{"id":4554,"date":"2011-10-04T15:07:46","date_gmt":"2011-10-04T19:07:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/?p=4554"},"modified":"2016-09-08T12:05:14","modified_gmt":"2016-09-08T16:05:14","slug":"best-way-to-buy-a-loose-diamond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/best-way-to-buy-a-loose-diamond\/","title":{"rendered":"BEST WAY TO BUY A LOOSE DIAMOND"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"blog-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/The-Best-Way-to-Buy-a-Loose-Diamond.gif\" alt=\"The Best Way to Buy a Loose Diamond\" title=\"The Best Way to Buy a Loose Diamond\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-4563\" \/><\/div>\n<p>The Best way to buy a Diamond (<strong>preferably loose and not mounted<\/strong>), is to be smart about a couple of choices.<\/p>\n<p>You don&#8217;t need to <strong>spend tons of money<\/strong> on a Diamond. <\/p>\n<p>\nYou don&#8217;t need to buy <strong>the best quality<\/strong> either. <\/p>\n<p>\nBut there are some points you should consider.<\/p>\n<p>\nUsing these <strong>7 tips<\/strong> listed below can get you a great looking Diamond with a ton of Brilliance and Sparkle, <strong>AND save you money at the same time<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Let&#8217;s begin&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><h2>1) Certification<\/h2>\n<p>\nAnyone buying a Diamond for an Engagement Ring <strong>MUST <\/strong>make sure the Diamond <strong>is Certified! <\/strong>And not just Certified, but Certified by one of the top two Certification companies in the USA.<\/p>\n<p><strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>GIA &#8211; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gia.edu\/\">The Gemological Institute of America<\/a><\/li>\n<li>AGS &#8211; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.americangemsociety.org\/?gclid=CNbywISM28UCFdcTHwod7VYApQ\">The American Gem Society<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/GIA-AGS-Certified-Diamonds.jpg\" alt=\"Certified Diamonds\" title=\"Certified Diamonds\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" border=\"0\"><\/p>\n<p>\nThese 2 companies are <strong>very strict in their gradings<\/strong> and highly accurate.<\/p>\n<p>\nAlmost every Jeweler, Gemologist (expert in Gemstones), and Diamontologist (expert in Diamonds), uses <strong>GIA Standards<\/strong> for grading, evaluating, and pricing Diamonds.<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>They are the Certs to get!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\nAll the other Certificates fall short and may be lax or <strong>exaggerated <\/strong>in their opinions. Which means, you could be overpaying for that Diamond you buy!<\/p>\n<p>\nIf you&#8217;re paying for an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/si1-clarity-diamonds\/\">SI1<\/a>, H Diamond, you should be getting one!<\/p>\n<p>\nStick with GIA or AGS and you&#8217;ll know <strong>you got what you paid for<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><h2>2) Diamond Fluorescence<\/h2>\n<p>\nFluorescence can be a <strong>Diamond Sparkle Killer!<\/strong> Fluorescence can leave a high Clarity (like VVS or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/vs-clarity-diamonds\/\">VS<\/a>) Diamond look Cloudy, Hazy, Foggy or <strong>Milky!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\nIt can stop light from entering and exiting the stone, which means the stone will <strong>lack Brilliance, Sparkle, Fire and Beauty!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Check-Diamond-Fluorescence.jpg\" alt=\"Check Diamond Fluorescence\" title=\"Check Diamond Fluorescence\" width=\"640\" height=\"450\" border=\"0\"><\/p>\n<p>\nCheck <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/diamond-fluorescence\/\">Diamond Fluorescence<\/a>. If a Diamond has Fluorescence (<strong>listed on the Diamond Report<\/strong>), you may want to <strong>pass that stone up<\/strong>&#8230; unless you compare it side by side with a similar quality of Diamond without Fluorescence.<\/p>\n<p>\nBecause it would be a shame to spend that kind of money on a high quality Diamond only to have it look <strong>dark, dull and boring<\/strong> (Brilliance and Sparkle brighten a stone).<\/p>\n<p><h2>3) H Color or Higher<\/h2>\n<p>\nStick with Diamonds that are White in Color or higher.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/d-e-f-colorless-diamonds\/\">D,E,F<\/a> are <strong>Pure White Diamonds<\/strong>. G,H are <strong>Fine White<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Buy-White-Diamonds.jpg\" alt=\"Buy White Diamonds\" title=\"Buy White Diamonds\" width=\"640\" height=\"280\" border=\"0\"><\/p>\n<p>\nEverything else can show traces of off color, like Yellow, Brown or Gray.<\/p>\n<p>\nYellow is the most common color and Yellow for the most part, <strong>does not make for a pretty Engagement Ring<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\nA Yellow hue can make the Diamond look <strong>Antique, Used, Old and Stained!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\nStick with the <strong>Whiter Colors<\/strong> and the Diamond will also look <strong>brighter<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\nPlus, it will look great in a White Gold Mounting, where as a Yellow Diamond will stand out <strong>like a sore thumb<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\nH or Higher! But, if you want a Diamond that really <strong>POPS<\/strong>&#8230; <strong>Buy E Color!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\nE Color is my favorite Diamond Color. It is stunning and unbelievable. <strong>I simply love them!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><h2>4) SI1 or Higher<\/h2>\n<p>\n<strong>Here&#8217;s a tip:<\/strong> If you&#8217;re buying an Engagement Ring, you <strong>DO NOT<\/strong> want Inclusions in the stone that can be seen with the naked eye!<\/p>\n<p>\nYou don&#8217;t want your Bride-To-Be seeing <strong>Black Chunks and Flaws<\/strong> in her dream Diamond for the rest of her life.<\/p>\n<p>\nStick with SI1 or Higher Clarity and you&#8217;ll never hear her say &#8220;<strong>What&#8217;s that Black Speck in my Stone?<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>SI1 or higher gets you into a Clarity where the Inclusions are invisible unless you <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B005MZ7BQY\/?tag=jewelry-secrets-20\">Microscope<\/a> them&#8230; (Eye-Clean Stones)<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Buy-Eye-Clean-Diamonds.jpg\" alt=\"Buy Eye Clean Diamonds\" title=\"Buy Eye Clean Diamonds\" width=\"640\" height=\"280\" border=\"0\"><\/p>\n<p>\nWhich brings up a great point: <strong>You MUST view the Diamond you buy under 10x Magnification! <\/strong>This is Vital!<\/p>\n<p>\nYou want to see what Flaws and Imperfections are in the stone. You want to be able to <strong>memorize them<\/strong>, compare them to the Certificate and be able to identify your stone at a later date (or any time in your life).<\/p>\n<p>\nA few Inclusions are fine. <strong>I actually advise it<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\nLook at the SI1 Diamond and the SI1 <strong>Diamond Plot<\/strong> below to get an idea&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jamesallen.com\/diamonds\/G-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1388977.asp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/SI1-Clarity-Diamond-Inclusions.jpg\" alt=\"SI1 Clarity Inclusions\" title=\"SI1 Clarity Inclusions\" width=\"640\" height=\"450\" border=\"0\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\nThose Inclusions are what you&#8217;ll see under a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B005MZ7BQY\/?tag=jewelry-secrets-20\">Microscope<\/a> or <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/2c1Psk9\">Jewelers Loupe<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>When you get your Diamond back from the Jeweler (after Setting, Sizing or Polishing), you&#8217;ll want to view your stone with a <strong>Loupe or Microscope<\/strong> to identify your Flaws again.<\/p>\n<p>\nYou want to make sure you got your Diamond back (<strong>No Diamond Switching!<\/strong>).<\/p>\n<p>\nHaving a few Flaws to pick out makes this process <strong>so much easier<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\nThis is also why I like having Certificates with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/diamond-plots-diamond-clarity\/\">Diamond Plot<\/a> on them. Not all Certs do, you don&#8217;t have to have a plot, but I like them and I like to align up my Flaws to verify that the Certificate I&#8217;m looking at IS for the Diamond that I&#8217;m viewing.<\/p>\n<p><h2>5) Excellent, Excellent, Excellent<\/h2>\n<p>\nIf you want the Brightest, most <strong>Sparkliest <\/strong>(is that a word?) Diamond that you&#8217;ve ever seen in the World, you&#8217;ll want to buy a Diamond that&#8217;s Cut well!<\/p>\n<p>\nThe best Cut, is an Excellent Rating (by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/the-4-cs-of-diamonds\/\">GIA&#8217;s 4C&#8217;s<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>\nTake a look at the Excellent grades below&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jamesallen.com\/diamonds\/H-VVS1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1395061.asp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Excellent-Certified-Diamond.jpg\" alt=\"Buy Excellent Diamonds\" title=\"Buy Excellent Diamonds\" width=\"640\" height=\"690\" border=\"0\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>P.S.<\/strong> The Diamond Certificate shown above is awesome. <strong>Here are the details:<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td  style=\"background-color:#FFFF99\" valign=\"top\"><strong>CARAT WEIGHT, CLARITY, COLOR, CUT, CERTIFIED<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color:#FFFF99\" valign=\"top\"><strong>PRICE<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color:#FFFF99\" valign=\"top\"><strong>VIEW<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color:#FFFFFF\" valign=\"top\"><strong>.81, VVS1, H, IDEAL, GIA<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color:#FFFFFF\" valign=\"top\"><strong>$5,890<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color:#FFFFFF\" valign=\"top\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jamesallen.com\/diamonds\/H-VVS1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1395061.asp\">VIEW<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p>\n(Update: This Diamond is <strong>now Sold<\/strong>, but <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jamesallen.com\/loose-diamonds\/round-cut\/?CaratFrom=0.81&#038;CaratTo=15.00&#038;Color=H&#038;Clarity=VVS1&#038;Cut=Ideal,Excellent,TrueHearts&#038;PriceFrom=200&#038;PriceTo=999000&#038;Sort=Price,%20DefaultOrder&#038;ViewsOptions=Images&#038;advancedParameter=CaratSliderBottom&#038;showAdvanced=show&#038;Polish=EX,ID&#038;Symmetry=EX,ID&#038;Lab=GIA&#038;Flour=None,Negligible&#038;DepthFrom=45.0&#038;DepthTo=80.0&#038;TableFrom=50.0&#038;TableTo=83.0\">Here are Diamonds of Equal Quality<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>\nThis Excellent Rating not only refers to the Cut Grade of the stone (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/diamond-cut\/\">GIA&#8217;s Cut Grade<\/a>), but also to the Polish and Symmetry as well (listed under <strong>Finish<\/strong>).<\/p>\n<p>\nIf you get a Diamond that has 3 Excellent Ratings, Excellent in every Category&#8230; It will be like <strong>hitting the lotto<\/strong> with Diamond Beauty!<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>That Baby will Knock your Socks off!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>3 Excellent Graded Diamonds are more important than any <strong>Color or any Clarity Grade<\/strong>. It&#8217;s the thing that makes the Diamond come to life.<\/p>\n<p>\nIt will make her get lost in the sparkle and stare at the Diamond like a thousand stars in the sky. <strong>It really is that COOL!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\nNow you can go a little less than <strong>Excellent<\/strong>. You can also get into a &#8220;<strong>Very Good<\/strong>&#8221; rating. With Very Good, you&#8217;ll get great Sparkle, Brilliance and Light&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>\nBut <strong>Excellent<\/strong>&#8230; Well, with <strong>Excellent <\/strong>you can&#8217;t get any better than that!<\/p>\n<p>Check out the Cut and Finish, it makes all the difference in the world.<\/p>\n<p><h2>6) Buy Shy<\/h2>\n<p>\n<strong>To Save Money on a Diamond, Buy Shy!<\/strong> Buy a Diamond that&#8217;s <strong>a couple of points shy of the mark<\/strong> and you&#8217;ll save yourself <strong>hundreds <\/strong>of dollars.<\/p>\n<p>Buy a .95 Carat Diamond instead of a Full Carat (1.00).<\/p>\n<p>Buy a .71 Carat Diamond instead of a .75 Carat.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Buy-Shy-Carat-Weights.jpg\" alt=\"Buy Shy Diamonds\" title=\"Buy Shy Diamonds\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" border=\"0\"><\/p>\n<p>\nBuy a couple of points less will <strong>keep the price down<\/strong> and allow you to use that money towards other important aspects of the Diamond or ring. A couple of points won&#8217;t make any <strong>visual difference<\/strong>, but it will make a big difference in your <strong>wallet<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Saving money is always a good thing!<\/strong> :)<\/p>\n<p><h2>7) Diamond Return Policy<\/h2>\n<p>\nDon&#8217;t buy a Diamond if you can&#8217;t return the Diamond!<\/p>\n<p>\nMake sure the store has a <strong>return policy<\/strong>. And not only do you want to make sure you can return it, but you want to make sure you will get a <strong>100% FULL refund<\/strong> (no restocking or handling fees).<\/p>\n<p>\nAnd also make sure this IS a <strong>money back guarantee<\/strong> and <strong>NOT <\/strong>just <strong>a store credit!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\nBecause you&#8217;ll never know what happens in life (granted return policies aren&#8217;t that long), but things may not work out and you&#8217;ll want a way to get your money back.<\/p>\n<p>\nShe could say she wanted a Princess Cut instead.<\/p>\n<p>\nYou could inherit your Grandmother&#8217;s Engagement Ring.<\/p>\n<p><strong>She could say NO!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\nYou never know what may happen, <strong>so a back up plan and an easy way to return it is always a great idea<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\nWho wants to be stuck with an <strong>$8,000<\/strong> ring?<\/p>\n<p><strong>I Don&#8217;t!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Check-The-Return-Policy.jpg\" alt=\"Diamond Purchase Return\" title=\"Diamond Purchase Return\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" border=\"0\"><\/p>\n<p>\nSo there you go, some great tips to help you <strong>choose the perfect Diamond<\/strong>&#8230; And save money at the same time.<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>P.S.<\/strong> <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jamesallen.com\/\">James Allen<\/a> has great deals on Diamonds and allows you to view the Diamonds under 10x magnification <strong>BEFORE<\/strong> you purchase the stone. <\/p>\n<p>\nThey also give you a <strong>100% full refund for 60 days!<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>\nPlus, they allow you to search for Diamonds based upon <strong>Cut Grades<\/strong>!<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Like so&#8230;<\/strong> <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jamesallen.com\/loose-diamonds\/round-cut\/?CaratFrom=0.75&#038;CaratTo=15.00&#038;Color=F,E,D&#038;Clarity=VS2,VS1,VVS2,VVS1,IF&#038;Cut=Ideal,Excellent,TrueHearts&#038;PriceFrom=200&#038;PriceTo=999000&#038;Sort=Price,%20DefaultOrder&#038;ViewsOptions=Images&#038;advancedParameter=CaratSliderBottom&#038;showAdvanced=show&#038;Polish=EX,ID&#038;Symmetry=EX,ID&#038;Lab=GIA&#038;Flour=None,Negligible&#038;DepthFrom=45.0&#038;DepthTo=80.0&#038;TableFrom=50.0&#038;TableTo=83.0\">Very Good and Excellent Graded Diamonds<\/a> (Triple Excellent Diamonds, the <strong>BEST<\/strong>, are called <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jamesallen.com\/loose-diamonds\/round-cut\/?CaratFrom=0.5&#038;CaratTo=15.00&#038;Color=H,G,F,E,D&#038;Clarity=SI1,VS2,VS1,VVS2,VVS1,IF&#038;Cut=TrueHearts&#038;PriceFrom=200&#038;PriceTo=999000&#038;Sort=Price,%20DefaultOrder&#038;ViewsOptions=Images&#038;advancedParameter=CaratSliderBottom&#038;showAdvanced=show&#038;Polish=EX,ID&#038;Symmetry=EX,ID&#038;Lab=GIA&#038;Flour=None,Negligible&#038;DepthFrom=45.0&#038;DepthTo=80.0&#038;TableFrom=50.0&#038;TableTo=83.0\">True Hearts<\/a>! :)<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Check them out today! :)<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>The Best way to buy a Diamond (preferably loose and not mounted), is to be smart about a couple of choices. You don&#8217;t need to spend tons of money on a Diamond. You don&#8217;t need <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/best-way-to-buy-a-loose-diamond\/\" title=\"BEST WAY TO BUY A LOOSE DIAMOND\">[Read More&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4563,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,3,10,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4554","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diamond-guide","category-diamonds","category-engagement","category-loose-diamonds"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4554"}],"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=4554"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4554\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4554"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4554"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4554"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}