2 Things You Need To Know Before You Buy A Diamond Online
Welcome to The Clear Cut Classroom, where we take deep dives into all things diamonds and jewelry!
Are you shopping for a diamond online? With the accessibility of online shopping, you can easily buy a diamond without ever needing to witness it in person. These are two tips we want to share with you before you purchase a diamond online so you have a safe shopping experience and get the best deal.
Is This Diamond GIA Certified?
Your diamonds MUST be GIA certified. GIA is the Gemological Institute of America and has the strictest diamond standards. GIA invented the color and clarity scales that we use today. There are other diamond labs that also offer certification but can differ extremely from GIA's standards.
GIA Certification
We sent in a diamond to be tested at GIA and a competing lab, the diamond came back from GIA with "I" color and "SI2" clarity grades. The other lab sent back the diamond saying it was a color grade "E" with "VS2" clarity. That is a huge difference. First and foremost, look for GIA certification with your diamonds, as GIA is the most credible and trusted institute.
When reading the GIA certificate for your diamond, check if it is a natural or lab grown diamond report. It is worth knowing that lab diamonds are selling for $100 to $200 per carat on the wholesale market in comparison to natural diamonds being in the thousands per carat.
Beware if round brilliant cut diamonds are described with very subjective words, like "perfect cut" or "super great cut". Round brilliant diamonds have a cut grade. The cut grade dictates the diamond's proportion, polish and brilliance. Look for a "triple Excellent" cut, this is the only measurable descriptor to use for the best round brilliant diamonds!
Cut Grades for Round Brilliant Diamonds
We also recommend looking at the diamond's fluorescence. 25% to 35% of natural diamonds emit some fluorescent glow under UV light. Fluorescence is ranked from None, Faint, Medium, Strong to Very Strong. We advise to avoid buying a diamond with Strong or Very Strong fluorescence because it will look milky, dull or oily in regular light.
Fluorescence Scale
All of these tips should help you narrow down which diamonds and sellers you can trust and continue your shopping with!
Can This Diamond Be Verified?
One key question you should know to keep yourself safe from any scams is to ask the seller to provide any additional images and information about the diamond. Ask for pictures of the diamond mocked up on a band or displayed on hand. Usually the images we see online from illegitimate sellers will be of diamonds that they do not have on hand. This can hint at the diamond is overseas or not in their possession yet. Trustworthy sellers will have their diamonds in person ready to sell.
Buying a diamond has never been easier in a time like now. If you shop around online, use these two suggestions as a guide to help you find more of what you want and less of what you want to avoid with diamond sellers.
Happy shopping and class is dismissed!