The Bottom Line
An excellent resource that's packed with details to help you evaluate diamonds and diamond jewelry. Written so that even beginners will understand the information that's presented.
Pros
- Excellent color photographs throughout
- Educational schematic drawings
- Clearly written text for all readers
Cons
- None
Description
- A thorough discussion of the Four C's: carat weight, cut, color, and clarity. Learn to judge each.
- Concepts are reinforced by close-up photography of unmounted and mounted diamonds.
- Schematic drawings accompany many photographs; they zero-in on specific details.
- Advice to help you distinguish a real diamond from an imitation.
- Read about common diamond enhancements. Find details to help you recognize a treated diamond.
- Read about synthetic, or lab grown, diamonds.
- Information about metals commonly used to set diamonds, with tips to help you make selections.
- Advice about diamond and jewelry care.
- Quizzes for each chapter to help you make sure you've learned the most important topics.
- Plenty of jewelry photos in a huge variety of styles.
Guide Review - "Diamond Ring Buying Guide," Renée Newman
Renée Newman's book is one you'll carry with you when you shop for diamonds--or keep next to your computer when you browse online. It's an excellent guide to buying diamonds and diamond jewelry, and written so that even beginners can quickly grasp important details. A detailed table of contents and logical layout make it easy for you to find the pages required to answer your questions. The close-up photography is fantastic; it gives us an insider's view of diamonds that we don't usually see without a jeweler's loupe, with explanations to help us understand what we are looking at. I particularly like the schematic drawings that accompany many of the photos, since they help us see details that we might not notice at first glance.
