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Twelve Little Facts: You Probably Didn’t
Know
The Dirty Dozen
1. The average person
in the United States pays twice what they should for an engagement
ring.
2. 1 out of every
3 diamonds sold in the United States is laser-drilled.
3. 1 out of every
20 diamonds sold in the United States is fracture-filled.
4. 1 out of every
3 diamonds sold in the United States has been treated to some degree,
including doublets, coating, and irradiation.
5. 75% of all round
diamonds are cut poorly to salvage weight, resulting in diamonds
that lose 2/3 of their potential sparkle.
6. 88% of all fancy
diamonds (pear, marquise, emerald cut, etc.) are poorly cut to salvage
weight, resulting in diamonds that lose 2/3 of their potential sparkle.
7. The average diamond
sold in the United States has been over graded in quality by two
grades to enhance its salability.
8. 2 out of every
3 diamonds have fluorescence (a diamonds reactyion to ultraviolet
light) that causes the diamond to look oily and milky in sunlight.
9. 3 out of every
5 diamonds are weighed incorrectly to increase the profit margin
of the jeweler.
10. The average
diamond sold in the United States is tinted yellow and will probably
never appreciate in value.
11. The average
diamond sold in the United States has cracks, breaks, or carbon
that you can see with your own eyes.
12. If we define
a good diamond in general terms as a diamond that is big, white,
clean, sparkly, and will appreciate in value over time; less than
20 out of every 1,000 diamonds sold in the United States would
classify
as good.
by Fred Cuellar,
author of the best-selling book "How to Buy a Diamond." More questions?
Ask the Diamond Guy®
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