How to Buy Diamond Earrings for Valentine's Day

Whether you are in the market for diamond earrings as a Valentine's Day gift for someone special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn the terms used in the business. Knowing examples of what makes a diamond valuable, such as a colorless grade of D, will help you get the best quality jewelry for your money.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Loupe or magnifying glass
• Carat weight of each diamond

1. Take your time and examine the earrings close up and side-by-side. Check to see if each earring is of equal size, color and quality of sparkle.

2. Judge the earrings based on their clarity rating. This type of rating reveals the diamond's natural imperfections, also known as its inclusions. Clarity ratings range from slight imperfections to flawless. Purchase diamond earrings with stones that have little or no inclusions and that reflect the most light.

3. Obtain a breakdown or list of stats about the earrings. Every piece of jewelry you buy with diamonds in it should come with a detailed breakdown of the stones' characteristics, including their overall structure, quality and special features.

4. Determine how much you want to spend and what carat weight is in your budget. Be sure to ask the salesperson the exact carat weight of each earring. Sometimes carat weight is given as a total weight (TW), which represents the combined weight of both earrings.

5. Explore many different styles of earrings to buy for Valentine's Day--not just diamond studs. Show your creativity by getting three-stoned, dangle earrings for a unique look. Or consider purchasing hoop earrings since they come in many unique settings and sizes.

6. Seek out a shop or private sale that offers estate jewelry. If your girl has a penchant for antiques, estate jewelry is a good choice. Browse around for pavé-set diamond earrings. Pavé jewelry contains a series of little diamonds clustered together, creating a dazzling pattern on hoop earrings and a wide range of other shapes.

Tips & Warnings

• When making your diamond purchase, evaluate the carat weight wisely. Sometimes diamonds of the same carat weight can vary widely in value. A small diamond that has good color and clarity might be much more valuable than a larger diamond with poor attributes.
• Cubic Zirconia (CZ) or Diamonique resemble the real deal, but they tend to get dirty and scuffed more easily. Bring a loupe or magnifying glass with you to the store to get a good look at the facets of the stone. CZs of any age will normally show light scratching and scuffing, while real diamonds are very clear.