Only consider buying a loose diamond that has been certified by the GIA or AGS. These laboratories are acknowledged as the most consistent and accurate grading authorities. Less reputable grading bodies will give inflated grades leading to customers over-spending on lower quality diamonds.
One of the huge perks of buying a loose diamond online is the large inventories of loose stones available to view. While a brick-and-mortar store may hold a few loose diamonds for you to look it, they cannot compete with the variety found through online vendors. This gives you the chance to make side by side comparisons of quality and diamond prices, and rule out unsuitable diamonds with ease.
People often ask the price of 1ct loose diamonds, for example, but whether the diamond is loose or in a setting, every quality characteristic will influence the price. Where possible, diamonds should be assessed on a stone to stone basis. You can also use our diamond price charts and calculators to get a better idea of how to set your budget.
Our top three sponsoring vendors for loose diamonds are Whiteflash, James Allen, and Blue Nile. They each take a different approach but ultimately edge competitors on imaging, inventory size, and easy to use websites.
Our advice, and the shared opinion of our diamond community, is that buying a loose stone offers far more flexibility and choice than its pre-set alternative. While it may sound daunting to a first-time buyer, the process of buying loose diamonds is easier than ever and the online experience has proven to be the first choice for buyers in the now.
The diamonds in your ring should have a perfect cut quality, with no exceptions, which you can determine using our expert tool. Explore our extensive inventory of over 1 million loose diamonds for sale and choose the diamond that suits your needs.
The PriceScope community has assisted thousands of buyers to navigate the world of loose diamonds and our extensive resources will provide you with all the information that you need to shop with confidence.
Today you have thousands of loose diamonds to choose from online. And, thanks to online jewelry specialists like RockHer, you also can create engagement rings from scratch, either from an existing design tailored to your diamond or a completely unique custom engagement ring design.
Make sure you buy your loose diamond from a company that demonstrates a commitment to responsible sourcing. Supporting the Kimberley Process is a great start but we think the diamond industry should go beyond it, sourcing diamonds directly from sightholders and mines whenever possible. And we also think your jewelry should be crafted from recycled gold and platinum too.
Every diamond ring or piece of diamond jewelry starts with a loose diamond. These are diamonds that have been cut and polished, but not yet set in a piece of jewelry. Many jewelers today sell loose diamonds as well as pre-made jewelry.
To ensure you have no post-purchase remorse, shop with a retailer that comes recommended across the diamond industry. Here are the best places to buy loose diamonds in 2023 (click them to get to the proper section):
On top of this, they offer the #1 selection at more than 500,000 diamonds, conflict-free and certified by the GIA, AGS or IGI. They also happen to have one of the best ranges of loose lab-created diamonds, should you choose to go down that route.
Some buy loose diamonds with the intention to eventually have it set in a piece of jewelry. This can help you better assess the quality of the diamond before seeing it obscured by a ring setting, as well as having the flexibility to have the ring or piece of jewelry made exactly how you want it.
Carat weight impacts how large a diamond will appear (as does its shape and cut quality). You can learn more typical carat weights and diamond sizing in our guide to average diamond size to help you make an informed buying decision.
A loose diamond is a diamond that is available for sale and ready to be mounted into a piece of jewelry like an engagement ring or a pendant. Some people also buy and hold loose diamonds as a form of investment.
So, what do you look out for when buying a loose diamond? Whether you intend to buy a diamond as an investment or for an engagement ring, you need to have a basic knowledge of how diamonds are graded and assessed for their quality.
For example, instead of buying a D VVS1 loose diamond, you could save more than 20% of the costs by buying a G VS2 diamond that is eyeclean as both diamonds will actually look identical to each other in the face up view.
Contrary to what some people may think, physical jewelry retailers and mall jewelers are some of the worst places to buy a loose diamond. In fact, the best place to buy loose diamonds is to go online.
In order to make it to our list, we had hand-picked them based on their service standards as well as competitive pricing. In fact, I had personally purchased multiple loose diamonds and engagement rings from them over the years.
This is all done via superb user-interface which makes browsing and selecting a diamond really easy. At the time of writing, James Allen has more than 200,000 loose diamonds in their inventory and these are all priced competitively because of the low overheads they have.
The numbers and proportions are just a guideline as I clearly stated in the write up. What matters most is to have images/videos that can depict the performance of the diamond. These are 2 loose oval diamonds I would recommend:
If you do not intend to wear them and you only treat them as an alternative to cash, what do you think about buying loose diamonds as a viable idea over buying a mounted diamond? Any guidance would be appreciated.
Well, it depends on what you define as being investment grade. For the purpose of investing, buying a loose diamond is better than buying a mounted diamond. But what you need to be aware of is that buying for investment purposes would require a different thought process compared to buying one for consumer needs.
The key to choosing a reliable vendor is one that is fully transparent and you can see this in all the best diamond stores I personally bought from and recommend. Of course, the guide and tips I mentioned above about buying properly graded diamonds by GIA and AGS are important as well.
When buying from a physical store, the general guidelines for purchasing online are also applicable when it comes to buying in a brick and mortar store. Here are some additional pointers that would help you out.
Learning how to buy a loose diamond for an engagement ring or other piece of diamond jewelry can save you money and will allow you to choose your perfect diamond with exacting precision. Online diamond jewelers make it much easier to compare and select loose diamonds compared to visiting diamond wholesalers in places like the New York City diamond district.
Larger loose diamonds (a half-carat or more) are more valuable and will be used as the center stone in diamond rings, pendants, and other jewelry. Yes, you can find large and polished diamonds in their loose form, before they get put on a setting, thus allowing you to choose your own combination.
Buying a loose diamond rather than pre-made jewelry allows you to purchase a diamond of exact specifications and use it in a custom setting. You may also save money by buying a loose diamond and having a jeweler set it for you. Buying a loose diamond online is generally one of the more affordable purchasing methods as far as the diamond market is concerned.
If you take the time to learn enough about diamonds (our diamond buying guide is a good place to start), you can save most of that markup by buying a loose diamond either from a diamond wholesaler or an online jeweler.
Diamond prices are set by something called the Rappaport Price Sheet. Because this universal price guide exists, dealers of loose diamonds are careful to set their prices according to the latest pricing guide. They will add a mark-up, of course, but it might be a reasonable 10%, for example, rather than the 50% mark-up at big jewelers.
There are pros and cons to buying loose diamonds. You can choose the exact diamond you want, and you may be able to save money. On the other hand, you will have to go through the extra step of designing your own setting and waiting for your ring to be built.
Another advantage to buying a loose diamond that has not yet been set is that you can truly see it in its true form. Sometimes settings are intentionally positioned to hide any flaws or blemishes in the diamond, meaning you see it in the store and then you get it home and under the right lighting, voila! Where did that spot come from?
Loose diamonds hold nothing back. It is a little more difficult to maneuver and must be handled only with tweezers by a skilled salesperson or professional jeweler, who can then show you the loose diamond under a gem scope or glass piece (loupe). A gem scope is the best way to see the innards and exterior of a loose diamond.
James Allen is the most competitive diamond vendor with more than 150,000 loose diamonds in inventory. They have been a leader in selling diamonds online and pioneered 3D imaging so you can see the exact diamond you're buying in exquisite detail. You'll find it hard to beat James Allen in terms of price or selection. Read our James Allen review.
Buying a loose diamond is kinda like going to a theme park where you can only see the line in front of the ride or restaurant, but not what you might be in line for. Yes, you might know the general theme of the theme park: diamonds. You might get some clue about what the ride is about: 4C's from the diamond report. If you are lucky enough you might also make out the vague shape of the ride: images or videos of the diamond itself.
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