Some Of The Most Common Scams To Avoid When Buying Diamonds

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It is said that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but you need to be careful when you buy them. There are many ways to make a flawed or cheap diamond look better and plenty of unscrupulous people to sell them to you. When you are shopping for a diamond take the time to really check it out before buying.

There are many tricks of the trade for diamond sellers, one of them is lighting. In very bright lights a stone will shine much more brightly. The best light to look at a diamond is in the sun light. The sun light will also help you to spot any flaws or inclusions that appear as dark spots or they can look milky. There are laser techniques that can be used to eliminate the dark spots, but when drilling into the stone it can become weakened and crack when it is struck with a good force. Some jewelers fill in these laser holes with a synthetic substance that can’t be seen by the naked eye, but a trained gemologist can spot them. It will also lower the value of the stone.

Another trick is to put a dot of color on the tip of the stone. If the stone is yellow, a touch of purple paint will diffuse the yellowness and make the stone appear to be a more expensive clear diamond. This will have the jeweler giving the stone a higher grade, which means a higher price to you.

Carat weight is another big scam. The jeweler might tell you a total carat weight for a single piece that seems like a lot and looking at it you may think it is the biggest stone, but it is actually the weight of all the diamonds put together. They might tell you a piece is five carats when there is actually a single three carat diamond and eight quarter carat diamonds around it. A reputable jeweler will give you the broken down weight of a piece when you ask.

Another way to hide flaws in a diamond is to hide them under the setting. A stone usually has flaws around the outside that can be hidden under the prongs that hold them secure or under a piece of the ornament, so make sure you take a good look at the whole diamond when buying.

There are jewelers that can switch the stones when the piece has been taken in for repair or appraisal. The way to make sure it is your stone is to have it checked when you buy it and have the gemologist give you a certificate with the stones characteristics on it. If there is any doubt if the stone is the original, you can have it checked again.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as diamond jewelry at http://www.diamondringsplus.com

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Some Of The Reasons Why You Should Always Insure Your Diamonds

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Diamonds are a wonderful possession. They can hold many memories of special occasions and memories of the people who gave them, but they also hold a high monetary value. If your diamond is lost, damaged, or stolen, how can you get it replaced? There is no way to replace the memories attached to a diamond but you can get another one of equal value with the right insurance policy.

There are many reasons diamonds are lost, usually it is because of carelessness on the owner’s part. Insurance agents agree on the top reasons for the loss of diamonds. Leaving a ring on the bathroom sink or the back of the toilet can result in the ring going down the drain. There are also poorly fitted rings that can slip off at any time and any place. Some necklaces can have damaged or bad clasps that can break easily. There is also opportunity for someone to steal your diamonds if you leave them lying out in the open or don’t keep them locked up when you are using them. You should be careful where you hide them so someone else doesn’t come along and throw away the object you are hiding them in.

Usually in the case of loss or theft in the home, a home owner’s insurance policy will cover the loss. But you are not always at home when bad things happen. If you have diamonds that have a high value the best thing to do is to insure them separately. The first thing you want to do is to have them appraised by a reputable appraiser. The appraiser will give you a certificate of value to take to the insurance agency. Then the agent can determine what the best policy is for your circumstance.

There are a few different types of policies to get. One is for the market value of the piece. This is to replace your piece for what it is worth at the time it is lost, not for the cost when it was purchased. Conversely, you can get a policy that will cover the diamond for a predetermined value. This is when you and the agent can put a single value on the diamond, no matter what the purchase price or market value is when lost. Then there is the policy that will cover the diamond for the amount it is valued at the time the policy was purchased, this amount does not change even if the value of the diamond increases.

It is best to find an insurance agent who understands the value of precious gems when you decide to buy insurance. It might take some research to find the right one but when you do you can feel secure that your investment is safe.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as a diamond wedding ring at http://www.diamondringsplus.com

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Diamond Rings Through the Years

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Despite antique designs of diamond rings in the market that copy those that were created in the regency and Victorian period, the diamond ring did not really boom until a decade before the start of the 20th century. This is perhaps because only a few can actually afford to buy diamond rings for themselves. This rare gemstone is only reserved to the affluent especially to the members of the royal class.

But because of modern technology and the boom of diamond mining in India and in several parts of the world, supplies of diamond surged upwards, making this gem affordable to the middle class. Because of this, diamonds became very popular especially to women who still see it as a sign of wealth and class.

Discoveries of new mining fields in South America and South Africa, have also increased the world supply making it more accessible to the public. With such steady supply, jewelry makers are now able to make more designs that the masses can afford.

Although diamonds are placed in virtually every kind of jewelry, from necklaces to bracelets to earrings, it is the diamond ring that captures the imagination of most people. In fact, it has become through the years the symbol of eternal love between two people and has become one of the essentials in engagements and weddings.

Diamond rings are preferred during wedding ceremonies. People get excited more when seeing a diamond engagement ring compared to rings that use other gemstones. In fact, diamonds are even the favorites even after the wedding, bought as gifts for anniversaries and other special occasions.

Diamond rings can be made in different settings, gold, platinum, silver and titanium. Unlike other gemstones, whose color may clash for instance with some shades of gold, the diamond with its pure white color will look good with any setting. Perhaps one of the most engaging properties of the diamond is the fact that it symbolizes this innate purity in its color and brilliance.

Diamonds come in all sort of shapes and cuts. This is often one of the properties that people look for in their diamond rings. Diamonds are naturally found in oval or round shapes. Jewelers however cut them in different shapes and depending on the designs. Among the varieties of cuts that people have enjoyed through the years are the pear, the heart, the marquise, the emerald and the princess cut.

This content is provided by Low Jeremy and may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more info on Diamond Rings, please visit http://diamond-ring.articlekeep.com

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Diamond Rings – Teach Yourself

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Diamond Rings – symbols of love, romance, marriage, affluence, status. The diamond has the greatest refraction and dispersion of light of all the precious stones known to man. It is also the hardest substance known to man, natural or artificial.

Purchasing a diamond ring, for an engagement, a wedding, or as a surprise gift, usually involves much expense. It pays to know something about diamonds so you can make an intelligent choice.

As a first step familiarize yourself with these main factors which affect the value and price of diamond rings. Then go to the Diamond Ring Tutorial mentioned in the Resource box at the end of this article to continue your education.

Carat

Carat is the unit of measurement used to describe the weight of diamonds. As carat size increases, the diamond’s diameter and depth also increase.

Clarity

A diamond’s clarity rating is determined by the number of inclusions it has and how noticeable they are. Inclusions refer to tiny pinpoints, clouding, or markings on the diamond. The fewer the inclusions the more brilliant the diamond and of course the higher the value.

Color

Diamonds with less body color are more valuable as the reflection from them is more pure. A letter scale from D to Z is used to grade the color of diamonds, D being colorless through to Z which can include light yellow, brown or gray.

Cut

The cut of the diamond can have a major effect on how it reflects light. A shallow cut will allow light to escape through the sides whereas a deep cut will cause light to be lost through the bottom of the diamond. The more exacting the proportions of the cut, the more valuable the diamond is.

With that background consider now the shape you prefer. Is it Asscher, Cushion, Emerald, Heart, Marquise, Oval, Pear, Princess, Radiant, Round, or Trillion?

To learn about these shapes and see examples, visit the Diamond Ring Tutorial mentioned below.

Mike Tony Jones is a writer and webmaster with over 10 years experience. Check his free Diamond Ring Tutorial here:

http://www.vitalstop.com/Diamond-Ring-Tutorial

Mike’s body care web site shows how to have beautiful nails and cuticles so you can wear your ring with pride. Click here:

http://www.1bodycare.com/milagro.htm

Mike also has a research site dealing with nine methods of unwanted body hair removal:

http://www.about-hair-removal.com

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Diamond Colour – Grading System

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The factor of colour is given an importance unequalled in the evaluation of any other gem. By far, most diamond gems appear colourless to the untrained eye and only a few gems display decided hues such as one expects to see in varieties of corundum, for example; these are ‘fancy’ diamonds, very rare and very costly. The apparently colourless gems are painstakingly subdivided into numerous if somewhat artificial, colour grades, the nuances between which are seldom apparent when gems are mounted in jewelry. Nevertheless, some form of colour grading is employed by every dealer in diamonds and affects directly and substantially the price that is charged.

The grading of diamonds for colour is the art of classifying them on a scale from colourless to obviously yellow. This statement is based on the fact that most diamonds encountered in the trade range from absolutely colourless to some tinge of yellow or faintly smoky. Those that are decidedly yellow or coffee in hue are fancies and sold as such.

The overly free use of the term ‘blue-white’ is much less evident now than several decades ago when jewelers used this term more freely in their advertisements and were rightly regarded with suspicion because of the very real rarity of diamonds, which actually display some tinge of blue. A survey by the Gemological Institute of America some years ago showed that only one diamond out of 500 examined under scientifically adjusted lighting conditions actually qualified for the term ‘blue-white’. Needless to say, diamonds of this hue command a very high price. Even higher prices are asked for fancies, particularly those, which are blue to rich blue, red, pink or green, with lesser prices asked for golden, yellow and rich browns, greens and blues.

The factor of clarity refers to the absence of inclusions or flaws. The term ‘perfect’ is now seldom used; instead, those diamonds which do not reveal inclusions or flaws when examined by an expert eye under 10-power magnification rate the term ‘flawless.’

The final factor of cut refers to the mechanical shaping and polishing of a diamond crystal into a faceted gem, giving due regard to proper proportions, symmetrical outlining and placement of facets, accurate meets or junctions between adjoining facets, proper girdling and culeting and surface finish upon facets. Diamonds too deeply or shallowly cut are less brilliant than they could be, sometimes seriously so. Excessively thin crowns (‘swindled’ crowns) cut down dispersion substantially, although brilliance can be quite satisfactory. In general, overlapping facet junctions, extra facets, or uneven facets do not seriously detract from brilliance and dispersion, providing that the basic proportions are nearly correct; however, careless work is usually a sign of poor material and should also be cause for rejection of any stone in which it is glaringly evident. Careless polishing, usually shown by scores or ‘wheel marks’ on facet surfaces, results in some loss in brilliance and dispersion.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Diamonds

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All About Diamonds

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It is important to know something about diamonds before you buy any. It is easy to buy a diamond that is of poor quality for a high price so the more you understand about diamonds the better your chances of getting a good deal are.

Diamonds are not just a set price, There are many types and qualities and many dealers and suppliers. Picking the right one can make a difference of thousands of dollars but you do need to know what you are looking for and when dealing with a dealer or jeweler, what you are talking about and understand what ‘they’ are talking about also.

Diamonds, like many other substances such as talc, graphite, gypsum etc. one of the major differences is the hardness of the substance. The diamond is the hardest and the way this is determined is how the atoms are arranged in the carbon. Diamonds are made under intense pressure deep within the earth and most of the diamonds you will see around were made anywhere from one to three billion years ago.

To get 5 grams of diamond generally requires mining or sorting through about 1 million grams of material but only 20% of these are suitable for jewelry. The rest are used in industry for cutting other material or other diamonds and for watches as, for all intents and purposes, cannot wear out.

Diamonds are thought to be white but in fact can be a range of colors and these are usually called Fancies or fancy diamonds.

The next article of the series, is available at www.priceofdiamonds.org There we go into some depth on some of the more important aspects of diamonds and how to choose them.

Permission to use this article is granted provided the link is included
Michael Moore
Price of Diamonds

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Choosing A Diamond Wedding Ring

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Choosing a wedding ring can be the most fun part of the whole wedding process, second of course to the fitting of the wedding gowns.

When you think about it, a wedding ring is actually more important as this will be worn even after the wedding as a symbol of the couples’ love for each other. Choosing that symbol of love is therefore crucial.

For most people, diamond is the only option. Although there are some that choose emeralds, sapphires and other colored stones, most women still prefer the purity of the diamond’s color and brilliance. There is something about the diamond that beckons to the modern bride.

First stop is of course the price. If you do not have the budget, better settle for a simple wedding band in white gold. This is preferable than buying a diamond wedding ring that is yellowish in color or hazy in its brilliance. It is better to just save your money now and buy a quality diamond wedding ring later when you already have enough. Besides, who needs a diamond wedding ring that is tawdry and cheap looking.

In choosing a diamond wedding ring, here are the things that you have to take into consideration.

Clarity

The clarity of the diamond wedding ring refers to the brilliance and shine of the stone. This includes the imperfections that can seen on the gem and if it is hazy in appearance. There are corresponding clarity scales for each diamond. When you buy, ask the clerk about this as the clarity is one of the things that will determine the value of the diamond you are going to buy.

Color

The whiter the diamond is, the more expensive it is. Like the clarity, each diamond will have a corresponding color scale. Ask your clerk about this and make that you do not buy those in the yellow side.

Carat

This is perhaps the most popular property of the diamond as this corresponds to the size of the stone and the weight. One carat is equivalent to 0.05 grams. The bigger and the heavier the diamond, the more expensive it is of course.

Cut

The cut of the diamond is not really that crucial compared to other properties but some people prefer specific cuts. Among the cuts that they can choose from are the round, oval, pear, marquise, emerald and the princess cut, which may have cuts from 57 to 70 facets.

This content is provided by Low Jeremy and may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more info on Diamond Ring, please visit http://diamond-ring.articlekeep.com

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Choosing a Diamond Wedding Ring Set

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Weddings are definitely joyous but exhausting event. Aside from the basics like searching for a venue, the wedding dress, the reception and the like—one of the major considerations of countless couples who are planning to tie the knot is the their wedding ring.

Usually, most couples prefer a diamond wedding ring set because it is large enough to be worn by itself. For those who are much into rings, a diamond wedding set is perfect for you because it can serve as an engagement ring and the wedding ring all at the same.

Searching for that perfect diamond wedding ring can be stressful and strenuous because there are so many things to consider such as the beauty, shape, size, and cost. The best thing you can do is to trim down these options based on your personal preference and taste.

Here are some tips that can help you get by in searching for that dream diamond wedding ring set. First, you have to choose a diamond wedding ring set that suits your taste and of your fiancé as well. There are actually many settings of diamond wedding ring sets available in most jewelry stores today.

If you prefer simple ones, you can opt for a diamond wedding ring set that has contemporary or modern look like those rings with one main diamond surrounded by smaller stones. But if you want a grander one, you might want to look for diamond wedding ring sets that have intricate designs or have traditional and antique look.

Next, know what kind of metal you prefer and also determine its weight based on your budget. The most common setting of any diamond wedding ring set is gold—it can be white gold or yellow gold. Based on standards, fine gold jewelry should be mounted in either a 18-karat (K) which, consists of 18 parts pure gold with 6 parts other metals or a 14-karat (K) that has 14 parts pure gold combined with 10 parts of other metals.

If you’ve finally decided to use gold for your diamond wedding ring set, decide whether you want a 14-K or a 18-K. Most jewelers agree that a 14-K yellow gold will last longer over time compared to the 18-K yellow gold because it is harder. If you like white gold for your diamond wedding ring set, 18-K is the best because it is whiter, harder, and more resistant to scratches.

Other common option is platinum because it has remarkable appeal and could last longer. Since it’s more durable compared to gold, a diamond wedding ring set made of platinum can resist breakage, chipping, and cracking over time and most of all, it doesn’t cause any discoloration of the skin.

Lastly, consider the shape. The popular diamond shape for wedding rings is round or brilliant because they tend to sparkle more than other shapes. Other popular cuts for diamond wedding rings include baguette, emerald shape, heart shape, oval shape, pear shape, princess cut, marquise, and trillion wedding rings.

This content is provided by Low Jeremy and may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more info on Diamond Ring, please visit diamond-ring.articlekeep.com

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Buying A Diamond Ring That Fits You

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Buying a diamond ring seems to be pretty simple but it’s actually not. In addition to the designs, you also have to take into account a variety of things that will determine the cost of the piece of jewelry. Below are some of the factors that you have to consider in buying a diamond ring that will really fit you.

1. Clarity

Clarity refers to the clearness of the stone. This means that the stone must not be hazy in appearance. When seen under the lens, there should be no flaws or imperfections in the form of spots. This is important as the number of flaws will determine the level that the diamond will be in. The higher the clarity, the more expensive the diamond will be.

2. Color

Although diamonds are basically clear in its color, colorless in short, there are some that carry shades of yellow. This is because of the way the diamond developed in the mining field. Because of this, diamonds are classified according to the color shades. The colorless ones are the costly ones while those with yellow shades are less expensive.

3. Cut

Although this is actually not so much a determinant of price, people still include this in their list of considerations because this will determine the brilliance of the diamond. The cut does not only refer to the shape of the stone but also to the number of cuts that make up its facets. The princess cut for instance can have as much as 57 facets. Other kinds of cuts are the marquise, the emerald, the pear, the oval and the round.

4. Carat

The carat, as most know, refers to the weight of the diamond. The bigger and heavier the diamond is, the more expensive it is. Stores will have a calculation of how heavy the individuals stones and also a calculation of the total weight. If there are colored stones like sapphires, rubies and emeralds, it is also good to ask for their equivalent weight.

5. Setting

In buying a diamond ring, you also have to choose the kind of setting that you want. There are actually a lot of metals that you can choose from. There is the gold, both white and yellow, that is still the choice of most people. There is also the titanium, the silver and the platinum, which is fast becoming a popular commodity in the country when it comes to rings.

This content is provided by Low Jeremy and may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more info on Diamond Ring, please visit http://diamond-ring.articlekeep.com

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Do You Know Why Some Colorless Diamonds Are More Valuable?

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Diamonds that are colorless are more valued than those that have color. In fact, diamonds that are colored are considered to be more flawed than their clearer cousins. To rate the level of a diamonds color, retailers and diamond experts use a scale that begins with the letter D, and progresses alphabetically. Why not start with the letter A? It seems that when diamonds were first being graded on their colorlessness, people wanted to leave room for the possibility of a simply flawless, perfect diamond. So the best diamond known at that point was given the letter D, with A, B, and C being left in reserve for a possible marvel that might be discovered. No A, B, or C diamonds have ever been found.

The diamonds that are hardest to find are the ones with the least color. The letters D, E, and F are reserved for them. Between these three levels there is only the minutest difference, which is all but invisible to anyone but an expert in gems. G and H diamonds are labeled as near colorless, and a layperson can tell the difference between them and higher grade diamonds. G-H diamonds can be a very good value. Diamonds that are graded between I and J are also called near colorless, but they have a bit more color than G and H. These also can be had at times for a very good value.

The color letters progress all the way to the letter Z, the level of color increasing along the way. As letters get closer to the end of the alphabet, their quality decreases. It is important to not that the color scale for is for white diamonds, and that it doesn’t apply to diamonds, which are colored.

Colored diamonds are very much sought after by gem-collectors, while discolored white diamonds are not. When two types of diamonds are paired together, the result can be marvelous. The Hope Diamond, perhaps the most famous diamond in the world, is for instance a deep blue color set on a chain with white diamonds. Of all diamonds that are colored, the rarest are red diamonds.

Diamonds get their coloring from mineral impurities that are found in the cells that make up their crystal structure. Technically, these are defects, but they still can be pleasing to the eye. Some of the colors that diamonds can be labeled are brown, purple to pink, green, red, yellow, orange, blue, gray, white, and black.

Take your time when purchasing a diamond. The time you spend will likely save you money and you will be able to find the diamond of your dreams that is within your budget.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as the custom diamond jewelry at http://www.customdiamondjewelryplus.com

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