Simple Guidelines On Buying Diamond Jewelry Gifts
Probably by now you’re thinking of offering your bride a diamond ring and ask for her hand in a marriage. The idea seems simple enough; you’d go to a jewelry store, select a diamond worthy for your beloved, pay for it and you’re ready to go. Unfortunately though, this isn’t always the case because when you see the price tag of your prospective sparkler, you might think twice before you actually get your hands on those sparkly diamond jewelry gifts. If you have the intention to purchase a diamond in the near future, it is important that you know the tricks of the trade for you to take charge of your transactions and get a run for your money.
According to gemologist and diamond expert, Fred Cuellar, there are four basic things that one has to remember when purchasing diamond jewelry gifts: budget, expectations, savvy and timetable. In terms of budget, you should try to figure out first how much you intend to spend on buying diamond, and you should stick to that budget outlay; a month’s salary could already be a good starting point. Expectations demand for you to know and understand the needs and wants of the person to whom you will give the diamond; this way you will know what type and design to pick. Being savvy is a manner with which you must be aware of the cost of sparklers in the market as well as the designs available; and for timetable, you must know when you will purchase and when you will give the diamond, but be sure to give yourself more time to analyze things so that you could be prepared in any case.
Now that you have a crash course about making diamond purchase, you should also know where to buy your sparklers. You have two options where you could purchase your diamond jewelry gifts: go online or visit local jewelry shops. Buying online is probably one of the most practical means to buy diamond gifts because you don’t have to break a sweat and everything is just one click away; however, the drawbacks with this are you cannot appraise the diamond and the possibility of scams are high but if you really want this option, be sure to do a background check on the online stores where you intend to purchase. The second and probably the safest option is to buy on your local jewelry shop; aside from the fact that you could appraise the diamond, long time jewelers could also answer your questions which would assist you in making your purchasing decisions.
Now for the diamond itself, you must always consider the 4Cs of diamond which stands for clarity, color, cut and carat as they are the determining factor of how the diamond will cost. Clarity is an indication of how clear the gemstone is and how free it is from blemishes or external imperfections and inclusions or internal imperfections. Every diamond is assigned with clarity grades that could go from flawless to obvious inclusions. There are also clarity enhanced diamond pieces that are treated to reduce imperfections through irradiation, filling imperfections, or laser drilling.
Sparklers come in a whole range of colors; however, colored diamond pieces are very rare and expensive that they are not usually available in local jewelry stores rather white and yellow diamond pieces are the most common, between the two however, it is always preferable to pick the whiter ones. This is because the yellow color of sparklers came from nitrogen, which significantly affect the stone’s capability to let more light pass through, making it appear less shiny and sparkly; hence, as a rule of thumb, the yellower the diamond, the lesser its value. In terms of cut, sparklers may come in a whole range of shapes including round brilliant cut, box, marquise, and pear to name a few. When you look at the cut always remember that aside from indicating the stone’s shape, it also determines how sparkly your diamond could become.
It is never enough for a diamond to be just white and clear, unless cut in the right manner your diamond will not sparkle. Cut is especially hard to analyze, it would be helpful to know its three primary characteristics: brilliance, fire and scintillation; however, to make things much easier, you may want to consider the round brilliant cut as this is the standard diamond cut. Lastly, the carat refers to the unit weight of a diamond. Majority of diamond pieces used for fine jewelry often weight one carat or less; this is because a fraction of a carat can make a big difference on the value of diamond.
Purchasing diamond jewelry gifts is a daunting task. Hence, it is always best to be an informed buyer in order to get the most out of your money. Not because a diamond is round brilliant cut doesn’t mean it’s already a good purchase. Remember that there are still three remaining Cs that you have to consider. A clarity enhanced diamond might be inexpensive but also consider the quality. Educating oneself is a good way to make the right purchasing decisions.
- Lorraine Jacobs
