QUESTION FROM CATHY IN SANTA BARBARA, CA:
My question is about a White Gold Diamond Ring I want to purchase. The Diamond is a 1.02 CT, Full-Cut faceted, Color GHI, Clarity I1. The Ring looks nice but what may I be missing?
ANSWER FOR CATHY:
Hi Cathy.
Good question. There are actually lots of things you could be missing. First
off, I'm guessing this is a Solitaire Diamond Ring, since you only described
one Diamond. Which leads me to these points...
1) Is the Diamond Certified? I normally wouldn't recommend buying a Diamond
that's not certified! But then again, a lot of Jewelers won't certify an I1
Clarity Diamond. It's in the lowest Clarity Range (I1-I2-I3) and some will
only certify stones SI or higher. If you do buy an I1 Clarity, just know
that you will be able to see inclusions with the naked eye. Some of the
inclusions could look like black pepper or even cracks or cloudy spots. I
would always advise buying a Diamond that's SI Clarity if price allows it.
2) Is the Diamond Loose or Mounted? You should always buy a Diamond that
size loose first so you can microscope it from every angle to check for
chips or inclusions inside and outside of the Diamond.
3) If we are talking about one single Diamond then it wouldn't have 3 color
grades to it! If it actually lists the Diamond as G-H-I like you described,
then don't buy it. They're trying to pull a fast one. 3 Color grades like
that mean it's probably just an I Color! It may have a yellow cast to it. If
the ring has more than one Diamond, then 3 color grades are okay to have.
4) White Gold is fine as long as you know that eventually the White Gold
will turn a yellowish color and you'll have to get it replated with Rhodium
again.
5) How does their price compare to other local Jewelry stores? Is it
comparable? Don't worry about what the "List" price is, just worry about
what the bottom line is. Compare apples to apples.
6) Do they have a return policy? In other words, will they allow you to buy
it, take it to another Jeweler to verify the quality, then return it if it's
not what they say it is?
7) Make sure you get a full appraisal on the ring listing the Cut, Clarity,
Color and Carat Weight. You'll need these for insurance purposes.
8) Buy an Extended Service Plan on the mounting. It will come in handy if
you need to get it resized, retipped, straightened, polished or cleaned.
Service plans can save you a lot of money.
9) Buy from a reputable Jeweler. Are they listed with the BBB? Have they
been in business a long time? Ask around and see where other people buy
their Diamonds from. Do a search online and see if anybody has written
anything bad about that Jeweler. You never know.
10) Bottom line. If the price is good, and you microscoped the Diamond for
any flaws and inclusions and are fine with it, then buy it. As long as you
know the exact quality you're buying and are happy with that quality, then
there's no reason why you shouldn't enjoy it.
Hope this helps. Hope you enjoy the site!
CATHY RESPONDS:
Thank you for all your suggestions. It was very enlightening. That particular Ring is from an online Jewelry Store. I'm disabled and do most of my shopping online. Is there an online store you could recommend? I would appreciate any assistance. I'm on a fixed income so need to be very careful how I spend my money.
Thank You, Cathy
REPLY:
Hi Cathy. I would recommend looking into a couple of the bigger companies that are well known and trusted. Like:
Bluenile.com
Kay.com
Zales.com
Big name brands like these have great policies and are reputable! I would think you would be safe dealing with them. (I'm sure there are plenty more!) And you can always call local Jewelry Stores for comparison shopping. They may also be able to sell you items over the phone and send it to you. Good luck!
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