Diamonds • Precious Gemstones • Jewelry • Gemology

If you don't know enough about diamonds to get a good feel for grade and make using you own 10X loupe and a good light source, you should probably forget about buying an estate diamond. But even if you feel confident about your own skills, gettting a second and third opinion is still a good idea.

Hopefully you have shopped around for a good appraiser and found one that is reasonable enough so you can afford several visits.

But before you consider having the appraiser look at a stone, do it yourself.

Cautions For private party showings, consider the following security measures.

• Try to do daytime viewings
• Meet in public - a legitimate seller should appreciate showing their diamond in a discrete area of a public place.
• Confirm a meeting with a telephone call and record the number
• If you must go to a private residence, take along a friend.
• Don't take money along on the first viewing
• If anything feels uncomfortable at any time, walk away
• Don't get involved in negotiations more than cursory inquiries
• Examine any certificate carefully, carefully noting size and cut.

If you like the diamond and the price seems within range, try to make an appointment to meet the seller at your appraiser's office. If the seller balks, you should as well.

A good appraiser will not make a formal and final appraisal on a mounted diamond. It's simply impossible to do a good color grade on mounted diamonds. Likewise, the diamond can't be weighed in a setting. Estimate based on measurements can be 10-15% off.

Note: A good appraiser will also alert you to any significant characteristic that will require recutting and consequent reduction in size and carat weight.

But the appraiser should be able to make a determination whether the diamond *seems* to match the cert or the claimed grade.

So if you get to the point where the stone seems to meet your requirements and price range, its time to remove the stone from the setting. The appraiser may want written permission to remove the diamond and you will surely have to pay to have the gem re-set if you don't buy it.

So the appraiser pops the diamond out of the setting, cleans it up, has a good long look and gives you a thumb's up.

To certify or not to certify If you are extremely competent and you appraiser is infallible .. nah, get the cert. Follow pretty much the same logistical procedure for meeting the seller at either GIA or EGL and pay for the cert. It's great insurance. If the seller has a cert from either of the labs, a re-grading discount should apply. Note: Even certified diamonds can be a scam. Read the @ cut to match a certificate scam.

So the diamond certs fine .. it's time to fish or cut bait.

Negotiating the purchase. negotiating the purchase of estate diamonds.