Diamonds - jewelry, rings, earrings…

Diamonds - their very mention makes the heart skip a beat. Be it for the expectations implied or for the very beauty and exquisiteness of their possession. However, purchasing a diamond can test the nerves of even the most astute buyer - what do you look for? What do the terms mean? What makes one diamond worth more than another?

Loose Diamonds

Diamond grading is a skill, and it behooves you to know a little about it before you try and purchase a diamond. It will help the diamond dealer greatly, if you’re able to converse with him in language he understands. And this in turn will help you to get the stones that you would like.

When assessing the value of a diamond, the dealer will look at four principal qualities. These qualities are contained within the four aspects of cut clarity carat and color.

Bridal Jewelry

These things are important if the diamonds are going to used for earrings.

The CUT

When referring to the cut of a diamond there are two things to be considered. The first of these is the quality of the cut and this will affect the brilliance of the diamond while the second relates to the shape of the diamond - the way it is cut in other words. Diamonds come in all shapes and sizes.

Some of the more common are; round, oval, pear (teardrop shaped), heart, princess (square shaped), Emerald (rectangular shaped), marquise (football shaped) and round. Round diamonds are those which radiate the greatest brilliance. The brilliance of the diamond is directly related to its ability to reflect light.

A quality cut diamond will have facets angled to reflect the greatest amount of light. Beware of diamonds cut to maintain a higher carat weight while sacrificing the cutting of a good angle as this will dramatically reduce the brilliance.

The CLARITY

Most diamonds, by far the majority in fact, contain flaws and scratches. A truly flawless diamond is almost impossible to come by. While these flaws are often not visible to the naked eye, they affect the light reflecting qualities of the diamond which affects the overall brilliance.

Diamond Ring

The notation for the clarity of the diamond follows these gradings: Flawless, IF, VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2, SI3, I1, I2 and I3.

The CARAT Weight

Carat is the measurement of the weight of a diamond. Sometimes a carat is called 100 points. This means that a half carat would be listed as ‘50 points’ and so on.

The larger a diamond is the more costly it becomes. The rarity value of larger diamonds causes them to increase in cost significantly over their smaller brethren. A single carat diamond will cost more than double that of the diamond which is only half a carat, and a piece of jewelry made of many diamonds with a total weight of one carat will cost significantly less than a ring for example that has a solitaire diamond of one carat.

The COLOR

The color of a diamond is rated on an alphabetical scale from D to Z. A colorless diamond normally known as white would receive a rating of D. This is the rarest and most sought after. When choosing a colorless diamond it is best to stay within the D-J range or the diamond will have a yellow cast which lessens the value.

‘Fancy’ diamonds (diamonds with a rating over Z) come in a variety of shades and include some famous diamonds such as the Blue Hope diamond. When setting out to purchase a diamond please remember that these four characteristics are of equal importance and the diamond should be assessed bearing these things in mind.

Because the perfect diamond is way beyond the budget of the average purchaser even if it were to exist, it is sensible to rate the four characteristics in order of priority when choosing your diamond.

Make a list of the important points - and here is a start for you ….

• Does the supplier have a good reputation?
• Is the stone to be incorporated into a piece of jewelry?
• What is your budget?

Diamonds or other stones might be used when creating an engagement ring, but this knowledge will still have value. In any event, any piece of diamond jewelry should be a work of art, and very special.

Gemstone jewelry pieces are your heirlooms, meaning you need to maintain and care for them in order for them to last for generations.

In this article, we’ll teach you how to protect and maintain your jewelry and your investment, whether your concern is with diamonds, pearls, or even beads that are of value to you.

So, keep reading to learn more about how to care for gemstone jewelry.

1. Keep your jewelry out of the water.

When you’re at home, don’t wear your jewelry in the shower, swimming or when you’re doing the dishes. The water and soap residue can build up on the stone, meaning you’ll have to take your jewelry in more frequently for cleanings.

Before you take a ring off next to a sink, always make sure it’s plugged. Too many valuable rings have been lost down the drainpipe after they’ve been wrenched off a finger. Also, if you’re away from home, leave the ring on. A bit of soap residue can be cleaned off, but a forgotten ring is hard to replace.

2. Be careful with emeralds.

Though the beautiful emerald is a strong gemstone, it’s also fragile and somewhat brittle. These remarkably vivid stones are vulnerable to hard hits and smacks, so it’s important to be careful when wearing them.

Avoid hitting your hands or head (if you’re wearing earrings) against hard surfaces because even small, tiny cracks can dramatically diminish the stone’s value.

3. Store your jewelry in the appropriate place.

The appropriate place for storing jewelry is not the back of your sock drawer, in the bottom of your purse, under your change or in a shoe. Jewelry should be stored inside and in a jewelry box that’s spacious and clean.

Keep gold, silver and gemstone pieces separate from one another to prevent scratching and scuffing. Fine jewelry or easily damaged pieces should be kept in soft pouches or wrapped in cloth to prevent any damage. Also, an overcrowded jewelry box can easily result in lost or broken pieces.

4. Have your jewelry cleaned and checked once every year or two.

Have the jeweler check the settings to make sure the stones are still secure, and have the items professionally cleaned. Never boil jewelry as a way of cleaning it and never clean emeralds or opals in an ultrasonic cleaner. Instead, clean these stones in an ionic cleaner.

5. Don’t wear fine jewelry while doing rough work.

If you’re using any type of abrasive or chemical, these can scratch, scuff and even discolor your gemstones. Be especially careful with products like ammonia and chloride.