Practical skills for buying diamonds
1 Choose a brand diamond ring?
The answer is: choose a brand of diamond ring with low cost performance. A diamond ring consists of a bare diamond (the main stone of a single diamond) and a ring holder. The following are the reasons from these two parts:
1) rough diamonds: the quality of diamonds is mainly based on the international diamond classification. For a rough diamond, it is not from Cartier or Chow Tai Fook. They all come from several major diamond processing centers around the world, and the global grading standards for rough stones are very complete and detailed, so to some extent, it can be said that choosing diamonds is not about picking brands, but actually choosing certificates.
2) ring: most of the styles of diamond rings are simple and dignified, which can highlight the sanctity of marriage. The famous Tiffany style is the first choice for most marriage proposal diamond rings. The internationally popular diamond inlay style is not difficult for most Shenzhen processing plants. Of course, we should respect originality, which can be designed by designers.
Is it cost-effective to buy abroad?
The answer is: not necessarily.
Any product has its own sales chain, and diamonds are no exception. In the wholesale, distribution and retail, many people buy sapphires from the origin of gemstones at prices that are not low or even fake. Please don't blindly believe that foreign countries must be cheap, because diamonds (especially round diamonds) have a global unified guidance price. Rational consumers suggest to follow the unified 4C standard (unified standard is very important, otherwise it will be impossible to compare) to ask for prices from shopping malls, jewelry cities and trusted friends with relevant purchase channels, and then determine where to buy finally after establishing the basic budget.
Is there a standard price for diamonds?
The answer is: yes. Diamond is one of the most perfect gems, which is not only reflected in the quality grading standard, but also in the price standard. According to GIA's 4C grading standard, there is a unified standard quotation for international diamond trading. Of course, when it comes to the final consumption behavior, the price will deviate from the standard quotation, which is related to the cost and profit distribution of the middleman. The international diamond quotation sheet is updated every year, and consumers can find standard diamond quotations through the Internet.
What kind of diamond certificate do you choose?
The answer is: GIA certificate should be recognized for diamonds with a score above 50 (0.5 carat), and national inspection certificate can be used for small diamonds with a score below 30.
There are many kinds of diamond certificates, so I won't go into details here. It is recommended to look for the GIA certificate when buying diamonds over 50 cents, because the classification standard of GIA certificate is the strictest. Remember, unlike colored gems's appraisal, diamond grading does not depend on equipment and instruments, but mainly depends on the eyes of diamond graders. Everything the eyes see is biased. A relatively strict evaluation system can ensure the quality of diamonds to a certain extent and help consumers to test them with professional eyes.
5. Round diamonds or irregular diamonds?
The answer is: according to personal preference.
Special-shaped diamonds refer to all kinds of diamonds except standard round diamonds (the most common round cut on the market), including heart-shaped, princess-shaped, stepped and water-drop shaped. Some merchants say that irregular diamonds do not preserve value, while round diamonds preserve value. This statement is not appropriate. It's true that round diamonds have good liquidity, because round diamonds are still the mainstream in the overall market, but then again, who will sell their wedding rings? Therefore, personal preference is the most important when buying diamond shapes. Nowadays, many big brands are heterogeneous.
6 How to choose the grade with high cost performance for diamond 4C?
The answer is: determine the critical value of each C.
Diamond 4C classification is the first diamond classification standard system established by GIA in the world. At present, the major gem appraisal institutions in the world basically classify diamonds according to 4C classification. Diamonds are the most accurate and strict gems in the global grading standards. The unique management of 4C classification and certificate number makes it very easy to buy diamonds. Choosing a diamond is equal to picking a card and 4C.
1) Clarity: Clarity ranges from flawless FL/IF to P-level drilling (the worst clarity), and there are several levels in the middle, among which VVS/VS/SI is the most common, and each category is divided into two small levels.
Preferred definition: VS2. If the budget is low, SI 1 is acceptable, because in the diamond grading standard, SI 1 means that diamond graders can easily find inclusions or surface scratches that affect the clarity with a magnifying glass of 10 times, but can't find them with naked eyes. However, based on China people's overall pursuit of purity, I personally suggest that VS2 is safer, especially for irregular diamonds, and VS will also be a layer of guarantee for the firmness of diamonds. VVS is unnecessary, because it is difficult for a professional diamond grader to find foreign objects under a magnifying glass of 10, and it is not necessary to wear it.
2) Color Color: The color ranges from the whitest D color to the worst M/N color (usually yellow). Color is an important expression that determines the beauty of diamonds, so the color grade should be carefully selected.
Preferred color: F-G color. H color is called white in diamond classification, but actually there has been a slight yellow tone (depending on personal perception of color). Too white color will lead to high price, and diamonds below H color will seriously affect the aesthetic feeling because the color is too yellow, so F-G color is preferred, and H color can be considered when the budget is low.
3) Cutting: The cutting standards of round drills and special-shaped drills are different. Round drill has three cutting indexes: cutting grade, polishing degree and symmetry, and each index has poor, good, very good and excellent grades. For the standard round drill, it is best that these three indexes are the cutting standards of EX. Special-shaped drill has only two cutting indexes: polishing and symmetry.
4) Weight carat: There is no difference in weight, depending on the budget. Men who are going to propose should accurately estimate their fiancee's requirements for diamond size!
Do you choose colored diamonds? My personal opinion is that it is no problem to identify GIA.
8 What is no coffee? No milk? No fluorescence?
Brown diamonds belong to brown series diamonds and are called coffee diamonds. Cream-colored diamond refers to a large number of small inclusions (cloud inclusions) inside the diamond, which leads to a cream-colored appearance. Generally, cream diamonds will affect the refraction and transparency of diamonds, resulting in a foggy surface. Coffee diamonds and milk diamonds will not be shown on the diamond certificate, but usually merchants will tell consumers whether they are milk diamonds or coffee diamonds. Consumers are advised to ask whether coffee diamonds and milk diamonds are available when making inquiries and buying.
The fluorescence of diamond has nothing to do with the 4C parameters of diamond, so it can be used as an auxiliary index to evaluate the quality of diamond. If there is no fluorescence, it will be marked as "None" and "Weak" on the GIA certificate. There is no fluorescence on the domestic certificate at all, and many salespeople rarely mention it to customers. Of course, Ye Ye has recently seen a wonderful monopoly of "fluorescent diamonds", but everyone in the industry knows that the level of fluorescence will really affect the price of diamonds.
So usually when we choose diamonds, we have to choose: no milk, no coffee, no fluorescence.