About Diamond Weights

Diamonds are measured in Carat Weight.  One carat weighs 200 milligrams. If a  diamond is referred to as four grains, this  also means that it is a one carat diamond.  The word Carat comes from the word carob.  A carob is a bean that grows on a tree in the  Mediterranean. In times past, if a diamond  weighed the same as a carob bean, it was  one carob, or one carat.

However, in the far east, where Carob trees  do not grow, rice was used to measure the  weight of a diamond. If a diamond weighed  as much as four grains of rice, it was four  grains – or one carat as we know it to be  now. The majority of diamond purchases  are for diamonds that are 1/3 of a carat.

Beware when shopping for diamonds that  are already set or mounted. If more than one  diamond is used in the piece, the tag on the  jewelry will give the CTW or Carat Total  Weight – it does not tell you the carat weight  of each stone in the piece. You need to ask  the jeweler for the total carat weight of the  largest diamond in the piece to truly  understand what you are buying.

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Bonded Diamonds

Before you start shopping for diamonds,  consider dealing with a bonded jeweler.  Bonded jewelers sell bonded diamonds,  and there are very few bonded jewelers in  the world. In fact, out of all of the jeweler’s  in the world, only about 5% of them are  bonded. Buying a bonded diamond will  cost more than buying a non-bonded  diamond, but when you look at what you  get with the bonded option, you will see  that it is well worth the extra expense.

First, bonded diamonds have a buy back  policy for the life of the diamond. No matter  how long you have had the diamond, you can  take it back to the bonded jeweler and sell it  back to him or her, for a 100% refund. If a  jeweler does not offer a 100% buy back  guarantee, for the life of the diamond, then  you should take a closer look at the diamond  to see what is wrong with it.

Bonded diamonds also have a breakage  policy. If the stone breaks or chips, the  bonded jeweler will replace it with a new one  – one time. No jeweler would ever offer such  a policy on any stone that was not 100%  natural, so just the offer of such a policy  should give you piece of mind concerning  the quality of the diamond. Bonded  diamonds are natural and untreated.

Bonded diamonds increase in value, with a  fixed appreciation rate that is designed to  keep up with inflation. This means that a  diamond that is worth a certain amount of  money today will be worth more in the future,  as the price of diamonds continues to rise.  This generally does not apply to buy backs,  however. It typically applies to trade-ins.

Alternately, by purchasing a bonded  diamond, you are protected against the  possibility of a market crash. If a market  crash occurs, the value of diamonds will  drop. However, the bonded jeweler  guarantees to refund you the difference  between what the diamond is now worth  and what you paid for it before the market  crash.

It may be difficult to find a bonded jeweler in  your area, but if you can, this is who you  want to deal with, as opposed to dealing  with an un-bonded jeweler. Specifically tell  the jeweler that you are only interested in  bonded diamonds.  You can find a bonded  jeweler in your area by using various online  resources, or by calling the local jewelry  stores.

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All About the Clarity of Diamonds

Clarity is an important aspect of a diamond,  and it is important to know how to grade the  clarity of a diamond before you buy one. It is  actually quite easy to learn how to grade the  clarity of a diamond. There are basically two  things that you must understand: Diamonds  with visual inclusions and blemishes, and  those that are ‘eye clean’ meaning that there  are no inclusions or blemishes that can be  seen with the naked eye. From there, the  clarity of a diamond is further broken down  into subcategories.

Many people mistakenly think that diamond  clarity refers to how clear it is. This isn’t so.  Clarity actually refers to the internal and  external imperfections of the diamond. The  best diamonds, of course get a grade of FL  or IF – Flawless or Internally Flawless –  meaning that it is perfect. A grade of I-1, I-2  or I-3 means that the diamond is imperfect,  with a grade of I-3 being the worst.

Other grades are VVS1 and VVS2, which  means that the diamond is very, very slightly  imperfect; VS1 and VS2, meaning the  diamond is very slightly imperfect; SI-1 and  SI-2, which means that the diamond is  slightly imperfect.

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Are Diamonds Really Rare?

When you walk into a jewelry store and see  all the diamonds in all of the various settings  that are for sale, it is difficult to realize that  diamonds are indeed rare. Most people  don’t even stop to consider how that  diamond came to be sitting in that jeweler’s  case! There is quite a bit of work that is done before a diamond is ready to sell to the  general public!

For every one million diamonds that are  mined, only one will be found that is a quality  one caret diamond. In order to find a two  caret diamond, about five million diamonds  must be mined. More than two hundred tons  of ore must be mined to find one small  diamond, and even then, more than 80%  of the diamonds that are mined are only  good for industrial use, such as diamond  drill bits.

So, the next time you visit your local jewelry  store, ask to see the one carat diamonds.  You should look at this diamond with new  appreciation – knowing that it truly is one  in a million!

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Buying Diamonds Online

With all of the potential for scams concerning  diamonds, buying diamonds online almost  seems unthinkable! However, you actually  can purchase diamonds online, without any  problems – as long as you are careful.

First, think about your reasons for wanting to  purchase the diamond online, as opposed to  making a purchase from a local jewelry store.  The most common reason is price. Due to  low overhead costs, online jewelers and  wholesalers are able to offer lower prices.  However, you must be careful – sometimes  a price that is too low is a sure indication of  a scam.

One of the best things about purchasing  online is the unlimited selection. When  shopping offline, you are limited to the  selection in the stores in your general area.  Online, there are no limits. But again, you  must use a great deal of care and  consideration before handing your money  over to someone that you cannot see and  have never met!

Before shopping, learn as much as you can  about diamonds – especially cut, color,  clarity and carat weights. When you are  knowledgeable about diamonds, it will be  harder for a con artist to rip you off. Once  you know more about diamonds, you will be  ready to start shopping.

Take your time. Don’t purchase the first  diamond that you see that interests you.  Instead, look for similar diamonds for sale.  Do some comparison shopping to find the  lowest prices. Once you have found the lowest price, start doing your investigation.  You know about diamonds, you’ve found a  diamond that you love, and you’ve found the  lowest price – but you are still quite a ways  away from actually purchasing that diamond!

Ask about the seller’s credentials, such as  professional jewelry associations that they  belong to. View and print the seller’s return,  refund, and upgrade policies. Also inquire  about additional services, such as settings  and mountings, sizing, and free shipping. Do  a search for customer reviews on this  particular company around the Internet. Also check with the BBB Online to see if there have  been any complaints.

Ask for a diamond grading report from an  independent laboratory such as GIA, HRD,  EGL or AGS. You should see this before  making a purchase. Finally, use a reputable  escrow service for high dollar diamonds –  preferably one that will have the diamond  appraised while it is in their possession. The  seller sends the diamond to the escrow  service, and you send the money to pay for  the diamond to the escrow service. The  escrow service has the diamond appraised,  sends the diamond to you, and sends the  money to the seller. This is the surest way to  protect yourself…again, make sure that you  use a reputable escrow service!

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Choosing The Cut of A Diamond

There are many different cuts of diamonds  to choose from. The cut essentially refers to  the shape that the diamond is cut into –  unless you are in the diamond or jewelry  business, but this shape has a great impact  on the much the diamond sparkles.  

The most popular cuts are heart, marquise,  oval, pear, princess, round, trillion, and  emerald cuts. The shape has an impact on  how much the diamond sparkles, but the  actual cutting itself – when the diamond  cutter actually cuts the diamond into a  particular shape – also matters a great  deal. If the diamond is poorly cut, it will lose  its sparkle.

However, in the diamond industry, the cut of  a diamond doesn’t refer to its shape at all.  Instead, this is a reference to the stone’s  depth, width, brilliance, durability, clarity, and  other aspects of the diamond. Common  cutting problems include a missing or off  center culet, misalignment, a diamond that  is too thick or too thin, cracks, or broken  culets.

When shopping for a diamond, you should  of course choose the shape that you like the  best, but then look at several different  diamonds of that shape to find the one with  the best cut – the one that sparkles the most,  in all types of lighting.

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Colored Diamonds

Fancy colored diamonds are all the rage  these days.  Gemologists have developed  new ways to create versions that are  affordable for the average person - by  treating less desirable diamonds. These  less desirable diamonds are treated with  irradiation followed by intense heat.  This  turns brown and yellowish diamonds into  beautifully colored diamonds that you can  afford.  This produces stunning greens,  blues, yellows, reds, purples and other  colors.  These colors are considered  permanent, but there is a possibility  they could change during repairs if a high  heat is used.

Treatments like irradiation make it possible  for more people to own these vividly colored  diamonds. Most natural colored diamonds  are rare and also extremely expensive. When  shopping for colored diamonds you need to  assume that any affordable fancy color  diamond has been treated.  Ask about the  stones origin and request to view a lab  certificate to verify authenticity.

Synthetic colored diamonds are another  option if owning a colored diamond is  something you desire but cannot quite afford.  They are real diamonds, but they are created  in a lab.

Natural fancy color diamonds get their  coloring from different trace elements present  in the stones, such as nitrogen, which  produces a yellow diamond.  Diamonds can  be colored by exposure to radiation during its  creation.  An example of a diamond affected  by radiation is a Green diamond.

Another way that a natural colored diamond  gets color is by its inclusions.  Regarded as  flaws and undesirable in a colorless diamond,  inclusions give unique tones and brilliant  flashes of color in a fancy color diamond.   Remember that Natural fancy colored  diamonds are very expensive, any colored  diamond labeled to be sold as natural should be accompanied by a certificate from a  respected grading lab.

A "fancy" diamond is a natural diamond that  has color.  These colors vary from red, green,  purple, violet, orange, blue and pink – and  most shades between.  Fancy color shades  vary from faint to intense.

The most famous diamonds in the world are  Color diamonds.  The Tiffany Diamond,  which is yellow and the Hope Diamond which  is blue are colored diamonds.    Color  diamonds have an amazing financial track record.  The value has never decreased on  wholesale level in more than 30 years.  Blue  and pink diamonds have doubled every 5

years of a strong economy.   In the 1970’s  you could have bought a very high quality  blue diamond for about 50K and today the  very same stone would be worth between  2 and 3 million.

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Diamond Brands and What They Mean

Diamonds are one of the few products that  simply cannot be ‘branded.’ Even though  there are different cuts, different grades, and  different values placed on each and every  diamond in existence, no diamond is any  specific brand – just as gold is not a specific  brand.

Branding is actually based on who owns the  diamond. For instance, if DeBeers owns the  diamond, it is a DeBeers Diamond – but it is  still just a diamond. If the diamond was cut by  a specific well known cutter, then it might be  branded in that way as well – but it usually  isn’t. It is still branded based on who owns it  at the time. So basically, when it comes down  to it – diamond brands mean absolutely  nothing at all.

Do not allow a jeweler to try to talk you into  paying an exorbitant price on a diamond  because it is a specific brand. This is a bit  of trickery used by unscrupulous jewelers  when they know that they are dealing with  people who don’t know much about  diamonds. Remember that diamonds are  not actually branded – unless mother nature  has her own brand!

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Diamond Certificates

A diamond certificate is also known as a  Diamond Grading Report. This report comes  from the Gemological Institute of America  (GIA), and you should require this report  when you are purchasing a diamond.

With a diamond certificate, you can verify  the color, cut, carat, weight, and clarity of the  diamond. You don’t have to worry about a  diamond dealer telling you anything less than  the truth, because the certificate comes  from the GIA – not the dealer. You may be  required to pay for the certificate, but the  cost is usually low, and in many cases, it  will help you negotiate a better price on the  diamond – or keep you from purchasing a  lower quality diamond altogether.

If you buy a high quality diamond, and then  later decide to sell the diamond, you will  need to have the certificate, or you will have  a hard time selling it to someone else.  Furthermore, you can use the Diamond  Grading Report to look up the wholesale  value of the diamond in question. Use the  guide that is used by the diamond cutting  industry.

With the Certificate, or Diamond Grading  Report, there won’t be any doubts when you  are trying to purchase a diamond. You can  easily find out what the diamond is worth.  This will prevent you from overpaying, and it  can prevent a seller from under-charging as  well.

A copy of the Diamond Grading Report  should be given to your insurance company  as well, when you insure the diamond. This  provides absolute, unquestionable proof of  the value of the diamond should it be stolen  in the future. Insurance companies cannot  argue with the report.

Avoid diamond dealers who seem reluctant to provide a certificate! Also avoid sellers  who tell you that a certificate diamond will  cost you more – the only additional cost  should be the cost of the certificate, which  is low. If the dealer doesn’t want to provide  a certificate, then you don’t want to do  business with that dealer.

Don’t accept certificates from Gemological  Laboratories other than GIA. There are many  fly-by-night Gemological labs these days, but  in the end, GIA has been established as the  most respectable and trustworthy – not to  mention oldest – of the lot. So avoid dealers  who don’t want to use GIA for certification  purposes as well.

Don’t buy an expensive diamond without  paying the extra cost of the certificate. If a  dealer tries to convince you to make the  purchase without the certificate, or if they  want to use a company other than GIA, you  can be sure that the dealer has probably  greatly inflated the price of the diamond –  they have something that they are hiding  from you.

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Diamond Grading Reports

You’ve been told that having a certificate or  a diamond grading report is important, and  as a responsible consumer, you get one –  unfortunately, you probably won’t understand  a word of what is on that diamond grading  report, unless you are a jeweler.

On the color grading scale, D, E, and F  mean that the diamond has no color. G, H,  and I means that it has very little color. J, K,  and L means that the diamond has a slight  yellow color. P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, and X  means that the diamond is a darker shade  of yellow. Z means that the diamond has a  fancy color – other than white or yellow.   On the color grading scale, D is the most  valuable, and X is the least valuable –  however diamonds that get a Z rating are  the rarest and most expensive diamonds  in the world.

There are many aspects to a grading report.  Figuring it all out can be very confusing. You  should talk to a jeweler you trust, and have  them explain everything on the diamond  grading report to you.

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Diamond Scams

When it comes to diamonds, there are  numerous scams to avoid. Most scams are  minor, but there are some major ones that  come up from time to time concerning the  buying and selling of diamonds. Scams  occur simply because most people who buy  diamonds – for whatever reasons – don’t  know that much about diamonds. Therefore,  they are easily fooled.

A common scam that most jewelry stores  participate in is the Carat Total Weight scam.  The tag on the piece of jewelry, usually a ring,  only states the total carat weight of all  diamonds in the piece, instead of listing the  total weights separately for each diamond.  This leads consumers to believe that the main  diamond in the piece is actually bigger than it  is. Ask what the total carat weight of the center  stone is. Also beware of fractions. Jewelry  stores are allowed to round off diamond  weights. This means that if the jeweler tells  you that it is a ¾ carat diamond, it is  probably between ½ and ¾ carat – but  closer to ¾.

Jewelry stores often run ‘fluorescence’  scams to varying degrees. Referring to a  diamond as a blue-white diamond is such a  scam. A blue-white diamond sounds very  unique and special, but in fact, this type of  diamond is of lesser quality – even though  the jeweler will try to make you think you are  getting something special. Jewelry stores  also like to show their diamonds in bright  lights. Lights make diamonds shine. Ask  to see the diamond in a different, darker  type of lighting as well.

Some truly unscrupulous jewelers target  those who want appraisals on diamonds  that were given to them as gifts or that were  purchased elsewhere. They will try to tell you  that the diamond is worthless, or worth less  than it actually is worth – and offer to take it  off your hands or trade it for a much better  diamond, along with the cash to make up  the difference. This is called low balling.  Get a second, third, and even a forth opinion  before taking any action.

Another common dirty trick is to switch the  diamond you have chosen and paid for with  one of lesser quality and value when you  leave it to be set in a piece of jewelry, or  leave a diamond ring to be sized. The only  way to avoid this is to do business with one  trustworthy jeweler. Avoid jewelers that you  have not done business with in the past.

There are many more scams that jewelry  stores commonly pull on unsuspecting  consumers. Just use your best judgment,  and purchase your diamonds with the  utmost care and consideration.

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Famous Diamonds

Among the most well known diamonds is the  Hope.   This 45.52 carat steel blue diamond  is currently on display at the Smithsonian.   The legends of the ill-fortune and curse  bestowed on the possessor of the Hope  Diamond are many.  This diamond was  donated to the Smithsonian in 1958. The  Hope was originally a rather flat, blocky  110-carat rough.

The Dresden Green stands out among the  natural colored diamonds. It is the largest  green diamond in the world weighing  40.70 carats. This diamond is historic, large  and has a natural green color with a slight  blue overtone.  These facts make it virtually  priceless.

The Conde Pink is a pear shaped and  weighs 9.01-carats.  This pink diamond was  once owned by Louis XIII.

The Tiffany Yellow diamond a beautiful  canary-yellow octahedron weighing 287.42  in the rough (metric) carats discovered in  either 1877 or 1878 in South Africa.  The  gem after cutting boasts the extraordinary  weight of 128.54 carats. And until recently,  was the largest golden-yellow in the world.

The Koh-I-Noor  ( Mountain of Light )  is now  among the British Crown Jewels.  This  diamond weighs 105.60 carats.  First  mentioned in 1304, it is believed to have  been once set in Shah Jehan‘s famous  peacock throne as one of the peacocks eyes.

The Agra is graded as a naturally colored  Fancy Light Pink and weighs 32.34 carats.  It was sold for about 6.9 million in 1990.   Since this sale, it has been modified to a  cushion shape weighing about 28.15 carats.

The Transvaal Blue is pear cut.  This blue  diamond weighs 25 carats. It was found in  the Premier Diamond Mine in Transvaal,  South Africa. 

The Great Chrysanthemum was discovered  in the summer of 1963, in a South African  diamond field.  This 198.28-carat fancy  brown diamond appeared to be a light  honey color in its rough state.  However,  after cutting, it proved to be a rich golden  brown, with overtones of sienna and burnt  orange.  

The Taylor-Burton Diamond is a pear-shaped  69.42 carat diamond.  Cartier of New York  purchased this diamond at an auction in  1969 and christened it "Cartier." The next  day Richard Burton bought the diamond  for Elizabeth Taylor. He renamed it the  "Taylor-Burton”.   In 1978, Elizabeth  Taylor put the diamond up for sale.   Prospective buyers had to pay $2,500  each to view the diamond to cover the costs  of showing it.  Finally, in June of 1979, the  diamond was sold for nearly $3 million dollars.

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How Diamonds Are Cut

In their most natural form, diamonds are –  well – quite ugly. They have no luster or shine,  and in fact, look like nothing more than  broken glass. A diamond must be cut, and  then polished before it actually becomes a thing of beauty.

Diamonds are cut with saws, into round  shapes. From the rounded shape, other  shapes may be cut, such as heart shapes  – but the shape is less important than the  quality of the cutting that is being done. If  the diamond is poorly cut, it will lose light,  and it will not sparkle and shine very well.  Each facet of the diamond must be  carefully cut into the geometrical shapes  that allow the diamond to sparkle and  shine, then the entire diamond is cut into  a specific shape, such as an emerald cut  or a princess cut diamond.

Once the cut is done, the diamond is put into  a dop, which resembles a cup with another  diamond – only a diamond is strong enough  to smooth the edges of another diamond.  Once the diamond has been cut and shaped,  and had the edges smoothed in the dop, it is  polished on a scaif or a diamond polishing  wheel.

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How Diamonds Are Mined

We seldom think about how the diamonds  we wear came to us. Natural diamonds, as  opposed to synthetic diamonds or fake  diamonds, are mined from the earth. There  are currently two methods of mining  diamonds: Pipe Mining and Alluvial Mining.

When pipe mining is used, the diamonds  are extracted from the earth through volcanic  pipes. These are not man-made pipes. These  are natural pipes in the ground. Shanks are  put into the ground next to the pipes, and  tunnels are driven into the deepest parts of the pipe. The diamonds are not sorted out at  the mine. Instead, huge rocks that are full of  diamonds are brought out of the mine and  moved to a screening plant for separation.

The Alluvial mining method is done in  riverbeds and on beaches. Walls are built to  hold back the water and the sand on the bank  or beach is moved with a bulldozer until the  level of earth that diamonds can be found in  is reached. Again, the diamonds are not  sorted here. Instead, the sand that contains  the diamonds is bulldozed into trucks, and  taken to screening plants.  

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How Diamonds Are Mined

We seldom think about how the diamonds  we wear came to us. Natural diamonds, as  opposed to synthetic diamonds or fake  diamonds, are mined from the earth. There  are currently two methods of mining  diamonds: Pipe Mining and Alluvial Mining.

When pipe mining is used, the diamonds  are extracted from the earth through volcanic  pipes. These are not man-made pipes. These  are natural pipes in the ground. Shanks are  put into the ground next to the pipes, and  tunnels are driven into the deepest parts of the pipe. The diamonds are not sorted out at  the mine. Instead, huge rocks that are full of  diamonds are brought out of the mine and  moved to a screening plant for separation.

The Alluvial mining method is done in  riverbeds and on beaches. Walls are built to  hold back the water and the sand on the bank  or beach is moved with a bulldozer until the  level of earth that diamonds can be found in  is reached. Again, the diamonds are not  sorted here. Instead, the sand that contains  the diamonds is bulldozed into trucks, and  taken to screening plants.  

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How Diamond Prices Are Determined

Pricing most products is quite easy.  Determine how much it costs to make the  item, how much it costs to market that item,  and then mark it up by 15 – 30% or more.  Simple, right? Well, pricing diamonds isn’t  quite that simple. There are many factors  that are considered when diamonds are  priced.

Diamond prices are determined first by  adding the cost of the rough diamond, the  cost of cutting the diamond, and all other  costs necessary to turn the rough diamond  into a marketable diamond. Depending on  the importance of the diamond, an  independent company may be called in to  certify the grade of the diamond based on  color, cut, clarity, and weight.

At this point, the diamond becomes more  expensive each time it changes hands, until  it finally reaches a retailer, where the price is  raised a bit more. Before reaching the  retailer, however, the diamond must travel  from the mine, to the cutter and polisher, to  the independent grading company, and  then to the Primary market. Once it has  reached the primary market, it will be  purchased by diamond dealers and  wholesalers, and from there it will be sold  to retailers.

As you can see, the earlier you can purchase  a diamond in the process, the lower the cost  of the diamond will be – but not the value.  The value is based on what the diamond will  sell for in the market place – through a retailer.  If you own a diamond, and you have no idea  how much it is worth, you can have it  appraised, but the appraisal may not be  accurate. You will be better off obtaining a  certificate through GIA – Gemological Institute  of America. With the information on this  certificate, you can use a cutter’s guide to  accurately determine what your diamond is  worth.

There are also many diamond price  calculators available. These can be found  on the Internet, and many diamond dealers  use these as well. You must realize, however,  that before you can accurately price a  diamond, without a Diamond Grade Report,  you need to know quite a bit about diamonds,  such as different cuts, clarity, color, and weight  – and how each of those aspects adds to the  value of a diamond, or decreases the value of  the diamond as the case may be.

Again, you will be better off if you get a  Diamond Grading Report on the diamond,  and use that information to look up the price  in one of the guides that the diamond cutting  industry uses. This will give you the most  accurate value of the diamond in your  possession, or of the diamond you are  considering purchasing.

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How to Buy Diamond Engagement Rings

There is much to consider when purchasing  a diamond – especially diamond  engagement rings! The tradition of  presenting a woman with a diamond  engagement ring when proposing began in  1477 when Archduke Maximilian presented  a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy – and  in most cases, the woman you plan to  propose to will expect a ring to accompany  that proposal!

First, determine how much ring you can  afford. Most people use the ‘two months  salary’ rule. This means that the ring should  cost the equivalent of two months of your  current salary. Because you have other bills  to pay, saving up this amount of money may  take quite a bit of time. You should consider  financing. Simply go to the jeweler of your  choice and tell them that you plan to buy an  engagement ring, and that financing will be  necessary. Go ahead and get the credit  check out of the way, find out what your  payments will be, and how much of a down  payment is required.

Now, have your mother, sister, or your  girlfriends best friend take your girlfriend  shopping, and make sure that they gaze at  the engagement rings to get an idea of what  she might like. Make sure that the jewelry  store you buy the ring from will allow you to  return the ring, if that is required, or allow  your girlfriend to exchange it for another if  she isn’t happy with it!

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How to Care for Your Diamond

Caring for a diamond takes more than  occasional cleanings. Diamonds are forever,  but they can be damaged if you are not  careful. By learning how to properly care for  your diamond, you will ensure that your  diamond is indeed forever.

First, you should take your diamond jewelry  to a jeweler once a year. Have him check the  mountings and prongs that hold your  diamond in place. Have him make any  needed repairs. This will prevent your  diamond from falling out of its setting and  becoming lost.

Diamond jewelry that is not being worn, or  diamonds that are loose should be stored in  a fabric lined jewel case, or in a jewelry box  where it can be kept separate from other  jewelry. Each piece should have its own  compartment. This will keep diamonds from  becoming scratched, and it will also keep  your diamond from scratching other jewelry  as well.

Remove your diamond jewelry when doing  physical work. Diamonds can be chipped  and scratched easily. Also avoid allowing  your diamond to come into contact with  bleach or other household cleansers – this  can damage or change the color of the  settings and mountings, and it may even  irreversibly change the color of the  diamond!

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How to Clean your Diamonds

Through our day to day movements our  diamonds get smudged and soiled.  Even  when we are not wearing them, they collect  dust.  Lotions, soaps, our natural skin oils,  can cause film and grime on diamonds  and inhibit their brilliance. 

Want to keep that Brilliance and Shine?    Diamonds require cleaning so that maximum  amounts of light can refract fiery brilliance.   Remember that all it takes is a few minutes  and a little care to keep that diamond as fiery  as the day you first saw it.

You can use an small soft brush such as an  eyebrow or lip stick brush and soap and  water to clean your jewelry.  Simply make a  bowl of warm sudsy water with a mild  detergent and place your pieces in the  mixture.  Then brush the diamonds with the  soft bristles of the brush while they are in  the suds.  You will need to make certain that  you rinse them clear of the suds after  cleaning them.  You can use a small kitchen  strainer such as a tea strainer to contain  them while rinsing under warm water.  Use  a lint free cloth, or a jewelry polish cloth to  pat them dry.

If your diamonds are in need of a stronger  cleansing, you may want to soak them for 30  minutes in a solution of half and half water and  ammonia.  Once they have soaked for 30  minutes, remove them and gently brush the  mountings with a small brush.  Then replace  the pieces to the solution and swish them  around in the mixture before removing them  to rinse and pat dry.  

If you find your self too busy to be mixing  soaps and ammonias, many department  stores sell liquid jewelry cleaners.  Most are  kits, with everything you need included.  You  need to read the labels to determine the one  that is right for your diamonds and other  jewelry. Read the complete directions and  follow all the precautions.

And if you find yourself more the  “high-tech type”, even in your diamond  cleaning routine, there are multiple ultrasonic  cleansers on the market.  These machines  use high-frequency to create a cleaning motion.   All machines are not the same, so please read  the instructions before using.

Only you can choose the cleaning method  right for you.   But, it is essential to keep  your jewelry clean to keep it brilliant and  sparkling.  Between cleaning, try not to touch your clean diamonds with your fingers or  handle your jewelry by its edges. This will  help maintain its shine and brilliance for  longer periods.

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How to Sell A Diamond

There are many reasons why you may want  to sell a diamond that you own. Perhaps  you’ve gotten divorced, or you are strapped  for cash. The reasons why don’t really matter  – getting the best possible price is what  counts! The way to obtain the best price  for the diamond is to not be in a rush. Slow  down, and carefully consider all of your  options – there are many.

First, have the diamond appraised. In fact,  have it appraised by two or three jewelers to  get an accurate idea of the diamonds value.  Tell the appraiser that you want the Rapaport  Value. This is the wholesale value of the  diamond, and it basically tells you the highest  price that you can sell your diamond for. If your  diamond has no certificate, you should  consider getting a certificate from GIA. This  may help you get a better price for the  diamond as well.

First, try to sell the diamond yourself, to  people you know. Friends and family  members may be interested. If you don’t have  any luck with friends or family members, you  should turn to outside sources. Absolutely  avoid pawn shops! A pawn shop will only offer  you about 10% of what the diamond is worth!  Also avoid offers of selling the ring on  consignment. There are many things that  can go wrong, and there is no shortage of  diamond scams – even in well known  jewelry stores.

If the diamond is important, you should  strongly consider auctioning it off through  one of the famous auction houses, such as  Christie’s or Sotheby’s. If it isn’t what is  considered an ‘important’ diamond or a  high-end diamond, you should try to sell it  to an individual using classified ads, or even  eBay. However, selling to an individual that  you do not know could put you in danger –  especially if the diamond is worth a lot of  money.

Your final option should be a jewelry store. It  is vital that you not let your diamond out of  your sight while in the jewelry store – you  might find that the diamond you walked in  with is not the same diamond that you walk  out with! The jeweler will try to tell you that  your diamond is of poor quality or low  weight. Inevitably, there will be some  problem with the diamond. This is where  your appraisal and/or certificate will come  in handy.

If the jeweler is fair, they will offer you  between 60% and 80% of the value of the  Rapaport Value. Do not accept anything less  than this. Again, do not let the diamond out of your sight until you have been paid for it. 

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Insuring Your Diamonds

Insuring a diamond takes a bit of thought,  planning, and shopping around. Diamond  insurance isn’t like purchasing car insurance.  It is quite different. Depending on the state  that you live in, there are basically three  different types of policies that will cover  diamonds, and all insurance policies that  cover diamonds are considered Marine  type policies.

The first type of insurance policies for  diamonds is an Actual Cash Value policy.  If the diamond is lost or damaged beyond  repair, the insurance company will replace  the diamond at today’s market value, no  matter how much you paid for the diamond  to begin with. This type of insurance policy  for diamonds actually is not that common.

The most common type of insurance for  diamonds is Replacement Value insurance.  The insurance company will only pay up to a  fixed amount to replace the diamond that was  lost or damaged beyond repair. This does not  mean that they will pay that amount – it means  that they will pay up to that amount. In most  cases, the diamond can be replaced at a  lower cost.

The third type of coverage offered for  diamonds is Agreed Value. This is  sometimes called ‘Valued At.’ This type of  coverage is very rare. In the event that the  diamond is lost or damaged beyond repair,  the insurance company simply pays you the  amount that you and the company agreed  upon. This is the best type of insurance to  have, but it is rarely offered. If you can’t get  Agreed Value coverage, Actual Cash Value coverage should be your next choice.

Your rates will be determined by the value of  the diamond, the type of coverage that you select, and the area that you live in. If you live  in an area with a high crime rate, you can  expect to pay more for your diamond  insurance coverage. It is important to  remember that insurance agents are not  qualified jewelers, and jewelers are not  qualified insurance agents. It is best to get  a certificate for your diamond, and to  provide the insurance company with a copy  of that certificate. This leaves the insurance  company less room for arguments over the  actual value of the diamond.

Don’t rely on separate coverage to cover  your diamond. For instance, if you diamond  is stolen from your home, it is probably  covered on your home owner’s insurance  policy – but the diamond probably won’t  always be in your home, and once it leaves  your home, there is no coverage.

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How to Spot A Fake Diamond

In this world of advanced technology it is  almost impossible to simply look at a  diamond and determine whether it is real or  not – especially if you don’t know much  about diamonds. There are some steps that  you can take to avoid buying a fake diamond, however.

First, only deal with reputable jewelers, and  when you find a reputable jeweler, stick with  them. Avoid buying diamonds or other  jewelry from jewelers that you have never  dealt with before in the past. Ask to see the  certificate for the stone. If no certificate exists,  walk away.

Look at the setting that the stone is in. Fake  diamonds, such as zirconias, are usually set  in low quality metals. Take a close look at the  stone. Fake diamonds are not durable –  natural diamonds, on the other hand, are the  most durable stone on the planet. Look for  scratches or nicks.

After purchasing a diamond, take it to  another jeweler for appraisal. In fact, take it  to two or three other jewelers for an appraisal  to make sure that the appraisals are all fairly  close. If you find that you have purchased a  fake diamond, you may be accused of  making a switch when you return to the store  of your purchase; therefore, it is important to  have a certificate for the diamond. No two  stones are alike.  

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Selecting Diamonds

Diamonds are graded for certification by  laboratories using grading criteria. Four of  these criteria are critical to understand when  making a diamond purchase or investment.  Known as the “Four C’s” these criteria are:  color, cut, clarity and carat. 

Color is the result of the composition of a  diamond and it does not change. When a  jeweler is describing the color of a diamond  they are referring to the presence or absence  of color in white diamonds. Because a  diamond with no color allows maximum light  to pass through, colorless diamonds are  preferred for their sparkle.

Cut refers to a diamonds reflective quality.  Most diamonds are cut with 58 facets. The  brilliance of diamonds is heavily dependent  on the cut. The different angles and the finish  of a diamond determine its ability to reflect  light and cause its brilliance and fire.  Remember that the cut of a diamond can  have an impact on its durability as well as its  beauty. Some cutting faults can make a  diamond prone to breakage. A diamond  that is cut too thin can also cause light to  leak out of the back and the diamond will  lose some of the sparkle and appear not  to shine. So, as you can see the Cut is  probably the most important of the Four C’s.  

During the formation process, inner flaws, or  inclusions occur in most diamonds. The  number and size of these inclusions  determine what is referred to as the clarity  of a diamond. Diamonds that are clear  create more brilliance and therefore are rarer  and highly priced. To be considered “flawless”, a diamond must have no surface  or internal imperfections visible upon being  viewed by a skilled diamond grader using  10 power magnifications.

Carat is the unit of weight by which diamonds  are measured. One carat is equal to 200  milligrams. A carat is divided into 100  segments called points. 150 points would  equal one and a half carats. 

When you go to the store to make that all  important diamond purchase, do not be shy!   Ask questions, get the answers needed to  make an informed purchase. Shopping for  certified diamonds enables you to make an  informed selection. Knowing the “four C’s”  allows you to comparison shop and purchase  the best diamond at a fair price.  But, before  making a purchase, shop around and decide  what shapes and styles really appeal to you.  Enjoy your diamond for years to come!  

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Synthetic Diamonds

The first synthetic diamonds were produced  by General Electric in 1954. A synthetic  diamond is basically a rock that has the  durability, refractive index and hardness of  a natural diamond – but it is made by man.  A synthetic diamond should not be  confused with stimulant diamonds, such as  glass, cubic zirconia, or moissanite.

Although the technology for synthetic  diamonds came into play in 1954, no  synthetic diamonds were ever seen on the  market until the 1990’s. This was due to the  fact that it took many years for General  Electric to produce a synthetic diamond that  could compare with the quality of a natural  diamond – and when they figured out how to  do it, they found that it cost more to produce  a synthetic diamond than it did to mine and  cut natural diamonds.

Finally, a small company by the name of  Gemesis Corporation figured out a way to  produce synthetic diamonds that were of the  same quality as natural diamonds, at a  cheaper price. Today, Gemesis produces  synthetic white diamonds, and colored  diamonds as well. These diamonds sell for  about 1/3 of the cost of a natural diamond,  but there is a shortage of them, and they are  hard to find. In fact, it seems that synthetic  diamonds are rarer than natural diamonds! 

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What Are Dirty Diamonds?

A dirty diamond is one of two things: a rough  diamond, or a diamond that hasn’t been  cleaned in a while. Rough diamonds are  uncut and unpolished – hence, they are dirty.  But that type of dirty diamond will soon be  cut and polished and sitting in a beautiful  jewel box in a display case. Then someone  will purchase it, and before long, it will  become a dirty diamond once again.

Diamonds become dirty. When you wash  your hands with a diamond ring on, soap  scum clings to it. When you put on hand  lotion, it gets grease on it. Shower with your  diamond earrings or necklace, and again,  you get soap scum. In one short day, your  brand new diamond could be dirty!

Purchase an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner the  same day that you purchase your diamond  jewelry, and use it every single day, without  fail. The clarity of the diamond changes  when the diamond is dirty – it loses its  sparkle. By taking one minute each day to  clean your diamond jewelry, you can avoid  this, and your diamonds will never be dirty!

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Where Diamonds are Mined

Argye mine located in the Kimberley region  in the far north east of Western Australia.  Owned by Rio Tinto, this mine is the world’s  largest single producer of volume of  diamonds.  However, due to low proportion  of gem quality diamonds it is not the value  leader.  It does produce 90-95% of the  world’s supply of pink diamonds.    

Diavik is also owned by Rio Tinto, located in  Canada it is a very large mine.   It is located  north of Yellowknife and south of the Artic  Circle on an island.  The island is connected  by an ice road.  It is also an important part of  the regions economy employing more than  700 people and producing more than 8 million  carats annually.

Ekati diamond mine is owned by BHP  Billiton and located south of the artic circle  in the Northwest Territories of Canada.   The Ekati is Canada’s first operational  diamond mine.     Diamonds mined here  are sold under the Aurias trade name    Authenticity is verified through Canada Mark service.  CanadaMark service is also  owned by BHP Billiton Diamonds, Inc.

Baken diamond mine is located along the  lower Orange River in South Africa.  It is  owned and operated by Trans Hex.  The  average size stone for 2004 was 1.29  carats.   In 2004, this mine produced a  78.9 carat D color flawless diamond that  sold for more than 1.8 million dollars (US),  as well as a 27.67 pink diamond that was  sold for over 1 million US dollars.

Merlin is the second of only two diamond  mines in Australia.  No longer operating it  was owned by Rio Tinto and sold to Striker  Resources, who has explored the  possibilities of reopening the mine.   

Orapa is the world’s largest diamond mine.   It us located 240 Km west of  Francistown.  The mine is owned by  “Debswana” which is a partnership  between DeBeers and the government of  Botswana. This mine operates 7 days a  week.  It maintains pre primary and  primary schools for its employee’s children.   There is also a 100 bed hospital and game  park.  This mine began production in 1971  and is the oldest mine owned by the  Debswana Company.

The Premier mine located in Cullinan, South  Africa produced the largest gem diamond  ever in 1905.  The Cullinan Diamond  weighed 3,106.75 carats.  This mine also  produced the Golden Jubilee diamond  which weighed 545.67 carats.  This mine is  owned by the De Beers Company and was  renamed The Cullinan Diamond Mine in  2003 in celebration of its centennial.

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