Loose Diamonds - The Perfect Way to Customize Your Jewelry

A loose diamond is the starting point of any beautiful piece of heart felt jewelry. Every piece of jewelry has to start somewhere, and what better place than with a gem? You can rest assured that once upon a time, the diamond in your most treasured piece of jewelry was loose and just waiting for the perfect setting to come sweep it off it's feet.

Whether you are on the market for an engagement ring or a tennis bracelet, a diamond that is loose is a good way to start your shopping experience. Jewelry experts often suggest viewing the loose diamonds at a jewelry shop to make sure that they are high quality before exploring the pieces they have on display. After all, if the unused gems are sub par it's a very safe assumption that the ones that have been set are going to be below your standards as well.

If you're looking for custom jewelry it's even more important to pay close attention to the loose collection at your jewelers and to be sure that the diamond clarity and cut is what you are looking for. Ask your jeweler to show you a variety of sizes so you can decide what is best suited for you needs and style. While some people may enjoy a 2 carat diamond, others may prefer something larger or smaller. The style of jewelry you intend to use the diamond for may also play into your decision on carat size.

A loose princess cut diamond can be a very popular gem for any setting. Princess cut diamonds are actually the second most popular cut of diamond and because of that, the price on them is often higher than other cuts. They are designed to have an extraordinary amount of sparkle and shine which is what makes them such a sought offer gem. A loose princess cut diamond can be transformed into any number of gorgeous types of jewelry though and will result in a keepsake that your loved one will adore for a lifetime.

If you are on the market to buy a loose diamond wholesale lot, you will be surprised at the number of things you have to consider before making a purchase. If you are just breaking into the jewelry industry you have a good bit of research ahead of you. When browsing the sale options you will be given a variety of factors that will help narrow your search. The easy part is having to choose from variety of cuts such as princess, oval or round. Then you will have to select color, diamond clarity and carat ranges. The options available are innumerable, but that's what gives each diamond it's uniqueness.

Regardless of your reason for shopping on the loose diamond market, make sure you do your research before setting out. It doesn't matter if you intend to buy a piece of crafted jewelry, if you want to design a custom engagement ring or if you are just browsing for fun, having a bit of background information will go a long way. No matter which cut, size or color you choose you are guaranteed to end up with a beautiful treasure that your significant other will love.

By Chuck Chass

What You Need To Know About Loose Diamonds

Diamonds that have not been placed in a setting are referred to as loose diamonds, and are generally sought after by investors and professional retail jewelers. Any purchase of loose diamonds should be accompanied by a certificate of appraisal and value.

The certification, which should always be based on an appraisal and analysis done by an outside, independent third-party agency, is more properly known as a diamond grading report. This report describes your loose diamonds in terms of weight in carats, clarity of the gems, color and cut. The individuals who perform this service are known as gemologists, and have received specialized training in this particular sub-field of geology. Gemology focuses on the study and analysis of precious stones and gems.

When loose diamonds are accompanied by such a report, they are known as certified. Anyone considering an investment in such diamonds, whether they are for use in diamond jewelry or as a hedge against inflation should make sure that their purchase consists of certified loose diamonds.

The job of a gemologist's certification is not to assign a monetary value on loose diamonds; that happens in the marketplace. However, such a report is used to determine such a value. The weight in carats (a carat is roughly equivalent to .015 of an ounce, or two-tenths of a gram) is the most obvious basis of valuation; however, if the gem has a "cottony" appearance inside, this can affect the value negatively.

Certified diamonds are evaluated on what are known as the SI3 Clarity Scale and the Color Scale. The Clarity Scale was developed by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA); it ranges from "FL" for "flawless" to I3 for "Imperfect," i.e., cracks and occlusions easily seen by the unaided eye.

Colored diamonds are rated on a scale that describes the gems in terms of hue and saturation. They are labeled with a letter of the alphabet from D to Z, ranging from virtually colorless to gems with a deep hue. Diamonds can be almost any color; the color variations include pink, green, blue, purple and amber, and are caused by chemical reactions during the diamonds' formation. Such gems can be worth substantially more than "white," or clear diamonds.

Control of the diamond market is concentrated in relatively few hands, centered around Antwerp, Belgium, where the diamond cutting industry was born over 500 years ago. These wholesalers recommend that diamonds be certified either by the GIA or the American Gem Society Laboratories.

Because of the way the analysis is done, it is impossible to perform a certification on mounted stones; loose diamonds should be certified prior to placement in a setting, ring, or watch, and the seller should provide documentation that such services have been performed.

By Jonathon Blocker