Purchasing Diamonds
Diamonds are one of the most subjective properties to purchase and may be one of the single most expensive purchases you will ever make. The following advice is intended to guide you through the purchasing process through the eyes of a professional. Hopefully, by reading this document, you will be able to choose a diamond that is worthy of the love you are symbolizing by its gift.
These “guidelines” are simply one opinion. Some people may want a huge stone, where they care less about clarity, color or cut. Take this advice subjectively and with your best personal judgment.
You have most likely heard of the four C’s
. The following guidelines are a more discriminative six C’s:
1. Cost
Cost is as subjective as it gets. What one jeweler may consider a great price, another will consider ridiculous. This changes depending upon the region, buyer, seller, marketplace, quality of item, type of stone, market and price at which the seller purchased the item and much, much more. The best way of dealing with this problem is to get the item appraised by an Independent Accredited Appraiser. For more information on these professionals, consult either the American Society of Appraisers or the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers.
These professionals are trained and skilled in quality, value and marketplaces. It would take a fool to not consult a real estate appraiser before buying a house, the same way it would take a fool to purchase an expensive diamond without consulting a gems and jewelry appraiser.
If you are still opposed to paying someone for their opinion, try asking your jeweler this question: “I like this diamond/ring/jewelry, but I want to make sure that you are offering me a fair price and the diamond/ring/jewelry is of the quality you are telling me. I want to give you a down payment and take the item to an independent accredited appraiser. If this is a fair price and it is of the correct quality, I will buy the item. If you are not selling this to me for a fair price or it is not of the quality that you are telling me, then I want a refund for my deposit and you will pay the appraisal fee.” Get this agreement signed and in writing. If you end up purchasing the item, you will need the appraisal for insurance purposes anyway.
2. Clarity
Clarity characteristics of diamonds can be described as the presence, of what is commonly know as, “flaws”. A flaw in a crystal can include a break, a scratch, a cloud of tiny crystals or even an extremely rare ruby or emerald crystal locked inside its host diamond. Many clarity characteristics are undesirable opaque white or black inclusions. The value of the modern diamond is based upon a desire for a lack of any of these traits. The most widely used standardization has 11 grades, Flawless, to I3.
You shouldn’t be able to see anything in a stone that is SI2 or higher. However- you will want to avoid stones with “pepper” or graphite inclusions. A few SI2 grades may show visible inclusions without magnification. Never trust a grade of “SI3”. This term is occasionally used to describe a diamond that is equivalent in clarity to an “I1”. See the above GIA diamond grading chart for examples.
3. Color
You should first consider a color grade by which metal you wish to set a diamond in. A yellow metal will hide a yellow color in a diamond and a white metal will emphasize it. Stay above G or H with white metal mountings (silver, white gold and platinum) and above the “I” color grade with yellow metal settings (yellow gold). See the above GIA diamond grading chart for examples.
4. Cut
As long as your budget allows it, never settle for a grade below excellent. A flawless, colorless diamond with a “Good” cut can never be more then just “Good”. An included, yellow diamond with a “Excellent” cut grade will sparkle, shine and impress wherever it’s seen. When your partner shows off her new diamond, the response she’s looking for is “Oh my gosh! Look at that diamond sparkle!”
When you look at a stone that shines, it hides otherwise undesirable traits, such as inclusions and color. “Excellent” cut stones generally cost 15% to 20% more then “Good” cut stones. Don’t settle for less then “Excellent”. See the above GIA diamond grading chart for examples.
5. Carat Weight
This aspect directly relates to budget. If your partner wants a large stone, you may have to compromise on clarity or color. Purchase the largest size stone you can afford, after you achieve your required color and clarity grades. See the above GIA diamond grading chart for examples.
6. Confirmation
Last but certainly not least, this can be quite easy. Get a diamond grading report from the GIA or the AGS and have it verified by an independent gemologist. Just because a diamond comes with a report doesn’t mean that the report belongs to the diamond; have it verified. When you purchase a graded diamond, it will help you in several areas:
- Saves you money when getting it professionally appraised
- Provides a means of getting what you paid for
- Gives you a solid means of description if the diamond is ever lost, stolen or damaged
- Allows you to shop for better deals within certain grades and markets
Diamonds do not change or loose quality grades. If you own a diamond graded by the GIA, you could have it re-cut into a completely different shape, submit it from a foreign nation with different marked grades and the GIA would still recognize the same stone. Each diamond is as unique as a snowflake.
In another form of making sure your getting a “morally sufficient” stone, you may want to brush up on the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.
Diamond Purchasing Conclusion
- Color grade of H or higher
- Clarity grade of SI2 or Higher
- Cut grade of "Excellent" (GIA standards) or "000" (AGS standards)
- Carat weight depends on budget or preference
Follow these simple guidelines and, rest assured, you’ll have a much easier time finding the perfect stone for the perfect person.
