FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT DIAMONDS

1. ARE DIAMONDS VERY RARE?

No, diamonds are not rare. It is DeBeers that creates the shortage, while in fact there naturally there are plenty of diamonds in the world. DeBeers basically regulates the number of diamonds put out every year which is one reason they are costly. There is really enough diamonds to give each man, woman and child in the United States a whole cupful.

2. ARE DIAMOND THE MOST EXPENSIVE GEMSTONE?

Well diamonds are quote expensive, but there are a few other more expensive gemstones out there. For example, a top quality ruby can be worth over thirty thousand dollars a carat.

3 ARE FANCY SHAPED DIAMOND MORE DIFFICULT TO CUT THAN A ROUND DIAMOND?

All diamonds, to a certain degree, are difficult to cut, and some very large diamonds take more time and effort to cut than smaller diamonds do. However, the shape does not mean a diamond is harder to cut. It's just if you want a unique shape, it might be more expensive due to the economical status (supply vs. demand) where as many people look for round diamonds, but not many people look for a diamond that looks like a star. So it might be more expensive since it would have to be specially cut.

4. IS IT DIFFICULT TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DIAMOND AND A CUBIC ZIRCONIA?

Any good jeweler can tell the difference immediately. A cubic zirconia has more of a plastic look. There seems to be a light-blue cast throughout the entire stone. One sure way to determine the difference is by weighing the cubic zirconia. A cubic zirconia will weigh approximately 65 percent more!

5. WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT C OUT OF THE FOUR DIAMOND C's?

Technically I like to think that there is more than 4 C's: I think of the 7 C's : Color, Cut, Carat Weight, Clarity, Certificate, Cost, Common Sense. They are all important. However, the final one that makes it or break it, I would say is COST. Find a budget and stick with it.

6. SHOULD I GET A PLATINUM SETTING OR A GOLD SETTING?

A platinum setting will usually work best with a diamond, although it is usually a little more expensive. However, if you have a very clean, good diamond, then the platinum can make it stand out. Yet, In the same situation, if you had a gold setting, the gold might make the diamond look more yellow than it really is, which is not a good thing. I would say if your looking at grades D-G and IF - VVS2 you should stick with platinum, but in the end the choice is yours.

7. IS THERE SUCH A THING AS COLORED DIAMONDS?

YES ! Most people have never even heard of colored diamonds. Almost all of the publicity and advertising for diamonds is slanted towards convincing consumers that white, or more accurately colorless, is the only desirable color for diamonds.
Diamonds occur in a wide variety of colors. Many of these colors are very attractive and the diamonds, due to their rarity, are even more desirable than colorless ones. This is especially true of intensely colored diamonds. You may wonder why, if colored diamonds are so fabulous, why don't you hear more about them?

Probably the main reason why colored diamonds are hardly ever promoted is the very fact that they are so rare. Why bother to promote something with a very limited supply that you can't get enough of? Intense, or "canary" yellow is the most common, with only a handful of natural blues and reds even known to exist. The prices for these natural colored diamonds can easily top $100,000 per carat, with some reaching well over $1,000,000. The only reputable color diamond dealer that we have ever found is www.am-diamonds.com