BUYING THAT DIAMOND RING

BUYING DIAMONDS 

The Diamond Jewelry Market has been flooded with absolute junk, a market that was previously dominated by real, naturally mined diamonds. Since the advent of cheap cubic zirconia, cheap lab diamonds, and cheap simulated diamonds, people have been invited to embrace this deception.  Diamond simulants and  fake diamonds are essentially given fictitious and arbitrary values with the hope that the gullible and fickle minded will buy into this imitation market by investing their hard earned monies in worthless trinkets. Then they back-up the "trinket's value" with some dubious certificate to give it some form of imaginary status. However, the intelligent among them blatantly refused to get sucked into the junk jewelry market regardless of how beautiful the "jewelry" looks, purely because the junk is absolutely worthless. Bottom line, Diamond or nothing!

Fake Solitaire Diamond (Cubic Zirconia) in EP gold ring.

The cheap lab synthesized junk and fake diamonds are usually set in gold-plated / gold-overlay / rolled-gold /electro plating (EP) / gold-filled / rhodium plated or sterling silver or vermeil but I have seen them set in  solid white gold and solid yellow rings, solid gold  bracelets, broaches and pendants ranging in purity between 9kt and 24kt, and all I can say is, "What a waste of good gold".  A solid gold ring set with a naturally mined diamond, even if its but a chip that doesn't have the greatest clarity nor the best colour,  

is far more precious than a huge
worthless simulate  with the greatest 

clarity and the best of colour. 

Besides CZ and other simulants lack the hardness and the unique flaws of natural diamond, because its man-made and mass produced. In essence, that is what makes Diamonds great — God created, not man made. 

Fake Diamond (Cubic Zirconia) in EP gold ring.

Moissanite is  a naturally mineral that is extremely rear. Initially it was thought to be diamond but turned out to be of silicon carbide based. As such Moissanite  is currently chemically synthesized in laboratories and even passed off as diamond by the unscrupulous yet it doesn't have any real value and should be avoided in preference of real diamonds. They are cut differently and resemble the reflectiveness of a disco ball and easily distinguished from diamond.  Moissanite   is not as hard as diamond but its harder than Sapphire. There is an electronic device called a Moissanite tester that can determine whether any stone in question is synthetic Moissanite or the even  cheaper laboratory simulated cubic zirconia [zirconium dioxide (ZrO2)]. Synthesized Zirconia isn't very hard and is easily scratched, optically flawless and usually colorless, but can be made in a variety of different colors.  It is often tinted white and used in dentistry to make teeth or dentures. There are also  several electronic devices called Diamond testers that can test whether any stone in question is a real Diamond or synthetic Moissanite or fake Zirconia.  

Teeth made of Cubic Zirconia 

"Buying a diamond ring for your engagement
 or for your wedding ring can be a really
 wonderful experience or a freaking
nightmare considering that there
are so many fakes and imitation
jewelry on the market today".

Invariably when buying a diamond, the sales assistant is going to confuse you, when he or she starts talking pointers, VVS, I3, 3-sprong, 4-sprong, 6-sprong, RBC, colours D-Z, etc, and the rest of the jargon that goes with the diamond industry. But most of this has been explained in previous blogs. What you need to know, or at least look at, is the carat to millimeter conversion for RBC Diamonds because the sales person will sell you the diamond by carat weigh and not the physical size.  Right below this passage is a carats to millimeters conversion table to make selecting a real diamond easier.  The fakes are also sold by carat very much like the real thing, so all I can say is Beware! And don't be a fool because a fool and his money is soon parted.

Bear in mind the price of the diamond is directly related to its physical size (carat), its colour and clarity. Looking at the table below, a 1.0 mm diamond (.005 ct) could cost as little as $4.00 whereas a 6.5 mm diamond (1.00 ct) could cost around $3000.00, whereas a 11.25 mm diamond (5.0 carats) could cost around $35 000.00 or more depending on the 4 C's. 

Diamond mm to ct Conversion Table

1.0mm  =  .005 ct
1.1mm  = .0065 ct  
1.2mm  = .008 ct
1.25mm = .01 ct (1/100th carat aka 1 pointer)
1.30mm = .120 ct
1.4mm  = .0125 ct
1.5mm  = .015 ct
1.6mm  = .0175 ct
1.7mm  = .02 ct (1/50th carat aka 2 pointer)
1.8mm  = .025 ct
1.9mm  = .03 ct  
2.0mm  = .03 ct  
2.1mm  = .35 ct
2.2mm  = .04 ct (1/25th carat aka 4 pointer)
2.3mm  = .045 ct
2.4mm  = .05 ct (5 pointer)
2.5mm  = .06 ct  
2.6mm  = .065 ct
2.7mm  = .07 ct  
2.8mm  = .08 ct
2.9mm  = .09 ct
3.0mm  = .10 ct (1/10 carat aka 10 pointer)
3.1mm  = .11 ct
3.2mm  = .12 ct
3.3mm  = .14 ct
3.4mm  = .15 ct
3.5mm  = .16 ct
3.6mm  = .17 ct
3.7mm  = .18 ct
3.8mm  = .20 ct (1/5 carat aka 20 pointer)
3.9mm  = .225 ct
4.0mm  = .25 ct (1/4 carat)
4.1mm  = .275 ct 
4.2mm  = .30 ct (30 pointer)
4.3mm  = .3125 ct
4.4mm  = .33 ct
4.5mm  = .35 ct
4.6mm  = .375 ct
4.7mm  = .39 ct
4.8mm  = .40 ct (40 pointer)
4.9mm  = .43 ct
5.0mm  =  .47 ct
5.1mm  = .485 ct
5.2mm  = .50 (1/2 carat aka 50 pointer)
5.3mm  = .55 ct
5.4mm  = .60 ct (60 pointer)
5.5mm  = .63 ct
5.6mm  = .65 ct
5.7mm  = .07 ct (70 pointer)
5.8mm  = .75 ct
5.9mm  = .775 ct (3/4 carat)
6.0mm  = .80 ct (80 pointer)
6.2mm  = .85 ct
6.4mm  = .95 ct
6.5mm  = 1.00 ct (1 full carat)
6.6mm  = 1.10 carats
6.8mm  = 1.17 carats
7.0mm  = 1.25 carats
7.2mm  = 1.33 carats
7.4mm  = 1.50 carats
7.6mm  = 1.60 carats
7.8mm  = 1.75 carats
8.0mm  = 1.90 carats
8.2mm  = 2.00 carats (2 full carats)
8.4mm  = 2.15 carats
8.5mm  = 2.25 carats
8.8mm  = 2.50 carats
9.0mm  = 2.65 carats
9.2mm  = 2.85 carats
9.5mm  = 3.00 carats (3 full carats)
9.6mm  = 3.25 carats
9.75mm = 3.50 carats
10.0mm = 3.75 carats
10.25mm = 4.0 carats (4 full carats)
10.50mm = 4.25 carats 
10.75mm = 4.5 carats
11.00mm = 4.75 carats
11.25mm = 5.0 carats (5 full carats)

DIAMOND

COLOURED DIAMONDS

Diamonds are a girls best friend and are available in sizes ranging from smaller than 100th of a carat to as large as several carats, each priced accordingly. These diamonds are also available in almost every colour imaginable though white diamonds have always been the diamond colour of choice, purely because of its abundance. In the white range, diamonds leaning towards any particular colour tends to have a lower value, however if the diamond is vivid it tends to have a much higher value  than even the highest quality of white diamonds.  The Cullinan diamond is an example of highest grade colorless diamond which is both internally and externally flawless, valued at more than $400 million. Examples of other highly prized colour diamonds are the Blue Hope Diamond, featured in the movie Titanic, the pink Steinmetz Pink diamond and the Moussaieff Red Diamond, etc. Coloured diamonds are called fancy diamonds and are classified differently than regular clear diamonds.

The Cullinan Diamond's mate is the size of a chicken egg.
Mined at the  Cullinan mine South Africa's and i weighs more than 100 grams.

Naturally coloured diamonds change into a their various colours because of varying conditions they are  naturally exposed to, whilst they are being formed, making them no different from any other diamond because they are totally natural.  Natural Colour Diamonds are the world's most concentrated form of wealth and are the most valuable gemstones on earth. Whereas synthetically manufacture diamonds are essentially worthless, unnatural, normally flawless and shiny. 

It is therefore easy to recognise them because almost every diamond out there have some form of black carbon spots within, that didn't complete its transformation into diamond. These range from VVS1 to VVS2 to VS1 to VS2 to SI1 to SI2 to I1 to I2 to I3. Meaning it is better to have a diamond with an internal flaw than to have a flawless synthetic diamond or a simulated diamonds that is made in a laboratory. Synthetic and simulated diamonds should however never be confused with real diamonds that are synthetically radiation treated by gemologists in a laboratory to enhance there appearance.  

Regardless of where the diamonds are mined or which country they comes from, coloured diamonds can be extremely fashionable and are very rare, hence gemologists colour diamonds to increase their appearance and their value. People tend to mistake colour diamonds for different coloured gemstones, confusing Red Diamonds for  Ruby  or Garnet or Tourmaline or Andesine, etc. Or they confuse Blue Diamonds for Tanzanite, Sapphire, Aquamarine, Aquamarine, Topaz, etc. Or they mistake Green Diamonds for Emerald, Tourmaline, Peridot, Jade, Sapphire or Agate. Or they confuse Champagne Diamonds for Tiger's eye, Agate, Tourmaline, etc. Or they mistake Black Diamond for  Onyx, Agate, Sapphire or Tourmaline and the list goes on.

Natural Fancy Diamonds. 1 Diamond out of 10,000 diamonds is a Natural Colored Diamond. Besides no two fancy diamonds are alike.

Having said that, many people give different meanings to coloured diamonds and believe in its meanings,  much like they have attributed to different coloured gemstones.  It is believed Red coloured diamonds represents confidence and power and in Chinese culture,  red symbolises good luck, good fortune and joy.. 

Pink coloured diamonds are representative of creativity, love and romance and most women simply love pink.  Orange coloured diamonds symbolise energy and enthusiasm and Japanese equate orange with the rising sun and the source of Chi. Yellow coloured diamonds represents friendship, happiness and joy and every marriage could do with a large dose of that. Green coloured diamonds symbolise wealth and nature. Blue coloured diamonds represent peace, spirituality and good health and tje ideal gift  for  brides to wear  “something blue” on wedding day.

The colour Black is often seen as a negative colour, but a black coloured diamond have recently become widely popular and represents sophistication. Black is beautiful and expensive too. 
Purple or violet coloured diamonds represent luxury, nobility and spirituality and has always  seen as a royal colour and worn since the time of the Roman empire as a statement of power. Champagne or tan/brown coloured diamonds are often connected with the earth, eco-friendliness and represent harmony. But these meanings should not necessarily be taken to heart and  are purely symbols created by people for fun and the love for nice things.  When choosing a coloured diamond as a gift, base your decision on the significance of the person who will be wearing it rather than on hype. Enjoy!

THE WORLDS SECOND BIGGEST DIAMOND

THE WORLDS SECOND BIGGEST DIAMOND

Since the discovery of the the words largest diamond in 1905 at Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa, millions of carats of gem quality diamonds were uncovered globally, the majority of them though relatively small. Most weighed in at less than 10 carats, with a clarity less than flawless, with a colour less-than  brilliant white and had to be cut to smaller sizes before polishing to get the best out of each diamond. One hundred and ten years later the worlds second biggest diamond was discovered at Karowe mine north of the capital Gaborone in Botswana. The worlds largest diamond weighed in at 3,106-carat, a good 1.33 pounds whereas the worlds second largest weighed in at  1,111-carat. The  3,106-carat diamond was known as the  Cullinan  Diamond or the Great Star of Africa, but was subsequently split into 9 unequal pieces, and about 100 small stones. The largest 3 pieces became known as the Cullinan  1, II and III or the  Star of Africa I, II and III.  Thus far the world's largest diamonds all came from diamond mines in South Africa.

The Cullinan Nine without the 100 tiny cuttings.

It will be quite some time before an exact value can be attached to the 1,111-carat diamond below, especially if the entire diamond can be retained as a single stone, its value could be twice that of the Cullinan diamond which is currently valued at over $400 million. Can you image a diamond as big as a tennis ball? and what its value would be? 

The World's second largest diamond that could the value of Cullinan I.

There are also several other prized diamonds most of them colour diamonds amongst which are the Moussaieff Red Diamond wighing in at 5. 11 carats (1. 022 grams), the Heart of Eternity Blue Diamond weighing in at 27. 64 carats  (5.528 grams), the Wittelsbach Der Blaue Diamond weighing in at 35. 56 carat (7.11 grams), the Steinmetz Pink Diamond weighing in at 59.60 carat (11. 92 grams), the De Beers Centenary Diamond weighing in at 273. 85 carat (54. 77 grams), The Hope Diamond weighing in at 45. 52 carat with 9. 10 grams, the Cullinan Diamond weighing in at  \530.2 carats (106.0 g) and lastly the Golden Jubilee Diamond is the largest cut and faceted diamond in the world and  weighs in at  545.67 carats (109.13 grams). These diamonds are listed by size and not their value. 

Fake glass replicas of the Cullinan Nine.

Suffice to say the worlds second largerst diamond is the Jewel in the Crown of Canadian mining company Lucara because it is the biggest diamond ever to be discovered in Botswana and the also the largest find in more than a century. However to crown it all, they found two additional gem quality white diamonds weighing in at 813-carat and 374-carat from the same min in the same week. Consequently Lucara’s stock price rose by 32%, adding and additional $150 million to its market value.

The Diamond business can be categorized into four divisions.

1) The fist of which are the Miners and producers, who mine rough diamonds, then sort and sell them.
2) The second of which are the Cutters and polishers  who buy these rough diamonds then cut and polish them.
3) The third of which are the Jewelry manufacturers who create finished pieces from the polished stones
4) The fourth of which are the Retailers who sell the finished jewelry to consumers.

Among the consumers are collectors of fine jewelry who invest millions of dollars into these highly prized stones. But the majority of consumers are men, buying diamond jewelry for the girlfriends, fiances, wives and daughters. It is therefore every woman's duty to give their husbands to be and education in diamonds, so that they can know all about diamonds.

ALL ABOUT DIAMONDS

ALL ABOUT DIAMONDS

They say Diamonds are  a girl's best friend. So isn't it customary for every girl to know to everything about their best friend? The following blog is all about what every woman should know about Diamonds! 

At the very least, each and every woman should know the 4 C's of Diamonds, viz. Cut, Clarity, Colour and Carat. Diamonds comes in various shapes which is rather referred to as "The Cut". There are several cuts, among which are  brilliant Round Cut Diamonds, Cushion Cut Diamonds, Marquise Cut Diamonds, Pear Cut Diamonds, Princess Cut Diamonds, Square Cushion Cut Diamonds, Asscher Cut Diamonds, Oval Cut Diamonds, Radiant Cut Diamonds, Emerald Cut Diamonds, Triangle Cut Diamonds, Straight Trillion Cut Diamonds, Baguette Cut Diamonds, Curved Trillion Cut Diamonds, Calf Cut Diamonds and Heart Cut Diamonds.

Diamonds are predominantly white but also comes in various colours which include blue, pink, red and yellow, etc. But White Diamonds comes in many shades which are graded from "Colour" D to Colour Z" in groups of a few letters as seen below. Group D, E and F are considered Colourless and fetch the highest price. 

Most Diamonds fall between Group G to J and Group K to M are near colourless or faintly yellow. Category N to R Diamonds are very yellow but the difference between M and N are hardly  noticeable.  Diamonds in group S to Group Z tend to have a much lower  monetary value than the higher groups.

Diamonds have "Clarity" which refers to transparency, luminosity and brilliance with the least amount of unformed carbon specks inside of it. Category FL-IF stands for Flawless and Internally flawless and commands the highest price tag. categories VVS1&2 and VS1&2 are the most commonly used Diamonds for jewelry especially solitaire wedding and engagement rings. 

SI1&2 tend to be smaller stones with a lower price tag yet are very beautiful stone. The imperfections inside of them can hardly be seen with the naked eye whereas category I1&2&3 imperfections are visible to the naked eye but are none the less valuable. Having said that, it is far, far, far better to invest in a category I diamond than in a "fugazi", fake, cubic zirconia.

The Diamond shapes below gives you an idea of the pavilions and culets  of the various cuts and the image above is a mix of various shades of clear diamonds.

Some of the popular diamond cuts

So whether you say dimons, diamonds or diamonds we know what you mean. The image below constitutes 10 carats of Diamonds, a sight very few people has ever seen. If all these mini diamonds were a single 10ct Diamond, Colour D, Clarity FL and Brilliant round cut it would certainly be valued at approximately two million USD of more.  As can be seen the chips below come in various colours,  hues, reflections and  shades, thus needs to be sorted before it can be used as pave.

Most people have never seen a collection of 10 carats of Diamonds.

The image below shows the geometry of a diamond with its various areas labeled for sake of making conversation about Diamonds. This is what every woman should know about diamonds.

The labels of diamonds

The phyical width of the girdle is tiny but often serves as a name / number plate for the more upscale expensive / exclusive diamonds. Serial numbers and valuation certificate numbers are sometimes inscribed thereon with a lazer.

A diamond laser inscription is often also a combination of letters and numbers etched in a diamond's  girdle which serves as a unique ID number which would assist in identifying any particular stone if needs be.  Inscriptions help identify your diamond among other stones if stolen or exchanged by unscrupulous diamond merchants.

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TWO TONE JEWELERY

TWO TONE JEWELRY

Jewelry has been around for eons. Mankind has adorned himself with necklaces, wrist, ankle and neck bracelets of every kind since time immemorial. Be it animal bones, sharks teeth, rabbits foot,  glass beads, copper plate, silver of gold. Precious stones and noble metals has always been a gift of love. 

Jewelry made of Indian Red Gold or Yellow gold has always been a favourite especially for use with coloured stones, like Amethyst, Ruby, Diamond, Sapphire, Tanzanite, Garnet, Topaz, Emerald, Tourmaline etc. 

White gold became  the favorite for jewelry made to showcase white and clear stones such as White Diamond, white Topaz,  White Sapphire, Colorless Zircon,  Silver Topaz, Colorless Sillimanite etc, because they are  the most versatile choice for jewelry since they complement any and every outfit. 

However, two tone gold jewelry has taken the world by storm and it is here to stay. They are exceptionally versatile for both coloured stones and clear stones and has become a clear favourite with new brides. Not only does it look stunning, the workmanship is pure works of art and the finished product, a piece of value to be treasured. 

The following pics are just some of the jewelry pieces favoured by brides both young and old. I think two tone jewelry has stood the test of time and will never look dated or unfashionable. If you in the market for a wedding or engagement ring, a dress ring or even a watch, it is high time that you invested in some two tone jewelry with a stone of you choice to the value that you can afford. 

Without a doubt two tone jewelry is much more appraised than monotone jewelry. The proof speaks for itself which is seen worn more and more by wedding couples who we photograph.

Rolex watches were one of the first to embrace two tone jewelry before the fashion world caught on. Today you'll find rings in two tone gold bit also two toned stones. Tanzinite and White diamond is a universal favourite and comes in tennis bracelets, rings, pendants broaches, hat pins and even cuff links. Yep fashion jewelry isn't exclusive to women folk, the men folk has cottoned to the beautiful jewelry for the purpose of adornment and investment.

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DIAMONDS GOING GOING GONE

DIAMONDS ON AUCTION

For quite some time now, I've been shopping around for a very specific nikon telephoto lens for my wifes nikon camera. One could say its like shopping for that perfect diamond.  So after checking out several auction sites I finally found what I was looking for, however I decided not to bid because the auction still  had two days and a few hours to run. My strategy was to bid a few minutes before it ended. Meanwhile I was looking through some of the other goodies on offer. I saw a coffee mug replica of a canon lens which I was going to buy for R45 as an outright purchase but after reading the small print and the post and packaging information I decided against it. Packaging was an extra R100, more than twice the price of the cup which in the first place I thought was bit expensive, yet I was still willing to buy it. Ya, that underhandedness  just put me off. 

So I  looked at the jewelery since I occasionally buy loose diamonds, wedding  and engagement rings. There were several diamond rings even tanzanite and diamond ones. So I looked at the bid price which was really low, so I ticked it as "watch" item. The following day I logged-in once more, only to see that the solitaire diamond ring didn't gain much interest. So I thought I'll make a bid.   But first I had to check out the small print and postage and packaging info since some suppliers lose money on the product they sell and try to make up their losses by charging exorbitant postage and packaging fees. The  solitaire diamond looked stunning. It was a 1.25 carat stone with 4 double claws. It was a must see. 

However looking at the specs it turned out to be a simulated diamond. Not even a CZ.  It was fake, a fugazi very cleverly passed off as diamond.  Fortunately I didn't bid "on this sudo "diamond". But then again I wouldn't have if I didn't verify the product and even checkout the supplier's record to see what other diamond rings he / she may have sold. I felt a bit disappointed and logged off. Much later, when I realised that the nikon lens  auction came to end, I logged in but was too late. The auction had ended but the nikon lens was sold for almost twice as much I was willing to pay.

Anyway to get back to the forgazi "diamond". It is far better to buy a flawed diamond with a visible speck like an I-2 diamond or even an I-3 diamond, than waste any money on a Cubic Zirconia, a lab diamond, or simulated diamond because they have no resale value. They are just a waste of time and money. Besides  would you want a "diamond" ring from your man that is worthless? So insist on a real diamond even if its just a speck. It is far better and far more valuable that any of those make believe pieces of worthless bling. Remember that diamond, even just a speck,  is already 3 billion years old and  you and I will never be able to outlive it. So it is the perfect heirloom to hand down because Diamond is the hardest substance known to man and nobody can outwear it.  Diamonds are forever and diamonds are a girl's best trend.

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