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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.
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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
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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.
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Look at the
diamond from all angles. Turn the diamond around by rotation. The
more angles you see your diamond the better the inspection.
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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.
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