Diamonds Articles

How To Buy Diamond Engagement Rings

(category: Diamonds, Word count: 275)
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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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Are Diamonds Really Rare

(category: Diamonds, Word count: 204)
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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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Diamond Certificates

(category: Diamonds, Word count: 508)
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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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How To Care For Your Diamond

(category: Diamonds, Word count: 235)
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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 Spot A Fake Diamond

(category: Diamonds, Word count: 260)
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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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Choosing The Cut Of A Diamond

(category: Diamonds, Word count: 249)
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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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Selecting Diamonds

(category: Diamonds, Word count: 459)
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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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How To Clean Your Diamonds

(category: Diamonds, Word count: 478)
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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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Diamond Brands And What They Mean

(category: Diamonds, Word count: 224)
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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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Diamonds Articles

How To Buy Diamond Engagement Rings

Are Diamonds Really Rare

Diamond Certificates

How To Care For Your Diamond

How To Spot A Fake Diamond

Choosing The Cut Of A Diamond

Selecting Diamonds

How To Clean Your Diamonds

Diamond Brands And What They Mean

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