Buying GIA Diamond Rings Online

You can get a better deal on diamonds when you shop online for the best value diamonds Online retailers do have GIA diamond rings that come with an appraisal report from the Gemological Institute of America attesting to the authenticity of the diamond and its value

You can get a better deal on diamonds when you shop online for the best value diamonds. Online retailers do have GIA diamond rings that come with an appraisal report from the Gemological Institute of America attesting to the authenticity of the diamond and its value. Although there is a wide selection of such rings at a regular jewelry store where you can look at the ring and the diamond as well as try it on, you have the advantage of much larger choice of exotic rings and colored diamonds when you shop online.

In order to shop for GIA diamond rings online, you do need to have a basic understanding of the four C?s of diamonds in order to understand the descriptions that accompany the rings and loose diamonds. There are also online sites where you can purchase EGL loose diamonds and those that have IGI appraisals. These certifications also adhere to international standards for diamond appraisal and grading and are accepted all over the world.

The four C?s are the standards used in grading the diamonds used in GIA diamond rings and refer to the cut, color, clarity and carat of the stone. The online retailers will have this information listed with the picture of the diamond. The carat of a diamond is its weight and even the tiniest gem has a carat. There are various diamond cuts of GIA diamond rings, which depend to a large extent on the shape of the rough diamond.

Eight-sided rough diamonds are usually cut into round diamonds in which the table has the shape of an octagon. In grading and appraising each cut, there are certain characteristics that the gemologists will look for. A Marquis cut, for example, has 58 facets. A round cut also has 58 facets ? 33 on the crown and 25 on the pavilion. In an ideal cut, there is no facet on the cutlet, reducing the number to 57. The appraisal of GIA diamond rings follows the American Standard of diamond cuts.

In this standard there are certain percentages and angles for each aspect of the diamond. The gemologists use a perfectly cut diamond as their comparison sample and through the use of precise instruments they arrive at an appraisal. In general four gemologists appraise one diamond at different times. This ensures that your GIA diamond rings or jewelry has gone through a complete study by an independent process.

Your name is not connected to the diamond in any way throughout the process and it is known to the gemologists only by a number. The only part of the process on which the gemologists may differ is in determining the color of the diamond. Contrary to what the majority of people believe, all diamonds are not clear and most do have a trace of yellow in the color. When determining the color, powerful microscopes are used and the gemologists have to come to a consensus about the color.

On the appraisal report of GIA diamond rings, the color grade is shown as a letter. D is the highest grade, so receiving a report with this letter does not mean that the diamond has a reduced value. It is exactly the opposite. D means that it is virtually colorless. Diamonds that have large traces of yellow in them have the grade of between T and X, even though you will not be able to detect this coloring without the use of a high-powered microscope. The letters Y to Z are reserved for fancy diamonds, which do come in various colors and because of this they are quite expensive.

Allison Ryan is a licensed gemologist from San Diego, CA. She specializes in IGI appraisals and GIA diamond rings and necklaces. For design your own diamond jewelry, stop by http://www.diamondwave.com/.