another C in a diamond refers to clarity. Although it is difficult to detect higher clarities by the naked eye the differences in price are staggering. Here is a way to decide what is right for you. Try looking at it at arms length by extending your arm down the side of your body and bending back your hand as in admiring a ring on your finger, if you can’t see anything, then you can go with a clarity scale of slightly included 3 (SI3) to included 1 (I1) where there are inclusions of tiny crystals, feathers or clouds. If at elbow range (approx. 12 inches away) you see no flaws, you can go with an SI2 to SI3 clarity range. At nose length and you don’t see anything then you’ll need to go with SI1 clarity or a very good SI2. If you don’t see anything under magnification such as a jeweler’s loupe then you’ll have to go with VS2 clarity or a very good SI1 clarity. Actually, there are 11 clarity scales to a diamond, these are from the highest to the lowest – flawless (F), internally flawless (IF), very very slightly included (VVS) 1 and 2, very slightly included (VS) 1 and 2, slightly included (SI)1 and 2, and included (I) 1, 2 and 3. Though the difference in the range is difficult to see with the naked eye, clarity should be deeply considered as it plays a significant role in dictating the price of the diamond.


The Last Step

The last factor to consider in buying a diamond is its weight or carat. But you cannot determine its weight only by looking at the item because the cut of a diamond may make it appear larger or smaller than its actual weight. If you have decided to buy a round diamond that has an H color and SI1 clarity with your $5,000 for the diamond alone, ask your jeweler for the largest round diamond with the H/SI1 grade for your $5,000 and he can give you the right choices. Bear in mind, however, that if you are looking for a diamond that is of high clarity and over 1 carat size, get only diamonds certified by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), recognized by all diamond experts and jewelers throughout the jewelry industry as the most accurate and unbiased opinion when it comes to grading diamonds.


Alternative option in order to get what you want

If, after getting quotes from several sources you still don’t like the sizes presented to you, you have the option of clarity enhanced diamonds. You will typically be able to get a 30% to 40% larger diamond for the same price with a clarity enhanced diamond as a non-enhanced diamond. On the other hand, if you like the size of the non-enhanced diamond you were presented with in the first place you will be able to get the same size for 30% to 40% less cost with an enhanced diamond.


A word about Ring Sizing

Surprising someone with a gift of a diamond ring is wonderful provided you know her or his ring size. To be sure that the ring fits, here are some ideas to know a person’s ring size without asking her or him directly:

• Ask her/his mom or sisters if you think they can keep a secret.
• Pay attention to the ring(s) she/he usually wears and when she/he takes it off trace it on a piece of paper. Make sure you trace the inside of the ring not the outside.
• If she/he doesn’t wear rings, simply take a piece of string and wrap it around her/his ring finger when she’s/he’s asleep. Mark the length of the string without squeezing it too tight. Measure the length on a typical ruler in either inches or centimeters. Give your jeweler this measurement and they’ll convert it to the proper ring size.
• Always keep in mind that the ring has to make it past the knuckle first.

If the ring still does not fit exactly right it can always be resized and most jewelers charge between $25 and $75 depending on how many sizes up or down is necessary.


Ring Size Charts




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High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT)

GE developed the High Pressure High Temperature or HPHT process to enhance the tinted color of some diamonds especially when it is still in its rough state. Through this treatment, a significant improvement in the diamond’s clarity can be observed, thus improving its grade and its price value as well. Approximately 1% of all gem quality diamonds are suitable for this process.

High Pressure High Temperature chamber

When these diamonds placed inside the HPHT chamber or furnace are exposed to very high temperature and very high pressure, similar with the temperature and pressure under the Earth while the diamond is developing, the diamond’s molecular structure is altered producing a whiter color and the diamond changes from brownish tint to colorless or near-colorless. This process is also considered as permanent treatment and is almost always impossible to detect.

“Before and After” HPHT procedure. The diamond’s natural brown tint was removed
by permanently altering the molecular structure of the diamond

The Gemological Institute of America uses very expensive equipment to verify if a diamond has indeed gone through HPHT treatment. Once verified, a note is included on the diamond’s grading report for perusal or as reference.


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Fracture Filling

Diamonds undergoing natural processes deep beneath the surface of the Earth often capture or trap other elements during their development. One of the most common trapped elements is air. This trapped air makes a diamond unappealing even after it has been cut and polished because the air pockets may appear like tiny cracks inside the diamond. The trapped air is visible to the naked eye through the refraction of light in the diamond that looks different compared to when light passes through the air pocket.

In the mid 1970s, an Israeli scientist developed a treatment method to fill this pocket of air. Using a vacuum process, he inserted into the pocket of air through its natural surface opening a filler material designed to have almost the same exact refractive index or optical properties as the diamond. With the process, the light that entered was now refracted evenly throughout the diamond that improved its appearance as seen by the naked eye and sometimes even under magnification.

The presence of the filler material inside the diamond and even the process used do not alter the diamond’s carat weight, shape or color. Instead, the perceived clarity of the diamond is improved by one or two grades. The possible highest perceived clarity that can be attained via this process is a VS2.

The process of fracture filling is not considered permanent although normal wear and tear does not affect the filler which remains intact. But under certain circumstances, such as the diamond’s exposure to extreme heat from a jeweler’s torch as when fixing or cleaning jewelry, the filler material may evaporate or may sometimes darken its color and the diamond is back to its original “cracked” or imperfect look. There are guarantees though offered by most treatment labs for free reprocessing in case such an event happens.

A fracture filled diamond, or what is also popularly called as clarity-enhanced diamond, can be detected by most professional jewelers particularly because as light enters the filler material it creates a “flash” of light that can be seen under their magnification. This “flash effect” can generally be seen not face up but from the underside of the diamond.

The introduction of enhanced diamonds in the US happened in the late 1980’s where they were met with much controversy, especially since there were some unscrupulous diamond traders who were selling them without disclosing that these diamonds were in fact enhanced. There was a widely publicized case in Saint Louis, MO about a jeweler who committed suicide after receiving some negative publicity after he unknowingly bought a parcel of enhanced diamonds and sold them as non-enhanced.

Enhanced diamonds today are widely accepted by consumers and they play a major role in the diamond industry. When sold openly as enhanced diamond, the buyer is provided the benefit of a good bargain for such a precious stone. What is most important is that enhanced diamonds gives buyers the opportunity to get their dream diamond at an affordable price.


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Diamond Laser Drilling

Diamonds evolve from carbon so that at some point while making its way up to the Earth’s surface, its development may not be perfect causing some tiny black spots of undeveloped carbon to remain embedded inside the crystal. These are called carbon inclusions and these affect the grading of the diamond’s clarity after it has been cut and polished. The black carbon can be seen under magnification and sometimes even to the naked eye.

But this natural defect, however, can be corrected by means of laser drilling, a process developed in the early 1960’s by General Electric. The process is to drill into the diamond using a laser beam, a beam that has a diameter 100 times smaller than a strand of hair. Acid is then introduced into this minute hole towards the carbon inclusion by means of boiling the diamond in acid under high pressure. The acid bleaches the black carbon and turns it to white.

The black carbon is not actually removed but simply becomes invisible to the naked eye but the flaw is permanently corrected and even improves the diamond’s clarity. The laser drill method also does not affect the diamond’s carat weight.


Because laser drill treatments are permanent in nature compared to clarity enhancement of diamonds through other means, the Gemological Institute of America offers full grading reports of laser drilled diamonds. On the contrary, the GIA’s policy is not to offer grading reports on enhanced diamonds because they do not consider the process permanent.

It is not unusual though, that jewelers are more interested with clarity enhanced diamonds as opposed to laser drilled diamonds when in fact, laser drill treatment offers a permanent solution to carbon inclusions and improves the clarity of the diamonds. Probably because of the misconception that since laser drilling removes the inclusion, the diamond is not anymore in its natural and purest state. But the truth is, the laser drilling process allows the diamond to shine in its true brilliance as it was always meant to be.


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Diamond and Jewelry Certificates & Appraisals

Since the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is one of the most respected gemological laboratories in the world, it is where diamond companies submit their diamonds for the necessary diamond grading reports.

The diamond grading report, aside from containing the analysis of the four C’s of diamonds such as cut, clarity, color, and carat weight, likewise reports on the diamond’s measurements, angles and proportions of its facets, imperfections, like inclusions and blemishes, and cutting workmanship. The report, however, does not contain an appraisal of the value of the diamond.

The need for these diamond certificates is important as it establishes the true quality and genuineness of the stone. In addition, the report gives an objective comparison through an unbiased and professional examination by a gemological laboratory like that of the GIA. The diamond certificate likewise facilitates smooth transactions by providing a dependable basis for the gem’s price and insurance.

Gem grading laboratories abound all over the world but not all of them have a highly known reputation like the GIA. Some gem labs have questionable ethics. The GIA, a non-profit organization that is not engaged in buying and selling diamonds, has been known as a leading authority on diamonds the world over. They have the highest standard of grading reports carefully drawn and showing the exact position, size and shape of every internal inclusion and external blemish a diamond possesses and it is very strict in assigning color and clarity grades.

Aside from diamond grading reports made by grading laboratories, there are also appraisal certificates issued by an independent appraiser or an appraiser connected with the jeweler who is skilled in the process of evaluating the genuineness and quality of diamonds. They are usually well experienced in the business of buying and selling diamonds, a graduate gemologist, particularly for diamonds, or jewelry professionals engaged in the trade of diamonds. Their opinions can be backed up by diamond certificates from gemological laboratories, if there are any. They then produce their independent evaluation that includes, unlike the GIA, information on the jewelry component and a full description of the article.

In addition, the appraisal certificates contain the estimated total retail replacement value for the complete item. Unlike a diamond gem lab, the appraiser determines the current market value of the gem after considering its quality and marketability which can differ from one appraiser to another. This valuation helps in determining whether or not its insurance coverage is adequate. In insuring jewelry, all insurers require a copy of the jewelry appraisal as, together with grading certificates, the appraisal certificates can shed light on the origin and genuineness of the jewelry as well as its insurability.


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The 4 C’s of Diamonds

1n 1931, The GIA or Gemological Institute of America established a grading system known as the 4 C's that made the diamond pricing and grading possible. It then became the worldwide standard when the diamond industry quickly embraced this grading scale. Although there are several different grading systems used in other countries, the more globally accepted standard is the GIA's scale.

The 4 C’s refer to the Cut, Carat weight, Color, and Clarity of the diamond. Here’s a brief description of each:


Cut
The term cut generally refers to the shape of the diamond. Diamonds vary in shapes as illustrated below for your reference. Today, the term cut has evolved from referring merely to the shape of the precious stone to how well the diamond is actually cut. So, a round diamond is now evaluated in terms of being perfectly round or somewhat off-round. Based on the cut grading scale developed by the GIA, the overall cutting workmanship of a diamond is rated as Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair or Poor.


Carat Weight
The term carat is used to refer to the actual weight of the diamond which is believed to have been derived from the word "carob". Carob is a kind of dry fruit that contains seeds. Back in the days, the carob seeds were commonly-known and understood by everyone so the diamonds and other precious gems were measured relative to the equivalent weight of the carob seeds.

A carat is technically equal to .20 grams, therefore, 5 carats weigh about one gram. For an example of the diameter of a round-shaped diamond in relation to its weight, please refer to the visual depiction below.


ColorThe term color, for a diamond, applies to their perceived color or absence thereof. For a better understanding of the color grading scale, please refer to the illustration below. Commonly, diamonds display a more apparent tint of yellow and those are typically inexpensive. The extremely rare diamonds are those with very obvious yellow tint considered as fancy color which are usually the rarest and most expensive.


Clarity
Some diamonds have internal and external imperfections while others appear flawless. The measurement of diamond imperfections or lack thereof using the 10 power magnification is known as clarity. The more rare diamonds are those with less imperfections and are valued more expensively. The flawless diamonds are extremely rare and, therefore, has very expensive value.


Nothing is perfect and diamonds are no exceptions. Most diamonds in the market today have flaws that are visible to the eye. Scientists, however, have developed a process known as clarity enhancing to make those imperfections invisible. A material that closely resembles and with the same characteristics as diamond is filled into the imperfections or impurities using a high tech system. The result of the process is a diamond that naturally looks brilliant and very appealing to the eye that is almost half the price of the original diamond. Though they went through an enhancing process, these enhanced diamonds are still considered 100% natural diamonds.


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