Just about everyone has heard it said that “diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” And, if that is so, then it might cause one to consider how to characterize a weighty handful of stunning loose diamonds. Of course, the dazzling and lustrous diamond is used to embellish all kinds of fine jewelry pieces, from diamond engagement rings to jewelry watches, but it is a far less familiar sight to see a collection of diamonds that are not mounted.
It goes hand in hand, no matter what its form may be. The diamond is the most desirable, and the least obtainable, gemstone. The allure to buy comes from the sparkling brilliance of the pure white diamond, but the high price prevents those on a budget from buying, no matter how attractive the stone. Fortunately, purchasing unmounted diamonds can be a good way for people to save some money and possibly afford to buy the rock of their heart’s desire.
There are actually many people who believe that it is always best to purchase diamonds, and all other types of precious gems, as loose stones. Purchasing loose diamonds gives the buyer several distinct advantages over buying a finished fine jewelry piece.
One appealing advantage of an unmounted diamond is the lower price that comes with it. It is often less expensive to buy loose or unmounted diamonds than it is to buy those already set. This is simply because the expense for the precious metals used in the setting must also be factored in, even when the reason for the diamond purchase is for the stone and not the setting.
Another reason to consider an unmounted diamond is that it is much easier to assess the quality of the stone when it is not in a setting. Some setting styles can easily conceal flaws on the diamond. Flaws decrease the value of the stone, so it is important to examine the diamond in the best possible manner. You could easily buy a stone of lower quality, if the setting of the diamond is masking or hiding a flaw.
There are four different facets of a diamond used to classify the stone, both for quality and price. By using a jeweler’s loupe or a microscope, the characteristics of color, clarity, cut, and carat can be determined with accuracy. Magnification is useful to examining color clarity and the quality of the cut.
Often people choose to buy unmounted diamonds so that they can have them set into the design setting of their choice. This allows for a design that is most desirable to their personal taste, sometimes even custom made, but with a diamond of the highest quality.
There are many cuts of loose diamonds that you can choose from if you want to purchase diamonds for fine jewelry or simply as an investment. The most common shape that you will be able to find is the round brilliant cut, but emerald, princess, baguette, heart, oval, marquise, and radiant cuts are also available.
by Archibald Rockwealth
