How to Avoid Breaking or Chipping Your Diamonds ?

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Contrary to popular belief, diamonds can be broken or chipped with ease. You may ask how’s that possible? if  diamond is one of the hardest material known to man. Well you won’t be the only one.

A lot of store owners will attest to the fact that they get, from time to time customers who are disgruntled about their diamond breaking or chipping and clueless as to how it could happen.

Diamonds are strong but relatively brittle, they have property called cleavage, and if you knock it at that plane they WILL break. Diamonds are good for grinding purposes but drop them at the wrong angle and they chip off quite easily.

Shapes like princess and emerald are the most prone to breakage due to their sharp edges. Diamonds set in your ring are again more likely to break compared to earrings and necklaces as they are most likely to be knocked around.

The way to reduce the risk of chipping your diamond is to avoid wearing them when doing hard activities like heavy lifting, outdoor activities, cleaning etc. Also take care when you wear or take your diamond jewelry off, as this the time that you may drop it on a hard surface such as the floor, table or even the bathroom sink.

Follow these simple ways to avoid getting the nasty shock of realizing that you’ve chipped your precious diamond.

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Naomi Campbell Puts Blood Diamonds in The Limelight Again

Well the celebrity chat rooms and blogs are abuzz with  Naomi Campbell testifying  at the The Hague in the Netherlands. Besides showcasing Ms Campbell as a total naive this has lead to the issue of blood diamonds  and the harm it does to the nations where they are mined, to be in the news and in front of an audience who may not have known what they were and the destruction they wreak.

Dictators like Charles Taylor have used these diamonds to decimate their countries not only economically but also  socially. They have been able to do this because the authorities who control the diamond trade have been unable or unwilling to be very strict with companies who trade in blood diamonds. Sure there is the Kimberly process which is an international agreement to check the proliferation of these but these have been not very effective.

But the main reason these war merchants have been able to deal and prosper in the trade of blood diamonds is because we the consumers don’t really care where the diamonds that we buy come from (the majority anyways). I know this sounds like a rant but believe me if one took the time to research the conditions in these war torn African countries they would feel as strongly about it as I do.

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Why Do We Crave For Celebrity Jewelry

The one trend that has stood the test of time is the obsession of us lesser mortals to crave for what the celebrities wear, be it clothing, accessories or jewelry. In ancient times it was the Kings and the Queens and their courtiers who had the resources and the exclusivity to set the fashion trends of their era. The commoners were not allowed in a lot of places to even try to copy these fashions. They could just stand by the side and  admire the royal regalia whenever they got the chance.

The last 100 years have been revolutionary not only on the economic and technical front but also the social. Wealth is not the exclusivity of the very few, but has become much widely distributed. The  celebrities of our era not the royals but the entertainers who have attained God like status and the following to prove it.

Most of these celebrities come from a humble background and are easily identifiable by us. They give us inspiration to aspire for better things in life. The revolution in media, especially in the last 15  years, with the advent of Internet and the instant news coverage puts these celebrities in a position where they are in the limelight all the time.

This coverage highlights their fashion statements and more importantly their fashion faux pass in the public domain instantly. The net is abuzz with every aspect of their lives as we cannot get enough of our favourite celeb, be it a movie star, TV personality or the current rising sport star.

The obscenely expensive and exclusive clothing and jewelry is way beyond most of us, but we still aspire for them and try to buy inexpensive imitations to maybe feel just a little like them. There is nothing wrong with that as long as we don’t obsess with it and use up most of the paycheck to cater for this want.

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Kids Jewelry a Health Hazard

The ongoing investigations by Federal Agencies should be a huge concern for all parents. The investigation once again shows the immediate need for regulations to be in place for testing of items which are consumed by children. The huge recalls of toys last year should have been a big warning sign that stringent rules are required to safe guard our children health.

Now it is the turn of imported jewelry, especially from China, which has come under scrutiny and already some shipments have been turned back after initial testing showed them to contain high levels of the toxic metal cadmium. Recalls are already in place for a few brands including “Best Friends” charm bracelets. In my opinion these are just the tip of the iceberg.

Claire’s the chain of stores which sold these toxic bracelet could have avoided the entire episode if they had in house testing in place. Why do we need to always react to a health hazard and not pro-actively have mandatory and strict regulations in place for safeguarding the safety of our children.

One way would be for consumer groups to insist on some sort of labeling which tells the metallic content of the piece of jewelry and that the jewelry poses no health risk to children.

Let me know your views on this by commenting below.

You can read more about the investigation here

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What to Know About Color Diamonds

When we think of diamonds, we all have a tendency to think about white diamonds only. Once the budget is decided we generally look to buy the largest diamond available in the price range and try to get the best color, in this case the less color that the diamond has the better, that means the whitest diamond color we can get. The cut is last thing we consider, though this should be higher on the priority scale.All other things being equal, the whiter the diamond color, the more expensive its going to be.

The other end of the diamond color spectrum is the fancy color range, which includes a myriad  of hues which range from yellow, red, blue, green, red and everything in between. These fancy color diamonds can be more expensive than its white counterpart. The natural blue and red color diamonds are very rare and expensive. Impurities present in the diamond attribute to its color.

Artificial irradiation and heat treatment can alter the color of a diamond from pale yellow and brown to a wide range of colors. The commercial fancy color diamonds in majority of cases will be treated diamonds, this alone can make them affordable, as I previously stated, the natural fancy colored diamonds are extremely rare and expensive.

Synthetic diamonds are another viable option for buying fancy color diamonds. As these  diamonds are lab created, they can be produced in different vibrant hues and again are quite affordable.

These beautifully colored diamonds can enhance your jewelry collection and make you stand out and give you the satisfaction of wearing a diamond as well.

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Diamond Prices Set to Rise ?

If the recently concluded diamond auction held by Sotheby’s and Christie’s in New York tells us anything, it is that we may see a rise in the diamond prices in the near future. Large diamonds weighing 10 + carats sold well at very good prices. This auction along with the current shortage in the supply of rough diamonds is a sure precursor of higher diamond prices to come.

Even smaller sized diamonds found good buyers at these two auctions. The trend at these auctions are generally good indicators of how the diamond market is going to behave in the short term. As it is a lot of diamond retailers, especially in Asia have already increased the prices of set diamond jewelry as the buying trend in these markets have shifted from the traditionally strong Gold jewelery to that of diamonds.

This strong trend in Asia is going to have a trickle down effect in the jewelery market in United States. It will be interesting to keep a watch on how this affects the online and offline jewelry stores in both terms of total sales and the average sale per item.

You can read more on the figures of the two auctions here

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Interesting Jewelery Auction to be Held in New York

Well if you live in the New York area and like looking at interesting pieces of jewelery with some historic value and mystique attached to them, then you should visit the auction that Christie’s is having this coming Thursday.

Two jewelry items that have created a buzz among prospective buyers are a emerald brooch once owned by Catherine the Great of Russia and the famous Maximilian diamond ring owned by Imelda Marcos. Both are controversial historical figures and these jewelry items have rarely been seen by the public in recent years.

So if you have some time go ahead and visit Christie’s and check out the auction, there are quite a few other jewelry pieces on show, and if you make to the auction then please share your experience there by commenting below.

You can read more about the auction here.

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Where to Buy Moissanite ?

There are many places where you can buy moissanites. From department stores like JCPenney, Macy’s, Sears etc to specialized moissanite stores a list of which can be found by clicking on the link above. You can put in your location and find the one nearest to you.

The best way to find an online moissanite store is to just google it, just make sure that you check their return and privacy policies, take a look at their testimonials and if you have some time on your hands, try googling their url and see if any adverse comments can be found.

Also read this post on Moissanite diamond review to familiarize your self on the similarities of the two stones.

Please let me know your experiences, when buying a moissanite, your insights will be helpful for our readers.

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How to Take Care of Fashion Jewelry

More people own and wear fashion jewelry than they care to admit, its inexpensive costing when compared to precious jewelry leads most of us to not care for the fashion or junk jewelry in our collection. Because these are made up of cheap metals and low quality polish, they tend to tarnish and are worse for the wear. The following articles have useful tips on how to clean and take care of fashion jewelry.

Caring For Fashion Jewelry | Design Care

While fashion jewelry is also commonly referred to as junk jewelry and costume jewelry, both terms that make the jewelry sound worthless,

Caring For Your Fashion Jewelry And Costume Jewelry

For most women, wearing fashion jewelry is an easy way to try fresh new looks or to perk up your existing wardrobe. Keeping your jewelry looking its best will help keep you look your best too. Fashion jewelry, also known as costume …

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Jewelry For Rent ?

Recent trends show that more and more jewelry retailers are opting to provide precious and non precious jewelry rental services. The jewelry for rent services are already doing very well in countries like India, especially for bridal jewelry. This trend is catching up in United States off late as jewelry retailers scramble to look for different avenues to monetize their stock.

These services currently are only on a local scale as its easier for the jewelers to track their customers. Generally they rent out high end pieces ($3000 and above), charging anywhere around 5% to 10% of the actual value of the piece, for a rental period of one week. This is a very good option for saving money and at the same time get to be seen wearing a stunning piece of jewelry at various social events such as charities etc.

To rent jewelry you would normally need to provide details of two credit cards and I.D.
Make sure that you go to rent the jewelry a few days in advance as the retailer will take time to verify your credit. All in all its a win win situation for both parties. Check online or in your local media publications to find retailers who provide this service.

I would love to hear your views on this, feel free to comment below and give your feed back especially if you have availed of this service and let me know of your experience.

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Looking to Invest in Diamonds ? Beware

Are diamonds a good investment today? The answer is a big fat NO. Diamonds have not been a good investment for years, infact if you take into account diamond prices (inflation adjusted) for the last 30 years, they have given dismal returns. Do your research before going for diamonds as a viable investment option. Diamonds have been used by money launderers to hide copious amount of cash from the authorities in some east European, south American and Asian countries because they are easy to hide and to dispose of . These guys don’t care if the diamonds are a good investment or not, all they care for is not declaring their ill-gained or not cash.

SO if you are not one of the fore mentioned people , then have a read of this article in the Wall Street Journal and think twice before using diamonds as an investment option. Having said that you need to know that buying a diamond at a good price for its wearing pleasure is still one of the most satisfying experience for a woman or a man for that matter and that’s how one needs to look at a diamond buying decision.

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Should You Buy Diamonds Online or Offline ?

Today’s great debate, should you buy diamonds online or offline? Both options have their pros and cons. Here are a few of these:

Buying Diamonds Online:
Pros:-

1. The biggest advantage of buying online is the price. The pricing of diamonds of relatively the same quality and size would generally be about 10% to 50% cheaper than some offline stores.
2. You can easily compare various online diamond retailers quickly to compare the prices, shipping options and return policies.
3. You can educate yourself about the 4 c’s and access other helpful resources to educate yourself about the whole diamond buying process. The top online retailers now provide very good online videos to help you do this.
4. A large amount of variety to choose from, giving you more options which are within your budget.

Cons:-

1. The biggest problem is that you are actually buying a expensive piece of jewelery sight unseen. If you are the type of buyer who likes to feel the diamond in his/her hand before making the purchase, then online buying is not for you.
2. Some online retailers have dubious refund policies and you need to be aware of these.
3. You need to make certain that the diamonds you buy online are certified by reputed and independent agencies such as GIA, IGI etc.

Buying Diamonds Offline:
Pros:-

1. The biggest advantage of buying diamonds offline from a brick and mortar store is that you get to physically verify the diamond and compare it to other diamonds before purchasing.
2. Customer service is generally much better and personal when compared to online diamond retailers.
3. If you have the time, you can hunt for bargains, especially from stores which are liquidating their stock due to the current recession.

Cons:-

1. The pricing of diamonds would generally be higher than online stores due to higher overheads like rent etc.
2. Limited variety of stock, you may not find too many options, depending on your budget.
3. Time consuming, you may need to visit various stores before you find something suitable in your budget.

Ultimately you need to decide which option is best suited to you, it is more of a personal choice than anything else.

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Do You Want Your Dollars To Finance Atrocities in Zimbabwe ?

I think not. Zimbabwe’s security forces have taken over a fabulously rich diamond field. Estimates range from $ 25 to $ 100 million a month. Imagine what atrocities could be perpetrated with such large amounts of money. A country which is already reeling under incredible inflation and lawlessness could enter a era of atrocities of such magnitude which will defy belief.

Vested interests will ensure that no action is taken to ban the export and sale of diamonds originating from these mines or will find a way to bypass the restrictions before it is too late. We as consumers have a moral responsibility to raise our voice against such practices and the only way to do this is by only buying diamonds which have been proven to be sourced from conflict free zones in Africa and other parts of the world.

We need to be aware enough to ask the diamond providers be it a jewelry store in your local mall or a online jewelry site to prove that the diamonds they sell us adhere to the Kimberley Process .

If enough of us raise our voice or at least let the diamond trade know that we won’t buy blood stained diamonds, it will make them take notice as the only thing they understand is the language of money and if we can boycott conflict diamonds and make a stand, then the resulting hit to their pockets and negative publicity will make them realize that in the long run it is better for them to ban diamonds from such sources.

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Want to Buy a 62.30 Carat D Flawless Diamond?

8.051 million is all you needed if you were at Christie’s Geneva auction. That’s what was paid by Essex Global Trading for a 62.30 carat , flawless and D color diamond. That is mere $ 130,000 per carat. Recession? what recession? Read the rest of this entry »

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How to Clean Diamonds ?

There are a lot of ways to clean diamonds ranging from simple ways to clean them at home to getting them professionally cleaned. This forum post that I came across gives some good examples. You can use any of the mentioned processes, just make sure you check the prongs of the diamond jewelry to see if they are not worn out or broken. If they are you’d be better off taking it to a jewelry professional and have them repair the piece.

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What is the Best Way to Sell Your Gold and Diamond Jewelry?

Do you sometimes wonder about how much the piece of gold or diamond jewelry which was perhaps given to you by your mom or a relative is worth. Is it set in gold? Is the sparkler a diamond or imitation? You can answer all these questions by taking your jewelry to an appraiser and getting it checked out. What you definitely don’t want to do is take to a pawn shop to get it appraised as they will almost always quote you much less than what their actual market price is .

Here is a article which gives general ways to sell your gold and diamond jewelry . Have a read and let me know in the comments section if you want detailed information on any aspect of the article.

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Diamond Industry in Doldrums.

So it’s official. The diamond industry is in dire straits. I came across this article in the national jeweler network site, which states in no uncertain terms that large diamonds have no takers. Even the Russians who have been the main buyers of larger diamonds in the recent past are not interested.

The jewelers are finally realizing that their glory days are over. The current economic scenario will keep on getting worse for them, the past 10 years of phenomenal growth becoming a distant memory. Those who invested in diamonds of size ranging from 10 carat to 15 carat are stuck with their pieces with no buyers in the foreseeable future.

The crunch is not only affecting the big players but is being funneled down to the width and length of the diamond industry. Surat in India the biggest diamond cutting center in the world in terms of volume has lost over 150,000 jobs, the majority of those laid off are diamond cutters.

There are hard lessons to be learnt here. The diamond industry needs to reflect and come up with some concrete measures to alleviate the situation. Instead of lamenting about their current situation they should take action . In the end what ever is best for their clients will be the best for them.

Please let me know what you think of this post. Feel free to post your comments, they are most welcome.

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What is Moissanite ?

Moissanite is named after the Nobel prize winner Henri Moissan. In 1893 he began studying fragments of a meteorite which crashed in the Arizona desert about 50,000 years ago. In these fragments he discovered minute quantities of a new mineral which had a very high shimmer. He studied this mineral and identified it as made up of silicon carbide. Due to the miniscule quantities of its find this mineral now named moissanite was not studied further till the late 1980’s when a company named CREE developed a proprietary process for producing large single crystals of Moissanite.

These crystals correct name is synthetic moissanite and it was observed in the mid 1990’s that it would make for a very high quality synthetic gemstone if cut properly , highlighting its brilliance and luster. The hardness of the stone makes it a very durable gemstone for jewelry. Charles & Colvard is the company behind the synthetic moissanite that is being sold today. Their genius lies in the slick marketing including not using ‘Synthetic’ when describing a moissanite and carefully monitoring the supply of their product and not flood the markets.

You can read my post on Moissanite Diamond Review to know how the two compare.
Today’s economic meltdown makes it a very good substitute to a diamond.

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How to Use Rapaport to Help You Buy Diamonds at a Lower Price

The Rapaport diamond report is a monthly listing of diamond prices, availability and market information for the diamond industry. The report is also sometimes called the Rap report. This report is the wholesale price list for single piece diamonds, the pricing takes into account the color, clarity, cut and weight (carat) and fluorescence of the diamond.

As this report is only accessible to diamond dealers, you need to ask your local diamond dealer to let you have a look at it. A lot of online jewelers also use this report and can give you the current price of a specific quality diamond. Keep in mind that the prices given on the rap report should be taken as the starting point of your negotiations.

How much discount you can get on the rapaport diamond report depends on various factors such as:

• The type of sales turnover the jeweler has. If he has a high turnover then he could be sourcing his diamonds at a lower price and can give you additional discount.
• Depends if the dealer has bought the diamond on cash instead of credit, if on cash then he has again bought at a lower price and can pass on the discount to you. .
• A brick and mortar store will have higher overheads than an online store, but you can still find some offline jewelry stores who have kept their prices competitive and can offer you similar discounts as an online jeweler with the added advantage that you can physically look at a stone and compare.
• How old is his inventory and how desperate is the jeweler to make the sale.
• The availability of the diamond especially the type of cut. The rarer the cut the less discount you are likely to get.
• Your own negotiation skills.

You can buy a solitaire at a much lower price than the suggested retail if you make the effort to check around and use the rapaport diamond report to your benefit. A lot of jewelers don’t like the idea that the retail customers have started to use the rap report as it is eating into their profit margins, but more and more jewelers are accepting the fact that a knowledgeable customer is good for the industry and will lead to wider transparency in the diamond industry and weed out the non serious buyers.

So go out and inform yourself with the whole process and save yourself some serious change.

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How To Buy Gold Jewelry

Gold , this eternal yellow metal has fascinated us over the ages. From the time of ancient civilizations to the present, it has held a power over us that has always drawn us towards it. Gold jewelry is and has always been one of the key status symbol of man , irrespective of his color, creed , religion and nationality.

The current upsurge in gold prices has not diminished its appeal . In fact in today’s uncertain economic times gold has become one of the very few options which is giving a positive return on investment.

So how do we decide what type of gold jewelry to buy today , keeping in mind its high price. The key is to understand what karat (purity) of gold to buy . Pure gold (24k) is too soft to be used for making jewelry, it has to be mixed with alloys to harden it and make it durable enough to be crafted into a fine piece of gold jewelry.

The lower the karat of gold i.e. 22k, 18k, 14k, 9k, the lower the price of gold. Which means your budget will dictate which karat you are going to buy. The price will also depend on the branding of the design of the gold jewelry and the location of the store.
From the point of view of durability and value I recommend buying 18k jewelry whenever possible , especially if it is studded with gemstones. It is more durable and longer lasting than 14k and 9k gold jewelry.

The following tips should help you get the most value for your money when you decide to buy a piece of gold jewelry.

• Review the online jewelry stores for the range of gold jewelry along with the pricing and compare them to your local jewelry stores.

• Whenever possible ask for the per gram price of the gold and compare with the current market price of gold to make sure you are not being overcharged .

• Make sure that jewelry is hallmarked with the correct karat of purity.

• The gold jewelry should have a certificate of authenticity specifying the karat and the total weight of the gold

• Check with the jeweler if the jewelry is rhodium plated or not, yellow gold can be rhodium plated to change its color to white and vie versa. This does not last very long and wears of with regular use.

So next time you buy gold jewelry keep the above tips in mind to make your decision .

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Recession – A boon for online jewelry buyers.

There has never been a better time to buy jewelry online than now. The current recession and the consequent slump in demand for jewelry has forced most of the major players of the online jewelry industry to cut down on prices to attract buyers, there are a lot of stores which in their effort to decrease their product inventories have started wooing buyers with a lot of promotional offers and discounts.

A lot of brick and mortar jewelry stores are shutting down and no one is expanding. The hardest hit are the stores with a lot of high end jewelry, especially diamond jewelry. These jewelry stores are trying to sell their stock of jewelry online at highly discounted prices.

For people in dire straits due to the current recession, eBay has become an outlet to dispose off their high priced jewelry especially diamond solitaire rings, there has been a sharp upsurge in the supply of diamond rings in the eBay listings. If you are looking for some great buys , check the latest listings on eBay to hunt for bargains. A note of caution though , please check the specifications of the jewelry being sold and only buy if there is a certificate listing the diamond color, diamond clarity, diamond cut and the carat weight . This is a prudent course of action to safeguard your self from any fraudulent transaction.

Take the time to check not only the online jewelry stores you frequent but also others to compare the prices, I guarantee you it will be time well spent.

Also review the local jewelry stores in your area , especially the one’s located in malls, as a lot of them are liquidating and offering rock bottom prices.

I wish you all happy hunting.

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Diamond Cut

When buying a diamond, most of us concentrate on the diamond color, clarity and carat (weight). The fourth C – The cut is often underestimated for the role it plays on the pricing and its effect on the color and clarity of the diamond. This happens because the technicalities and the calculations involved in calculating or grading the cut are harder to understand for us the consumers than that of the other C’s.

There are many cut grading scales, but for now I will discuss the GIA cut scale as it is the most common and well known of the scales. This scale applies to the faceted round brilliant cut which is the most common form of cut diamonds. This cut has 58 facets including the culet or the tip of the diamond. The GIA cut scale uses single descriptive words to describe the quality grade of the cut which are as follows:

Excellent

Very Good

Good

Fair

Poor

The parameters used for each grade of quality include the calculations of the girdle diameter, girdle thickness, total height, crown angle, table size, crown height, pavilion depth and the culet. The polish and symmetry of the diamond also play an important part in establishing the quality of the diamond cut.

Diamond Proprtions Chart

The calculations used to measure the above parameters are beyond the scope of this post. The important thing is that you remember that the cut grade of the diamond has a impact on not only its price but also on its color and clarity as a poor or fair cut may reduce the brilliance, luster, color and the durability of the piece (it may be prone to chipping).

When purchasing a diamond try to look for a diamond which is graded Very Good to Good, this in conjunction with the color, clarity and carat(weight) you choose will give you the most value for your money.

Please feel free to give me your feedback on this article and let me know if it helped you or not. Also let me know if there is anything specific you would like to discuss.

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Diamond Weight – Carat

Diamond Weight – Carat

After you have evaluated the diamond color and the diamond clarity , it’s time to evaluate the weight of the diamond you intend to buy. The diamond weight is established as follows :

• One metric carat = 200 mg = 1/5 gram.

• The abbreviation of carat is ct.

• A diamond weighing less than one carat is established in points or cents. There are 100 points or cents in one carat, which means 1 point or cent = 0.01 ct.

When comparing the price of two diamonds, the value of a diamond will be in direct proportion to its weight, when its color, clarity and cut are constant. The bigger the carat weight, the more expensive it is as larger size diamonds are rarer and have more demand than supply.

When purchasing a diamond keep in mind that a single diamond weighing 1.00 ct will more expensive than 4 diamonds of say .27 ct each. If you are looking to buy a 1 ct diamond , I would suggest buying a .97 ct – .98 ct diamond rather than a1.00 ct piece as you can save some money and besides the size difference is almost impossible to tell with the naked eye.

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4 C’s of a Diamond – Clarity grade of a Diamond

In my last post I discussed the color grade of a diamond using the color grading scale of GIA. In this post lets talk about the second C of a diamond i.e. clarity grade of a diamond. Clarity grade of a diamond is the next most important aspect of evaluating a diamond. Clarity basically deals with blemishes (external) and inclusions (internal defects) found in a diamond. These serve as the fingerprint of a diamond, two diamonds may have the same grade of color, quality of cut and carat weight but it can never have the same blemishes and inclusions. Therefore it’s important to know what clarity grade your diamond is and what individual inclusions it has.

Blemishes and inclusions can occur naturally in a diamond and or during the cutting process, setting process or in wearing a finished piece. To go into the details of each type of blemish and inclusion found in a diamond is beyond the scope of this post. Let’s take a look at the GIA scale of clarity for a diamond.

Fl (Flawless): No blemishes, No inclusions seen under 10x magnification. The diamond is absolutely transparent.

IF (Internally flawless): No inclusions, only insignificant blemishes can be seen under 10x magnification which does not affect transparency.

VVS1-VVS2 (Very very small inclusions): Very few and very small inclusions can be seen under 10x magnification which are extremely difficult to see.

VS1-VS2 (Very small inclusions): Very small inclusions seen under 10x magnification, these are difficult to find.

SI1-SI2 (Small inclusions): Small inclusions that easy or very easy to see under 10x magnification. They are centrally located and get noticed immediately and may be visible to the naked eye.

I1-I2-I3 (Inclusions): These are very obvious inclusions that are often easily eye visible with the diamond in the face up position. In I3 they may threaten the durability of the diamond.

Flawless and Internally flawless diamonds are very rare and consequently very expensive. In my opinion a VS to SI1 grade diamond is a good option especially if your budget is a little tight.

Be aware that some diamonds maybe treated to enhance their clarity especially by using laser treatment and crack filling techniques. When buying a diamond ask your jeweler if the piece has been treated with such techniques.

You can practice using a 10x loupe to see if you can spot cracks, and chips on the diamonds you already have, this will not make you an expert but will certainly help you get acquainted with your diamonds. Another thing that you can do is when shopping for a diamond in a jewelry store, ask the jeweler to magnify the diamond you are interested in and identify the inclusions or blemishes present in a diamond for you. This will help you in understand the diamond clarity report if it is available.

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Diamond Color,Cut,Clarity and Carat|Do You Know The 4C’s of a Diamond?

So you are ready to buy your first diamond or just want to upgrade to a bigger rock. You walk into your neighborhood jewelry store or are just browsing through the online jewelry sites, checking out the various diamond shapes and sizes available to you in your budget. You like a couple of pieces, but hang on what is all this talk about the 4 C’s? What exactly do they represent and why does the price differ so much even though the sizes of the two diamonds you like are almost the same.

These are some of the questions that arise when we are shopping as first time diamond buyers and sometimes even if it’s our fifth or tenth diamond purchase. Some of us are just too embarrassed to ask the jeweler to explain and even when explained these terms can quite vague to understand.

Why should you know these 4C’s? Well the short answer is that a diamond’s price is in direct proportion to them and the price of a diamond varies with the various combinations of these 4. Let’s take a look at the 4C’s individually and their implications on the price of the diamond that you want to buy. In this post I will talk about the 1st C which is the Color of diamond.

Color

The color of a diamond is its most characteristic feature and, equally constitutes one of its most important, for it’s the color which strikes the human eye most strongly. The color palette of diamond is very richly varied, it ranges from pink through red, blue, green, yellow, brown and even black and of course there is the colorless variety.

There are a lot of different diamond color grading systems but the most common and widely recognized system is that of the GIA (Gemological Institute of America).The GIA diamond grading scale is as follows:

A diamond is graded against a GIA certified Master Stone set. To the untrained eye distinguishing between colorless and near colorless diamond is very hard as is faint yellow to very light yellow. Colorless diamonds are the rarest, near colorless is next and so on.

As a buyer you need to be aware of these grading as the price can vary a lot between the different grades. Generally speaking I would suggest going for the near colorless grade ie. G-H-I-J as you can come across some reasonably priced diamonds in this range, of course the final price will be determined along with the other three C’s –clarity, cut and carat(weight) which I will discuss in the upcoming posts.

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