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Diamonds: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide--how to Select, Buy, Care for & Enjoy Diamonds With Confidence And Knowledge |  | Author: Antoinette Matlins
Publisher: Gemstone Press
Category: Book
List Price: $18.99
Buy New: $11.38
as of 7/29/2010 19:42 CDT details
You Save: $7.61 (40%)
New (17) Used (7) from $10.95
Seller: supermoviedeals
Rating:  7 reviews
Media: Paperback
Edition: 2 Exp Upd
Pages: 192
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 0.7
ISBN: 0943763460
Dewey Decimal Number: 553.82
EAN: 9780943763460
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Whether you are buying a diamond for an engagement ring, anniversary, to commemorate a special moment, or for personal pleasure, today it is more important than ever to understand what you are buying. There are new shapes and cuts, fancy colours, high-tech treatments, and sophisticated frauds. There are new ways to buy - such as Internet auctions and TV shopping. Buyers need a source of expert guidance. Practical, comprehensive, and easy to understand, this book offers in-depth all the information you need to buy sparkling diamonds with confidence, including: What is a diamond? The factors affecting quality differences in diamonds; Diamond grading reports and how to interpret them; How to compare prices; How to spot differences in stones that may appear to be the same quality; How to protect yourself from misrepresentation; Questions to ask when buying any diamond; What to get in writing; How to get what you want within your budget; Important information about buying on the Internet ...and much more.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 7
"A SPARKLING BUY" December 7, 2001
16 out of 17 found this review helpful
I have most of Antoinette Matlins books and I give them all five stars. If you are interested in learning about or are planning to buy a diamond for any reason, I would read this book first!!
I recently purchased the book "Diamond Buying Guide" and had not realized how involved and complicated it is to understand the differences in the evaluation of diamonds. A particular diamond I thought was a great deal before reading this book, however, I learned was not a good deal at all. The purchase would have been a poor investment. Thanks to this book I gained enough confidence and knowledge to explore the diamond market and I purchased a beautiful diamond ring for my wife. I had the diamond ring appraised by a reputable appraiser and I felt even better when she informed me that my purchase was as represented and the purchase was at a very good price. The appraiser was impressed with how much I new about diamonds. I was proud to inform her it was because of this book. The book is easy reading, informative, and was helpful to me. Thanks!
Sparkling gem of a book November 24, 2006
Sparkle Designer (Mancherster, UK)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
A detailed book that gives you a great understanding of diamonds and what affects their value, covers the important facts on diamonds, how they can be enhanced and their simulants. What to avoid, how and where or where not to buy. The scams and how to get professional appraisals. Will give you more knowlage than most high street chain jewelers have. Buy this before buying any diamond jewellery.
Excels in Discussion of Cuts, Fancy Colors, Enhancements. July 5, 2007
mirasreviews (McLean, VA USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Antoinette Matlins' buying guides for jewelry and gemstones are excellent, and "Diamonds" is no exception. Perhaps because she is a gemologist consultant, Ms. Matlins excels in anticipating what consumers want to know and makes sure her guides answer those questions. The paucity of color photographs, which are limited to a 12-page insert, may be "Diamonds" weakness. People like to look at pictures of sparkling gems, but the abundant information in the guide is easy to understand without photographs. And photos are probably less essential in a diamond guide than in a guide of colored gemstones, since there are fewer varieties. Many of the most interesting and popular cuts are pictured, so the essential photos are included.
After explaining how to examine a stone through a loupe, Matlins moves on to the meat of the guide in Part 2: There is a chapter for each of the 4Cs: cut, color, clarity, carat weight. Illustrations of ideal cut, different cuts, faulty cuts, and how they affect price are especially interesting. The chapter on color includes discussion of color grading systems and the HPHT process to improve color. These are followed by chapters on diamond grading reports and how that information affects price, and common types of misrepresentation and what you can do to avoid being misled, including discussion of fake diamonds and how to detect them. One chapter is dedicated to comparing prices for round, brilliant-cut diamonds, so that we can see the relative effects of the 4Cs on price. Another chapter addresses color and color enhancement in fancy diamonds, with a retail price guide and sample gem grading reports.
The last 2 parts of "Diamonds" include descriptions of common diamond settings, advice on what to ask when shopping for a diamond, what to consider, and what to get in writing on your bill of sale, as well as advice on finding a good jeweler, gemologist, appraiser, or insurer, caring for diamonds, and a little about the Gemprint diamond identification system. This book provides more detail about diamond cuts, enhancements, and how to detect a fake than Fred Cuellar's "How to Buy a Diamond" guide. Antoinette Matlins' approach is more hands-on, emphasizing the consumer looking at diamonds through a loupe, whereas Cuellar expects that you will rely on machines to analyze the diamonds but offers more guidance on the shopping experience itself -guidance that is inextricably entwined with promotion for his own business, however.
A 'must' for any who would collect or assess diamonds November 17, 2009
Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)
The newly expanded, updated edition of DIAMONDS: THE ANTOINETTE MATLINS BUYING GUIDE tells how to select, buy and care for diamonds and is a 'must' for any library catering to consumers with jewelry books. It covers everything from quality differences and grading reports to how to compare prices, spot differences in stones, and protect from misrepresentation. A 'must' for any who would collect or assess diamonds.
Extremely helpful guide! November 20, 2006
Babs (Hartland, VT USA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book provided all the information I needed to feel confident about making a major diamond purchase. Very informative and easy to understand. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone getting ready to buy a diamond.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 7
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