Buying diamond jewelry can be fun, exciting and confusing.
Whether you’re considering a gift of diamond jewelry for someone
special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn the
terms used in the industry. Here’s some information to help you
get the best quality diamond jewelry for your money, whether
you’re shopping in a traditional brick and mortar store or
online.
Diamonds A diamond’s value is based on four criteria: color,
cut, clarity, and carat. The clarity and color of a diamond
usually are graded. However, scales are not uniform: a clarity
grade of “slightly included” may represent a different grade on
one grading system versus another, depending on the terms used
in the scale. Make sure you know how a particular scale and
grade represent the color or clarity of the diamond you’re
considering. A diamond can be described as “flawless” only if it
has no visible surface or internal imperfections when viewed
under 10-power magnification by a skilled diamond grader.
As with other gems, diamond weight usually is stated in carats.
Diamond weight may be described in decimal or fractional parts
of a carat. If the weight is given in decimal parts of a carat,
the figure should be accurate to the last decimal place. For
example, “.30 carat” could represent a diamond that weighs
between .295 – .304 carat. Some retailers describe diamond
weight in fractions and use the fraction to represent a range of
weights. For example, a diamond described as 1/2 carat could
weigh between .47 – .54 carat. If diamond weight is stated as
fractional parts of a carat, the retailer should disclose two
things: that the weight is not exact, and the reasonable range
of weight for each fraction or the weight tolerance being used.
Some diamonds may be treated to improve their appearance in
similar ways as other gemstones. Since these treatments improve
the clarity of the diamond, some jewelers refer to them as
clarity enhancement. One type of treatment – fracture filling -
conceals cracks in diamonds by filling them with a foreign
substance. This filling may not be permanent and jewelers should
tell you if the diamond you’re considering has been
fracture-filled.
Another treatment – lasering – involves the use of a laser beam
to improve the appearance of diamonds that have black inclusions
or pots. A laser beam is aimed at the inclusion. Acid is then
forced through a tiny tunnel made by the laser beam to remove
the inclusion. Lasering is permanent and a laser-drilled stone
does not require special care.
While a laser-drilled diamond may appear as beautiful as a
comparable untreated stone, it may not be as valuable. That’s
because an untreated stone of the same quality is rarer and
therefore more valuable. Jewelers should tell you whether the
diamond you’re considering has been laser-drilled.
Imitation diamonds, such as cubic zirconia, resemble diamonds in
appearance but are much less costly. Certain laboratory created
gemstones, such as lab-created moissanite, also resemble
diamonds and may not be adequately detected by the instruments
originally used to identify cubic zirconia. Ask your jeweler if
he has the current testing equipment to distinguish between
diamonds and other lab-created stones.