Your Expert Guide to Certified Loose Diamonds

If you are a first time diamond buyer, the choices available to you may seem to be endless. Finding the perfect diamond or diamonds for an engagement ring, solitaire necklace, or a pair of earrings can be a daunting task. All stones look beautiful but they each have their flaws, differences in coloration and variations in price to prove it. There are many industry terms used on jewelry websites that can be frustrating if you don't have a background in diamonds. Here's some helpful information that should simplify your certified loose diamond search.

Buying certified loose diamonds online is a fantastic opportunity to cash in on big savings. However, I recommend that you visit a jewelry store in person and see what grade of stones catch your eye. You can use this research for your online purchase. A certified loose diamond is a diamond that has been evaluated by a third party lab. They issue each diamond a certificate which details the specifics the stone. A certificate is not an appraisal of the stone, it reads like a blue print. The most widely utilized lab is GIA. This stands for the Gemological Institute of America. GIA is not only the most widely used lab but it's the oldest, established in 1931. They were the first to create the four C's grading scale. The four C's is used by every major company to detail their diamond's Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat for quality purposes. I recommend that you buy certified stones because it provides the consumer with the confidence that you are in fact getting exactly what you paid for.

Each of the four C's impact the price tag attached to certified loose diamonds. The Cut of a diamond is not the actual shape of it. Instead it's how the facets or smooth flat surfaces of the stone reflect and refract light. The cut will enhance the sparkle of the diamond. Look for at least a "good" rating in this category. The Color is measure on a scale from D to Z. D is colorless and Z has a yellow appearance. To save money, look for stones that are between H - J as they appear colorless, warm and are usually less expensive. Clarity is the assessment of the diamond's inclusions or flaws. These flaws are often microscopic and they are graded as "very rare flawless" to "slightly included." That's where you see abbreviations such as S1 or S2. Look for a "very slightly included" VS1 or VS2 to get the best deal. The last of the four C's is Carat. Carat doesn't actually refer to the size of the diamond. Instead, it refers to the carat weight of the stone. Larger stones do weigh more but the actual definition does not include size, just weight. All of these characteristics will be listed on a certification from a third party lab when you buy certified loose diamonds. Now, that you're armed with more information, it's time to pick out your perfect diamond.

Angela Lockhart is a writer who specializes in a number of diverse topics, including but not limited to Certified Loose Diamonds . She knows how important purchasing the right loose diamonds are, and hopes her advice can make shopping for them a lot less stressful! Rate this Article

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Angela Lockhart has published 1 article. Article submitted on March 22, 2013. Word count: 498