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How To Examine A Diamond

  1. The best way to examine diamond engagement rings are to see them unmounted. It is a lot easier to thoroughly look over the gem when it is not attached to a band. The mounting and even side stones can hinder your perceptions, allowing flaws to go unnoticed.
  1. Always examine a clean diamond. In a retail environment, feel comfortable asking the associates to clean a diamond before examining it. If you prefer, you can breathe on the stone and wipe clean with a lint free cloth or handkerchief to remove residue.
     
  2. When holding the diamond, only touch the diamond by the girdle. The girdle is the part of the diamond where the top meets the bottom. It is the bisecting line. The reason you should avoid coming in contact with the flat surfaces is that it could affect the color and brilliance. There are special gem tweezers that will help provide better observation as well as keeping the diamond free of your skins. A gemologist will be able to show you how to use these tweezers

 

  1. View your selected diamond using the proper lighting. A lot of jewelers use numerous incandescent lighting above to produce a false sense of brilliance. Spotlights on diamonds make even the worst imitation a spectacular find. Try to avoid these surroundings. Professionals use fluorescent lighting when grading a gem, but this diminishes the brilliance. Use a variation of lighting to look at your stones. If possible, ask to look at it by a window to get a natural look of your diamond as well. The source of light should come from behind or above your perspective. The light will reflect back at you in this manner.
     
  2. Look at the diamond from all angles. Turn the diamond around by rotation. The more angles you see your diamond the better the inspection.
     
  3. Use a jeweler’s loupe. Most retailers will have a loupe for you to inspect the stone. It is important that you understand how to use a loupe so that you can inspect surface imperfections as well as internal flaws. By slowly bringing the gem in and out your eyes will train in on all levels of the diamonds internal and external contents.

The most important step in buying diamond engagement rings is to truly understand how the 4Cs affect the price, and you should always be presented with a diamond grading report. Buying diamonds online is becoming more common and is safe when using the right jewelers. Start with our Directory.


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