Most people have been browsing the newspaper, or see a commercial while watching television, where One-Carat Diamonds are advertised for $500.00.  While that sounds great and many take advantage of these sales, all too many of those buyers eventually come to rue the day they made that fateful decision.  
The bread-and-butter for large jewelry retailers is customer traffic.  Get the customer in the store and you're likely to make a sale.  At least statistics suggest as much.  To attract the customers these large businesses advertise large Diamonds at very low prices.  The only problem is - these are really, really, really, terrible Diamonds.
Promotional Diamonds are the bottom of the barrel.  I3 or worse.   They have but one purpose, get the customer into the store so that, hopefully, they will purchase a more expensive Diamond.  
Aloha Estate Jewelry does not sell "Promotional" Diamonds.  If by happenstance we acquire a single item, within a larger group of jewelry items, that has "Promotional" grade Diamond, that piece of jewelry usually goes to the "Scrap Bag" to eventually be sold for only its gold content.  

Really a great question.  But one with a complicated answer.  The shortest answer is that while we are not Gemalogical Institute of America (GIA) certified appraisers, we do possess 30+ years of experience in fine jewelry.  When evaluating Diamonds jewelry for acquisition we look for Diamonds in the color range of G - L, and the clarity ranges of SI or better.  Accordingly, pricing of two Diamond solitaires of the same Carat weight may differ greatly because of better Color or better Clarity.  
Now for the lengthier, more detailed answer.  Many have heard of the "4-Cs" of Diamonds.  The 4-Cs are Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat.  Of these, Color and Clarity speak to quality.  
Diamonds are divided generally into two categories, Colorless Diamonds and Colored Diamonds.  Among the most common colored Diamonds can be steel gray, blue, yellow, orange, red, green, pink to purple, brown, and black.  Colorless Diamonds are often referred to as white Diamonds.  The GIA scale for white or colorless Diamonds runs from D - "Colorless" to Z - "Light Yellow."  D, E, and F colors are very rare, and typically increase the cost of a Diamond exponentially.  The most common color grades of Diamonds purchased are G - L.  In this color range is is very, very difficult for the untrained eye to discern a color difference.  Grades M - Z show a distinct to dramatic shift to yellow.  In terms of Clarity Diamonds are typically graded in a range from F - Flawless to Included - I3.  Here are the clarity grading distinctions:

• Flawless (FL) Diamonds (Cost - Astronomical)

-No internal or external characteristics
-Less than 1% of all Diamonds are graded Flawless.

• Internally Flawless (IF) Diamonds (Cost - Stratospheric)

-Some small surface blemishes may be visible under a microscope
-IF Diamonds have no inclusions within the stone, only surface characteristics

• VVS1, VVS2 Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS) Diamonds

-VVS Diamonds have minuscule inclusions that are difficult even for trained eyes
-VVS clarity is rare and results in an eye clean appearance

• VS1, VS2 Very Slightly Included (VS) Diamonds

-Minor inclusions ranging from difficult (VS1) to somewhat easy (VS2) to see at 10x (jewelers loupe) magnification

• SI1, SI2 Slightly Included (SI) Diamonds

-Inclusions arte noticeable at 10x (jewelers loupe) magnification
-If eye clean, SI Diamonds are often the best value
-SI2 inclusions may be detectable to a keen unaided eye, especially when viewed from the side
-SI range of clarity represents the most frequently/commonly purchased Diamond

• I1, I2, I3 Included Diamonds

​-I clarity Diamonds have obvious inclusions that are likely to be visible and impact beauty
-Aloha Estate Jewelry's policy is to avoid acquiring I-Clarity Diamonds whenever possible.

We want you to be absolutely thrilled with your selection from Aloha Estate Jewelry.  So regardless of the selection, you have 2 weeks, 14-days, to seek a second opinion, or a separate appraisal, to appreciate the value of your purchase.  And if not completely thrilled, we are happy for you to return the item to us for a full refund at anytime within the 2-weeks.

At Aloha Estate Jewelry we want our customers to be comfortable with their selections so we are pleased to provide these definitions to prevent any ambiguity of terms.  When we describe jewelry items as Antique we are saying that our estimate of the item's age is approximately 75 years or more.  Where we have a more accurate date, we will provide that date.  When we describe an item as Vintage, we are saying that the item has an approximate age of 30 to 75 years.  Again, if we have a more definitive date, we will provide that date.  When we describe an item as Estate we are placing the item on a timeline of within approximately the last 30 years.  If at any time you have a question about the dating of any piece of jewelry offered by Aloha Estate Jewelry, please do not hesitate to drop us a note.    

Before answering, a word of caution.  Collectors of Estate Jewelry very often want the piece left "as-found" with tarnish and all.  Often the tarnish, or patina, lends an effect to a piece of jewelry that is desirable and represents, in part, the character of the item after years and years of wear and ownership.  So before committing to cleaning away the tarnish or patina, ask if that's really what you want to do.  Also, if purchasing an item from us with patina, and that you choose to remove, then the item is considered altered and, therefore, not returnable.
That said, where we find a tarnished piece of jewelry and it is clear to us that removing the tarnish will enhance, not detract from, the beauty of the item, we use a jewelry cleaning cloth.  These cloths are embedded with a cleaning solution that gently removes the tarnish with no or minimal abrasion.  Our choice are the Sunshine Jewelry Polishing Cloths for Sterling, Gold, Brass, Copper, and etc.  These can be inexpensively purchased at Amazon.com.

We have many, many satisfied clients who are most ardent collectors of fine estate jewelry.  Over and again we hear that they are moved to estate jewelry for the classic styling, design, and expert craftsmanship that is, frankly, no longer found in a mass-production jewelry marketplace.  And yes, estate jewelry is most appropriate for gifting.  Nothing can express your sentiment more than the care and thoughtfulness of searching for and finding a perfect and timeless keepsake celebrating and commemorating life events, special occasions, or holidays.

First some definitions

• Synthetic – Synthetic gemstones are gemstones that are man made in a laboratory but have a natural counterpart. They possess the same physical, chemical and optical properties as a natural stone.
• Imitation or simulant – These are gemstones that try and look like real natural gemstones but are made of an entirely different material.
• Natural - These are minerals that have been mined from the ground and cut into gemstones.

Natural Gemstones
Natural gemstones are minerals that have been mined from the ground and cut into gemstones. They can be treated with different techniques to improve the color and clarity such as heating, but the main mineral must come from nature. Natural gemstones can take millions of years to create and people have been mesmerized by their beauty since the beginning of time.

Synthetic Gemstones
Synthetic (opposed to Imitation or Simulant) gemstones are those which exactly mimic and are chemically identical to natural gemstones but are man made in a laboratory.   Gems grown in a lab are identical to naturally occurring stones in every sense: chemically, physically, and optically. Costly and rare natural jewels, such as sapphire, emerald, and ruby, are favorite lab-created stones. 

• About the Creation Process 

The mineral composition of lab-created stones is created with a process similar to what nature does beneath the earth over millions of years. However, it is done in a lab in a fraction of the time and for a fraction of the cost of mining. 

• What’s the Benefit? 

The average person would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between most natural and lab-created stone. It takes a trained eye, high magnification, and other instruments. The result is a high-quality, lab-created stone at a price that’s significantly lower than the natural gemstone counterpart.  

Whatever your consideration when buying jewelry, lab-created gems are always an excellent option. 
Imitation or Simulant Gemstones
Imitation or simulants are gemstones that attempt to look like the real thing. The most common simulant or imitation gemstone found on the market are those that try to replicate a Diamond. Simulants such as synthetic Rutile or Strontium Titanate have been used for decades to try and replicate the sparkle of Diamond. Even though these gemstones are man made they do not have a natural counterpart and this is why they are not classified as high quality synthetics. Glass and plastic are other common imitations that can be found. Blue glass is often offered as blue Sapphire to unsuspecting buyers while plastic beads can be sold as natural pearls.

Aloha Estate Jewelry Policy
At Aloha Estate Jewelry where diamond is the principal gem, or the jewelry item advertised to be diamond, the piece will include only genuine, natural, earth mined, diamonds.  Never synthetic, simulant, or imitation diamonds.  

Where small "accent" stones, typically 1 millimeter in diameter or less, were used to highlight a colored gem (e.g., Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire, Topaz) and found to be synthetic or simulant we will fully disclose this in the item description.

Our 14 day no-questions-asked return policy assures your complete satisfaction with every selection and acquisition of fine estate jewelry.