Choosing the right diamond jewelry piece for you
Many people think that buying jewelry with diamonds is a wise investment. But that’s not true, or more precisely - not exactly true.
Today, jewelry stores all over the world are packed with standard-issue pieces studded with tiny diamonds. As a rule, they are of little artistic value. The price band of such pieces, like rings and earrings, ranges in the neighborhood of USD 1,800 per item. However, you’ll never recoup even half of this amount if you decide to sell the piece.
Another matter entirely is large diamonds, which are always highly valued and virtually always in demand. But that doesn’t mean that selling such a piece is necessarily easy or profitable. Usually, when you need cash in a hurry, it’s hard to make a quick sale and immediately recoup your costs. A good sale of a piece with large diamonds requires time, a fitting occasion and the right set of circumstances. And only large “fantasy” stones, unique in terms of both weight and characteristics, are sold at auction for millions. That’s what makes a good capital investment.
But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t buy a jewelry piece with smaller diamonds. You simply have to keep in mind that you’re buying it for your own pleasure or to delight a loved one - but certainly not as a sound investment. And if it’s a tasteful piece, rendered by hand with jeweler’s precision, not mass-manufactured, you’re sure to be pleased - especially when you see how happy you’ve made the person who receives it as a gift... Pay close attention to the author’s whimsy, the presence of enamel, the precision “cornering” of the setting and fine execution of the “reverse” side.
(The corner is the sliver of metal raised onto the stone and shaped like a tiny bead. As a rule, 2-4 of them are positioned around the stone.)
In the professional jewelry industry, the quality of a diamond is expressed in numbers.
Smaller diamonds, weighing up to 0.29 carats, are rated on a purity table from 1 to 9. That said, the number 1 indicates that the stone has no defects or inclusions. The instrument used to determine purity is a lens with 10x magnification. As a rule, in the scrupulous jewelry trade, the most commonly-encountered diamonds have a purity grade of 3,4,5. This represents a perfectly acceptable level of quality for everyday jewelry pieces. Stones graded 1 and 2 are encountered more rarely and cost more, but even a specialist couldn’t distinguish a 3-purity stone from a 4 or 5 when the diamond is of such little weight.
So, relax and just wear it...
The color of a diamond is also designated by number. For a diamond weighing up to 0.29 carats, this ranges from 1 to 5. That said, 1 refers to a colorless diamond, while 5 means that the stone is lemon-yellow with shades of brown. In the Russian jewelry business, the most commonly-encountered diamonds have a color rating of 2-3. That said, the number 3 denotes a barely discernible shade. And if you can’t see it with the naked eye, wear it to your heart’s content.
Author: A.G. Ananov