My Pink Diamonds

Women’s Jewellery: 0.50 Carat D/VS1 18K White Gold Diamond Studs Earrings

These sparkling diamond studs earrings weigh a total of 1/2 carat. Two fascinating diamonds are prong set in lustrous 18k white gold. A perfect gift for any occasion.
Price: GBP 699.00

Please click here to order 0.50 Carat D/VS1 18K White Gold Diamond Studs Earrings Now

Women’s Jewellery: 1.00 Carat D/VS1 Platinum Diamond Studs Earrings

These sparkling diamond studs earrings weigh a total of 1.00 carat. Two fascinating diamonds are prong set in lustrous platinum. A perfect gift for any occasion.
Price: GBP 1985.00

Please click here to order 1.00 Carat D/VS1 Platinum Diamond Studs Earrings Now

New synthetic diamonds are so closely resemble mined diamonds
that the naked eye cannot tell the difference, often saving
consumers enough money to make a down-payment on a new home or
buy a car. Unfounded diamond jeweler arrogance, pretentiousness,
and snootiness has gone too far!

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!

When you evaluate all of the different scams that are occurring right now on the Internet it may seem unsafe to buy diamonds online. You maybe looking to buy a diamond engagement ring or a diamond wedding ring online, but aren’t sure how to proceed.

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.

Diamond shoppers today have more choices than ever on where to buy their diamond engagement ring, diamond earrings and other diamond jewelry items. However, with greater selections come bigger potential risks and rewards. You need to do your homework and understand how to select the best company for your diamond purchase.

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 cut of a diamond is the physical measurement and relative proportion of a polished diamond and is the most important characteristic in producing a diamond’s beauty. A single number does not define cut. Instead, it is a myriad of measurements, relative percentages, angles, finish, and performance of light within the diamond.

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.

Read this article to understand the minutest detail about buying diamond bracelets. This article on “diamond bracelets” presents before you an easy to understand write-up so that you have all the information that is vital to understanding the pros and cons before procuring a diamond bracelets. This article will provide you with insights about the places and brands that are related to diamond bracelets. Not only will this write up make things simpler for you, it will also serve as a knowledge bank, when it comes to diamond bracelets. Diamonds have been the hot topic for gossips and admiration since ages. Since time immemorial, diamonds have captured the imagination of human beings, particularly women. Even in many religions, diamonds have been shown as the ornaments of Gods. Diamond are said to be a woman’s best friend. Who doesn’t know about the diamond? However, what most of us are not aware of is the fact that there are several types of diamonds. The first use of diamond bracelets was recorded in year 1477. Earlier stones like ruby, emerald & sapphire were used for friendship bracelets. The carat weight is used to measure the mass of a diamond. One carat is on- fifth of a gram. Diamonds are available in 0.5 carat, 1.0 carat, 1.5 carat, 2, 3 and 5 carats etc. Diamond is available as engagement rings, necklaces, bracelets etc. Diamonds are the perfect gifts for those special occasions. Diamond bracelets exudes luxury and style. It is designed in a contemporary style to match your style-quotient. The best part about Diamonds is that they are extremely light in weight. Say no to all those bulky bracelets and embrace the swish Diamond bracelets. With the power of Diamond bracelets, you will always be the center of attraction. It is very difficult to ignore those dazzling and stylish Diamonds. Diamond bracelets is available in a number of shapes and sizes, and price-tags too. It retains less of dirt, so that even after year o use, they look new. Diamond bracelets is generally available with online shops as well. It is, however, important to consider a few things before you are all set to purchase Diamond bracelets. Firstly, Diamond bracelets must suit you. Second of all, Diamond bracelets should have the certification of purity. And finally, Diamond bracelets should have proper flawless finishing. Diamond bracelets should be properly polished as well. You can buy diamond bracelets from online shops as well. Choose from the known brands and always insist on quality check-up before purchasing diamond bracelets. If we talk about Diamond bracelets and that too cheap Diamond bracelets, then you will be happy to know that these days, cheap Diamond bracelets is available with many shops and online dealers. You can easily buy a set of cheap Diamond bracelets, thanks to the rising awareness about Diamond bracelets. Buying Diamond bracelets was never so easy. Diamond bracelets compliment a gift in the best possible way. It serves as the perfect gifts for the would-be bride and groom. Diamond bracelets is effete and stylish; Diamond bracelets exudes a charisma that will be hard to resist. Diamond bracelets are very sophisticated and chic.

In the past, people believed if their diamond could scratch glass, then it was real. While this may be a damaging truth to genuine gems, many fake diamonds do as well. Over the years, the craftsmanship of a diamond simulant (notably cubic zirconia (CZ) selections) has been constructed to fool a variety of interested parties, including jewelers who use the naked eye as their guide towards authenticity. Today, there is a multitude of techniques that help individuals purchase genuine diamonds and not fall victim to extremely convincing fakes.
An important part of detecting a real diamond is to recognize the characteristics that make cubic zirconia both similar and different from genuine diamonds. For starters, CZ possesses a hardness of 8.3 on the Mohs scale compared to the diamond’s hardness of 10. While CZ can come in colored or colorless versions like real diamonds, they are optically flawless, whereas a diamond always contains some sort of flaw or defect in their composition.
While trained gemologists are seasoned in the ways of detecting a simulated diamond, the untrained eye may also catch on to glaring inconsistencies. For example, the color of a CZ may display a gray tone when exposed to prolonged amounts of sunlight. In many cases, individuals prefer to run specific tests on their diamond to make sure it is real. They wish to verify authenticity by checking qualities, such as the weight, thermal conductivity, light dispersion, visual optics, refractive index, and level of fluorescence.
An array of diamond tests exists with some better suited for unmounted diamonds than ones placed in a setting. Below is a run-through of some of the most commonly used methods of diamond detection:
Some individuals have been able to detect cubic zirconia by marking their stone with a grease pencil or felt-tipped pen. Since natural diamonds attract grease and a CZ does not, a simulant will repel grease. The transparency of a stone is also helpful. If you are able to turn over your gem and read through it after placing it over newsprint, chances are you do not possess a real diamond. It is important to know that this test is not 100% reliable, as some real diamonds are cut shallow and will fail this test.
The facet edges of a stone also establish authenticity. A cubic zirconia often showcases chipping or slightly rounded edges. When the edges of a stone are not sharp, you may suspect that your gem is not a real diamond.
With the “fog test,” one may create fog on their gem in the same manner they would a mirror. If the stone stays fogged for 2 to 4 seconds, you may have a CZ on your hands because a real diamond instantly disperses heat before you can indicate fog. The disadvantage with this test is that accumulated dirt and oil on a stone will affect reliability.
Some people use the “U.V. test” to weed out diamond impostors and prove the worth of their gem. A high percentage of diamonds produce the color blue when placed under a black light (ultra violet light). This is often a good test since 99% of all diamond simulants do not. Seeing a medium to strong blue color is a good indication that you possess a diamond. On the downside, it also proves the worth of your gem. Diamonds with blue fluorescence are sometimes 20% less in value than those that do not. Therefore, not seeing blue fluorescence doesn’t necessarily mean the stone is a cubic zirconia, but instead, may indicate a diamond with higher value.
Carat or gram scales come in handy to authenticate a diamond by analyzing its weight. Cubic zirconia weighs about 1.7 times more than diamonds under the same dimension and shape conditions.
With the “loop test,” visual characteristics of a diamond are analyzed through a magnifying lens to establish its true identity. One should look for the cuts of the diamond (facets), check the girdle (frosty and faceted means diamond, waxy and glossy means it is a fake), spot small cracks and pinpoints (characteristics of a diamond), and locate setting stamps. Stamps that show “10K, 14K, 18K, 585, 750, 900, 950, PT, Plat” increase the chances of possessing a real diamond because CZ is not often set in real gold or platinum.
Overall, it is important to know that not all the tests and techniques used to differentiate a CZ from a real diamond are 100% reliable and conclusive. Often times, a diamond that passes an assortment of tests with flying colors can be trusted as a natural diamond.

Click the Certificate link below to learn all about A.G.S – American Gem Society or the G.I.A – Gemological Institute America.

CUT…A diamond’s cut is not only about its shape, but how effectively the stone can return light back to the viewer’s eye. A well-cut diamond will appear very brilliant and fiery; while more poorly cut stones can appear dark and lifeless, regardless of color or clarity.

Color…When shopping for a diamond, it is generally preferred to have the least amount of color possible. Diamond color is divided into five broad categories:

Colorless: Diamonds within the colorless range are the most rare and valuable of all the colors. color stones display virtually no color, whereas colored diamonds will display a nearly undetected amount of color when viewed face down by a gemologist.

Near Colorless: Diamonds within the near colorless range appear colorless in the face up position, but do display a slight amount of color when viewed face down against a perfectly white background. This trace amount of color will be undetectable to an untrained eye once the diamond has been mounted. Near colorless diamonds offer a tremendous value for the money.

Understanding Fluorescence – How does it effect a diamond?

Some diamonds can display a visible light called fluorescence when exposed to an ultraviolet light source. This fluorescence will be measured as inert, faint, medium or strong. Blue fluorescence is most common, however diamonds can also fluoresce white, yellow, and orange (among other colors). Fluorescence usually has no effect on a diamonds appearance in regular light conditions. Strong blue fluorescence can make a yellow colored diamond appear more white, but in rare cases can cause a stone to appear milky or oily. This milky or oily effect is called an “over blue” and only applies to a small number of “strong” and “very strong” fluorescent stones.

Which Color should you Choose?

Most people find it very difficult (if not impossible) to tell the difference from one color grade to another. The difference in price, however, can be significant.However, you can find a tremendous value while still achieving a “colorless” look. Shopping on a budget or trying to maximize the size of your stone? If so then “J” diamonds are most affordable and still near colorless. You may also want to consider choosing a diamond with medium or strong fluorescence. Since these diamonds are discounted slightly in price you can often afford a higher color stone without paying the premium.

Angola

In 1998, the United Nations (UN) placed Angola under sanctions forbidding countries from buying diamonds from them. This was the first resolution of the UN which specifically mentioned diamonds in the context of funding war. Reports estimated that as much as 20% of total production in the 1990s were being sold for illicit purposes, and 15% were specifically conflict in nature.By 1999, the illicit diamond trade was estimated by the World Diamond Council to have been reduced to 3.06% of the world’s diamond production.The World Diamond Council reported that by 2004 this percentage had fallen to approximately 1%.

Angola is a former colony of Portugal and gained independence in 1975. Although independent, the country saw civil war between the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (PMLA) faction, and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) faction. During this war, diamonds were traded by rebel groups to fund their war. The UN recognized the role that diamonds played in funding the UNITA rebels, and in 1998 banned countries from buying diamonds from Angola. Today Angola’s civil war has ended and the country is now a legitimate part of the diamond trade.

Sierra Leone

In July 1999, following over eight years of civil conflict, negotiations between the Government of Sierra Leone and the Revolutionary United Front led to the signing of the Lome Peace Agreement under which the parties agreed to the cessation of hostilities, disarmament of all combatants and the formation of a government of national unity. The United Nations and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) helped facilitate the negotiations. In resolution 1270 of October 22, 1999, the Security Council established the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) to help create the conditions in which the parties could implement the Agreement. Subsequently, the number of personnel were increased and tasks to be carried out by UNAMSIL adjusted by the Council in resolutions 1289 of February 8, 2000 and 1299 of May 19, 2000, making UNAMSIL the second largest peacekeeping force currently deployed by the United Nations (the largest such contingent is in the Congo.

Following international concern at the role played by the illicit diamond trade in fueling conflict in Sierra Leone, the Security Council adopted resolution 1306 on July 5, 2000 imposing a ban on the direct or indirect import of rough diamonds from Sierra Leone not controlled by the Government of Sierra Leone through a Certificate of Origin regime. An arms embargo and selective travel ban on non-governmental forces were already in effect under resolution 1171 of June 5, 1998.

On July 31, 2000 and August 1, 2000, Ambassador Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1132 (1997) concerning Sierra Leone, presided over the first ever exploratory public hearing by the Security Council in New York. The hearing was attended by representatives of interested Member States, regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, the diamond industry and other relevant experts. The hearing exposed the link between the trade in illicit Sierra Leone diamonds and trade in arms and related material. The ways and means for developing a sustainable and well-regulated diamond industry in Sierra Leone were also discussed.

As called for by resolution 1306 of July 5, 2000, the Secretary-General, on August 2, 2000, established a Panel of Experts, to collect information on possible violations of the arms embargo and the link between trade in diamonds and trade in arms and related material, consider the adequacy of air traffic control systems in the West African region for the purpose of detecting flights suspected of contravening the arms embargo, and report to the Council with observations and recommendations on ways of strengthening the arms and diamonds embargoes no later than October 3, 2000. The Chairman of the Panel was Martin Chungong Ayafor (Cameroon). The other members were Atabou Bodian (Senegal), Johan Peleman (Belgium), Harjit Singh Sandhu (India) and Ian Smillie (Canada). The Panel submitted its report to the Security Council on December 19, 2000. On January 25, 2001 the Security Council, at its 4264th meeting, considered the report of the panel of experts.

Diamond revenues in Sierra Leone have increased more than tenfold since the end of the conflict, from $10 million in 2000 to about $130 million in 2004,although from 1989 to 2003 Liberia was engaged in a civil war. In 2000, the UN accused Liberian president Charles G. Taylor of supporting the RUF insurgency in Sierra Leone with weapons and training in exchange for diamonds. In 2001 the UN applied sanctions on the Liberian diamond trade. In August 2003 Taylor stepped down as president, and after being exiled to Nigeria, now faces trial in the Hague. On July 21, 2006 he pleaded not guilty of crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Liberia today is at peace and is attempting to construct a legitimate diamond mining industry. The UN has lifted sanctions and Liberia is now a member of the Kimberley process.

The cost of Diamond Earrings is dependent, first of all, on the value of the diamonds used for the Diamond Earrings. This means the diamonds should have great color, clarity that indicates how pure the diamond is, a satisfactory carat weight (which shows the weight of the diamond), and most importantly, have an excellent cut.

Once you have gauged the diamonds of your Diamond Earrings this way, you can examine your prospective purchase based on the certification granted by reputable gemological laboratories about the diamonds themselves. This leads you to an understanding of how much your Diamond Earrings should be worth once you factor in the market value of the diamonds into the equation.

Let’s face it, some diamonds have higher value than others. This tells us that some Diamond Earrings have better value than others as well. So you might be surprised that a more ornately-designed set of Diamond Earrings is priced lower than a simpler set of Diamond Earrings. The answer to the puzzle is that the diamonds of the simpler set have a higher value than the diamonds of the more ornate set. The final design may affect value of the Diamond Earrings somewhat but it is the base value of your diamonds that is really, really important.

When you are trying to look for Diamond Earrings to buy, the reputation of the retailer is another important consideration to factor in. A reputable retailer who sells just a few Diamond Earrings per week stands to survive longer in the cut-throat jewelry retail business than a retailer who cuts corners when it comes to producing and retailing Diamond Earrings. That is the whole point of good jewelry – you have to put tender loving care not just into making the jewelry but also in selling them. That is why those jewelers who sell quality Diamond Earrings can expect word-of-mouth referrals to help them sell more of those quality Diamond Earrings in the future. A jeweler who sells sub-standard Diamond Earrings should not be surprised that customers will bypass his store in favor of a jeweler who sells great Diamond Earrings then.

Once you seem to have found a reputable Diamond Earrings retailer, ask if he offers a money-back guarantee. This is like a warranty for a car – it gives you assurance that if the Diamond Earrings you bought do not meet your standards you can still have the set exchanged for a good set of Diamond Earrings. Another important consideration when seeking a Diamond Earrings retailer is if the retailer allows the diamonds in the earrings set to be changed or even upgraded later on. Sometimes, the recipient of our gift may want to upgrade the value of their Diamond Earrings so it would be nice if the diamonds could be upgraded – it is the diamonds after all which are the basis of the value of the jewelry.

Another factor that goes into your selection of Diamond Earrings to buy is “does this retailer provide after-sales service?” This means that if, for some reason or another, your diamond pops out of the setting in the earring then the retailer will take back the Diamond Earrings to fix the diamond back in its setting and make sure it is 100% secure this time.

Do not forget though that Diamond Earrings are like icing on a cake – it is the love that went into selecting the Diamond Earrings that really counts the most, not the financial value of the jewelry.