Benjamin Dover At His Best!

Diamonds:

From Rings To Tennis Bracelets To Ear-Rings...

Here's What You've Gotta Know

Let's start with some jewelry basics and some enlightened Dover Disciple explanatory terms that'll save you some grief (as well as cash) sometime in your future, whether you're in the market for a diamond ring or a high-end watch.

DIAMONDS: First we'll focus on a girl's best friend (and a guy's best shot for getting the girl)...diamonds. We've all heard about the "4 Cs" when it comes to buying a diamond. I'm gonna give you a quick review of what they are and what they should mean to you...as well as an extra term that always thrown around (a technique to make a ring or piece of jewelry sound "bigger") by the big national jewelry store chains.

	Carat weight: It's the weight of the diamond; one carat's divided into 100 "points," so a diamond of 50 points weighs half (.50) a carat. Carat weight's the most obvious measurement tool to determine the value of a diamond. Remember, two diamonds of equal carat weights can have very different prices, depending on their quality (which I'm about to cover next).
	Clarity: Diamonds that are virtually free of flaws (also known as interior or exterior inclusions) are higher in quality because the absence of these flaws means there's nothing to interfere with the passage of light through the diamond. To determine a diamond's clarity, trained gemologists view them using a 10x magnification "loop." Click here to read more about clarity scales.
	Color: Color grading scales vary from totally colorless (D) to light yellow (Z); differences between one grade and another are very subtle and difficult to distinguish. Click here to see a standard color grading scale.
	Cut: Alotta folks confuse "cut" with the shape of a diamond. Most diamonds are cut round with a full 58 facets; a good cut has more scintillation/more sparkle. But the shape of a diamond is more a matter of personal preference and doesn't directly affect the value; the cut enables a diamond to make the best use of light.

Dover's 4 C's Summary: Color and cut are the two most important characteristics of a diamond. Don't compromise on color; "H" color (or better) is usually best.

Dover's Choice? It's a no-brainer...check out Dallas Gold & Silver Exchange's website at www.dgse.com. They're a publicly-traded company that sells millions of dollars worth of diamond jewelry and fine watches (they're one of the biggest pre-owned Rolex sources in the world) and they're trustyworthy...plus they'll deal on price.

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