Diamonds - Gemstones - Jewelry
Jewelry & Gemstone Buying Strategy
Before making a poor buying decision, consider an overall strategy for buying jewelry.
Strategy for Buying Diamonds
- Budget - Establish a range.
- Research - The more you learn, the more likely you are to get exactly what you are looking for.
- Trends - For major purchases, stay with traditional elegance.
- Cut - Understand the best proportions for that shape. Buying "spread" sacrifices brilliance.
- Color - Cognac is for the liquor cabinet. Beautiful diamonds are white.
- Clarity - "V" is your friend. Set your minimum clarity at VSx.
- Carat Weight - Size matters, but not as much as quality. A .49 ct gem will cost less per carat than a .51
- Buy the best quality gem you can afford.
- Pick the right setting
- Get a certificate; GIA or EGL.
- If possible, have a serial number lasered into your gem
- Deal with a trusted source.
Buying colored gemstone jewelery presents an additional set of challenges to your buying strategy. Add the appropriate diamond strategy factors to these.
Buying Precious Colored Gems
- Decide on the gem ... changing your mind is okay too.
- Color. Whaddaya mean there's no such color as pink?.
- Brilliance. Look deeply and the gem will reveal it's characteristics. Study the details, they are important.
- Cut - Jungle cut gemstones sacrifice beauty in favor of weight and spread.
- Durability - Diamonds are 10s but colored gems vary from 9 and below on the Mohs hardness scale. Some gems are hard, others are "tough". Hardness resists scratching. Toughness resists breaking. Consider precious gems of 8 or higher
- Clarity - different families of colored gems tend to be more or less included. But fewer inclusions reveal a gem's beauty.