diamond buying guide

If you’ve ever bought a diamond before, you probably know how tough of a decision it may be. If you never bought a diamond before, you may be in for a surprise.

Diamond shopping whether for a diamond ring or necklace is no easy task. Below is a basic diamond buying guide to help you with your decision.

1. Buy only from a trusted diamond retailer.

2. Use your gut instinct. Only buy what you think you should or only shop from someone you feel good about.

3. Bring a Diamond Guide! Having a Diamond Guide available gives you quick reference when the times are tough.

4. Know the 4 C’s, what they mean and how they are measured. The four c’s of a diamond are Cut, Clarity, Color and Carat Weight.

5. Ask to see an apprasial. Well established diamond retailers may have their diamonds pre-appraised, this can give you insight in to the diamond you are buying.

6. Take lighting in to consideration when buying your next piece of jewelry.

7. Make sure to see if they have a warranty and/or return policy that suites your needs.

Are You Engagement Ring Shopping? An Important Look at Fluorescence in Diamonds
Executive Summary about Diamond Guide by Tom Mason

If you are shopping for an engagement ring, or for any piece of diamond jewellery, it is important that you understand what florescence is and how it affects a diamond. When a diamond has florescence it will emit a slight blue glow when it exposed to UV light.

You can see if a diamond is florescent by looking at the grading certificate that will rank it either “none, faint, medium, strong and very strong”. The stronger the florescence, the more sensitive the diamond is to long wave UV light.

The only time florescence can be a bad thing is if it causes the diamond to look cloudy or oily under UV light. This is extremely rare and you only would ever find it with diamonds with strong or very strong florescence.

However, the percentage of diamonds that are affected this way is tiny. When GIA (a leading gemological laboratory) conducted a study on florescence, they actually found that most people preferred the look of diamonds with florescence!

Diamonds that are florescent are actually sold at a slight discount compared to other diamonds. This is because of the very rare cases in which a diamonds appearance looks cloudy.

As long as you are using a reputable jeweler you have nothing to worry about. Also, you can always ask to view the diamond outside (UV light) to make sure you like what you see.