5 Quick Points for Diamond Shoppers

These are a few things I know from growing up in the diamond business and spending time “behind the counter.”  If you take what I say on faith then this post will be extremely helpful.  If not…don’t worry…we’ll expand on these in future posts.

FOR NOW…

Point 1: Most men I talk to still think that a high clarity grade means a “better” diamond.  It doesn’t.

Point 2: Color grades are not absolute.  It’s best to think of them as ranges within the called grade.  In other words…one “G” color grade diamond can be more colorless than another “G” color grade.  (Assuming all other variables are identical.)

Point 3: Cut is king.  All things being equal…the more precise the cut…the prettier and more sparkly the diamond.

Point 4: There are soft diamond certifications all over the place which means some grading houses are extremely liberal when it comes to calling the grade.  One certs “G” is another certs “J.”  Sorry boys…it still boils down to good old fashioned leg work when it comes to deciding which diamond is THE one.  Trust your eyes.  (Hot button issue, this one.)

Point 5: A larger carat weight does not always translate into a bigger looking diamond.  See If Diamonds Were Female Fighters to see why.

If you’ve been on the hunt for a while some of these will make a whole lot of sense to you.  If not use these 5 pointers as a start for your research.

Be willing to accept that you can’t know everything about diamonds and where their value comes from…then find yourself some Hired Guns and take it from there.

Above all…don’t forget why you’re doing this in the first place.  You’re in love…and committed…and you’re in the market for the perfect symbol of those sentiments.  That’s what diamonds are all about.  That’s how we feel anyway…