Top 10 Mistakes of Buying Diamonds

Diamond is the allotrope of carbon where the carbon atoms are arranged in an isometric-hex octahedral crystal lattice. Its hardness and high dispersion of light make it useful for industrial applications and jewelry. It is the hardest known naturally-occurring mineral. It is possible to treat regular diamonds under a combination of high pressure and high temperature to produce diamonds (known as Type-II diamonds) that are harder than the diamonds used in hardness gauges.

Below are some mistakes we usually commit when buying diamonds.

1. ASSUMING ALL DIAMONDS OF THE SAME COLOR, CLARITY, AND CUT GRADE ARE THE SAME

2. ASSUMING LABORATORY GRADING IS ALWAYS ACCURATE AND UNIFORM TO INDUSTRY STANDARDS.

3. ASSUMING COLOR AND CLARITY ARE THE MAJOR DETERMINANTS IN PRICING A DIAMOND

4. ASSUMING THAT CHOOSING A SPECIFIC COLOR AND CLARITY GRADE AND THEN SHOPPING FOR THE LOWEST PRICE WILL YIELD THE BEST DIAMOND

5. ASSUMING ALL DIAMONDS ARE WELL CUT

6. ASSUMING THAT A DIAMOND CAN BE PURCHASED "BY THE NUMBERS" ALONE

7. ASSUMING THAT EXTENSIVE SHOPPING WILL LEAD TO A BARGAIN PRICE ON A DIAMOND

8. ASSUMING COLOR IS THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC ASSUMING CLARITY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC

9. ASSUMING A DIAMOND CAN BE BOUGHT CHEAPER...

10. ASSUMING A DIAMOND CAN BE BOUGHT WITHOUT PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE

Diamond clarity is a quality of diamonds relating to the existence and visual appearance of internal characteristics of a diamond called inclusions, and surface defects called blemishes. Clarity is one of the four Cs of diamond grading, the others being carat, color, and cut. Inclusions may be crystals of a foreign material or another diamond crystal, or structural imperfections such as tiny cracks that can appear whitish or cloudy. The number, size, color, relative location, orientation, and visibility of inclusions can all affect the relative clarity of a diamond. A clarity grade is assigned based on the overall appearance of the stone under 10x magnification.

By Mayline C. Homecillo