{"id":14040,"date":"2016-02-28T07:00:52","date_gmt":"2016-02-28T12:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/?p=14040"},"modified":"2016-02-22T14:40:26","modified_gmt":"2016-02-22T19:40:26","slug":"my-1-piece-of-advice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/my-1-piece-of-advice\/","title":{"rendered":"MY #1 PIECE OF ADVICE"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"My<\/div>\n

A friend of mine asked me a question<\/strong> the other day that really made me think hard.<\/p>\n

She Asked:<\/h2>\n

\n“If you could give guys 1 piece of advice on buying a diamond<\/strong>, what would that be?”<\/p>\n

Hmmm…<\/h2>\n

\nI pondered that for a while<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nWhat is the #1 priority?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nA lot of things came to mind:<\/strong> Staying within a budget, buying the best cut, looking into fancy shapes, sticking with eye-clean diamonds…<\/p>\n

\nIt really took me a couple of minutes to decide on what I think is the most important factor<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nAnd what is that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Buying GIA Certified Diamonds!<\/h2>\n

\nI say GIA for a multitude of reasons<\/strong>. After all, everything you ever need to know about a diamond is listed on the report<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nBut a few critical points<\/strong> really sealed the deal.<\/p>\n

\nLet’s look at them:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1) The Grades are Accurate<\/h2>\n

\nBy buying GIA, you’ll know that the grades are the most strict and accurate you can get on the face of the earth. And that’s not lying<\/strong>. You’ll know that the quality listed on the report is the exact quality<\/strong> of diamond that you’re buying. <\/p>\n

\nYou’ll see the exact measurements, the true carat weight, the clarity grade, color grade, polish, symmetry, as well as the official cut grade<\/strong>… Everything that you need is written on that laminated sheet of paper<\/strong>. Nothing is left out.<\/p>\n

2) No Grade Bumping<\/h2>\n

\nIf you don’t buy certified, you could easily get grade bumped<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nWhat is grade bumping?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nGrade bumping is where the diamond is graded by the local jewelry store, and it’s their opinion<\/strong> on what the diamond grades should be. Often this grade is exaggerated <\/strong>and bumped up higher than it really should be (which makes the stone sound better, sell better, and makes them more money<\/strong>). It’s all just opinion, right?<\/strong> And whose to say one opinion is better than another?<\/strong> It’s subjective. A store could call a diamond an SI2, G,<\/strong> when in reality, it’s just an I1, I<\/strong>. Truly they can, and do! And the FTC allows this<\/strong>, because yes<\/strong>, it is just someone’s educated guess as to what the quality could be. <\/p>\n

\nThis is why you MUST buy certified<\/strong>, and you MUST buy GIA<\/strong>. GIA is the best in the industry. They are the most highly respected and admired diamond grading company in the world<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

\nWhen GIA certifies your stone, the quality won’t be bumped<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

3) Laser Drilled?<\/h2>\n

\nGIA lists right on the report if the diamond’s been laser drilled<\/strong> (altered to make the clarity look better). GIA will list right on the plot <\/strong>and the key to symbols<\/strong> if the stone in question has a “laser drill hole<\/strong>“. Make sure you look for it… For if the store sells you this stone and doesn’t tell you, or mention the fact that the diamond’s been enhanced<\/strong>… Then it’s actually FRAUD!<\/strong>. I don’t advise buying laser drilled stones. Plus, it can even make your diamond weak!<\/strong><\/p>\n

4) Fracture Filled<\/h2>\n

\nFracture Filling is where jewelers take a diamond that’s been laser drilled, and they fill that vacant cavity<\/strong> (where the burnt out inclusion used to be), and fill it with a clear substance (like epoxy<\/strong>) that makes this hole blend in with the stone, and makes it much harder to detect<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nThis is why GIA WON’T GRADE fracture filled stones<\/strong>. It’s too frowned upon in the jewelry industry.<\/p>\n

\nSo if you buy GIA certified, you’ll never be buying<\/strong> a fracture filled stone! And that’s awesome.<\/strong><\/p>\n

5) No SI3 Clarity<\/h2>\n

\nSI3 is a made-up clarity grade<\/strong> that some grading companies like to push. They can make an I1 diamond an SI3 instead. And customers will hear the word “SI<\/strong>“, and they’ll believe that it’s a better quality stone<\/strong>… But SI3 is not a real clarity grade. GIA doesn’t recognize SI3<\/strong>, so if you see a store selling an SI3 diamond… RUN!<\/strong> Don’t buy it! It’s only a glorified I1 clarity diamond<\/strong> that they’re trying to make more money off. GIA won’t grade any diamonds as SI3, they’ll grade them as they really are; an I1 stone<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

6) Sell or Trade Easier<\/h2>\n

\nIf you have a diamond that’s certified by GIA, you’ll be able to sell that stone<\/strong>, or trade it up<\/strong> much easier, and get more money for it<\/strong>. A GIA diamond report is the best of the best, and jeweler’s trust them. It’s worth it’s weight in gold. Any other diamond reports aren’t looked at in the same manner. Jewelers will sneer at IGI or EGL<\/strong> and won’t even bother looking at what those reports state. GIA is the only one that matters<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

7) Verify the Quality<\/h2>\n

\nGIA has a Diamond Report Checker<\/strong> that’s online, and it makes verifying <\/strong>your diamond and report easy. All you do is enter the report numbers to double check that the diamond you’re buying is in fact factual, genuine, and GIA certified! <\/strong>View their online checker here: GIA Diamond Report Checker<\/a><\/p>\n

8) Shop and Compare<\/h2>\n

\nWhen you compare apples to apples, buying diamonds is easier. And so, when you only look at GIA certified diamonds<\/strong>, and compare them to other GIA certified diamonds, that’s the best way to really compare quality, compare diamonds, and compare prices. One SI1 diamond (used as an example), will be graded exactly the same way<\/strong> as another SI1 diamond, and that’s been agreed upon by 3 diamontologists<\/strong> (which is called “triple redundancy<\/strong>“). Everything is on the same par, and that’s something you can’t say about IGI or EGL!<\/strong><\/p>\n

9) No Value!<\/h2>\n

\nGIA puts no VALUE <\/strong>on their reports. Which means, they put no Retail Price<\/strong> on the certification (other diamond grading companies do). GIA only grades the stone<\/strong>. They don’t care what the diamond is worth, nor what the jeweler may or may not sell that diamond for. They aren’t swayed by money<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nDollar amounts (which fluctuate daily with the diamond market) should be left for an in-store appraisal<\/strong>, one that will be turned in to your insurance company<\/strong>. Those are the only people that need a replacement value<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

10) Identification<\/h2>\n

\nEvery GIA diamond report gives you a great way of identifying your stone<\/strong>. GIA makes two different reports: The Dossier <\/strong>(generally for diamonds smaller than a 1.00 carat), and the Full Diamond Report<\/strong>, which is normally for bigger stones.<\/p>\n

\nThe Dossier is a smaller report that has all the same info at the larger reports, except for one specific thing: They don’t give you a diamond plot<\/strong> (map of the inclusions).<\/p>\n

\nBut, almost all Dossier diamonds are laser inscribed instead<\/strong>. Meaning, the report number is etched directly onto the side of the stone (the girdle<\/strong>). And you can view that inscription (with a Microscope<\/a> or a 10x Jeweler’s Loupe<\/a>), see your numbers, match them up<\/strong> with the numbers on the report, and you’ll know that that’s your diamond!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nThe Full Diamond Reports will also list if a diamond’s been laser inscribed, but the larger reports give you a diagram of the diamond<\/strong> that shows you all the inclusions and blemishes inside the stone. Every diamond has it’s own unique fingerprint<\/strong>, and viewing these flaws under a microscope<\/strong>, and matching them up to the ones on the diamond plot is incredible to see and identify your stone (I highly recommend it<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

\nGet into the habit of viewing your diamond under 10x magnification<\/strong> when you drop it off at any jeweler for repairs, sizings, retippings<\/strong>… View the stone, match up the inclusions BEFORE <\/strong>you hand it over to them. And then, when you go back to retrieve your stone after the works been done, VIEW THE STONE AGAIN<\/strong> (Do take your report with you)! View it again and view those flaws just to make sure that your diamond’s not been switched<\/strong>, nor swapped out, and that you aren’t getting ripped off<\/strong>. PLUS, you can also look at make sure that the jeweler didn’t accidentally chip your stone<\/strong> during repairs. It’s that important, and great peace of mind!<\/strong><\/p>\n

And, there’s more…<\/h2>\n

\nI’ve gone over some pretty great reasons to buy GIA<\/strong>, but there is still one more great benefit to buying certified…<\/p>\n

Inspection<\/h2>\n

\nYou see, if you buy a GIA certified stone, chances are (9 out of 10 times), that diamond will be LOOSE<\/strong> (other certificate companies will pre-mount their diamonds, or even grade them in the mounting – I would never advise that<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

\nBy buying loose, you’ll see everything there is to see about that diamond. Nothing can be hidden under a prong<\/strong>, mounting, or head… Plus, mountings not only can hide ugly flaws, but they can also alter the color of a diamond<\/strong>. Not cool!<\/p>\n

\nBy viewing the stone loose, you’ll be able to turn the stone around under a microscope<\/strong>, view it from all angles, view the girdle, see the inscription<\/strong>, look at the symmetry and facet alignments, and even look at the diamond upside down<\/strong> (something you can’t do if it’s mounted).<\/p>\n

\nThis also lets you see if a diamond is chipped <\/strong>or not. Because sometimes a stone can be damaged AFTER the report was issued<\/strong>. Which means, the report isn’t up-to-date<\/strong>, and the clarity of the stone, as well as the value<\/strong> could greatly be diminished<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

\nSo viewing and inspecting the stone will show you if the diamond’s been damaged or not.<\/p>\n

Plus…<\/h2>\n

\nGIA actually devised the 4C’s!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nThey wrote the book<\/strong> when it comes to diamond grading. So there’s nobody better on the face of the earth<\/strong> to grade a diamond, than the people who made the system.<\/p>\n

\nBuy your GIA certified stones HERE!<\/a><\/p>\n

\nCheers! :)<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A friend of mine asked me a question the other day that really made me think hard. She Asked: “If you could give guys 1 piece of advice on buying a diamond, what would that [Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14041,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,29,3,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-certification","category-diamond-guide","category-diamonds","category-engagement"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14040"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14040"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14040\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}