| "Diamonds are forever!" You may have heard it | | | | to assess diamond quality themselves. However, |
| said and even if they are not 'all you need to | | | | if you are sensible, you will want to employ the |
| please you' they can still be an exciting and | | | | assistance of someone who has completed the |
| different type of investment, but not one to be | | | | rigorous training of a qualified gemologist - |
| taken lightly. | | | | especially if you are thinking of investing heavily in |
| If you are thinking about buying diamonds, | | | | diamonds. |
| perhaps to have a special piece of jewelry made | | | | When you become familiar with diamond clarity |
| for a loved one, or maybe just as a form of | | | | grading terms alone you will soon realize that the |
| alternative investment, you do need to do some | | | | difference between a 'Flawless' and 'Slightly |
| ground work before you jump into the market. | | | | Included (level 2)' diamond might mean many |
| Today it is easier than ever to get into the | | | | thousands of dollars difference in the value of a |
| diamond market. The rather rarefied world of | | | | sizeable diamond. The physical differences |
| diamond trading has opened up, like so many | | | | between these two stones may, however, be |
| other things, thanks to the development of the | | | | barely perceptible to the untrained eye, even |
| Internet. Nowadays it is as easy as a few | | | | using a diamond dealers magnifying glass, or 'loupe' |
| minutes 'Googling' to discover a whole raft of | | | | as it is called. |
| contacts for buying diamonds, diamond jewelry | | | | Similarly, unless you know what to look for you |
| and everything else associated with diamonds! | | | | may be struggling to note the difference between |
| You can easily find websites that feature huge | | | | a well-cut gem and a poorly cut one, given the |
| stocks of diamonds along with detailed | | | | size of the stones you may first consider buying! |
| descriptions of the stones you could buy. If you | | | | A well-cut gem may have its value enhanced by |
| are a wary and wise novice diamond investor, a | | | | the master bench-jeweler's skills. But equally, if a |
| quick glance at these 'diamond dossiers' should | | | | gem has an 'off-centre table' or a slightly |
| convince you that you need to spend some time | | | | misaligned 'culet', or maybe even a 'wavy girdle', |
| doing your homework before parting with your | | | | any of these faults could undermine an expected |
| investment money. | | | | high valuation. So you do need to know what you |
| For when it comes to buying diamonds you need | | | | are looking for, as well as at. |
| to bear a few things in mind. To start with,these | | | | So far we haven't even mentioned the most |
| ancient gems were formed eons ago in the | | | | obvious trait of a diamond, its color, which is also |
| furnace like heat of volcanic activity and under | | | | a critical factor in determining a diamonds market |
| the pressure of thousands of tons of earth. | | | | worth! If you thought it was just a matter of |
| Diamonds are amazing and attractive - but their | | | | looking for a 'white diamond' think again - because |
| natural formation makes them incredibly variable. | | | | things get much more complex than that! |
| This makes a diamond mine more like a minefield | | | | You may already be aware that diamonds are |
| thananything else for those new to dealing in the | | | | measured in carat weights. This |
| scintillating stones. | | | | traditionalmeasurement is fascinating, because |
| Some of the major, creditable gemological | | | | unlike other commodities which are paid for per |
| organizations, such as: | | | | unit weight,the value per carat will vary |
| - The Gemological Institute of America | | | | immensely according to the size of diamond, |
| - The International Gemological Laboratory | | | | when considered in lightof the clarity, cut and color |
| - The American Gemological Society | | | | factors already mentioned. |
| - The European Gemological Laboratory | | | | So if you plan to invest in diamonds, remember, |
| - offer diamond assessment training opportunities | | | | they may be "A girl's best friend"but you soon |
| for those who really want to learn all about gems | | | | won't be your bank manager's friend if you fail to |
| and stones. Most people will probably not have | | | | do your homework beforeyou buy! |
| time to undertake a fully fledged education in how | | | | |