Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Loose Diamonds And Their Different Cuts

For most people, the only time they buy diamonds is when they want wedding or engagement rings. The smart way to go about this is to get loose diamonds first and have them set later. You can inspect them for defects better, and improve your chances of a good deal. However, you need to be meticulous when buying. It's easy to make mistakes and spend too much, or find yourself accepting an inferior diamond.

When looking at loose diamonds, you should confirm the diamond's value. You'll want to scrutinize each one for the four C's; carat weight, cut, clarity and color. But keep in mind that each diamond is unique, and it's unlikely for a single diamond to get two separate assessments with identical results. Ultimately, the value of a diamond is subjective, so you shouldn't be too engrossed looking for it's exact value.

The greatest diamond cut of all is the round brilliant cut. Thanks to the work of Marcel Tolkowsky, the proportions needed to get the most brilliance and fire out of a diamond were determined and popularized. Further innovations perfected Tolkowsky's measurements to optimize diamond's potential for brilliance.

The round brilliant cut is also the most enduringly popular cut. By comparison, different fancy cuts become popular in line with the current fads. Nowadays, people look for sparkle, so the heart, oval, and pear cuts are popular. However, the quality and value of a diamond relies on other factors. You can easily get a high value diamond of any cut - or low value, if you are not too careful.

So buy a diamond jewelry gift with any cut you desire. It may be a shape that catches you or your significant other's fancy, or one that evokes special memories or feelings within you. If all you want is a huge diamond, and you don't mind flaws, it's easy to get one for cheap. But even if you are buying cheap, you have to scrutinize your purchases to avoid getting gypped.

When it comes time to set your loose diamond, it's best to have it done by the same people who sold it to you. If you bring it to another jeweler, they won't want to be held responsible for any damage the diamond may incur during setting. If the seller won't guarantee their own diamonds, just forget them and look for a seller who does.

For most people, the only time they buy diamonds is to get engagement and wedding rings. The smart way to go about this is to find loose diamonds first and have them set later. The round brilliant cut is the perennial favorite diamond cut. The popularity of fancy cuts are dependent on prevailing trends. However, the quality and value of a diamond is dependent on other factors. So buy a diamond jewelry gift with the cut you prefer.

-Lorraine Jacobs

Diamond rings are more than just a luxury

For people with cash to spare, it is but natural to put these funds into an investment that would give more value to their money.To help their money grow, they would usually acquire assets like land or stocks and even condominium units because they can generate revenue as their value appreciates.

But while enormous and expensive assets may be the way for most people, others choose to invest on more enjoyable and less expensive items.And there is nothing more appropriate than to invest on their hobbies where they can directly enjoy money they have spent.

Some hobbies are also considered an investment because as time goes by they also increase in value just like luxury cars, fine jewelry and toys.But of course not all of them appreciate in value, only a selected type of toys or jewelry like diamond rings can really gain vale over time.

Some toys when kept in mint condition or intact in their boxes can sell at ten to twenty times its original value as time goes by.On top of the list of hobby investments that gains value over the years is fine jewelry.Jewelry with diamonds like diamond rings and bracelets can definitely get more valuable as the years go by.

Another good thing with buying diamond rings or necklaces is the fact that you can readily share this as a very meaningful gift for a loved one.Diamonds pretty much last for a lifetime so it can be smart investment compared to other things like cars or houses that can depreciate as time takes its toll and cause mechanical or aesthetic problems.

But overall, the way people spend their extra cash will solely depend on what their goal in the long run is.While there are readily available investments means, it might be also ideal to explore other avenues that not only gives more value to an investor's money but also entertain and feeds their hobby or interests.

Investments do not necessarily need to be traditional ones like land or mutual funds. Some investments can actually be a source of happiness and entertainment for an investor like fine jewelry or luxury vehicles. Just like land or stocks, diamond rings or luxury cars can appreciate in value over time and give the owners the option to sell it at for a much higher price after a few years.

-Lorraine Jacobs

Diamond Heart Jewelry: Check For Quality

The round brilliant cut is considered the gold standard for diamond cuts. Designed to maximize the potential of a diamond's brilliance, this cut is also known as the most improvident, with over half of the raw diamond disposed of to get to this ideal shape. Not to say that it's the sole shape diamonds should come in. In fact, the diversity of diamond cuts boosts their overall allure.

And diamond heart jewelry is as alluring as it gets. Heart cuts share a lot of characteristics as the pear cut, but vary in height and width. The heart cut retains some brilliance found in the round brilliant cut, but also exhibits the diamond's other qualities, like clarity. Bear in mind that this shape was not invented frivolously. The heart cut is basically the pear cut with a cleft added in.

Admittedly, not everybody likes diamond heart jewelry. Some people may feel that it is too juvenile to use in their wedding rings. Still, it is hard to question the romantic appeal of the heart shape. Since it is a relatively newer cut, there are less guidelines in making heart cut diamonds compared to round brilliant.

In comparison, with round brilliant cut diamonds, your primary concern really is just the brilliance of the piece. Diamond makers refined Tolkowsky's Ideal Cut, the original standard for the round cut. Thanks to advances in the science of refraction and manufacturing technology, they're able to utilize a raw diamond's potential to reach maximum brilliance.

It is crucial that you do a quality check before you acquire any diamond heart jewelry. Particularly, you need to check that it does not have any blemishes, cracks or other imperfections. Some imperfections are not visible to the naked eye, but still alter the diamond's value. These imperfections do become detectable under the microscope, and are considered when the finished diamond is graded and priced.

If you prefer to get more value for your investment, you should be on guard for enhanced diamonds. These are treatments performed on diamonds after they have been cut and polished, to eliminate these imperfections. Government regulations require that any enhancements be revealed to potential buyers. These treatments diminish their value and are only performed on seriously flawed diamonds.

It is crucial that you do a quality check before you acquire any diamond heart jewelry. Specifically, you need to verify that it does not have any blemishes, cracks or other imperfections. With round brilliant cut diamonds, your primary interest is in the brilliance of the piece. IYou should keep watch for enhanced diamonds. These are treatments performed on diamonds after they have been cut and polished to eliminate these imperfections and reduce their value.

-Lorraine Jacobs

Round Brilliant Cut: Increasing The Value Of Your Loose Diamonds

From the earliest times, diamonds have amazed mankind. They are the most admired ornaments that nature has given; they are things that symbolize beauty and forever. From all the stones that the world has introduced, diamonds are the most distinguished""appealing to people of all classes. Whether they are loose diamonds or blood diamonds, one thing remains a fact, they will continuously captivate the attention of generations of people.

Due to the visual pleasure we find on diamonds, they become the perennial articles used to seal symbolic occasions like engagements and weddings. Fine diamond rings and almost all articles of jewelry made from diamonds have turned into valuable belongings equally at par with real estate and artworks. Due to these, purchasing diamond pieces has turned into an endeavor that requires thorough understanding of the stones characteristics in order to make wise choices. Much has been discussed about the clarity, color and carat of diamonds, but little attention is given towards the value of diamond cutting.

Cut with an emphasis on diamonds, refers to the guide of style or design used to shape a diamond for polishing. This does not pertain to the shape of the diamond, rather the symmetry, proportioning and polish, which directly affects the stone's brilliance and fire. The history of diamond cutting can be traced from as far back as the middle ages, and has since been innovated until today. Despite the emergence of new cutting styles, the round brilliant cut remains as the most popular of its kind.

It was in 1919 that round brilliant cut was introduced by Belgian diamond cutter Marcel Tolkowsky to the public. An engineer by profession, Tolkowsky developed this cut based from precise mathematical and empirical analysis that accounted the essence of brilliance and fire in diamonds. As a result, a diamond that had undergone this cutting style exemplifies 58 facets; 33 of which are on the top of the stone and 25 are in the bottom part of the gem including its culet or point. In addition, a single cut produces two diamonds, one is larger than the other; hence, minimal diamond pieces go to waste.

A round brilliant cut diamond that is cut properly creates a shape that permits more light to reflect on the diamond in differing angles, enhancing its brilliance and fire. Due to its relatively safe shape, it is considered as the best choice of cut in terms of its "saleability," optics as well as insurability. Aside from the mentioned qualities, diamonds that are round brilliant in cut are also acknowledged for their flexibility to complement any forms of jewelry settings. Hence, it isn't surprising to know that about 75 percent of diamond jewelry sales are accounted to this type of cut.

If you intend to purchase loose diamonds that will be utilized to customize your chosen jewelry piece, it would be more appropriate to settle for pieces that are round brilliant in cut. Based from the characteristics mentioned above, this cut would surely help you maximize the value of your diamonds in many aspects including its saleability and insurability. Nonetheless, as it is truly versatile, it will not be a trouble anymore to find the right setting to use for your jewelry. Simply, diamonds that are round brilliant in cut will surely give you a run for your money.

If you are looking for diamonds, you may want to consider loose diamonds, which would give you the option to choose your desired setting for your fine diamond rings. However, to further maximize the value of these loose sparklers, pick the ones that have round brilliant cut. This cut is noted for its ability to exemplify the greatest brilliance and fire in diamonds.

-Lorraine Jacobs

Fine Jewelry: How Cut Affects Clarity

Is cut more important than clarity when assessing diamonds? You could spend hours speculating on the merits of one over the other. However, to get a clear answer, you need to grasp the relationship between the two. More importantly, you'll need to mull over what you value in fine jewelry.

A diamond's cut refers to its external proportions, as well as the skill of cutting and polishing. Diamonds can be cut in such a way that it reaches its highest selling price, or maximizes its capability for brilliance. The clarity of diamonds, on the other hand, refers to the number of imperfections a diamond has. Fewer imperfections lead to a higher quality diamond, which will make it both more beautiful and expensive.

Clearly, the skill with which a diamond has been cut will impact its clarity. In the diamond cutting and polishing process, this is one of the few factors which can be controlled. Only the most precise craftsmanship can guarantee that a raw piece of diamond will be recut into fine jewelry.

On the other hand, the clarity of diamonds can be poor independent of the quality of the cut. Clarity is also dependent on the quality of the unpolished diamond. As a consumer, you need to be conscious of this and check any diamonds you want to buy under a microscope or loupe to find flaws yourself.

When you look at a round cut diamond, you'll realize how vital it is to cut a diamond with a reasonable amount of skill. It will also become more apparent just how closely cut and clarity are connected to each other. Round cuts are famous for having the most potential for brilliance above all other cuts. Any mistakes in the cut or internal flaws, even minor, will decrease that potential considerably.

Do you like fine jewelry? Do you think it's the diamond with the best cut, or the highest clarity? You have to look at both factors. However, you can inspect the cut first, since it affects clarity, as well as carat weight. Prioritizing one of the four C's over the others is pointless, if you don't know enough about diamonds to start with.

A diamond's cut alludes to its external proportions, as well as the skill of cutting and polishing. The clarity of diamonds, on the other hand, alludes to the quantity of imperfections a diamond has. When you look at a round cut diamond, you'll realize how critical it is to cut a diamond with a reasonable amount of skill. Only the most painstaking craftsmanship can assure that a raw piece of diamond will be turned into fine jewelry.

-Lorraine Jacobs

Diamond Jewelry Gifts: The Best Ring Settings

Diamond jewelry gifts are probably the best tokens that one could give and receive. Although the value of gifts is not actually determined by their outside appearance rather from the sincerity of the one who gave such gifts, it cannot be overlooked that there are instances that we often take gratitude not only for the sincerity of the person but also the aesthetics of the gifts given to us. Taking these things into consideration, diamonds are the best tokens that could actually fulfill our emotional and aesthetic needs when it comes to gifts. Nonetheless, they are valuable pieces that would never fade and would last for the years to come.

When purchasing diamond for gifts, it would be more viable to go for loose diamonds since they are not yet set to any piece of jewelry. Meaning to say, you have the liberty to have it customized according to your own design preference in order to befit the purpose you have in mind. Similarly, it would be easier for you to have the gems appraised knowing that you could perceive their overall features. One of the most essential features that you would have to closely consider with loose sparklers is the cut.

It is imperative to exactly identify what cut is in reference to diamonds and how it is different from shape. Shape is associated to the outline of the gem's perimeter, while the cut or also referred to as make is what affects the appearance of the stone as it is associated to the proportioning and overall finish of the diamond, which are the two factors that helps the stone to produce fire or the rainbow we perceive inside diamonds and brilliance which refers to the liveliness or sparkle of the stone. Accordingly, a diamond with a good cut is more valuable than a diamond with a poor cut. There are several cutting styles that one could use in order to produce high-quality diamonds; however, the round brilliant cut is probably the most popular and most preferred by many diamond enthusiast.

Round brilliant cut is the most conventional means of cutting diamonds and is regarded as the best at producing prismatic effect, which means its shape produces the most sparkle due to its ability to reflect the most light on the top of the diamond. Diamonds that have underwent this method displays greater brilliance compared to any other diamonds because there are no corners where light could hide. This is the primary reason why the brilliance and fire of the diamond are exemplified at their maximum levels. Although there are shapes and cut that are comparable to round cut diamonds, the latter remains as the favorite of most jewelers.

Round brilliant cut diamonds are very versatile and will suit all kinds of jewelry setting. If you are looking for round brilliant diamond ring that you would be using for your proposal, there are actually many settings to choose from. The prong setting is probably the most traditional band setting wherein the diamond is held sturdily by four or six prongs of equal height in order to make the gem stick up away from the finger. A pave setting is composed of lots of diamonds set closely together and are held in place by little gems to the metal setting, while a bezel setting contains a metal rim or collar that completely encircle the sides or just a portion of a single diamond, extending slightly above the edges of the gem.

Other notable settings that you could use for your round brilliant loose diamonds include the channel setting, wherein several diamonds of similar sizes are placed into a metal channel so that they appear as a continuous row of diamonds, and the bar setting wherein the diamonds are placed in grooves separated by metal. Generally, there's no denying that diamond jewelry pieces are truly the perfect gifts that a person could give and receive as they encompass beauty, exquisiteness, and value. As such, if you wish to give something that is truly special to the person you love, diamond jewelry is the one that you should go after since it could best encompass your real emotions.

The beauty and rarity of loose diamonds are what make them the perfect diamond jewelry gifts. If you are thinking of giving a diamond ring to your loved one, it would be more preferable to choose loose sparklers that have round brilliant cut as they exude more brilliance and fire than any other diamond shapes. Likewise they are very versatile and could complement a whole range of settings.

-Lorraine Jacobs

Round Brilliant Cut: The Perfect Cut For Diamonds

Among the 4 C's of diamonds, cutting or cut is probably the least understood even though it greatly affects the cost and appearance of these articles of fine jewelry. It should be noted that well cut diamonds could cost as much as 40 to 50 percent more than poorly cut sparklers. Hence, it is important that a prospective buyer should understand what cut is. When referring to the cut or make of diamonds this is identified as the general symmetry, proportioning and finish of such gems that profoundly affect their ability to produce fire and brilliance.

Basically, there are three general cutting techniques employed for fine jewelry diamonds: brilliant cut, step cut and mixed cut. A brilliant cut utilizes several facets that are usually triangular and kite in shape and are arranged in a particular manner to optimized the diamonds' brilliance. A step cut have fewer facets than that of the brilliant cut, commonly rectangular or trapezoid in shape and are arranged in a linear format. A mixed-cut on the other hand integrates the elements used by both the step cut and brilliant cut styles.

From the above alluded techniques though, the brilliant cut is probably the most famous due to its ability to reveal the maximum fire and brilliance of diamonds. But, if combined with the right shape, a brilliant cut sparkler will surely overshadow other diamonds in terms of beauty and value. Even though there's a whole range of shapes that suit with brilliant cutting, it is probably the round shape that best complements it. In fact, round brilliant cut is already relative with the said cutting style.

Every round brilliant cut sparkler exudes 58 facets""33 are found on the top or crown, 24 are situated at the bottom, and the remaining one is at the point or culet. Smaller round brilliant diamonds are known as "full cut" stones in order to discern them from the so-called "single cut" stones which only exude 17 facets, or from "Swiss cut" stones that contain only 33 facets. Probably by now you're asking, what is so special about these round brilliant diamonds? To simply put it, as the diamonds cut this way have no corners they could reflect the most light that passes through them enabling them to produce the most brilliance, fire and liveliness.

Round brilliant cut is also an established favorite and "ideal" combination of cut and shape not only for its brilliance but also for its flexibility as seen from its ability to complement all sorts of articles of jewelry. Diamonds that are cut this way are often used as accents for engagement and wedding rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings since they could be easily arranged no matter what form or shape the jewelry has. Nonetheless, they befit all settings whether it is prong or pave. Basically, this cut warrants functionality and versatility that other cutting styles could not produce.

Of course, as stated earlier there are different cutting techniques that could be employed for diamonds. What might be preferred by most people may not be a particular choice for others. If you have the intent to purchase diamonds, regardless if they are loose or clarity enhanced diamonds, always consider the cut that you like and not the cut that your friend likes; remember proportionally cut diamonds does not always warrant the highest cut grades from GIA, there are actually diamonds that aren't cut ideally but they are far more valuable than the ones that have an ideal cut. The most important thing that you have to take is to compare diamonds of various qualities and prices as this is the most effective means for you to train your eyes in properly identifying which are the ones that show the greatest, brilliance, fire and liveliness.

When searching for fine jewelry diamonds it is important that you consider the cutting technique used for the sparklers as this greatly affect their ability to produce fire and brilliance. Round brilliant cut is probably the most promising cutting style employed on diamonds since it is capable of exposing the maximum brilliance of such stones. Regardless if you like loose or clarity enhanced diamonds, the round brilliant technique will surely make them more valuable.

-Lorraine Jacobs