Last Updated on 27/08/2022 by Above Diamond

How to Buy Loose Diamonds Like a Gemologist?

If you want to buy yourself a real diamond engagement ring or a good piece of diamond jewelry, did you know that “loose diamonds” are the heart and the essence of these diamond jewelry? Loose diamonds could make or break your beloved piece of jewelry.

For most people, when they think about buying diamond jewelry, they would think of walking in to look at the department stores or glass cabinet stores in the mall and select the ready-made diamond jewelry according to the available designs.

But did you know that there is another way to get diamond jewelry or a diamond engagement ring with real, beautiful, and brilliant diamonds that also fit your budget? The solution is choosing to buy the diamonds in the form of “loose diamonds” and then set them onto a ring of your choosing later.

Loose Diamonds, What Are They?

“Loose Diamonds” are what we call real diamonds that have not been set onto a casing yet. If we were to refer to the production process, diamond ores are mined from various mines around the world. The newly mined diamonds are called “raw diamonds”

raw diamonds

Credit: PinterestWhen the raw diamonds are transported to the lapidarist, they are cut with different tools to create angles that can best reflect the sparkle and shine of the diamonds. The raw diamonds that have passed this process will come out the other end, looking brilliant and sparkling – they are called “loose diamonds”.

loose diamonds

Credit: exportersindiaDeciding to buy loose diamonds instead of buying ready-made diamond jewelry could be a good option for you as you will be able to get a diamond with the characteristics or uniqueness you had in mind. Loose diamonds are all different, none of them are the same. They are sold fairly quickly and so if you missed your chance on the loose diamond you want – you will be able to replace it with a similar one but it will not look exactly the same as the one you originally wanted as no two loose diamonds look 100% the same, similar to the human DNA.

In fact, if you look at loose diamonds before they are set – you might receive a diamond with more beautiful characteristics than buying ready-made diamond jewelry. This is because checking the quality of loose diamonds is much easier than the already set diamonds – especially for the details about the carat, the color, the clarity, the cut, and even the brilliance.

What Can You Do with Loose Diamonds?

loose diamond setting

1. Set Your Diamond: Buying loose diamonds then setting it onto a ring or a jewelry piece instead of ready-made diamond jewelry is a way that enables you to choose the loose diamonds purely from their unique characteristics in all the aspects you want your diamond to have. This also makes it so that you can set a more precise and cost-effective budget in buying a loose diamond.
  Loose diamonds that you can set into a jewelry piece are sold at every price point you need. From lower carat diamond that you use to surround your center diamond with in a halo ring, to higher carat diamonds. Sparkling clear diamonds to diamonds with a yellowish tint or even colorful fancy diamonds. Flawless diamonds to diamonds riddled with imperfections. And all kinds of diamond shapes to choose in the form of loose diamonds. The range is endless.

Buy It as an Investment

Buy It as an Investment: For those who are looking to buy loose diamonds as an investment, it is one of the ways an investor can invest in something other than stocks or gold.Some investors believe that in the future, real diamonds will become an increasingly rare resource as the number of diamonds in the mines are limited. And so they choose to invest in loose diamonds so that in the future they may pass on their diamond treasure onto their offspring as an inheritance.Most of the time, investors who want to invest in loose diamonds will often use their leftover funds from their savings or other investments to buy loose diamonds. They will typically choose large diamonds to even larger diamonds with the weight being 1 carat and above, these diamonds should always come with a certification.
If you want to buy a singular loose diamond to keep as an investment, consider selecting a rare diamond and of high quality. For example, a D Color grade diamond with high clarity grades such as FL / IF / VVS which are rarer than loose diamonds with lower clarity grade. You also choose to buy colorful loose diamonds such as the Yellow Diamond, Blue Diamond, and Pink Diamond are also great investment options for those who appreciate uniqueness and individuality.

How to Buy Loose Diamonds

If you are still not sure how to start buying loose diamonds, we have a few recommendations to help you choose a real and high-quality diamond that fits your budget and purpose. You can do so by following these steps.

1. Buy From Quality Sources That Is TrustworthyIt is certain that no one likes buying expensive items and so some may choose to compare prices and select the cheapest item by thinking that they can just look for similar 4Cs characteristics in the diamond reports and just purchase the cheapest one. What they do not know is that every single diamond is different and that there may be minor details on the diamond that is not stated on the diamond report.
  If you order loose diamonds from online channels without properly checking their characteristics or examine their certification before accepting the purchase, there is a chance that you will receive a fake diamond or a diamond that does not match the specifications on the diamond report.
  
  Sometimes these diamond stores might offer loose diamond promotions to you at an unbelievably cheap price to attract customers who like cheaper things and have a lack of knowledge in buying diamonds. Many customers may later find problems with the diamond that they have purchased, making them lose their trust in their next diamond purchase.

1. Select the Diamond ShapeCredit: bario-neal
  Choose the shape of your loose diamonds from your purpose of use, for example, if you wish to purchase loose diamonds to set into a jewelry piece – you can select any loose diamond shape your heart desires. There are around 10 popular diamond shapes that can be used in a variety of diamond jewelry designs.
  
  The round diamond shape is the most popular diamond shape because it reflects light so brilliantly but if your budget is limited and you need to buy loose diamonds that have a lower price point than round diamonds, fancy diamonds have the most similar shape to round diamonds. Fancy diamonds such as Cushion Cut and Oval Cut are also interesting options.

1. Know How to Read a Diamond ReportEven if you choose a loose diamond source that guarantees a certification, you will still need to know how to properly read it – so that you are able to prove that the diamond buying matches the specifications on the certification.
  The certification you receive should not be issued by the store, but it should be issued by world-leading institutions such as GIA, HRD or IGI. This is a guarantee that the loose diamond you are buying is one of quality.
  You can check the authenticity of the diamond by comparing the report number on the certification to the laser inscription on the diamond with a 10x magnifier. For more details, you can learn how to read a diamond certification in detail from the article below.

อ่านต่อ: How to read a GIA diamond report like a pro

Understand the Principles of 4Cs
The 4Cs principles are of the essence in selecting the best diamond in terms of quality and value. This is directly related to knowing how to read a diamond certification because not only will you need to know what information the certification will include, you also need to know how to select a diamond in accordance with the 4Cs. Doing so will greatly help you in finding a spectacular diamond with great value.
The main 4Cs consist of the carat of the diamond (Carat), the cut quality (cut), the color of the diamond (Color), and the clarity of the diamond (Clarity). The details are as follows:

– Carat: The size of the diamond is the clearest indicator of its price because the larger the loose diamonds, the higher the price – as the diamonds get increasingly larger, it also gets increasingly rarer. As always, the rarer it is – the more it is in demand.
However, when you are purchasing loose diamonds, you cannot only look at its size because 3 other factors will set the price of the diamond and also the beauty of the loose diamonds you will be receiving.

Read more: Our 2020 buying guide to 1 carat diamonds

– Cut: The quality of a loose diamond’s cut is a factor which tells us how well that specific diamond will sparkle under light, a skilled jeweler will cut their diamonds with symmetry – allowing the diamond’s brilliance to shine.
If in the certification it says that the diamond has an “Excellent” cut quality it means that the loose diamond that you are receiving is of great quality and value, especially if it is a 3EX diamond.

Read more: What Are Triple Excellent Diamonds? Let’s Get to Know Them!

– Clarity: Clarity refers to the “cleanliness” of a diamond, it is what tells you where the flaws of your diamond are. This greatly affects the clearness and brilliance of a diamond. Loose diamonds that have “Flawless” (FL) clarity or “Internally Flawless” (IF) are extremely rare, we recommend that if you are looking for a loose diamond to be set into a ring – you could choose loose diamonds that are on the VVS1 level to the VS2 level. These loose diamonds will still have flaws in different locations, but can only see the flaws through a magnifier. This will make your diamond engagement ring look brilliant and flawless when it is seen by the naked eye.
But if you are looking to buy loose diamonds for the purposes of investment, saving up to invest in a high clarity grade diamond appears to be worth it because you will be buying a diamond that is the grade that investors and collectors will want to buy.

Read more: Facts you should know about IF, VVS, VS, SI clarity diamonds

– Color: Diamonds that look the cleanest and most clear are most reflective to light, will help make loose diamonds appear larger. The color grades at this level are D Color to Z Color, the further down the list, starting from D – the more cloudy and yellowish the diamond gets.

Loose Diamonds The Heart and Essence of Diamond Jewelry

Loose diamonds are still considered one of the most valuable items in the world, many dream to have one in their keep to enhance their status and prestige.

If you are able to select and purchase loose diamonds at an elementary level by reading the diamond’s certification and understanding the 4Cs of diamonds, it does not matter if you are buying your diamond as an investment or as a centerpiece for your engagement ring. You will easily be able to select a diamond of good quality and appropriate pricing for your budget because of this ability. It is as if you have found the heart and essence of the jewelry world that has charmed you as you are kept forever in a state of fascination.

If you are looking for loose diamonds of great quality and are at a price that suits your budget, you can contact us at Above Diamond to receive consultation as we select loose diamonds with you along with our experts.