The diamond market, on the surface, seems very complicated.  In reality it is very simple.  The highest priced diamonds are those that are extremely white.  They stand out and look the best.  Few diamonds mined are white.  Most are some subtle shades of light yellow or brown.  They are designated with letter grades, with D color being perfectly white.  One or two color grades to a lower color can mean a difference of price in thousands on diamonds one carat or higher.  Diamonds are generally categorized as:

      D E F             G H I                      J K L                 M N O        P Q R S T

Very white    Slightly off white     Very light yellow    Light yellow      Brownies

 Flawless diamonds are very rare.  Most have some inclusions (imperfections) within the diamond.   Diamonds are graded as seen under 10 power magnification.  Inclusions in diamonds are categorized as follows:

         F              VVS1 VVS2              VS1  VS2              SI1 SI2            I1  I2  I3

  Flawless       Very Very Slight          Very Slight                Slight              Imperfect

 It takes a trained diamond expert to tell the difference between F and VVS2, and even then some disagree. Repeat, all the above grades are assigned examining diamonds under 10 power magnification.  It is a fact that imperfections, VVS1 to SI2 (Slightly Imperfect 2), cannot be seen with the naked eye.  An SI2 diamond barely affects the overall beauty of a diamond when compared to a like, flawless diamond.  My theory is, if you can�t see the difference, why pay the difference?

 Diamond dealers and diamond sales persons might tell you about rarity, investment, etc.   I say buy the biggest, whitest diamond you can afford in the Slightly Imperfect category. Here is an example:  At the current diamond market (Oct 2006), you could buy a G color VVS1, TWO carat diamond for a little under over $25,000.  Or you can buy a G color SI2, THREE carat diamond for a little under $25,000.  The only difference between the two is that the three carat diamond is much bigger. 

 You will not impress anyone because your newly purchased VVS diamond is nearly flawless, as no one can see the difference between that and one that is slightly imperfect.  However, a three carat diamonds is much more impressive than a two carat one.  There is a huge visible difference.

 Better cut diamonds will have more sparkle and dazzle.  Cut is so complicated that I�m not going to get into that.  This is just meant to be a quick diamond lesson.  There are different opinions on which diamond you should buy.  This is ours.  Personally, we�d rather sell you the bigger diamond all other things equal.

 We buy and sell diamonds here at Belleair Coins/Silver Queen in Largo Florida.  Here you will get common sense and reasonable prices.   We have had a huge jewelry department for the past 34 years.