Posts Tagged ‘buying tips’

When it comes to buying diamond jewelry, whether it be a tennis bracelet, a diamond pendant, stud earrings or an engagement ring, there are very good reasons why you should ONLY buy it online. 

Firstly, you can get a better price online.  This is because online retailers have significantly lower overheads than offline stores so they can pass the savings on to you. 

Secondly, you get a much wider choice of diamond jewelry and settings in your choice of metal mounting when you shop online.  To get the same range offline, you would have to visit a considerable number of shops in several different malls! 

Thirdly, shopping online is convenient.  You can do it whenever you have the time which means you do not have to sacrifice a lunch break to shop for jewelry (and what man likes that?)

And yet a great many people still think that buying diamond jewelry online is fundamentally unsafe.  Why?

The reason is perceived trust.  When you walk into a shop to buy diamond jewelry, you can look into the eyes of the sales assistant.  And that makes you feel comfortable.  And the nature of bricks and mortar makes you feel confident that the merchant is not going to disappear overnight with your hard earned cash.  And then there is the jewelry itself.  You can touch it and nothing beats the feeling of cold diamond jewelry to convince you of their authenticity.

And that is what offline real life con artists rely on.  You are a captive audience.  You have to take their word for the diamond quality.  It is harder to shop around.  You may be tired and desperate to end your search for the perfect diamond, especially if you are buying an engagement ring or are looking for fancy colored diamond jewelry!  And once you are in the shop, you may fall foul of high pressure sales tactics too. 

It is very different online.  Reputable jewelers pretty much all have online stores.  And their reputation is a stake.  So they are going to be authentic and trustworthy.  Furthermore, when you decide on a particular cut, clarity, color, shape and carat weight, you do not need to see the diamond to know what you are getting.  Do your research and then buy your diamond jewelry online. 

Click here for affordable diamond jewerly and diamond engagement rings. You owe it to yourself to look.

The cut of a diamond refers to the how many facets there are in the finished gemstone and how they are proportioned.  The skill and precision of the faceting affects the gemstone’s fire and sparkle, making it look dull or flash with fire.  The most common types of diamond cut are:

Round Brilliant -
This is also known as the Round cut, American Ideal cut and the American Standard cut.  The standard number of facets used in this cut is 57.  The top of the finished gemstone is a regular octagon, which is normally 56% of the diameter.  The recommended cut height for the diamond is 58% of the diameter, which breaks down into around 14% for the top part of the diamond, above the girdle, also called the crown, and around 43 for the pavilion, or lower part of the diamond.  These dimensions are mathematically calculated to give the maximum brilliance and scintillation, making the diamond flash with fire.

Round brilliants are the most popular cut of diamond and the number one choice for solitaires.

Princess -
Also known as the Square Modified Brilliant, this is a square variation of the Round Brilliant.  The table of the gemstone is again faceted into an octagon, but in such a way as to be nearly square. In contrast to the Round Brilliant, the depth of a Princess cut diamond is often 70-78% of the diameter.  It has 76 facets, which produce a large amount of sparkle, making it the second most popular choice for a solitaire ring.

Oval -
The Oval cut is elliptical, or egg shaped, when viewed from the top.  The length is ideally double the width of the gemstone, although this can vary depending on the proportions of the rough gem.  Oval cuts have 69 facets.  If done skilfully, Oval cut gemstones can have nearly as much scintillation and fire as Round Brilliants. 

Baguette -
This cut produces a rectangular gemstone and really only roughs which are this shape.  The faceting is done in steps, parallel to the edges and the base and table are square with triangular facets.  Baguettes have 20 facets.

Trillion -
Also known as Trilliants, this cut is based on a triangular shape and has 43 facets.  The corners are usually truncated but the tips and culet (bottom point) are typically pointed and thin making many jewelers reluctant to prong set trilliants. The culet is typically centered in the middle of the table when viewed from the top of the gemstone.  The overall geometry of this cut enables lots of fire and color to be seen making it especially suitable for light colored gemstones.

Marquise -
This is also called the Navette cut.  The 57 facets produce an elongated, pointed oval, in which the length is around twice the width.  This is a tricky cut because if it is made too shallow, the light will pass through the back of the gemstone and not be reflected back, reducing color and brilliance.  Well cut Marquises are flash with good color.

There are a number of other cuts, but in general they are based on the ones above.  For example, the Square, Octagon and Emerald cuts are all step cuts based on the Baguette cut.  The Heart cut is based the Brilliant Round and the Pear is a hybrid cut combining the best of the Oval and the Marquise.