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Union Diamond
Q & A
Q: Is it safe to buy diamonds online?
A: Yes, if you buy from a reputable dealer like Union Diamond. We offer a 30-day return policy. Why do we do it? To make sure you are 100% satisfied with your purchase. We want you to be confident that what you receive is what you expected and feel happy with your purchase. Union Diamond also offers a $50,000 consumer-protective bond for all purchases.
Our company takes pride in perfection, and that is why we have an extensive checklist for every order. Each order is tracked and checked by our trained staff through every stage of the process. Prior to shipment, the diamonds are inspected and compared to the original certificate by a gemologist. We ship to you fully insured, and along with your diamond and original certificate you will receive an insurance appraisal and an information packet.
Q: What's the difference between buying a loose diamond online vs. a retail store?
A: The first difference you will observe is larger size or higher quality at a considerably lower price. Union Diamond is able to offer its vast selection of loose diamonds at prices unseen in retail stores. We offer a consumer friendly, interactive search function on the website to allow you to search for very specific diamonds by cut, color, clarity, shape, size, cost and more.
Q: What is Union Diamond's inventory?
A. Union Diamond has an inventory of 40,000 individual, finely cut, certified loose diamonds with prices ranging from $300 up to $500,000, and at times exceeding $1 million. These diamonds come from the world's finest cutting centers in Belgium, Africa, Israel, Canada and the former Soviet Union. We have long-standing and close relationships with these vendors and this allows Union Diamond to acquire diamonds not in our inventory in order to meet the needs of our clientele.
Q: Do Union Diamond's stones come with certification?
A. All loose diamonds sold by Union Diamond include a 30-day return policy and are certified by the world-renowned labs including the Gemological Institute of America and the American Gem Society. These coupled together, gives the consumer confidence that you are getting exactly what you expect and precisely what you paid for when shopping with Union Diamond.
Q: What if the diamond I want isn't in stock?
A. Although our inventory is kept current, all diamonds are subject to prior sale. Should that be the case, our staff will work diligently to find you a comparable alternative. We have an extensive global network to locate specific shapes, colors, sizes, and price ranges of stones through the finest and largest diamond producers in the world. If you do not find the diamond you seek on our website, call us at 1-800-325-1251 and we will go to work to find the diamond that you desire.
Q: Does Union Diamond only specialize in loose diamonds? Do you have other types of jewelry?
A. We do have an extensive selection of loose diamonds. We also have beautiful jewelry including engagement, anniversary and wedding rings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets and earrings. In March 2004, Union Diamond added watches to its offerings featuring 10 major brands including Bulova, Movado and Raymond Weil. Union Diamond will continue to expand our product offerings though 2004.
Q: What are the 4 C's to evaluate a diamond?
A. Four major components are considered when determining a diamond's quality and value. They are known as the Four C's: color, clarity, cut, and carat weight. Understanding these four factors and how they interact can help you select a diamond that suits your taste, your pocketbook, and the lesser-known 5th C, cost.
Carat: Refers to the weight of a diamond. One carat is equivalent to 200 milligrams. One carat can also be divided into 100 "points." A .75 carat diamond is the same as a 75-points or 3/4 carat diamond. A 1.00 carat diamond costs exactly twice the price of a half-carat diamond, right? Wrong. Larger diamonds are found less frequently in nature, which places them at the rarest level. A 1.00 carat diamond will cost more than twice as much as a 1/2-carat diamond (assuming color, clarity and cut remain constant).
Color: Refers to the degree to which a diamond is colorless. Diamonds range in color from icy winter whites to warm summer whites. Diamonds are graded on a color scale which ranges from D (colorless) to Z. Warmer colored diamonds (K-Z) are particularly desirable when set in yellow gold. Icy winter whites (D-J) look stunning set in white gold or platinum. Truly colorless stones, graded D, are treasured for their rarity. Color, however, ultimately comes down to personal taste.
Clarity: Refers to the presence of inclusions in a diamond. Inclusions are natural identifying characteristics such as minerals or fractures, appearing while diamonds are formed in the earth. They may look like tiny crystals, clouds or feathers. To view inclusions, jewelers use a magnifying loupe. This tool allows jewelers to see a diamond at 10x its actual size so that inclusions are easier to see. The clarity scale, ranging from FL (Flawless) to Included (I), is based on the visibility of inclusions at a magnification of 10x.
Cut: Refers to the angles and proportions of a diamond.Based on scientific formulas, a well-cut diamond will internally reflect light from one mirror-like facet to another and disperse and reflect it through the top of the stone. This results in a display of brilliance and fire, thereby being more sought after than deep or shallow-cut diamonds. Diamonds that are cut too deeply or too shallowly lose or leak light through the side or bottom, resulting in less brilliance and ultimately, value. Cut also refers to shape-round, square, pear, or heart, for example. Since a round diamond is symmetrical and capable of reflecting nearly all the light that enters, it is the most brilliant of all diamond shapes. Non-round shapes, also known as "fancy shapes," will have their own guidelines to be considered well-cut.
Cost: What to spend on a diamond. When you start to think about buying a diamond-and the love it will symbolize-you naturally want the best you can afford and a beautiful stone you will treasure forever.
Q: What is a diamond grading report? Does Union Diamond provide these reports to their customers?
A. A Diamond Grading Certificate or Grading Report is like the diamond's "birth certificate." All of its characteristics, including the Shape, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight are posted on it, along with specifications such as Polish, Symmetry, Girdle Culet Size, and Fluorescence. In most cases, a diamond grading report will accompany any of our loose diamonds. The most common will be a GIA (Gemological Institute of America) or an AGS (American Gem Society). These laboratories are recognized world over and are totally independent of Union Diamond.
Q: Do you sell 'conflict diamonds'?
A. We care about our customers and we care about the individuals employed in the mining industry and Union Diamond Corporation fully supports the Kimberly process that has been endorsed and enforced by many diamond producing, manufacturing and importing countries worldwide. The diamonds advertised on our website have been supplied from legitimate sources not involved in funding conflict and in compliance with United Nations Resolutions. Union Diamond Corporation hereby guarantees that these diamonds are conflict free, based on personal knowledge and/or written and verbal guarantees provided by any supplier of these diamonds.
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