If you decide to buy diamond as a gift for your girlfriend, care must be taken during the selection process. Diamonds are beautiful jewelries, and they are also investment, as the value of diamonds holds over the years. A diamond is certified by laboratories by its color, cut, clarity and carat. This certificate is the key to identify the value of the diamond, a must have in diamond purchases. Nowadays, people might like to shop online for its convenience and the competitive pricing, see our advice here for choosing diamond vendors to reduce the chance of being scammed.
The color of the diamond will determine how much light that can go through the gemstone. You can see more sparkles from a colorless diamond, and therefore its higher value compared to other colored diamond. The reflection quality of a diamond depends on its cut. Diamonds are mostly cut with fifty-eight facets. It is the different angles and finishes of the cuts that give the diamond the ability to brilliantly reflect the lights. A bad cut can affect the durability of the diamond, causing it to break unpredictably. A too thin a cut will cause the light to escape the diamond and lose its shine. The clarity of a diamond is very important in determining its value.
Inclusions of different sizes might occur during a diamond's formation process, they reduce the clarity of a diamond and its ability to reflect lights. A flawless diamond is rare and therefore is more expensive. The perfect clarity of a diamond has to be validated by a skilled diamond grader under a 10-power magnification microscope. The weight of a diamond is measured in carats. One carat is equivalent to 200 milligrams. The smaller measure of a diamond is called points, a carat has 100 points. So if you get a one and a half carat diamond, it has 150 points.
Now you have an idea of the criteria of selecting a diamond, you can first go to the store, and deciding what shapes and sizes that you might like. Compare the prices on similar diamonds across the stores. A diamond is not brand dependent; you have to look into its certificate. A diamond grading report, or commonly known as a diamond certificate, comes from Gemological Institute of America (GIA). It certifies the color, cut, clarity and the weight of the diamond. GIA is independent of the jewelers. It issues the birth certificate of the diamond. You have to pay for it sometimes, it shouldn't cost much, it authenticates your diamond and it is important to have for reselling. You can check whether you are overpaying by looking at the information on the certificate. If you decide to insure your diamond, you need to present your certificate.
You can choose to shop for your diamond online, there are more choices, and you can get better pricing. However, care must be taken in making the purchase, so you don't lose your money. Once you have decided on a diamond, you need to check on the seller's credentials. Do some research on the customer reviews about the seller on the internet, find out whether there is any consumer complaint with the Better Business Bureau? What about the seller's policies on returns, refunds, and upgrade services? It is also important to find out whether the purchase price includes any additional services such as mounting, sizing, and free shipping. Before you make the payment, ask for a diamond grading report from an independent laboratory such as the GIA, HRD, EGL or AGS.
You can use a reputable escrow service if the purchase involves a large sum of money. Some escrow services could provide appraisal on the diamonds. Once they validate the true value of the diamond, they will complete the transaction by sending the merchandise to you, and releasing the fund to the seller. Diamond is the most beautiful gift you can give your girlfriend. Hopefully you find this article useful in helping you to purchase a diamond gift for your girlfriend. Go on and amaze her with the beautiful diamond.
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Vivien Wu is passionate in helping people finding the right gifts for their girlfriends and their friends and families. Comes see the latest ideas on gifting at http://www.giftsforgirlfriend.biz