Tips on Buying a Diamond & Care Guide

So you’ve decided to buy a piece of diamond jewellery. Congratulations! You will soon own one of nature’s most beautiful, valuable and durable creations. But before you make your diamond purchase, it’s important to “do some legwork” to ensure you’re getting the best value for your money. This means educating yourself about diamonds, establishing a budget, and deciding on a jeweller who’s right for you.

First of all, you need to know the “Four C’s” of diamond quality – carat (weight), clarity, color and cut – and how these factors impact a diamond’s quality and value. Any Diamonds International Sales Associate will be more than happy to explain these quality indicators to you. We'll teach you now about the Four C’s.

Carat – This refers to the weight of a diamond. Carats are the measure of weight for most gemstones, with one carat equaling approximately 200 milligrams (0.2 grams). There are 142 carats to an ounce. Carats are further divided into points, with one carat equaling 100 points. All other properties being equal, larger diamonds are rarer than smaller ones and thus more expensive. For instance, a one carat stone will generally cost more than a 95 pointer (0.95 carat).

Clarity – This refers to the presence of surface or internal flaws within a diamond caused during its formation or during the cutting process. When the marks occur on the surface, they are known as blemishes. When they occur internally, they are called inclusions. All diamonds have such flaws. Inclusions and other flaws can interfere with the passage of light through a stone, diminishing its sparkle. Therefore, the fewer (or smaller) the inclusions, the more valuable the diamond. In the rarest and most expensive diamonds, the inclusions are too tiny to see even at 10X magnification, which is why these stones are called “flawless” (FL) or “internally flawless” (IF) according to the clarity grading system used by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). At the other end of the spectrum are “imperfect” stones (I₁, I₂, I₃ grades) with visible faults that mar their beauty. In between are “very, very slightly included” (VVS₁, VVS₂ grades); “very slightly included” (VS₁ and VS₂ grades); and “slightly included” (SI₁, SI₂ grades).

Color– This refers to the presence or absence of color in white diamonds. The body color of a white diamond can range from colorless to light yellow. Even the slightest hint of color can have a negative impact on a white diamond’s value. (The exception would be “fancy” natural colored diamonds, which come in pink, blue, green, yellow, brown, red and other hues and are valued according to the richness and depth of their color). Most white diamonds are graded on the GIA color scale that begins with “D” for colorless and continues all the way down to “Z,” with the yellow tint becoming more visible to the naked eye as you move down the alphabet. Keep in mind that even stones in the lower range of the color scale can appear colorless in the right jewelry setting. For instance, yellow metal (gold) hides traces of color in a white diamond, while white metals like platinum and white gold enhance stone color and are therefore a better choice for white diamonds at the higher end of the color spectrum (such as D-F).

Cut – This refers to the execution of a diamond’s design, the skill in which it was cut, the quality of its polish, and the overall symmetry of the stone. Each diamond is cut according to an exact mathematical formula. The most common shape, the round brilliant, has 58 facets, or small, flat polished planes designed to yield the maximum amount of light to be reflected back to the viewer. This reflection, known as brilliance, is extremely important in evaluating a diamond’s quality and value. Other common diamond shapes include emerald/rectangular, marquise, pear, oval and square/princess. Although there are several systems for determining the quality of a diamond’s cut, they can be broadly characterized as Ideal, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. In Ideal and Excellent cut stones, most or all of the light that enters the diamond is reflected back to the eye. Meanwhile, a diamond with a Poor cut is off in its proportions and loses most of its light out the sides and bottom. In other words, a well-cut diamond has the right angles and proportions to maximize its fire and sparkle, while a poorly cut diamond is dull and may even have some “dead” spots inside.

You need to determine how much to spend to ensure that you receive the best “bang for your buck.” If you’re buying an engagement ring, the generally accepted formula to determine how much you should spend is two months’ salary of the groom-to-be. But this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule; diamonds are available in a range of prices, so you’re certain to find one that suits your taste and budget. For any diamond purchase, the key is to decide what combination of carat weight, clarity, color and cut you desire; once you’ve done this, it’s easier to set a budget. For instance, if size if most important to you, you may be willing to give up a little in clarity, color or cut to get a bigger stone. If quality is most important to you, you might want to go with the best color, clarity and cut you can afford – even if it means getting a smaller stone than anticipated. Each quality choice you make will have an impact on the price of your diamond jewelry.

But even if your budget is set, don’t automatically pass on the perfect diamond just because it’s more than you planned to spend. Remember that this is an emotional investment that, with care, can last a lifetime – and it won’t depreciate in value. Customers often regret settling on a cheaper item and not spending a little more to get the piece they really wanted. To make your purchasing decision easier, Diamonds International offers a range of payment options, including credit cards and financing that allows you to pay in installments. The company also offers a 30-day money back guarantee on all standard jewelry purchases. And Diamonds International will issue full credit towards your next diamond purchase when the new item upgrade price is at least twice the amount of your original diamond purchase.

Okay, you’ve decided on the type of diamond jewelry you want, and you’ve established a budget. Why should you buy from Diamonds International? First of all, we’re the largest retail source of diamond jewelry in the Caribbean, with more than 200 locations. Our roots in the jewelry business go back more than 65 years. Our impeccable reputation was built on offering customers only the highest standards in jewelry and providing them with superior customer service.
Secondly, we purchase all of our gemstones directly from the world’s largest mines. This means that our stores have an incredible range of the world’s finest diamonds to choose from. It also means that we eliminate the middleman and save money when we buy our gemstones – and we pass these savings down to you.

Finally, we offer Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and European Gemological Laboratory (EGL) certificates for our diamonds to verify their specifications and lasting value.

So when you buy a diamond from Diamonds International, you can rest assured that you’ve acquire a special item of unsurpassed quality – at a reasonable cost.

Diamond Care Guide

Make Sure Your Diamond Lasts Forever


A diamond is the hardest known substance on earth. With the proper care, these unparalleled gemstones can last a lifetime – and can even be handed down as heirlooms to future generations without losing any of their luster. But keep in mind that diamonds aren’t invulnerable – they can still be scratched, chipped, dulled and even lost forever if not handled correctly. Meanwhile, because of their small size and high value, diamonds are frequent targets of thieves. To help protect your diamond jewelry purchase, Diamonds International offers these important care and safety tips:

• Daily wear – Never wear diamond jewelry when doing heavy work or strenuous activities. Even though a diamond is extremely durable, it can still be chipped by a hard blow. Even normal, everyday activity can loosen a setting.

• Housework – Detergents and other common household cleaners can dull the look of your diamond. Even worse, chlorine bleach and other chemicals can pit or discolor mountings and weaken them. To keep your diamond safe, remove it before house cleaning. But if you must wear it, put on the gloves – and don’t forget to put a stopper in the sink!

• Self-cleaning – Clean your diamond jewelry regularly. If using a commercial jewelry cleaner, use a brand name and follow the instructions on the label. Or you can soak your diamond jewelry in a small bowl of warm, soapy water made with any mild liquid detergent. Gently brush the jewelry with a soft toothbrush while it is in the suds to dislodge any dust or dirt from under the setting. Then, rinse under warm running water. Another cleaning option would be a half-and-half solution of household ammonia and cold water. Soak jewelry for 30 minutes, gently brush with a soft toothbrush and rinse. Finally, you can clean your diamonds by soaking them in a glass of vodka – and don’t forget to put a stopper in the sink!

• Professional cleaning and maintenance – Take your diamond jewelry to one of our 120+ locations every six months and our friendly, expert staff will professionally clean it (steam cleaning and/or ultrasonic cleaning) and check it for loose or bent prongs and wear.

• Storage – A diamond can scratch another diamond, as well as other jewelry pieces, so store diamond jewelry separately. If you need to store diamond items together, make sure they aren’t tangled together so they won’t scratch one another. Diamond jewelry pieces are best stored in a fabric-lined jewelry case or in a box with compartments or dividers.

• Travel – It’s safest to leave diamond jewelry at home when traveling. But if you must bring it, use common sense. Don’t check diamond jewelry with your bags when flying; keep these and other valuables with you at all times. Wearing flashy, expensive pieces in public makes you a target for thieves, so turn diamond rings around and leave only the metal showing. All jewelry should be kept in the hotel safe deposit box when not needed. (The hotel is not responsible for items left in a room safe.)

Diamonds International now offers plus size rings, bracelets and necklaces.