Category Archives for Grading Practices
Are Twinning Wisps in Diamond Good or Bad? (Alarming Insight)
What are twinning wisps within a diamond? Should you buy a diamond with twinning wisps? Can twinning wisps make a diamond look cloudy or milky? Learn more about twinning wisps within diamonds and get answers to all your diamond buying questions.
Read MoreDiamond Color Charts – is your perception accurate?
Thousands of people buy diamonds online every day, and the vast majority will choose a diamond color based upon an inaccurate perception of diamond color. Reading this article will dramatically improve your understanding and perception of diamond color.
Read MoreHow important is diamond culet size? None, Very Small, Small, Blue Nile Signature vs James Allen True Hearts
How important is the diamond culet size? “I’m in the process of shopping for a diamond engagement ring online, and am trying to decide between Blue Nile Signature round diamonds and James Allen True Hearts diamonds, which seem to offer a good balance of quality and price. Neither vendor seems to have anything that matches […]
Read MoreIs GIA Excellent Cut comparable to AGS Ideal-0 Cut diamonds?
GIA Excellent vs. AGS Ideal cut diamonds: “Are GIA Excellent and AGS Ideal cut comparable? How does GIA’s “symmetry” and “polish” come into play? Do I need all three of GIA’s symmetry, polish and cut grades to be GIA Excellent for the diamond to be comparable in light performance to AGS Ideal cut diamonds? Thank […]
Read MoreBest Ideal Proportions for Oval Brilliant Cut Diamonds (Maximum Sparkle)
Are There Ideal Proportions for Oval Cut Diamond: Hi Todd, I’ve been searching for an oval-shaped diamond for a while, and it seems to be a fairly uncommon shape in stores. Are there any ideal proportions for oval-shaped diamonds that you can recommend? I’m on a budget of about 2500 dollars for the diamond itself, […]
Read MoreBlue Nile Petite Cathedral Solitaire Engagement Ring Review
The Petite Cathedral Solitaire from Blue Nile: Hi Todd, I’m curious about what you think of the Petite Cathedral Solitaire from Blue Nile. I am searching for an engagement ring, and it gave me a lot of insight into a topic I didn’t know anything about before. Being from the Netherlands, a country where engagement […]
Read MoreHigh Contrast Diamonds: The Importance of Proportions and Optical Symmetry
High Contrast Diamonds Look Better: Contrast is one of the most important contributing factors to our perception of brightness and sparkle within a diamond, and yet it is a topic which is rarely discussed because the majority of diamonds exhibit very little contrast as a result of being cut to lower standards of diamond cut […]
Read MoreWhy you should not buy “GIA Certified Diamonds”
Blue Nile is a well known online retailer of diamonds, which claims to sell “GIA Certified Diamonds” at the “Guaranteed Best Price” and while this statement might be intended to appeal to price conscious diamond buyers who are searching for GIA Certified Diamonds online, experienced diamond buyers know that the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) […]
Read MoreHow much does it cost for me to use your Personal Diamond Shopper service?
Hello, I had bought my diamond for my wedding ring back in 2002 from you. I get compliments on it all the time (THANK YOU)! I am referring someone to you but it seems like you may have changed the way you did business back then. Can you help me to understand the differences? I […]
Read MoreHow to Use ASET Scope and Read ASET Colors (red, green, and blue)
If you’ve been wondering how to interpret the different colors of ASET Scope images (red, green, blue) then you’re in luck because this tutorial explains what they mean.
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