TruthAboutDiamondscom is chock-full of helpful information on how to buy the perfect engagement ring.

The main reason you think diamonds are valuable, according to expert Ira Weissman and renowned journalist Edward Jay Epstein, is that De Beers has been working very hard for almost a century to convince you that they are.

To limit returns, try buying from a website that features high definition photos. This will better enable you to clearly see any imperfections in the stone, says Ira Weissman, the founder of diamond shopping guide TruthAboutDiamonds.com.

Ira Weissman is a diamond industry veteran with nearly a decade of experience at one of the world’s largest diamond polishers. He has traveled the world buying and selling diamonds and now dedicates his time to helping consumers make the most of their diamond buying decisions.

“Most men are clueless when it comes to diamonds and end up paying much more than they need to because the industry talks them into features they don’t need. Remember, diamonds are not commodities in the same way that gold is traded. Ultimately, a diamond is a retail item.”

Weissman said, “It takes years of viewing diamonds both with magnification and without to know know with complete confidence which diamonds will be clean to the naked eye, and which diamonds won’t. But even a novice can get a pretty good idea. If you’re looking at an SI1, and the inclusions are all bunched to the side and can be covered by a prong, then it will clearly be eye clean. Obviously, a white/translucent inclusion is better than a black one. Inclusions on the periphery of the stone are much harder to see than inclusions in the middle of the stone, etc.” – See more at: http://www.lazymanandmoney.com/save-money-diamond-ring/#sthash.zqKRdkXw.dpuf

Consider the main purpose of the stone, says diamond expert Ira Weissman of TruthAboutDiamonds.com, a website about savvy diamond buying. The point of an engagement ring diamond isn’t to produce a return on investment, he says, but to look fantastic. “You don’t need very high clarity to get (a diamond) that looks great.” If the diamond has imperceptible imperfections, no one will know except you.

Truth About Diamonds is a “MUST VISIT” for anyone thinking of buying a diamond. Any friends thinking of popping the question would love for you to steer them in the direction of this website. Even if you are not in the market for a new sparkler, it is a fascinating subject matter.