Anyone who receives a piece of diamond jewelry, will tell you that the person that gave it to them is absolutely in love with them. Diamonds make women feel very special and beautiful when they are wearing it. They really feel loved, when they receive it as a gift.

There are all types of diamond jewelry to choose from. You can ge something as inexpensive as less than one hundred dollars or, for the more extravagant jewelry; it can be priced at many thousands of dollars. No matter what is in your wallet, there is sure to be a piece of diamond jewelry that will fit your budget and the person that is going to receive it.

Anytime you go to look at diamonds at a jewelry store, you will hear talk about the three C’s in a diamond. They are the clarity, color, and cut of the diamond. The three of these things combined, make the beauty and shine of the diamond really stand out.

Each diamond is very different. That is a good thing because one person’s taste in a diamond will likely be very different from another person’s. The cut can be marquis, square, princess or just standard round, just to name a few. The cut that you purchase will express your preference in a diamond.

The color is something else that comes in umpteen different shades. You are able to buy yellow diamonds or merely the clear kind of diamond. What color diamond you purchase will be dependent on what exactly you are looking for. The cut, clarity and color are what make a diamond so striking.

Males also love to wear diamonds in their jewelry. If you turn on a TV program that shows the different popular rappers, you will, without doubt, see one, if not all of them, sporting diamonds in their ears. These diamonds are often square and are usually pretty bulky. A further trendy piece of men’s jewelry that sometimes contains a diamond are wedding bands. Diamonds are not solely for the bride where a wedding is concerned.

Diamond jewelry comes in loads of dissimilar styles and designs. Men and women alike love to wear diamonds because it makes them feel very special. If you are looking to purchase some jewelry that will make a big impression on the recipient, check out the a few pieces of diamond jewelry. You are sure to find what you are looking for and more.

KREMENTZ COLIBRI 14K YG VS/SI DIAMOND COCKTAIL RING-Sz7 US $158.77 Auction Ends: Friday Mar-12-2010 17:21:44 PST   | Watch this Item

.06CT DOUBLE HEART FINE DIAMOND RING BEAUTIFUL!!! US $32.40 (7 Bids) Auction Ends: Friday Mar-12-2010 17:21:58 PST   | Watch this Item

14kt. White Gold 5 Diamond Ring .75 Carats European Cut US $699.00 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Friday Mar-12-2010 17:22:13 PST   | Watch this Item

2CT REAL ROUND BLACK DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING APPRAISED US $1,199.00 Auction Ends: Friday Mar-12-2010 17:22:13 PST   | Watch this Item

Unfortunately, some believe these famous prizes may carry their own price for ownership. Looking back at the first appearance and their subsequent journeys has put a question in the minds of the superstitious as to whether diamonds are cursed or not. Up to this day there is some debate. While myth may be debunked by history, the legend, for many of these gems, lives on. But be careful of a beautiful engagement ring, espcially if the diamond looks too good to be true.

Koh-i-Noor Diamond

The Koh-i-Noor Diamond, though perhaps not the most famous of the six gems, has the most recorded history. According to legend, the “Mountain of Light” was stolen from the god Krishna who was asleep at the time and first appeared in Mogul chronicles as part of captured treasure in 1304 where it remained with the emperors until 1739.

Unfortunately, when Delhi was sacked by the Persians, the Mogul emperor at the time attempted, unsuccessfully thanks to a member of his harem, to hide the diamond in his turban. The Persian Nadir Shah took the turban from the neck up and gave the diamond its name in wonder.

The diamond stayed with the Persians for another 110 years before it was acquired by the British East India Company after the Sikh wars. Luckily for Queen Victoria, the the cursed diamond seemed to be having more bad luck for her male counterparts. Since 1911, the now 109 carat stone has been part of the coronation crowns of the Queen consorts, hopefully contradicting any “curse” on the royal males.

Hope Diamond

Possibly the world’s most well known diamond, the Hope Diamond at one time was reported to have weighed in at more than 112 carats. However, the curse on this rare large blue diamond supposedly began after it was popped out of the eye socket of a statue of the Hindu goddess Sita in India. This allegedly caused the diamond to be cursed and any owner to have either death or misfortune befall them.

History and legend criss-cross paths for the first time at the acquisition of the stone. According to historical accounts, French Jeweler Jean Baptiste Tavernier traveled throughout India and purchased the large diamond, which was allegedly dug out of the Kollur mine in Golconda. According to legend, he took the cursed stone from the statue and was attacked and torn apart by rabid dogs in Russia after he sold the jewel.

However, according to historical accounts, Tavernier made his way back to France in 1668 with the diamond where he sold it to King Louis XIV along with a large quantity of other diamonds. After being made a nobleman, Tavernier died at 84 in Russia of unknown causes.

From the more than 112-carat diamond, a new diamond was cut to a little more than 67 carats and dubbed the “Blue Diamond of the Crown.” A few generations later, Louis XVI was crowned king with Marie Antoinette at his side. According to the stories, Marie Antoinette head was removed while wearing the diamond on her neck.

Shortly after the French Revolution, the Hope Diamond was stolen along with many other crown jewels. The other jewels were recovered, and the Hope Diamond surfaced again in London about 22 years later. By 1823, English jeweler Daniel Eliason owned the gem that was supposedly once the “Blue Diamond of the Crown.”

According to historical accounts, the diamond that Eliason owned was the French royals’ diamond re-cut to 44 carats to hide its origins. And years later, it was once again in royal hands, those of King George IV, when he purchased it from Eliason. It was subsequently sold to pay off debts. The legend continued to grow from there.

Henry Philip Hope was in possession of the diamond very soon, which took his family name. However, the curse supposedly hit many members of his family causing the family to become bankrupt. But according to historical accounts, it was gambling and Francis Hope’s own misfortunes that caused the family’s bankruptcy. Francis, the great grand nephew of Henry, sold the diamond in 1901.

The Hope Diamond was purchased by Simon Frankel, an American jeweler, but wound up in Frenchman Pierre Cartier’s hands years later. Cartier knew of a rich American, Evalyn Walsh McLean, who told him that objects usually considered bad luck turned into good luck for her. After the jewel was once again reset, McLean purchased the diamond.

However, it may not have been such good luck for her. Her first son, Vinson, was killed in a car accident at 9; her daughter committed suicide at 25; and McLean’s husband was declared insane and confined until he died in 1941.

Soon after death, the diamond was sold one more time in 1949 to take care of his debts, this time by Harry Winston a jewlery from New York. Winston donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institute in 1958. Some people believe it was to avert the curse; others say it was because Winston wanted the rare blue diamond to be the focal point of a newly established gem collection.

Black Orlov

The last of our trio of “cursed” diamonds is the Black Orlov. Known as “the Eye of Brahma,” this black diamond was discovered in India in the early 1800’s. According to legend and like the first two diamonds, the 195-carat Black Orlov was allegedly found in a Hindu idol at a shrine near Pondicherry, India, where it was stolen by a Hindu monk. This action supposedly summoned a malicious spirit to embrace the Eye and the Eye’s owners.

The “cursed” jewel took its name from Princess Nadia Vyegin-Orlov in the late 1800’s. Coincidentally, the diamond was named the Black Orlov because of its “natural fancy blacký color but also to differentiate it from the Orlov Diamond, a 189.6 carat white diamond with its own storied past.

According to an Associated Press article, Orlov leapt from a building in an apparent suicide in Rome, Italy, on Dec. 2, 1947, after leaving during the Russian Revolution and getting rid of her family jewels by selling them.

Russian Princess Leonila Galitsine-Bariatinsky also previously owned the Black Orlov. In a disturbing coincidence in November 1947, Galitsine-Bariatinsky also committed suicide by leaping from a building.

Some fifteen years earlier, J.W. Paris imported the Black Orlov into the United States and after securing the sale of the diamond also leapt to his death on April 7, 1932. After the two Russian princesses committed suicide, supposedly the curse was broken when Charles S. Winson, another jeweler in New York, purchased the Black Orlov on Friday, May 13, 1949.

When a couple is looking at engagement rings and wedding rings, they might be thrown off guard by the price tags attached and might also be unable to find just the right ring for their momentous occasion.  When this is the case, they might turn to loose diamonds as an option, which allows them to purchase the diamond separately and then have it placed in a setting of their choice.  This often gives them a greater variety of options in the size and cut of the stone for a lesser price than one that is already chosen and set in a ring. 

Tips and Cautions

There are certain things to beware of when buying loose diamondswhich is not an issue when buying from a jewelry store where everything is certified to be real.Loose diamonds are sold by charlatans at times who will substitute synthetic stones as the real thing and charge lesser prices than a true diamond, but still exorbitant amounts for a fake stone.  One caution is to make sure that the stones are certified loose diamonds, which means that the diamonds should come with a certificate from a laboratory that gives a grading report on the diamond.  Some credible agencies that can offer such reports are the Gemological Institute of America, the European Gemological Laboratory, and the American Gem Society.  If a certificate is not given by any of these laboratories by the loose diamond distributer, then the diamonds should not be bought from that company because they are likely to be fakes.

Another tip to buying loose diamonds is to do a lot of shopping before deciding on a particular stone.  Although there might be one very interesting stone on a particular certified website, it might not be the best price on the market, and with a little shopping around, an almost identical stone can be found for an even better price.  Most sites will also give individuals such deals as a thirty day money back guarantee so that they can be certain that they are satisfied with the diamond once they see it in person rather than in pictures.  There is also usually free overnight shipping so that the guarantee is not wasted in shipping time.

Even though the seller might have their loose diamonds certified, they still might not be an altogether reputable seller so it is wise to do one more piece of checking before purchasing from them.  One place to check is the Better Business Bureau to see if there have been any customer complaints against the seller.  Another place to check is if there are any reviews of that seller that have customer comments or ratings.  In addition, it is important to check their refund and return policy as well as upgrade policy so that everything is clear before purchasing the diamond.