This is a full-colour book that will help you to select and evaluate diamonds and diamond jewellery. This updated edition has 140 new photographs of ring styles, coloured diamonds and contemporary diamond cuts. Information has also been added on palladium, diamond treatments, fancy coloured diamonds, synthetic diamonds, ring mountings, and the new GIA and AGS cut grading systems. The chapter titles include: Diamond Price Factors in a Nutshell; Carat Weight; Diamond Shapes and Cutting Style; Diamond Colour; Judging Clarity and Transparency; Judging Cut Quality; Diamond or Imitation?; Diamond Treatments; Synthetic Diamonds; Gold, Platinum & Palladium; Choosing an Appropriate Setting Style; Choosing a Diamond Ring; How to Care for Your Diamond Ring; and, Tips on Smart Buying.
Customer Review: A Plethora of Pictures. Practical Advice on Choosing a Ring.
This "Diamond Ring Buying Guide" does not go into as much detail as some other guides in its discussion of the 4Cs -cut, color, clarity, carat weight. It says little about price and nearly ignores laboratory grading reports. But where other books may only describe the 4Cs, Renee Newman shows readers lots of photos of diamonds under 10x magnification. An abundance of illustrations is the strength of Newman's guides. In addition to close-ups of the stones, there are photos of diamonds mounted in a variety of traditional and unusual rings, which may provide inspiration and ideas if you're shopping for a special ring. Chapters on Gold & Platinum, the pros and cons of different mounts, and advice on how to choose a mount that suits your lifestyle offer practical advice that I haven't seen in other diamond-buying guides.
Newman expands upon the traditional 4Cs by separating cut quality from cutting style and adding 2 new criteria, so the diamond price factors addressed in this book are: cut quality, color, carat weight, clarity, cutting style, transparency, and treatment status. The author feels that transparency and treatments were not issues when the idea of 4Cs was established, but now many treated and low-quality stones are on the gem market, so these factors merit separate discussion. I and SI3 diamonds with poor transparency are now being sold in some jewelry stores, and about one-third of diamonds sold in the US are treated. Most of Newman's 5Cs and 2Ts are given their own chapter. We get the basics with lots of pictures, which helps. I found the discussion of fluorescence ambiguous. Criteria for cut grades are provided for GIA, AGS, and HRD grading systems.
There is a lot of good information in the "Diamond Buying Guide", including some pointers and advice on choosing a ring that I haven't seen elsewhere. I found comparisons of the characteristics of white gold and platinum very useful. Likewise the descriptions of mounts and the practical considerations in choosing a ring style. The book concludes with some "do's and don'ts" of cleaning your diamond rings, buying tips, and a quiz so that you can test your knowledge of 5 crucial chapters. I would consult more than one buying guide before shopping for a diamond, but this one offers some valuable advice, and the photographs make it a pleasure to peruse. For more thorough coverage of how to judge quality through a loupe, try "Diamonds: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide".
Customer Review: Well-written, clear, and easy to read!
I liked the way Newman clearly explained ideas that a few of the diamond sales people I encountered were unable to explain. This book has lots of information that I didn't find elsewhere. The jewelry store owner I finally bought my diamond from actually uses certain chapters in this book to train his staff!! Excellent book.
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