Diamond Brands and What They Mean

Diamonds are one of the few products that
simply cannot be ‘branded.’ Even though
there are different cuts, different grades, and
different values placed on each and every
diamond in existence, no diamond is any
specific brand – just as gold is not a specific
brand.

Branding is actually based on who owns the
diamond. For instance, if DeBeers owns the
diamond, it is a DeBeers Diamond – but it is
still just a diamond. If the diamond was cut by
a specific well known cutter, then it might be
branded in that way as well – but it usually
isn’t. It is still branded based on who owns it
at the time. So basically, when it comes down
to it – diamond brands mean absolutely
nothing at all.

Do not allow a jeweler to try to talk you into
paying an exorbitant price on a diamond
because it is a specific brand. This is a bit
of trickery used by unscrupulous jewelers
when they know that they are dealing with
people who don’t know much about
diamonds. Remember that diamonds are
not actually branded – unless mother nature
has her own brand!

Bonded Diamonds

Before you start shopping for diamonds,
consider dealing with a bonded jeweler.
Bonded jewelers sell bonded diamonds,
and there are very few bonded jewelers in
the world. In fact, out of all of the jeweler’s
in the world, only about 5% of them are
bonded. Buying a bonded diamond will
cost more than buying a non-bonded
diamond, but when you look at what you
get with the bonded option, you will see
that it is well worth the extra expense.

First, bonded diamonds have a buy back
policy for the life of the diamond. No matter
how long you have had the diamond, you can
take it back to the bonded jeweler and sell it
back to him or her, for a 100% refund. If a
jeweler does not offer a 100% buy back
guarantee, for the life of the diamond, then
you should take a closer look at the diamond
to see what is wrong with it.

Bonded diamonds also have a breakage
policy. If the stone breaks or chips, the
bonded jeweler will replace it with a new one
– one time. No jeweler would ever offer such
a policy on any stone that was not 100%
natural, so just the offer of such a policy
should give you piece of mind concerning
the quality of the diamond. Bonded
diamonds are natural and untreated.

Bonded diamonds increase in value, with a
fixed appreciation rate that is designed to
keep up with inflation. This means that a
diamond that is worth a certain amount of
money today will be worth more in the future,
as the price of diamonds continues to rise.
This generally does not apply to buy backs,
however. It typically applies to trade-ins.

Alternately, by purchasing a bonded
diamond, you are protected against the
possibility of a market crash. If a market
crash occurs, the value of diamonds will
drop. However, the bonded jeweler
guarantees to refund you the difference
between what the diamond is now worth
and what you paid for it before the market
crash.

It may be difficult to find a bonded jeweler in
your area, but if you can, this is who you
want to deal with, as opposed to dealing
with an un-bonded jeweler. Specifically tell
the jeweler that you are only interested in
bonded diamonds.  You can find a bonded
jeweler in your area by using various online
resources, or by calling the local jewelry
stores.

How to Buy Diamond Engagement Rings

There is much to consider when purchasing
a diamond – especially diamond
engagement rings! The tradition of
presenting a woman with a diamond
engagement ring when proposing began in
1477 when Archduke Maximilian presented
a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy – and
in most cases, the woman you plan to
propose to will expect a ring to accompany
that proposal!

First, determine how much ring you can
afford. Most people use the ‘two months
salary’ rule. This means that the ring should
cost the equivalent of two months of your
current salary. Because you have other bills
to pay, saving up this amount of money may
take quite a bit of time. You should consider
financing. Simply go to the jeweler of your
choice and tell them that you plan to buy an
engagement ring, and that financing will be
necessary. Go ahead and get the credit
check out of the way, find out what your
payments will be, and how much of a down
payment is required.

Now, have your mother, sister, or your
girlfriends best friend take your girlfriend
shopping, and make sure that they gaze at
the engagement rings to get an idea of what
she might like. Make sure that the jewelry
store you buy the ring from will allow you to
return the ring, if that is required, or allow
your girlfriend to exchange it for another if
she isn’t happy with it!

How to Clean your Diamonds

Through our day to day movements our
diamonds get smudged and soiled.  Even
when we are not wearing them, they collect
dust.  Lotions, soaps, our natural skin oils,
can cause film and grime on diamonds
and inhibit their brilliance.

Want to keep that Brilliance and Shine?  
Diamonds require cleaning so that maximum
amounts of light can refract fiery brilliance.
Remember that all it takes is a few minutes
and a little care to keep that diamond as fiery
as the day you first saw it.

You can use an small soft brush such as an
eyebrow or lip stick brush and soap and
water to clean your jewelry.  Simply make a
bowl of warm sudsy water with a mild
detergent and place your pieces in the
mixture.  Then brush the diamonds with the
soft bristles of the brush while they are in
the suds.  You will need to make certain that
you rinse them clear of the suds after
cleaning them.  You can use a small kitchen
strainer such as a tea strainer to contain
them while rinsing under warm water.  Use
a lint free cloth, or a jewelry polish cloth to
pat them dry.

If your diamonds are in need of a stronger
cleansing, you may want to soak them for 30
minutes in a solution of half and half water and
ammonia.  Once they have soaked for 30
minutes, remove them and gently brush the
mountings with a small brush.  Then replace
the pieces to the solution and swish them
around in the mixture before removing them
to rinse and pat dry.  

If you find your self too busy to be mixing
soaps and ammonias, many department
stores sell liquid jewelry cleaners.  Most are
kits, with everything you need included.  You
need to read the labels to determine the one
that is right for your diamonds and other
jewelry. Read the complete directions and
follow all the precautions.

And if you find yourself more the
“high-tech type”, even in your diamond
cleaning routine, there are multiple ultrasonic
cleansers on the market.  These machines
use high-frequency to create a cleaning motion.
All machines are not the same, so please read
the instructions before using.

Only you can choose the cleaning method
right for you.   But, it is essential to keep
your jewelry clean to keep it brilliant and
sparkling.  Between cleaning, try not to touch
your clean diamonds with your fingers or
handle your jewelry by its edges. This will
help maintain its shine and brilliance for
longer periods.

How to Spot A Fake Diamond

In this world of advanced technology it is
almost impossible to simply look at a
diamond and determine whether it is real or
not – especially if you don’t know much
about diamonds. There are some steps that
you can take to avoid buying a fake diamond,
however.

First, only deal with reputable jewelers, and
when you find a reputable jeweler, stick with
them. Avoid buying diamonds or other
jewelry from jewelers that you have never
dealt with before in the past. Ask to see the
certificate for the stone. If no certificate exists,
walk away.

Look at the setting that the stone is in. Fake
diamonds, such as zirconias, are usually set
in low quality metals. Take a close look at the
stone. Fake diamonds are not durable –
natural diamonds, on the other hand, are the
most durable stone on the planet. Look for
scratches or nicks.

After purchasing a diamond, take it to
another jeweler for appraisal. In fact, take it
to two or three other jewelers for an appraisal
to make sure that the appraisals are all fairly
close. If you find that you have purchased a
fake diamond, you may be accused of
making a switch when you return to the store
of your purchase; therefore, it is important to
have a certificate for the diamond. No two
stones are alike.

Jewelry Wholesale – Diamonds

There may come a time in your jewelry making
career when you need to select diamonds for a
special piece you are working on. Buying diamonds
is much like buying any other gem – you find one
that is the right size or shape for the piece you are
making and you purchase it. WRONG. Much more
thought and consideration must go into purchasing
a diamond. After all – Diamonds are forever, and
you want your jewelry wholesale to last forever too.

There are four C’s when it comes to buying a
diamond: cut, clarity, color, and carat weight. All of
these must be considered because you want the
diamond used in your jewelry wholesale to be as
beautiful as possible. Remember that the diamond
should not overpower the entire piece, but it should
be the main attraction and compliment the rest of
the piece as well.

The cut of the diamond does not refer to the shape
of it. It refers to the way that it was cut – the quality
of the cut. The shine and fluorescence of the
diamond is determined by how it was cut. The
shape of the diamond is only a second factor – or
an after thought – in terms of the quality of the cut.

The clarity of a diamond does not refer to how clear
it is. Instead, it refers to how perfect or flawless –
or imperfect – a diamond is. There are internal
imperfections and external imperfections. A
diamond that has no imperfections is flawless –
and expensive.

Diamonds come in many colors. The most common
are white and yellow. Other colors are available, but
they are rare and expensive. The only color you
should never consider is a ‘blue white’ diamond. A
jeweler may try to tell you that this is a rare quality
diamond, but it is in fact an inferior diamond, and
you have no use for it.

The carat weight of the diamond will be important to
your customer. Large diamonds should come with
a certificate. You should request this from the
company that you are purchasing the diamond from.
If they refuse to give you a certificate from a
reputable grading company such as GIA, walk
away.

The chances are good that you will put more work
and thought into purchasing diamonds for your
jewelry wholesale than in any other gem or stone.
Diamonds are by far the most popular gemstones
in the world – and with good reason. Not only are
they the most beautiful stones, but they are also
the most durable stones on the face of the earth –
or under the earth for that matter!

Selecting Diamonds

Diamonds are graded for certification by
laboratories using grading criteria. Four of
these criteria are critical to understand when
making a diamond purchase or investment.
Known as the “Four C’s” these criteria are:
color, cut, clarity and carat.

Color is the result of the composition of a
diamond and it does not change. When a
jeweler is describing the color of a diamond
they are referring to the presence or absence
of color in white diamonds. Because a
diamond with no color allows maximum light
to pass through, colorless diamonds are
preferred for their sparkle.

Cut refers to a diamonds reflective quality.
Most diamonds are cut with 58 facets. The
brilliance of diamonds is heavily dependent
on the cut. The different angles and the finish
of a diamond determine its ability to reflect
light and cause its brilliance and fire.
Remember that the cut of a diamond can
have an impact on its durability as well as its
beauty. Some cutting faults can make a
diamond prone to breakage. A diamond
that is cut too thin can also cause light to
leak out of the back and the diamond will
lose some of the sparkle and appear not
to shine. So, as you can see the Cut is
probably the most important of the Four C’s.  

During the formation process, inner flaws, or
inclusions occur in most diamonds. The
number and size of these inclusions
determine what is referred to as the clarity
of a diamond. Diamonds that are clear
create more brilliance and therefore are rarer
and highly priced. To be considered
“flawless”, a diamond must have no surface
or internal imperfections visible upon being
viewed by a skilled diamond grader using
10 power magnifications.

Carat is the unit of weight by which diamonds
are measured. One carat is equal to 200
milligrams. A carat is divided into 100
segments called points. 150 points would
equal one and a half carats.

When you go to the store to make that all
important diamond purchase, do not be shy!
Ask questions, get the answers needed to
make an informed purchase. Shopping for
certified diamonds enables you to make an
informed selection. Knowing the “four C’s”
allows you to comparison shop and purchase
the best diamond at a fair price.  But, before
making a purchase, shop around and decide
what shapes and styles really appeal to you.
Enjoy your diamond for years to come!