There may come a time in your jewelry making
career when you need to select diamonds for a
special piece you are working on. Buying diamonds
is much like buying any other gem – you find one
that is the right size or shape for the piece you are
making and you purchase it. WRONG. Much more
thought and consideration must go into purchasing
a diamond. After all – Diamonds are forever, and
you want your jewelry wholesale to last forever too.

There are four C’s when it comes to buying a
diamond: cut, clarity, color, and carat weight. All of
these must be considered because you want the
diamond used in your jewelry wholesale to be as
beautiful as possible. Remember that the diamond
should not overpower the entire piece, but it should
be the main attraction and compliment the rest of
the piece as well.

The cut of the diamond does not refer to the shape
of it. It refers to the way that it was cut – the quality
of the cut. The shine and fluorescence of the
diamond is determined by how it was cut. The
shape of the diamond is only a second factor – or
an after thought – in terms of the quality of the cut.

The clarity of a diamond does not refer to how clear
it is. Instead, it refers to how perfect or flawless –
or imperfect – a diamond is. There are internal
imperfections and external imperfections. A
diamond that has no imperfections is flawless –
and expensive.

Diamonds come in many colors. The most common
are white and yellow. Other colors are available, but
they are rare and expensive. The only color you
should never consider is a ‘blue white’ diamond. A
jeweler may try to tell you that this is a rare quality
diamond, but it is in fact an inferior diamond, and
you have no use for it.

The carat weight of the diamond will be important to
your customer. Large diamonds should come with
a certificate. You should request this from the
company that you are purchasing the diamond from.
If they refuse to give you a certificate from a
reputable grading company such as GIA, walk
away.

The chances are good that you will put more work
and thought into purchasing diamonds for your
jewelry wholesale than in any other gem or stone.
Diamonds are by far the most popular gemstones
in the world – and with good reason. Not only are
they the most beautiful stones, but they are also
the most durable stones on the face of the earth –
or under the earth for that matter!

Insuring a diamond takes a bit of thought,
planning, and shopping around. Diamond
insurance isn’t like purchasing car insurance.
It is quite different. Depending on the state
that you live in, there are basically three
different types of policies that will cover
diamonds, and all insurance policies that
cover diamonds are considered Marine
type policies.

The first type of insurance policies for
diamonds is an Actual Cash Value policy.
If the diamond is lost or damaged beyond
repair, the insurance company will replace
the diamond at today’s market value, no
matter how much you paid for the diamond
to begin with. This type of insurance policy
for diamonds actually is not that common.

The most common type of insurance for
diamonds is Replacement Value insurance.
The insurance company will only pay up to a
fixed amount to replace the diamond that was
lost or damaged beyond repair. This does not
mean that they will pay that amount – it means
that they will pay up to that amount. In most
cases, the diamond can be replaced at a
lower cost.

The third type of coverage offered for
diamonds is Agreed Value. This is
sometimes called ‘Valued At.’ This type of
coverage is very rare. In the event that the
diamond is lost or damaged beyond repair,
the insurance company simply pays you the
amount that you and the company agreed
upon. This is the best type of insurance to
have, but it is rarely offered. If you can’t get
Agreed Value coverage, Actual Cash Value
coverage should be your next choice.

Your rates will be determined by the value of
the diamond, the type of coverage that you
select, and the area that you live in. If you live
in an area with a high crime rate, you can
expect to pay more for your diamond
insurance coverage. It is important to
remember that insurance agents are not
qualified jewelers, and jewelers are not
qualified insurance agents. It is best to get
a certificate for your diamond, and to
provide the insurance company with a copy
of that certificate. This leaves the insurance
company less room for arguments over the
actual value of the diamond.

Don’t rely on separate coverage to cover
your diamond. For instance, if you diamond
is stolen from your home, it is probably
covered on your home owner’s insurance
policy – but the diamond probably won’t
always be in your home, and once it leaves
your home, there is no coverage.