Shopping for diamond jewellery is always special whether you are buying it for yourself or a dear one. Not just the price, diamonds are worthy because of the emotions and essence they carry. Be it weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, or any marked occasion, diamond jewellery make for an ideal gift.
However, to buy a diamond necklace, one should be cautious as many fraud jewelers in the market dupe naive customers by selling off fake white stones at high prices. With the increasing number of unfair practices and jewellery businesses in the market, most people hesitate to buy diamonds as they fear being cheated or losing money to unworthy stones.
But you no longer have to be one of them. Knowing the basics of a diamond can help you judge its quality and worth wisely. You don’t need to blindly trust the local diamond jewellery shop or an in-store diamond expert. Certain determining factors make the evaluation of diamonds easier for regular customers as well.
Although these evaluating factors are fundamental and do not stand close to the lab certifications, they can undoubtedly help make informed purchases. Like buying any expensive item, diamond purchases should be a well-thought decision while keeping the following factors in mind.
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Quality of the diamonds
Quality plays a crucial role in determining the value of diamonds. To judge the quality of diamonds, one should consider the 4Cs which is a globally accepted standard that certifies its worth and price. Typically, the price you pay to buy a diamond necklace depends on the combination of these 4Cs. Here’s a quick summary of what these 4Cs stand for and how they impact the value of the diamonds.
- Clarity – Clarity represents the internal characteristics of a diamond. Since diamonds are naturally-found minerals, they are ought to contain impurities that may or may not be visible to the naked eye. Generally, a diamond’s clarity is graded on a scale of FL to I3 where FL is the most flawless stone with no impurities. In contrast, I3 diamonds are imperfect with many impurities present inside.
- Color – Diamonds in general range from colorless to light yellow whereas colorless ones are exquisite and highly priced. When you are buying diamonds, you’re likely to come across diamond colors graded between D to Z. It is essential to note that diamonds with a D color are considered the most precious ones.
- Carat – Carat or carat weight refers to the physical weight of a diamond where one carat equals 0.200 grams. However, the carat weight of a diamond does not indicate its size as carat weight differs significantly from one stone to another.
- Cut – Every diamond irrespective of whether it’s local diamond jewellery or exported is cut and polished before placing them in a metal setting. Cut plays a vital role in determining the value and shine of the diamonds. The higher the cut precision, the more expensive is the diamond.
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Pricing of the diamonds
When buying diamond jewellery, the price mainly depends on the diamond quality and the type of metal used. The diamond’s worth and exquisiteness are determined by considering the 4Cs. On the other hand, the price of the metal setting is additional that should be enquired about before finalizing the purchase. Note: rare-colored diamonds are more expensive than colorless ones is a total myth. While rare colors like green, blue, red, etc. can be more expensive than colorless diamonds, it is best to avoid getting tricked into paying more for colorful diamonds.
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Check for scratches & interior flaws
Imperfectly polished diamonds may have scratches that can impact their brilliance and shine. Hence, it is best to buy diamonds that have minimal or no visible scratches. Also, some buyers neglect the interior flaws of the stone assuming that they are not visible to the eyes. Well, this is a common mistake that should be avoided. Interior flaws in the diamonds like air bubbles and cracks may block light from entering and reflect. This may reduce the diamond’s shine over the years and makes it look dull.
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Ask for certifications
Regardless of whether you buy a diamond necklace or any other jewellery, always request a certificate issued by reputed top-grading laboratories like GIA (Gemological Institute of America) or AGSL (American Gem Society Laboratories). These certifications include varied characteristics of the stone such as rarity, carat weight, color, cut, etc. Having certification for every diamond jewelry is a must as they are helpful for appraisal in the future and assure complete peace of mind.
Bottom Line
Diamonds are precious and timeless. Whether you are shopping from local diamond jewellery stores or online, it is important to buy from reputed jewelers. Since buying diamonds are an expensive investment, it should be a well-thought decision. Keeping the above factors in mind will surely help you in making a worthy purchase.
