The most famous of all loose diamonds perhaps is undoubtedly the Koh-I-Noor which in English means “Mountain of light” with a history that dates as far back as the 1304. With a hefty 186 carats and its beautiful oval cut, this true to its name Koh-I-Noor is a wondrous gem that is known to decorate the throne of the Mogul Emperor Shah Jehan and since Queen Victoria’s rule has stayed with the British Crown.

Another impressive example is the Cullinan weighing about a couple of pounds! This was then cut into nine major loose diamonds and some smaller ones that number close to a hundred. The largest among these was the shiny Star of Africa weighing more than 530 carats and having 74 facets, making this the world’s largest cut diamond. Then there is the imperious Excelsior with around 995 carats. There are many historic gem stones that have disappeared over time, unknown as to where they went and simple unaccounted for. But whatever remains can still give you a pretty impressive picture of what the loose diamonds hold in terms of variety, royal value and elegance.

From the Mogul Emperors to the Victorian Kings and Queens, famous loose diamonds have been known to be passed on a legacy and family heritage. But over age perhaps they have lost a lot of their existence. But what still remains is a vivid memory of the glory of all those cultures and the amazing vastness of their empires. But some diamonds are also termed as cursed by some cultures in history. For instance the Koh-I-Noor was once considered bad omen for the person owning it. They said it would bring the holder of its person bad luck and he would break up.

During the French Revolution this diamond was stolen and nowhere to be found. But in 1830 it mysteriously reappeared in London. The reason it was called the Hope diamond was that Henry Phillip Hope purchased it with his great wealth. But soon this diamond was regarded to be cursed because along with the Hope family who died miserably in poverty, the next owner Edward McLean was not luckier either. This is why loose diamonds are still much sought after by all kinds of cultures and people.

Old European Style

Antique or old European diamond jewelry is always in demand from buyers, ladies and even young generations. Modern day cutters cut precious stones in old style to meet the demands of people. The reason for this increase in demand is the style that is used to cut this stone. Diamond in earlier days was cut in such a way so that the light falls directly to the top most face. The light was then passed to the bottom face from where it was split into rays of seven colors. These colors were the colors of rainbow which made the jewel appear more shiny and lustrous.

Another charming reason is the way it looks in candle light. Once the stone gets hit by candle light, it produces a charming and romantic effect. It is believed that these stones are a part of the family of the heirlooms and are transferred through generations. Some of the modern stones are cut in a form identical to the cut of stones in antique jewelry.

Old Mine Cut Style

The old European cut appears larger than the old Mine cut. This is because they have square and round shaped corners. These look similar to the modern day Asscher and Princess cut. These antique diamonds have thin girdles. Girdles are the edge around the body of the stone. It is also known that these precious things have certain chips in them. These chips are either polished away or are hided under the metal clasps.

Tint Style

Tint was not considered as beautiful as it is now days. It was available at a low cost also. Another specialty of both the Old Mine cut and the European cut is that they are famous for masking true colors.

Rose Cut Style

Rose cut is another variety of this precious stone. This was the most popular in earlier times and was the first one to have faceted cutting design. This is dome shaped in design as its bottom is flat shaped while all the faces come at one center to meet at the top. The facets form a point by meeting at the center. This kind of design, gives the jewel an appearance like a rose bud.

Antique jewelry comes in the form of pure gold or can be in a combination of gold and diamond. Despite of a variety of antique jewel items, diamonds have gained more favoritism than any other item. The increase in demand of these old style diamonds has led to a high growth result in the market of these ornaments. These ornaments also reflect the timelessness beauty of old days.

There is a general saying when judging a diamond. That is to know the 4 C’s. This is carat weight, cut, color and clarity. The weight is the easy part. This has to be measured and can be done so easily. Knowing the different cuts is also important. The difference between a princess cut, or a cushion is vastly different from each other but so are the marquise cuts. Know the difference between them before you engage with a diamond wholesaler. The uniformed can be taken advantage of easily.

A good warning sign when thinking about making a loose diamond purchase is if the wholesaler tells you that getting the diamond appraised is easy and that is how you can get a certificate for it. If you purchase a diamond without a certificate from either the GIA or AGS in America then you are taking a chance. The certificate is the way all diamonds are graded and priced, unless you are an expert. Not many people are unless they are in the diamond business.

Knowing the weight, color and cut are easy to judge, but the clarity is where the value can really come into play. This is what is referred to as the inclusions or impurities that each natural diamond possesses. If you can see dirt particles with the naked eye, the value of the diamond should not be very high. If the diamond wholesaler tells you different, then do not trust their advice and move on to another dealer.

Let’s face facts — buying a diamond engagement ring is one of the most important purchases that you will ever make. It will set the tone for your marriage, and may be more meaningful to you than the purchase of your first home.

Not only that, but buying an engagement ring is a big investment. Simply put, you want the best value for your money and you need to deal with someone that you can trust.

Do your research and check each company out that you’re interested in to see who has a solid reputation might help you save money. When buying a diamond, you should look at many stones to see how well the cut and clarity stands up to inspection.

If you start educating yourself ahead of time, you’ll know the right questions to ask about the diamond’s cut. The most common types of cut you’ll find in a diamond are brilliant cuts, step cuts, antique cuts, and patent cuts.

Round diamonds usually have the brilliant cut which uses triangles and kite shapes in the cutting of the diamond itself. The benefit of this cut is that it allows the light to refract off each facet of cut on the diamond and enables it to bounce from one corner to another – giving the diamond its brilliant sparkle.

A step cut is often seen in emerald-shaped diamonds. In this method the diamond is cut into four-sided facets, giving the step look. The facets in the step cut are created in a sloping fashion to catch the light for a luminous quality.

Another cut, the antique cut, is fashioned in many different ways. No matter how it’s done, the antique cut carves intricate designs into the stone to give an old world feel to round, oval, and odd shaped ones – like those made to look like an opening rose bud.

Yet another option is the patented cut. Diamonds cut in this style have several sharp cornered facets set into the stone. This allows the light to be absorbed and reflected so the diamond has a brilliant illumination. Keep in mind that regardless of shape, a poorly cut diamonds will appear lifeless.

Another way to save money on diamond earring is to buy loose diamonds and set them in your own design. Loose diamonds are less expensive compare to diamonds that are already set in a setting so if you want to save money on your diamond earring then the most practical way is to buy loose diamonds. You can also save money on diamond earring by understanding the 4C’S of diamond. The 4C’S of diamond which stands for cut, carat, clarity and colour determines the value and price of diamond. Hence it is very essential to understand the 4C’S of diamond before buying diamond earring. But among all these four factors cut is the most important factor as it refers to the quality and shape of diamond.

Next which you must keep in mind is clarity. Clarity refers to the flaws and inclusions of diamond. And as diamond is a natural substance it is possible to find a diamond with flaws and inclusions. And always remember that you can never see these flaws with your naked eye. Hence you can buy a diamond with little flaws for your earring. At last is colour of diamond which refers to the natural tint of diamond. But if you want to save money on your diamond earring then you must go with white diamond or clear diamond. Always that coloured diamonds are expensive compare to white diamond.

Upon hearing that specialized and personalized diamond rings can be done with the use of loose diamonds, the first thing that will come to mind is the price. Actually, it is never a problem because loose diamonds are very affordable, and having it done for an engagement ring is even less expensive. This is not to say that since it is less expensive, diamond rings with loose diamonds are also less beautiful. Loose diamonds are just the same as the diamonds that are usually found and mined in Africa. The only difference is, one buys it as diamonds, not yet done in rings or any piece of jewellery. That is the reason why men are encouraged to look for jewellery stores and really prepare for a much sweeter way of proposing marriage to the women they love.

So, to give men some tips in looking and buying for loose diamonds for their engagement rings, here are some tips. Of course, men must always ask for the carat of the loose diamonds. Women will more appreciate higher carats, but be practical. Higher carats often come with higher prices. Aside from the carat, be sure to take note of the color of the diamonds. Always consider what color will the woman appreciate for an engagement ring? Take note that the woman will keep and wear this ring wherever she goes, so might as well pick one that is beautiful and sophisticated. Cut and clarity are also to be considered because these two will determine the quality and elegance of the engagement rings. The shape of the loose diamonds also are to be considered because one can choose over emerald cut, heart, oval, princess, pear, among others. Be sure to check on the personality of the woman you are buying these loose diamonds for.

The process of finding and excavating these very rare and precious jewels has taken a lot of time and money hence their cost. Even today with modern equipment diamonds are still not easy to find and geologists search the remotest corners of the world in their quest to find diamonds.

Most diamonds end up as diamond rings, from the smallest to the largest. Diamonds rings are usually given as a symbol of love and a commitment of marriage at a later date.

Today you can look in all the jewelers shops and find a huge array of diamond rings and other types of jewelry, but diamonds are not as plentiful as they seem. So where do we go to find the diamond ring of our choice, these days there are many places Jewelers, the Internet Catalogues and even your daily newspaper magazine.

Diamonds are classified by there size and their clarity (quality) and also there color, in other words you get what you pay for. Some places will offer discounts if you buy your diamond ring from them or maybe give you free insurance so it does pay to shop around and not go for the first one that you see.

The diamond ring you purchase will hopefully be on your finger for a very long time so choose wisely. When buying your diamond ring don’t forget to insure it properly many insurance policies only cover an amount of up to $1000 for jewelry so your diamond ring will have to be insured as a separate item, so check your policy to avoid losing out should the ring become lost or stolen.

Although diamonds are extremely hard and durable if they have been treated with something to hold the shine using a hard brush or scrubbing too vigorously could remove this protective coating so take care when you do decide to clean your diamond ring.

The Diamond Tennis Bracelet is Born

Chris Evert, the famous professional tennis player, did just that, lost her diamond tennis bracelet during an intense match with her opponent. Having discovered that the clasp to her bracelet broke during play, she asked the officials to hold the match until they were able to find her bracelet. Highly publicized and viewed, the association quickly became popular and now these wrist pieces are typically referred to as diamond tennis bracelets.

There are a wide selection of styles for this popular form of diamond jewelry in existence today, limited only by the creativity of the jeweler and the public’s demand. You may prefer embellished tennis bracelet sets, vintage diamond bracelets, custom designer diamond bracelets, or antique bracelets. There are many options to choose from and much depends on your style and taste, though, in my experience, any of the above make an impressive and appreciated gift.

Men’s AND Women’s Diamond Bracelets

Another interesting aspect of the diamond bracelets development over time is the increase in men’s bracelet popularity, they are not just for women any more. You can typically choose between platinum, white gold, or yellow gold for the bracelet set itself, and your selection of loose diamonds for placement will have a good deal of impact on your jewelry pieces beauty, desirability and value. As diamond jewelry is concerned the diamond tennis bracelet is here to stay as a hugely popular and beautiful means of showing your love or appreciation as a gift. One need not play tennis to appreciate the beauty and ownership of these custom diamond jewelry pieces.