Diamonds - The Dazzling Biography of Certified Loose Diamonds

WHY CERTIFICATION OF LOOSE DIAMOND MATTERS?

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 11:26:00 +0000

Diamonds are priceless and are valued much for their worth and excellence Loose diamonds are available in a variety of shapes. Whichever shaped diamond you buy it is very significant that the diamond be certified by an independent gemological laboratory like the International Gemological Institute (IGI), Gemological Institute of America (GIA); the American Gem Society (AGS); the European Gemological Laboratories (EGL) and GemEx Systems. Respected grading labs to not sell diamonds since that would be a conflict of interest.

While buying diamonds, certification is a prerequisite and the name of the laboratory that examined your precious stone is extremely important. Although these stones look the same on the surface they may not be of the same quality. The certification is a written proof of the quality and attributes of the diamond. Without certification, there is no assurance that the diamond you are buying is of the quality you’re paying for.

From the prospect of investment also the diamond certification is very important. Your diamond will be easier to sell if it is properly certified. Uncertified diamonds can be certified by sending them to an independent gemological laboratory for examination. In case you loose your “diamond report” you can always get a copy of your certification from the gemological laboratory where you had it examined. It is the pedigree that goes with the diamond and becomes a valuable document in case of loss because it will ensure that your insurance company will replace your stone with another certified stone of same quality. Certificates are not appraisals since they do not contain any information regarding the value or price of a diamond.

One of the important advantages of getting your diamond certified is that you will know the precise grading of yours stone’s precious 4Cs i.e. carat, weight, cut, color and clarity. Your diamond certification also arms you with the information you need to assess your precious stone’s fair market value. Another thing your certificate empowers you to do is to make an intelligent comparison with other diamonds – in the same jewelry store or in another. Thus it is always in the favor of the buyer to get their diamonds certified.

Diamonds for Mom

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 06:21:00 +0000

Are you planning to gift your mom, but not able to decide what to gift? One of the numerous suggestions includes diamonds. As known by all, diamonds are the best friend of a girl; your mom may also get delighted with this sparkling stone.

So if you have decided on buying diamond or diamond related stuff for your mom, you can consider diamond jewelry or even loose diamonds.

Loose Diamond

A loose diamond can be preferred if you are unsure about your mom’s choice of jewelry or unable to decide on its design. Also if you are thinking of personalized or customized diamond jewelry, then a loose diamond will be the first step of your gift searching process. Before buying a diamond, you have to decide on its features including the four Cs, certification, shape etc. Deciding the diamond shape without the jewelry setting in hand can be a dilemmatic phase. The most ideal and traditional shape is the round brilliant cut. Other unusual yet unique shapes include marquise, emerald and other cuts. Princess cut diamonds have been in demand by women recently because of its brilliance and distinctive shape.

Diamond Stud Earring

Diamond studded earrings are liked by women because they are considered as timeless and classic. The most practical and significant fact about such earrings are that they go with any outfit, accessories or hairstyle. In such earrings the whole beauty of the jewelry lies in the stone. Metals preferred for this jewelry piece are white gold, yellow gold or platinum, although platinum is the best choice.

Solitaire Diamonds Pendant

Like stud earrings, in solitaire diamond pendants, the diamond take away all the appreciation. Its beauty is highlighted with the help of prong setting. This ageless jewelry brings about the natural splendor of the wearer with its sparkle. If paired with diamond stud earrings, this pendant will create a simple yet lavish look for a woman.

Although an expensive selection, diamonds can help you express your love for your mother in a unique way.

Diamonds for Men

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:06:00 +0000

Diamonds makes a person feel special simply by wearing it, be it a man or woman. Yes, diamonds are not just a girl’s best friend but a companion for a guy too! In fact, they were originally meant for men in the ancient times when kings and emperors considered them as sign of royalty.

Men’s Diamond Engagement Ring

Nowadays men’s diamond engagement rings are becoming increasingly popular. Prong set rings have feminine trait in them and hence are not preferred by men. Instead men’s rings usually consist of bezel set or channel set diamonds, since these settings hold the stone with a better grip.

Diamond shapes for Men

The diamond shapes usually preferred by men are round and princess cut. Men’s jewelry is thick shaped with which round shaped and princess cut diamonds go well. Other shapes like heart, marquise etc which are considered as fancy cut ones are ideal for woman's rings.

Preferred Diamond Color

Men typically choose white colored diamonds as they are the simplest ones. Fancy colored ones are the fortune of woman’s rings.

Diamonds have to be carefully looked after. And mens jewelry is meant to be tough in terms of quality. Hence men generally fear to have diamonds in their jewelry. But this stone can be best option for men who love to accessorize.

Diamonds for the April Born

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 10:57:00 +0000

This best friend of a girl is also the best friend of the April born people. They are considered as the luckiest ones to have Diamonds as their birthstones as this the most extraordinary one of all gemstones. Apart from the numerous advantages, diamonds provide extra privileges to all who were born in the month of April.

As known by all, some of the features of diamonds include shine and hardness. These characteristics positively affect wearer’s life. The sparkle indicates purity and hardness signifies the ultimate strength in thoughts and courage to fight against the adversities and hardships of life. The white tone of the stone indicates innocence and joy.

This ultimate stone symbolizes everlasting and eternal love. It is also responsible of building up trust and faith in relationships and acts as a promise between the two people for commitment and endless relationship.

A diamond brings in beauty, wealth and prosperity to the wearer. Some of the healing properties of the stone include poison remedies, cure for brain diseases and strengthen memory. It detects and indicates presence of poison by displaying moisture or dampness on its surface.

A diamond also acts as enhancement for strengths of other gemstones. They improve the positive effects of gemstones like emerald, amethyst etc and take them to a higher level.

Being the April birthstone, diamonds exhibit much positive energy hence making them more significant than other gemstones.

Diamond Inclusions

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 10:50:00 +0000

Inclusions play a significant role while judging the quality of a diamond. Their presence can decrease the value of a diamond. Among the four Cs, clarity determines the stone’s purity. Any kind of internal impurity is termed as Diamond Inclusion.

Image source: http://www.kingsgate-diamonds.com/Products/images/ER2.jpg

The various types of diamond inclusions are:

Mineral and Crystal Inclusion: Diamonds may have smaller crystals inside them. These crystals can be smaller diamonds or some other mineral. They are trapped inside the stone during its formation. Although they are referred to as inclusions, sometimes they can actually make the diamond look more appealing.

Pinpoint Inclusion: They are minute crystals inside the stone which degrade its clarity. They are so small that they need to be viewed under magnification. When several pinpoints gather at the same area of the stone, it appears to be more distracting and hence makes the diamond look dull.

Cloud Inclusion: When several tiny crystals or pinpoint inclusions are grouped together, it emits cloudy and hazy appearance hence developing a cloud in the stone.

Needle Inclusion: Long and thin crystals are termed as needles in diamond inclusions. They are similar to pinpoint inclusions except for their shape.

Feather Inclusion: These are inclusions which actually look like feathers or fractures. Although small feathers are harmless but if they reach the diamond surface then they can probably result in its breakage.

Knot Inclusion: When an included crystal extends to the diamond’s surface, it is termed as a knot. They are a higher risk to the stone as they make the diamond less durable.

Cavity Inclusion: It is large opening in the stone and is also called as a crack which is relatively bigger in size.

Cleavage Inclusion: It is quite similar to cavity inclusion but appears to be a straight crack without any kind of feathering. This can be quite hazardous for the stone since if hit at the right place, the diamond can split down.

Girdle Fringes, Bearding Inclusion: They are hair-like lines which usually develop during the cutting process of the stone. They appear around the girdle and extend from the surface towards its internal part.

Grain Lines Inclusion: They are also called as grain lines and are formed during the formation of the diamond. These lines are formed due to irregular crystallization.

Diamond inclusions are usually not visible to the naked eye. They can be viewed on magnification of 10X. Hence finding these inclusions and differentiating them with the naked eye is nearly impossible.

Diamond Enhancement

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:18:00 +0000

Diamond enhancement has been requested by many diamond lovers since this increases the glitter and spark of the stone.

The technique may be applied on natural as well as synthetic diamonds. The color and clarity of the diamond can be enhanced using several techniques.

Diamond Clarity Enhancement

Laser Drilling: The number of inclusions and its size determine the stone’s clarity. This technique is used to remove any kind of inclusions within the diamond. In laser drilling, a small tunnel is bore from the diamond surface to the intended inclusion using a beam of high intensity light or infrared laser, hence forming a route inside the stone which helps in sending down a strong acid and removing the inclusions.

Fracture Filling: Fractures or cracks in a diamond make it appear cloudy and whitish. These fractures are filled with a glass-like substance which appears similar to the diamond. The cracks although don’t vanish but become invisible to the naked eye. If the fracture exists in the internal part of the diamond, then drilling might be required before filling it up, else fractures on the surface do not require any kind of drilling.

Diamond Color Enhancement

Irradiation: This process is used to alter the diamond’s color. In the irradiation technique, proton, gamma ray, neutron or electron bombardments are used such that the high energy particles modify the diamond’s crystal lattice and changes the positions of the carbon elements hence changing the color.

Coatings: In this technique the diamond is coated with a substance which hides its original color or any kind of yellow traces. This coating is not permanent and wears off with regular use of the stone.

Diamond Enhancement Facts

Another term which is used for the same purpose is Diamond Treatment. Although Enhancement sounds like a positive phrase, it is no different than Treatment.
Along with the dazzle and shine, this technique also increases the price of the stone.
Since the value and cost of the stone increases with enhancements, any type of treatments done with the stone should be informed to the buyer along with some a written proof.
A qualified gemologist can identify whether the stone had been treated and if yes, to what extent.

Identify Fake or Real Diamond

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 06:20:00 +0000

A diamond or diamond jewelry buyer are mostly in a dilemma that whether the diamond being purchased by them is fake or real one. Although the gemologist or seller can use proper tools and equipments to recognize the stone, for a naive buyer this could be a difficult task with the naked eye.

Image Source: http://www.ruby-jade-sapphire-pearl.com/images/diamond%20ring%20white%20round.jpg

Cubic Zirconia, Moissanite, Russian Diamonds, Diamond Nexus, Gemisis Diamond and White Sapphire belong to the category of Fake diamonds and have their unique features. Some techniques that are used to identify fake diamonds may work for just few of them and not all. For example, the cubic zirconia stone is heavier in weight than real diamond by approximately 50% provided both the stones are of same size and shape. Hence CZ can be differentiated from real diamond based on the weight factor.

Transparency Test

Another identification technique is the Transparency test. In this, the stone is placed up-side down on a paper with written characters. If the characters seem to be readable then you can be sure that the diamond is false, since written material cannot be read through a real one.

Fog Test

Blow some air on the stone from your mouth to fog it. If the fog stays on the stone, it means the stone is not real diamond. Heat gets dispersed quickly on real diamonds resulting in absorbing the fog within no time.

Ultraviolet test

When a real diamond is held under ultraviolet light, it emits blue colored light. The same goes for it when held under black color. The disadvantage of this technique is that along with fake diamonds, high quality diamonds also do not emit the intended blue colored light.

Reflection Test

A real diamond always reflects shades of the color grey and white and does not emit rainbow reflections. These rainbow reflections can be seen from fake diamonds or real but low quality diamonds.

Sparkles

Genuine diamond sparkles from all sides, no matter which angle it is view from, whereas in fake diamonds the sparkle is seen from the top only and looks dull from side angles.

Diamond Blemishes and Their Types

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 06:11:00 +0000

While judging the quality of a diamond, several things have to be considered including its Four Cs. Among them, the clarity feature determines the purity of the stone. Diamonds with lower clarity have impurities which may be either inclusions or blemishes. This classification is based on the position of the impurity i.e. internal or external. Internal impurities are referred to as inclusions in the diamond, whereas external impurities are blemishes.

Image Source: http://www.wholesalediamonds-1st.com/wp-content/themes/fgala/images/logo_diamond.jpg

Diamond blemishes could either be naturally present or occur when the diamond is cut or polished and also when worn. The different types of blemishes are Scratches, Nick, Pits, Naturals, Polishing lines and Extra Facets.

Scratches: It refers to fine lines on the diamond surface. They can occur when the stone is accidently or purposely rubbed against harsh materials. They can be easily polished away.

Nicks: They are the cuts or chipped away section of the diamond. They are mostly found near the girdle of the stone. They are usually introduced when the diamond is set in jewelry and stress is applied on it. Nicks can be repaired by polishing and creating extra facets. But too many extra facets spoil the overall appearance of the stone; hence nicks should be taken off the diamond with real care.

Pits: They refer to the holes on the surface of the diamond. They aren’t usually noticeable but if they appear on the diamond table, then it could be visibly clear. If the pit is too deep then it could be difficult to get rid of it but shallow pits can be polished away easily.

Naturals: They are those sections of the diamond which are left unpolished. They are usually left near the girdle. If naturals are found on the girdle then it doesn’t affect the quality of the stone. However, if it is extended towards the pavilion or crown then they can be noticed easily and hence degrades the diamond.

Polishing Lines: They are marks which appear on the surface of the stones. They are usually the result of cutting and polishing process.

Extra facets: Sometimes the diamond is cut to remove certain blemishes on the diamond. This cutting process results in creation of extra facets spoiling the diamond’s look.

Usually minor blemishes do not have any effect on the diamond value or appearance, since they are moreover unnoticeable to the naked eye. But while buying the diamond, the buyer should be informed about any kind of presence of blemishes.

Princess Cut Diamond – The Unique Shape

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:40:00 +0000

After round brilliant, princess cut is the next most preferred diamond shape. This unique cut has been liked highly because of the brilliance it emits. This shape is moreover chosen by buyers who prefer unique looking jewelry especially unique engagement rings.

Princess Cut Diamond

This shape is simply a square shaped diamond with sharp corners and high amount of brilliance. This brilliance is the result of extra faceting and an attempt to create something similar to an upside down triangular pyramid. The princess cut diamond has wide pavilion facets at the culet and narrowed ones towards the girdle. It was created in the 1960s and became popular in the 1970s. It is also recognized as square modified brilliant since it consists of the sparkle of the round brilliant cut and the shape of a square. However the princess cut has a lower amount of brilliance as compared to the round shape in order to gain its square shape.

The setting of the jewelry should be such that the corners of the diamond are protected from any kind of damage. Minimum of four prong setting is required to hold this diamond safely. The sharp corners can get chipped or scratched with a slight hit or smack. To avoid this, many jewelers or manufacturers “chamfer” the corners such that the shape doesn’t change or create “clipped corners”.

The price of princess cut diamond is lower than that of round brilliant ones. Reason behind this being that in princess cut moreover the original rough diamond is retained since this cut doesn’t need to be smoothed to gain attractiveness unlike the round shape.

While choosing a princess cut diamond, the color and clarity features have to be taken care of. The ideal color for this cut would be above I whereas if you are looking out for an affordable diamond color, then H or I would be the ideal choice. For a decent clarity, VS2 or SI1 can be chosen comfortably.

Pink Diamonds – A Rare Diamond

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:59:00 +0000

Pink diamonds is a type of fancy diamond and is one of the valuable and rarest colored diamonds. Because of its rarity, its price is higher than other colored and colorless diamonds.

Image Source: http://finediamonds.com.au/images/categories/Pink%20diamonds%20scattered.jpg

These diamonds are produced at Argyle mine which is located in Western Australia and produces around 95% share of world’s pink diamonds.

They are available in different shades of the color pink: Brownish pink, Purplish Pink, Pink Champagne, Orange Pink and many more. Like other colored diamonds and gemstones, the color quality of pink diamonds is judged based upon the color intensity and consistency across the diamond. More intense and consistent it is, more costly will the diamond be. But it should also be noted that even lighter shades of pink diamonds are costly because of their rarity.

Engagement rings with pink diamonds have become highly popular since Jenifer Lopez was given a pink diamond engagement ring. Moreover, these diamonds have been the favorite of many celebrities and trend setters because they bring a unique factor into the jewelry.

They are available in various styles and settings. But if the desired design is not available with the retailer, then they would always welcome a pink colored loose diamond and a setting to create a custom jewelry with this rare diamond. They are moreover appreciated when set into white gold or platinum metal, since these metals enhance their beauty.

Fancy Color Diamond Grading

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:40:00 +0000

Fancy color diamonds come in all colors and shades of the rainbow. Among them, yellow ones are most common. They are usually used in fashion jewelry.

Image Source:http://www.glimmerocks.com/standardimages/DJ/fancy_colored_diamonds.gif

Diamonds being very precious and expensive, certain factors should be taken care of before buying them. As known to all, the Four Cs are the most important characteristics to be considered for judging the quality of a diamond. But these factors differ slightly for fancy colored ones.

Diamond Color Grading

The color grading technique for fancy color diamond is slightly similar to that of colored gemstones. The two basic aspects to be considered while judging the color of the colored diamond are Hue and Intensity. Hue refers to the color of the diamond which may include pink, red, blue etc. Intensity means how light or dark the color is. The more intensity, more beautiful will the diamond look and more expensive it will be.

Diamond Cut Grading

Like colorless diamonds, the most excellent/ideal cut colored diamonds emits maximum brilliance. A colored diamond with a good cut derives its most intense color, hence increasing its worth and beauty. Facets add more color to the diamond and if cut properly, gives the best appearance to the stone.

Diamond Clarity Grading

For a colored diamond, clarity is not the most factor for judging its quality. Even a lower clarity diamond will appear inclusion-free depending on the color intensity. Secondly, if the color of the inclusion is same as that of the diamond, then it will be nearly invisible. Also the appearance of the inclusions (if any) will be noticed only if they are present directly on the table of the diamond. Usually fancy colored diamonds with higher clarity are rarely found.

Diamond Carat

Carat weight of a colored diamond is computed or analyzed in the similar way as that of the colorless ones. The more carat weight, more expensive it will be.

Diamond Certification

Apart from the four Cs, the certification of the diamond should also be taken care of. All the major gem laboratories like GIA, IGI, and EGL certify and provide report for fancy color diamonds. The certificate ensures that the diamond is naturally colored and an not enhanced one.

American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:32:00 +0000

Many gemological laboratories provide certificates which prove the authenticity of a diamond and specify its minute facts and characteristics. One such laboratory is the American Gem Society Laboratories (AGSL). This laboratory provides diamond grading services to jewelry industry only, which means that they accept diamonds only from jewelers and manufacturers.

AGSL is known for grading the diamond cut including the Ideal Cut. It is also known for grading the fancy cut diamonds like Emerald, Oval and Princess cut. According to this laboratory, the most important among the four Cs of a diamond is the Cut, because this feature determines the amount of refraction or reflection of light.

The AGS Laboratories offer various reports depending on the type of diamond information required. The most preferred among them is the Diamond Quality Document (DQD) which includes the complete analysis of the four Cs of the diamond: Color Grade, Cut Grade, Carat weight and Clarity grade.

Image Source: http://www.agslab.com/product_diamond_quality_document.php

AGS Diamond Grading System

Grading is allotted in numerical form from the range of zero to ten. For Diamond Cut, zero means the best cut (Ideal cut) and ten indicates the lowest one. In the Verbal form, cut can be classified as AGS Ideal or Excellent or from Very Good, Good to Fair or Poor. The same numerical form goes for the Clarity feature of a diamond. The verbal descriptor for indicating the clarity of the diamond is same as that of GIA (Gemological Institute of America). For Diamond Color, zero indicates colorless and ten indicates light yellow or light brown.

AGSL provides easy-to-read grading scale hence making it easy for the consumers to evaluate and verify the quality of the diamond they have purchased.

Heart Diamonds – The Fancy Cut Diamond

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:08:00 +0000

Heart diamonds are the ultimate gift for Valentine’s Day. A Sparkling heart shaped diamond helps you to express your love for your special someone with grace, elegance and romance.

Although they are hard to find, because of their increasing popularity, retailers and manufacturers are giving them more importance and trying to bring them in large numbers.

This fancy-cut diamond reveals the bow-tie shadow effect although high quality stones exhibit this effect minimally. They typically contain 59 facets.

When fixed in prong setting they look more marvelous than in any other jewelry setting, since the beauty of the shape gets noticed easily with this setting. Usually five prongs would be required to hold the stone. Two prongs will hold the lobes, another two to hold the sides and a V-shaped prong holding its pointed tip.

They are moreover popular with solitaire rings and solitaire pendants. They also look stunning in stud earrings and as diamond ring side stones too. Check out some of the different types of jewelry adorned with a heart shaped diamond:

Solitaire Ring:

Image Source: http://ringoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/heart-solitaire-ring.jpg

Solitaire Pendant:

Image Source: http://www.overstockjeweler.com/images/I/overstockjeweler_1943_52309453.gif

Side stone Ring:

Image Source: http://www.ritani.com/productimages/1237819700_1RZ1235AAHP.jpg

Stud Earring:

Image Source: http://www.rothemcollection.com/pc/catalog/heart_diamond_earrings_w2_870_general.jpg

Identifying the right heart-shaped diamond:

The brilliance of these diamonds differs on their depth. Deeper the diamond, the more brilliance it has. Diamond with more depth although sparkles with brilliance, but may look smaller than its ideal size. Flatter diamonds have lesser brilliance and radiance. Hence heart shaped diamonds should be chosen carefully.
Also, while purchasing heart shaped diamonds, one must be sure that the top lobes of the stone are even.
The two halves should be well-defined and should look symmetrical at least for a naked eye.
The color of the diamond should be given special attention while choosing such diamonds. If it has low-quality color, then it may be noticeable from the corners of the cut.

Ideal Cut Diamonds

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:16:00 +0000

The “Cut” plays a significant role in the four Cs of a diamond. It not only defines the basic facet arrangement but also affects its brilliance. The cut of a diamond can be classified based on how the light reflects from the stone and hence creating particular amount of brilliance from the diamond.

The different types of diamonds are:
Shallow Cut
Ideal Cut
Deep Cut

Among them, Ideal cut diamonds are mostly preferred since light reflects from the top of the stone hence creating maximum brilliance among all the types. Also, irrespective of the direction from where the light has entered into the stone, all the light gets reflected increasing the diamond’s brilliancy and radiating exquisite light. In shallow cut ones, the light refracts away from the bottom hence resulting the diamond to loose its brilliance and making the stone appear glassy and opaque whereas in deep cut diamonds refraction of light takes place from the sides making it dull and lifeless.

This categorization depends on the proportion in which the diamonds are cut. An Ideal Cut Diamond has the proportion as shown below:

These measurements differ for different gemological laboratories.

Different grading laboratories have assigned different names to the diamonds with Ideal cut like Superb Ideal Cut, American Ideal Cut and even Excellent Cut. GIA (Gemological Institute of America) refers to it as Excellent Cut diamonds.

Since producing such diamonds requires exact and precise measures, they usually cost more than other diamond cuts.

Diamonique Diamonds - The Cultured Diamond

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:33:00 +0000

Diamonique is a type of simulated diamond and is the brand name used by QVC shopping network. In other words, it is sold exclusively by QVC, although secondhand products are sold by other websites.

This stone belongs to the category of Cubic Zirconia (CZ). It is considered as a cheaper substitute for real diamonds since they can be bought for a few dollars as compared to real diamonds costing thousands of dollars. Like the real ones, Diamonique diamonds also come in different cuts and shapes including round, cushion, radiant etc.

Real diamonds are considered as the hardest gemstone and measure 10 on Moh’s scale. (Moh’s scale is used for measurement of hardness of a gemstone.) Similarly, Diamonique diamond measure 8.5 which are similar to natural sapphire and ruby gemstones and are marginally less hard as compared to real diamonds. Hence hardness is one of the positive traits of Diamonique diamonds.

Weight of Diamonique diamonds is more than that of real ones. So when real and these diamonds of same size/carat are weighed, the real diamonds will be lighter hence distinguishing them from each other.

Image Source: http://images-p.qvc.com/is/image/j/23/j14192301

Diamonique diamonds are also available in an extensive range of fancy colors hence giving buyers a wider option of such diamonds.

To determine the quality of these diamonds, QVC provides detailed information about its 6Cs. In addition to the 4Cs –Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat, QVC considers Cost and Confidence of the diamond. Cost indicates that the stone is available at a fraction of cost than the real one and Confidence assures that the fact that it is a simulated diamond cannot be determined by untrained eye since it is set in precious metal.

Diamond Fluorescence - Identify the right diamond

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 08:02:00 +0000

The term ‘diamond fluorescence’ also called as ‘photoluminescence of a diamond’ refers to behavior of the diamond when exposed to ultra violet (UV) light. UV Light causes objects to glow or fluoresce.

Along with the 4C’s of a diamond, its fluorescence is considered as one of the factors used to determine its quality. Diamond Fluorescence can be graded from none, faint, negligible, moderate to strong or very strong. Usually moderate or strong fluorescence affects a diamond's appearance resulting in low clarity or slight haziness, hence making the diamond cost cheaper than lower fluorescent diamonds.

Image Courtesy: http://www.blueminer.com/images/diamond-fluorescence.jpg

Arguments have continued among gemologists about how fluorescence affects the quality of the stone. Some gemologists say that this factor should not be considered while purchasing the stone as it least affects its appearance. Additionally, according to some gemologists, higher fluorescence results in enhanced beauty of the diamond while some believe vice-versa. Hence this factor is considered as a negative trait by some of the gemologists and consumers while a positive one by the rest.

The colors produced by the fluorescence of the diamond are usually blue, white or yellow. The color which is seen more often is blue. The least noticed colors are yellow and white. These specifics are true for colorless diamonds. Colored ones emit different shades/colors depending on their original color. For example, Pink colored diamonds emit bright orange color when subjected to UV light.

Even though a strong fluorescence may make a diamond look more sparkling and brilliant depending on its color and clarity, while buying a loose diamond or diamond jewelry, it is usually advised to go for none or faintly fluorescent diamond to be on a safer side.

Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner – Diamond Jewelry Cleaning

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 09:40:00 +0000

Diamond is the most preferred gemstone for an engagement ring. The glitter and sparkling effect of a diamond defines its beauty. If not taken good care, this glitter fades away and makes the diamond look less valuable.

Several methods are available for cleaning diamond jewelry, one of them being the use of Ultrasonic cleaners. This technique is used when a diamond becomes truly filthy by daily use of it. It is a heavy duty cleaning technique. So it is used only when the diamond cannot be cleaned using an ordinary cleaner.

Before using the ultrasonic cleaner to clean the diamond, the outer layer of the diamond should be first cleaned by an ordinary cleaning method. The cleaner uses cavitations for cleaning the diamond jewelry. Cavitations are nothing but microscopic bubbles. The ultrasonic cleaner uses high and low pressure waves which are produced by high frequency (ultrasonic) sound. These waves create those cavitations (minute cleaning bubbles). The bubbles collapse and form a scrubbing material which has enormous cleaning capacity. It loosens out the dirt in the cracks and minute areas of the ring (regardless of any kind of complicated setting used in the jewelry). Then, a high pressure steamer blasts away the particles.

Ultrasonic cleaners should be used once a month for cleaning diamond jewelry

Ultrasonic cleaners are not suitable for Opal, Pearl, Emerald, Tanzanite, Malachite, Turquoise, Lapis and Coral. They may damage these gemstones. So if jewelry contains any of these gemstones then ultrasonic cleaners should be avoided

Gift Loose Diamonds on Mother’s Day

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 10:55:00 +0000

Diamond is a woman’s best friend and thus the best gift to give your mom on this Mother’s Day. And when these extra precious stones come loose without any mounting, the creative aspect of any woman is bound to get evoked. This is because of the ‘Customize Jewelry’ option available at almost every jewelry store today, wherein the loose diamond owner can choose any setting of ring, earrings or pendant to mount her diamond as per her likes and dislikes.

But before going ahead and purchasing loose diamonds for your mom on this Mother’s Day in a haphazard manner, remember a few prerequisites that will make your purchase an easier and better one:-

The Four C’s-
The four C’s i.e. Cut, Color, Clarity & Carat are the most crucial factors that most of us unknowingly brush aside while buying diamonds. It’s important to do a detailed analysis of these four factors as even a slightest of cleft or a smallest of inclusions or color patches can sink the worth of your diamond.

Shapes-
Find out what shape of diamond your mom has always admired. Browse through our elaborate blog to know more about the various shapes available in diamonds. Check for trends, look for prices and then decide which diamond shape appeals most to your mom.

Pricing-
Everything starting from cut, color, clarity, carat & shape decides the cost of a diamond. E.g. A marquise shape diamond with 2.01 cttw., Excellent cut, D color grade & IF clarity would cost you more than a heart shape diamond but much less than an emerald shape diamond having the same attributes. Thus the criteria for determining the price of a diamond are vast and should be examined well before randomly picking up any diamond.

Certification-
Proper certification makes your diamond purchase a lot easier as these authorized documents by GIA (Gemological Institute of America) or AGS (American Gem Society) provide the exact details of the diamond assuring its authenticity. Don’t entertain diamonds without certification as they may mislead you and create difficulties for your mom during a resale.

After you have understood these factors thoroughly, you can get set going for your diamond purchase and find the best one to present your mom on this Mother’s Day taking care of your pockets as well.

Loose Diamonds – Still the Sign of Royalty!

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Tue, 06 May 2008 07:35:00 +0000

For thousands of years diamonds have symbolized wealth, love, power, spirit and magical powers. It was believed that diamonds were the fragments of stars and the teardrops of the Gods. Diamonds were believed to possess magical qualities of Gods which were beyond the understanding of ordinary human beings. Precisely, all those who possessed diamonds were believed to be the owners of extraordinary and mystical powers!

Till the 15th century, only kings wore diamonds and that too only to wars where the diamonds were studded on their leather breast plates. The concept of diamond jewelry evolved much later when the technology to cut diamonds into the complex faceted forms was developed. With this development loose diamonds transformed into diamond jewelry, became slightly more affordable and thus, common among the ordinary people.

Over the past 2 decades, diamond jewelry has become very popular among the masses; and the popularity peaks are witnessed most in the stratum of engagement rings. But are loose diamonds that popular amongst common people? I doubt so! We have heard of celebrities and other socialites buying loose diamonds and that too in bulk to have them embedded on their accessories like shoes, handbags and even the dog collars for their darling pooches! But how many of us can go out there and get loose diamonds at least to have a customized engagement ring? I am sure not many!

Hence, though diamonds symbolize an unbreakable bond and all of us would love to get one for our loved ones, we settle for a piece of diamond jewelry rather than a 3 carat certified loose diamond of ideal cut and FL clarity. This is not because our loved ones are not worth it, but just because we can’t afford it!

But if you happen to be one of those lucky ones who can afford to buy loose diamonds, the best place I can suggest to get those exclusive ones is B2CJewels.com. Here you will find certified loose diamonds of your choice and specifications and can also get it shipped to any place in the US.

Loose Diamonds

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Tue, 06 May 2008 07:10:00 +0000

Diamonds are quite well known in the form of rings, necklaces and bracelets. But are they equally popular as loose stones? The reaction to this a few years ago would have been negative! But loose diamonds are gaining a lot of attention lately. Was this popularity attained out of the blue? Definitely not!

Loose diamonds gained their popularity out of two reasons. Firstly because people demand for jewelry that reflects their style and this is possible only if it is made according to their likes and needs. So personalized jewelry is what people are seeking these days. Especially when it comes to engagement rings or wedding bands, they do not want it to be just as normal as any other ring. Second reason is that loose diamonds are a better form of investment than a piece of diamond jewelry. Loose diamonds, or any category of gemstones for that matter, will fetch you much more than what you invested in it!

In spite of all these, there is a very important factor that every potential buyer would want to keep in mind before their purchase. This is to see that they buy certified diamonds. Many might come up with an argument about the certification factor. I say it is very important because a diamond without the certification from any of the recognized gemological institutes like GIA, IGI or the likewise, is of zilch value. A certificate marks the credibility of loose diamonds. Most importantly, you would face problems insuring your diamond without a valid certificate and it would also be very difficult for you to sell it away at a later date, if the need arises!

B2cjewels.com is an online loose diamonds and jewelry portal offering an extensive range of certified loose diamonds to select from. The diamonds offered are certified by laboratories recognized worldwide such as the GIA, AGS, EGL, HRD and the like.

Are Diamonds a Good Investment?

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:54:00 +0000

Even though the diamond industry looks very complicated on the surface, it actually is very simple. Diamonds are often associated with being precious, mysterious, magical and romantic token of love.

Purchased at the right price, diamonds most certainly retain their value; in fact they actually increase in value over time. Over the last 20 years Diamond prices have been steadily increasing. Though there is no absolute certainty it is unlikely that diamonds will ever loose their value.

Thinking of these stones as the main part of financial or retirement investment is not advisable but when considered as a timeless and beautiful gift that symbolizes love and commitment, diamonds are an excellent investment.

Of all the tangible assets of investment diamonds are most advantageous:

• protection from inflation, bank bankruptcy, market collapse, currency reforms
• anonymity (no registration required)
• world-wide convertibility - diamonds are the only international accepted alternative currency which has the same value all over the world
• tax free betterment
• no maintenance costs
• very prestigious

You can also enjoy wearing diamonds in the form of jewelry. Lasting for a lifetime, diamonds are the only assets that serve as secure investment and also bring to you the wonderful feeling of beauty, luxury and passion.

The 4C's of Diamonds

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:23:00 +0000

When buying loose diamonds, or any other diamonds, a buyer should consider the now-famous 4 Cs: cut, color, clarity and carat. These four aspects of grading a diamond allow a buyer to determine its quality. The 4C's also determine the cost of loose diamonds - and set diamonds. However, a buyer has to determine which of these takes precedence in choosing a diamond.

Cut is different from shape. Shape concerns whether the diamond is round, emerald-cut, or pear-shaped. The cut of a diamond has a great deal to do with how it looks to the naked eye - how it sparkles. Buyers should look for cuts that are rated at least "good."

Color determines how much yellow tinge is present in the diamond. Some diamonds in the "H-J" range may appear nearly colorless, but much "warmer" than diamonds with less color. They are also usually less expensive.

Clarity refers to flaws or "inclusions" in the diamond. These grades range from the very rare flawless to "slightly included."

Carat is often thought to regard size, but in reality, it refers to weight. Of course, a heavier diamond is usually a larger one, but carat does strictly mean weight.

Before purchasing a loose diamond or a diamond jewelry piece, it is important to learn these aspects of diamonds so that you can determine the exact worth of your expenditure.

Loose Diamond Types

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:40:00 +0000

With the expansion of e-commerce it is almost impossible not to be able to find what you are looking for on the internet. Loose diamonds have become a popular gift because they can be found at wholesale prices.

A diamond represents eternal love.It has been discovered that the diamond is often more important than the ring. The latest trend in jewelry is for women to design their own diamond rings.

We have brought together some of the best information on loose diamonds, so that you are up to date when making your first purchase.

Round Loose Diamond

A round diamond is actually shaped like a cone, with a curved top (known among jewelers as “the crown”) that expands to a wider base, and then tapers downwards to a sharp point. This design was developed in the 17th century by Ambassador Julian Cardinal Mazarin (in fact, the first round brilliants were called Mazarins). To create maximum shine, he shaped the diamond to have 17 flat surfaces, called facets, which would reflect light from all sides. Another noted jeweler, Vincent Peruzzi, introduced 33 facets. But it was Marcel Tolkowsky who was able to devise a precise and thorough mathematical model for Mazarin’s design. Using geometrical calculations, he discovered that a 58-facet cut would create the maximum amount of brilliance, and then identified the perfect proportions of the crown, diameter and base.

Princess Loose Diamond

A real princess cut diamond is always square or rectangular, and incorporates many facets. Classic princess cut loose diamonds have 76 facets, and the multiple surfaces help reflect the light and create the princess cut’s beautiful shine. Today there are many variations of the princess cut, some having as little as 50 facets, while others as intricate as 144 facets. Traditionalists believe that the “perfect” loose princess cut diamond must have a proportion of 1:1 length to width—in other words, a symmetrical square. But there are many stones that take on a more rectangular dimension, with ratios of 1 to 1.15. Another advantage of the princess diamond cut is that it can help compensate for stones that have less-than-perfect clarity or color. It can be used to hide inclusions, or hints of yellowish or brownish streaks. However, one of the weaknesses of the princess cut is the fragile corners, which can be vulnerable to chipping.

Certified loose Diamonds

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:33:00 +0000

Customers always check the quality of products while buying jewelry online or going personally to any generic store. They check whether product is under warranty so that it can be easily replaced if it found damaged. To avoid the customers from being cheated and simultaneously keeping their faith in the product and the seller, certain parameters are set by recognized labs or institutes to maintain the quality of product.

If product is found perfect in these parameters then seller of that product would get certificates issued by recognized institutes or labs.

Certificates for loose diamonds are given by GIA (Gemological Institutes of America), AGS(American Gemological Society), EGL, HRD and others.

Links

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Carnegie) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 06:26:00 +0000

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