Why Should You Only Buy Certified Diamonds?

Diamonds are quite an appealing form of jewelry. Not only are they sparkly and pretty, they are one of the most expensive stones that you can find in necklaces, watches, earrings, wedding rings, and tons more. However, a lot of people try to find alternative forms of diamonds to cut costs; but if you do choose to purchase a real diamond, it is highly recommended to only buy certified diamonds. Read on to learn more…

What are Certified Diamonds?

You may be wondering what certified diamonds even are. Simply put, they are those that have passed a number of tests that grade their quality. Diamonds are graded using something called the 4C's. This includes color, cut, clarity and carat weight. Diamonds that are certified are those that have been tested for all of these attributes in a lab. If you are going to spend lots of money on a diamond, make sure that it is certified. Before talking about why this is important, let's discuss some ways that retailers will try to make their diamonds appear certified when they really aren't.

What is a diamond appraisal?

A diamond appraisal is a common tactic that sellers use to charge you too much money for a diamond. A diamond appraisal is essentially the process of having a diamond inspected and having the cost of it estimated. If the seller is not qualified to appraise the diamond themselves, they may get an insurance appraisal. In this case, a qualified person who is very experienced with diamonds will inspect and estimate the cost of the diamond. Sounds legit, right? Well, yes. This process is a good way to ensure that you are buying a real diamond. You will be given accurate information regarding the diamond as well. The only problem with insurance appraisals is that they will overshoot the cost.

Insurance appraisals often overestimate the cost of a diamond by 100% more than it should be. This is not a result of the appraiser messing up. The reason that the cost is driven up so much is due to the fact that it makes the jewelry store and the insurance company more money. Long story short, this may result in you paying $20,000 for a $10,000 diamond. However, when a diamond is certified, it is much more effectively priced. This is what you need to look for if you want to pay the true value for your next diamond. A diamond that has been certified will have proof of it. Before purchasing, make sure that the diamond has been certified by a legit laboratory. By doing a little research, you may save yourself lots of money.

How to pay less for your next diamond purchase?

Even if you pay $10,000 instead of $20,000 for your diamond, it is still very expensive. Thankfully, there are ways to save yourself money during the process of buying a diamond. Look for these characteristics when you seek out a diamond.

Slight inclusions

Perfect diamonds are unnecessary and over-expensive. With that being said, nobody wants a diamond that looks torn up and bad. But, tiny imperfections that aren't even visible to the human eye can drastically reduce the cost of a diamond. If you are willing to have an imperfect diamond (that will look the same), then this is a good option for you.

Less than one carat

Diamonds are expensive no matter how much you buy. However, as soon as a diamond reaches a whole 1.0-carats or a whole 2.0-carats, the cost increases at an exponential rate. Long story short, a .90 carat diamond is quite less expensive than the 1.0-carat alternative. Do you really need that extra .1-carats? Probably not.

Buy online

Buying diamonds online is another great way to save yourself money. Online sellers offer a much wider range of diamonds and costs. Buying in a fancy jewelry store is a great way to pay too much for a diamond.

Less expensive metals holding the diamond

If you are buying diamonds for jewelry, chances are the diamond is held in some kind of metal. The type of metal holding the diamond can greatly affect the overall cost of the jewelry. Consider purchasing a diamond that is held in a cheaper material if you want to save yourself some money.

Cluster diamonds

Buying cluster diamonds is another great way to save money on your purchase. Cluster diamond pieces are jewelry that contains little bits of diamond that are spread out. There are lots of high-quality jewelry pieces out there that use a cluster of diamonds rather than just one big one. Essentially, you will be buying less physical diamond which will save you money.

Loose Diamonds

Another great and effective way to save yourself money when buying a diamond is to buy only the diamond itself. A lot of diamonds are placed into expensive metals so that the jeweler can drive the price through the roof. To avoid paying too much, you can buy only the diamond itself. This will allow you to buy the diamond at its cheapest rate. Then, if you want to put the diamond into a ring or necklace, you can have it done.

Pure Colors

The final way to save money when buying a diamond is to buy less pure colored ones. The more pure a diamond is, the more expensive it will be. Buying diamonds that aren't as pure will looks almost the same, but will cost less.