International Jewels : Diamonds

Whether it be given for a birthday, anniversary or even just because, this versatile stone will make the perfect gift for that someone special at any time of the year. These stones can be placed into any piece of jewelry such as a necklace, rings, bracelets, earrings or tie tacs. Although public styles have changed thought the years the diamond has always remained consistent. Diamonds may be found either as a solitaire or used with other precious gems such as Sapphires, Rubies or Emeralds; and may be placed in a variety of metals such as Platinum, White Gold or Yellow Gold. You can find diamonds at all sorts of locations from jewelry stores or auctions to the home shopping network.

It is always important that when shopping for a diamond that you keep in mind the four C's. What are the four C's you ask? They are cut, clarity, carat, & color. The four C's are a system in which stones are graded in order to put a price on the stone. Cut refers to the proportions, finish, symmetry, and polish of the diamond. These factors determine the fire and brilliance of a diamond. Well cut diamonds sell at a premium and poorly cut diamonds sell at discounted prices. With the advent of technology, the cut of the diamond can be determined through the use of the Dia-Mension system, a computerized system which takes accurate measurements and proportions of a diamond in seconds, in addition to the standard millimeter gauge.

The care of your diamond is very important. Even though diamonds are the hardest natural substance known to man, a diamond will scratch another diamond. So it is important that jewelry not be stored together since it can be scratched or tangled. Also, diamond jewelry should never be worn while doing heavy work. Points are vulnerable to chipping and even everyday activity can loosen a setting. This is why it's important to visit a professional jeweler every six months to have your diamond's mountings and settings checked. It's also important to have your jewelry checked occasionally to make sure prongs haven't bent or weakened.

Although you can clean your diamond yourself, professional cleaning is always the best option. However, if a jeweler is not available, here is one simple way of cleaning your diamond. First, always make sure you stop your drain before cleaning your diamond or any other piece of jewelery. Using a mild liquid detergent(i.e. Dawn),soak your jewelry in a small bowl of warm,sudsy water made with any mild liquid detergent. Gently brush the diamond jewelry with a soft toothbrush while it is in the suds. Then, rinse each piece under warm running water. Pat dry with a soft, lint-free cloth.

When it comes to buying diamons, you can either go to mall store like Helzberg Diamonds and risk that you will overpay for a relatively low quality stone or you can become an educated diamond buyer by asking friends and co-workers for a a referral to a local independent jewler in you area. The big chain diamond stores at the mall prey on uneducated, spontaneous, or just plain lazy diamond buyers. So next time you are window shopping at the Helzberg Diamonds Jewelry store at your local mall, just keep walking. Resist the temptation of a Valentines Day Diamonnd Sale.

Comments from amanda in corpus
     Posted on: 02-27-2007
     Rating: Positive

do the four c;s really matter?.

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Comments from Marc in Midwest
     Posted on: 02-27-2007
     Rating: Positive

Amanda: isn't that a question to ask yourself?

The Four C's *are* a method of rating the quality of a diamond. The better the quality of the diamond the higher the value of the diamond. However, one must ask oneself of the importance of the value of the diamond they are receiving or wanting.

If you are solely concerned about the value, quality, and Four C's of the diamond you may be a bit materialistic. Not saying that being materialistic is a positive or negative trait, it could be argued either way.

the point being, to your question, is that you must decide how important the Four C's are too you. Maybe the four C's are not as important and you are just happy with a diamond ring that overall looks nice. I would say Kudos to that!

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