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How to Buy or Sell a Diamond Without Losing Money
by Joel Bleurocque
http://www.fivecdiamond.com
If you're ever buying or selling a diamond, your biggest
question should be: Am I getting a good deal? And it can
become quite a problem to get a good price if you haven't
familiarized yourself with the 4 characteristics that make
a diamond valuable. What are they?
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 a bit harder to judge because you can't always
see it with the naked eye. However, it's possible to get a
very close estimate simply by holding your diamond against
a lot of light. Do you see any spots, marks of flaws in it?
If it looks as clear as water, your diamond is very
valuable. If it looks polluted and has spots, cracks or
flaws in it, value decreases.
The third is color, and in diamonds, color is a bad thing.
The more colorless a diamond is, the more valuable it
becomes. However, if you have a natural black diamond,
you can expect a price almost as high. This is because
certain colors are very rare, and they quickly add to
the price if you're after 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 hit the stores, the traders or the pawn shops,
always remember to pay close attention 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.
Especially if you're buying a wedding ring or engagement
ring, it's best to steer clear of simulated diamonds and
go with a natural. Even if you can't tell, she'll
eventually find out. Besides, the value of these kinds of
diamonds quickly decreases, and you don't have to be an
expert in diamonds to spot a fraud. Getting a good deal
on a natural diamond isn't hard; you only have to know
enough to call bluff when a trader is overpriced.
Happy shopping!
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