The biggest risk with a virtual seller is relying on a diamond report to determine the beauty of a diamond. A diamond grading report only tells so much of the story, no matter which Lab has performed the grading. It leaves off critical information as to whether the diamond has a milky or cloudy overtone, whether the inclusions are affecting the return of light, what colour spectrum (fire) is transmitting from the diamond and so on. The point here is, when using a diamond report to determine the beauty of a stone (or to compare diamond prices), you simply cannot.

Using just diamond grading reports may lead you to think you have found a good deal, but more than likely you have just found a milky looking diamond.
Take for example, we looked on line at Blue Nile (USA’s largest online retailer) and we pulled up these two different diamonds:
Lot: LD01949296 1.03ct F colour VS2 Ideal cut $11,776
Lot: LD02041402 1.01ct F colour VS2 Ideal Cut $13,285

You may look at this detail and think you have found a good deal on the cheaper diamond as the grades are exactly the same. However this is how you should really look at it. The highest priced diamond in that grade will most likely have a nice clean look to it without any cloudiness. The cheaper diamond is priced according to how it faces up, and in this case it probably has a milky overtone and some type of cloudiness. Or even though it makes the Ideal cut parameters, it may just not have the true fire and scintillation expected of such a grade.

So here is a helpful hint. If you are trying to compare prices, when you look at the prices of a “virtual stock seller”, look for the most expensive diamond in the grade you have chosen and not the cheapest diamond in that grade. This is the true cost to you, the cheaper diamonds will be just that, cheaper looking diamonds.

Virtual Stock Sellers will try all the tricks in the book to then make you feel more comfortable with a purchase. However at the end of the day, without you or them having the diamond in sight, you have a relatively high chance of ending up with a diamond that lacks lustre and crystal clearness.

2. Physical Stock Seller
The physical stock seller has the ability to show you the stock for your own eyes. If distance is a problem for you to view the diamond, at least the physical stock seller can give you an indication as to whether or not the diamond has great lustre and excellent crystal structure. A trusted physical stock seller will typically not end up with cloudy/milky diamonds in their inventory listing. This is because physical stock sellers often have to show their diamonds so they dont want to carry milky diamonds in their selection. It is also because they have probably travelled the world hand picking the best diamonds from each supplier. Those left remain on the virtual database.

Physical stock sellers are a far safer option to ensure you end up with a stunning diamond. When you analyse the pricing correctly by removing the milky diamonds from a virtual listing, the physical stock seller has the ability to offer the very best price.

So in summary, when saving money by purchasing a diamond online, be aware of your options and try to find a physical stock seller like Global Diamonds, rather than a virtual stock seller.

If this blog has raised any questions you want answered, you can either respond on the blog or go to our contact page to send us an email.

Kind regards
Global Diamonds

A man-made diamond is much cheaper than a real diamond

A synthetic diamond has more brilliance than a real diamond (particularly Moissanite)

A man-made diamond is almost as hard as a real diamond (paricularly Moisannite)

Well here is my typical answer to dispel a few myths

A man-made diamond or synthetic diamond is in cases much cheaper than a real diamond, however they are well over priced for what hey are.  Many years ago we saw the introduction of Cubic Zirconias which were cheaper than diamonds but still well over priced for what they were.  They have now come down to their true value at about $5 for a bucket load of them.  So the price argument becomes redundant, a man-made diamond will always fall back to its natural price, which is unfortunately about worthless.  I see people come into my store all the time where they purchased a diamond many years ago for say $200 which the diamond is now worth say $5000.  The Cubic Zirconia they bought years ago for $50 in now worth Nil.

The second point is the claim man-made/synthetic diamonds have more brilliance than a real diamond (particularly moissanite).  The truth here is that they do, but diamonds have never claimed to have the highest refractive index on the earth.  The beauty of the diamond comes from the unique refractive index that it does carry.  Nice and brilliant, but it doesnt look like you have a disco ball or rainbow on your finger.  So for the Moissanite manufacturer to claim that their product has a far higher refractive index than diamonds, is to claim their product looks nothing like a diamond, so why do they call it a synthetic diamond??

The last point is the hardness of Moissanite vs Diamond.  In the official Mohs scale of hardness, a diamond carries the top level 10 out of 10 and Moisannite carries approx 9.  This seems to be close, however the scale is not one of a straight line, rather it increases exponenitally.  In simple terms, a diamond is up to 100 times harder than its nearest man-made or synthetic creation.

I would love your thoughts on this subject, if you have any comments please post them for consideration.

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