There are more than the “Four
C’s” when buying a diamond
engagement ring!
5.26.04
Purchasing a diamond engagement
ring can be overwhelming! With so many
choices of places to purchase, and places
to gather information, most people need
a trustworthy jeweler to guide them
through the process.
Need a great guide?
Nita Pipkins – Private Jeweler
is a well-respected diamond dealer located
in Atlanta specializing in engagement
rings. Why use Nita Pipkins - Private
Jeweler? Nita and her staff will help
you make an educated diamond purchase
AND save you money. With low overhead
and eight (8) years of experience, Nita
guides clients through the diamond buying
process with care, and gives you confidence
in your purchase.
Here are some of Nita’s
quick tips for first-time buyers:
CENTER STONE:
Concentrate your efforts on the center
stone of the ring. This should be where
you spend the bulk of your budget. Only
look at diamonds loose (settings can
hide flaws) and ask to see the difference
in color, clarity, carat weight, cut,
and measurements. Certified diamonds
are your safest choice for comparing
“apples to apples” and making
an educated purchase.
Certified stones come with an independent
certificate of evaluation – not
an appraisal –from the Gemological
Institute of America (GIA) or the European
Gemological Laboratory (EGL). This piece
of paper is your insurance that you
are getting the diamond you are paying
for and you should always ask for it.
BUDGET:
How much do you want to spend on a ring?
The old marketing campaign turned rule-of-thumb
is two months salary. Depending on your
income, that may be a little unrealistic.
Think about what you would be comfortable
purchasing for cash – not financing
like a car for the next five years.
If necessary, start budgeting 6-8 months
in advance to put yourself in a comfortable
position to purchase the ring you want.
SHAPE:
What shape of diamond does your sweetheart
fancy? There are lots of choices –
round, princess, radiant; heart, oval,
marquise and pear are just the most
common choices. Typically a round diamond
is classic, with the princess cut (square)
coming in as a close second choice.
Since this purchase is forever, choose
the shape wisely. Most important of
all is personal preference – get
the shape you want to see and/or wear
every day.
SIZE/CARAT WEIGHT:
How big of a center diamond do you (or
your girlfriend) have in mind? Be careful
that you consider carat as a WEIGHT
and not a SIZE. Based on our best cutting
techniques, there are parameters for
the measurements of diamonds in proportion
to weight, but always educate yourself
in this area. This part might seem confusing,
but an good diamond dealer should point
out the differences in well-cut diamonds
with great measurements, and those that
just have the carat weight.
COLOR:
Do your research here! The color of
a diamond is how white the stone is
and it can be very subtle. Diamonds
are graded in color from D-Z, with “D”
being the whitest and most expensive
color. The grading scale is easy: D-E-F
are graded “colorless” and
the whitest, brightest in color. The
scale then steps to “near-colorless”,
and that is labeled G-H-I respectively.
Typically, anything “I”
or better is white enough to be set
in white gold or platinum without looking
yellow. Once you get to “J”
or below in color, you will be able
to see a slight yellow/brown tint to
the stones. Color makes a big difference
in price so ask to see the difference
in stones. Fancy yellow or canary yellow
diamonds are a completely different
arena of stones, and Nita has a large
selection of fancy-colored diamonds.
CLARITY:
Ask for details in this area! Clarity
is the amount, or lack of, naturally
occurring flaws in a diamond. These
flaws could be as small as a pin- prick,
or look like giant chunks of coal floating
in the middle of the stone. Either way,
clarity plays a very important role
in the beauty and price of your diamond.
Make sure that you focus on what you
CAN’T see with your naked eye.
After you consider all items above,
the setting (or ring) is the easy part.
Find something that compliments the
center stone without taking away from
it and you are almost done.
There are lots of ideas for rings in
wedding magazines available at most
news stands. Some girls even pull out
some pages for “examples”
and that is very helpful! Choose the
metal of the ring based on what your
girlfriend already wears – platinum
is a current favorite of most women.
The weight of platinum is almost twice
that of white or yellow gold, so it
feels good and it wears extremely well.
Last bit of advice:
Be an educated consumer and make sure
you feel comfortable about your purchase,
and the jeweler you choose to work with.
You’ll always feel good about
a purchase with Nita Pipkins –
Private Jeweler: the experience and
the end result will be well worth it!
Call Nita Pipkins, the Diamond
Girl, to set up an appointment:
Nita Pipkins
Private Jeweler
The Diamond Girl
nita@thediamondgirl.com
3115 Piedmont Road, NE
Bldg. B, Suite 201
Atlanta, GA 30305
tel: 404-591-1140
fax: 404-591-1142
mobile: 404-406-2624
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