Who hasn’t heard of the slogan “A diamond lasts forever”? Diamonds have always occupied a very high status in the world of jewelry. Fueled by tradition and intense marketing campaigns, diamonds have achieved incomparable status. Starry eyed young men present gorgeous diamond rings to their girlfriends. Married couples exchange diamond studded jewelry over the years as symbols to their undying love. Celebrities and personalities don fabulous diamond jewelry whenever they go out in public. There is absolutely no doubt as to how valuable and sought after diamonds are.
As with most things in life, there is always something bad mixed with the good. A diamond may be a woman’s best friend but a diamond can also be the bane of some people’s existence – and I am not talking about the man’s pocket here. The term conflict diamonds, or blood diamonds as others call it, became quite well-known to the average person in 2002 when the James Bond movie “Die Another Day” was released. This contribution to the legendary James Bond saga revolved around the idea of smuggling blood diamonds.
So what is a conflict diamond? The UN formally defines a conflict diamond as a “diamond that originates from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those governments, or in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council.” In short, a conflict diamond is any diamond that is mined from an area in which there is war, or armed conflict. The idea is that diamonds are very much in demand and that they fetch such a high price in almost any market. If you mine diamonds and sell them to other countries – of which there is definitely no shortage – you can get a large amount of money for them. Where does the profit from these sales go?
You guessed it – to finance wars and other forms of armed conflict in the affected areas. The manner of mining and selling blood diamonds is usually done in secret. You can just imagine what the reaction of the (average) buyer would be if he learned that he was financing a war somewhere in Africa with his transaction. Thus, people involved in the conflict diamond business do not really advertise what they are doing.
Although these activities have been going on for quite some time, it was only in 2000 that the international community formally recognized the gravity of the situation. In December of that year, the United Nations General Assembly recognized the role of rough diamonds in furthering the conflicts in specific areas in Africa. The General Assembly came up with a resolution aiming to severe the connection between the illegal sales of diamonds and wars in concerned areas.
With this resolution in place, countries that buy diamonds from Africa became more aware of the illicit trade. International sanctions were then put in place. In addition to these sanctions, individual countries set up their own methods and processes to curb the practice of trading conflict diamonds. The idea is that if no one will buy, then no one will sell. People who take advantage of conflict diamonds would have no market and thus the practice would stop.
We all know however, that in the real world, things are never as simple as they usually seem to be.
Diamond wedding rings and wedding bands have an attraction all of their own. For many decades diamonds have been associated with being a girl’s best friend, and it has often been assumed that diamonds are to be worn by women rather than men. Fortunately in more recent years this trend has been changing quite dramatically, and today it is the height of fashion for a man to wear diamonds. Often men who wear diamonds do so in a way which compliments their masculinity, and as far as being able to achieve this is concerned, a diamond wedding ring is the perfect alternative to the traditional gold band.Diamond wedding band sets are available for both halves of the partnership or just for the woman if the man prefers to remain traditional. Many men feel self-conscious of wearing diamond rings, even though so many are now turning to them. Shopping for diamond wedding rings is much more enjoyable when both halves of the engaged couple are seeking a beautiful diamond, or a number of smaller brilliant diamonds set in a gorgeous 14 carat gold setting. For men the wearing of diamonds is slightly more limited than perhaps for women. The most obvious choices for wearing diamonds are a single earring, cufflinks or perhaps a diamond ring, and a wedding ring is ideal for the man seeking a good reason to wear diamonds. There is a wide range of choice of diamond wedding rings online, and any man or woman should find it easy to find something to suit their particular style, whether they are traditional or prefer something more hip-hop or bling. Nor need wedding rings be restricted to clear diamonds. You can get a beautiful diamond ring with 2.6 carats of white and blue diamonds set in 14 K gold for under $1200 online, or a simple solitaire diamond wedding ring for under $300. You have to know where to look, because good prices for genuine traditionally cut diamonds are not easy find. A diamond ring of any make has a very clear and distinct message to express about its owner. Simply sliding a diamond ring onto your finger will help to make you feel transformed and confident in your own success. Indeed very little can compare to a diamond to make a bold and simple statement about success, and the message that such a ring suggests is unmistakable.However, just any old diamond ring will not do, and a woman’s diamond wedding ring in particular should consist of perfectly cut glittering diamonds that transform light into a breathtaking display of dazzling reflected and refracted iridescence that will turn ever woman around you green with envy. Such a statement of wealth and success is difficult to emulate, and even for a man such a ring is more than just desirable. If bling is your thing then it is a must. No hip-hop wedding would be complete without hers and his bling diamond wedding rings. Think of a muscular 14 carat gold men’s ring, set with 2 carats of blue princess cut diamonds, highlighted with round black diamonds. That is a serious ring, but if you like yours even more dazzling, you can buy almost 1.7 carats of pave set round cut white diamonds that offers serious sparkle for any lover of bling. Why not complete the look with a fabulous iced out diamond watch – but make sure you don’t out-dazzle your bride. You will never be forgiven for that. Allow her to outshine you by purchasing her 3.88 carats of princess and round cut diamonds, pave set into 14 carat yellow gold. This is a real sparkler that she is going to love you for. A diamond wedding ring to kill for. For the other half in your life a diamond wedding ring is a lifetime purchase, so make sure that you get the best you can afford. The way to do that is to buy online from a jeweler that offers you genuine diamonds at bargain prices. You don’t find these jewelry stores in your local shopping mall – or if you can then you are very lucky. They can be found online, though, if you know what to look for, and you can save a massive amount of money. Make sure, however, that are getting genuine diamonds in your diamond wedding rings because many will try to fob you off with fakes. Insist on genuine diamonds because nothing possesses the brilliance and ability to reflect and refract light than a real diamond: you can easily tell the real thing, and so can others whose admiring glances will rapidly fade when they realize what you are wearing. So, real genuinely cut diamonds in real gold settings, and you will be buying the diamond wedding rings that you both deserve, and that will last forever so you can wear them proudly for the rest of your lives.s
There is one thing that many men around have in common regardless of the many visible differences that they may have. They are generally the ones that are at one point in time or another will be shopping through the vast array of diamond rings to find the perfect one for their partner. There are some things that they should keep in mind when they are making the selection to ensure that the piece the piece they select is of great quality. When it comes to buying diamond rings, men need to remember to take the 4 c’s into consideration when doing so. This term refers to major key things regarding the diamond that is in the ring itself, the carat, cut, clarity, and color are the 4 c’s necessary to make an informed purchase that will make the woman in your life thrilled.What Are The 4 C’s ? 1. Carat is a word that jewellers use in regards to size. Some people believe that the size of the ring is very important, if so then the number that is represented by carats will be very important when it comes to which one you select. This does not always mean that this ring will be the most beautiful. Sometimes the smaller diamond rings appear to be much nicer to look at because of the high quality of workmanship that went into the cut of it. 2. The way that the diamonds are cut is often considered the most important thing that is done to them to make them look the absolute best that they can. The way that the person cuts the ring can make all the difference in the world in how the diamond will appear when placed in the setting. The quality of the cut is highly visible in the way that diamond rings sparkle and catch a person’s eye when captured by the light. People that cut diamonds are highly skilled as they know how important it is to ensure that the diamond looks exceptional when the crafting is complete. 3. The next c would be referring to the color of the diamond that is being looked at. Diamonds are not just white and can come in a variety of colors. The color of diamond rings is something else that jeweller’s rate when it comes time to pricing them. The less color that the diamond has, the higher the price will be is the general rule of thumb. This is something that some of jeweller’s have a hard time determining, and is something that many people don’t pay too much attention too as they generally pick diamond rings out by the way that they catch their eyes. 4. Lastly, the final c is the one that stands for clarity. Clarity is the way that jeweller’s judge the quality of diamonds in regards to flaws within them. There are very few diamonds that are absolutely flawless, but there are many that can be bought that the flaws are not visible to naked eye. The setting that you find the diamond ring you like in is almost as important as the diamond itself when it comes to making your mate happy. Take into consideration the type of person that they are when you are out shopping for diamond rings. Some women love the older, more vintage looking styles, while others are more apt to like the look of a plain solitaire type of ring. There are so many options that are available when looking at diamond rings that there is bound to be something out there that will jump out and scream her name. Take some time to look around and there will be no doubt that she will love the choice that you make.
One of the things (if not the first) to be prepared before your wedding is a wedding ring, and the choice usually it’s a gold diamond rings. History tells, gold diamond rings is used in weddings since hundreds of years ago. Ring means bond, while the diamond means forever. So we can say diamond ring = bond forever. The material used to make a wedding ring is usually gold. There are advantages and disadvantages of each material that used to make the ring, but most people choose gold because gold is the most common material used, never go out of fashion, and if it begin to dull, it can be polished again.
14K or 18K
As I know, there is no gold wedding ring made of 100% gold (24k) because it’s too soft (but there is 24K jewelry ring). To make a gold wedding ring, it must be mixed with other materials, usually alloy copper for rose gold or yellow gold ring and nickel or palladium for white gold ring (some people reported allergic to nickel, so you better choose palladium). Gold ring is divided into several types i.e. 9K, 14k and 18k. But for wedding or engagment ring usually is 14K or 18K gold ring. 14k gold contains 58% gold and the rest 42% is other materials, while 18K gold is 75% gold and the rest 25% is other materials. Because the other materials that used to mix with gold is harder than gold, the 14k gold is harder from 18k gold. So if you’re an active person, I suggest you to purchase 14k gold, if you are the person who will remove the ring at work or you work behind the desk, you can buy 18k gold.
White Gold or Yellow Gold
Yellow gold looks more classic, but sometimes it looks too vivid, so it doesn’t match with the clothes or jewelry that you used. In contrary, because it’s neutral color, white gold can be used in almost every occasion.
Diamond ring setting
There are several types of diamond ring settings, such as the bezel setting, Ballerina setting, bead setting, Channel Setting, Setting Cluster, Flush Setting, and Pave Setting. Settings may affect how the diamond will reflect light (whether the ring setting will block the light) and of course it will affect how the ring looks, just select the ring setting that most suit your personality.
Diamond Cut
There are several types of diamond cut (round brilliant cut, princess cut, step cut, etc) that will make a diamond shape looks different. but what most important is not what type of diamond cut, but it’s the two aspects of the cut, which is polish and symmetry. If the diamond not well polished, the surface of the diamond may not reflective and the sparkle won’t come out or it will be blurred. If the symmetry is poor, it will cause the light that enter the diamond won’t reflect to the surface of the diamond, and the light will exits the diamond.
Most advertising campaigns by De Beers feature their famous slogan “A Diamond is Forever.” Consequently, women seldom sell a diamond and often feel uncomfortable buying diamonds previously owned by other women. There is a sentimental aspect to diamonds that is very different from other tangible assets like boats, houses or automobiles. However, there are occasions when consumers need to sell their diamonds and, unlike the used car market, there is not a well-developed method for consumers to sell their diamonds.
As a consumer, you face some unique challenges when trying to get the best price for your diamond in a safe and comfortable manner. Your starting point is to know exactly what you are selling. This is much easier if the diamond has a grading report from a major laboratory like the GIA or AGS. You have more of a challenge if there is no formal grading report. In this case, you need to find an independent appraiser who can evaluate the diamond and determine its quality and potential value.
Once you know your diamond’s specifications, you can find the current retail asking price by checking with online retailers to see what similar diamonds are selling for in today’s retail market. It is unlikely you will be able to get the going retail price for your diamond. Selling your diamond at 80% to 90% of that amount would make it sell quicker. Be realistic about your expectations. The lowest cost online retailers, not the expensive jewelry stores with double the price, set the value of your diamond.
You now know your target price and simply have to figure out how to find the right buyer for your diamond. There are several options available to sell your diamond and you need to determine which is best for maximizing your money and safety while minimizing your time and effort.
Your first thought might be to go to the closest jewelry store or pawnshop and sell them the diamond. The key to remember here is that they do not need your diamond. They can get all the diamonds they want on the wholesale market. The only reason they will buy your diamond is if the price is a fraction of the wholesale price. They hope you need the money bad enough to take 25%-50% of what you could be getting for your diamond elsewhere. They might offer you a little more if you “trade up” to something in their display case. However, this often results in you paying more for the new diamond and receiving less for your diamond than if you sold it elsewhere.
Several online brokers specialize in buying diamonds and estate jewelry from consumers. They typically have you ship the diamond to them so they can determine the amount they will pay you. All too often, this amount is much less than their preliminary estimate so you must either pay the return shipping, or accept their price. If your main priority is getting money fast, this is a valid option. If your main priority is getting top dollar for your diamond, there are better selling methods available to you.
Auctions like eBay are very popular for selling jewelry items but there is so much low quality jewelry listed, it is hard for potential buyer to find your quality diamond. You are competing with jewelry retailers whose entire business is selling on eBay so they are experts at writing the descriptions (often with exaggerated quality), taking impressive pictures and shipping their items. Even if a bidder does find your item, the odds of getting your target price are slim to nil because other retailers are advertising items with similar descriptions for about half the amount you want. Notice I did not say they are advertising similar quality, just similar descriptions. Do a search for diamond rings with GIA grading reports and you will see the vast majority of diamond rings have paperwork from sources you have never heard of before.
Other effective ways to find a buyer are classified ads in local newspapers and bulletin boards at church or work. The challenge is reaching enough people to find at least one buyer willing to pay your price. You have to be careful when doing this kind of transaction, especially if selling to a stranger. Do the transaction in a safe place and be sure you have a valid form of payment. You do not want to hand over your diamond and end up with a phony cashiers check or bad personal check.
Some jewelry stores and online retailers will sell your diamond on consignment. Online retailers with a local presence have an advantage in that they have large numbers of diamond shoppers on their website plus walk in traffic that can see your diamond in person. They also have lower overhead and prices so you can get a bigger share of the selling price. With jewelry stores often marking up prices over 100%, your share is likely to be less than half of the selling price.
Just be sure to get a written description of the item you are giving on consignment and the minimum amount you will accept for your diamond. All too often sellers are not being able to get their jewelry items back from a store or only receive a fraction of the amount they expected from the sale. However, if you have patience and a low priced, trustworthy retailer to broker your diamond, you have an excellent chance of getting an excellent price for your diamond without the hassle and safety issues of selling it yourself.
Diamonds are believed to be the symbol of love and passion. ’A diamond is forever’; from the past to the future diamond is a stone that will never lose its value and beauty. Diamond jewellery is exceptional and timeless. The use of diamond in the jewellery makes it so stunning that nobody can resist it. Diamonds refract light and it was first discovered in India 3000 years back. Diamond is the hardest of all the gemstones and so is more durable. In old times diamond was made by giving incredible heat and pressure to carbon under the surface of the earth. The Greeks believed that the diamonds are the particles of stars fallen on earth and some of them assumed them to be the tears of God.
The jewellery of diamond is an outstanding creation. Diamonds come in different qualities but they are given the finishing touches to enhance their clarity before using them in the jewellery. You can find an exclusive collection of diamond rings, earrings, bands, bracelets, belts and watches to choose from. Diamond rings are excellent choice for engagements and weddings as diamond signifies love, purity and commitment. Diamond rings can make perfect gifts for your special one. Various cuts of diamonds are used in the jewellery. Some of the famous cuts of diamond include; brilliant cut, princess cut, emerald cut and heart shaped diamonds.
Diamond is found in a variety of beautiful and alluring colors. Most people think that only white diamond is available. But unfortunately they are wrong because they have little knowledge about diamonds. Diamond also comes in different hues of pink, black, champagne, green blue and purple. The vivid pink diamond is very rare and so is the most expensive of all colored diamonds.
Pink diamonds are mainly found in Argyle mine. This rare stone includes the shades from soft rose pink to deep raspberry pink. All shades in pink look tremendous. The use of pink diamonds in jewellery gives a very sophisticated look which makes the pieces more feminine. Previously white or colorless diamond was the most widely used color but now all the colors of diamonds are used commonly in jewellery. The lustrous black diamond is usually used in men’s jewellery. Black diamond makes perfect combination with platinum.
Diamonds are very expensive because it requires a lot of labor to get these precious gemstones out of the earth. Buying diamond jewellery is a big investment. Before buying a diamond article you should research the market thoroughly to get the best jewellery as it is very costly and one can buy a single or a few diamond items. So for buying the right type and high quality of diamond, well reputed jewellery should be selected. Moreover the four parameters i.e. the famous 4 C’s; clarity, carat, color and cut should be considered. These points are all very crucial while purchasing diamond items.
Diamond jewellery has an eternal beauty which none other gemstone has. Diamonds are preferred by women all over the world as they look very elegant and can be worn with any type and style of outfit. Female watches with diamonds make them glamorous and stunning. The diamond articles have very high prices because they are worth it. Jewellery portrays your personality and when you wear diamond jewels they reflect the good taste and excellent choice of jewellery.