| How
to Buy A Diamond • The
Perfect Engagement Ring
• Customer Awareness Guide
•
When buying diamonds, as with any major purchase,
the more you know, the better you can protect yourself from
misrepresentation and fraud.
With that in mind, Mark's Jewelers is providing you
with everything you need to know about buying diamonds.
Click here
to view our customer awareness guide that will inform
you more about the facets of jewelry.
Please call us with any questions
that may not be answered here:
Click here
to find out more about how to buy the
perfect Diamond Engagement Ring.
A diamond's life began as crystallized carbon millions of years
ago and more than 100 miles beneath the Earth’s surface.
It then endured a violent journey upwards through the Earth’s
crust, surviving immense pressures and temperatures, until it
was deposited at the Earth’s surface. When that diamond
deposit was detected, miners excavated and crushed 1 ton of
ore to extract less than half a carat of rough diamond.That
is less that the weight of a large paper clip!
Once they are mined, cut, and polished, diamonds
are customarily graded. The Gemological Institute of America
(GIA) has created the International Diamond Grading System which
is used by jewelry professionals around the world to determine
the quality of a stone. Four grading categories are used to
describe and classify diamonds: clarity, color, cut, and carat
weight – more commonly known as the Four Cs. The higher
the grade in each of the categories – the rarer the stone.
In its purest state, a diamond is composed of carbon atoms and
is colorless, like the De Beers Millennium Star. When certain
impurity atoms replace carbon atoms, they impart tints of color.
Yellow diamonds and most blue ones result from nitrogen and
boron, respectively, trapped in the diamond’s structure.
Diamonds that are pick to red and orange in color have imperfections
at the atomic level which scientists call “color centers.”
Green, blue-green, and a small number of blue diamonds are a
special case. Their colors result from exposure to radiation
over millions of years in the Earth. In all of these cases,
portions of white light striking the diamond are absorbed. The
remaining portions of light that are not absorbed are transmitted
to the eye and result in the color we see.
A diamond may be the hardest substance known to man, but to
keep it looking its best, it needs proper care and maintenance.
This is especially important if you wear your diamond every
day. To keep daily build-ups of soap, cosmetics, and skin oils
from dulling your beautiful jewelry, follow any one of the following
procedures to care for your gem:
 Professional
Cleaning
This is the best option and also gives you
the opportunity to have your retail jeweler check your diamond’s
mounting to make sure prongs or other settings are not weak
or loose. At Mark's Jewelers, our professional team of experts
will clean, polish, and check your diamonds for FREE. We assure
the best possible job and take care of our customers’
jewelry as if it was our own.
Cold
Water Soak
A mixture of half cold water and household ammonia
will work well if your ring or diamond jewelry is allowed
to soak for 30 minutes. Lift your ring out and clean gently
around the front and back of the mounting with a small, soft
brush. Give the ring a second swish through the solution and
let dry on a paper towel. No rinsing is necessary.
Over-the-Counter
Jewelry Cleaners
Ask your jeweler for a liquid jewelry cleaner made
especially for diamonds and follow the instructions on the
label. A good cleaner is designed to remove loose dirt and
dissolve any oils or residue on the stone.
Detergent
Bath
The simplest cleaning method for your diamond is
to soak your jewelry in a small bowl of warm, sudsy water
combined with any mild liquid detergent. Use a toothbrush
or other soft brush and gently brush the ring around the setting
while it is in the water. After its bath, put the ring in
a fine wire strainer and rinse thoroughly under warm running
water (the strainer provides protection for the ring from
slipping down the drain). Pat your ring dry with a soft lint-free
cloth.
Ultrasonic
Cleaning
This method involves a special machine that uses
a high-frequency vibration to clean the ring. The ring is
enclosed in a small cup with cleaning solution and in just
a minute, any dirt and oils are removed from the stone. The
method can be done by your jeweler or at home after purchasing
an ultrasonic cleaner.
— Ray of Light
For further news or updates about diamonds, visit GIAs website
at:
www.gia.edu
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