The Online Guide to... Diamonds

Selecting Diamonds

Diamonds are graded for certification by laboratories using grading criteria. Four of these criteria are critical to understand when making a diamond buy or investment. Known as the "Four C's" these criteria are: color, cut, clarity and carat.

Insuring Your Diamonds

Insuring a diamond takes a bit of thought, planning, & shopping almost. Diamond insurance isn't like purchasing car insurance. It is quite different.

How to Spot A Fake Diamond

In this world of advanced technology it is roughly impossible to simply look at a diamond & determine whether it is real or not - especially if you don't know much about diamonds.

How to Sell A Diamond

There are many reasons why you may want to sell a diamond that you own. Perhaps you've gotten divorced, or you are strapped for cash. The reasons why don't really matter - getting the best possible price is what counts!

How to Clean your Diamonds

Through our day to day movements our diamonds get smudged and soiled. Even when we are not wearing them, they collect dust. Lotions, soaps, our natural skin oils, can cause film and grime on diamonds and inhibit their brilliance.

How to Care for Your Diamond

Caring for a diamond takes more than occasional cleanings. Diamonds are forever, but they can be damaged if you are not careful. By learning how to properly care for your diamond, you will ensure that your diamond is indeed forever.

How to Purchase Diamond Engagement Rings

There is much to consider when purchasing a diamond - especially diamond engagement rings! The tradition of presenting a woman with a diamond engagement ring when proposing began in 1477 when Archduke Maximilian presented a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy - & in most cases, the woman you plan to propose to will expect a ring to accompany that proposal!

How Diamond Prices Are Determined

Pricing most products is quite easy. Determine how much it costs to make the item, how much it costs to market that item, and then mark it up by 15 - 30% or more.

How Diamonds Are Mined

We seldom consider how the diamonds we wear came to us. Natural diamonds, as opposed to synthetic diamonds or fake diamonds, are mined from the earth. There are currently 2 methods of mining diamonds: Pipe Mining and Alluvial Mining.

How Diamonds Are Cut

In their most natural form, diamonds are - well - quite ugly. They have no luster or shine, & in fact, look like nothing more than broken glass. A diamond must be cut, and then polished before it actually becomes a thing of beauty.

Famous Diamonds

Among the most well known diamonds is the Hope. This 45.52 carat steel blue diamond is currently on display at the Smithsonian. The legends of the ill-fortune & curse bestowed on the possessor of the Hope Diamond are many.

Diamond Scams

When it comes to diamonds, there are numerous scams to avoid. Most scams are minor, but there are some major ones that come up from time to time concerning the buying and selling of diamonds.

Diamond Grading Reports

You've been told that having a certificate or a diamond grading report is important, & as a responsible consumer, you get one - unfortunately, you probably won't understand a word of what is on that diamond grading report, unless you are a jeweler.

Diamond Certificates

A diamond certificate is also known as a Diamond Grading Report. This report comes from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), and you should require this report when you are purchasing a diamond.

Diamond Brands & What They Mean

Diamonds are one of the few products that simply cannot be 'branded.' Even though there are different cuts, different grades, and different values placed on each and every diamond in existence, no diamond is any specific brand - just as gold is not a specific brand.

Colored Diamonds

Fancy colored diamonds are all the rage these days. Gemologists have developed new ways to create versions that are affordable for the average person - by treating less desirable diamonds.

Choosing The Cut of A Diamond

There are many different cuts of diamonds to choose from. The cut essentially refers to the shape that the diamond is cut into - unless you are in the diamond or jewelry business, but this shape has a great impact on the much the diamond sparkles.

Buying Diamonds Online

With all of the potential for scams concerning diamonds, buying diamonds online almost seems unthinkable! However, you actually can buy diamonds online, without any problems - as long as you are careful.

Bonded Diamonds

Before you start shopping for diamonds, consider dealing with a bonded jeweler. Bonded jewelers sell bonded diamonds, & there are very few bonded jewelers in the world.

Are Diamonds Really Rare?

When you walk into a jewelry store and see all the diamonds in all of the various settings that are for sale, it is difficult to realize that diamonds are indeed rare.

All About the Clarity of Diamonds

Clarity is an important aspect of a diamond, and it is important to know how to grade the clarity of a diamond before you buy one. It is actually quite easy to learn how to grade the clarity of a diamond.

About Diamond Weights

Diamonds are measured in Carat Weight. one carat weighs 200 milligrams. If a diamond is referred to as 4 grains, this also means that it is a One carat diamond. The word Carat comes from the word carob.

Synthetic Diamonds

The first synthetic diamonds were produced by General Electric in 1954. A synthetic diamond is basically a rock that has the durability, refractive index & hardness of a natural diamond - but it is made by man.

What Are Dirty Diamonds?

A dirty diamond is one of two things: a rough diamond, or a diamond that hasn't been cleaned in a while. Rough diamonds are uncut & unpolished - hence, they are dirty.

Where Diamonds are Mined

Argyle mine located in the Kimberley region in the far north east of Western Australia. Owned by Rio Tinto, this mine is the world's largest single producer of volume of diamonds.