Get the Most Diamond for Your Money With These Tips

A beautiful diamond can take your breath away, transport you on a flight of fancy, and turn the most grizzled old bachelor into a romantic poet. But when you’re buying a diamond, it’s essential to keep your head if you want to get the most diamond for your money. Knowledge is power, after all, and if you’re thinking about buying diamonds, you need to understand the 4Cs.

Back in the 1940s, the Gemological Institute of America understood that diamonds were only going to become more popular and more valuable. That’s why they developed an international grading system that uses the 4Cs — clarity, color, cut, and carat weight — to give you the true value of a diamond.

So, before you buy a diamond, here are the four things you need to know:

Its clarity. No diamond is perfect. When a diamond professional evaluates a stone, they look for blemishes on the surface of the diamond and internal irregularities called inclusions. The fewer blemishes and inclusions your diamond has, the more valuable it is. But keep in mind the old Chinese proverb: “Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without one.”

Its color. Here’s something you might not know: Diamonds come in all colors. We’re used to seeing the clear stones, but fancy colored diamonds can come in hues such as red, purple, green or blue. If you’re looking for a colored diamond, remember that the most valuable stones are the ones with the most saturated colors.

Its cut. The cut of a diamond refers to the way the stone has been designed to interact with the light. High-quality diamonds reflect the light in a dazzle of brilliance and color. The radiance of an unforgettable diamond is largely a result of its cut, so if you want sparkle, make sure you get a diamond with an expert cut.

Its weight in carats. This one’s pretty simple. Diamonds are measured in carats. And typically, the more carats, the more valuable the diamond is. However, it is possible that a poorly cut, highly blemished large stone would be less valuable than a very clear, well-cut smaller stone.

Before you go shopping for a diamond, think a bit about which of the 4Cs is most important to you. If you’re in the market to buy a diamond, you can shop with confidence at West Seattle Coins and Bellevue Rare Coins. We’ve got many GIA-certified diamonds to choose from — all accompanied by GIA reports listing their exact dimensions, weight, color and clarity.

If you’re thinking about selling a diamond, the experts at West Seattle Coins and Bellevue Rare Coins have the experience and technology to effectively evaluate your stone — with no strings attached. Read more about how our free appraisal process works, and then stop by for a chat with one of our expert gemologists to find out how much your diamond is really worth.