Diamonds are in high demand the world over – who doesn’t like a little bling? Their value comes from the tightly controlled diamond supply the world over. As an investment, they have advantages too – the value stays constant or appreciates, and they are highly portable.

But, before you start buying diamonds, you need to know a few important details about them. If you don’t, you could end up getting a very bad deal. In fact, when it comes to using diamonds as an investment vehicle unless you are an expert on the subject, it would be better to invest in real estate.

In this post, we are going to look at what you need to check before putting any money down. If you are buying diamond jewelry, we recommend that use a site with good reviews to ensure that you are going to get what you pay for.

Carat

This is something that most people already know about. This is essentially what the diamond weighs. A carat is roughly 0.2 grams. In theory, the more the diamond weighs, the higher the value will be. If size were the only thing to consider, this would be true, but there is a lot more to look at as well.

Color

Most people looking at a diamond see it as a silvery, shiny piece of crystal. The color of the diamond can vary quite a lot. Colorless diamonds are a lot rarer and so more valuable than most other types. The color will be graded on a scale between D and Z.

D means that there is no color at all. Z means that there is a yellow tinge to it. You do get diamonds in other colors as well. These are known as fancy colored. They are graded differently on a scale of faint through to deep.

Cut

Most of us look at this as the final shape of the stone. It actually refers to how thick the thinnest and thickest parts of the diamond are. This is graded on a scale of excellent to fair. To receive an excellent rating, the thinnest part must be classified as thick and the thickest part as somewhat thick. For a quality diamond, you may have to look for a reliable and popular seller, either online or near your location. Websites such as https://johnatencio.com/ or similar can be worth going through if you are looking for a piece of diamond jewelry like a ring, bracelet, necklace, or more.

Clarity

This is not something that you will usually be able to see while looking at the stone unless you have a jeweler’s loupe. The clarity of the diamond refers to how many inclusions and flaws there are inside it. Each flaw affects the way that the diamond catches the light.

Internally flawless is the highest possible grade and one that is hard to find. As a result, it will be pricey. I1 is the lowest grading on this scale, and these flaws will be visible to the naked eye. When purchasing a piece of diamond jewelry, ask for the clarity grade so that you don’t end up paying way over its original price. You can also get information from Jacobs The Jeweller or other jewelry shops, where an expert could guide you and provide assistance in selecting a high-grade diamond.

Laser Inscription

This is a relatively new technique that has been employed to help make diamonds easier to trace. It is not a grading in itself, but it can be considered the stone’s identifying mark. Each one will link to a specific grading report and can help to identify diamonds and prevent them being swapped out.

Overall, there are a lot of things to consider when purchasing a diamond. By starting with a reputable dealer, though, you can be better assured of making the right choice.