A diamond is forever.

Any commercial using that slogan or any of a whole barrage of sentimental jargon will show the perfect diamond: large, radiant and clear.

“It’s the most private, beautiful gemstone,” says Rich Yeakel of Marks Jewelers, 817 Mass. “An ideally cut, colorless diamond – how could there be anything prettier?”

However, not all diamonds are so perfect, and not every person has the financial means to purchase such a rare, flawless gem.

There’s a lot more to diamonds than meets the eye, or rather the untrained eye.

Patrick Hutchins, a certified diamontologist with Hurst Fine Diamonds, 3140 Iowa, says he has seen plenty of diamond inexperience in his days.

“A lot of the guys who come here have no idea what they’re doing,” he says. “They come in, and they just know that a diamond is an expensive piece of jewelry.”

For the average person, however, shopping for a diamond consists of a compromise between price and quality, and while shopping, it’s important to understand what gives a diamond its quality and how to price it accordingly.

Ruth Batson, executive director and CEO of the American Gem Society, says a diamond doesn’t have to be perfect to woo or impress, but if they’re not paying attention, consumers can pay too much for one of the much-loved stones.

“First and foremost, if you love the way it looks, it’s the right diamond for you,” she says. “If you see a piece and you fall in love with that piece, then that’s the right piece for you. But let’s make sure that you’re paying the right price for that diamond.”

Diamond jewelry has been used as a symbol of love throughout history. In the 19th century, Napoleon gave his wife Marie Louise a diamond necklace commemorating the birth of their son.

Shopping around

When making a major purchase like a diamond, it’s important to select the right vendor. These days, shoppers can even buy precious gems online. But Yeakel warns consumers to be wary. Just because a user types “diamond” into a search engine doesn’t mean what shows up on the results page is worth buying.

Diamonds should come with quality reports, produced either in-house or by an independent agency, such as the American Gem Society or the Gemological Institute of America.

“In the last few years, independent-party certifications have become more popular,” Yeakel says. “It kind of depends. If you want to spend $1,000, there’s a good chance the stone won’t be certified. If you want to spend $2,000 or $3,000, there’s a good chance it will be certified.”

Batson says independent gem-grading organizations provide an objective evaluation of stones and their features.

“You have assurances from an independent laboratory on the quality features of that diamond,” she says. “There are no requirements, so that’s why it’s important that a consumer asks for a grade report, and any reputable jeweler should be happy to explain the grades on the report to you.”

Batson says that, for simplicity’s sake, AGS uses a single grading scale, from zero to 10, with zero being the best. This is unlike other organizations, which use a different scale for each attribute of a diamond.

Along with seeing a grade report, Batson says it is absolutely essential that a consumer view the diamond prior to purchase.

“My first advice would be to always, always see a diamond before you purchase it. Don’t shop for a diamond on the Internet,” she says. “Just because you see a diamond on the Internet doesn’t mean that’s the diamond you’ll get.”

Another indicator of a quality vendor is reputation, says Patrick Hutchins, of Hurst Fine Diamonds.

“People aren’t going to be able to stay in business for nearly 100 years without doing something right,” he says.

What to pay

The price of diamonds can range considerably depending on their quality. The best advice for consumers is to be informed about the current price of diamonds and to ask as many questions as necessary to ensure awareness of the quality, size and type of diamond being purchased, Yeakel says.

“Say you buy a 1-carat diamond for $1,500 or $2,000, as opposed to one for $5,000,” he says. “It’s going to have flaws that inhibit the sparkle of the stone, and more than likely, it’s going to be yellow or brownish in color.”

Batson says there’s no such thing as a bargain in the diamond industry, but rather tactics to sell diamonds.

“If it’s too good to be true, it’s too good to be true,” she says. “Don’t buy diamonds at inflated prices with huge discounts.”