| FAQ's
What
is an "ideal cut" ?
Where do diamonds come from?
Is a diamond a good investment?
What is the difference between certified and non-certified
diamonds?
Is it safe to receive diamonds in the mail?
What is an "ideal cut" ?
An ideal cut is a specific set of proportions for a round
brilliant diamond first proposed by Marcel Tolkowsky in
1919. Today this term is associated with round brilliant
diamonds that are have a "triple zero" cut grade on a
Diamond Quality Document from the American Gem Society
Gemological Laboratories.
What is an AGS triple zero? The proportions are:
| --Table
diameter |
53
to 57.5% |
| --Crown
angle |
34
to 35 degrees |
| --Crown
height |
15
to 16.2% |
| --Girdle
thickness |
thin
to medium |
| --Pavilion
angle |
41
degrees |
| --Pavilion
depth |
43
to 43.5% |
| --Culet |
very
small |
| --Total
depth |
60
to 62% |
But
the AGS ideal cut grade is not just a question of a diamond's
proportions: it also means the diamond has the highest grade
for symmetry and polish as well. Be wary of sellers who
say a diamond without an AGS DQD is an "ideal cut." GIA
does not grade proportions and table and depth percentages
alone do not mean a diamond is well cut. For more information,
read Ideal Cuts: A Consumer Guide.
Where do diamonds come from?
 Diamonds are mined in many parts of the world, but 80% of
the stones on the market today come from Angola, Australia,
Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Russia and Zaire. All of
these sources might appear to indicate great availability,
but this is not the case. More than 250 tons of ore need
to be blasted, crushed and processed to yield just one carat
of rough diamond. If that weren't enough, most of the rough
extracted from the ground is not suitable for gems; only
about 20% of all rough diamonds are suitable for gem cutting.
Is a diamond a good investment?
 It depends. Buying diamonds at the retail level is not necessarily
a good investment since the item has been marked up considerably
from the wholesale price. The only way you would ever recover
the money spent would be from an insurance claim. However,
buying a stone wholesale means you pay a price much closer
to its "actual" value. Diamond prices have been increasing
steadily for about twenty years, so they hold their value
well. But if you buy a diamond with the intention of turning
a profit, you will probably have a difficult time. As the
end consumer, think in terms of buying a diamond for its
beauty. And remember that when you are buying a diamond
engagement ring, the most important investment you are making
is the lifelong relationship with your partner.
What is the difference between certified and non-certified
diamonds?
 Gemological institutes spend a lot of their time certifying
the quality of diamonds based on the Four Cs. A certified
diamond is one accompanied by a certificate from a laboratory
ensuring its quality. This is not to say that a certified
diamond is better than one that isn't, it simply means that
the one with the certificate comes with proof of its quality
while the uncertified lacks that authentication.
Is it safe to receive diamonds in the
mail?
 Statistically, it is safer to receive diamonds through
the mail than to purchase a gem in a shop and transport
it home yourself. Mondera.com uses only Fedex and UPS to
ship its packages, and all shipments are insured for the
full value of their contents. In the unlikely event of damage
or loss, Mondera.com will provide either a replacement or
a full refund.
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