Diamonds: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide (How to Select, Buy, Care for Diamonds With Confidence and Knowledge)

All the Information You Need to Buy, Collect, Sell--or Simply Enjoy--Diamonds with Confidence and Knowledge

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 colors, 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.
And much, much more!

Written by an "insider," this easy-to-read guide is the "unofficial diamond bible" for anyone who wants to get the most for their money and enjoy what they have purchased.

Antoinette Matlins, P.G., is an internationally respected gem and jewelry expert, author, and lecturer. Her books are widely used throughout the world by consumers and professionals in the gem and jewelry field. Ms. Matlins' books include Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide (over 250,000 copies now in print--the only book of its kind ever offered by Consumer Reports); The Pearl Book: The Definitive Buying Guide; Gem Identification Made Easy; Engagement & Wedding Rings: The Definitive Buying Guide for People in Love; Colored Gemstones: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide; and the forthcoming Jewelry & Gems at Auction: The Definitive Guide to Buying & Selling at the Auction House or on the Internet.

Gemology Editor of National Jeweler magazine for almost a decade, her articles and comments on buying and selling gems and jewelry and on gem investment have appeared in many national and international consumer and trade publications. She is also the author of the "Gemstones" chapter in the Encyclopedia of Investments.

Ms. Matlins has gained wide recognition as a dedicated consumer advocate. She has spearheaded the Accredited Gemologists Association's nationwide campaign against gemstone investment telemarketing scams. A popular media guest, she has been seen on ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN, educating consumers about gems and jewelry and exposing fraud.

In addition to her educational work, Ms. Matlins is retained by clients worldwide to seek fine, rare, or unusual gems and jewels for acquisition.