Where you see loose cut diamonds for sale, before you simply jump in an buy here are a few points to keep in mind.
Most diamonds are not the best quality but some dealers will imply or infer that they are. It is a good idea to have an understanding on the cuts, color and clarity of diamonds and what the various gradings are. Then when a seller promotes a diamond as being of a certain grade one can see if it is worth while buying or not for the price asked for.
Assuming that the grading advertised is the actual grade of the diamond. It can be that a dealer will actually boost up the diamond grading by a grade to get more money for it. Stating that a VS1 or VS2 is a VVS1 or VVS2 (stating that an Very Slightly Included is actually a Very Very Slightly Included for example) can net a lot more money for the dealer and it is hard for the average Joe to tell the difference.
So it is very important that a GIA certificate is supplied with the diamond to show the true grading. The diamond should be sold with an independent laboratory report on that actual diamond to show the true qualities of the diamond in terms of color, clarity, cut and weight.
If you are buying online ensure that the seller offers a returns policy where you can reclaim your funds and return the stone if it is not as stated. You can check this yourself by getting the stone checked with a independent Lab. If it is a fairly large diamond you would want to do this anyway.
The colors of diamonds are varied and can come in virtually all the colors of the rainbow. Colored diamonds are rare however so one needs to ensure that the diamond is genuine first of all. Most of the diamonds you will see for sale are either white or yellow. If yellow this comes from the nitrogen in the diamond. The more yellow the less value the diamond is however as it reduces the sharpness and sparkle. The whiter the diamond the more sparkle it will have .
The one exception is the ‘Canary Yellow’ diamond which is a very beautiful and striking bright yellow and also very expensive!
The color of a diamond should only be done on a comparison basis with a master set or a colorimeter. A master set will be found in a gemological laboratory and has been pre-established in terms of color and whiteness. A colorimeter is a machine that can grade a diamonds color automatically.
The jeweler you are buying from should have a either and should be able to gain an exact color in front of you.
Practicing some due diligence when buying loose cut diamonds for sale is a wise move and can save you a lot of money!
