Tips for Buying a Diamond

Before you can surprise your fiancé-to-be with a beautiful proposal and the engagement ring of her dreams, it is important to do a little background research. Think you can walk into a big-box jewelry store and find the perfect ring to show your love and commitment? You may be able to find something sparkly but to understand true quality and value, you need to know a little about diamonds first.

There is nothing quite as frustrating as finding out you know more about diamonds than a 'salesperson' when you are trying to purchase your diamond. All of our experts have many years of experience and we are here to educate you about diamonds so you can make your own decisions.
 

Every diamond possesses its own unique beauty, described through color, clarity, cut and carat, known as the 4 C’s. At Washington Diamond, we only sell GIA-certified loose diamonds. The GIA grades the 4 C’s according to the most accurate and trusted standard. This ensures that each diamond in our collection is graded precisely so that our customers receive exceptional beauty matched with verified value. We believe the best is what you deserve. 

Ultimately, every sparkle and shade is a one-of-a-kind experience. Often, diamonds of the same grade can offer their own unique and radiant response to light. That is why we recommend viewing a collection of diamonds in person, so that you can observe each gem’s unique beauty, before making a purchase. Online retailers simply can’t offer that level of personal connection with your diamond. 

We invite you to schedule an appointment to visit our showroom in person, for a one-on-one diamond consultation. You will have a unique opportunity to experience each diamond’s beauty firsthand, as we help you find the perfect diamond to satisfy your desire.

What Matters To Her? Every bride has different priorities, that is why it is important for you to work with a diamond expert who can help you find the right fit for her. Is she an avid hiker who enjoys spending time camping? Her ring style should fit that taste and lifestyle. Does her work involve sitting at a computer all day? Does she have any hobbies that might interfere with her wearing her ring? Does she value a bigger-is-better mentality or is she more concerned with quality? Trust a diamond expert to help you find the right mix of diamond and setting options to get her the ring of her dreams.

We have always believed that diamonds graded by EGL are not as well respected for accuracy as GIA-graded stones, and we know that they often sell at substantial discounts. To test this assertion, we purchased a diamond and then the diamond was sent to GIA and EGL for their certification.

After receiving grading reports from both EGL and GIA, the results confirmed that the EGL report showed a considerable variation of the diamond grades in multiple categories. A significant difference in grading was the color grade. GIA graded it as ‘I’ color, two grades lower than the EGL which graded the color as 'G.’ This has a dramatic effect on value.

The EGL ‘G’ color diamond was being presented to consumers under the pretense that it was the same quality as a GIA-certified ‘G’ color, which in reality, was a GIA ‘I’ color. The GIA ‘I’ color could have been purchased for an even lower price than the EGL ‘G’ color. Ultimately, the EGL certification was misleading, inaccurate, and could cause considerable loss of value to a potential buyer.

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We are committed to providing our customers with quality diamonds at exceptional value. Washington Diamond does not recommend or sell EGL-certified diamonds. EGL standards are less consistent and do not accurately denote diamond characteristics to our standards. 

Instead, we offer GIA-certified loose diamonds which are graded with the strictest standards and greatest accuracy of any gem lab. GIA-certified diamonds offer a better total value to consumers because they are graded more accurately, allowing you to make an informed comparison and select the best true value.

Gem laboratories are independent authorities that produce grading reports for individual diamonds or gemstones. Their report helps dealers and consumers assess quality differences within a framework that is standardized, recognized, and respected.

Gem laboratories try to produce a grading report that is scientific in nature (describing weights and measurements), but some aspects of their work involve subjective assessments. Their subjective assessment of color, clarity, and cut is where EGL-certified diamonds vary the most from GIA-certified diamonds.

EGL stands for the European Gemological Laboratory. There are now two parts. EGL USA is based in New York with labs in New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver, and Toronto. EGL International is based in Israel. The two organizations have some friction between each other. The EGL USA has legal proceedings against EGL International. Although we feel EGL USA offers a more accurate grading report than EGL International, we don't feel that either are your best choice for accuracy or value. We cannot recall an incident where the customer did better by buying an EGL-graded diamond instead of a diamond graded by GIA.

The Gemological Institute of America. GIA is the world's foremost authority on diamond and gemstone grading. Most labs use the same grading nomenclature for color and clarity and other characteristics but differ in what each grade represents. An SI1 clarity diamond as graded by EGL may look quite a bit worse than an SI1 clarity diamond graded by GIA, for example. Getting a lab report is better than an ungraded diamond, however, we feel that for identification, retention of value, accuracy, and peace of mind, GIA is the best.

There is a general impression in our industry that EGL-certified diamonds do not compare favorably with GIA-certified diamonds and on average look worse than the stated quality. Our testing has demonstrated to our satisfaction that this general impression is valid.

We will not offer our customers EGL-certified diamonds for this reason. Sometimes, EGL-certified diamonds with the same stated color and clarity grades as GIA certified diamonds are sold at a lower price because they would in fact receive lower grades on the GIA scale.

Triple Redundancy

We are committed to providing our customers with quality diamonds at exceptional values. Washington Diamond does not recommend or sell EGL-certified diamonds. EGL standards are less consistent and do not accurately denote diamond characteristics to our standards. 

Inspection, Care, And Handling Procedures

At every step of the servicing process, special inspection, care, and handling procedures are in place to confirm a diamond’s identity and ensure the diamond is managed with the utmost care.

We only want the best in the jewelry we make for you, using pure, natural diamonds.

In addition, these diamonds are meticulously cut to have the finest proportions and we use a quality that surpasses the vast majority of jewelry available on the market.

Take a look at this video.

Armed with this information, you are ready to make an appointment to find the perfect engagement ring. It is best to preview options in the store, even if you ultimately decide to order a ring or custom design one.

It's a great idea to review designs in-person - Internet photos may be misleading.

Trust a diamond expert to help you get the most value for your purchase to meet your needs and fit within your budget. Many people choose to shop around because of pushy salespeople. These salespeople can make shopping for a ring extremely stressful and can lead you into buying a ring you are not confident with. The best way to be confident in your purchase is to shop with a trusted diamond expert like Washington Diamond. We will ensure you have an educational experience and understand every aspect of the purchasing process so that you leave with a feeling of confidence and satisfaction. So if you're living in Falls Church, Alexandria, Arlington, Washington DC, or anywhere in Northern Virginia, be sure to visit the diamond experts at Washington Diamond to help you find the perfect engagement ring.