Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
http://www.gia.edu/lab-reports-services/about-the-4cs/index.html
This is the GIA’s on line tutorial course on the 4 C’s. It is very well done. This is an excellent 5 minute primer on how to buy a diamond. Their explanation of the primer course: “Our hope is that once you’ve taken our “virtual” diamond buying shopping trip, you’ll have a basic understanding of the Four Cs and that you’ll be able to make an informed decision when the time comes to purchase your actual diamond.” This site gets extra props because of its independence as a not for profit organization.
Other GIA web site pages of interest:
http://lgdl.gia.edu/pdfs/diamond_grading_no_cut2.pdf
PDF of GIA diamond grading report
http://www.gia.edu/research/1383/2313/article_detail.cfm
An excellent GIA article from June 8, 2001 on the 4 C’s. Perhaps the best simplified explanation I’ve seen in one place!
http://www.gia.edu/newsroom/333/faqs.cfm
The GIA’s FAQ’s are an excellent source of a beginner’s lesson plan.
http://www.gia.edu/about/135/gia_history_timeline.cfm
An interesting flash presentation of the GIA history
Natural Color Diamond Encyclopedia
This has to be the number one choice from the standpoint of COOL. The colored pictures are amazing! Not only will you find some excellent training on the 4 C’s, you will find market pricing information and pricing comparison charts, the role of the certification laboratories like the GIA, pictures and history of famous diamonds, and how diamonds go from rough to final cut- best of all there are the incredible pictures. You will spend hour on this site if you are not careful.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Wikipedia article on diamonds has about all the education on diamonds you can want. Even has an interesting table on cost per carat. Although missing some of the COOL factor this site overcame that to earn a top rating due to its great quality and quantity of everything you may want to know about diamonds!
JCRS Inland Marine Solutions, Inc. (Jewelry Insurance Adjusters)
JCRS does jewelry insurance underwriting and claims mitigation solutions including jewelry appraiser training courses so they know their stuff and have NO HYPE! Their no nonsense approach and reliability and trustworthiness push them toward the top of our list. This site includes general information on diamonds, where they come from and their attributes as well as a primer on the 4 C’s that you can trust. They also have very helpful “BUYERS TIPS”.
LoveToKnow
This is a veritable library of info that is constantly being updated. It has many practical articles on engagement rings, diamonds, buying a ring, creative proposals, how to buy a diamond, and even how diamonds are formed. And best of all, not 1 advertisement!
Diamond Trading Company, Adiamondisforever.com
This is DeBeers ring design service site. It allows you to design your own ring and see what it would look like. It gets extra marks for the COOL factor. When you have completed your design you can print it out and send it to your Forever consultant at Forever Diamond Service. Our custom settings house can match your designed ring and we can even get you a rendering to make sure it is exactly what you want!
Brides.com
Not quite as high on the COOL scale as DeBeers ring designer, this site from Modern Bride Magazine will make up for less cool by adding much info of interest for a bride to be (and may be a source of background knowledge for a prospective bride groom.)
Diamondreview.com
This tutorial takes you to the next level of understanding. Each of the 4 C’s is explained and expanded upon in even more detail than the GIA site!
The Jewelry Judge, for jewelry appraisal professionals
The 5 deadly sins of diamond buying from an appraisal site not trying to sell you a diamond. Seems like a reasonable place to get some reliable wisdom!
Pricescope, consumer advocate site
This is a good place to start in determining if it is safe to buy a diamond on the internet. This site has a lot of info including a forum about the online buying experience. Frankly forums are a little boring to me since there seems to be a lot of lonely folks out there with a lot of time on their hands and slugging through all the content to find a few gems of wisdom just takes a lot of time and patience. But there is a lot of indo and education on this no nonsense site- and they are not selling anything. There are even some proposal ideas (if you need the help)!
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History site is a well organized background rich site on diamonds, there are characteristics, history, famous stones, and the industry in general, but falls short on practical buying help and education.
Diamond Helpers, consumer advocacy site
This site is a service that finds prices on diamonds within selected criteria from my main competitors on the Internet so I may be cutting my own throat but I cant help it since this tool provides you a valuable service. Plus I’d rather not spend unnecessary time with anyone that I truly can’t help get a great value.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Limited in value but interesting. This site is about the Smithsonian Institute display of some of the largest most valuable diamonds in the world. Click on the individual stones and find out about their size, unique features and history.
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