This "Diamond Ring Buying Guide" does not go into as much detail as some other guides in its discussion of the 4Cs -cut, color, clarity, carat weight. It says little about price and nearly ignores laboratory grading reports. But where other books may only describe the 4Cs, Renee Newman shows readers lots of photos of diamonds under 10x magnification. An abundance of illustrations is the strength of Newman's guides. In addition to close-ups of the stones, there are photos of diamonds mounted in a variety of traditional and unusual rings, which may provide inspiration and ideas if you're shopping for a special ring. Chapters on Gold & Platinum, the pros and cons of different mounts, and advice on how to choose a mount that suits your lifestyle offer practical advice that I haven't seen in other diamond-buying guides.

Newman expands upon the traditional 4Cs by separating cut quality from cutting style and adding 2 new criteria, so the diamond price factors addressed in this book are: cut quality, color, carat weight, clarity, cutting style, transparency, and treatment status. The author feels that transparency and treatments were not issues when the idea of 4Cs was established, but now many treated and low-quality stones are on the gem market, so these factors merit separate discussion. I and SI3 diamonds with poor transparency are now being sold in some jewelry stores, and about one-third of diamonds sold in the US are treated. Most of Newman's 5Cs and 2Ts are given their own chapter. We get the basics with lots of pictures, which helps. I found the discussion of fluorescence ambiguous. Criteria for cut grades are provided for GIA, AGS, and HRD grading systems.

There is a lot of good information in the "Diamond Buying Guide", including some pointers and advice on choosing a ring that I haven't seen elsewhere. I found comparisons of the characteristics of white gold and platinum very useful. Likewise the descriptions of mounts and the practical considerations in choosing a ring style. The book concludes with some "do's and don'ts" of cleaning your diamond rings, buying tips, and a quiz so that you can test your knowledge of 5 crucial chapters. I would consult more than one buying guide before shopping for a diamond, but this one offers some valuable advice, and the photographs make it a pleasure to peruse. For more thorough coverage of how to judge quality through a loupe, try "Diamonds: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide".

I liked the way Newman clearly explained ideas that a few of the diamond sales people I encountered were unable to explain. This book has lots of information that I didn't find elsewhere. The jewelry store owner I finally bought my diamond from actually uses certain chapters in this book to train his staff!! Excellent book.

I personally found this book well written and informative. Every chapter covers the basics and gave me enough confidence to make a decision while understanding what our jeweler was talking about. The content is quite easy to grasp and the pictures are enjoyable. This book actually helped me to select an appropriate setting for my anniversary ring, see chapter 12: V-tips for marquise stones. I also found the chapter on clarity & trasparency very clear and to the point. The writer is indeed experienced and knows how to explain this diamond subject to us! After reading this one, I also bought the Diamond Handbook by Newman to acquire more knowledge. Anyone shopping for a diamond ring should get this book before your next trip to your jewelry store, it's flawless!

this book has all of the fact giving information on diamonds like affects of cut color and clarity on value wich is helpful in understanding what a diamond SHOULD be valued but in real practice in the market place whether shopping online or in a brick and mortor store, diamonds (like most other merchandise) are not offered to customers with a honest description of their quality aspects, which leaves most people lost in the new information which they just learned from fact only books, i own the " thediamondstore" and recc. using the information in this book, but you also need to know the common tricks and methods for misleading consumers at the point of sale , and by combining the two it becomes very difficult to get mislead as to the real value of a diamond.

This book was agreat help in helping me get the best value in a diamond for my engagement ring