{"id":10718,"date":"2013-07-02T16:26:25","date_gmt":"2013-07-02T20:26:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/?p=10718"},"modified":"2015-09-04T07:52:45","modified_gmt":"2015-09-04T11:52:45","slug":"buying-a-diamond-ask-this-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/buying-a-diamond-ask-this-first\/","title":{"rendered":"BUYING A DIAMOND? ASK THIS FIRST!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"6<\/div>\n

Buying a Ring?<\/h2>\n

\nLet’s say you’re in the Market to Buy a Solitaire Engagement Ring<\/a> (One Stone). You go to the Store and look at Diamond Rings.<\/p>\n

\nThe Salesperson is Nice Enough and gives you some Basic Information<\/strong> about the Diamond and Quality.<\/p>\n

\nThe Price of the Ring Sounds Good. The Ring Looks Beautiful. The Diamond Sparkles<\/strong>…<\/p>\n

Should you Buy it?<\/h2>\n

\nNo! Not Yet!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nThere are 6 Crucial Questions<\/strong> you MUST<\/strong> Ask the Salesperson BEFORE<\/strong> you Exchange Money for Goods.<\/p>\n

\nWhat are they? I’m Glad you Asked…<\/strong><\/p>\n

6 Questions to Ask Before you Buy that Diamond!<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Is the Diamond Certified?<\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. What’s the Cut of the Stone?<\/strong><\/li>\n
  3. Are there Eye Visible Inclusions?<\/strong><\/li>\n
  4. Does the Stone have Fluorescence?<\/strong><\/li>\n
  5. Can I view it under a Microscope?<\/strong><\/li>\n
  6. What’s the Return Policy?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"Buying<\/p>\n

    \nLet’s Dive in…<\/strong><\/p>\n

    1) Is the Diamond Certified?<\/h2>\n

    \nThis is Vital if you’re Buying a Diamond Solitaire, or One Single Diamond.<\/p>\n

    \nYou want to know, first of all, if it’s been Certified by an Outside Independent Laboratory<\/strong> (like GIA<\/strong> – which is the BEST<\/strong>), and Secondly, you want to see this Info on the Actual Report<\/a>: Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight (The 4C’s<\/a>).<\/p>\n

    \nThe 4 C’s are primarily the Characteristics used to Price Diamonds with, and learning about these 4 C’s will Help you Determine if the Diamond you’re looking at is a Good Diamond, or a Crappy Stone!<\/p>\n

    \nIf the Diamond IS Certified (Comes with a Diamond Report), Ask WHO Certifies it!<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \nThis MATTERS! <\/strong><\/p>\n

    \"Different<\/p>\n

    Not all Certificates are Equal!<\/h2>\n

    \nSome hold more Weight and Accuracy than others. The Top TWO Diamond Grading Companies in the USA are:<\/strong> GIA and AGS! <\/strong><\/p>\n

    \nI Would Trust No Others!<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \nAnd if I had to Choose, I would 100% Pick GIA<\/strong> to Grade my Stone.<\/p>\n

    GIA Wrote the Book on Diamonds!<\/h2>\n

    \nGIA will give you the Most Accurate and Strict Report Ever!<\/p>\n

    \nPlus, Viewing only GIA Diamond Reports will make it Easier to Compare Stones elsewhere. You’ll be Comparing Apples to Apples<\/strong> and really see which Jeweler is giving you a Better Deal for that Diamond.<\/p>\n

    \nIf you Buy a Stone that’s NOT<\/strong> Certified, then you really won’t have any idea of what it is you’re truly Buying.<\/p>\n

    \nThe Jeweler could Exaggerate the Quality<\/strong> of the Stone (Grade Bump<\/a>), and you may end up Paying Much More<\/strong> than you Ought to for that Stone.<\/p>\n

    \"Jewelers<\/p>\n

    \nNow this does get much Trickier if you’re Buying a Wedding Set<\/strong>, or a Diamond Ring with Multiple Stones<\/strong>. You can’t Grade Every Single Diamond with it’s own Diamond Report. It’s just Not Feasible<\/strong>. Reports Generally Cost a Couple Hundred Dollars Each, and it would Increase the Price of the Ring Substantially.<\/p>\n

    \nUsually just the Larger, Center Stone is Certified<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    \nIf that’s the Case, ask them what the Quality is, and then Compare it with Certified Stones of the Same Exact Quality… Just to see how they look side by side.<\/p>\n

    And always, get the Quality in Writing!<\/h2>\n

    \nYou want to see the 4C’s listed on the Receipt or Appraisal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    \nThey must include:<\/strong> Cut<\/a>, Color<\/a>, Clarity<\/a> and Carat Weight<\/a>!<\/p>\n

    \nI.E.<\/strong> .76 Carat, Round Brilliant Cut, SI1 Clarity, G Color, Cut Grade: Excellent.<\/p>\n

    \nAnd Speaking of Cut Grade… That’s Our Number Two Question…<\/p>\n

    2) What’s the Cut of the Stone?<\/h2>\n

    \nThis Question alone will show you how much the Salesperson knows about Diamonds<\/strong> and Cut.<\/p>\n

    \nMost of the time the Salesperson will simply refer to “CUT<\/strong>” as the Shape of the Stone<\/strong>… i.e. “This Diamond is Princess Cut<\/strong>“.<\/p>\n

    \"Whats<\/p>\n

    \nAll this tells you is that the Cutting Style is probably Rectangular or Square. It says nothing about the Quality of the Cut<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    \nThe Shape (Round, Square, Rectangle, Triangle, Pear…) is NOT what you’re looking for<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    \nWhat we want to know about “CUT<\/strong>” is; How is the Diamond Proportioned?<\/strong> How does it React with Light? Is the Stone Cut Narrow or Spread? Is the Stone Lumpy or Deep?<\/p>\n

    CUT IS VITAL!<\/h2>\n

    \nCut Alone Determines how much a Diamond will Sparkle and Shine<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    \nThe Better the Cut, the Better the Brilliance, Scintillation and Fire!<\/p>\n

    CUT = LIFE<\/h2>\n

    \nYou want to hear something more along the lines of this: “This Diamond has an Excellent Cut, so the Light Play in the Diamond gives you the Maximum Amount of Brilliance, Sparkle and Fire!<\/strong>“<\/p>\n

    \nCut is listed right on the GIA Diamond Report<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    \"GIA<\/p>\n

    There are 5 Cut Grades:<\/h2>\n

    \nGIA has Five Different Cut Grades<\/strong> when it comes to Diamonds:<\/p>\n