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How to Never Overpay for a Diamond, or Sell it at a Loss.
by Joel Bleurocque
http://www.fivecdiamond.com
If you've ever been in the market for a diamond, either to
sell or to buy one, everyone's biggest concern always is
whether or not you're getting a good deal. And it can be
quite difficult to find an honest place to do business
with. But what if you would be able to judge a diamond's
worth by looking for 4 characteristics, and recognize
value like an expert through the eyes of a layman?
What are they? They're called the 4 C's, and they are Cut
(the shape of the diamond), Clarity (the lack of spots,
cracks and flaws in a diamond), Color (less color means
more value) and Carat, which of course is the weight of
the diamond.
So the first one is cut. Is your diamond round and
equally wide as it is tall? That's called a round and
brilliant cut, and it's the most valuable cut there is.
When your diamond is either flatter or taller in shape,
it becomes less valuable. This goes for every diamond
there is, except for a triangular cut, which can also be
very valuable because it is in fact very rare.
Clarity is really something you should leave up to a
professional. You can however know enough about it not
to be cheated in a bad deal. Whenever you hold a diamond
against a lightsource, it should be as clear as water.
Any spot, crack or flaw lessens its value. Some diamonds
are in such bad shape that you can hardly see through them.
When its that polluted, it's not worth as much.
Then there's color; and when we're judging diamonds, color
is bad. The more clear and colorless a diamond is, the more
valuable it becomes. Again, there's an exception: some
colors are very rare and therefore valuable. A good example
is a black diamond, which can be as valuable as a clear one.
And finally, the last trait to look for in a diamond is
of course carat. This is the most well known
characteristic to judge diamond value, the higher the
carat, the higher the price. To illustrate, 95% of women
will never own a diamond over 1 carat. It's that rare.
So when you go shopping for diamonds, or whenever you want
to sell one off, remember that you should pay close
attention to the "4 C's" of cut, clarity, color and carat.
And there's one more thing you should be aware of: When
you see a diamond that has the words simulated, cz or
labcreated attached to it, you should never pay much.
Even a 1 carat labcreated diamond can be found for less
than $25 if you know where to look.
This is especially important when your gift is a symbol
of love and devotion. Don't take risks and skimp out on
something important as a wedding or engagement ring. Your
partner might not be able to tell the different
immediately, but lab created diamonds don't last as long
and eventually always give up their secret. There's
nothing like the real thing, and when you do get a good
deal, it'll last you an eternity.
Happy shopping!
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