How to Buy a Diamond : Insider Secrets for Getting Your Money's Worth

by Cuellar, Fred

• ISBN13: 9781402204098
• ISBN10: 1402204094
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-04-30
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Inc

Summary

Newly revised, and completely updated, How to Buy a Diamond is the only book on the market to include wholesalers secret pricing charts that you, the public, never get to see! The charts are broken down by carat, clarity and color including the various grades of color, for the first time ever. This valuable resource gives the information you need to get a stone that won t leave you feeling cheated.

Author Biography

Fred Cuellar is one of the world's top diamond experts, as well as a three-time Guinness Book record holder in jewelry design. He is an importer, diamond cutter and jewelry designer committed to simplifying the diamond buying process for consumers

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Foreword	xv
Introduction	xvii
The Shortcut	xxi
B.E.S.T.	xxiii
Chapter 1: The 4 Cs	1	(64)
Carat Weight	4	(2)
Clarity	6	(13)
Color	19	(9)
Cut	28	(14)
Proportions Made Easy	42	(1)
Proportion and Price	43	(2)
GIA Classes of Cuts	45	(3)
The 61 Percent Factor	48	(2)
Artificial Lighting	50	(4)
Super Cuts	54	(1)
High Definition Diamonds	55	(6)
Proportion Questionnaire Sheet	61	(4)
Chapter 2: Cost	65	(52)
Buying Big Diamonds	85	(3)
Buying Shy	88	(21)
To Thine Own Self Be True	109	(4)
Too Good to Be True	113	(4)
Chapter 3: Ring Settings	117	(6)
Accents	118	(1)
Adding Color	118	(1)
A Word about Gold...	119	(1)
...And Platinum	120	(3)
Chapter 4: Picking the Jeweler	123	(46)
Jeweler Questionnaire Sheet	123	(5)
Bonded Jewelers	128	(2)
Who Will Help Me Now	130	(2)
The Gift of Jewelry	132	(1)
Gift Questionnaire Sheet	132	(4)
The New York Diamond District	136	(3)
Disposable Jewelry	139	(1)
Buying Diamonds on the Internet	140	(8)
Certifiable? Lab Grading Reports	148	(10)
Real Versus "Fake" Diamonds	158	(8)
Making the Purchase	166	(3)
Chapter 5: Tricks of the Trade	169	(24)
Blue Diamond Blues	169	(1)
The "50% Off" Sale	169	(1)
Bait and Switch	170	(1)
Is White Really White?	171	(1)
Grade Bumping	171	(1)
The Fraction Scam	171	(1)
The Old Switcheroo	172	(1)
The Sandbagger	172	(1)
The Vanishing Act	173	(1)
The Dirty Dozen	173	(2)
Torquing	175	(1)
Inscription Deception	176	(2)
The "True Weight" of Diamonds	178	(1)
Diamond Mysteries-Things Aren't Always What They Seem	179	(14)
Chapter 6: Common Myths about Diamonds	193	(12)
Chapter 7: After the Purchase	205	(8)
Insurance	205	(1)
Do's and Don'ts	206	(1)
Some Final Suggestions	207	(1)
Cleaning Your Diamond	208	(1)
Jewelry Care Guide	209	(4)
Chapter 8: "Will You Marry Me?"	213	(48)
Planning the Perfect Proposal	214	(2)
Five Proposal Styles	216	(2)
Diamond Guy™ Seal of Approval	218	(1)
Soul Mate or Cell Mate?	219	(10)
For Men Only	229	(14)
For Women Only	243	(16)
Newlywed's Prayer	259	(2)
Chapter 9: Buying Your 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Diamond	261	(6)
New Marriage	261	(1)
Replacement Diamond	262	(1)
Diamond Upgrades	263	(1)
Trade-ins	263	(1)
Special Occasions and Gifts	264	(3)
Chapter 10: How to Sell a Diamond	267	(8)
Step 1: Appraisal	267	(1)
Step 2: Rapaport Value	268	(1)
Step 3: Buyers	268	(4)
Antique or "Estate" Jewelry	272	(3)
Chapter 11: Anniversaries and Occasions	275	(6)
Conclusion	281	(2)
Appendices	283	(37)
Index	320	(4)
About the Author	324