diamond buying and grading reports (prices, stores, best, selling)
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so i'm looking at diamonds and trying to be as educated about the whole thing as i can be.. and i admit it's near exhausting reading online about them all the time.
so i could take a brief hiatus from browsing online and hear a word or two from someone's who's been down this path and could tell me a thing or two about diamond buying..
specifically i've bee told to look for grading reports with any diamond I buy and i keep seeing the lab GIA pop up on most sites/guides I read, but I don't really know much about these things. How important are they? There seems to be a few labs, but why does GIA the name that sticks out the most?
I know i'm going to be spending a lot of money on the thing, so I really want to be well informed before i buy it so I don't end up with loads of buyers remorse
Google man made flawless diamonds. The guy who worked on it for many years have perfected and patented it and plans to mass produce cheap slave-labor free flawless diamonds.
GIA (most trusted) and EGL are pretty much the only diamond grading reports you can trust. The others are just paid off diamond grading labs, and the quality will not be accurately graded. So if there is not a GIA or EGL lab report, you cannot trust you are truly purchasing the grade, cut, clarity, color, etc diamond that they are selling you.
GIA (most trusted) and EGL are pretty much the only diamond grading reports you can trust.
what is it that makes GIA the most trusted? I read online they invented the 4 C's which are used to determine the value of a diamond. that's neat. I guess they've just been around the longest?
You might want to visit a site like PriceScope.com. They have offer a lot of info and have a forum where the members can explain the differences to you.
You might want to visit a site like PriceScope.com. They have offer a lot of info and have a forum where the members can explain the differences to you.
cool site. thanks. have you bought a diamond yourself?
anecdotal stories are always helpful
cool site. thanks. have you bought a diamond yourself?
anecdotal stories are always helpful
We've purchased a number of diamonds, but we're fortunate in that we have a private jeweler (they don't own a brick & mortar store, but manufacture custom pieces for clients and other B&M stores.)
All I will say is that some people have very strong opinions on diamonds regarding the 4Cs. I've seen a lot of drama ensue on messageboards over it. LOL You just have to figure out your budget and where you want to put your money.
All I will say is that some people have very strong opinions on diamonds regarding the 4Cs. I've seen a lot of drama ensue on messageboards over it. LOL You just have to figure out your budget and where you want to put your money.
haha, yeah i spent the weekend doing more research and did notice that. oh well. at least they have opinions!
anyway i'm feeling comfortable enough now to go out and buy one, so again, thanks for the help. i do think i'm going to end up getting a GIA grading report since you and others have reccomended them. google says they invented the 4 C's too, which helps explain why they're the most trusted lab. also i read that their report can help me get the diamond insured, since insurance companies will recognize the GIA name.. so that's a big plus too.
Your profile doesn't say where you live so I can't give you any ideas on places to check.
I grew up in the business because of my father. I went on my first stone buying trip to the gem markets in Thailand when I was eight years old. I spent my Saturday mornings melting gold and casting it into pennyweights. I love beautiful, unusual jewelry and I own quite a bit of it. I've collected pieces here and there for years. Not all of it is expensive.
A diamond is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. My personal favorite is a 3 carat blue solitaire, emerald cut. It's antique from the 1930's, set in platinum with 1 baguette on each side. Classic. The stone is far from perfect and that's OK. I knew it before I bought it. The real thing is often less than perfect and that doesn't detract from it's beauty. Most of the truly beautiful stones are not perfect.
What you really need to do is get away from the computer and sit down with someone who knows what they are doing. Learn how to look at stones and judge for yourself. Use a loupe and learn how to spot treated vs natural diamonds(if you see a rainbow prism type look, the stone is treated). Look at loose, not set stones. Start learning what you like and balancing like with what you can afford to pay.
After you have your basic education and figure out what you like and can afford, start looking for stones to buy. If you live in a major metropolitan area, there's usually a jewelry district. Go check it out. Look everywhere but you will pay a huge markup at all the usual places the average person thinks about. If you are considering spending a LOT of money, think about a trip to Amsterdam or Israel. It's just not a great time to do this money wise because the dollar is so low. But this is where the best stones are located. I've also heard great things about diamonds coming out of kimberlite deposits in Canada. I haven't personally seen any yet but I would give them a look if possible.
After you find the stone, look for a setting. Hopefully something classic and timeless. If you choose a flawed stone, look for a setting that minimizes the flaws.
Yes, do the best you can with what you have. But the most important thing is to buy something you really like. And here's a great idea for you. Buy the real ring, and an identical fake... This works out great for travel and outdoors activities. And saves wear and tear on the real ring. You don't have to worry much about the fake.
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