THAT DIAMOND’S CHEAP BECAUSE…

CHEAP?

What makes a Diamond Cheap?

Many Things!

It’s True. You could compare Two Diamonds (1 Carat for Example), and one could sell for Thousands of Dollars Less than the other.

WHY?

Is there a reason one Diamond is So Cheap?

Of Course!

They’re Always Cheaper for a Reason.

A Jeweler isn’t going to sell a Stone Thousands Cheaper just to be Nice.

Even if they Bought the Diamond at a Good Deal, Chances are, they’ll still Sell it for what it’s Worth (The Going Rate).

Otherwise, Why Bother?

So let’s Dive in and see why one Stone would be Sold Much Cheaper than another…

Starting with…

1) Bad Cut

The Cut of a Diamond is probably the #1 Reason WHY a Diamond is Cheaper.

Poor Cuts, or a Bad Make, makes the Diamond look Lumpy, or Thin, Dark, Lifeless and Sparkleless.

Pretty Much every reason why we LOVE Diamonds is Squashed by a Bad Cut.

I would Stay away from Diamonds with Cut Grades of: Good, Fair, or Poor (As listed on a GIA Diamond Report).

Stick with “Excellent” if you can (The BEST Cut), or “Very Good” the next Best Thing.

That way your Diamond will Sparkle Greatly, Regardless of Clarity, Color, or Carat Weight!

2) Low Clarity

If the Diamond’s Cheap, it may be the Lowest Clarity Grades on the Market: The I Clarity Group (which is I1, I2, and I3).

Diamonds in the I Clarity Grades WILL have Eye-Visible Flaws that are Easy to Spot just by looking at the Diamond (No Jeweler’s Loupe or a Microscope Needed).

You’ll often see Big Black Spots, Foggy Areas, Cracks, Lines, Fractures and Chips…

That’s what I Clarity Means; Included!

Included and Eye-Visible!

It’s also why it’s Cheap.

Do you want your Fiancee to see Flaws for the Rest of her Life?

Generally it’s Best to Purchase SI1 Clarity Diamonds or Higher, just so the Imperfections stay Small, Unseen unless you use 10x Magnification, and won’t Detract from the Beauty of the Stone.

3) Low Color

Let’s Face it, Yellow Diamonds Don’t Sell Well! A Diamond with a Yellow Hue makes the Stone Look Dingy, Old, and Stained.

Not Very Pretty!

Granted, 95% of all the Diamonds on the Market have some Degree of “Yellow” in them, but usually it’s the Near Colorless Range where it’s Not so Obvious.

The Low Color that I’m talking about is more in the K-L-M Ranges.

Those are Stones where the Yellow becomes really Apparent, Dark, and tends to Stand out.

But hey, some People don’t mind a nice “Warm” Color, and it does bring the Price down Greatly. It all comes down to Preference.

If Color doesn’t bug you, look at a Lower Color Range and Save Yourself Some Money.

But if you’re like Most, White Looks Better and Brighter (G-H-I-J). And if you’re Like Me, I ONLY Prefer Pure White Diamonds (D-E-F – The Best Color Range there is).

4) Fluorescence

This often gets over looked because it’s Not a 4C.

People may not Realize that Fluorescence can Affect a Diamond so much, but it does in Price, and in Appearance.

Fluorescence can (not always) make a Diamond look Weird in Regular Light (Indoors or Outside).

Diamonds with Fluorescence can look Foggy, Hazy, Cloudy or Blurry!

This Fluorescence can make a High Quality Diamond (Like VS2, E) look Poor and Lifeless!

And if the Diamond doesn’t Sparkle, who wants it???

Now it’s True that Fluorescence doesn’t Affect ALL Diamonds. Some Stones have it and look Normal to the Eye. But others will look like there’s a Film or Haze over the Stone.

Like it’s Full of Smoke!

It’s something that you need to see, to Appreciate.

Plus, Fluorescence can also make your Diamond Glow In The Dark! If a Diamond has Fluorescence, it’ll be Listed right on the Diamond Report. Make sure you look for it.

If you want to stay Safe, and Not take a Chance that a Particular Stone could look Foggy or Odd, then SKIP Fluorescence, and look for “NONE” on the Certificate!

5) Certification

GIA (The Gemological Institute Of America), is the Leading and BEST Diamond Grading Company in the World.

But, they’re also the Most Expensive and Most Strict!

So many Jewelers, especially ones who want a more Lax Diamond Grade, will Opt for other Certification Companies (Like EGL and IGI).

It makes the Cost of the Stone Cheaper, makes the Grades of the Stone more Questionable, and makes the Diamond Appear Better than it really is.

I Don’t Advise them!

You may Save a Couple of Bucks on the Report, but if it’s Not Accurate, or if the Quality is Bumped Up (Misrepresented), then it’s NOT a Deal, you’re Not getting the Real Quality you Wanted, and you’re Spending MORE for a Stone than you Should (Because you think you’re Buying an SI1, and it’s really an SI2 – Just for Example).

Don’t Do It!

Stick with GIA, or AGS, and get an Accurate Report and the REAL Grade for your Diamond.

6) Carat Weight

You may ask to See and Compare a One Carat Diamond, and they’ll bring a Stone out and say “It’s an SI2, F, with Excellent Cut and No Fluorescence (as an Example), and the Price is $3,900!”

You Ask WHY The Price is So Cheap?

And they Say “We have Really Good Deals, and have the Best Prices on Diamonds in Town!”

It Sounds GREAT!

Until you find out that the Diamond is only .93 Carat…

“I Thought this was a One Carat?” You Ask.

“It is! Carat Weights can Vary by as Much as 7 Points one way or the other!”

And THAT Is TRUE!

But it also makes it what they call a “Light Carat Weight” Diamond, which is SHY of the Real Mark, and it brings the Price of the Stone Down Big Time!

Usually by Hundreds or Thousands of Dollars!

In fact, it’s Usually such a Good Deal, that I actually ADVISE it!

Appearance wise, the Stone will Look the Same Size, because the Eyes can’t Detect the Difference between a Couple of Points, but your Pocket Book will! :)

So if it’s Cheaper, it could be Less than the Actual Carat Weight thought… A One Carat could be .93, .94, .95, or so on, and a 1/2 Carat (50 Points), could be just .43 Points instead.

It all makes it Cheaper!

But, hey, if it Saves you $1,000, who’s going to Complain?

Lastly…

7) Diamond Shape

The Round Diamond is the Most Expensive Cut there is (Because of Popularity and Demand).

These are Quickly followed by the Princess Cut, the Second Most Popular Stone.

But did you know that all the other Shapes of Diamond are CHEAPER?

Take this Cushion Cut Diamond for Example:

This Cushion Cut Diamond, SI1, G, is Selling for $3,270.

As Compared to a Round Diamond with the Exact Same Specifications:

One Carat Round, SI1, G Diamond Selling for $6,010!

That’s almost DOUBLE the Price!

Eye Opener isn’t it?

Just the Shape itself is enough to Knock off THOUSANDS in Price!

INSANE!

That’s some Savings!

So the Shape may make a Diamond more Affordable as well, which is a Great thing!

But, if it’s Cheaper because of Clarity, Cut, Color, or Fluorescence, then you may want to Reconsider!

P.S.

Often, some Diamonds are even Cheaper because they AREN’T CERTIFIED as well! (Never Buy Those!)

They have No Diamond Report, just an Instore Appraisal which is Very Questionable and SCARY! (Who’s Grading your Stone? The Old Man in the Back Room???) You really don’t know WHAT Diamond or What Quality you’re Buying!

My Recommendation:

Buy a Stone that’s SI1 or Higher, Near Colorless or Higher, Certified by GIA, and ones with “Excellent” or “Very Good” Cuts and NO Fluorescence.

As with these Diamonds Here at James Allen!

…AND, By Buying ONLINE, that also makes the Stone Cheaper. They have No Overhead!

SWEET!

Now that’s a Cheap Diamond I LOVE!

Cheers! :)