How to appreciate a jewel


Buying The Engagement Ring

The most widespread of engagement traditions
is the groom presenting his bride to be withE: Colorless. Only minute traces of color can
a ring. Most frequently, the engagement ringbe detected by an expert gemologist. A rare
is a diamond ring. Even though diamonds arediamond.
the most desired by brides to be, diamonds
are not the only precious stones used inF: Colorless. Slight color detected by an
engagement  rings.expert gemologist, but still considered a
"colorless"  grade.  A  high-quality diamond.
If your choice of engagement ring is a
diamond ring, be prepared to spend. TheAnother essential factor determining the
diamond jewelry retail market is a $30price of a diamond is its cut. Just like
billion market. Over $5 billion is spent oncolor, cut, is equally difficult to judge for
engagement  ring  in  the  U.S.  market.the untrained eye. The grading certificate
that typically comes with the diamond will
To the untrained eye, most diamonds look verygive you a good idea. Independent testing
similar. Most people differentiate betweenlaboratories, such the GIA, provide
diamonds based on size, shape, and price. Acertificates with a diamond's grading from
lower price usually means lower diamondexcellent to poor. A certified diamond also
quality,  not  necessarily  a  bargain.means  a  bigger  price  tag.
Judging diamond quality requires skill andThe clarity of a diamond simply refers to its
experience, and it involves grading a ringpurity. Most diamonds have minuscule markings
based on a combination of characteristicscalled "inclusions". A flawless (no
such as cut, clarity, color and carat weight.inclusions) diamond is very rare and
The above characteristics are called the "4valuable, while a diamond riddled with
Cs". A diamond's weight is measured ininclusions is less expensive. Clarity is
carats, equivalent to one fifth of a gram.ranked from "flawless" (FL) to "imperfect"
Usually diamonds range from 0.25 up to(I1 to I2). Most diamonds fall between those
several carats. Weight is only one way ofwith very, very small inclusions (VVS1) to
valuing a diamond, color is another.rocks with slightly larger inclusions (S1).
Colorless diamonds are the most rare and theyIf you are willing to compromise on clarity,
are the most valuable. Colored diamonds withyou can expect to save. To verify a diamond's
a hint of yellow are more common and lessclarity,  examine the laboratory certificate.
expensive.
If you're on a tight budget, try to stay away
Diamond colors are coded from D to Z. A Dfrom the big name jewelry stores. Brand name
grade is the most valuable and Z is leastusually comes with a larger price tag. Buying
valuable. Diamonds graded D-F are consideredwholesale may be an option. Normally the
colorless and they are the most valuable.wholesaler's core business is selling
Many reputable jewelry stores do not sell Kdiamonds to retailers, but they also sell to
thru  Z  grade  diamonds.the public. Because they do not advertise in
the traditional methods, nor are they located
The  most  valuable  color  grades:in shopping malls, you have to seek them out.
You will find some wholesalers listed as
D: Absolutely colorless. The highest colordiamond merchants in the Yellow Pages.
grade,  which  is  extremely  rare.



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