Everything You Need to Know About Diamond Jewelry

In the past month, we've signed on with a new jewelry supplier, which means that our diversity of products and our inventory has increased over 200%!

Not only will we be a leading seller of diamond charms, but we will have an extensive line of quality, diamond pendants, necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, and much more! We are also adding a men's jewelry line. Bling!

www.99jewels.com

Since 2004, 99DiamondJewelry.com has offered online jewelry shoppers one of the largest selections of diamond charms and fine jewelry on the web.

However, we aim to be one of the premier jewelers on the web.

99DiamondJewelry.com has partnered with e-commerce expert Forward Internet Solutions to bring you an improved shopping experience and an even larger selection of fine jewelry products.

From diamond charms to gemstone jewelry, diamond pendants and necklaces, You literally will find it all at 99DiamondJewelry.com.

1.) Cut - The cut of the diamond determines its briliance. Its dimensions and its cut affect how light travels through it. BlueNile.com has a great article if you want to learn about the cut of the diamond in more detail. Click Here.

2.) Color - When it comes to color in diamonds, less is more (unless you are talking about fancy colored diamonds, which are graded on a different scale).

Diamonds are assigned a color grade with letters D-Z, with letters D-J being colorless or near-colorless, which is what you want.

Grade
D - Absolutely Colorless - the highest color grade possible.
E,F - Colorless - high quality diamond where only minute or small traces of color can be found.
G,H - Near Colorless - excellent value; color can be seen when compared to higher color graded diamonds.
I,J - Color slightly detectable. Still a good value diamond.
K-M - noticeable color - not a good value
N-Z - noticeable color - not a good value

3.) Clarity - Clarity rates how clear and pure the stone is. Having traces of minerals, scratches or other imperfections affects a diamond's clarity.

Clarity Scale:>
FL, IF - Flawless; no internal or external flaws. Internally Flawless; no internal flaws.
VVS1, VVVS2 - Very Very Slightly Included; very difficult to see inclusions under 10x magnification.
VS1, VS2 - Very Slightly Included; inclusions hard to see without aid of magnification.
SI1, SI2 - Slightly Included; inclusions visible to naked eye or with 10x magnification. Still a good value.
I1, I2, I3 - Included; inclusions visible or very visible to the naked eye.

4.) Carat The size of the diamond. Choosing a carat will depend on your budget and the color and clarity you are going for.

According to Bluenile.com, most of their loose diamond or diamond ring customers buy SI1 to VS1 and H to F color diamonds.

Let's separate scams into two categories: major and minor. Frankly, major scams rarely occur... but when they do, the media over-publicizes them to sell newspapers or magazines.

On the other hand, minor scams are very common and are found in almost all of the major jewelry chain stores to some degree. Such scams persist simply because it is hard for consumers to educate themselves before they buy. That is why we decided to stop selling diamonds and start offering this much-needed information to help consumers buy intelligently.

Below are the common scams and mistakes we see every day...and tips to help you avoid them. We also wrote a few basic precautions to protect you against almost any trick you might encounter.

1. Blue-White Diamond
A jeweler tells you, "This is a blue-white diamond."
This is a very old term that is now carefully controlled by the FTC because of misuse and scams in the past. The dealer will probably tell you that it is a better diamond, but actually it is just the opposite. Blue-white refers to the fluorescence that results in natural light, which contains ultraviolet wavelengths. This blue fluorescence actually makes a colorless diamond look a little oily or milky in sunlight and decreases its value. However, for stones with a faint yellow color, a moderate amount of fluorescence can make it look whiter because it cancels some of the yellow.

Solution: Avoid any jeweler who still uses this term and walk out, since he may have old habits established by scam artists of the past.

2. Carat Total Weight (ctw) - The tag only states the CTW
Many jewelry tags only list the "carat total weight" of diamonds in a ring and do not list the center stone separately. You can't compare prices with another ring if you don't know the weight and quality of the main diamond.
This is crucial because one large diamond is worth much more than 6 small ones that total the same weight. For instance, if you have one G/VS2 diamond weighing 1.00 carat, it might be worth about $5,500. But 10 smaller G/VS2 diamonds totalling 1.00 carats might only be worth about $1,800. Big difference!

Normally, smaller diamonds at such stores are much lower quality than this example, so the actual ring would be worth still less.
Solution: Ask for the weight and quality of the center stone by itself, in writing. Leave the store if they can't or won't do this. They don't have your interests in mind.

3. The 50% Off Sale - Huge Sales at Jewelry Stores
If you see a sale price in the newspaper, don't fall for it. You will probably pay much more than the regular price at an honest dealer. We know of a major store in Florida that marked gold chains up from $100 cost to $500 regular price, then marked them half-price during a sale. That means the customer paid $250, thinking it was a great price.

This same thing happens with diamonds on sale. Liquidation and "going out of business" sales are usually no different. We heard of one store in New York City that has been going out of business for 15 years.
Solution: Don't fall for sales of any kind. If a dealer can afford to mark it down, then he marked it up too high at the start.

4. Bait-and-Switch - The advertised diamond is sold when you get there.
This is an old trick still used by many stores. Although outlawed by the FTC, it still happens because it is hard to monitor 25,000 stores in the U.S.

Bait-and-Switch is when a store advertises a diamond at a great price, but when you arrive to buy it, it's already sold. They usually offer to show you something much more expensive. They bait you with the fake item, then switch you to something at a high profit.
Solution: If the advertised item is not in stock, don't settle for anything else. If the store can't locate another diamond just like it and offer you the same price, then leave.

6. Light Makes White - Bright lights make every diamond look better.
Of course, every jeweler wants to show his or her diamonds in the best light, but there are some lighting tricks you should avoid. Some bulbs have a strong blue component, which makes yellow stones look whiter. Special bulbs are often used with strong ultraviolet wavelengths, which make most diamonds fluoresce blue. This also has a whitening effect for stones in the lower color ranges.
Solution: In any case, ask if the diamond has fluorescence, and ask to see it without the bright lights in another part of the store before you agree to buy. And always ask for a certificate from an independent lab to verify the grade if you are looking for a fine color. The labs always mention any fluorescence. If the store agrees, continue. If not, walk out.

7. Grade Bumping - When a jeweler exaggerates the grade even a little.
The FTC says that a jeweler must be accurate within one grade of color and one grade of clarity on a diamond. So many jewelers bump the color and clarity just one grade. Unfortunately, this can mean a great deal of money if you are talking about a fine-quality, 1-carat diamond.

For instance, you might find a stone that the jeweler quotes as a 1.00 carat F color / VS1 clarity for $6,500. However, if you sent it to a reputable gem lab like GIA, it would come back as a G color / VS2 clarity, which is only worth about $5,500. This means you lose (and they profit) about $1,000.
Solution: If you are looking for a fine-quality diamond, insist on a recent certificate from a respected gemological lab, such as GIA, AGS, or EGL. And only compare prices of other stones with like certificates.

8. The Fraction Scam - The tag says 3/4 carat.
The FTC allows jewelers to round off diamond weights. So a diamond labeled as 3/4 carat in weight might actually weigh anywhere between .69 and .81 carat. This could mean a significant amount of money, since diamond prices leap at certain popular sizes. In this example, you might be buying a .69 carat round G/VS2 worth about $2,100... but paying for what you thought was a 0.75 carat worth $3,000. You lose $900.
Solution: If the store will not give you the exact weight of the center diamond, leave the store. No chance for any deals here.

9. The Lowball - The appraiser says your diamond is worthless.
After you buy your diamond and take it to an appraiser for an insurance valuation, the appraiser tells you the stone is not what you thought. He might say it's worthless or not the quality you were promised. In either case, he tells you where to buy one, or tells you to buy it from him. Beware. He may well be low-balling or downgrading a fine stone to persuade you to buy from him (or from some store that gives him a kickback).
Solution: Always use a truly independent appraiser who is not connected with any seller of diamonds. Make sure the appraiser is well known in the community, has been in business for at least 5 years and has no outstanding complaints with the Better Business Bureau. If you follow all the precautions and guidelines in this site, you will not run into this problem.

10. Laser Drilling - Dealers drill holes to burn out black carbon spots.
About 1 in 3 diamonds in this country is laser drilled, according to Fred Cuellar, a leading diamond expert. Dealers use lasers to drill a tiny hole into the depths of a diamond to burn and evaporate large black inclusions to make them disappear.

The trouble with this little trick is that laser drilling can make the diamond a little more fragile to breaking with a good knock. Most dealers trade laser-drilled stones for much less.
Solution: Ask your jeweler if the stone has been laser drilled. We suggest always insisting on a certificate, since a certificate from any respected gemological lab will clearly note that a stone has been laser drilled. Some labs will not even accept diamonds for grading if they have been drilled.

To read the rest of the scams, visit