Buy DIamonds
So you would like to buy diamonds online? Ask yourself honestly, how much do you know about them? no really, we aren’t taught this in school. Is your diamond information coming from your parents? Your friend who told you all about them who in turn was told from another friend who said/thought he or she was a diamond enthusiast? We have all heard Jewelry and Diamond buying experiences from our friends and colleges, if it’s a positive one then we think that they received a great deal , which is not necessarily so.
Do your own research, after all diamonds are expensive. Would you buy a brand new car that you didn’t know anything about? Probably not. However this is where I can help, if you don’t have time or can’t be bothered in becoming a diamond expert, I’ll find you a diamond that fits your budget! just fill out my ‘Find My Diamond‘ form.
When buying diamonds online or an online guide to buying diamonds we have to learn about what we are buying, the same as any other big purchase we all make in life. If you are looking for cheap diamonds or affordable diamond engagement rings, allow me to share some sensible guidance that will assist you in your quest for a good buy. The first and fore mostly piece of advice that I can give you is to think about your budget. If you stay within your means this will assist you to prioritize what’s important to you. In addition this first step will probably take away a considerable amount of stress and anxiety from the decision. In this buying guide I will take you through the big bright world of Diamonds and Diamond Grading.
We have all heard of them before, the 4 C’s as it affectionately called to grade diamonds. The GIA ‘Gemological Institute of America’ actually created this now globally accepted grading system. With the help of this grading system you can empower yourself with some vital diamond knowledge. I’m not going to tell you one is arguably more important than the other because one’s own personal preference comes into play. The 4 C’s consists of the following;
Diamond Color Grading
A diamonds color range starts at ‘D’ and continues through to ‘Z’∗. Determining the best diamond color range to stay in is a very individual matter. People vary widely in their color acuity. Some people can immediately detect a diamond color that is outside the colorless range (DEF). Other people cannot distinguish between colors several grades apart, even in controlled conditions.
Most shoppers looking for diamonds for sale are mainly concerned that the diamond does not look yellow to the casual observer. Diamonds in the near-colorless range (GHIJ) generally fit this criterion. And since near-colorless diamonds cost far less than colorless ones, many people find their best value in this range. When visiting a jewelers ask to view different colour diamonds next to each other. Sitting a D Color and a J colour diamond together will be noticeable. However a J color diamond can often look very white when set into the right ring.
Diamond clarity Grading
Selecting the clarity of a diamond is the second most important stage in choosing to buy diamonds. Let’s look at the grades first;
FL – Flawless in everyway
IF – Internally Flawless in everyway
VVS1 & VVS2 – Slight Inclusions
VS1 & VS2 – Minor inclusions
SI1 & SI2 – Noticeable inclusions
I1, I2 & I3 – Also known as Pique, or P1, P2, P3, Obvious to very obvious inclusions are seen and can affect brilliance and the correct refraction of light which can bring us into the realm of Salt and Pepper Diamonds.
(Using a 10 x Magnification eye loupe)
Diamond cut Grading
A diamonds cut is often confused with a diamonds shape, but the Cut is the proportions and facets that make our diamonds sparkle and dance.
Cutting the perfect diamond takes extreme precision, which is often dictated by the overall rough diamonds shape. Throughout our history diamonds were cut in similar styles however the number of facets varied often making a great diamond look dull. It wasn’t until 1919 when a keen gem cutter and mathematician Marcel Tolkowsky developed the most appropriate angles that a diamond should be cut based on its Refractive Index. This cut is now known as the ‘ideal cut’ for Round Brilliant Cut Diamonds. Each round diamond has a total of 58 facets around its exterior. Although some cutters cut facets into the girdles, this does not count towards the standard 58. Read more about Diamond Cuts.
Cutting diamonds in this manner allow the stones actual brilliance to sparkle with fire that we all have grown to love. Some diamonds with much lower color and clarity’s have been cut with high precision can look considerably more spectacular compared to diamonds with perfect color and clarity but inaccurate cut quality.
Diamonds cut with shallow or deep culets can and will detract from the overall sparkle and brilliance.
Cut Grades based on a Round Brilliant Cut Diamond:
IDEAL – perfect symmetry and faceting – Often described as ‘hearts & arrows’
EXCELLENT – excellent symmetry and faceting
VERY GOOD – very good symmetry and faceting
GOOD – good symmetry and faceting tend to be shallow or deep cut
FAIR – fair symmetry and faceting are usually shallow or deep cut
POOR – poor symmetry and faceting are definitely shallow or deep cut
Hearts and Arrows
Hearts and Arrows!, it sounds very much like ‘cupid’ discovered one of the perfect ways to cut diamonds?, well not exactly, it was in fact the Japanese during the eighties who started using a ‘kaleidoscope’ to view a range of diamonds. Although the Ideal – Super Ideal cut diamonds weren’t yet being seen until the some years later when the perfect symmetry was established and the phenomenon ‘Hearts & Arrows’ became known.
Diamond carat weight
The forth vital part to your diamonds quality, the carat weight of a diamond is a measurement of how much a diamond weighs in Metric not Imperial measurements. A metric “carat” is defined as 200 milligrams. Each carat can be subdivided into 100 ‘points. For example a 1 carat diamond weighs 100 points.
This not only provides a very accurate way to universally grade but to be within a hundredth decimal place. Jewelers will usually give the weight of a diamond below one carat by its ‘points’ alone. For example, a diamond that weighs 0.50 carats would be described as a ‘fifty pointer’. Some jewelers will also describe this weight as a ’half carater’.
Diamond cost
Everyone forgets this major part – This is what I like to call the 5 C. In combination with the 4 C’s the fifth element definitely comes into play -COST. With a little help from my articles, you all should have a better understanding of what you are buying. You should be able to understand what diamonds for sale should cost the most and what diamonds should cost the least. Price increases not only with size but a combination of the 4C’s grading system. Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat Weight.
Hang on though, it doesn’t finish there, this is just the start! Buying Diamonds Oline with a reputable certificate.