1. What are diamonds and why are they so expensive?
Diamonds are crystallized carbon — naturally occurring but very rare in high quality and very difficult and expensive to mine. The combination of rarity, the cost of extraction, cutting, and polishing, plus centuries of cultural significance, all contribute to their value.
2. Why does a diamond show yellow color?
The presence of the element nitrogen causes a diamond to show yellow. Truly colorless diamonds are graded D on the GIA scale and are the most rare and valuable.
3. What is a fracture-filled diamond and why don't you sell them?
The name says it all: these stones have very serious flaws open to the surface (or opened to the surface with a laser-drilled hole) that are filled to hide the flaw's magnitude. Most of these stones would not be considered saleable quality for fine jewelry before treatment. The investment in filling these stones — about $100.00 per carat — lets dealers sell them for two to three times that amount after treatment. Are they pretty? Yes, but the bargain might just be a joke. Remember: you get what you pay for.
4. What is laser drilling and why aren't you against selling those stones?
Laser drilling is important to understand. The drill hole is permanent, tiny, and usually visible under 10x magnification; however, if the drill hole worries you, so would the carbon inclusion — it has been whitened, so you wouldn't be buying that particular stone anyway. Laser drilling simply makes a natural flaw more visible to honest grading, rather than hiding it the way fracture filling does.
5. Can I really trust buying a diamond online without seeing it in person?
Diamonds — and stones in general — need to be shown and explained in person. Paperwork is not enough. A salesperson needs to work personally with you, teach you what to look for, and help you learn what you like. Diamonds should be studied under different types of light and under 10x magnification. Why do you think diamond dealers buy stones in person? The savings on travel are not worth the mistakes that would result from buying from a fax or Internet picture. Plus, many diamonds have good-looking laboratory reports but don't look that good in person.
6. What is the best shape of a diamond?
This is a personal opinion and only you can answer this one. "Best" should be your choice for what you think you will enjoy the most and what you find most beautiful. Thankfully, we are all individuals with the right to choose for ourselves.
7. Why are most of your diamonds loose? I can't picture how they would look in a setting.
We want our customers to have the same shopping advantages we have when buying at the cutting centers. It is much harder to determine the different quality factors when a diamond is mounted. Color is the most problematic characteristic to grade when a stone is set — the diamond usually looks several grades better than it really is. Look at the stone you are buying loose, then have it placed in settings you like. This ensures no flaws are hidden by prongs and that the color is accurately represented.
8. A mall store offered a lifetime warranty on diamond solitaires. Can you match that?
Yes — we do offer a lifetime warranty for stone characteristics and mounting quality and materials. We believe in standing behind everything we sell.
9. Do you charge to clean or check my diamond ring if it came from Grissom's?
No. Cleaning and condition checks for jewelry purchased from Grissom's are complimentary. We encourage our customers to bring their pieces in regularly for inspection and maintenance.