Rough Diamonds

1. The purchase of rough diamonds is a specialized field requiring much experience and is definitely not recommended for beginners.

2. Ask for Kimberley Certificate. Today most reputable diamond dealers will not buy rough diamonds without documents.

3. Market factors. One of the great mysteries for beginners is understanding the relationship between price and quality. In a perfect world, price would directly relate to quality, weight, and rarity. But rough diamond trade is far from perfect. Market factors can have as much or even greater impact on prices as does quality. Check current prices.

4. If you are using thermal testers to confirm your identification of rough diamonds, make sure the instruments are working properly. Read the instructions fully and practice using it. Allow stones to acclimatize to the surrounding temperature before testing.

5. There are plenty of diamond imitations in the open market. Frequently encountered diamond simulants include glass, quartz, corundum, topaz, phenakite, spinel, zircon + synthetic cubic zirconia, GGG, YAG, synthetic strontium titanate, synthetic moissanite, and assembled stones.

6. If you are doubtful always consult a reputed gem testing laboratory.