10 LOOSE DIAMOND MUSTS!

10 THINGS TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING A LOOSE CERTIFIED DIAMOND

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Richard Scott

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Buying a Diamond?

Good, for here are 10 things that everyone should know about buying diamonds…

In fact, they’re MUSTS!

Because these 10 things will not only get you a kick ass diamond with tons of sparkle and brilliance, but it will also save you money, AND keep you from getting ripped off.

So let’s begin:

10 loose diamond MUSTS, starting with…

1) Set a Budget

Don’t go into buying diamonds blindly. Set yourself a budget, an amount that you’re comfortable with and stick to it. It’s too easy to double up or triple your purchase once you start looking at diamond quality. If you must skimp somewhere, cut back on SIZE! You can always upgrade later (that’s what Anniversaries are for).

2) Buy GIA Certified ONLY

Forget all the other companies that grade diamonds (like EGL or IGI). Only buy GIA (Gemological Institute of America) certified diamonds. That way you’ll get the most accurate diamond report on earth.

3) Fancy Cuts are Cheaper

Almost all fancy cut diamonds are cheaper than round brilliant cuts (if the quality is alike). Fancy cuts are literally every cut other than round, like; Princess, Oval, Pear, Radiant, Heart, Marquise… They are all cheaper than the common round cut. In fact, some cuts, like the cushion cut diamond, is about HALF the price of a brilliant. That’s a lot of savings!

4) Get a Better Cut

Opt for an “Excellent” grade in cut, and your diamond will sparkle like crazy. Excellent is the best you can get, and has more of an impact on the beauty and the brilliance of a stone than any other diamond aspect (any of the other 4C’s).

5) SI1 Clarity or Higher

Stick with SI1 clarity (Slightly Included) or HIGHER, and you will get a diamond that’s clean to the eye (except under a powerful microscope), and will appear just like a Flawless diamond (but without the hefty price tag).

SI1 diamonds have small inclusions, invisible to the eye, but easy to spot under 10x magnification.

SI1 is also the most popular clarity grade on the market, because they look so good, and keep the price down.

6) Go for Colorless

If you really want your diamond to “WOW” people (and her), buy a colorless diamond.

Colorless diamonds are pure white diamonds (color ranges: D, E, and F), and look ultra bright and ultra white (like there’s a spot light on them).

They’re breathtaking and stunning and once you see and compare a pure white stone, you’ll never want anything less.

They’re that awesome!

7) No Fluorescence

Check the diamond report, make sure it says “none” under the Fluorescence grade. Otherwise, your diamond could look foggy or cloudy or hazy in natural light. And that’s not a good thing, especially if you’ve bought a high clarity and high color diamond.

Fluorescent diamonds do glow-in-the-dark as well, which sounds cool, but not if they appear milky in nature. Granted, not all diamond with fluorescence have a visual effect, but it’s something you won’t know until you see it with your very own eyes. Which is why I say it’s safer to just say “NO” to Fluorescence.

8) Scope the Diamond

Never buy a diamond you can’t microscope.

Period!

You MUST look at the stone under 10x magnification, to not only verify that the report is accurate (“That doesn’t look like a VS diamond…”), but also to check that the stone isn’t chipped or damaged (something that can happen AFTER the diamond was graded).

IT’S A MUST!

9) Shop and Compare Online

If you check every jeweler in town, before you buy; CHECK ONLINE AS WELL!

Places like James Allen and Blue Nile have the lowest prices around. Their prices will blow away the competition. Compare them with the mall stores and see for yourself. It will open your eyes! (Plus, James Allen shows you the real diamonds under 10x magnification too!)

10) Check the Return Policy

Make sure any store you buy from, not only has a return policy (some have none, others have 1 week, 1 month, 3 months…), but make sure that it’s a 100% full money back guarantee, no questions asked!

Make sure they don’t penalize you with restocking fees, shipping fees, other handling fees, or even gives back store credit only!

Because if she says “NO“, you don’t want to be stuck with an $8,000 diamond.