Buying best value diamonds does not mean buying the largest diamond for the cheapest price, although price is an important factor in the purchase of a diamond. Before you start shopping, you do need to have some information about diamonds in general. This includes knowing what the 4 C’s of diamonds are – cut, clarity, color, and carat. You should also ask to see an appraisal report on the diamond from one of the internationally recognized appraisal institutes – IGI appraisals, GIA, and EGL loose diamonds.
Another factor involved in buying best value diamonds is a money back diamond guarantee. With such a guarantee you have many benefits in that you have a period of time in which you can return the diamond for a full or partial refund. This could be because the diamond is unsuitable for your needs or you find the exact diamond at a cheaper price in another location. If you bring in proof of this cheaper price, the retailer will refund you the difference between the prices of the diamonds so that you do indeed get the best value for your money.
When it comes to colored or fancy diamonds, it is hard to determine the best value diamonds in this category. Colored diamonds are more expensive than those that appear clear or colorless. If you have plenty of money to spend on such a purchase and want the best that money can buy, a red or green diamond could cost you as much as $1 million per carat. Purple diamonds range in price from $500,000 to $700,000 per carat and pink diamonds usually start at $100,000 per carat.
Brown diamonds are the cheapest in this category at $1500 to $2000 per carat. Although a diamond may be cheap and you think that it offers the best value, you should look at it closely to see if you can detect any dark spots in the stone. This is an undesirable flaw in the diamond that results from the cutting process. It could mean that the girdle of the diamond us too think or wide for the size and gives the appearance of a dark hole at the bottom when you look down through the depth.
The bow-tie effect is another undesirable quality that diminishes the value of the diamond. This is sometime found in fancy diamond cuts, such as the Marquis, oval and pear cuts. It appears as dark spots across the center of the diamond and can usually be seen with the naked eye. In order to determine if you really do have best value diamonds, especially if they are not money back guarantee diamonds, you should consider having your own appraisal done and compare this with that of the retailer.
Through the appraisal process, all aspects of the anatomy of the diamond are examined and you will receive a detailed report along with a diagram and description of the stone. In this way there can be no doubt as to its value. It is especially important to have any diamonds that you purchase at estate sales appraised. Even though the price may be cheap you may actually have best value diamonds when the sellers do not know the true value of the stone in the jewelry. If you are looking for antiques, shopping at such sales will help you get diamonds of considerable value for a fraction of their value.
In order to have them insured, you do need to have them appraised by one of the gemological appraisal institutes. As a rule, experts advise that you should allow at least three times your monthly salary for the purchase of a diamond. You can shop around to see the various styles and sizes of diamonds to get an idea of how much this purchase will set you back and then you can start savings. Most retailers do have a payment plan, though, so that you can get the diamond you need when the price is right.
When you order a new dress if it has beading/embroidery on the hem it should be provided in the exact length to fit you to avoid costly and very difficult alterations. You will need to wear your wedding shoes for the fitting. Ask if the shop assistant is experienced in measuring and fitting. A lot are not!
If you buy a sale dress that has beading and embroidery on the hem and you are too short for the dress you will need to get a definite quote from the shop for the cost of alteration. You could be looking at well over £100 plus for the hem alone and if you are looking to save money by buying a sale gown you do not want to spent a fortune on having it altered.
A tip here if you are ordering a new dress. When yours arrives examine it very carefully as if you were buying a dress from the rail. Check the inside of the bodice for marks and look under the hem for wear and dirt. Unscrupulous shop owners will try to sell as new their sample of gowns that are not getting many orders. This happens a lot in the bridal industry. If a shop has a sample dress that does not get many repeat orders the shop owner will try to get rid of it to the first person you likes it!.
Check every inch of your dress and be sure that it is a new dress and not just the shop’s sample. Other signs of the dress having been tried on are a crumpled label, fraying on lacing and scuffed fabric on the hem, especially on the train.
If you are suspicious ask to see their sample (the one you tried on when ordering) If they haven’t got it hanging on the rail the chances are they are selling it to you as new!
Br brave and say that you are not happy with the dress and ask for contact details of the designer who supplied the dress. They will tell you if the shop have actually ordered you a new dress. I know it will be unpleasant but how much worse would you feel if you knew that dozens of other brides had tried on your special gown.
All bridal shops have dresses that are reduced in price. You may find the perfect dress for you in your size and be happy to buy it. Before you do so ask if the shop will have it cleaned for you because many customers may well have tried the dress on. I can tell you from experience that not all brides who try on wedding dresses bother to shower first!
If they refuse then examine the dress carefully, especially on the inside of the bodice and under the hem especially the train. Remember customers may have walked around the shop with the train dragging on the floor. Also look for loose beads or threads and ask to have them sewn on. Look for any marks and if it is not absolutely spotless then ask for a reduction to allow for you to have it cleaned. If the shop agree to have it cleaned ask to see the drycleaners bill because if the dress you buy is satin it can be stuffed into a washing machine and washed very easily!! This is done all the time.
It may cost as much as £80 for a specialist dry cleaner to clean the gown. Remember that silk gowns will cost more to be cleaned than satin. Be prepared to offer less than they are asking for the dress. It should be no more than half the usual price – it has been tried on and as a shop sample is not a new dress.
The wholesale price of the dress will be no more than a third of the retail price so if they are charging more than half price you are being ripped off. It is not a new dress!
The shop owner may try to persuade you that they can take in a dress for you. No wedding dress can be taken in more than two sizes before it shows. Bust seams will be ‘off’ and straps and sleeves will not be in the correct position. Unless the bodice of the dress is totally remade which will cost a lot of money do not accept a dress that is more than two sizes too large. A dress can be let out by a professional dressmaker by up to one size (2”) with reasonable satisfaction.
Another trick played by a few shops is to take out the netting (which holds out the skirt) from the dress and then sell you a hooped petticoat at an inflated price. All full skirted wedding dresses come with netting so if yours doesn’t then ring the designer whose number will be on their website and ask if the dress should have netting in it. Don’t be afraid to ask because this is a very mean trick played by just a few shops.
There are a lot of pitfalls for the bride to be who is unsuspecting of the many sneaky tricks which some unscrupulous shop owners will use. Of course many bridal shop owners would never dream of trying to cheat their customers but it is not easy to know which are the good and bad shops since no one knows if their dress was new or just a tried on sample.
for the fitting. Ask if the shop assistant is experienced in measuring and fitting. A lot are not!
If you buy a sale dress that has beading and embroidery on the hem and you are too short for the dress you will need to get a definite quote from the shop for the cost of alteration. You could be looking at well over £100 plus for the hem alone and if you are looking to save money by buying a sale gown you do not want to spent a fortune on having it altered.
A tip here if you are ordering a new dress. When yours arrives examine it very carefully as if you were buying a dress from the rail. Check the inside of the bodice for marks and look under the hem for wear and dirt. Unscrupulous shop owners will try to sell as new their sample of gowns that are not getting many orders. This happens a lot in the bridal industry. If a shop has a sample dress that does not get many repeat orders the shop owner will try to get rid of it to the first person you likes it!.
Check every inch of your dress and be sure that it is a new dress and not just the shop’s sample. Other signs of the dress having been tried on are a crumpled label, fraying on lacing and scuffed fabric on the hem, especially on the train.
If you are suspicious ask to see their sample (the one you tried on when ordering) If they haven’t got it hanging on the rail the chances are they are selling it to you as new!
Br brave and say that you are not happy with the dress and ask for contact details of the designer who supplied the dress. They will tell you if the shop have actually ordered you a new dress. I know it will be unpleasant but how much worse would you feel if you knew that dozens of other brides had tried on your special gown.
All bridal shops have dresses that are reduced in price. You may find the perfect dress for you in your size and be happy to buy it. Before you do so ask if the shop will have it cleaned for you because many customers may well have tried the dress on. I can tell you from experience that not all brides who try on wedding dresses bother to shower first!
If they refuse then examine the dress carefully, especially on the inside of the bodice and under the hem especially the train. Remember customers may have walked around the shop with the train dragging on the floor. Also look for loose beads or threads and ask to have them sewn on. Look for any marks and if it is not absolutely spotless then ask for a reduction to allow for you to have it cleaned. If the shop agree to have it cleaned ask to see the drycleaners bill because if the dress you buy is satin it can be stuffed into a washing machine and washed very easily!! This is done all the time.
It may cost as much as £80 for a specialist dry cleaner to clean the gown. Remember that silk gowns will cost more to be cleaned than satin. Be prepared to offer less than they are asking for the dress. It should be no more than half the usual price – it has been tried on and as a shop sample is not a new dress.
The wholesale price of the dress will be no more than a third of the retail price so if they are charging more than half price you are being ripped off. It is not a new dress!
The shop owner may try to persuade you that they can take in a dress for you. No wedding dress can be taken in more than two sizes before it shows. Bust seams will be ‘off’ and straps and sleeves will not be in the correct position. Unless the bodice of the dress is totally remade which will cost a lot of money do not accept a dress that is more than two sizes too large. A dress can be let out by a professional dressmaker by up to one size (2”) with reasonable satisfaction.
Another trick played by a few shops is to take out the netting (which holds out the skirt) from the dress and then sell you a hooped petticoat at an inflated price. All full skirted wedding dresses come with netting so if yours doesn’t then ring the designer whose number will be on their website and ask if the dress should have netting in it. Don’t be afraid to ask because this is a very mean trick played by just a few shops.
There are a lot of pitfalls for the bride to be who is unsuspecting of the many sneaky tricks which some unscrupulous shop owners will use. Of course many bridal shop owners would never dream of trying to cheat their customers but it is not easy to know which are the good and bad shops since no one knows if their dress was new or just a tried on sample.
http://www.princesssparkle.co.uk
Diamonds are transparent crystals made entirely out of carbon. They are the second most stable form of carbon and the only type of gemstone that is composed from a single element. They are valuable to the jewelry business and industry practices because of their hardness and their high dispersion of light.
Of all known naturally occurring minerals, diamonds are the hardest. Very few substances are able to make a scratch in the surface of a diamond. Because of this property, diamonds are often used as an abrasive to finish other materials or to polish and cut other diamonds.
Diamonds rate as a 10 on the Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness. Because of their resistance to scuffs and scratches, they can be polished very finely and retain their shine throughout time which is why so many jewelers offer money back guarantee diamonds. Diamonds are commonly used in wedding rings and engagement rings because they can resist the wear and tear of every day use.
The diamonds that do not meet the aesthetic standards of a jewelry gemstone are usually used in industry. They are especially popular in cutting and grinding tools because they can polish, cut, and abrade any other material, including fellow diamonds.
Compared to other gemstones, diamonds have a high resistance to breakage from impact. However, when compared to other engineering supplies, their toughness is sub par. Because of their makeup, diamonds are more fragile when oriented in certain positions.
Diamonds also possess an extremely high thermal conductivity. Most diamonds are useful as electrical insulators, though research and development is going into their potential as semiconductors. Some diamonds are already being used in this field, and a few blue diamonds act as natural semiconductors.
The diamond’s crystal lattice composition is extremely strong and only allows impurities from certain elements to pass through in small amounts during its creation process. Only impurities from nitrogen, hydrogen, boron, phosphorus, and sometimes beryllium are able to pass through in large enough quantities to change the diamond’s physical appearance.
The most common and best value diamonds are colorless, yellow, or brown. A blue diamond is the most common of the rarer colors, followed by green, black, translucent white, pink, violet, orange, purple, and red, which is the rarest of all of the colors. “Black” diamonds are not actually a pitch black color, they are merely darker. Diamonds can also come in shades of grey.
Colored diamonds contain impurities from other elements as well as structural irregularities, while “pure” diamonds are transparent and colorless. For instance, nitrogen is the smallest impurity in diamonds as well as the most frequent. It causes the yellow or brown color in some diamonds, depending on its amount.
Boron causes the blue grey color in diamonds, and irradiation from alpha particles cause a green hue. Plastic deformation, a physical irregularity in diamonds, can be the cause of brown diamonds or pink and red diamonds on rare occasions.
Coloration can either raise or lower a diamond’s marketable value, regardless of whether it is a non conflict diamond or a blood diamond. It depends on the intensity and aesthetic qualities of the color, as well as the visible defects that the coloring process might have caused. Intense blue or pink diamonds are extremely valuable, though white diamonds may drop in value if they are of a slightly yellow hue.
The Diamonds in the Smithsonian’s Exhibit
The Smithsonian’s Splendor of Diamonds was a display of seven of the rarest diamonds in the world. The diamonds ranged in size from 5.11 carats to 203.04 carats. The exhibit ran from June 27, 2003 to September 15, 2003. The seven diamonds displayed were the Allnatt, the Millennium Star, the Ocean Dream, the Moussaieff Red, the Heart of Eternity, the Steinmetz Pink, and the Pumpkin Diamond.
The Allnatt is a cushion-cut, Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond, as rated by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA.) It is currently owned by the SIBA Corporation and has a mass of 101.29 carats. Its yellow color is due to a certain concentration of Nitrogen impurities within the carbon structure. The Allnatt’s rarity comes from its size and its color- few diamonds with a mass greater than 100 carats can retain such a vivid color, which makes these diamonds perfect for money back guarantee diamonds, since nobody would want to return such a unique diamond.
The Allnatt Diamond
The De Beers Millennium Star is the sixth largest known colorless diamond of gemstone quality that has ever been found. It is the second largest flawless, colorless pear cut diamond. The lack of color in the Millennium Star means that it is made entirely from crystallized carbon. There are no impurities from other elements, no defects in its structure, no irradiation during the growth process.
The Millennium Star is owned by the De beers company. It originated from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the early 1990s. The original diamond was 777 carats (155.4 g.) It went to the Steinmetz group three years to laser-cut and polish the rough crystal to its 203.04 carat pear shape. There was some debate concerning whether the diamond was a “blood diamond” or a “non conflict diamond” since it was from an area rich in war diamonds, but this truth was never proven and cleared the Kimberley Process.
The Ocean Dream is a 5.51 carat (1.102 g), Fancy Deep Blue-Green diamond, as rated by the GIA. It is one of the rarest diamonds in the world, for it is the only natural diamond known to the GIA to be of a blue-green color. Blue green is normally seen in synthetic or artificially altered diamonds. In order to achieve such a hue, the diamond color must be altered via irradiation. The Ocean Dream was exposed to millions of years of the earth’s natural radiation- causing its blue-green color.
The Moussaieff Red is a 5.11 carat (1.022 g), trilliant cut, fancy red diamond, as rated by the GIA. Red, especially a deep red, is one of the rarest hues found in a diamond. The Moussaieff is the largest Fancy Red diamond that the GIA have ever seen. It was found by a farmer in Brazil in the mid 1990s, where it was purchased as a rough crystal of 13.9 carats (2.78 g) by William Goldberg Diamond Corp. The crystal was cut, polished, and named the Red Shield. It was bought by the Moussaieff Jewelers Ltd and renamed.
The Heart of Eternity is a 27.64 carat (5.528 g), heart cut, Fancy Vivid Blue diamond, rated by the GIA. This diamond originates from South Africa. It was cut by the Steinmetz Company, who sold it to the De Beers Company. The blue color is due to boron impurities in the carbon structure of the diamond. Very few “blue” diamonds are of such vivid color, for often the boron is only located in certain sections of the stone, or the color is extremely desaturated and mixed with shades of gray.
Like many diamonds, the Steinmetz Pink originates from South Africa. It is owned by Steinmetz Company, has a mass of 59.60 carats, and is internally flawless. The GIA diamond rings Institute (the world’s foremost authority on diamonds) confirmed it to be the largest Fancy Vivid Pink diamond that they had ever seen. It took twenty months to prepare, cut, and polish.
At 5.54 carats (1.108g), the Pumpkin Diamond is one of the largest Fancy Vivid Orange diamonds that the GIA have ever rated. It originated from the Central African Republic, where it was cut and polished by William Goldberg. The Pumpkin Diamond was bought by Ronald Winston for 1.3 million dollars, though it is currently valued at three million dollars. It was set in a ring between two white diamonds for actress Halle Berry to wear to the 2002 Oscars.