A fascination with Pirates is like a fascination with treasure!
From the tales of Black Beard to the more modern versions of Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean," they would pillage and plunder their way through the oceans, looking for hidden treasure.
Gem and Jewelry shoppers can be somewhat the same - minus the pillaging and plundering part, of course. We go shopping, often, with a purpose – what is the most beautiful piece I can find, and can I get it for a great deal? Who carries the largest inventory? Can I really get it for ‘wholesale’ prices (the answer is always “no” by the way)? What online site or vendor can I dig up in order to find my ‘hidden treasure’?
The first and most important answer is to follow the treasure map to avoid the pitfalls of uncharted waters. Diamonds, in particular, graded ‘in-house’ or ‘by a gemologist trained by the GIA’ but without a laboratory grading report (which some bilge rats call 'certificates') might be considered a dangerous reef.
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| Image credit, Dapsmagic.com |
The Captain's advice when diamon' shoppin' is this...
Stay on the map – and find the X... “X” marks the spot in shopping for diamonds – and they are often marked with a Triple-EX! That’s right, diamonds graded by a reputable lab give you a starting point for your treasure hunt. Instead of rollin' the bones, insist on a lab report from GIA, IGI or AGS so you know you've found some right proper booty!
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| Image credit, Offbeat Bride |
The Hidden Treasure
In a sense, finding a diamond of the color, cut and size (carat) you want are all factors in determining whether or not it is a ‘hidden treasure.’ The clarity, however, is a great place to find value. For the diamond novice or those who are particularly picky and want only “the best” – it is often only acceptable if a diamond is flawless! Others, however, may sail far and wide, following their compass while searching for just the deals and steals in the gem world.
In almost all circumstances, diamonds graded as IF, F, VVS1, VVS2, and VS1 will vary greatly in price, but will look the same to any viewer without magnification (this is called eye-clean). Here’s the best news for those of you searching the seven seas (or 4 c’s) for the best deals; you can sometimes find VS2 or even SI1 diamonds that are also eye-clean! If you are patient, and don’t mind scouring the map, sailing from website to website and vendor to vendor, you may be able to find one of these hidden treasures among the flotsam and jetsam.
For added security ask for an in-house gemologist from the vendor to verify that the diamond is eye-clean, and then you can take it to a local jeweler once you receive it and "yo ho ho" with him on your amazing find.
For added security ask for an in-house gemologist from the vendor to verify that the diamond is eye-clean, and then you can take it to a local jeweler once you receive it and "yo ho ho" with him on your amazing find.
When you find it. - celebrate! Fire-off a cannon, tap a cask of rum, spare some poor unfortunate soul from walking the plank, and proclaim what you have found –
“Aye, Clean!”
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