How to Buy a Large Diamond

Purchase large diamonds like a broker. Research the value like any investment. Educate your eye to know for yourself that the diamond grade matches your paperwork. These are 5 easy steps to insure you get the most value for your money.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Jewelers Loupe
• Leveridge Gauge
• CZ Color Set

1. 
    

   COMPARE COLOR, CLARITY AND CARAT WEIGHT and CUT with price. These are the 4 C's of diamond grading that prove value. They are independent from each other. Large colorless diamonds are not necessarily cut well. The clarity could be enhanced, not natural. Ask questions. If you know more than your sales person, shop elsewhere.
   CARAT: weight of a loose stone - 50 points equals a half carat
   COLOR: colorless diamonds can refract a full spectrum of the rainbow. View the diamond on a stark white background upside down. Color test the stone against other certified stones.
   CLARITY: Using a 10X loupe or microscope on a stark white background. Grades range from IF, Internally Flawless, down through Fully Included TLB-Top Light Brown. This is most difficult for a consumer. I trust only a GIA or EGL certificates and compare the stone with other certified stones. You will see the inclusions printed on the "map" of the stone. Red ink are white crystals. Green ink is black carbon crystals. Non experts shouldn't buy any large diamond that is not independently certified by GIA or EGL.
   CUT: Check the cert. You can compare GIA and AGS charts. Cut is what your eye sees as sparkle. Put your stone next to a triple zero cut
   stone from AGS. Never buy a stone graded as Fair or Poor. Branded cuts are rarely worth while. Tolkowsky is a Russian engineer
   that originated the modern round brilliant. He has never been significantly improved upon. Microscopic differences of branded round cuts drive up price without delivering more "life" to the eye for your money.

2. 
    

   POPULAR SHAPES: In general order of easiest resale: ROUND, is the most common, easiest to resell, especially in large stones. MARQUISE cuts need to be symmetrical and twice as long as they are wide. Slender cuts are more desirable than football shapes. Reject dark bow tie formations in the center. PRINCESS cuts usually equal resale value of marquise. This is a square brilliant with sharp corners. As the cut becomes less than square the value decreases. If you are channel setting the stone save some money and set the longer width under the bars.
   OVAL, self explanatory, a 2 to 1 ratio is most desirable.
   RADIANTS are rectangular brilliants, some have cut corners, a 2 to 1 ratio is most desirable.
   EMERALD cuts are prismatic like an infinity picture. One dirty facet will refract through the entire stone.
   TRILLIANT cuts are triangular, cut or sharp corners.
   BAGETTES are emerald cuts with less faceting. They can be straight or tapered.

3. 
    
   Tools of the Trade

   PRICE. Ask for the Rapaport Value. This is a high wholesale blue book value. You should be able to purchase a large stone for 10 to 40% under Rapaport. The larger the size the more room for a discount. The higher discount the better value. Beware of poor cutting or man made enhancements if it seems too good to be true. Rapaport value is for well cut stones, add for premium, subtract for mediocre cutting.

4. 
    

   GET A 30 DAY MONEY BACK GAURANTY. Pay to have the diamond independently appraised. Insurance runs about $1 per $100 value. Diamonds are at least 1 million years old. Formed at least 1 mile under the earth. Nothing lasts better and consistently goes up in value.

Tips & Warnings

• A rule of thumb is that twice as big is 3 times as expensive.
• If you love big diamonds, I suggest you ask for your stores trade up policy. Each crystal has an individual character. Enjoy its inner power.
• It has been my experience that internet diamonds are 'BLUFFY' a term used for a stone that looks good at first glance but there is more going on within that
• FLUORESCENCE Carbon may fluoresce naturally. It is seen under a black light. This detracts from the stones value. It is attractive to the eye because it appears whiter. Too much fluorescence creates a cloudy or hazy look.

[wdk40]

on 6/2/2009 boy buying diamonds sounds complicated but good tips.

[greatgreat8]

on 5/30/2009 great tips, thanks