How to Buy a Diamond

Buying diamond jewelry is not a task to be taken lightly. If you don't do your research, you could end up getting swindled. Brush up with a little Diamond 101 so that you can navigate your way through the wide world of diamond jewelry without getting lost. These days there is more fake diamond jewelry made than there is real diamond jewelry so you need to be able to recognize the difference. I can tell you it is sometimes very difficult.

The first four things that you have to get straight when you are buying diamond jewelry are what people in the diamond jewelry business refer to as the four C's: carat, cut, color, and clarity. Carat refers to the weight, and subsequently, the size of the diamond whereas the cut refers to the shape of the diamond which are the most common cuts are round, princess and pear.

Diamonds also come in different colors (colorless or near colorless diamonds are far more expensive than slightly colored diamonds) and clarities (some diamonds are totally flawless while other have visible inclusions). Popular colored diamonds these days are pink, blue and yellow diamonds thanks to celebrity buys.

Most diamond jewelry is priced according to the diamond cut, carat, color and clarity. If someone offers you a diamond of poor clarity, one that is fraught with visible inclusions, you'll know that it's not worth much and then you can bargain accordingly. The same goes for the color. You should not spend too much on diamond jewelry that has a visibly yellow hue because it is flawed.

The other thing to consider when shopping for diamond jewelry is the diamond setting. Some diamonds are set in cheap or poorly designed settings. And don't forget to examine the brilliance of the diamond because unless you're specifically searching around for dirty diamonds, your diamond jewelry should sparkle beyond belief. Diamond jewelry is mostly used as a gift. If you want to buy good diamond jewelry as a gift, shop around. You are sure to find something that will suit the occasion.

With diamonds being so popular it is a wonder that they have not become extremely cheap yet. They are coming along though. Now that platinum has become such a popular metal to include with diamonds,buying regular gold is getting cheaper every day. You can find diamonds in so many shapes that it is very much worth the money that you spend. That and it is nearly impossible to destroy one so you know that you are getting your money’s worth. It certainly makes sense to buy diamonds these days. It is the one thing that does last.