Diamonds are a girl’s best friend

Ascertain your budget

As mentioned earlier, if you are buying diamond jewelry, the choices are endless. With several brands in the market today, it is often difficult to choose, not to mention paying more than what you had originally planned to. Ascertaining your budget will help limit your choices to only those items that fit your budget, which will not only make choosing easier but will also ensure that you do not start your new life with a huge debt.

Understanding the 4 C’s of diamonds:

When buying rings, you must always keep in mind the 4 C’s, namely cut, carat, color and clarity. These are the four essential aspects of any good diamond and if you understand these four factors, you will definitely buy a piece of jewelry that is extremely beautiful and worth the money you paid for it.

1. Cut: Diamonds should ideally sparkle, and this sparkle is attributed to the cut of the diamond. It is important to note that cut is the only man made aspect of the diamond, and it all depends on the skill of the cutter. It refers to the angles and proportions of the diamond, which will reflect light at its optimum. Given that it gives the diamond its sparkle, it is the most important aspect of buying diamonds.
2. Color: Initially, buying jewelry based on color was really easy, given that the most common variety available was in white. However, today, you have a plethora of colors to choose from, which can often make it a daunting task. You have a wide range of colors from light or pale yellow, to pink as well as colorless or white ones. Depending on the taste of your lady as well as what you are looking for, you can choose the right color.
3. Carat: This is the weight of the diamond in these real diamond rings. Always remember – more the carat, more expensive your ring will be. So, take your pick based on what suits your pocket and your recipient’s preference.
4. Clarity: Clarity simply means that the diamond has fewer imperfections. However, this is not always visible to the naked eye. When you find a diamond that does not allow light to sparkle despite a good cut, you can avoid it as it is likely to have more inclusions or imperfections.

Online versus brick and mortar:

When shopping for diamond rings, you can choose between an online store and your local brick and mortar one. The choice will largely depend on your comfort and need. There are several online stores, which have a wide range of diamond jewelry at a much lower cost. However, when shopping online, it is important to choose a store that is reliable and reputable to ensure that you are not cheated.

Certification:

Finally, when buying diamond jewelry, make sure that the store offers proper certification for the diamond in question as this is extremely important.

So, what are you waiting for? Do not hesitate, use these tips and dazzle your loved one with real diamond rings today.

However, from rubies to sapphires and garnets to topazes, it has been diamonds that have always stood out from the crowd and have never been classed as a fashion fad. Considering that most diamonds are at least 2 billion years old and have been sold and valued for thousands of years this puts our interest and love of diamonds back to our most oldest of ancestors.

But what is it that made our ancestors and us as modern individuals so attracted to diamonds?

It is of course a well-known fact that diamonds are the hardest stone of the gemstone family and will last a lifetime without damage. They are also known as the eternal stone, promoting eternal love and affection. Combine this with their amazing sparkle (which is referred to as their light performance), magnificent craftsmanship and stunning cuts they will always be first choice for anyone when it comes to a jewellery purchase.

Of course diamonds have always represented beauty, wealth and longevity which is why they are represented through the gifts given in loving relationships, and are given frequently as the ultimate relationship gift, a diamond engagement ring.

A diamond engagement ring may also be the only diamond many girls will own, so it is understandable how diamonds have become such a special and most precious possession in our culture today. Overall they appear to have qualities other precious stones just don’t possess.

However, this overall exclusiveness and romanticism is only one reason why we are attracted to diamonds. You don’t need to be in a loving relationship to appreciate the beauty and class of diamonds. Over recent years they have made their way into mainstream jewellery making it easier to select an item of diamond jewellery, which isn’t a ring, there are many more pieces available today in modern and classic styles.

We all like to treat ourselves from time to time and many of us will choose diamonds, maybe a diamond bracelet, necklace or earrings because, let us not forget diamonds are special stones that when purchased will represent a unique and individual time in our lives and quite simply make us feel a million dollars when they are worn.

Movie stars, models, the rich and famous have all in the past added to our love of what the diamond represents, as whether it is fast cars, designer clothes or diamonds we all as humans like to dream of owning objects that portray our wealth and status in society. This is carrying on in today’s generations as the ‘bling’ culture promoted by rappers through to footballers continues to advocate diamonds as a must have accessory for anyone who wants to be anyone.

However, whatever and wherever your introduction to diamonds originated from everyone will agree that diamonds are beautiful and when we wear diamonds, we feel beautiful too.

Diamonds share some common characteristics with coal. Both are composed of the most common substance on earth: carbon. What makes diamonds different from coal is the way the carbon atoms are arranged and how the carbon is formed. Diamonds are created when carbon is subjected to the extremely high pressures and temperatures found at the earth’s lithosphere, which lies approximately 90-240 miles below the earth’s surface.

The diamond was also used for some time as medical aid. One anecdote, written during the Dark Ages by St Hildegarde, relates how a diamond held in the hand while making a sign of the cross would heal wounds and cure illnesses. Diamonds were also ingested in the hope of curing sickness. During the early Middle Ages, Pope Clement unsuccessfully used this treatment in a bid to aid his recover. The popularity of diamonds surged during the Middle Ages, with the discovery of many large and famous stones in India, such as the Koh-I-Noor and the Blue Hope. Today India maintains the foremost diamond polishing industry in the world.

During the mid-nineteenth century, diamonds were also being discovered in eastern Australia. However, it was not until late 1970’s, after seven years of earnest searching, that Australia’s alleged potential as a diamond producer was validated.

On October 2nd 1979, geologists found the Argyle pipe near Lake Argyle: the richest diamond deposit in the world. Since then, Argyle has become the world’s largest volume producer of diamonds, and alone is responsible for producing over a third of the world’s diamonds every year.

The popularity of diamonds has risen since the 19^th century because of increased supply improved cutting and polishing techniques, growth in the world economy and innovative and successfully marketing companies Gem diamond judged by “4 Cs”

They are:

1. Carat Weight
2. Clarity
3. Color
4. Cut

Approximately 130 million carats [26,000 kg] are mined annually with the total value of nearly USD $9 billion. 49% of natural diamonds have been discovered and originated from central and southern Africa although the minerals have been discovered in Canada, Russia, Brazil, Australia and India.