Diamonds (3rd Edition): The Antoinette Matlin's Buying Guide

by Antoinette Matlins PG, FGA

Overview

Whether you are buying a diamond for an engagement ring, anniversary, to commemorate a special moment or for personal pleasure, today it is more important than ever to understand what you are buying. There are new shapes and cuts, fancy colors, high-tech treatments and sophisticated frauds. There are new ways to buy—such as Internet auctions. Buyers need a source of expert guidance.Practical, comprehensive and easy to understand, this book offers in depth all the information you need to buy sparkling diamonds with confidence, including:• What is a diamond?• An in-depth look at factors affecting differences in quality and cost.• Diamond grading reports—why all the information is important, and what it tells you.• How to compare prices.• How to spot differences in stones that may appear to be the same quality.• How to protect yourself from misrepresentation.• Questions to ask when buying any diamond.• What to get in writing.• How to get what you want within your budget.• Important information about buying on the Internet … and much more!Written by an “insider,” this easy-to-read guide is the “unofficial diamond bible” for anyone who wants to get the most for their money and enjoy what they have purchased.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780943763736
Publisher:	TURNER PUB CO
Publication date:	03/01/2011
Edition description:	3rd Edition, New, Updated and Expanded
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Antoinette Matlins, PG, FGA, is an internationally respected gem and jewelry expert, author and lecturer. With over 1 million copies of her seven books in print in nine languages, she is the most widely read author in the world on the subject of jewelry and gems. Honored with the international Accredited Gemologists Association's highest award for excellence in gemology, Ms. Matlins’ books are widely used throughout the world by consumers and professionals in the gem and jewelry field. Her books include Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide (over 400,000 copies now in print—the only book of its kind ever offered by Consumer Reports); Colored Gemstones: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide; The Pearl Book: The Definitive Buying Guide; Gem Identification Made Easy; Engagement & Wedding Rings: The Definitive Buying Guide for People in Love; and Jewelry & Gems at Auction: The Definitive Guide to Buying & Selling at the Auction House & on Internet Auction Sites (all GemStone Press).

Former gemology editor of National Jeweler magazine, her articles and comments on buying and selling gems and jewelry and on gem investment have appeared in many national and international consumer and trade publications. She is also the author of the "Gemstones" chapter in the Encyclopedia of Investments, second edition.

Ms. Matlins has gained wide recognition as a dedicated consumer advocate, and continues to spearhead the Accredited Gemologists Association’s nationwide campaign against gemstone investment telemarketing scams and other types of consumer misrepresentation. A popular media guest, she has been seen on ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN, educating consumers about gems and jewelry and exposing fraud.

In addition to her educational work, Ms. Matlins is retained by clients worldwide to seek fine, rare or unusual gems and jewels for acquisition.

Table of Contents

List of Price Guides vi

List of Special Charts and Tables vii

Contents of Color Photograph Section vii

Acknowledgments viii

Preface to the Third Edition xi

Introduction xv

Part 1 Appreciating Diamonds

1 The Magic of Diamonds 3

2 Becoming Familiar with Diamonds 7

3 Looking for a Diamond That's a "Cut Above" 13

Part 2 Diamonds

4 What Is a Diamond? 21

5 The Importance of Cut & Proportion 23

6 Body Color 43

7 Clarifying Clarity: How Flaws Affect Diamonds 61

8 Weight 73

9 How to Read Diamond Grading Reports 79

10 False Claims & Costly Bargains: How to Spot Fraud and Avoid Misrepresentation 103

11 Comparing Colorless Diamond Prices 125

12 Fancy-Color Diamonds 131

13 Comparing Fancy Natural-Color and Treated-Color Diamond Prices 147

14 A Word about Synthetic Diamonds 153

Part 3 Design & Style: Getting the Look You Want … and Keeping It That Way

15 Choosing the Right Metal 159

16 Choosing the Design of the Setting 175

17 Caring for Your Diamond Jewelry 181

Part 4 Important Advice Before & After You Buy

18 What to Ask When Buying the Stone 189

19 How to Select a Reputable Jeweler & Gemologist Consultant 195

20 Buying on the Internet: E-Commerce & Online Auctions 199

21 Choosing the Appraiser & Insurer 207

Appendix

A Selected List of Recognized Laboratories 213

Selected Readings 214

Color Plates and Exhibits 215

Index 217

Price Guides

Retail Price Guide for Round Brilliant-Cut Diamonds 126

Retail Price Guide for Old-European Cut Diamonds 129

Retail Price Guide for Rose-Cut Diamonds 129

Retail Price Guide for Briolette-Cut Diamonds 130

Retail Price Guide for Fancy Natural-Color Diamonds 147

Retail Price Guide for Fancy-Color Permanently Enhanced/Treated Diamonds 150

Retail Price Guide for HPHT-Treated Fancy-Color Diamonds 151

Auction Prices of Fancy-Color Diamonds (A Sampling) 152

Retail Prices of Colorless Synthetic Diamonds (A Representative Sampling) 155

Retail Price Guide for Fancy-Color Synthetic Diamonds 156

Special Charts and Tables

Diamond Color Grades 46

Commonly Used Diamond Color Grading Systems 47

Commonly Used Diamond Clarity Grading Systems 71

Sizes and Weights of Various Diamond Cuts 77

Diameters and Corresponding Weights of Round Brilliant-Cut Diamonds 78

Acceptable Tolerances for "Round" Diamonds 83

Depth Percentage Guidelines Used Generally 88

Table Percentage Guidelines Used Generally 89

Comparison of Diamonds and Diamond Look-Alikes 123

International Ring Size Equivalents 180

Comparison of Gold Content Markings 161

How Alloys Affect Gold Color 163

Color Photograph Section

Classic Diamond Shapes

The Shape of Things to Come

A Blend of Old and New

Fancy Natural-Color Diamonds for Jewels That Stand Apart (2 pages)

Diamonds Sparkle Any Time for Any Occasion (2 pages)

In Contemporary & Classic Designs (2 pages)

Popular Ring Styles

Wedding Bands for Today

Natural Diamonds in Treated Colors and Synthetic Diamonds in New Colors, Too

Editorial Reviews

DIAMONDS: THE ANTOINETTE MATLINS BUYING GUIDE appears in an updated third expanded edition to survey the basics of selecting and caring for diamonds. It's been updated with all the basic information on new ways to buy - such as on the Internet - and covers everything from understanding grading and comparing prices to spotting misrepresentation and inconsistencies in diamonds. From what to ask to what to get in writing, this is a top recommendation for any consumer or gemstone reference collection.

California Bookwatch

The newly expanded, updated edition of DIAMONDS: THE ANTOINETTE MATLINS BUYING GUIDE tells how to select, buy and care for diamonds and is a 'must' for any library catering to consumers with jewelry books. It covers everything from quality differences and grading reports to how to compare prices, spot differences in stones, and protect from misrepresentation. A 'must' for any who would collect or assess diamonds.

The MidWest Book Review