September 2008

Diamonds - Best Friend or Worst Nightmare?

Let's face it, faking it can be great! We can fake tans, eyelashes, boobs, hair, fingernails resumes and smiles. We can "fake it 'til we make it". We can fake laughter , tears and our age!. When it comes to jewellery fake can be fabulous, a ring for every finger, we can buy enough to go with every outfit… but what if, for that special piece, we don't want a fake - we want the real thing. How can we be sure that we're getting what we want? ... a best friend not a worst nightmare.

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A beautiful diamond can be a dream come true but if something goes wrong it can be a costly mistake. According to The Gemmological Association of Australia (GAA) and the Diamond Guild of Australia (DGA) there is a growing number of Australians reporting being conned when purchasing jewellery. Many of these unfortunate people have purchased their diamonds online, overseas or from a disreputable seller.

Stones sold as diamonds have turned out to be fake, synthetic, fracture-filled, inferior quality or treated. There are over 50 stones that can be mistaken for a diamond by someone who is untrained. Some of these are cubic zirconia, synthetic moissanite, white sapphire, white topaz, white zircon, synthetic spinel, synthetic rutile and high leaded glass (rhinestone).

There are some things you can do to help protect yourself:

• Learn the 4 C's, (No, this is not Champagne, Chocolate, Clothes and Credit!) This is Colour, Cut, Clarity and Carat Weight. Check out the Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia (DCLA) website www.dcla.com.au. Even a little knowledge in this area can help. If your seller doesn't understand them - pick up your Tom Gunns and run!
  
  
• Go to a professionally trained Jeweller. We have many fantastic manufacturing and retail jewellers in Australia. Some of the qualifications you could ask about are Apprenticeship Certificate, Diploma in Gemmological Studies, affiliation with the Jewellers Association of Australia (JAA www.jaa.com.au), the GAA or the DGA.
  
  
• Ask your jeweller for a Diamond Grading Report - there might be an additional fee for this but it's worth it. You can even have your diamond laser inscribed so that you never have to worry about it being swapped.
  
  
• Request an independent valuation by a Registered Valuer. This will also incur a small cost. Not only will this give you a retail value and photo of your piece it is also a valuable tool for insurance. Your Jeweller would probably be able to recommend one or go to www.ncjv.com.au which is the National Council of Jewellery Valuers website.
  
  
• Choose a seller with a genuine guarantee and after sales service. Online sellers have been known to sell synthetic moissonite as a diamond then close down when questioned only to open again under another name.
  
  
• When comparing prices of jewellery make sure you have comparable pieces otherwise it will be like comparing a Grbac gown with something from Fashion Fair. You must have similar quality diamonds but don't forget the workmanship of the piece and the weight of your precious metal. Cheap imports will often be very light designs, have flimsy claws and be hollowed out underneath.
  
  
• When you finally have your new best friend home please contact your insurance company. Some insurers have specified contents for valuable items and some may need them to be insured under a separate policy. You don't want to end up with a $500 pay out for your $5000 ring!

"I don't exercise. If God had wanted me to bend over, he would have put diamonds on the floor".
Joan Rivers

Cathryn & Paul Bodman have a jewellery design studio in Brisbane

Cathryn Bodman p 07 3420 5600 e info@cathrynpaul.com.au w www.cathrynpaul.com.au