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BUYING A NON-CERTIFIED DIAMOND

BUYING A DIAMOND THAT'S NOT CERTIFIED? READ THIS FIRST...

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Buying a Non-Certified Diamond Read This First

As much as I always say “Buy Only Certified Diamonds” (And James Allen has a TON of them), the truth is, you CAN buy non-certified Diamonds! In fact, you CAN get the exact same Clarity, Color, Cut and Carat Weight as a Certified stone, and chances are, you may even be able to get it cheaper!

Here’s Why…

A high quality Diamond is the exact same stone with or without the paperwork!!!

That paperwork (Diamond Report, aka Certificate), is nothing more than a 2nd party looking at the stone and giving their expert opinion about the 4C’s and any other identifying characteristics.

And that’s it!

Sure this 2nd party is an expert in Grading stones, but it doesn’t change the fact that the Diamond is whatever quality it is, and someone else’s opinion won’t change that. If the Diamond is a VS1, E Color (my fav), then it’s a VS1, E Color regardless if it comes with shiny reports or not.

The Report only confirms that fact!

Certification is just an official document to ease customer’s minds. Some one else (not the Jeweler), has declared “Yes, we believe this Diamond is so-and-so quality!

Once they figure out what they believe that stone quality is, they will document it, inscribe it if needed (and paid for), and give it their stamp of approval.

So sure, you CAN buy a Diamond of good quality, bad quality or great quality without that lovely laminated and hologram stamped sheet of paper.

But, I would only advise doing so, if you know what your doing and know what to look for.

Save money on Stones!

You can save money on non-certified stones because those certificates cost money. GIA isn’t going to certify it for free. Those reports generally cost anywhere from $100 to $400, and that price will certainly be added on to the price of the ring. That’s just the way it goes. So yes, you do pay a tad bit more for certified stones.

If you’re looking around at all the Jewelry Stores, you’ll see that most Diamonds that are pre-set into mountings are NOT Certified! (I only trust GIA or AGS Certificates… so EGL or IGI Certificates don’t count!). GIA and AGS are the REAL reports! :)

Most Certified stones are sold Loose!

Most Diamonds that are Certified are sold Loose. Many Certification companies won’t even grade a stone unless it’s loose.

Buying a Diamond Loose allows you to scope the stone from all angles, check out the girdle, the pavilion, the inscription and verify the findings to what you see on the actual report.

This is much harder to do with a stone that’s pre-set. A Diamond that’s already in a mounting will be covered up by prongs, or bezels, or encased in the mounting itself. The Diamond will reflect the mounting into the stone and will be harder to see the actual flaws. Plus, the mounting will mask the Diamond Color and may hide other Inclusions as well. And it also gets nearly impossible to view the Diamond from the bottom once it gets set in a head or mounting…

There are just too many barricades and areas blocked to fully analyse the stone and make a worthwhile opinion.

Many Jewelers find it very difficult to appraise a pre-set Diamond for Insurance or Purchasing. They can only guesstimate then!

Usually they have to remove the stone from the mounting to thoroughly clean it, weigh it, get an accurate Color reading, and check for Chips or hidden Flaws.

These are the very reasons why I always tell people to buy Loose Certified Diamonds only. Buy them Loose and then have the set in the mounting of your choice. That way you know the stone and are confident with the quality.

It just makes sense, and it protects the buyer!

But… You CAN buy a Diamond without the paperwork (Loose or Mounted), if you follow these simple guidelines:

  1. Microscope the Diamond Well
  2. Compare it to Certified Diamonds
  3. Get another Opinion

Buying Non-Certified Diamonds

Let’s take a closer look…

1) Microscope the Diamond Well

If you buy a non-certified Diamond and don’t view that stone under a microscope, you’ll only have yourself to blame. You may as well hand over your wallet and hit the road, because not viewing the stone under magnification is foolish! And you may not even find out how bad it really is until years later. Don’t make this mistake! Scope the stone. See what’s inside. Look for cracks, knots, fractures, huge Inclusions… You may also want to check the perimeter for chips, nicks and breaks.

Often stones are not certified because they are of lower quality (low Color, low Clarity, Bad Cut), so the quality of the stone is the first thing you should look for. And this is easy if you…

2) Compare it to Certified Diamonds

The true test of any non-certified stone, is how well it will stand up to a certified stone of the exact same Clarity and Color and Cut. Compare it to a GIA Certified or an AGS Certified Diamond. Many times this simple feat will be a big eye-opener (They won’t look anything alike).

If the non-certified stone looks identical (both visually and microscopically), then I would still take it one step further…

Compare it to Different Quality Stones!

Compare it to Diamonds of both higher and lower Clarity and Color and Cut as well. This way you will gain experience and be able to tell the difference of what an SI stone looks like, or a VS as compared to an I Clarity stone. The more diamonds you compare (side by side is the best way), the better off you’ll be.

Compare The Diamond Size

You should also look for the Carat Weight Size (the MM Size, or width of the stone) as well. If a non-certified Diamond appears much larger than a Certified stone (with an Ideal or Excellent Cut), then it may be spread and this means the stone is not cut well. It could be vulnerable to chipping or breaking, and more than likely it will lose light and life. It could look dull and dark! Not cool!

The stone could also appear smaller in Carat Weight (Cut Deep). This is why I say compare it to better Cut Grade Stones like Ideal Cuts or Excellent Cuts (It will list the Cut Grades right on the actual Diamond Report). Because keep in mind, ANY Diamond of ANY quality can be Certified. Both Good and Bad Diamonds. So just because it’s Certified, doesn’t mean it’s Cut Well, or the quality is high. I’ve seen stones that are I Clarity, L Color, with Poor Cuts get Certified. You can certify any stone as long as you pay to have it certified. Jewelers often do this to make low quality stones appear better! “Hey, it’s Certified!

As a rule, people have a hard time dealing with Cut Grades and Angles, Measurements and Percentages. This is why I gently push people into buying Certified. It makes it easy! And it erases all doubt!

Lastly…

3) Get another Opinion

Get someone else involved after you buy the stone. Get an expert opinion! Preferably an Appraiser or a GIA Certified Professional (not just another Jewelry Store who may bad mouth the stone, store or quality). An expert can double check the quality (which also means make sure you obtain a full appraisal from the Jeweler at the time of purchase). And if it’s not up to par, you can return the ring for a full refund…

The store does have a refund policy doesn’t it? Hopefully you asked about it and have verified that BEFORE you purchased the stone so that you can return it if it doesn’t pan out.

Have the Stone Certified!

Also, if you really love a Diamond, but are leery about buying it, you could always ask the Jeweler to have it Certified for you. They can send it out to GIA for a full Diamond Report. Of course this could and should cost you more money, as Certification is not free, but if it helps you make up your mind and helps you buy a Diamond, it’s a small price to pay.

All in all, it’s just easier to purchase a Loose Diamond that’s already Certified.

No matter what though, some people still don’t want the hassle, the fuss, or simply don’t care much about certification. They just want a great looking Diamond, a great price, and want to go in, buy it and leave.

Some guys need the ring tonight! lol

This isn’t a big deal. We understand! But make sure you buy from a reputable Jeweler. One that’s been around for a long, long time. And also check the BBB or Consumer’s Report online. See what others are saying about that Jeweler. And when you do buy, make sure you get a full appraisal on the ring (for verification and Insurance purposes), and make sure the store has a refund policy… Just in case!

You can buy a non-certified stone. Just be a little bit more cautious and shop and compare Diamonds. Chances are, you can find the exact same quality of stone elsewhere that IS Certified, for just about the same price… If you look hard enough!

It’s your Decision!

It’s your Money!

Let’s Hope you make the Right Choice! :)




Recommended Jewelry Supplies:

Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner Jewelry Steam Cleaner Complete Jewelry Cleaner Kit Diamond Dazzle Stick
Gold Silver Jewelry Polishing Cloths Jewelry Making Supplies Kit Gold Acid Test Kit Watch Tool Repair Kit
Ring Adjusters EMT Emergency Ring Cutter 10x Jewelers Loupe Jewelers Microscope

Recommended Jewelry Supplies:

Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner Jewelry Steam Cleaner
Complete Jewelry Cleaner Kit Diamond Dazzle Stick
Gold Silver Jewelry Polishing Cloths Jewelry Making Supplies Kit
Gold Acid Test Kit Watch Tool Repair Kit
Ring Adjusters EMT Emergency Ring Cutter
10x Jewelers Loupe Jewelers Microscope

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