Price of Diamonds

Price of Diamonds http://priceofdiamonds.org/forum/ RSS 2.0 feed of Price of Diamonds en IceBB Gold Money
Who are GoldMoney
GoldMoney.com, based in St Helier, Jersey Channel Islands (UK), was started up by Mr James Turk. James Turk was in international banking, finance and investments for many years after graduating in1969 from George Washington University with a B.A. degree in International Economics. Mr. Turk Founded GoldMoney, in September 1997 and it has grown and become one of the mainstays of the gold industry over the years with Mr. Turk being an acknowledged expert on gold and finance markets.

Since 1987 Mr. Turk has writing and issuing the Freemarket Gold & Money Report, an investment newsletter that publishes twenty issues annually. His innumerable articles have appeared in many financial publications. He frequently speaks at investment conferences on gold, money, and the international banking system, and often appears as a featured guest on radio and television. His latest book, "The Coming Collapse of the Dollar" was published in December 2004.

Opening an Account with GoldMoney
To use GoldMoney you need to have an account with them. GoldMoney acts as a custodian for account holders who buy, own and sell or trade with gold and silver bullion. One of the many advantages here is that there is no minimum or maximum of precious metal one can buy or trade or with another account holder. One can also buy and sell gold or silver with GoldMoney also.

Anyone can open an account and use it to accumulate and move gold around to a limited extent. However, GoldMoney has a Customer Acceptance Policy set up to ensure GoldMoney complies with anti-money laundering legislation. This requires that GoldMoney knows the identity and residential address of each of its customers. By providing the requisite information a new customer can obtain a CAP-Verified status for their Holding. This then gives them full access to the range of capabilities in GoldMoney.

Opening an account at GoldMoney is free, there is no minimum balance required and you can always sell your gold and silver back to GoldMoney anytime at the Current Spot Rate with no exchange fee required. You can also swap or exchange between precious metals with no additional fees.

You can open an account here 24 hours a day seven days a week.
GoldMoney.com

How Does GoldMoney Work
Once you have an account open, you always have 24/7 online access to your account at GoldMoney. Some of the capabilities you have with a GoldMoney account include:

buy gold online, anytime, day or night.
Easily transfer funds from and to any of your bank and brokerage accounts.
Earn interest on your funds (USD, GBP, EUR, CAD) in GoldMoney’s Customer Segregated
Funds Accounts while you wait to buy.
Adjust your gold and silver holdings by directly exchanging one metal for the other.

In addition, GoldMoney today announced that there is now a new and tax efficient way for US customers to hold their gold and silver. GoldMoney have set up a facility for Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) for US customer. Further information is available on site.

GoldMoney has a patented payment system set up to add value to an account holders precious metal.

Whereas an investment portfolio may already include significant holdings in precious metal ETFs, mining stocks, or even precious metals stored personally in a vault, if an emergency situation were to occur where it was important to quickly convert "paper gold" into currency, making payments with bullion not in your physical possession or to easily convert a bullion bar could become a problem.

However, to off set this problem, GoldMoney has established a patented currency, goldgrams® (1 goldgram = 1 gram of gold), in order to give account holders the ability to make gold payments to each other electronically.

This is a unique advantage to GoldMoney over other forms of gold storage and transfer.

So although account holders with GoldMoney can send and receive funds to their GoldMoney account via traditional financial institutions, such as banks and brokerage companies, this utility by GoldMoney is not entirely dependent upon the network of such institutions.

GoldMoney Security
GoldMoney point out that, “You, not GoldMoney, are the absolute owner of your gold and silver. GoldMoney stores it securely on your behalf.”

When you buy gold from goldmoney.com, you are buying actually gold. It is not a “paper product”, so is not dependent upon a ETF, Certificate or pool operators ability to obtain or redeem gold when you want to sell. There is no fractional system here. This is very important, particularly if there was a “rush” and the program operator did not have sufficient bullion for all their customers to redeem it.

According to GoldMoney, "Nearly all of these types of "paper metal" programs work on a fractional reserve basis, so if the majority of the program's customer wanted to redeem their metal for cash, the program operator would not be able to meet all of its obligations. In other words, "paper metal" products represent merely a promise to pay metal; they are not products that give you direct ownership of metal, and therefore expose you to counterparty risk since you are dependent upon the program issuer's ability to meet all of its obligations."

"Contrary to the fractional reserve nature of "paper metal" programs, the quantity of customer metals recorded in GoldMoney's database is always equal to the quantity of metals in the vaults. GoldMoney guarantees it."

The gold, and silver bullion is all stored in two depositories. The VIA MAT vaults in London, England and Zurich, Switzerland. VIA MAT International is part of Mat Securitas Express AG, of Switzerland, one of Europe's largest and oldest armored transport and storage companies. A policy, underwritten by Lloyd's of London insures all precious metal from theft from the vaults.

GoldMoney's operational procedures include a regular audit by a Big Four accounting firm. This includes the precious metal bar inventory at the vaults and metal circulating electronically in their system. These SAS 70 Type II reports are also made available to GoldMoney account holders when requested. quarterly audits are also provided for precious metal held by account holders.

In addition GoldMoney has a clear governance policy and audit trail with such parties as VIA MAT International and Euro-Dutch Trust Company, independent third parties.

The administration of all metals is provided by an independent party (Euro-Dutch Trust Company) to safeguards the account holders metal by ensuring that any gold and silver is only removed from the vaults under the direction of its owner, i.e., GoldMoney's account holders or customers.

GoldMoney evidently set this up this way to provide assurances to account holders that their precious metal was safe.

How Much Does GoldMoney Cost
Compared to buying gold from dealers in the form of gold coins and bars, GoldMoney is relatively inexpensive. There is a small premium for buying gold from GoldMoney. This covers the purchase and fabrication costs. It is generally less than 2% of the spot price of gold.

The other cost is the account fee which includes storage and insurance for owning the gold.

If your gold is stored at the London vault the fee is a flat 1/10 of a gram of gold per month, This amount depends on the spot price of gold of course but is regardless of the amount of gold you own. In others words, you could own US$1,000 worth of gold or US$100,000 worth of gold and your storage fees would still be only 1.2 grams of gold per year.

For storing gold at the Zurich vault, the storage fee for gold is just 0.24% per year, and for silver only 0.99% per year. Again, this is regardless of the amount of precious metal stored.

These fees are less than the storage and insurance fees from most dealers and pooled accounts.

Who Owns the Gold Held by GoldMoney
The GoldMoney account holder or customer is the legal owner of the gold or silver, the value of which is reflected in the account ledger. GoldMoney is a custodian and stores the gold on the customers behalf. The gold or silver is, at all times, in the account holders name.

The gold and silver bars used all meet the standards established by the London Bullion Market Association and the Chain of Integrity requirement is designed to ensure that all forms of physical bullion in the vaults must, in all respects, meet the London Good Delivery standard established by the London Bullion Market Association.

The London Bullion Market Association "…is the trade association that acts as the coordinator for activities conducted on behalf of its members and other participants in the London bullion market...A primary function of the Association is its involvement in the promotion of refining standards by maintenance of the London Good Delivery List." (Source: LBMA website)

More Information About GoldMoney
GoldMoney has gone to great lengths to offer transparency about their operations and the safety and security of the bullion stored on behalf of their customers.

Opening an account is free and can be done by going to http://goldmoney.com/?gmrefcode=goldprice3

GoldMoney is a good way of accumulating gold relatively inexpensively and in safety,
Security and will a minimum of fuss. ]]> http://priceofdiamonds.org/forum/index.php?topic=25&pid=33 Sun, 27 Jul 2008 12:35:44 +1000 ajm ajm 33 Re: How to Sell Diamonds

QUOTE: priceofdiamonds, October 20, 2007 @ 8:47 AM (view in context)

People often ask, how to sell diamonds?

Selling a diamond can be a lucrative venture or it can be a big disappointment. If you have a unwanted diamond you would like to sell there are a number of actions you will need to know and do.

Firstly you will need to get the diamond appraised. You want to know exactly what you have and how much it is worth.

You can find a good appraiser by contacting the Appraisers Association of America if you are in the US or the equivalent in your country of residence.

When you find a decent appraiser you should ask for an appraisal for the �Rapaport Value�. Rapaport is a company that publishes a wholesale price sheet for diamonds much in the same way Galves in the US or Red Book in Australia does, for example. The price you get from the appraiser will then be the best price you will be able to get for your diamond.

A minor but important point also is that a seller who has gone to the trouble of getting a proper appraisal is a serious seller, from the point of view of the buyer.

So lets talk about buyers.

The best buyer you can get would be of course your family, relations and friends. Very often you might find a family or friend has seen the diamond and has always had a wish for it so, apart from anything else, it would be an easy sale. You can show the appraisal and would be likely to get the best deal this way as there are no dealers or auction houses to pay off. This is by far the best buyer you can find.

Failing that there is always the jewelry store. A few important points here. If offering the diamond for inspection, ensure you never let the diamond go out of your sight. You do not want a switch to take place and you find yourself lumbered with a diamond of lesser value or, even worse, a fake diamond! It happens more frequently than you expect so be warned!

The jewelery will probably make you an offer that is under the �dump value�. The dump value is a trade term and basically means an amount between 60 to 80 percent of the diamond Rapaport value. Definitely do not accept a offer below the 60 percent mark. It is ok to accept a offer between 60 and 80 percent but you might like to look around at a few jewelers to get the top price. Keep in mind however that ones you have refused a jewelers offer and walked out, you cannot walk back in and say I will accept it!

Two methods that are not advised are Newspapers and on consignment. Newspapers generally do not bring much interest except perhaps from crooks who will come and inspect the diamond and say it is not for them and leave but then have vital information about the diamond, where it is and the layout of your house!

Fred Cuellar, the famous diamond expert, did a survey of newspaper ads for diamonds and found there was only an 11 percent success rate in selling diamonds that way. Not very fruitful.

Selling a diamond on consignment is also potentially dangerous. The diamond is out of your sight for a long period of time and any switch of your diamond can be made for a fake or, at best, a rough diamond with no value whatsoever. You then get a call to say your diamond did not sell.

Pawnshops come into this category also. Apart from the fact that you will only be offered about ten percent of the value, the diamond is out of your sight and who knows what you will get back if you decide to redeem it!

So keeping the above in mind when you want to know how to sell diamonds will help you get the best possible price for your diamond.

I have a diamond engagement ring and wedding band that I want to sell. The retail value on the engagement ring is 1,500 and the band is 1,000...what would be considered a good offer by a jewler? ]]> http://priceofdiamonds.org/forum/index.php?topic=15&pid=32 Thu, 26 Jun 2008 01:26:09 +1000 nsorensen1 nsorensen1 32 Re: Diamond Investment
I have seen that some sites like American Gem Society (http://www.americangemsociety.com) have certified retail locations. Is this a safer bet? ]]> http://priceofdiamonds.org/forum/index.php?topic=13&pid=31 Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:11:20 +1000 Sarah Sarah 31 Re: Buying Diamonds Online www.tatazadiamonds.com.au - it looks like an awsome site!

QUOTE: Diamond Expert, May 20, 2008 @ 11:38 PM (view in context)

I'm confused - I know heaps about diamonds since I proposed to my loverly girl friend with a diamond ring.

I want to get her an anniversary present but am wondering if it safe to buy online.

I have found www.tatazadiamonds.com.au as it is in Australia - where I am based. What is everyones thoughts?

]]> http://priceofdiamonds.org/forum/index.php?topic=24&pid=30 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:20:26 +1000 Danni Danni 30 Buying Diamonds Online
I want to get her an anniversary present but am wondering if it safe to buy online.

I have found www.tatazadiamonds.com.au as it is in Australia - where I am based. What is everyones thoughts? ]]> http://priceofdiamonds.org/forum/index.php?topic=24&pid=29 Wed, 21 May 2008 09:38:28 +1000 Diamond Expert Diamond Expert 29 Re: All About Diamonds - Part 3
Thank you for the excellent information on buy diamonds and the price of diamonds

sebastian ]]> http://priceofdiamonds.org/forum/index.php?topic=7&pid=28 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 10:13:43 +1100 sebastian sebastian 28 Crater of Diamonds
The Crater of diamonds is the only publicly available diamond bearing deposit available to the public and some very notable diamonds have been discovered there by people just there for the day to have a bit of fun.

The State Park is located near Murfreesboro which is just south of Hot Springs in Pike County, Arkansas. The park is open throughout the year.

The Crater of Diamonds volcanic pipe is part of a 95 million-year-old eroded volcano. The prior activity from this long dead volcano brought the diamonds to the surface. The diamonds had crystallized in the cratonic root of the continent long before, and were sampled by the magma as it rose to the surface.

The Park website is available at: http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com/

Some of the most notable diamonds found at the Crater of Diamonds Park include:

1917 Lee J. Wagner of the Arkansas Diamond Company - 17.86 carats (3.572 g), exceptional canary yellow (the uncut gem is on display in the National Museum of Natural History)
1924 The Uncle Sam - at 40.23 carats (8.046 g), the largest diamond ever discovered in North America
1962 The Star of Murfreesboro 34.25 carats (6.850 g)
1978 Betty Lamle - 8.61 carat “Lamle Diamond” (third largest found since 1972)
1981 Carroll Blankenship - 8.82 carat “Star of Shreveport” (second largest found since 1972)
1990 Shirley Strawn - 3.09 carat “Strawn-Wagner Diamond” - cut to 1.09 carats in 1997, and graded a “perfect” 0/0/0 by the American Gem Society in 1998, making it the first diamond ever to receive such an AGS grading. Currently on exhibit at the park.
1991 Joe Fedzora - 6.23 carat “Bleeding Heart Diamond” - brownish yellow
1997 Richard Cooper - 6.72 carat “Cooper Diamond” - unusual deep purplish-brown.
2006 Marvin Culver - 4.21 carats “Okie Dokie Diamond” - deep canary yellow and flawless. Seen on Today Show, MSNBC, Inside Edition and Travel Channel and published in Lost Treasure magazine (twice), Western and Eastern Treasures magazine, Mineralogical Record and Rocks & Minerals. Arguably the most publicized diamond from the Crater.
2006 Bob Wehle - 5.47 carat “Sunshine Diamond” - deep canary yellow and flawless.
2006 Donald and Brenda Roden - 6.35 carat “Roden Diamond” — honey-brown.
2007 Eric Blake - 3.93 carats (786 mg), tea-colored
2007 Chad Johnson - 4.38 carats (876 mg) tea-colored diamond

The Crater of Diamonds is indeed a great place to visit and, who knows, you might find the diamond of a lifetime there! ]]> http://priceofdiamonds.org/forum/index.php?topic=23&pid=27 Sun, 23 Dec 2007 09:42:17 +1100 priceofdiamonds priceofdiamonds 27 Re: Diamond Investment

QUOTE: mani007, December 17, 2007 @ 10:15 PM (view in context)

QUOTE: mani007, December 17, 2007 @ 10:11 PM (view in context)

QUOTE: priceofdiamonds, October 20, 2007 @ 8:45 AM (view in context)

Diamond prices are expected to rise in 2007 according to Philip Kenny, Chief Executive of Firestone Diamonds, A UK based diamond mining exploration company.

He explained that global supply is falling �significantly� below demand due to diminishing stock piles of De Beers and a shortage of new mines appearing.

He indicated that this will mean prices are likely to rise in 2007 even though there has been a softening of prices this year (2006)

�There is a broad consensus that there will be a shortfall in supply (in 2007),� he said in a telephone interview. �In recent years the shortfall was made up by De Beers selling down stockpiles, but now they are just selling what they mine.�

There are no major mines expected to come on line in 2007 and current diamond production is steady from the current mines in Africa and South America etc.

�It�s very difficult to find an economically viable diamond mine, and a lot of suitable locations are climatically or politically difficult places to work � like Angola or Northern Russia,� Kenny pointed out. He went on, �The fundamentals on prices weren�t the same five to 10 years ago; the price forecast was not as bullish as it is now,�

However this may be offset by a potential backlash when the movie, �Blood Diamonds� is release soon.

De Beers are quite likely to go into overdrive on their Diamond Promotion Campaign for the next few years to keep diamond prices maintained.

I know when you buy jewelry ,you invest your money. I need your suggestions should i invest in Gold or in diamond to get the right resale value .

Probably gold is a better investment. It will likely continue to rise oveer the coming months ]]> http://priceofdiamonds.org/forum/index.php?topic=13&pid=26 Sun, 23 Dec 2007 09:23:30 +1100 priceofdiamonds priceofdiamonds 26 Re: Diamond Investment

QUOTE: mani007, December 17, 2007 @ 10:11 PM (view in context)

QUOTE: priceofdiamonds, October 20, 2007 @ 8:45 AM (view in context)

I know when you buy jewelry ,you invest your money. I need your suggestions should i invest in Gold or in diamond to get the right resale value . ]]> http://priceofdiamonds.org/forum/index.php?topic=13&pid=24 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 09:15:59 +1100 mani007 mani007 24 Gem Sites
http://allaboutrubies.org
http://allaboutamethysts.org
http://allaboutemeralds.org
http://allaboutgarnets.org
http://allaboutopals.org
http://allaboutpearls.org
http://allaboutsapphires.org

For precious metals such as gold
http://priceofgold.org
http://priceofsilver.org
http://platinum-price.org
http://palladium-price.org ]]> http://priceofdiamonds.org/forum/index.php?topic=22&pid=22 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 18:54:11 +1000 priceofdiamonds priceofdiamonds 22 Gold
A number of reasons have been put forward for this sudden and dramatic rise. War, economic uncertainty, China and even India have all be assigned responsibility at one time or another. Even inflation and national debt, both which currently run extraordinarily high in the western countries, have had the finger pointed at them.

Regardless of the possible reasons for the steady rise in value of gold, it can be said with some certainty that gold is considered a good investment and a safe haven for one�s assets.

What gold should one buy and keep?

One can buy gold bullion in the form of gold coins or gold bars, both large and small.

One can invest in Gold Exchange Traded Funds (EFTs). EFTs are simply a certificate that represents a portion of gold held in a bank vault. One purchases a specific amount of gold and receives a certificate to establish one�s holding. As the price of the gold in the vault changes, the value of one�s holding changes correspondingly. The advantages of this system are that one can buy gold at virtually spot price. The disadvantage is that it is considered an investment and there are tax considerations such as profit taking and capital gains to consider.

Buying gold bullion, such as gold coins or gold bars, has some advantages in that coins generally are legal tender and not taxed. They are easy to carry and store and also easy to dispose of or sell. Gold bars also have some advantages. Easy to carry, store and sell also. Sometimes there may be tax considerations with gold bars depending on the purpose declared for their purchase. When buying gold bullion also consider that there is an increase in price, above the spot gold price, as the dealer or supplier needs to pay for their expenses etc. However with the steady increase in value this may not be such a problem.

Gold has traditionally always been a good buy in any market and better in an uncertain market.

Probably a regular purchase of gold on a consistent basis might be a wise move, then the price one pays will tend to level out and with the current trend you will surely do well with your gold.

More information is available at http://goldprice.org. ]]> http://priceofdiamonds.org/forum/index.php?topic=21&pid=21 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 18:53:23 +1000 priceofdiamonds priceofdiamonds 21 All About Rubies
Rubies and sapphires are from the same mineral family of aluminum oxide called corundum. While rubies are red, sapphires would be any other color. The red in rubies comes from the presence of chromium and occasionally iron is found in ruby which accounts for the brown tint sometimes.

Rubies are one the hardest and most durable materials on earth. At 9 on Mohs' scale of gemstone hardness, rubies are second only to diamonds in hardness. Rubies are commonly heat treated to improve their color. A well-cut ruby can approach the brilliant luster of a diamond.

Rubies have been considered to be one of the most valuable gemstones on earth and India was considered 'The' ruby country. The term corundum comes from the Sanskrit word, 'kuruvinda'. The word ruby comes from the Sanskrit, 'ratnaraj' which means, 'King of Gemstones'. In India the Ruby was regarded almost as royalty itself and many times a king would have a new discovery of a spectacular ruby welcomed almost as royalty itself.

As color is the most important quality of the ruby, transparencies and inclusions are not so important as they are with diamonds. Inclusions, in fact, are often regarded as a statement of a genuine and certainly of the individuality of a ruby and.

There are many origins of Rubies including Vietnam which often have a purplish hue. Thailand Rubies tend to me more brown however, evidence of iron within the ruby. The lighter rubies, like strawberries or even raspberries usually come from Sri Lanka and are quite rare. More information on Rubies is available at http://allaboutrubies.org. ]]> http://priceofdiamonds.org/forum/index.php?topic=20&pid=20 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 18:52:31 +1000 priceofdiamonds priceofdiamonds 20 Diamond Ring
Whatever the reason it is quite important that you know what you are buying.

Usually the first factor that determines what you buy is the budget. How much are you going to spend? What ever the figure is it is a good idea to spend at the top of your budget to ensure you provide the most funds to get the best you possibly can.

Also to decide before hand basically what you want in a ring. Is it one diamond in a clasp in a gold ring? What sort iof diamond? What size and quality can you afford? White gold or gold? Or perhaps a cluster of smaller diamonds in a row on a ring? having a clear idea of exactly what you want will go a long way to helping you get what you desire?

Another good idea is to look around at many dealers and jewelers products. There are literally thousands of rings available in jewelers and online so you have plenty to choose from.

If you have not done so already, it pays to have a good understanding of how diamonds are graded. The links on the right contain information that will help you understand how a diamond is graded and priced so you can understand what quality of diamond you can get for your money.

You should also ensure that the diamond comes with an independent appraisal that informs you of the qualities of the diamond in terms of it�s cut, clarity, color and carat weight. This will ensure that you get what the jeweler describes. It has been known for a jeweler to pass off an inferior diamond and say it is worth xxx dollars when, upon a proper appraisal by a certified diamond laboratory, it has been found to be worth only x dollars.

As in any buying situation, don�t taking a dealer or jewelers word for it. It is always a �Buyer beware� situation and there is no substitute for doing your own due diligence.

Keeping the above points in mind will help enormously in ensuring that the diamond ring you buy will be genuine and worth the dollars you have paid for it and will be one you treasure for years to come. ]]> http://priceofdiamonds.org/forum/index.php?topic=19&pid=19 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 18:51:18 +1000 priceofdiamonds priceofdiamonds 19 Diamond Wedding Ring
Of course the first consideration is usually the budget. How much can you spend?

Keep in mind that a good quality ring is going to cost around 2000 to 5000 dollars per carat depending on the quality of the ring. There are some important points you should be aware of when purchasing a diamond wedding ring.

Firstly the cut of the ring. There are a number of cuts available and the princess is one of the most popular. Remember that the �cut� does not actually relate to the �shape� of the diamond but the way it is cut. Diamond cutters spend a lot of time examining a diamond to ensure that it is cut in the best possible way to give off the best sparkle and reflective light.

The color and the clarity of the Diamond is very important too. A poor color and too many flaws or inclusions will reduce the value of the diamond regardless of the weight. It is possible to get two 2 carat diamonds and have a difference of several thousands of dollars in value between them, the cut, color and clarity being so important.

So when you are shopping for a diamond wedding ring it is very important to be able to know what the quality of the diamond is. This is not done by asking the jeweler or accepting a certificate from the jeweler that says it is a good diamond and is 2 carats. It is done by asking for a certificate from an independent gemological laboratory. If the jeweler refuses this then walk out and fine one who is will to be honest enough to provide one.

When you buy a diamond wedding ring it is a ring for ever so you want the best you can afford to buy.

There are many links to more information about diamonds and how to choose then on the right so do take advantage of them and find out as much as you can about diamonds. There is no substitute for doing due diligence when it comes to selecting diamonds. Especially if you want to save yourself heartbreak when you find you have paid thousands for a diamond that is worth, at the most, a coupe of hundred dollars.

The metal the ring is set in is also important, Platinum and gold are the most popular metals and getting a good quality ring with 22 karat gold or 99.99% platinum is important. Platinum is going to be about twice the price of gold but is pure white and extremely hard and long lasting. It can look very beautiful with the diamonds arranged well. A good strong setting should be used and it should be tight and not loose so the diamond works its way out after a time.

A quality diamond wedding ring, well chosen, is a treasure that will last a lifetime so should be chosen with care. ]]> http://priceofdiamonds.org/forum/index.php?topic=18&pid=18 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 18:50:13 +1000 priceofdiamonds priceofdiamonds 18 Diamond Engagement Rings
So when buying a diamond engagement ring a number of points should be kept in mind.

Firstly what is your price range? How much can you afford to spend? Most people usually earmark about 2 months salary for the price of a diamond ring but this is really a guideline. For you it might be a bit more or a bit less but you should have an idea of what you can spend.

Then understanding something about diamonds will help. Knowledge is power and the more you know and understand the better the deal you are going to make with the jeweler. What sort of cut do you want? What grade of diamond are you keen to get? Reading about the 4Cs on this website and all about diamonds will help you make a better choice.

All diamond engagement rings should have a 30 day money back guarantee and also a independent diamond grading certificate from an independent gemological laboratory for each diamond in the ring. Such appraisals information is covered in this web site also.

The dealer really should have a satisfactory rating with the BBB (Better Business Bureau), especially if they are on line. The dealer should be contactable and will to spend some time explaining about the diamond and not just interested in quick sale.

Compare diamonds. Don�t just accept the first the salesperson offers you. Get a selection in front of you and examine each in turn. Ask to see the certificate for each. If not certificate then find another dealer. Also the certificate should not be one issued by the dealer himself.

There is no substitute for doing due diligence and understanding what you are buying. The term, �buyer beware� is just a s relevant today as it ever was.

Buying a diamond engagement loose ring can be fun and a memorable experience provided the above points are kept in mind. ]]> http://priceofdiamonds.org/forum/index.php?topic=17&pid=17 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 18:49:18 +1000 priceofdiamonds priceofdiamonds 17