There are two types of Loose Diamonds you can buy: Certified Diamonds and
Non-Certified Diamonds!
Certified Diamonds are the Diamonds that come with a Certificate Report from an Independent Certification Company, (Like G.I.A.) (Read: NOT the Jeweler!) that has looked at and graded that Diamond for the 4 C's: Cut, Clarity, Color and Carat Weight.
Non-Certified
Non-Certified Loose Diamonds are all the rest of the Diamonds sold on the market. You know the ones, they have no Certificate, No real Documentation stating what that Diamond really is, other than what the Jeweler says, what the ticket says, and what their in-store Appraisal may state!
I'll tell you right here, right now, that I would never advise any serious Diamond buyer to buy a Loose Diamond that's NOT Certified!
If it's Not Certified, you're basically taking the Jeweler's word for what that Diamond is. Which means, it could be anything! And you'll never really know what it is you're actually buying.
These Jewelers may be listing the Diamond as an SI2 Clarity, but is it? Should you trust them? Do you just accept the Jeweler's word as the truth?
Being Non-Certified means that the Jeweler can call the Diamond's Clarity and Color anything they want, and a lot of Jewelers do. Jewelers have a sly way of bumping the quality up a bit. Calling a nice looking I1 Clarity Diamond an SI2 instead. That way it sounds better, sells better and makes the Jewelers more money.
Is this acceptable?
Actually... YES! Why? Because the Jewelry Industry and the whole Trade permits Jewelers to make decisions on Clarity and Color. And the reason being is this: It's all opinion! And everyone's opinion is going to be different. There's not one single Diamond in the World that everyone will totally agree to as far as the Color and Clarity goes. So the Trade leaves room for personal opinions and judgments. They actually accept the fact that Diamond Grades can be off one grade up or down the charts. Every single Diamond is different, every single opinion is different. It's just the way it goes!
So what can you do to make sure you get what you truly want and pay for when shopping for Loose Diamonds?
Simple! Don't buy Non-Certified Diamonds! Easy as that!
If you want to be assured that the Color and Clarity you're buying is in fact true, accurate and perfect, (And that you're not getting ripped off!) then you'll need to buy a Diamond that's Certified by an outside Appraiser!
Who do I recommend?
G.I.A. of course! (They wrote the book on the 4 C's!)
G.I.A. (The Gemological Institute of America) is the best there is. Buy a G.I.A. Certified Diamond and your Diamond's Color and Clarity will match what it says on the Diamond Report! When you're shopping around for Loose Diamonds (First buy a Loose Diamond, then mount it later!) ask the Jeweler if they sell G.I.A. Certified Diamonds. If they do, great, start your shopping there!
And if you really want the best advice possible... Then buy a G.I.A. Certified Diamond that's Laser Inscribed as well. That microscopic Laser Inscription is by far, hands down, the best positive proof that you can get. It proves that the Diamond you bought is the exact Diamond listed on the Report. Lasered Numbers don't lie!
So if you're trying to decide between buying a Certified Diamond versus a Non-Certified Diamond... Don't hesitate! Always buy Certified (G.I.A.) and you'll be Certified and happy with your Diamond purchase!
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