The cost of a diamond or piece of diamond jewelry is determined by the stone. The gemstone price is determined by the 4Cs of clarity, cut, carat, and color.While it may be easy for a jeweler to examine a stone and determine its worth based on those criteria, the truth is the average person is at a loss to be able to do likewise. The solution is to hop online where the 4Cs are explicitly detailed for each stone in an online store, so you can get diamonds or piece of diamond jewelry that fits within your budget. The more detailed information you have on the diamond
or piece of jewelry you want to purchase, the better you will get at making a selection that you love that’s also a great deal too!
Searching for the Right Stone
Online diamond merchants will typically allow you to search their inventory of diamonds based on the 4Cs. This gives you the upper hand in finding a stone that not only looks good, but also fits your budget. If you’re not too particular about the clarity of the stone, but must have a pear-shaped diamond, you can see how changing the other criteria affects the overall cost. This way, you can narrow down your selection while still getting exactly what you want.
Don’t Forget Jewelry Settings
Another great way to score a deal is to take a look at the type of settings offered for your jewelry. Whether you’re picking out an engagement ring setting or just looking at the stock jewelry pieces online, the type of metal can have a large effect on the cost. If you can’t afford platinum, stick with less costly metals. You may find are perfectly happy with white gold options. Take a look at the different metals available and see how different settings and metals affect
the overall cost of your piece. This will help you to save lots of money without sacrificing anything in the cost of the gemstone itself.
Showing posts with label diamond. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diamond. Show all posts
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Getting the Nitty Gritty on Diamonds and Jewelry Online
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
How To Choose An Engagement Ring
Are you interested in buying a cheap engagement rings for someone? Here are some tips on how to choose the perfect ring based on color, cut, carat, and clarity.
Four of the main factors that you will want to take into consideration when selecting the perfect ring are carat, cut, color, and clarity. Here are some tips on how to choose an engagement ring based on these four factors.
Carat
The carat determines the size of the stone. It is important to keep in mind that there is no right or wrong when it comes to how many carats an engagement ring has. Some rings may have two carats or more, while others may only be a quarter or half carat. Ultimately, what the carat weight determines is the price of the engagement ring. The higher the amount of carats that the ring has, the more expensive the ring will be. Setting a budget before going shopping will help determine what carat weight you should be looking for.
Cut
Cut is often mistaken for shape. Most people think that cut means whether the ring is princess, oval, heart shaped, or anything else. In reality, cut refers to the facets in a diamond and how brilliantly they allow light to reflect. Jewelers use a scale from “Fair” to “Ideal” to determine the quality of the cut. “Very Good,” and “Ideal” are the best options. “Good” is an acceptable choice for people have a tighter budget in mind for the engagement ring.
Color
Diamonds are generally considered to be the most valuable when they are colorless. The only exception to this rule is when they have a tint of another color, such as blue, pink or yellow. Specialty color diamonds are often very expensive due to their rarity, however. The color of a diamond is graded on a scale which ranges from D, which is colorless, to Z, which is a shade of yellow.
Clarity
Clarity refers to the overall quality of the diamond to the visible eye. Most diamonds have some type of inclusion, scratch or other imperfection. The scale which is used to rate the clarity of a diamond ranges from “ Flawless” to “Included.” Flawless means that the diamond is free of imperfections and included means that there are imperfections which may affect the diamond’s brilliance. It is ideal to purchase “Flawless,” but “Very Very Slightly Included” and “Internally Flawless” are good choices for those with a stricter budget.
Carat, cut, color and clarity are just four of the factors which should be taken into consideration when selecting an engagement ring. The shape of the engagement ring is also very important to think about, and should be based largely on personal preference. Before proposing, it may be a good idea to get a feel for what the special woman in your life likes in an engagement ring. Since this is a fairly large investment, choosing one that is well liked by the person it is intended for is very important.
Monday, August 24, 2009
The Four C's of Diamonds, Choosing the Right One
The 4 C´s of a Diamond - clarity, cut, color and carat weight with a view to understanding what to look for in order to make an informed decision. Included are six tips on caring for your diamond. The Four C´s of Diamonds Choosing the Right One
People have had a love and fascination with diamonds since early history. Diamonds were thought to have magical powers beyond their beauty. They were worn as talismans, providing protection and warding off evil spirits. For 3000 years, the diamond has had many mystical uses.
Today we love diamonds for their pure beauty and brilliance. They are richly luxurious gemstones no engagement can do without. When buying a diamond, there are some very important things to consider and learn. If you want to make an informed decision, consider the four C´s of a diamond.
Color
Not all diamonds are used in jewelry. In fact, most diamonds found in the world are used for industrial purposes. These are found in hues of yellow, black and brown and are generally considered flawed or defective for jewelry purposes. The clear white or transparent diamonds make their way to the jewelers work table and these are the diamonds most people see and love. That being said, colored diamonds are slowly being incorporated into jewelry.
As a mineral, diamonds contain three atoms, hydrogen, boron and nitrogen. Nitrogen gives a diamond that yellow hue and occasionally brown or pink hues. Boron gives the gem the gray hues. Hydrogen gives it the reds, greens, violets and blue tones.
Colored diamonds have flaws that cause the coloration, while clear diamonds are pure and colorless.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cut
The cut of a diamond is not the same thing as shape. Shape can be round, pear or oval. The cut speaks of the diamond’s qualities – the way it reflects light and sparkles. The quality of the cut or reflection greatly affects the value of the diamond. A well-cut diamond gives it that sparkle and richness diamond lovers look for. Those perfectly formed angles are what gives the diamond that brilliance - like a star in the daylight.
The cuts can be shallow, fine and deep, but the ideal cut is one that is proportioned in such a way that the light will reflect back and forth inside the diamond before reflecting out. This is what gives the viewer that flash of brilliance. The deeper or shallower the cut, the less brilliance. Deeply cut diamonds may be higher in carat weight, but they are not as desirable.
Diamond cuts are graded. The Ideal Cut and the Premium Cut is perfectly-proportioned with the best reflective value. These are suitable for round diamonds. The third grade is Very Good. These diamonds are cut in such a way that may give up some of their brilliance for the sake of size. Good diamonds do reflect most of the light, but these too are bigger diamonds. In most cases, the cutter has chosen to create a large diamond using as much of the crystal as possible, rather than removing most of it to make a Premium stone. Fair and Poor diamond grades generally mean they don’t reflect light well and don’t have that sparkle and brilliance found in other grades. For the most part, these diamonds are cut for size rather than brilliance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clarity
Diamond clarity concerns the characteristics of the diamond. Clarity characteristics present in the stone at the crystal stage, could show as black spots, hazy areas or crystal growth within the stone. Diamonds often have flaws resulting from stress in the cutting stage. As a result of cutting, many diamonds have scrapes and scratches - flaws that affect clarity. The fewer the flaws, the rarer and more valuable the diamond. However, a diamond can still be a shining, sparkling stone even with flaws.
Experienced jewelers know how to pick out the flaws. It’s not easy to judge as a consumer without some training. Gemologists use the term "eye-clean", which means the flaws are not visible to the naked eye. Unless the consumer is carrying a loupe or jeweler’s magnifying glass, he or she won’t notice the flaws. Diamonds with only minor flaws or none at all are considered the best investments.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carat Weight
Carat weight is a standardized measure to define a diamond’s weight. It does not refer to the actual size of the diamond. However, diamonds weighing one-carat or higher are very rare and only a small percentage of women own a ring of these weights.
As a unit of weight measure, rather than size, two diamonds with the same weight could be quite different in size. It depends largely on the cut of the diamond.
For the consumer, even though the carat weight is high, other factors should be considered before purchasing. Look at the cut for brilliance and clarity, for very few flaws and for the clear color of the stone itself. It isn’t necessarily all about the weight. Understanding this will ensure a good investment. Don’t let weight alone be the deciding factor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buying a diamond in a ring, necklace, bracelet or earrings doesn’t have to be daunting, if you go to the jeweler with the knowledge you need to assist in your decisions. By understanding the basics of the four C´s of the diamond, you’re in a better position to find one that’s right for you and at a fair price. Once you have your diamond, you’ll need to take good care of that investment.
Six Tips For Diamond Care
1) Diamonds are hard substances, but they can still be chipped. If you’re doing rough work, like moving stones in the garden, it’s advisable to remove your ring.
2) Store your diamond jewelry in their own felt or velvet-lined containers. Metal from other jewelry can scratch a diamond.
3) Hand creams, dishwashing liquid and soaps can cause a build-up of grit on your diamond, lessening its brilliance. Gently scrub it away, with a soft tooth-brush and warm water. You could also soak your diamond overnight in a tiny bit of window cleaner. Doing this once a week will keep it sparkling. Rinse it and polish it dry with a soft cloth. Polish gently to avoid damaging the prongs in the setting.
4) Remove your diamond ring when working with strong cleansers and chlorine bleach. These can wear down the settings holding the diamond.
5) Ensure the setting is always secure. If it feels at all loose, take it in to a jeweler for immediate repair.
6) Insure your diamond.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With care, your diamond will last a lifetime and always retain that luxurious brilliance.
People have had a love and fascination with diamonds since early history. Diamonds were thought to have magical powers beyond their beauty. They were worn as talismans, providing protection and warding off evil spirits. For 3000 years, the diamond has had many mystical uses.
Today we love diamonds for their pure beauty and brilliance. They are richly luxurious gemstones no engagement can do without. When buying a diamond, there are some very important things to consider and learn. If you want to make an informed decision, consider the four C´s of a diamond.
Color
Not all diamonds are used in jewelry. In fact, most diamonds found in the world are used for industrial purposes. These are found in hues of yellow, black and brown and are generally considered flawed or defective for jewelry purposes. The clear white or transparent diamonds make their way to the jewelers work table and these are the diamonds most people see and love. That being said, colored diamonds are slowly being incorporated into jewelry.
As a mineral, diamonds contain three atoms, hydrogen, boron and nitrogen. Nitrogen gives a diamond that yellow hue and occasionally brown or pink hues. Boron gives the gem the gray hues. Hydrogen gives it the reds, greens, violets and blue tones.
Colored diamonds have flaws that cause the coloration, while clear diamonds are pure and colorless.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cut
The cut of a diamond is not the same thing as shape. Shape can be round, pear or oval. The cut speaks of the diamond’s qualities – the way it reflects light and sparkles. The quality of the cut or reflection greatly affects the value of the diamond. A well-cut diamond gives it that sparkle and richness diamond lovers look for. Those perfectly formed angles are what gives the diamond that brilliance - like a star in the daylight.
The cuts can be shallow, fine and deep, but the ideal cut is one that is proportioned in such a way that the light will reflect back and forth inside the diamond before reflecting out. This is what gives the viewer that flash of brilliance. The deeper or shallower the cut, the less brilliance. Deeply cut diamonds may be higher in carat weight, but they are not as desirable.
Diamond cuts are graded. The Ideal Cut and the Premium Cut is perfectly-proportioned with the best reflective value. These are suitable for round diamonds. The third grade is Very Good. These diamonds are cut in such a way that may give up some of their brilliance for the sake of size. Good diamonds do reflect most of the light, but these too are bigger diamonds. In most cases, the cutter has chosen to create a large diamond using as much of the crystal as possible, rather than removing most of it to make a Premium stone. Fair and Poor diamond grades generally mean they don’t reflect light well and don’t have that sparkle and brilliance found in other grades. For the most part, these diamonds are cut for size rather than brilliance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clarity
Diamond clarity concerns the characteristics of the diamond. Clarity characteristics present in the stone at the crystal stage, could show as black spots, hazy areas or crystal growth within the stone. Diamonds often have flaws resulting from stress in the cutting stage. As a result of cutting, many diamonds have scrapes and scratches - flaws that affect clarity. The fewer the flaws, the rarer and more valuable the diamond. However, a diamond can still be a shining, sparkling stone even with flaws.
Experienced jewelers know how to pick out the flaws. It’s not easy to judge as a consumer without some training. Gemologists use the term "eye-clean", which means the flaws are not visible to the naked eye. Unless the consumer is carrying a loupe or jeweler’s magnifying glass, he or she won’t notice the flaws. Diamonds with only minor flaws or none at all are considered the best investments.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carat Weight
Carat weight is a standardized measure to define a diamond’s weight. It does not refer to the actual size of the diamond. However, diamonds weighing one-carat or higher are very rare and only a small percentage of women own a ring of these weights.
As a unit of weight measure, rather than size, two diamonds with the same weight could be quite different in size. It depends largely on the cut of the diamond.
For the consumer, even though the carat weight is high, other factors should be considered before purchasing. Look at the cut for brilliance and clarity, for very few flaws and for the clear color of the stone itself. It isn’t necessarily all about the weight. Understanding this will ensure a good investment. Don’t let weight alone be the deciding factor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buying a diamond in a ring, necklace, bracelet or earrings doesn’t have to be daunting, if you go to the jeweler with the knowledge you need to assist in your decisions. By understanding the basics of the four C´s of the diamond, you’re in a better position to find one that’s right for you and at a fair price. Once you have your diamond, you’ll need to take good care of that investment.
Six Tips For Diamond Care
1) Diamonds are hard substances, but they can still be chipped. If you’re doing rough work, like moving stones in the garden, it’s advisable to remove your ring.
2) Store your diamond jewelry in their own felt or velvet-lined containers. Metal from other jewelry can scratch a diamond.
3) Hand creams, dishwashing liquid and soaps can cause a build-up of grit on your diamond, lessening its brilliance. Gently scrub it away, with a soft tooth-brush and warm water. You could also soak your diamond overnight in a tiny bit of window cleaner. Doing this once a week will keep it sparkling. Rinse it and polish it dry with a soft cloth. Polish gently to avoid damaging the prongs in the setting.
4) Remove your diamond ring when working with strong cleansers and chlorine bleach. These can wear down the settings holding the diamond.
5) Ensure the setting is always secure. If it feels at all loose, take it in to a jeweler for immediate repair.
6) Insure your diamond.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With care, your diamond will last a lifetime and always retain that luxurious brilliance.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Buying Diamonds: What To Look For
As well as stylish accessories and treasured possessions, diamonds can be excellent investments. Buying diamonds requires careful consideration and forethought. Diamonds are evaluated according to four criteria: carat, colour, clarity and cut. Understanding these basics will allow buyers to make an informed choice when shopping for diamonds. Inside every diamond there is a fire. No other stone can split white light to create the magical play of coloured flashes that so captivates our imagination. Buying diamonds demands an understanding of the ‘Four Cs’: carat, clarity, colour and cut. Sculpting raw stones so that each seems to blaze and spark is the essence of the diamond-cutter’s art. Some knowledge of it helps with buying diamonds.
A diamond’s weight is measured in carats, with one carat equal to 200 milligrams. Smaller stones are measured in points (fractions of a carat). When buying diamonds, size isn’t everything. A large stone with specks or cloudiness is worth less than a smaller diamond without flaws. The largest flawless cut diamond is South Africa’s Centenary Diamond, discovered in 1986, weighing a massive 599 carats (just under 120 grams).
A diamond’s clarity depends on the presence or absence of tiny flaws, visible when magnified ten times. Diamonds are compressed carbon. As they form, other crystals may be caught within. Sometimes the pressure causes tiny fractures in their internal crystal planes. Inclusions, minute cavities and cracks mar the stone’s brightness. If you’re buying diamonds rough, remember that surface blemishes affect value less than flaws of internal structure and can be excised. Depending on size and location, internal flaws not only affect brilliance but may make stones vulnerable to fracturing. Over three-quarters of the world’s diamonds fail on clarity and are used in industry.
If you’re buying diamonds, remember that clarity is also linked to colour. Though we think of diamonds as ‘white’, only diamonds with no impurities or crystalline deformities are truly
colourless, and they are exceptionally rare. Some diamonds are valuable because they are coloured, but colour can also be a flaw. When buying diamonds a key caveat is that yellowness in white diamonds lowers value.
Diamonds may be yellow, blue, pink, green, orange and even red or black. Stones from the Kimberley area, South Africa, include nitrogen that sometimes gives the stone a bright yellow hue. These ‘canary diamonds’ are greatly prized. Blueness can be due to boron or hydrogen. Pinks and reds hues are determined by a gem’s crystal structure, which affects the absorption and reflection of light.
A diamond’s weight is measured in carats, with one carat equal to 200 milligrams. Smaller stones are measured in points (fractions of a carat). When buying diamonds, size isn’t everything. A large stone with specks or cloudiness is worth less than a smaller diamond without flaws. The largest flawless cut diamond is South Africa’s Centenary Diamond, discovered in 1986, weighing a massive 599 carats (just under 120 grams).
A diamond’s clarity depends on the presence or absence of tiny flaws, visible when magnified ten times. Diamonds are compressed carbon. As they form, other crystals may be caught within. Sometimes the pressure causes tiny fractures in their internal crystal planes. Inclusions, minute cavities and cracks mar the stone’s brightness. If you’re buying diamonds rough, remember that surface blemishes affect value less than flaws of internal structure and can be excised. Depending on size and location, internal flaws not only affect brilliance but may make stones vulnerable to fracturing. Over three-quarters of the world’s diamonds fail on clarity and are used in industry.
If you’re buying diamonds, remember that clarity is also linked to colour. Though we think of diamonds as ‘white’, only diamonds with no impurities or crystalline deformities are truly
colourless, and they are exceptionally rare. Some diamonds are valuable because they are coloured, but colour can also be a flaw. When buying diamonds a key caveat is that yellowness in white diamonds lowers value.
Diamonds may be yellow, blue, pink, green, orange and even red or black. Stones from the Kimberley area, South Africa, include nitrogen that sometimes gives the stone a bright yellow hue. These ‘canary diamonds’ are greatly prized. Blueness can be due to boron or hydrogen. Pinks and reds hues are determined by a gem’s crystal structure, which affects the absorption and reflection of light.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
April's Birthstone the Diamond
The high refractive index of diamond gives this stone a brilliance unmatched by any other gemstone. Although diamonds have many industrial uses, they are most popular as gemstones for wedding or engagement rings. Diamond is the hardest naturally occurring mineral on earth, and number 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness. It is a pure form of carbon. Some diamonds are harder than others, and heat and high pressure can be applied to those diamonds to make them even harder. The excellent hardness of diamonds make them valuable as abrasives and as a thermal conductors. But by far the most popular use of diamond is in a wedding or engagement ring. For those fortunate to be born in the month of April, the diamond is their birthstone.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)