You may have heard of terms like Excellent Cut, Ideal Cut, Russian Make, Hearts and Arrows, Belgium Cut, Fine Make and others used by jewellers and diamond retailers when selling their diamonds in order to give the illusion of a 'better' quality diamond than other diamonds. Be wary of accepting these terms as is. They are especially dangerous when assigned to diamonds by the jeweler or diamond dealer themselves without third-party independent support such as a diamond certificate or diamond grading report.

When buying diamonds it is important that you do some research and have an understanding about diamonds, diamond certification, and the different standards that diamonds are graded by. While it might be possible to find certified diamonds with the same grade stated on a certificate that appears notably cheaper. As a potential diamond buyer you must be aware that there is no single set of parameters diamond laboratories grade to and every laboratory has a different set of standards. There are no huge bargains within the diamond industry so remember, if a certified diamond sounds too good to be true, it probably is and there usually is a reason.

Not all diamond grading laboratories are as well respected or as stringent in their grading as each other. The diamond certification laboratory or grading laboratory should be accredited, complaint and totally independent of the diamond dealer, jeweler or diamond retailer so that there is no conflict of interest or financial bias. A diamond certificate must be issued from an independent, accredited laboratory and it must accurately state the full details of the diamond if it is to be of assistance for the diamond purchaser. You should always make certain that you check the credentials of the diamond grading laboratory who issued the diamond grading report or diamond certificate. If you have not heard of the laboratory, it could very well be associated in some way with the store, jeweler or diamond wholesaler itself, and so have a vested interest in aiding the sale.

It can be a very daunting, often stressful and a long involved process when you are trying to choose the perfect diamond. Do not only compare diamonds by their price, it can often be false economy and you may not be buying a diamond that has the best quality or value. You should compare the diamond next to other diamonds so you can visually see the difference and see which diamond is visually brighter with the best sparkle, fire and light return.