When buying diamonds, as with all precious gems, the four most important factors are: cut, color, clarity and carat. Most commonly referred to as the "Four C's", there are actually FIVE C's with respect to the international diamond trade, with Cayman being the fifth and potentially most important 'C' of all.

But know this: NOT ALL CAYMAN ISLAND DIAMOND STORES ARE THE SAME! And don't let the big names fool you! Diamonds are a multi billion dollar a year industry and almost all of the big name diamond stores exhaust enormous resources to lure the highest possible volume of visitors into their stores. Many boast of their "buying power", "duty free", "personally owning the diamond mines" and a myriad of other tactics designed to make you feel as though you are getting the deal of a lifetime, when in fact you may be paying higher prices for lesser quality gems than can easily be acquired online or throughout any big city diamond outlets.

So is it too risky to purchase diamonds in a foreign country? The short answer is of course not; provided you are buying from a reliable source you can save quite a bit of money on diamonds in the Cayman Islands. But big does not always equate to best. In fact, our research has demonstrated that many of the smaller Cayman Islands diamond stores offer the greatest value.

While many precious gems including diamonds may be imported at low or even zero duty rates, the same rates hold true for all stores; meaning, no single store will be able to offer some kind of "super duper deal" unique to any single store as many would have you believe. Given a level playing field, you will find the highest valued Cayman diamonds and other fine stones at the most trusted stores. Also—and simple logic will dictate—that the stores you see with world brand names and television and radio ads running 24 hours a day are going to be generally more pricy than the low overhead 'mom and pop' store with a trusted owner and a long term relationship with the world's leading diamond wholesalers and manufacturers.

And Now On to The Three C's!

More Cayman Islands Diamond Information and Photos

Fast Facts - What are diamonds anyway?

Buying Emeralds in the Cayman Islands

Buying Sapphire in the Cayman Islands

And Now On to The Three C's!

Many people are already familiar with the 'FIVE' C's of precious gemstones but just in case, we leave no stone unturned in our quest to arm every single visitor with as much information as possible to ensure the very best vacation of you lives!

If youth or lack of time has precluded your knowledge of the four c's, this is a must read in case you decide to purchase a diamond or other precious gem in the Cayman Islands. Gentlemen, even if you have no plans whatsoever of purchasing anything of the kind during your visit but are bringing a date, wife or girlfriend, please feel all the more compelled to commit the following to memory:

Cut: Most often, an emerald cut is used as this maximizes the beauty and minimizes crystal weight loss of emerald.

Color: The rule of thumb is that the brighter, more rich and vivid the color the better the stone.

Clarity: Emeralds entirely free of inclusions of any kind are extremely rare and priced accordingly.

Carat: Generally, the larger stones are more rare and therefore command a greater price. Expect to pay more for matched pairs, sets and special shapes.

By taking advantage of tax-free and duty-free prices, you can find great deals on quality jewelry in the Cayman Islands; usually at prices well below what you would expect to pay at home. Always buy from Activity Guide recommended establishments and look for additional discounts throughout this website and in Activity Guide magazine when you arrive. Diamonds are one of the many precious gems that can be purchased in Grand Cayman at lower than most major US city prices.

More Cayman Islands Diamond Information and Photos
The exact origin of diamonds is still a mystery to scientists and geologists — even though it is the simplest in compositions. The ancient Greeks believed that diamonds were splinters of stars which had fallen to earth. Some believed they were the tears of the gods. Diamond is the same material you find in your pencil, carbon. The difference is some carbon deposits have undergone extreme pressure and heat to be transformed into a diamond crystal.

Volcanic activity then trust these crystals up towards the earth’s surface where they cool in kimberlite pipes before being mined billions of years later. When buying a diamond it is best to go to a specialist dealer where trained staff will be able to assist you in selecting the diamond best suited to you.

Obviously, the larger the diamond, the rarer it is; the purer the diamond, the more valuable it is; the less color in a diamond, the more beautiful it is; and the more precise the cut of the diamond, the more brilliant it is. It is the combination of these individual factors that makes up the diamond’s overall quality and determines its beauty. Emerald has a network of inclusions which are like a fingerprint, giving each emerald a distinct personality. The extreme rarity of transparent emerald is why emeralds can be more valuable than diamonds. The four ‘C’s’ apply to emeralds as well as diamonds.

Buying Emeralds in the Cayman Islands:
Emeralds are one of the many precious gems that can be purchased in Cayman at low duty-free prices. The exact origin of diamonds is still a mystery to scientists and geologists — even though it is the simplest in compositions. Diamond is the same material you find in your pencil, carbon. The difference is some carbon deposits have undergone extreme pressure and heat to be transformed into a diamond crystal. Volcanic activity then trust these crystals up towards the earth’s surface where they cool in kimberlite pipes before being mined billions of years later. When buying a diamond it is best to go to a specialist dealer where trained staff will be able to assist you in selecting the diamond best suited to you. There are four ‘C’s’ which affect your ultimate decision: Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat. The larger the diamond, the rarer it is; the purer the diamond, the more valuable it is; the less color in a diamond, the more beautiful it is; and the more precise the cut of the diamond, the more brilliant it is. It is the combination of these individual factors that makes up the diamond’s overall quality and determines its beauty. Emerald has a network of inclusions which are like a fingerprint, giving each emerald a distinct personality. The extreme rarity of transparent emerald is why emeralds can be more valuable than diamonds. The four ‘C’s’ apply to emeralds as well as diamonds.

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