There’s nothing like a diamond to sparkle and make you feel fabulous. However, there is so much more to diamonds than meets the eye – literally. If you want to get the best value for your money and arrive at a piece of jewelry that will be your pride and joy for many years to come, it is worth knowing the basics before buying a diamond piece of jewelry.
Table of Contents
Know What You Want Before Shopping
Before you begin shopping, know what you want.
- Know your budget. This is an important step and one that should be taken seriously, especially if this is the first time you are buying diamond jewelry. If you don’t have much money to spend on a ring or bracelet, then don’t spend all of it on one item! Instead, consider investing in several small pieces at once rather than spending all of your cash on a piece that may not be quite right for you or your lifestyle.
- Decide on the style and size/shape of a ring in advance so that when it comes time to shop for diamonds and other precious stones, the search will go smoother by knowing exactly what kind of stone(s) or metal(s) go with each element within the said design so as not waste time finding them all together later (and hopefully saving yourself some money).
Understand the 4C’s of Diamonds
The quality of a diamond is determined by its cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. The cut is the most important factor in determining the quality of a diamond. A well-cut stone will reflect light from a greater number of angles and thus appear brighter than an inferiorly cut stone with identical color and clarity grades. A poorly cut stone will have dark areas on either side like an arrow or drooping shoulders like an archer’s bow—which is why you should always stick to certified loose diamonds that have been independently graded by GIA or AGS labs before you buy them.
Certificates Are Important
There are a lot of people out there who might try to sell you fake diamond jewelry. If you’re trying to buy real diamonds, it’s important to have your eyes open and look for certificates from reliable sources. You must be able to understand the difference between real vs fake diamonds.
The best way to ensure that the certificate is from someone trustworthy is by looking on their website; this way, you can see how long they have been in business and how many customers they have served before deciding if they are trustworthy or not. The second thing that will help determine whether or not you need a certificate is how much the gemstone costs; if it’s too good to be true, the chances are that it probably isn’t authentic!
It’s Always Better to Buy a Smaller Stone That Has a Better Cut Than a Bigger One That’s Not as Well-Cut (Or Worse!)
When it comes to buying diamonds, cut is the most important factor. It refers to how well-proportioned and polished the diamond is and how it reflects light. In fact, there’s a whole study that breaks down all of these measurements into four basic categories:
- The cut (how well-proportioned it is)
- The polish (how smooth it feels)
- The symmetry (how symmetrical it is)
- The finish (the way light hits its edges).
Note: The round-shaped diamond is the most popular one.
If You Want an Insurance Appraisal, Get It From Someone Other Than Your Jewelry Dealer
When you purchase a diamond, it’s important to get an appraisal from someone independent of your jeweler and the seller. Otherwise, you might be paying more than what the stone is worth.
This is because most jewelry stores will buy diamonds back from customers at a fraction of their original cost—leaving you with only half the value for your money when trying to sell or trade in your jewelry later on. They do this because they know that no one else can verify what they say about their diamonds’ value and quality, so they can charge whatever premium price they wish for their goods.
But getting an independent appraisal will ensure that you know exactly how much money should change hands during each transaction so that both parties are satisfied with their dealings (and not just one).
It also allows all parties involved in a potential sale/purchase situation access to valuable information about whether or not there are any issues with either party’s end product(s).
Wrapping Up
As we have covered the 5 basic things to know before buying a piece of diamond jewelry, It is worth knowing them. Because these will help you in getting an idea of what kind of diamond piece you might want and how much money should be spent on it. Diamonds are expensive, so you must think twice before going out there on your shopping spree!
