or WILL ever buy a diamond, please list any questions you have or had here. I'm going to make a list of them and write a diamond buying guide a few pages long which I will repost every time this subject comes up. No question is stupid and believe me, I've answered pretty much all of them before. From "what is a cubic zirconia" to "what is the best shape" to "whats the deal with Tiffany's". Anyway, I'll keep checking this thread and hopefully in a couple of weeks I'll have a great guide which I can repost once a month or so and all of you will have an easier time buying diamonds and jewelry from now on.
why should I buy a mined diamond rather than a cultured/synthetic diamond (ie from Gemesis, Apollo, Adia, etc.)?
If I brought you two diamonds -- one formed in nature and one formed by man, could you tell the difference? What are the different gradings and what do they mean? What is the best way for a regular person to sell diamands that they own and get the best price? If I buy a retail diamond, what should I expect them to mark it up from wholesale? How do I avoid being taken when I walk into a typical jewelry store? How do I pick a store to buy a diamond? What should I look for?
I've heard that some diamonds get laser inscribed with a serial number. How can I find out if my diamond has one and if it doesn't, is it possible to get one put on it? I'd like to have that so that I can check it after having work done on it and make sure I didn't get swapped.
Can I haggle over the price of a diamond at ANY place that sells diamonds? Do most retailers allow you to trade in diamonds purchased at their store for credit toward a more expensive diamond in the future.? How stupid would I look if I asked to see a diamond under a microscope if the diamond isn't for a ring? Meaning the carat is probably smaller than 1.
What are the chances that the DeBeers diamond cartel will collapse and the artifically high price of diamonds goes along with it? Bernard
for the same carat wt. (and clarity, etc...) which is more expensive: round cut or square (princess?) cut? Why? Best way to upgrade earings to a bigger carat. Sell the smaller ones? Trade them in? What will bring the best deal?
What is the history behind giving a diamond engagement ring to a girl / lady / woman? What are the differences between any of the various certifications ("certs") such as the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), American Gem Society Laborotories (AGSL), European Gemological Laborotories (EGL) & any of the other cert groups out there in the world? Is it true that most of the diamonds available int he world are cut somewhere in the Netherlands or Holland or somewhere like that by old Jewish guys withi skills handed down from family to family over the centuries? What is a "Leo" diamond (as well as any other "private" additional cert groups out there) & how does this differ from & improve upon one of the 'traditional' certs? Why should I want one? Is it marketing or something that will affect the value of a diamond that is resold? Scenario: I buy a diamond after looking in every concievable place; "wholesale" (or so I am told), New York, Miami, Mexico / Bahamas/ Jamaica / Hong Kong / Amsterdam (i.e. outside of the USA & not taxed) & was told that these kind of prices "just can't be beat" anywhere else in the world. Truth or fiction? Scenario: I buy a diamond in ^ & get "the best price available in the world on a diamond with all the right gradient qualities..." then 6 months later, when @ a retailer, they 'confirm' my price by telling me it would sell in their store for [insert fat dollar amount here] more than what I paid. I feel smug & happy. Question: In reality, why should I have felt all that smoke going up my ***? Domestically, where is the best kind of place to get a diamond? Corner shop who provides a decent cert, local chain who provides a good cert, national chain who provides a good cert + an additional cert or engraving method, i.e. a Leo? Scenario: I got a diamond from my Grandmother & it was her great grandmother's... no documentation of any kind. How do I get it properly graded in a way that will tell it's ACTUAL value? Who do I trust to grade it? If I wanted to give you $ 100.00 to find me the best possible price / value for a diamond, would you do it? If not you, then who could I get to go with me & wrangle the best deal out there? What are the differences between jewelry grade diamonds & medical or industrial grade diamonds? How does a story like this one from NPR help or hurt the global diamond trade? Is diamond mining harmful to the environment? How do I get my girlfriend to understand that the cost of a diamond is actually an inflated figure due to the rigidly controlled process by which a comodity (diamond) is brought to market & they (the mines, the cutters, the wholesalers, the retailers) have placed an artificial value on the cost of a simple ROCK due to it's manipulated scarcity & the insane amount they would like to have someone (i.e. their boyfriend who is to become fiancee') spend on said 1/8"wide stone that might one day get washed down a sink drain would, in reality, be much better spent on a really kickass towable smoker on wheels? I expect that the first & last ones would probably be related & get the average Joe in trouble if he were to actually try it out on the G/F, but what the heck... give it a try.
What is the deal with clarity? What is the best price-point in terms of inclusions/clarity? At what point does it not matter to the naked eye?
Slightly off topic but....this idea of yours should be used for multiple, recurring questions that arise on HornFans. Like maybe have a board specifically for recurring questions such as Laptops Diamonds Cell Phones Tipping Cars Wireless or regular networking DVR to PC HDTV Homebrew etc etc etc So the board would be comprised of one post that details each topic, so that anytime the questions comes up, the poster can just be linked to it. I am sure that there are plenty of people who can contribute to each topic and doing it once and for all is a better plan than doing it over and over. Or maybe, the next time each issue is discussed, the whole thread could be archived to the proposed board, or possibly just the existing archive board. I love HornDepot a lot, but the redundancy is one my least favorite things about it. Anyone else think this would be a worthwhile cause?
O & W - I mentioned that to the authorities and it was declined. having said that, I just basically want a definitive guide to keep in my computer so I repost itin the future and not have to write 2-3 pages every time thetopic comes up. It basically boils down to my laziness.
i live in _____________, where should i buy diamonds/jewelry? (houston, by the way) also, i completely disagree about the redundancy. frequently, fresh ideas are found on these threads even when the topic is tired. i say just move along. having said that, if i ever come accross a "do you tip at sonic" thread again, i will smash my computer into the ******* ground and beat the ever living **** out of the unfortunate soul who happens to be near me. then, i will get in my car, set it on fire, and drive the wrong way on the highway at obscene speeds screaming and flailing my arms, tearing into upholstery and using headrests as a mallet which i will bang against my head with excessive force, repeatedly. my eyes will be bleeding and they will shoot laser beams capable of demolishing entire buildings. there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Joke Question: If Superman existed, could he really take a big lump of coal and crush it with his hands into a diamond? Real Question: You may want to address the new ability to put a "serial number" in microscopic print engraved along the edge of the diamond. So that you can prove it is yours if stolen and when you want a new setting that they don't pull the switcheroo on you. Is that workable? Do you recommend it? Add value or diminish value?
why are diamonds insured for so much more than what I pay for them? the whole 'appraisal' scheme seems to have little to do with the actual value of the diamond.
Make sure you include a discussion that if you do not buy a diamond worth at least $25k you are a broke-dick peon and general fuckhead. Also include your girl, no matter who she is, wants a big rock to show her shallow friends.
If diamonds are a girl's best friend and a dog is man's best friend, are we guys stupid or just thrifty?
If you want some diamond bling in your teef, do you buy the diamond from a dealer or does the dentist typically have a hook up?
How do I keep from getting slapped when I tell my wife she's f'ing crazy when she says she wants to be buried with her engagement ring when she croaks.
i have 20K to spend on a ring. what would you do? have you heard of downtown LA's jewlry district? is it any good? is bluenile ok?
