How To Shop For Diamond Jewellery
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by: Adriana Noton
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Word Count: 660
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2010 Time: 1:38 PM
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Buying a diamond engagement ring, or any piece of diamond jewellery, can be one of the most important purchases you will make. There are two things you will need to decide on before you go shopping. What type of ring you want to buy and How much you can afford. Shopping for solitaires requires a different approach than shopping for multi stone rings. The more careful your approach and the more you know about diamonds, the better prepared you will be.
The first thing you should do before you go shopping is set a budget. By setting a budget and sticking to it, you will avoid the pitfalls of buyer remorse later on. Staying within a budget also narrows your choices and saves you time.
You will want to spend a little more for a quality piece that is well made and contains the highest quality stones you can afford. Cheaper jewelry is often not made as well, leaving the jewelry vulnerable to breaking or dropping stones. Also, the jewels in budget jewelry are often inferior which becomes obvious when you wear the piece.
There are four C's used in the jewelry industry to determine the value of a diamond; Carat, Color, Clarity and Cut. Caret refers to the size of the stone. One carat is equal to 200 milligrams of weight. You should have a rough idea of the size of the diamond you can afford based on your budget. It is usually better to choose a smaller, higher quality solitaire over a larger one of less quality.
Then second thing you should look for in a solitaire is the color. This is the second of the four C's. Diamonds come in many colors, both natural and lab created stones. Diamonds come in almost every color under the sun, including brown, yellow, pink, blue and red. Colored diamonds are referred to as fancy stones. Natural fancy stones (as opposed to lab created ones)of high quality are extremely rare, however, and therefore very expensive. The most expensive diamond in the world is a blue diamond from India that sold in December of 2008 at a Christie's auction for $24.3 million. Most people are on a budget and therefore choose to stay with the white or clear diamonds. These stones are graded on how pure the color is. Pure white, with no tinge of yellow, are the highest valued stones.
The third C in determining a diamonds value is clarity. Clarity refers to the number of small carbon spots or flaws present inside the jewel. Carbon absorbs light and causes the stone to sparkle less. The more flaws and the larger the flaws, the duller the diamond appears. A flawless stone is graded F for flawless. These re rare and extremely expensive in any size. Most fall under the VS SI category, VS standing for Very Slightly Included and SI standing for Slightly Included. There are a variety of stones to choose from in these two categories that will fit into most budgets.
The last on the four C's list is cut. A stones cut is crucial in showing it to its maximum brilliance. A cut is graded as either "very good", "good", "fair" and "poor". A "poor" cut lends a dull, lifeless diamond rings, where as a cut graded as "very good" sets the jewel off perfectly. There are a variety of stones available in "good" cuts that will fit most budgets.
By sticking to a budget and understanding how diamonds are graded, you can shop for a solitaire with greater confidence. Take your time, visit a variety of jewelry stores and know what Calgary engagement rings want. You should be able to find the ring of your dreams that will give you years of pleasure.
About the Author
Why its important to avoid conflict diamonds in Toronto engagement rings is a topic that warrants continued debate. The Canadian Jewellery Directory enforces a code of ethics among Canadian Jewellers.
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