Diamond Buying Advice

When buying diamonds, buy what you can afford. Some say two months salary is sufficient. Don't buy a diamond just because there is a "sale". This is most likely marketing hype and will not result in any savings. Diamonds do not go on sale because the profit margin is much lower than regular jewelry and prices are determined more or less on market conditions.

Don't buy into the hype of carat weight. Two diamonds of the same weight could have much different diameter sizes. The last thing you want to do is buy a one carat poorly cut diamond that looks like a 3/4ct diamond from the top. When your loved one goes to show it off, people will not be impressed with the 1 carat size because it will look much smaller or disproportionate.

So why aren't all diamonds cut to perfect proportions? Not all rough diamonds come out of the earth in standard sizes. A cutter likes to keep as much weight in the diamond as possible. Why "trim the fat" off the diamond when they will have to sell it for less due to the lower weight? They would rather just leave it on, and ask for more money from an unsuspecting buyer hyped up about carat weight. As a result, this diamond will not sparkle with the same amount of fire.

Advice about choosing Jeweler:

This is probably one of the most important considerations to buying a diamond. There is more to diamonds and their prices than cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. Each diamond is unique, and truly understanding them requires lengthy study and experience. There are so many variables in this science of grading, most not readily apparent to the naked eye, or even under the microscope for a beginner, that there are more ways to be cheated than you can imagine. Thus, this first step: find a jeweler that family or friends have trusted.

Other things to be consider:

There are, however, diamonds with a certain color and clarity rating, that for some reason - a reason that you aren't experienced enough to identify command less or more money.

Carat:
This is the C everybody thinks of first. But most people think of carat as size, as in "high carat." Carat isn't size, its weight. Someone can weigh 100 lbs and be 5' tall or 5'6" tall. Diamonds are like people in this way; they very greatly in dimensions. So, a one carat diamond can be very deep and not very big in the diameter. It can look like a 5 carat! Stones with very shallow cuts can look much bigger than their actual carat weight. More info on diamond carat weight.

Diamond Color:
Diamond color is graded upside down, through the cutlet - the point at the bottom of the diamond, in a white tray, under specific lighting, for consistency. Because, the "face up" color grade can vary between two grades better or worse than the "upside down" grade. But the grade of record is the upside down grade.

This means two things: one- that a diamond may carry a "great" price because it grades out lower "face up." Conversely, if a diamond's price is higher than you expected, perhaps that the face up color grade is better than the upside down grade. But make no mistake about it. The color grade refers only to the upside down grade. More info on diamond color.

Clarity:
Similarly, clarity isn't graded by the naked eye, neither is it done by microscope. Clarity is graded by trained professionals with a 10 power loupe (or the equivalent.) Hypothetically, you shouldn't be able to see the fine gradations of clarity with the naked eye. The 10th power is the industry standard. One rule of thumb is that if you can see inclusions with the naked eye, it's an I grade or lower. But when it comes time to differentiate between VS and SI and the like, trust your jeweler. More info on diamond clarity.

Brilliance:
There are many words for "sparkly" in the jeweler's vocabulary. Interestingly, if three diamonds have the same exact cut, clarity, measurements and cut, they will "sparkle" differently. If you line them up, one will be the prettiest, and they will clearly speak individually to the viewer. Imagine lining up all the prettiest women who have the same measurements. One surely will catch your fancy over the others. It's the same way with diamonds. That's why, at Boris Litwin Jewelers, we show our loose diamonds in a special room, with special lighting, and we compare the contrast a few diamonds. This doesn't happen in three minutes flat. That is why we ask you to make an appointment. More info on diamond cut.

Appraisal:
All of these considerations and more go into the worth of your diamond and your jewelry. When you've made that purchase, you need more than your receipt. A reputable jeweler should provide a detailed purchase appraisal with your ring, and will happily do so upon request. Take that appraisal and ring, and purchase insurance. Losses can happen, and that's an ugly fact of life- theft, mishaps, etc. Should it happen to you, Insurance will replace or repair your ring exactly as it was.