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Common Myths About Diamonds
1.
A DIAMOND IS FOREVER.
A diamond will only
be forever if you take care of it. If you don't a diamond can chip,
fracture, or break. Even a diamond should come with a care instruction
tag.
2.
DIAMONDS ARE VERY RARE.
Nope! There is more
of a man-made shortage than a natural shortage. The distribution
of the number of diamonds put on the market each year is highly
regulated. There are really enough diamonds to give each man, woman
and child in the United States a whole cupful.
3.
WOMEN ARE MORE SIZE CONSCIOUS THAN QUALITY CONSCIOUS.
This one is almost
true, but not quite. Even though most women believe that bigger
is better, there are still quite a few women out there that will
sacrifice size to get a better quality diamond.
4.
A DIAMOND IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE GEMSTONE.
The truth is there
are quite a few more expensive gemstones on the market. For example,
a top quality ruby can be worth over thirty thousand dollars a carat.
5.
A LARGE DIAMOND IS ALWAYS WORTH MORE THAN A SMALL DIAMOND.
Size is only one
criterion by which a diamond can be judged. A small, high-clarity,
high-color diamond can cost more than a large, low-clarity, low-color
diamond.
6.
AFTER A DIAMOND HAS BEEN CUT, LITTLE DIAMONDS CAN BE CUT FROM THE
SHAVINGS.
Usually there are
no shavings, only dust. Most diamonds are ground down and there
aren't any little pieces left over to cut anything else. Most people
believe a diamond is whittled, not ground down. This is another
myth.
7.
A FANCY SHAPED DIAMOND IS 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. But one
diamond is not harder to cut than another just because of the shape.
8.
DIAMONDS ARE A GOOD INVESTMENT.
Webster's dictionary
defines investment as "an outlay of money for income or profit."
Since most people purchase diamonds to be worn and not to be resold,
diamonds are not a good investment. Only through proper education
and training could diamonds become a good investment. For the average
Joe, I would recommend buying a diamond for the enjoyment and prestige
it brings and don't be too concerned about making a buck.
9.
A DIAMOND SHOULD BE BOUGHT STRICTLY ON ITS VISUAL APPEARANCE: "IF
IT LOOKS GOOD, BUY IT."
A lot of people
believe "what I can't see can't hurt me!" Well, we all
know that blind ignorance will only lead to disaster. Practically
any diamond looks good in a jewelry store. The jeweler spends quite
a bit on spotlights to make any quality diamond sparkle. But unless
you plan on carrying a spotlight with you everywhere you go, you'd
better check the four C's or you might purchase a diamond that only
looks good in a jewelry store and is lifeless everywhere else.
10.
AN EMERALD CUT DIAMOND IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE SHAPE DIAMOND.
I don't know why
some people believe this. I constantly have clients tell me that
they like emerald cut diamonds but know that they are the most expensive
and can't afford them. This is crazy! The emerald cut diamond is
the least expensive of all the shapes. You see, it is the shape
that is most like the natural shape of the rough, so there is a
little bit less waste during the cutting process. If you like emerald
cut diamonds, enjoy them, don't avoid them; they are not any more
expensive.
11.
DIAMONDS ARE A BAD INVESTMENT.
Diamonds may not
be a good investment for the average person, but they certainly
aren't a bad investment. If a diamond is purchased at the right
price, it will most certainly hold its value. Since the diamond
crash of 1979, when D flawless diamonds fell in value from seventy-five
thousand dollars to under fifteen thousand dollars, the price of
diamonds has been increasing constantly.
12.
NO DIAMOND IS PERFECT.
The definition of
a perfect diamond would be a diamond free from inclusions and blemishes
when viewed under 10X loupe (flawless), with no trace of color
(D-color),
and perfectly proportioned. Even though they are rare, there are
such diamonds around. See article An Evening at Sotheby's
13.
IT IS 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!
14.
DIAMONDS ARE EXPENSIVE.
Some are; some aren't.
It depends on their quality. Believe it or not, it's possible to
get a one-carat diamond for as low as three hundred dollars if it's
junky enough.
15.
DIAMONDS ARE A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND.
This one would have
stumped me, too. I've always believed that all women like diamonds.
It wasn't until recently that I learned there are some women out
there that very much dislike diamonds and think they are a waste
of money. I guess for them maybe a dog is their best friend.
by Fred Cuellar,
author of the best-selling book "How to Buy a Diamond." More questions?
Ask the Diamond Guy®
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