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The opinions expressed herein are secretdiamond.com's opinions and do not represent anyone else's or any other company's views in any way.
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Insurance For Engagement Rings
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After receiving a call from one of our customers the other day, we thought it was important to post a blog about insurance for engagement rings. Well it just so happens that this customer of ours had a beautiful wedding day, only to wake up the next day with the engagement ring gone from his hotel room. It turns out that their wedding day was very hectic (as all wedding days are) and the bride decided to take her engagement ring off for a short time and leave it in their hotel room. After all the dust had settled from the exciting wedding day, the bride went to put her engagement ring back on her finger. Unfortunately her engagement ring was no where to be found. After a couple of hours of searching everywhere for it, they concluded that it wasn’t in the hotel room anymore. They called the police and made a report, but could not prove that it was stolen, let alone who stole. They have since concluded that it was one of the cleaning staff at the hotel that came into their room and stole their engagement ring. But again, they couldn’t prove it. Now at least they were feeling a little bit better when they remembered that they had purchased insurance for their engagement ring. However the saddest part was that they would never be able to replace the actual engagement ring that he proposed with. But at least it was covered under insurance. (Or so they thought)
Immediately they called their agent to describe what had happened and place a claim for their loss. You can only imagine their surprise when they were told that the enormous loss they had just suffered was not even covered under their policy. Not only was their engagement ring stolen, but their insurance company was not going to cover it. (talking about adding insult to injury!!) It seems that their insurance company had some fine print in their policy that referred to this situation as a “MYSTERIOUS LOSS”. It seems that since they could not “Prove” that their ring was stolen, and could not “Prove” who did it, the insurance company said that they were not responsible for honoring this claim. Now this new couple that was planning on starting their new life together has to buy a new engagement ring all over again. I have to say that at Engagement Rings By Secret Diamond, we feel for them and we are doing everything we can to get them an even nicer engagement ring this time around and we are helping them with an even lower price. But even with our help, they are still out thousands of dollars, and the ring he proposed with.
The point to this story is that although we love selling you engagement rings, we don’t want you to have to pay for them twice. Not only should you always buy “insurance for engagement rings” but you should also due your homework and get the best policy you can afford. It’s bad enough that your ring could be lost or stolen one day, but to have to pay for it all over again is something you should not have to do. Check with your homeowners insurance agent about insurance first, and GRILL them with every question you can think of about what is covered and what is not. ( I would also ask them about “MYSTERIOUS LOSSES” too )
After you check with your insurance agent, then check around for a better policy if there is one, and maybe even get a better price. Another company that you can check with is www.JewelersMutual.com. Give them a call and see what they can offer you and see if it’s better. The old way of insuring your engagement ring (Homeowners) may not always be the best way. Engagement Ring Insurance is very affordable and no-one should go with out it. The pricing at www.JewelersMutual.com for engagement ring insurance is 1% per thousand dollars insured. So if your engagement ring cost $4,000, your insurance will only cost about $40 per year. That is cheap “peace of mind”.
Buyer’s Guide For Engagement Rings & Diamonds
Based upon the many questions we receive about diamonds and engagement rings, we thought it was important to create a buyer’s guide for engagement rings & diamonds. Since many of people shopping for engagement rings and diamonds are first time shoppers, they are going to have questions that need to be answered. We take diamond education very seriously here at Secret Diamond and so should you. We understand that not everyone out there is a diamond expert and shopping for a diamond can be very confusing the first time you do it. Quite frankly, shopping for engagement rings can be pretty confusing too, especially if you are not familiar with all of the engagement ring terms like "Solitaire" or "Filigree" or "Milgrain". Many people that are in the market to purchase an engagement ring or even diamond stud earrings, have never owned a diamond in their life. And even if you consider yourself a pretty knowledgeable person when it comes to diamonds, reading our "Buyer’s Guide For Engagement Ring & Diamond Shoppers" may help you brush up a bit. Although this guide can’t possibly teach you everything you need to know about diamonds and engagement rings, it will be a very good start on the basics. It will include enough information so that you can start to shop with confidence knowing that you understand what makes a diamond desirable and what is truly a good deal on a quality diamond engagement ring. Come with us as we explore the world of diamonds and help you search for the "Perfect Engagement Ring" for your bride-to-be.
The Diamonds & Engagement Rings Budget Decision
Without a doubt, the first step in purchasing diamonds or engagement rings is to determine how much you are planning to spend. How much you can spend and how much you are going to spend may be 2 different amounts. Although many grooms would like to buy their new bride the biggest, nicest engagement ring that money can buy, the reality is that you may have to settle for something less. Good quality diamonds with a larger carat weight can get rather expensive. (And don’t forget to add the cost of the engagement ring setting) Try not to spend more than you can comfortably afford without going in to much debt if you can help it. Although you could certainly consider taking out an engagement ring loan, starting off a new marriage with the extra added stress of living in debt is not necessarily the best idea. Believe it or not, many couples decide to spend less on their diamond engagement ring than they actually can afford. They may be opting to allocate the money saved on something else, like their new home together or a much needed new car. Or perhaps they have decided to spend more money on the honeymoon or the wedding. Investing the money saved or putting it in the bank for a "rainy day", may not be a bad idea either. Whatever the case may be, deciding on your diamonds and engagement ring budget is the first decision you will have to make when getting engaged.
The Engagement Ring Setting
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In most cases, the price of the diamond in your diamond engagement ring is going to account for the majority of the cost, with some exceptions. A Diamond engagement ring really consists of 2 parts, the center diamond and the engagement ring setting. In most cases there is also a 3rd part, the wedding band. However the wedding band is often purchased at a later date and you may have extra time to save for it. However many styles of engagement rings are available in matching engagement ring sets (matching wedding band included) that you can purchase at the same time. If you can afford to purchase both at the same time, you may ask if there is a price break for doing so. It may also be beneficial to purchase both the engagement ring and the wedding band at the same time to make sure they fit together perfectly. But for now, we will just stick to the diamond engagement ring portion of your purchase. Again, the diamond will often account for the majority of the cost. Exceptions will start to take place if you are purchasing an antique or vintage style engagement ring with a lot of extra carat weight of diamonds in the ring itself. Also, some types of engagement ring styles will have very detailed hand engraving, filigree or milgrain details. The more intricate your engagement ring gets, usually the more expensive it gets. Another potential significant cost to your engagement ring setting is the type of precious metal you choose. 14 Karat Gold Engagement Rings will be the most affordable option, in either white or yellow gold. 18 karat gold engagement rings will usually cost a little bit more. ($200 more per ring at www.SecretDiamond.com) That’s because an engagement ring made from 18k gold will have more gold in the ring. 14k gold engagement rings are approximately 58% gold, and 18k gold rings will be 75% gold. More gold in the ring, increases the cost of the ring. That is also why an engagement ring with a thicker band will cost more. The thicker the band, the more gold that is required to make it. The same principal applies to Platinum engagement ring settings. Platinum is the rarest metal on Earth, therefor it is very expensive. A simple solitaire engagement ring setting made in platinum, can increase the cost of the ring by $300 to $500. And if you are buying a platinum ring with a thicker style band, the cost can go up another $1500 to $2500. I have even seen platinum engagement ring settings cost as much as $10,000 with out a center diamond even included yet. Many times they may also have a significant amount of accent diamonds too, which contributes to the overall cost. That is the #1 reason why many people choose not to buy platinum engagement ring settings. A solitaire engagement ring setting will be your most economical choice. Typically they are not overly thick, and a solitaire engagement ring won’t have any accent diamonds to drive up the cost of the setting. So if you buy a solitaire setting, you will have 3 things that save you money. They are thinner, not intricately designed, and have no accent diamonds to drive up the overall cost. Three things that will all save you money. And please don’t feel that you are settling for anything less if you buy a solitaire engagement ring. They have a very simple form of classical elegance to them that has always been very popular in the past, and will always be very popular in the future. Besides, you will have more money left over to spend on the center diamond itself. You can get a bigger and/or nicer diamond. Many couples decide to purchase a solitaire engagement ring band so they can afford a bigger/nicer diamond, and then buy a fancy engagement ring setting in the future when they can afford it easier.
Next we will discuss the all important diamond purchase. Make sure to come back and read the upcoming section of our guide because buying the best diamond for your money is easy to do once you learn how. We will teach what the most important factors are when selecting your center diamond, and teach you a few tricks on how to save some cash.
Diamond Engagement Rings Secrets
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What are the top diamond engagement rings secrets and the most important diamonds-secrets for the best price? The first thing you need to know is that it’s no secret buying diamonds and engagement rings online from diamond website companies is much cheaper than buying diamonds and engagement rings at jewelers. Jewelry stores engagement rings are often times thousands of dollars more than engagement rings companies online. White gold engagement rings are the least expensive when buying 14k white gold engagement rings as opposed to 18k white gold engagement rings. The same thing applies to 14k yellow gold engagement rings as opposed to 18k yellow gold engagement rings. Palladium engagement rings are less expensive than Platinum engagement rings, and a platinum diamond engagement ring will be the most expensive option of all depending upon the diamond secrets you learn about first.
Learning diamond secrets will almost always save you money on high quality certified diamonds for engagement rings and diamonds of all kinds including fancy color diamonds. Fancy colored diamonds are not cheap though, with fancy pink diamonds being the most expensive fancy diamond color of all. Engagement rings and diamonds secrets can save you money on all kinds of diamonds and engagement rings including vintage style engagement rings and antique style engagement rings with micropave diamonds. Stop paying too much for diamonds when it’s not necessary. Learn what you need to know when buying diamonds and engagement rings online from website diamond companies to show the sellers of engagement rings that you know more than they think to buy the best diamonds for the money.
The previous 2 paragraphs are an example of the type of blog you want to stay away from. Engagement ring companies online that run a blog like that are not interested in teaching you about diamonds at all, and are probably more interested in the quick, "one time sale". Believe it or not, there are actually a couple of companies online that run a blog like that with a bunch of mumbo-jumbo, that quite frankly makes no sense. Pay close attention to a companies website blog and you will learn a lot about that company and where their focus is. Blogs are a good way for an online diamond company to obtain visitors to their website and the companies that run blogs like that, really do not have any thing good to teach you, and in many cases are actually trying to confuse you about diamonds. You may also hear something along the lines of "Don’t buy into all the hype. The more you learn about diamonds, the more you are going to spend." I can’t imagine for one second how teaching yourself about diamonds is a bad thing. Consider that you are about to spend a sizable amount of money regardless of who you buy your diamond from or what type of diamond you buy. Even clarity enhanced diamonds will cost at least a couple thousand dollars or more depending upon various factors, such as the size and quality of the diamond. When you buy a diamond, you should go slow and ask questions. After teaching yourself as much as you can, if there is anything that you don’t understand completely, ask a professional diamond dealer. If you feel that he/she is trying to rush you through the process of buying a diamond, don’t do it. They may very well have something up their sleeve that they are trying to hide from you. Buying a diamond is a serious venture. Do it right and do it slow. "Diamond Engagement Rings Secrets" 101
Solitaire Diamond Engagement Rings
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What are "Solitaire Diamond Engagement Rings" exactly?
Solitaire Diamond Engagement Rings are a type of diamond engagement ring that has just a single diamond placed in the center of the ring on the top side. Another term that is often used is an abbreviated version called Solitaire. If the diamond engagement ring you are choosing has any other diamonds included whatsoever, it will not be a solitaire in the strictest sense of the term. However there are many other simple designs of engagement rings that look almost like a solitaire, but technically they are not. Solitaire engagement rings are the oldest form of the "engagement ring" since the tradition began hundreds of years ago. Solitaire diamond engagement rings come in many forms and are available in all shapes and sizes of diamonds. Even though they have a very simple design, the number of choices you have are almost endless. In fact, they are the most flexible engagement ring in terms of how many options you have. The first option you will have is the shape of the solitaire diamond. The following diamond shapes are available:
Those are the 11 most popular diamond shapes to choose from. There are many more shapes available, however they are not the mainstream diamond shapes. The next decision you will have to make is the size of the solitaire diamond for the ring. This may be determined by your budget more than anything else. The most popular size for solitaire diamonds today is 1 carat, however diamonds are available in all carat sizes. "Carat weight" is the correct term as the word "carat" refers to the weight of a diamond and not it’s size. However a heavier carat weight will usually mean that you will have a larger diamond. The smallest diamonds are 1/100th of a carat and are often referred to as micropave diamonds. Diamonds this small are not used for solitaire diamond engagement rings. They are typically used in designer, vintage or antique style engagement rings as accent diamonds in the band of the ring, or around the center diamond giving it a "Halo Diamond Engagement Rings" effect. Typically a solitaire diamond engagement ring will start with a diamond that is at least 1/4 carat. Traditionally 1/2 carat solitaire diamond engagement rings were very popular, but the desire for a larger diamond is more popular today. There are also solitaires that are available in 3/4 carat diamonds, as well as 1 1/4 carat, 1 1/2 carat, 1 3/4 carat, 2.0 carats and much larger. The size of the diamond you choose is only limited by your budget and her personal taste. Many new brides do not want a large diamond for their ring. They may feel that it is too expensive or too "Showy" for them. You should never feel pressured to purchase a particular carat weight diamond and you should never purchase one that is more expensive than you can afford. The next choice you will have to make for your solitaire diamond engagement ring is the type of metal. The type of metal and the thickness of the band will determine how much it costs. A Plain 14k gold band that is on the thinner side (2mm) may only cost a couple of hundred bucks, while a thicker platinum band can cost over $1,000. (Platinum is the rarest precious metal on earth and therefor your most expensive choice) The thicker the band becomes, the more Karats it will require. That will increase your cost as engagement ring bands are made from precious metals. "Karat" and not "Carat" is the proper spelling if you are referring to gold, rather than diamonds. Diamonds are weighed by carat weight with a "C". "24 Karat" gold is solid gold. "14 Karat" gold is 14 parts of gold out of 24 parts or approximately 58% gold. "18 Karat" gold is 18 parts of gold out of 24 parts and approximately 75% gold. Because 18 Karat gold engagement rings have a higher gold content, they will cost more than 14 Karat gold engagement rings. You will also have to think about what style of solitaire diamond engagement ring band you want. There are many choices of designs such as the classic "Tiffany Style" solitaire or a "Cathedral Style" Solitaire band. And all of the different styles will be available in different thicknesses. The thicker the band, the more it will cost. When thinking about the type of precious metal to choose, you can buy Platinum (Most expensive), Palladium, 14k white gold, 18k white gold, 14k yellow gold and 18k yellow gold. Most engagement ring companies will not offer palladium solitaire diamond engagement rings, however Engagement Rings By Secret Diamond offer all of our engagement rings in Palladium. White gold is by far the most popular choice for engagement rings and certainly for solitaires. You will only have to choose between 18k and 14k white gold. If your partner is allergic to nickel (used as a mixer metal) you may consider palladium or platinum solitaires as these are hypoallergenic choices. The last thing to consider is the size of her engagement ring finger. The engagement ring finger may be a different size than her other fingers. Most engagement ring companies will only offer their engagement rings in 1/2 sizes, however Engagement Rings By Secret Diamond offers their engagement rings in quarter sizes for a more comfortable fit. See our page on ways to get the size of her engagement ring finger without her knowing here. |
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Independent GIA Appraisals and Independent GIA Certificates
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It seems that some people searching for diamond engagement rings are becoming a little confused over the term Independent GIA Appraisals and Independent GIA Certificates. We have been asked a lot lately if there is such a thing as an "Independent" Gia Appraisal/Certification. The short and easy answer is No.
You have a contradiction in terms when you say the words "Independent" and "GIA certified" in the same description. You see you are probably thinking the word "independent" is being used by the diamond merchant to reference GIA as the independent source of the certificate or appraisal he will furnish you with. However the diamond merchant may very well be using the word "Independent" to describe a certificate or appraisal that will be furnished by someone completely other than GIA. The only reason he is including GIA in the same sentence, is because he is twisting the real meaning to fool you.
You see this diamond merchant knows very well that you are probably trying to teach yourself all about diamonds, by reading everything you can find about diamonds online. And you are probably trying your very best to make sure you get the nicest diamond for the most affordable price. You don’t want to be the one to get rip-offed. I mean who does?
So as you start to browse through the thousands of pages available online to learn about diamonds and engagement rings, you probably start to hear about "GIA Certified Diamonds". There is no doubt that you will hear nothing but good words about GIA certified diamonds. This is because GIA certified diamonds will command the highest price of any type of certified diamond. GIA certified diamonds are the"Gold Standard" when it comes to buying diamonds.
So most people will start to search for diamond engagement rings with GIA certified diamonds. As you browse through the many diamond businesses online and start to see their prices on GIA certified diamonds, most people start to become a little surprised to say the least. You probably have already started to learn a little bit about diamonds by now, so you look for diamonds with good color, good clarity and good cut grade, along with the carat weight you had your heart set on. When you start to see the prices for GIA certified diamonds with all of the characteristics that you desire, most people become very surprised at how expensive they are. After all, you are not in the diamond business and it may very well be the first time buying diamonds for you, so who can blame you for being a little bit surprised to learn that a 1 1/2 carat round brilliant diamond can cost easily $14,000 for something along the lines of an F/SI1 with "Ideal Cut". (That doesn’t include an actual engagement ring setting yet) Now let’s add a setting to that. If you just want a simple & traditional solitaire setting, you are in luck. You are probably only going to have to add a couple hundred bucks to that. But if you want something with some diamonds on it, like the antique or vintage inspired rings that are so popular today, you are probably going to have to add a couple of thousand dollars more to the cost of the center diamond. Thousands of dollars more if you buy the setting from a jewelry store. (And certainly thousands of dollars more for the center diamond if you buy THAT from a jewelry store too) I mean you could easily spend $20,000 on an engagement ring with those specs in any jewelry store. (So much for that idea!) I don’t care if you have the $20,000 to spend, who wants to spend that kind of money on an engagement ring in today’s economic climate. Put it in the bank or invest it, you might need it.
OK. Now if you are like me, you say to yourself, "I don’t believe it, I am going to shop around and find a steal of a bargain. It must be out there somewhere! There is now way every diamond business is charging that kind of money!"
So you keep looking, and yet you still keep seeing pretty much the same prices. You see, the prices on GIA certified diamonds are all going to be very similar online. That’s because you are seeing pretty much the same diamonds and GIA certified diamond prices are "Regulated" so to speak by Rapaport. It’s kind of like the "Blue Book" of car values. The only difference in price you will see is in the markup. And this difference will be very little because you are buying your diamond online and the prices of GIA diamonds online are already marked up VERY LITTLE as opposed to your local jewelry store. So there is not a whole lot of room to discount GIA certified diamonds. The margins are pretty small. You also need to know that the diamonds you are seeing on these diamond websites are not their diamonds. They are part of a national database that is uploaded to their website. You could find the exact same diamond on many different websites. All of those websites that are offering that diamond for sale are buying it from the cutter for the same price, and then marking it up to you as a retail transaction. No-one actually has the diamond in their possession. It is just sitting at the diamond cutter and whoever sells it first, gets it. That’s why it’s always important to call first if you find a diamond online, to see if it is still available. It may have been sold by another diamond website company. I have heard stories from people that purchased a diamond from an online database, only to receive a call from the retailer saying that the diamond has "Just been sold". What they are really saying is that another website sold it before we could. (We actually have our clarity enhanced diamonds in inventory-That’s very rare in a diamond business)
Then all of the sudden "Presto" just like magic, a GIA certified diamond for only a couple thousand dollars. (Or so you think!)
You can’t believe your eyes! The secret source that you have been searching for has just appeared right before you very eyes. You knew that if you searched the internet long enough, it would magically appear sooner or later. You look at the website and it even says that the diamonds come with an "Independent GIA Appraisal" Could this really be? GIA certified diamonds for thousands of dollars less than EVERYWHERE else? Then the skeptic in you kicks in. I better call them and ask a few questions just to make sure. So you call. Yep, sure enough, the person on the phone tells you that your diamond will come with an "Indepenent GIA appraisal". Holy Toledo Batman, you just found the Magic source. Sherlock Homes would be proud of you.
There is just one small little catch though. The diamond has "Been Cleaned Up With A Laser" you know, the same kind you might find in a dermatologist’s office, or for laser eye surgery.
Well that doesn’t seem like such a big deal, after all, technology has come such a long way. Certainly they can do it to diamonds too. It’s still a GIA certified diamond you think to yourself. After all, the guy on the phone told you that it comes with an Independent GIA Appraisal. How could that be twisted around? So now you embark on even more research before you actually but that "GIA certified diamond". You find that there are these things called clarity enhanced diamonds. You may also find that a "Laser Drilled" diamond may be certified by GIA, and they are also referred to as clarity enhanced diamonds. "That must be the diamond that this guy is selling me", you start to think. But that is still not a big deal, because it is still a good deal, and "Laser Drilled" diamonds are still pretty valuable. This guy must just have a really good source that allows him to sell them for thousands of dollars less than EVERYWHERE ELSE.
Well Sherlock Homes, I am going to let you in on a little secret. The diamond he is selling you is not a GIA certified diamond. As a matter of fact, it has not been certified by GIA at all. It’s not even a "Laser Drilled" Diamond. It is clarity enhanced though. But it’s a "Fracture-Filled" clarity enhanced diamond. The only reason he is using the phrase "Independent GIA Appraisal" is because it was certified by a company that has a GIA graduate gemologist on staff, that certifies the diamonds. It’s a twist on definitions. You see the diamond is not GIA certified, the gemologist is. He went to GIA to get his/her graduate gemologist degree, and now he/she is a "Graduate GIA Gemologist". Some diamond ring companies like to conveniently refer to him/her as a "Certified GIA Gemologist". GET THE PICTURE
The bad news is that there is no such thing as a free lunch, and what your mom taught you is true. "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is".
Just like everything else in the world, you get what you pay for when you buy a diamond.
The good news is that a "Fracture-Filled" clarity enhanced diamond can truly be a good deal and still look extremely beautiful. There is nothing wrong with that. You will pay thousands of dollars less and you will get a good deal on a nice looking diamond. But don’t let yourself be fooled in to thinking that you are buying some magically discounted GIA certified diamond. It doesn’t exist. But you are certainly welcome to keep trying.
If you really want a GIA certified diamond and you are willing to pay for it, then call us at 651-263-5121. We have access to the same diamond databases that you see on all of the other websites out there. We will find you that GIA certified diamond for a very fair price. But we won’t try to fool you in to thinking you are buying a GIA certified, "Fracture-Filled" clarity enhanced diamond. You may want to read more about "Fracture-Filled versus Laser Drilled" clarity enhanced diamond here.
Which Finger Does The Engagement Ring Go On?
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It really depends on where you’re located. If you’re in America, it would go on your left hand. The finger right next to your pinky. If by some chance you have more than 5 fingers it would still go on the finger next to your pinky. If you’re curious as to why the tradition started, it was because the Egyptians believed that the left hand was the closest to the heart and the left hand ring finger (right next to the pinky) was believed to have a vein that ran straight to your heart. By placing the engagement ring on the "love finger" they believed you would capture your lover’s heart and you would live happily ever after. However, even though science has proved that there is no such vein going from the finger directly to the heart, it hasn’t stopped the tradition from being adopted and practiced 100’s of years later in the U.S. and many other places.
In most European countries the tradition of wearing engagement rings is not the same as the U.S. They tend to wear them on the right hand on the finger next to the pinky. They received the tradition from the Romans, and in Rome the Latin word for left is translated "sinister" and in England, and most other European countries the term "sinister" is just as negative as it is in the U.S. The Latin word for right is "dexter" which later turned into "dexterity" which is just as positive in Europe as it is in America. Since the terms "left / sinister" has a negative implication, and the terms "right / dexterity" has a positive meaning or vibe, most Europeans took it as a good thing to wear their wedding rings on the right hand.
But it doesn’t stop there. Many different countries have many different traditions. Take for instance Scotland. They don’t discriminate against either hand. They will wear their engagement ring on the right hand and when they exchange vows and wedding bands they will put the wedding band on the left hand.
It really just depends on the person when it comes down to it. Many people follow the traditions of their country, and some don’t believe in traditions and will wear it on the finger they choose.
What type of certified diamond are you really buying?
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It seems that many people in search of buying a certified diamond are running in to a little bit of confusion. Many of these people believe that they are buying a GIA certified diamond when in fact, they are not. It’s not necessarily that the person selling you the diamond is outright lying to you, it’s just that perhaps he or she is using a little "slight of the hand" so to speak.
Almost everyone buying a diamond is going to perform some amount of research first. Some people are comfortable with doing a small amount of research on just the basics such as the 4C’s of diamonds, and yet many others are very thorough with their research. I have spoken with many of our customers that have literally researched diamonds for months, before they even picked up the phone or stopped by a jewelry store. Thorough research in regards to diamonds is not a bad thing. The vast majority of people buying diamonds know absolutely nothing about them before they set out looking for one. Given the fact that you could easily be on track to spend thousands of dollars on this little gem, I would highly recommend that you learn as much as you can before you buy a diamond. If you think about it for a second; Would you spend $4,000 to $10,000 (Or more) on anything else, and not want to know as much about it as you can?
Wanting to learn about diamonds before you spend that much money is not the problem.
The problem may actually be with who you listen to and what you read on the internet. There is a lot of valuable information on the internet explaining about diamonds. There are also many good diamond sellers that will supply you with even more helpful information, and answer your questions honestly.
But on the flip side of that, there is a lot of really bad information on the internet about diamonds, AND there are some diamond sellers that don’t necessarily have your best interests at heart.
Many of the people that buy engagement rings from us, like to to call us first with their questions. I love when they do that, and I always welcome any question from our customers. This gives me the chance to not only answer their questions honestly and thoroughly, but also to make sure that they have been given accurate information by other diamond companies. I have heard some really strange things that my customers have been told, prior to speaking with me. Everything including stuff about the size of diamonds, the shape of diamonds and the cost of diamond engagement rings.
What I have discovered is that when a customer is told something by another diamond company that is way off-base, it’s often because that particular diamond company wanted to sell the customer a particular diamond. Maybe it’s because the diamond company got a really good deal on a particular diamond (through whatever means) and wants to make a huge profit. They don’t really care what you want, they just want to sell you that particular diamond. So they will tell you everything good about that diamond, and everything bad about the diamond that you want. They will try to make you think that the diamond they have, is the best. (Or best deal)
Anyway, enough of that and back to our point about certified diamonds.
THERE IS A HUGE DISTINCTION ABOUT CERTIFIED DIAMONDS THAT YOU NEED TO LEARN ABOUT.
You need to know the difference between an actual "GIA Certified Diamond" and other diamonds that may come with something like an independent GIA Certificate, or appraisal. Only diamonds that have been certified by the laboratory GIA (Gemological Institute Of America) are actually GIA certified diamonds. GIA is not just a laboratory, GIA is also like a college. They train people to become GIA certified gemologists. Once you have graduated, you become a GIA graduate gemologist. (Now you can even start your own diamond grading laboratory.) Some people refer to them as "Certified GIA Gemologists." That is where the confusion starts, and some diamond companies use that confusion to sell diamonds that are not GIA certified, and lead you to believe that they are. They may tell you that you are buying an "Independent GIA Certified Diamond" (Or something along those lines) Many people hear this and assume that they are buying a GIA certified diamond, and they are not. They are just buying a diamond that has been certified by a certified GIA graduate gemologist. That’s why the diamond seller is careful to use the word "Independent".
Now the reason that you need to know about this distinction is this. GIA certified diamonds (That is diamonds that have actually been certified at the GIA laboratory).
Those GIA certified diamonds will actually cost more than almost every other certified diamond out there. That’s because GIA is respected and known to be the most accurate and strict diamond grading laboratory in the world. If GIA says that you have a VS2 clarity diamond, nobody is going to argue with that. Or if GIA says that you have a "G" color grade diamond, no-one will argue with that. You can be rest assured that your diamond is exactly what it says on the certificate.
Now this is not a slam on all the other diamond grading laboratories in the world, or all the diamonds graded by them. You can actually buy a diamond graded by another laboratory, that is actually nicer than some GIA certified diamonds. For instance: A diamond that is graded by another diamond grading lab as "D" color grade, VVS1 clarity grade and an Ideal cut grade, is probably going to be a lot nicer than a diamond graded by GIA as "J" color grade, SI2 clarity grade and just a Fair cut grade. But the point is that if you compare apples to apples (that is 2 diamonds with exactly the same grades as stated on the certificate) a GIA certified diamond will almost always be nicer and more expensive.
So we are ABSOLUTELY NOT SAYING that you should only buy a GIA certified diamond.
Some of the prettiest diamonds, best diamond deals , even most affordable engagement rings are not GIA certified diamonds. What we are saying is that you should know exactly what type of certified diamond you are buying. If you want to buy a GIA certified diamond, just make sure to ask if the diamond was certified by GIA (The actual Lab), and not an independent GIA certified gemologist. Ask to see the actual GIA certificate supplied with the diamond. Don’t let yourself be a victim of this confusion. It is absolutely fine to buy a diamond that was graded by another laboratory, just make sure you know that it was and that you pay accordingly.
You also need to be aware that "Fracture-Filled" Clarity Enhanced Diamonds are never certified by GIA. Only "laser-drilled" clarity enhanced diamonds can be certified by GIA. I would highly suggest that you read our other post "fracture-filled versus laser-drilled clarity enhanced diamonds".
Diamonds & Engagement Rings Require Maintenance
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Although I am sure you have heard that a diamond can last forever and that they are the hardest known substance on earth, you might be surprised to learn that they are not indestructible. Diamonds & engagement rings require maintenance in order to preserve their beauty and prevent damage from occurring. Surprisingly the person you may trust the most to handle your diamonds properly, may also be the person that is most likely to chip or crack your diamond.
An interesting fact: A diamond can be the most vulnerable to chipping or cracking while it is being set by the jeweler. This happens to be particularly true with Princess Cut Diamonds. The thinnest and most vulnerable part of a Princess Cut Diamond is at the girdle & corners of the diamond.
If the jeweler presses too hard on the prongs while setting the diamond, he or she can chip off a corner of the diamond. You may also be surprised to learn that there is probably more diamonds damaged this way, than by their owners wearing them. If you bring your engagement ring to a jeweler to be worked on, you should always insist on inspecting the diamond and engagement ring under magnification before you accept the repair. Be sure to inspect the diamond at it’s corners and edges, and look at the prongs for possible stress fractures. You may also want to examine micropave diamonds to see if they are loose or crooked.
HELPFUL DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING TIP: This method can be used to see if you have a loose diamond. Place your diamond engagement ring up to your ear. Keep your fingers on the metal portion of your engagement ring and off the diamond/diamonds that you are checking. Then tap the engagement ring with your index finger and listen closely for any rattling. It may help to use a fingernail if you can. If you hear any rattling, then you may have a loose diamond.
As unfortunate as it may be, some jewelers have been known to hide minor chips under the prongs, only to be noticed by the diamond’s owner weeks or months later.
If you own a laser inscribed GIA or EGL certified diamond, also make sure to look under magnification for the inscription on the diamond before you accept your diamond to make sure it’s yours. Many people can tell you a horror story or two about how a dishonest jeweler switched their high quality diamond with a diamond of lower quality and less value. Of course there is also the possibility that a jeweler makes an honest mistake and places the wrong diamond back in your engagement ring.
Proper Diamond Jewelry & Engagement Rings Storage
Although I am sure your engagement ring is beautiful and very special to you, there may come a time when you need to take it off. As much as you probably don’t want to take it off, if you are about to do something that could be harmful to your engagement ring, you will need to take it off your finger and place it somewhere for safekeeping. If you just place it on a counter, you probably won’t need to do much except place it on a soft material and make sure you can’t knock it off the counter very easily. (watch out for toilets and sink drains. I am sure you have heard a story or two about someone knocking their ring in to one of them) However if you have a jewelry box that you like to store your ring in along with other jewelry, you will need to wrap it in a soft cloth to prevent damage to your ring and other jewelry. The diamond in your engagement ring can scratch your other jewelry, and if you are also storing other diamond jewelry in the same place, the diamonds can actually damage each other. Just the metal in the jewelry can scratch each other too.
A couple of things to consider: You may want to consider keeping valuable jewelry or jewelry that has sentimental value (especially if you seldom wear it) in a secure place such as a safe deposit box. Burglars or thieves will often look in obvious places like jewelry boxes or drawers first in search of valuable items like jewelry. Jewelry is a very desirable target for theft because it is easy to grab or stuff in a pocket and can be extremely valuable.
Did you know that you should have your diamond engagement ring inspected twice a year? A diamond engagement ring should be examined by a professional jeweler every 6 months, or sooner if necessary. If you purchased your engagement ring online and have to send it back to where you purchased it from, you may not want to do it every 6 months. Just make sure you keep a close eye on it and send it back at least every 9 months, or sooner if needed. Diamond engagement rings should never go longer than 12 months without being examined by a professional jeweler.
Unfortunately like I tell my customers. Your engagement ring will look it’s very best the day you buy it. Engagement rings are worn on the hand and can take a lot of abuse. All of the activities of every day life can have an impact on your engagement rings beauty. Just think about how much stuff you put your hands. Lotion, soap, sweat and dirt are just a few of the mild things your engagement ring will encounter. Then there are the every day activities like carrying in the groceries, handling your car keys, digging through your purse, and a million of other things that can affect your engagement rings appearance and performance. YOUR DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING WILL NEED MAINTENANCE, that is a fact and it is absolutely normal. With that said, it doesn’t mean that you should keep your engagement ring on your finger while doing things like gardening, rock climbing, bull riding or ultimate prize fighting. Just using common sense will help protect your diamond engagement ring.
Even though your diamond engagement ring will go through everyday wear and tear, you can keep it looking good for decades to come with proper maintenance. Whenever the customers at Engagement Rings By Secret Diamond send their engagement rings back for any reason, we always put it through a rigorous inspection. We perform all necessary maintenance issues. We also thoroughly clean, polish, tighten prongs, replace micropave diamonds if needed and re-rhodium white gold engagement rings.
Did you know that you can insure your engagement ring even if you don’t own a home? And you don’t have to buy your engagement ring from a jewelry store to get an engagement ring insurance policy either. The traditional method of insuring an engagement ring against accidental loss or theft was to put it on a homeowners insurance policy. However many new couples just starting out may not own a home yet, or they are not aware of any other methods of insuring their engagement ring. Or they may think it’s just too expensive to insure an engagement ring.
The fact is: Engagement Ring Insurance Is Easy & Engagement Ring Insurance Is Affordable. There is a company online that insures engagement rings for a very reasonable fee. Last time we checked, the cost to insure an engagement ring was approximately 1% of the purchase price. So if you purchase an engagement ring for $3,500 from us, you can insure it for just $35 dollars a year! That’s affordable. The company is called Jewelers Mutual and you can find them at www.jewelersmutual.com. Just call them and ask them how much it is to insure your engagement ring. Their prices may vary a little bit, but whatever the cost is, your engagement ring is worth it.
Laser Drilled Or Fracture Filled Clarity Enhanced Diamonds
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Are the companies on the internet selling laser drilled or fracture filled clarity enhanced diamonds?
It seems that there is a company advertising that his diamonds are just "Cleaned up with a laser." This gives the implication that the diamonds he is selling are "laser drilled" and not "fracture filled" clarity enhanced diamonds.
There are 2 types of clarity enhanced diamonds.
#1) The first type is called "Fracture Filled". This is where the diamond has an imperfection referred to as a feather. The word feather is another name for a fracture in the diamond. These diamonds have a small amount of material injected in to the fracture of the diamond. This material has the same optical properties as the diamond itself. This makes the feather "visually" disappear. The key word here being "Visually." You see, the fracture is still in the diamond, you just don’t see it. It makes the diamond look eye-clean. There is nothing wrong with doing this and quite frankly you can save thousands of dollars purchasing a diamond this way and still have a diamond that appears extremely nice to the naked eye.
However the problem is that when you buy this type of diamond, you should be made well aware of it. You should not be tricked into thinking that you are buying a "Laser-Drilled" diamond.
There is a big difference in value of between laser-drilled diamonds and fracture filled diamonds. Laser Drilled diamonds are more valuable and the cost of them will be much closer to that of regular non-enhanced diamonds. There are also some small alterations you have to make in order to keep the "Enhancement Material" from coming out of fracture filled diamonds.
#2) Laser drilled diamonds are a type of diamond that typically will have small mineral spots in them that are still visible to the naked eye. A laser is used to drill a microscopic hole in the diamond and then the diamond is soaked in acid. This will bleach out the dark mineral spots thereby making it a diamond with "enhanced clarity." The reason this is more valuable is because the diamond did not have a visible fracture in it, and the process of laser drilling a diamond is a "permanent fix."
GIA will never grade fracture-filled clarity enhanced diamonds. The reason they will not grade clarity enhanced diamonds is because the process can be reversed. (We will re-enhance it for free though) For example: If they give the diamond a clarity grade of VS2, and 10 years later the enhancement process is reversed, the diamond may then look like an SI2. They don’t want a certificate with their name on it saying that this diamond is a VS2.
GIA will certify laser drilled clarity enhanced diamonds because this enhancement process is permanent. They know that once they give the diamond a clarity grade, it will stay that way forever.
Remember that not all clarity enhanced diamonds are the same. There are Laser-Drilled clarity enhanced diamonds, and there are Fracture-Filled Clarity enhanced diamonds. There is nothing else, and there is nothing in between. These are the only 2 types of clarity enhanced diamonds that can exist in engagement rings today. So if you buy a clarity enhanced diamond, you are buying one or the other. Please don’t be mislead in to thinking that you are buying something magical and getting it for thousands of dollars less.
You need to be very specific when you buy a clarity enhanced diamond. You need the ask a question like: "Is this clarity enhanced diamond fracture filled in any way?" Make sure to ask the question in a manner that can not be misunderstood or misinterpreted.
One more thing you should be aware of. An "independent" GIA appraisal/certificate is not the same thing as a GIA appraisal/certificate.
The key word here is "Independent".
This is a little trick that some sellers of diamonds like to use. Although GIA is a diamond grading laboratory, it is also a school. You can go to GIA and learn how to grade diamonds and then become a GIA certified gemologist. After you have graduated, you can start your own diamond grading lab. You may call yourself an "Independent GIA Certified Gemologist" or "Graduate GIA Gemologist". Because people see the name GIA, they think they are buying a GIA certified diamond and they are not. They are really buying a diamond that has been certified by an independent GIA certified gemologist. THE GEMOLOGIST HAS BEEN CERTIFIED BY GIA……NOT THE DIAMOND.
There is nothing wrong with buying a diamond that has been certified by an independent certified GIA gemologist. But you need to know that you are not buying a GIA certified diamond. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME. YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT. The reason you need to know that is because GIA is the most respected diamond grading lab in the world and a diamond that has been certified by GIA is the most valuable type of diamond you can buy. Because of this reason, you will also pay more for it.
In order for you to be buying a GIA certified diamond, it has to be graded by GIA itself and carry an actual GIA certificate. This is the case for all diamond engagement rings and loose diamonds claiming to have a GIA certified certificate.
Fracture Filled diamonds are a good deal and will cost you thousands of dollars less than any other type of diamond. However don’t let yourself be duped in to thinking you are buying something else.
Free Ring Sizing
When you first order one of our engagement rings you have the option to specify the size of your ring. We often get the question "What if I get the ring size wrong, or don’t know the size I should order?" In this case, we ask that you take a look at our ring sizing page. It has a few tips and tricks to get the correct size if you’re trying to be stealthy. Of course if you’re not, you should go to your local jewelry store and ask them to determine the size of your ring finger before you order. In either case, you could still be wrong on the ring size. When this happens, and you ordered your ring at SecretDiamond just send us an email, and we’ll give you instructions on the proper way to send your diamond engagement ring back to us, and we will resize your engagement ring a second time for free. We know that all jewelry stores online give you the ability to determine what the size of your ring will be before you order, but how many actually offer free ring sizing for a second time if you get the ring size wrong? At SecretDiamond we want our customers to be 100% satisfied, if you are not, we are not satisfied!
Beware Of "Bait & Switch" Diamond Advertising
What is bait & switch diamond advertising? It is where a company advertises something like 1 carat diamond solitaires for as low as $999, and on the commercial they show absolutely gorgeous diamond engagement rings, and solitaires. The purpose of this is to give you the impression that you can just walk in to this jewelry store and buy that gorgeous 1 carat diamond solitaire that you saw on television for $999. Then they will even go so far as say something vague like GIA & EGL certified diamonds are the lowest price guaranteed, leading you to believe that these $999 dollar diamonds are certified by GIA or EGL. The vital part they are leaving out is that the 1 carat diamond solitaire for $999 is actually a K color I3 clarity, and probably not independently certified at all. The whole purpose of this type of advertising is to get you in to their store in the first place. Once they get you in there, then they will try to get you to buy something else more expensive. The jewelry store may even go so far as to tell you that all of the special priced diamonds that were advertised on TV have been sold out. I have spoken to several of our customers that saw a commercial on TV for a company that likes to do this kind of advertising and it lured them in to the jewelry store. When they went in to the store, the first thing the salesperson tried to do was talk them out of that "Low Quality Diamond." Then they take them by the arm and start to lead them to the diamonds that they are really trying to sell, for thousands of dollars more. Fortunately for our customers, it didn’t work on them and when they purchased their engagement rings from us, they really did get a nice looking diamond for thousands of dollars less. However the sad part is that this kind of advertising does work for this company. They have been doing it for years and I am sure they have sold thousands of higher priced diamonds this way, to people who went in to the store looking to buy that "1 Carat Diamond Solitaire For $999."
I suspected that this company had a poor Better Business Bureau Rating because they engage in this kind of advertising, so I started to search for them in the BBB. It was very interesting to find out that you can’t even find anything about their company under the jewelry stores name. It turns out that they operate under several names that are different than the name of their national jewelry store chain. When you start to see the feedback of them names that they operate under, it starts to become clear that the rating is not very favorable, which is not surprising for a company that engages in this type of advertising.
The truth of the matter is that with diamonds, you generally get what you pay for. If you are looking for a miracle deal on a diamond, it probably is not going to happen. Chances are your fiance is not going to be very happy with the appearance of a $999 1 carat diamond. In a clarity enhanced diamond, you can get a very nice looking 1 carat for about $2,000. In an EGL certified diamond, you can get a very nice one for about $3,500 to $4,500. And for a GIA certified diamond, you can get a pretty nice one for about $5,000 to $6,000. Of course you can pay more or less than those figures depending upon many different factors, such as the diamonds quality characteristics, and whether you buy the diamond online or in a jewelry store. Another factor is if you buy the diamond new or used from a private party. Don’t be fooled by bait & switch advertising. I am not saying that you can’t go to the jewelry store and check out what they have to offer. I am just saying that you should go in prepared for any tricks they might play.
Save Money By Buying A Clarity Enhanced Diamond
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Question: I am shopping for an engagement ring and I would like to save money by buying a clarity enhanced diamond, but I am scared. My cousin works for a jewelry store and when I showed them your website, they told me that the diamond will change over time and start to look horrible. Is this true?
Answer: That is not correct. Often times we hear things that are said by professionals in the diamond business about clarity enhanced diamonds that are way off base. These individuals either do not understand clarity enhanced diamonds, or they are trying to scare you so you will buy a diamond from them. It is important to note that we also sell non-enhanced diamonds with all certifications such as EGL and GIA certified diamonds so it doesn’t matter to us if you buy a clarity enhanced diamond from us, or a certified non-enhanced diamond from GIA. We choose to also sell clarity enhanced diamonds because we understand them very well and we know that they are an excellent value to offer our customers that want a bigger diamond for less money. So back to your question. The color grade of a clarity enhanced diamond will never change, Period. When you enhance the clarity grade of a diamond, you are not changing the original color grade of the diamond. So if you buy a clarity enhanced diamond that is a perfectly colorless "D" color grade, it will never change, ever. The same applies to all color grades of clarity enhanced diamonds. The color will never change. The same thing applies to the "cut grade". If you buy a clarity enhanced diamond with an "Ideal" cut grade, you will always have an ideal cut diamond. Even 50 or 100 years from now. The cut grade will never be affected by the clarity enhancing process. Remember, you are not enhancing the cut grade and you are not enhancing the color grade of a clarity enhanced diamond. You are only "Enhancing the clarity grade".
The absolute worst case scenario that will happen to your clarity enhanced diamond if the material used to enhanced it is reversed, is you will be able to see the feather that was enhanced. It will not turn in to a black lump of coal, it will not crumble in to a thousand pieces, it will not turn yellow or green, and it will not instantly become worthless. All you have to do is send the diamond back to us and we will re-enhance it for free. Quite frankly a good quality clarity enhanced diamond can even look nicer and still be worth more money if the enhancement process is reversed, than a some diamonds that are not enhanced. If you go out and buy an SI2 diamond with a J color grade and just a good or fair cut, you are not buying a very nice diamond. The SI2 will probably have visible flaws and the J color will look yellow, and with a poor cut grade, your diamond will not sparkle. The argument that all clarity enhanced diamonds are less valuable or less desirable than all non-enhanced diamonds just doesn’t make sense. Does this mean that everyone in the world should just go out and buy clarity enhanced diamonds? No. You have to decide what is the right choice for you. If you don’t mind spending $6,000 to $10,000 on a 1 carat engagement ring, or $15,000 to $25,000 on 2 carat engagement rings, then by all means give us a call. We will gladly offer you the best deal on a GIA certified diamond engagement rings. However if you don’t have that kind of money, or you have it and would rather spend it on something else, you can be rest assured that your clarity enhanced diamond engagement ring will stay beautiful for the rest of your life and we will stand behind it with you.
Questions About Diamonds And Engagement Rings
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Given the fact that many of our customers will often have the same questions about diamonds and engagement rings, we thought that it might be a good idea if we listed some of them here on our blog. Although we will be glad to take as much time as you need to answer all of your questions on the phone, we understand that some people would rather just ask a question anonymously. However we would like to emphasize to you that you will never receive any type of pressure to purchase anything, from the staff at Secret Diamond. We do not want any of our customers to make their purchase from us unless you are absolutely confident that the time is right for you. We are people that have to buy things too, and we don’t like pushy salespeople any more than you do. If you have a question about diamonds that you would like answered, please feel free to call us or write to us at support (at) secretdiamond.com. We will be glad to answer your question in an email or on the phone.
Question: Is a "J" color diamond too yellow?
Answer: The answer to this question is not necessarily written in stone. Although my personal opinion is that a diamond with a "J" color grade is too yellow for my own personal taste, it may not be for everyone. Some people are more sensitive to a yellowish color in a diamond than others. I have actually had customers tell me that they can tell the difference between an "E" color grade diamond, and a perfectly colorless "D" color grade diamond. That is only one color grade difference, and both color grades are extremely free of color. That is a talent that most people do not posses. Even GIA certified gemologists will have to break out a set of "Master Color Stones" to make the call between a D and an E color grade diamond. (It is much easier to tell the difference in 2 color grades of a diamond without the assistance of Master Color Stones) So back to your questions. I personally believe that a "J color grade diamond" is a little bit too yellow for my taste. If you can afford to buy a diamond with a better color grade, I would suggest that you consider it. Although an excellent cut diamond with a "J" color grade can sparkle very nicely, it will typically not look as good as a diamond with a better color grade, and the same excellent cut grade. When considering what metal to use in creating engagement rings with a J colored diamond, it’s best to go with white gold, palladium, or platinum. Avoid the yellow gold. The diamond will reflect the light of the engagement ring setting and your J colored diamond will look much better in a light colored setting than a yellow setting. Also if you think the only way to get affordable engagement rings is to go with a very yellow diamond or very low clarity grade than you have but to look at SecretDiamond.com. We offer incredibly eye clean and bright white diamonds in all of our engagement rings and diamond stud earrings. For a fraction of what you would pay in most jewelry stores.
Question: Why does the cost of a larger diamond increase more than it’s size?
Answer: If you have been shopping for diamonds, you have probably noticed that a diamond with twice the carat weight, can cost 3-4 times as much. The short answer for this is because it is more rare. Larger diamonds with the same quality as smaller diamonds are not as common in nature. Remember, diamonds are not created in a factory with machines. Mother Nature created these sparkling little wonders over the course of millions of years, and she did not make very many big, perfect diamonds. So if you buy a bigger diamond, you are not just getting a bigger price tag. You are also getting a diamond that is much more rare.
Question: When shopping for engagement rings, what does the term "ctw" mean?
Answer. When you see the term "ctw" it is an acronym (or abbreviation) for "carat total weight." You may also see it as "tcw" which means the same thing, except in a different order. The meaning for it this way is "total carat weight." Whatever the number is before the "ctw" is the total weight of diamonds or gemstones in the engagement ring. Don’t get this confused with the carat weight of the center diamond. That should always be listed separately because the center diamond is where the majority of the value is. The larger the center diamond is, the more valuable it is. For example: If you have a ring with 2 carats of total diamond weight, but they are all small diamonds, it won’t be nearly as valuable as a ring that has a single 2 carat diamond. So if a single diamond weighs one carat for instance, it will be worth a lot more than 10 diamonds that total 1 carat.
Question: I understand that a clarity enhanced diamond is graded after the enhancement, but do you know what clarity grade the diamond is before the enhancement?
Answer: Although the clarity grade before the enhancement can vary, a good rule of thumb is that clarity enhancing a diamond will typically increase the clarity grade on average by 2 clarity grades. For Example: An SI2 clarity grade diamond will be enhanced to a VS2 clarity grade and an I1 clarity grade diamond will be enhanced to an SI1 clarity grade diamond. At Engagement Rings By Secret Diamond, we tend to encourage our customers to steer away from clarity enhanced diamonds that are SI2 after the enhancement process. SI2 grade diamonds are not typically "Eye Clean" and the reason for buying a clarity enhanced diamond in the first place is to buy a larger, "eye-clean" diamond for less money. If you are OK with buying a diamond that has visible clarity flaws, you may as well just buy a diamond that has not been enhanced. Also, the vast majority of clarity enhanced diamonds will be enhanced to a clarity grade of VS2 to SI1. The reason for this is the "2 grade rule." If a diamond is SI2 before enhancing, it will turn out to be VS2. If a diamond is already a SI1 clarity grade, it will most likely already be "Eye-Clean" and there will be no reason to enhance it to VS1. Most diamonds that enhance to the SI1 clarity grade are probably SI3 or I1 clarity grades before the enhancing technique but may also be I2 to start with. A diamond that enhances to SI2 clarity grade was probably an I2 or I3 to begin with. Although the "2 clarity grade" rule is a pretty good one, it is not written in stone. When purchasing a clarity enhanced diamond, it is always recommended that you only deal with a trustworthy company that has the diamond certified by an independent 3rd party. We view it as a conflict of interest when a company that is selling you the diamond, also certifies it. That is kind of like asking the sales person that you just bought a car from, if you got a good deal.
Cleaning & Care For Clarity Enhanced Diamonds
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First let us say that your clarity enhanced diamond is very much like any diamond that you may purchase. Cleaning & caring for clarity enhanced diamonds is really quite simple and will require no more time than other diamond jewelry you may purchase. They are set in engagement rings, diamond earrings and diamond jewelry of all kinds. Please be confident that you can wear it, admire it and enjoy it just as you would any other diamond. In fact, the most respected diamond grading laboratory in the world, The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has stated that the clarity enhancement process is stable under normal wear and tear conditions.
Treat the clarity enhanced diamond that you purchased from our engagement rings store just like any other piece of fine quality gemstone jewelry that you may own. That means that the best way to clean your new clarity enhanced diamond engagement ring or diamond stud earrings is with mild soap & water. Jewelery cleaners of all types are also acceptable as long as they are a non-ammonia based jewelry cleaner. Jewelry cleaners that work for pearls, will also work for clarity enhanced diamonds. (pearl cleaners are often times sold by jewelers that sell pearl jewelry) Ultrasonic cleaning and steam cleaning are also safe to use. Many of our customers like to use the Jewel Jet Steam Cleaner for at home steam cleaning of their diamonds. It can typically be purchased for under $100.00 and is quite effective for use on almost all diamond jewelry.
The enhancement process will only be reversed when it is cleaned with ammonia based cleaners or if the diamond is heated to 1500 degrees or higher. (A jeweler’s torch) Jewelers often have techniques they will use to protect the diamond from the heat of their torch, so please just let the jeweler know that you own a clarity enhanced diamond. Believe it or not, some jewelers may actually not notice that you own a clarity enhanced diamond before they start to work on it. So don’t just assume they will notice, let them know in advance. Although Engagement Rings By Secret Diamond will re-enhance your diamond free of charge, most of our customers do not like to part with their engagement rings for any reason.
When the engagement ring that you purchased from us requires maintenance, we would like to recommend that you send it back to us. We understand that many of our customers admire their engagement rings so much, that they often do not want to part with it. We try our best to make it worth your while by really going the extra mile for you. This means that we will typically perform all necessary maintenance that is required such as re-rhodium plating your white gold engagement ring, inspect and tighten all prongs, perform a thorough cleaning, and buff & polish your engagement ring all at no charge to you. If you need any further maintenance that requires things such as replacing micropave diamonds, many times we we will even go so far as replacing them at no charge to you if it is within the first year from your purchase regardless of the reason, even from normal wear and tear. Of course all of our engagement rings carry a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects. Our goldsmiths are extremely experienced working on diamond jewelry of all types and are unsurpassed when working with clarity enhanced diamonds. You can be 100% confident that if you send your engagement ring back to us for any reason, we will treat it with the utmost care.
Several of our customers have also suggested other ways they like to use to clean their diamond engagement rings. Some use toothpaste and a soft bristled toothbrush. I would like to mention that it should be a non-abrasive toothpaste. Any cleaner you use on any fine jewelry should also be non-abrasive as this could scratch the metal holding your diamond or gemstones and lead to premature wear.
If you are comfortable with this technique, you may also try using Vodka to clean your clarity enhanced diamonds with. It actually works quite well and is totally safe for your diamond. If for any reason these techniques for cleaning and caring for your clarity enhanced diamonds are not adequate for you, just call us toll free at 1-877-999-9920 to discuss further options for all of your diamond jewelry care.
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This article is about diamond secrets revealed. Learn these little secrets about diamonds online, and buying diamonds will make more sense. The first little secret I would like to cover is that the vast majority of websites selling diamonds online do not actually own the diamonds, or even have them in their possession for that matter. There are 2 major diamond databases that exist for online diamond sellers to use. These diamond databases are where all of the major diamond cutters of the world upload their inventory to. Once they have uploaded their inventory to these databases, the online diamond retailers just pay a programmer to integrate a diamond search engine in to their website. These 2 diamond databases are managed by a company that works with the retailers and charges them a fee according to how many diamonds they want to list for sale on their website. The more diamonds that you list on your website, the larger the fee you will pay per month. If you pay close attention to the diamonds you are looking at, you will probably even see the same diamond listed on more than 1 website. You might even see it on for sale on several websites.
Note: I just looked at one of these diamond databases to see how many diamonds are available for uploading to a retailers website. There are currently 302,217 certified diamonds and 29,224 non-certified diamonds available. That is 331,441 diamonds total. No company I am aware of actually pays to list every diamond available. Many of them are very small or low quality and not worth paying to list. Retailers can limit the sizes that they list and may choose to only list diamonds that are larger than 1/2 carat for instance.
Have you ever gone shopping for diamonds and noticed that some websites tout how they have 25,000 diamonds available? Then you go to the next website and they have 50,000 diamonds for sale. And then you will even find some websites that have 100,000 diamonds for sale. Have you ever wondered how many diamonds 100,000 is? It’s a lot of diamonds. As I write this I am wondering myself how much space 100,000 diamonds would actually take up. I don’t know. I have never had even close to that many. 100,000 is probably a lot of diamonds to even the diamond mining companies.
Now let’s figure out in a pretty raw and quick form, how much those diamonds could be worth. Remember, some of those diamonds will be 1 carat, some will be 2 carats, and some will be 3 carats and even larger than that. So 100,000 diamonds is probably more than 200,000 carats. Now if you calculate that a 1 carat diamond of pretty decent quality can easily cost $4,000-$5,000 and 2 carat diamonds can easily cost $15,000-$25,000 and 3 carat diamonds can go as high as $70,000 (or higher for top quality) the total dollar value of those diamonds is staggering. Even though my formula may be inaccurate, I think if you were to know the actual dollar value of these 100,000 diamonds listed for sale on these websites, I believe that you would see for yourself that it is ridiculous to think they own them all. (Or even any of them)
Note: I just looked up the most expensive diamonds currently for sale on a well known website and listed them below. I have included all of the more popular diamond shapes and their specifications. The Most expensive diamond ever sold at auction was called "The Wittelsbach". It’s a 35.56-carat blue diamond that was mined in India and sold for $24,300,000 in December of 2008.
Price: $1,338,291
Carat weight: 11.52
Cut: Ideal
Color: D
Clarity: Internally Flawless
Can you imagine how expensive the round diamond listed above would be if it were a better color grade or better clarity grade, or both? WOW!
Price: $245,555
Carat weight: 5.00
Cut: Very Good
Color: F
Clarity: VVS2
* The Emerald Cut Diamond
Price: $920,104
Carat weight: 10.02
Cut: Very Good
Color: E
Clarity: VVS2
* The Asscher Cut Diamond
Price: $383,946
Carat weight: 8.22
Cut: Good
Color: H
Clarity: VVS2
* The Marquise Cut Diamond
Price: $662,594
Carat weight: 6.48
Cut: Very Good
Color: D
Clarity: IF
* The Oval Cut Diamond
Price: $538,996
Carat weight: 5.27
Cut: Very Good
Color: D
Clarity: IF
* The Radiant Cut Diamond
Price: $635,136
Carat weight: 11.16
Cut: Very Good
Color: D
Clarity: VS2
* The Pear Cut Diamond
Price: $1,112,115
Carat weight: 13.01
Cut: Very Good
Color: E
Clarity: VVS2
* The Heart Cut Diamond
Price: $617,935
Carat weight: 5.78
Cut: Very Good
Color: D
Clarity: Internally Flawless
* The Cushion Cut Diamond
Price: $539,721
Carat weight: 5.12
Cut: Very Good
Color: D
Clarity: Internally Flawless
Now if you add up the cost of these 10 diamonds, you will see that they total just under $7,000,000. Again remember this is just 10 diamonds listed on this website. Now imagine if you have 100,000 diamonds listed on a website. I would like to add that up for you, but unfortunately I don’t have a week to do it, but I am sure the total amount would be staggering.
My point is that if you sit down and really think about it, you will see that it is almost impossible for any ONE online retailer to actually own all of these diamonds. (Unless you are De Beers) You will certainly have a larger selection to choose from if you visit a diamond search engine with 100,000 diamonds listed, but don’t let them fool you in to thinking that they have them in their possession. Just call them for yourself and ask them to pull one out of their safe and examine it for you. They will more than likely tell you that they can’t. They will have to call the diamond wholesaler first and have them do it. They may try to tell you that it is out on "memo". This means that they "allegedly" loaned the diamond to another retailer to try and sell. This is probably the most widely used fabrication in the industry. It is simply used as a stalling technique to allow them more time to get the diamond in to their possession from the diamond wholesaler.
Now you are prepared with the truth about how diamonds are sold online. As you go shopping for your diamond engagement ring, call and speak with some of these companies. Listen for yourself to their answers and see if they are being honest with you about the diamonds they sell and their company. Don’t be afraid to ask them about their company and how they can assure you that you will be protected in your purchase. If you really want to be safe from unscrupulous "Diamond Companies", due your homework and be your own investigator. There actually are many good and honest engagement ring sellers out there today to buy from, just make sure you pick one of THEM!
A little bit about our engagement rings company. It’s called Engagement Rings By Secret Diamond and it is located at www.SecretDiamond.com. We are a custom manufacturer of designer diamond engagement rings. All of our engagement rings are handcrafted in the USA using only the finest materials. We make all of our engagement rings to order, per your specifications. You can have your choice of precious metal that include all of the following: 14k white gold, 14k yellow gold, 18k white gold, 18k yellow gold, Palladium and Platinum. We will make your engagement ring exactly to your ring size and we will even manufacture in 1/4 sizes. If you get the ring size wrong, we will resize it for free. All of our engagement rings are shipped fully insured and signature required. You are not responsible for a lost or stolen engagement ring unless you sign for it. Although our engagement rings website is built to cater to the clarity enhanced diamonds market, we also have access to all of the diamonds you see listed on other websites. We will make your engagement ring with the center diamond of your choice, whether it’s an EGL certified diamond, GIA certified diamond or certified clarity enhanced diamond. You may also purchase only the engagement ring setting if you would like and we use only non-enhanced diamonds in all of our settings. The diamonds in our engagement ring settings are all high quality diamonds with an average clarity grade of VS2-SI1, and average color grade of G. They are all very well cut diamonds that will sparkle nicely. Please feel free to call us on our toll free number at 1-877-999-9920 with any questions you may have. We enjoy speaking with our customers very much and we will take as much time as you need, to make you feel comfortable with buying a diamond online. We know it can be a little bit scary making such a large purchase, but we can assure you that we have done everything we can to make our company as transparent to you as we can. We have an excellent reputation and our standing with the BBB is top rated. We have never had even a single complaint registered against us in thousands of online diamond engagement ring transactions. We stand proudly by our record and we hope to hear from you soon.
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