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.

Engagement 5 STAR RED RUBY DIAMOND 10KT W-GOLD RING SZ8 US $0.90 (1 Bid) Auction Ends: Thursday Mar-11-2010 1:18:21 PST   | Watch this Item

1 1/2 ct I SI2 Round Diamond Engagement Ring US $4,010.00 Auction Ends: Thursday Mar-11-2010 1:18:48 PST   | Watch this Item

1 ct G VS2 Round Diamond Engagement Ring US $4,480.00 Auction Ends: Thursday Mar-11-2010 1:19:11 PST   | Watch this Item

9K WHITE GOLD DIAMOND & SAPPHIRE RING ( VERY NICE ) US $69.36 (21 Bids) Auction Ends: Thursday Mar-11-2010 1:19:16 PST   | Watch this Item

Apart from clarity, other factors that helps determine value of a diamond are its color, cut and caret. Obviously, a diamond that is considered as flawless and perfect will have perfect diamond clarity as well. However, diamonds are not always flawless and many will in fact have a few minor flaws and in fact there are two such types of flaws that you need to be wary about.

Diamond Clarity - Inclusions And Blemishes

The first type of flaw to lookout for is inclusion while the other flaw is what is known as blemishes.  Inclusions are flaws that have to do with the very characteristic of the diamond and among inclusions there are number of flaws that mar the diamond clarity and these include internal graining, cleavage, bearding, knots and feathers/clouds and cavities.

On the other hand, the diamond clarity can also be marred by blemishes which typically involve the surface of the diamond being such that diamond clarity has been lost. Things such as chipping, pits, grain boundaries,scratches, nicks and in addition polish lines are typical examples of imperfect diamond clarity.

Diamonds can be categorized as being flawless, very slightly included, flawed on the inside, slightly included as well as included and each of these categories are further divided into several grades. Furthermore, the diamond is also graded on other considerations including its color and nature, position and size as well as number.

Jewelers consider diamond clarityas being the complete look of the diamond along with the characteristics of the diamond. So flawless diamonds are the prominent diamond clarity as a flawed diamond or one with rating of 13 is much of the time cloudy in its visual aspect and it will also have certain unneeded marks on it.

It is hard to truly distinguish diamond clarity with the naked eye and so a magnifying glass needs to be used though a diamond with rating S12 will appear almost flawless to the naked eye and it is only professionals that can distinguish a flawless diamond from a diamond rated S12.

Buyers obviously would like to diamonds that are flawless or as close to being flawless. However, the cost of such diamonds is very high and so not everybody can afford to buy such diamonds though a diamond with rating of S12 or better will prove to be a good purchase.

It is also worthwhile understanding what clarity enhanced diamonds are and whether they are worth purchasing. As far as diamond clarity is concerned, if a diamond has flaws in its clarity it will not make a difference whether the size of the diamond is large or small; it will have lost its beauty and so you should look for better diamonds to find one that has acceptable clarity.

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.