My girlfriend has been parading around town with a magnificent
4-carat Round Brilliant cut synthetic diamond set in a stunning
14K solid gold filigree solitaire ring setting for a year now.
She has been to restaurants, work, shopping, night clubs,
museums, and parties. Family and friends have scrutinized her
ring. She has been stopped repeatedly by others who were
dumbfounded by her ring. Hundreds of people have seen her ring,
astonished by its majesty, gushing about it. And despite its
ostentatious size, no one has asked if it is a fake diamond!

How could this be? The latest breakthrough science in
lab-created diamonds has brought them in line with mined
diamonds. Long gone is the aurora borealis or “disco ball”
effect that was seen in synthetic diamonds of the past decades.
New millennium synthetic diamonds—with similar hardness,
clarity, fire, and brilliance—are indistinguishable with the
naked eye and simply don’t look fake. High quality synthetic
diamonds even have the coveted hearts-and-arrows effect.

This begs the question: If one were to saunter into a jewelry
store with a synthetic diamond, can a jeweler tell the
difference? Since all mined diamonds have color disparities
(flaws), birthmarks (flaws), and inclusions (flaws), and
lab-created diamonds have none of the above, a trained eye can
tell the difference. A sneering glance under a loupe or even
under discriminating examination with a magnifying glass, a
jeweler will often proudly declare a synthetic diamond as a
fake. Modern synthetic diamonds are too perfect in the world of
jeweler snobbery when pushing over-priced high profit diamonds
is the agenda at hand.

With the use of scientific testing equipment, mined diamonds
will conduct electricity and synthetic diamonds will not. That
is because mined diamonds are a carbon gem material and
synthetic diamonds are polycrystalline. A thermal probe will
produce different readings, differentiating the two. But does
this really matter to a jewelry lover who is interested in
aesthetic beauty and saving thousands of dollars? In the year my
girlfriend has been showcasing her synthetic diamond on her
finger; no one has walked up to her with scientific equipment
asking to test her gemstone.

Why do virtually all brick-and-mortar jewelers carry only mined
diamonds? Why do jewelers scoff at synthetic diamonds? You need
to look no further than your wallet. A 1-carat high quality
mined diamond is about $3000, a 2-carat about $18,000, a 3-carat
about $40,000, and a 4-carat goes for about $90,000.
Respectively, synthetic diamonds run about $79, $158, $237, and
$326. It’s about the money. Don’t kid yourself.

It’s also about indoctrination. For over a century, the diamond
cartel has spent billions of dollars convincing the public that
jewel quality mined diamonds have intrinsic value like gold. Not
true. Why? During this time DeBeers has limited production,
bought up supplies from others, stockpiled inventory, and
imposed its monopoly position on jewelry manufacturers in the
successful effort to keep prices inflated. And to make matters
worse, the diamond industry as a whole has a checkered past with
conflict stones, debt-slave child labor in India used in cutting
operations, and shady techniques used to enhance perceived
quality to further squeeze out ridiculous prices from
beleaguered jewelry lovers.

Smart jewelry shoppers today are considering synthetic diamonds
as an alternative to mined diamonds for some very savvy reasons:
(1) They can acquire fine jewelry pieces set in solid 14K gold.
(2) They will save literally thousands of dollars. (3) There is
no need to buy insurance. (4) When wearing there synthetic
diamond jewelry nobody will know that they are not mined
diamonds unless they tell them!

Besides diamond replica jewelry, you can also go for some real diamond jewelry. You can get some of the unique designs in real diamond jewelry. There are some of the best designs in diamond rings. A diamond engagement ring is the best you can give to your fiance. Diamond rings and bands are also ideal as a gift. Fine diamond jewelry must be the main priority when buying diamond jewelry. A diamond is also said to be forever, so even if you buy it generally it will be a treasured possession.

Diamond is one of the Indian astrological stones. Many a times, a diamond is prescribed for astrological reasons. Amongst all the gemstones, diamond is considered to be the most expensive. If you want to wear a diamond for astrological reasons a diamond ring appears to be the best option. A diamond is said to add its sparkling rays in a positive manner to your life.

Diamond bracelets and diamond bangles are also very beautiful and add a beauty to your wrist. Diamond necklace jewelry and diamond necklace sets spread sparkling rays all over you. So you can also get the diamond rays sparkle over you and on others by having diamond jewelry. Then you can make others jealous of your style by wearing a diamond necklace set or diamond bangles or even a diamond bracelet. Diamond is the in-thing lady. So get it and flaunt it. But why should men be left behind in this race. There are beautiful diamond rings, bracelets and studs for you.

When it comes to diamond replica jewelry or real diamond jewelry, Jaipur Jewelers are the leaders in the field.

You can safely purchase diamonds on the Internet – as long as you are careful. This article will show you some of the great benefits of buying diamonds online and some tips on how to avoid getting scammed.

The first reason that you should consider buying diamonds online is the price. The online jewelers and diamond wholesale dealers have lower prices, because they don’t have to pay for the expensive overhead costs that it takes to sell diamonds in a high traffic mall.

You do have to be smart when you are considering purchasing a diamond online. If the price seems too low, this could be an indication of a scam.

Another benefit to purchasing diamonds online is the unlimited selection. When you are shopping offline, you will find that you are limited only to the stores that are near your home. There are no limits online. You can find exactly what you need without leaving the comfort of your own home.

Before you purchase diamonds, it is important to learn everything you can about diamonds. Learn about cut, color, clarity, and carat weights. When you have a greater understanding about diamonds, it will be much harder to get ripped off. Then, you will be ready to purchase your diamond engagement ring.

It is important to go slow. Don’t jump in and purchase the first diamond that interests you. Look for similar diamonds that are for sale. You want to do some comparison-shopping to make sure that you are getting the best price.

You may have learned about diamonds, you may have found a diamond that you love, and the lowest price, but there are still some things to consider before purchasing diamonds online.

When you are purchasing diamonds online you want to ask the seller for their credentials. Ask which professional jewelry associations they belong to. Review the seller’s return, refund, and upgrade policies. You will also want to ask about additional services, such as settings, mountings, sizing, and shipping.

Do a search on the Internet for reviews from customers about the particular company that you are considering using. You can also check out the Better Business Bureau to see if there have been any complaints.

Next, you want to ask for a diamond grading report from an independent laboratory (GIA, HRD, EGL, or AGS). These groups can give you additional information about your potential purchase.

You want to see these reports before purchasing your diamond engagement ring. You also should consider using a reputable escrow service for diamonds that have a high dollar amount. It is preferred to use a company that will have the diamond appraised while it is in their possession.

A diamond escrow company works like this. The seller sends the diamond to the escrow service. You send the money to pay for the diamond to the escrow service. The diamond escrow service appraises the diamond, sends the diamond to you and then sends the money to the seller.

Using a diamond escrow service is a great way to protect yourself. You will also want to make sure that you use a reputable escrow service.

If you are purchasing a diamond engagement ring or a diamond wedding ring, this maybe one of the biggest purchases that you will make. You want to take the time to do your due diligence. Work with reputable companies that will treat you right. In the end you will not have any regrets and will have a beautiful diamond engagement ring. God bless you.

The retail diamond market is comprised of three broad categories of diamond sources; jewelry stores, ecommerce diamond companies and diamond brokers.

Jewelry Stores
Until recent years, jewelry stores were the only option for most diamond shoppers. This was especially true for smaller towns and rural areas. These stores had a monopoly, much like Ma Bell with the phone systems during most of the 20th century. Jewelry stores were the only game in town and could set their prices at whatever markup they wanted.

Jewelry stores depend on impulse buying so they focus on having a selection to pick from, name recognition through extensive advertising, and being convenient so shoppers can walk in and make a purchase with no education or knowledge of the product. If it looks nice to an impulse buyer, they will pull out the credit card and have it gift-wrapped. To attract the impulse buyer, jewelers built elaborate stores with polished marble floors, expensive display cases, and lighting that makes everything in the store sparkle.

To pay for the stores, the decorations and all the expensive advertising, jewelry stores must maintain high markups on the items they sell. The more expensive stores have bigger inventory, higher rent and more advertising, which dictates the higher markup necessary to pay for all that overhead.

E-Commerce Diamond Retailers
The online shopping cart of hundreds of jewelry retailers has been one of the big growth areas for e-commerce. Shoppers can shop from the convenience of their home or work computer, look at the pictures of thousands of jewelry items online and place their order without ever talking to a human. E-commerce diamond retailers provide a list of diamonds owned by groups of wholesalers and let the shopper pick the diamond they want based on the specifications in the list. The shopper pays for the diamond in advance and then the wholesaler or the retailer ships the diamond to the consumer.

The online jewelry retailers offer the advantage of much greater selection than you can find in a jewelry store and the ability to ship the items all over the country, which provides greater options for shoppers in small towns and rural areas. Due to low overhead costs, online jewelers can provide lower prices than most jewelry stores. The disadvantage of the online jeweler is that there are few safeguards in place to keep the consumer from making a mistake. Picking the least expensive diamond from a list of options often means there is something less desirable about the diamond. Without an expert adviser to help, the consumer is mostly on their own to make their selection.

Diamond Brokers
There is a third type of diamond retailer, the diamond broker, that differs from the jewelry store or e-commerce retailer. Like most e-commerce retailers, brokers do not own inventory and have low overhead, but they differ in that they work as diamond consultants for the shopper to find the best diamonds meeting the consumer’s requirements.

To attract new clients, diamond brokers rely on word of mouth advertising. They typically have a website focused on online education and shopping advice instead of a list of inventory and the online shopping cart. Diamond brokers work with their client to find the best diamond on the wholesale market and present it to the client in the broker’s office or ship the diamond to the client to examine before they purchase. The result of the lower overhead and personal consultant service is that clients usually get a better diamond at a lower price than with jewelry stores or online retailers.

To determine which company is going to be the best supplier for your diamonds, know what retailer characteristics are most important to you then ask many questions. Be sure the company you select is going to be able to provide the personalized service, expert advice, high quality diamonds and low prices you deserve.

The brilliance and sparkle of a diamond is the result of the reflection and refraction of light within a diamond and is the cumulative effect of the many facets on the surface of the three-dimensional diamond shape. What makes judging cut difficult is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Different people perceive the beauty of a diamond differently in terms of what they perceive as beautiful.

In recent years, major diamond grading laboratories like the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the American Gem Society (AGS) have established cut grades to help the consumer make better decisions for purchasing diamonds based on cut characteristics. However, the cut grading systems are different from each other and constantly changing. As a result, there is no single official cut grade but the current systems are a giant leap ahead of the past with no cut grades.

The quality of the cut is most visible in terms of how light performs in a diamond to produce Brightness, Fire, and Scintillation.

Brightness is the visual effect of all the internal and external reflections of white light. This brightness (also known as brilliance) results primarily from the angles of the facets and the relative size of the top facet called the table.

Fire is the visual effect of rainbow colored flashes of light caused by the separation of white light into various colors when the diamond acts as a prism.

Scintillation is the visual effect of sparkle and patterns of light and darkness. Sparkle is the points of light that flash as the diamond, the light source or the observer moves. The arrangement and contrast between the bright and dark areas is important to what the eye perceives as beautiful. An all-bright diamond or an all-dark diamond is less attractive than a diamond with a balanced, symmetrical and contrasting pattern of reflection.

Some of the more important diamond measurements influencing the cut grade are depth percentage, table percentage, crown angle, and pavilion angle. The initial cut grade research focused on round brilliant diamond shapes but the grading laboratories are slowly introducing cut grades for the fancy shapes like the princess, emerald, oval, radiant, cushion and others. Each diamond shape has its own set of cut parameters that produce the optimal light performance and beauty for that particular diamond shape.

If the cut of the diamond is the key to its beauty, why would anyone purchase a diamond without great cut? Probably the main reason is lack of knowledge by the consumer. Until recent years, it has been difficult for the consumer to assess the cut of the diamond because jewelers focused on color, clarity and carat weight. The jeweler used the bright lights in the showroom to mask the light performance of the diamond. As the diamond shopper becomes more aware of what constitutes cut and has access to the GIA or AGS cut grades on the diamond grading reports, they will be able to filter out the average and poor cut diamonds in their purchase decisions.

Sometimes budget is a factor in purchasing something less than the best cut. However, cut is typically a real bargain since there is little visual difference between the top echelons of diamond cut and the price difference between average and exceptional cut is often minimal. Perhaps the real cost of getting better cut in a diamond, is the time and effort to learn about cut and to find a retailer who can provide diamonds with exceptional cut at reasonable prices.

Once a diamond shopper has determined what shape of diamond they want to purchase, they need to research what cut parameters contribute to desirable appearance. Some diamond shoppers fall into a trap of narrowly defining their acceptable range for every diamond measurement, not realizing that the beauty of the diamond results from the interrelationships of all the facets. Simply picking the middle of the range for each parameter can lead to a mediocre result. The cut grades are an attempt to rate how a combination of factors work together in the diamond.

Regardless of the cut grade systems today or in the future, only the diamond shopper can determine what is most appealing to their eye. Cut is critical to the beauty of the diamond so making the best diamond purchase decision means understanding the importance of cut and finding that special diamond that is beautiful to behold.

As a consumer you might feel that you cannot directly make an impact towards the resolution of this issue especially since diamonds are rare commodities and thus is something you can just stop buying. After all, the average person buys a diamond only once or twice in his lifetime. However, you can still make a difference.

Buying a Conflict Free Diamond

When considering to buy a diamond, remember that it is a once in a lifetime purchase and you want to make sure that you buy a conflict free diamond. Thanks to the Kimberly Process, the diamond industry promised to write invoices of all diamond purchases that contain guarantees that the sold diamonds are conflict-free diamonds. Whereas before it was impossible to tell whether a diamond was a conflict-free, the warranties now identify conflict-free diamonds from questionable diamonds. However, in a 2004 survey conducted by Amnesty international and Global Witness they found that only 11% of retail stores in the United States had a policy regarding blood diamonds. 67% of the retail stores would not comment and divulge whether they had any policy or not. The rest did not have any. This means that they still do not issue warranties and therefore sell diamonds of questionable origins. The first thing you can do is to not buy diamonds or diamond jewelry with no guarantees. Check their invoices. They should keep a record of invoices and see if there are any guarantees in the invoices. The retailer, if abiding by the Kimberly Process, will not buy from suppliers who do not provide guarantees. Ask about the stores policy on conflict diamonds as well. Buy only from those that have a clear firm policy. Even if you have no more intention of buying from a store that you perceive might not have any policy at all, ask the question still. Asking questions and making them produce copies of guarantees will not only ensure that you buy conflict-free diamonds but will also send them the message that consumers are becoming aware of the problem and would not buy from irresponsible stores. This would put pressure on the diamond industry to act more responsibly since they will see that non compliance with the Kimberly Process will affect their profit.

Conflict Free Diamonds – Take Action

Other things you can do is to sign up with Global Witness on their Diamond Pledge and be faithful to the pledge itself. Help raise consumer awareness about conflict diamonds by sharing your knowledge to your family and friends and anybody else

who would listen. Do it by word of mouth, give away educational leaflets, hold a tabling event or start a letter campaign. Doing your part will help a lot. As of June 2003, 26% of consumers have become aware of the issue as compared to the 7% in 2000. As more and more consumers become aware of the problem more will decide to buy conflict-free diamonds and thus help in stopping the illicit trade.