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Buying Diamonds Online

Diamonds are measured in Carat Weight.
One carat weighs 200 milligrams. If a
diamond is referred to as four grains, this
also means that it is a one carat diamond.
The word Carat comes from the word carob.
A carob is a bean that grows on a tree in the
Mediterranean. In times past, if a diamond
weighed the same as a carob bean, it was
one carob, or one carat.

However, in the far east, where Carob trees
do not grow, rice was used to measure the
weight of a diamond. If a diamond weighed
as much as four grains of rice, it was four
grains – or one carat as we know it to be

Clarity is an important aspect of a diamond,
and it is important to know how to grade the
clarity of a diamond before you buy one. It is
actually quite easy to learn how to grade the
clarity of a diamond. There are basically two
things that you must understand: Diamonds
with visual inclusions and blemishes, and
those that are ‘eye clean’ meaning that there
are no inclusions or blemishes that can be
seen with the naked eye. From there, the
clarity of a diamond is further broken down
into subcategories.

Many people mistakenly think that diamond
clarity refers to how clear it is. This isn’t so.
Clarity actually refers to the internal and

When you walk into a jewelry store and see
all the diamonds in all of the various settings
that are for sale, it is difficult to realize that
diamonds are indeed rare. Most people
don’t even stop to consider how that
diamond came to be sitting in that jeweler’s
case! There is quite a bit of work that is done
before a diamond is ready to sell to the
general public!

For every one million diamonds that are
mined, only one will be found that is a quality
one caret diamond. In order to find a two
caret diamond, about five million diamonds
must be mined. More than two hundred tons

Before you start shopping for diamonds,
consider dealing with a bonded jeweler.
Bonded jewelers sell bonded diamonds,
and there are very few bonded jewelers in
the world. In fact, out of all of the jeweler’s
in the world, only about 5% of them are
bonded. Buying a bonded diamond will
cost more than buying a non-bonded
diamond, but when you look at what you
get with the bonded option, you will see
that it is well worth the extra expense.

First, bonded diamonds have a buy back
policy for the life of the diamond. No matter
how long you have had the diamond, you can
take it back to the bonded jeweler and sell it
back to him or her, for a 100% refund. If a
jeweler does not offer a 100% buy back
guarantee, for the life of the diamond, then
you should take a closer look at the diamond
to see what is wrong with it.

Bonded diamonds also have a breakage
policy. If the stone breaks or chips, the
bonded jeweler will replace it with a new one
– one time. No jeweler would ever offer such
a policy on any stone that was not 100%
natural, so just the offer of such a policy
should give you piece of mind concerning
the quality of the diamond. Bonded
diamonds are natural and untreated.

Bonded diamonds increase in value, with a

With all of the potential for scams concerning
diamonds, buying diamonds online almost
seems unthinkable! However, you actually
can purchase diamonds online, without any
problems – as long as you are careful.

First, think about your reasons for wanting to
purchase the diamond online, as opposed to
making a purchase from a local jewelry store.
The most common reason is price. Due to
low overhead costs, online jewelers and
wholesalers are able to offer lower prices.
However, you must be careful – sometimes
a price that is too low is a sure indication of
a scam.

One of the best things about purchasing
online is the unlimited selection. When
shopping offline, you are limited to the
selection in the stores in your general area.
Online, there are no limits. But again, you
must use a great deal of care and
consideration before handing your money
over to someone that you cannot see and
have never met!

Before shopping, learn as much as you can
about diamonds – especially cut, color,
clarity and carat weights. When you are
knowledgeable about diamonds, it will be
harder for a con artist to rip you off. Once
you know more about diamonds, you will be
ready to start shopping.

Take your time. Don’t purchase the first
diamond that you see that interests you.
Instead, look for similar diamonds for sale.
now. The majority of diamond purchases
are for diamonds that are 1/3 of a carat.

Beware when shopping for diamonds that
are already set or mounted. If more than one
diamond is used in the piece, the tag on the
jewelry will give the CTW or Carat Total
Weight – it does not tell you the carat weight
of each stone in the piece. You need to ask
the jeweler for the total carat weight of the
largest diamond in the piece to truly
understand what you are buying.

external imperfections of the diamond. The
best diamonds, of course get a grade of FL
or IF – Flawless or Internally Flawless –
meaning that it is perfect. A grade of I-1, I-2
or I-3 means that the diamond is imperfect,
with a grade of I-3 being the worst.

Other grades are VVS1 and VVS2, which
means that the diamond is very, very slightly
imperfect; VS1 and VS2, meaning the
diamond is very slightly imperfect; SI-1 and
SI-2, which means that the diamond is
slightly imperfect.

of ore must be mined to find one small
diamond, and even then, more than 80%
of the diamonds that are mined are only
good for industrial use, such as diamond
drill bits.

So, the next time you visit your local jewelry
store, ask to see the one carat diamonds.
You should look at this diamond with new
appreciation – knowing that it truly is one
in a million!

fixed appreciation rate that is designed to
keep up with inflation. This means that a
diamond that is worth a certain amount of
money today will be worth more in the future,
as the price of diamonds continues to rise.
This generally does not apply to buy backs,
however. It typically applies to trade-ins.

Alternately, by purchasing a bonded
diamond, you are protected against the
possibility of a market crash. If a market
crash occurs, the value of diamonds will
drop. However, the bonded jeweler
guarantees to refund you the difference
between what the diamond is now worth
and what you paid for it before the market
crash.

It may be difficult to find a bonded jeweler in
your area, but if you can, this is who you
want to deal with, as opposed to dealing
with an un-bonded jeweler. Specifically tell
the jeweler that you are only interested in
bonded diamonds. You can find a bonded
jeweler in your area by using various online
resources, or by calling the local jewelry
stores.

Do some comparison shopping to find the
lowest prices. Once you have found the
lowest price, start doing your investigation.
You know about diamonds, you’ve found a
diamond that you love, and you’ve found the
lowest price – but you are still quite a ways
away from actually purchasing that diamond!

Ask about the seller’s credentials, such as
professional jewelry associations that they
belong to. View and print the seller’s return,
refund, and upgrade policies. Also inquire
about additional services, such as settings
and mountings, sizing, and free shipping. Do
a search for customer reviews on this
particular company around the Internet. Also
check with the BBB Online to see if there have
been any complaints.

Ask for a diamond grading report from an
independent laboratory such as GIA, HRD,
EGL or AGS. You should see this before
making a purchase. Finally, use a reputable
escrow service for high dollar diamonds –
preferably one that will have the diamond
appraised while it is in their possession. The
seller sends the diamond to the escrow
service, and you send the money to pay for
the diamond to the escrow service. The
escrow service has the diamond appraised,
sends the diamond to you, and sends the
money to the seller. This is the surest way to
protect yourself…again, make sure that you
use a reputable escrow service!

Buying Diamonds Online

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