Buyer Beware: There's More To Know Than the 4 C's

Okay, you understand the basics of color, cut, clarity and carats so you're ready to buy a diamond, right? Well, not so fast. These days, you also need to watch out for color-enhanced, clarity-enhanced and even synthetic diamonds. Unfortunately, these are often undetectable to the eye.

Briefly, many types of gemstones including diamonds can be heat treated to improve their color. This process and the resulting effects vary greatly in permanence and stability, so over time your beautiful purchase may fade.

The black spots ("inclusions") found in diamonds are sometimes drilled out and replaced with a clear resin to improve the gemstone's aesthetic. This compromises the diamond's integrity and makes any repair or remounting tricky because the resin can melt and run out of the gemstone when heated.

New synthetic diamonds, particularly Moissanite, can be very convincing imposters. Cases have been in the news of unsuspecting consumers learning they purchased a fake after the seller is long gone.

The solution?
Protect your investment by buying from a long-standing brick & mortar store in your community. Independent jewelry stores are often family businesses operating in the community for decades. In today's retail climate, particularly after the recent economic downturn, a main street jeweler has survived by being trustworthy, offering great service and competitive prices. We want to help you find your next family heirloom.