The first synthetic diamonds were produced
by General Electric in 1954. A synthetic
diamond is basically a rock that has the
durability, refractive index and hardness of
a natural diamond – but it is made by man.
A synthetic diamond should not be
confused with stimulant diamonds, such as
glass, cubic zirconia, or moissanite.

Although the technology for synthetic
diamonds came into play in 1954, no
synthetic diamonds were ever seen on the
market until the 1990’s. This was due to the
fact that it took many years for General
Electric to produce a synthetic diamond that
could compare with the quality of a natural
diamond – and when they figured out how to
do it, they found that it cost more to produce
a synthetic diamond than it did to mine and
cut natural diamonds.
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Synthetic Diamonds

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A dirty diamond is one of two things: a rough
diamond, or a diamond that hasn’t been
cleaned in a while. Rough diamonds are
uncut and unpolished – hence, they are dirty.
But that type of dirty diamond will soon be
cut and polished and sitting in a beautiful
jewel box in a display case. Then someone
will purchase it, and before long, it will
become a dirty diamond once again.

Diamonds become dirty. When you wash
your hands with a diamond ring on, soap
scum clings to it. When you put on hand
lotion, it gets grease on it. Shower with your
diamond earrings or necklace, and again,
you get soap scum. In one short day, your
brand new diamond could be dirty!
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What Are Dirty Diamonds

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Diamonds are graded for certification by
laboratories using grading criteria. Four of
these criteria are critical to understand when
making a diamond purchase or investment.
Known as the “Four C’s” these criteria are:
color, cut, clarity and carat.

Color is the result of the composition of a
diamond and it does not change. When a
jeweler is describing the color of a diamond
they are referring to the presence or absence
of color in white diamonds. Because a
diamond with no color allows maximum light
to pass through, colorless diamonds are
preferred for their sparkle.
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Selecting Diamonds

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Insuring a diamond takes a bit of thought,
planning, and shopping around. Diamond
insurance isn’t like purchasing car insurance.
It is quite different. Depending on the state
that you live in, there are basically three
different types of policies that will cover
diamonds, and all insurance policies that
cover diamonds are considered Marine
type policies.

The first type of insurance policies for
diamonds is an Actual Cash Value policy.
If the diamond is lost or damaged beyond
repair, the insurance company will replace
the diamond at today’s market value, no
matter how much you paid for the diamond
to begin with. This type of insurance policy
for diamonds actually is not that common.
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Insuring Your Diamonds

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In this world of advanced technology it is
almost impossible to simply look at a
diamond and determine whether it is real or
not – especially if you don’t know much
about diamonds. There are some steps that
you can take to avoid buying a fake diamond,
however.

First, only deal with reputable jewelers, and
when you find a reputable jeweler, stick with
them. Avoid buying diamonds or other
jewelry from jewelers that you have never
dealt with before in the past. Ask to see the
certificate for the stone. If no certificate exists,
walk away.
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How to Spot A Fake Diamond

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There are many reasons why you may want
to sell a diamond that you own. Perhaps
you’ve gotten divorced, or you are strapped
for cash. The reasons why don’t really matter
– getting the best possible price is what
counts! The way to obtain the best price
for the diamond is to not be in a rush. Slow
down, and carefully consider all of your
options – there are many.

First, have the diamond appraised. In fact,
have it appraised by two or three jewelers to
get an accurate idea of the diamonds value.
Tell the appraiser that you want the Rapaport
Value. This is the wholesale value of the
diamond, and it basically tells you the highest
price that you can sell your diamond for. If your
diamond has no certificate, you should
consider getting a certificate from GIA. This
may help you get a better price for the
diamond as well.
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How to Sell A Diamond

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Through our day to day movements our
diamonds get smudged and soiled. Even
when we are not wearing them, they collect
dust. Lotions, soaps, our natural skin oils,
can cause film and grime on diamonds
and inhibit their brilliance.

Want to keep that Brilliance and Shine?
Diamonds require cleaning so that maximum
amounts of light can refract fiery brilliance.
Remember that all it takes is a few minutes
and a little care to keep that diamond as fiery
as the day you first saw it.
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How to Clean your Diamonds

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Caring for a diamond takes more than
occasional cleanings. Diamonds are forever,
but they can be damaged if you are not
careful. By learning how to properly care for
your diamond, you will ensure that your
diamond is indeed forever.

First, you should take your diamond jewelry
to a jeweler once a year. Have him check the
mountings and prongs that hold your
diamond in place. Have him make any
needed repairs. This will prevent your
diamond from falling out of its setting and
becoming lost.
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How to Care for Your Diamond

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There is much to consider when purchasing
a diamond – especially diamond
engagement rings! The tradition of
presenting a woman with a diamond
engagement ring when proposing began in
1477 when Archduke Maximilian presented
a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy – and
in most cases, the woman you plan to
propose to will expect a ring to accompany
that proposal!
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How to Buy Diamond Engagement Rings

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Pricing most products is quite easy.
Determine how much it costs to make the
item, how much it costs to market that item,
and then mark it up by 15 – 30% or more.
Simple, right? Well, pricing diamonds isn’t
quite that simple. There are many factors
that are considered when diamonds are
priced.

Diamond prices are determined first by
adding the cost of the rough diamond, the
cost of cutting the diamond, and all other
costs necessary to turn the rough diamond
into a marketable diamond. Depending on
the importance of the diamond, an
independent company may be called in to
certify the grade of the diamond based on
color, cut, clarity, and weight.
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How Diamond Prices Are Determined

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