Our Top Tips For Choosing Diamonds - Become An Informed Consumer
India was the location of the world's first diamond mine, which opened its doors more than 2,800 years ago. Diamonds are significantly more ancient than their reputation would lead one to believe. At least 900 million years have passed since the majority of the diamonds that we find today. According to experts, the estimated age of the world's oldest diamond is approximately 3.2 billion years. Every diamond that comes from a mine is one of a kind. One may see that all diamonds are different by inspecting them with an eye trained in this area. Read on to discover our tips for choosing diamonds and diamond jewellery.
When it comes to understanding how to buy a diamond, there are a lot of different aspects to think about. You should never be in a hurry to buy a diamond before you have more information and have done your homework on the subject. Understanding the pricing structure of diamonds is of utmost significance.
The 4Cs Of Diamond Quality
When shopping for a diamond, you will have numerous options and considerations to make. Jewellers worldwide adhere to a standard approach when articulating a diamond’s quality and, thus, value. This approach is known as the carat weight system. The process is commonly referred to as the "4 C's." If you are interested in learning how to purchase a diamond, having a solid understanding of the four Cs and how each facet of the diamond contributes to the stone's overall value would be beneficial.
Cut, clarity, carat weight, and colour are the characteristics defined within the 4Cs of diamond quality.
Choosing A Diamond Based On Its Cut
A diamond's cut describes how the diamond maker angles the gemstone in such a way as to maximise the passage of light through the diamond, resulting in the diamond's sparkle. The cut of a diamond is one of the most critical factors in determining the price of a diamond.
A diamond's natural brilliance can be brought out more fully, and its value can be increased by cutting it to a high standard. A poorly cut diamond will not be as dazzling or shiny as a well-cut diamond, and as a result, its value will be lower.
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How To Determine The Clarity Of A Diamond Before Buying
When evaluating the clarity of a diamond, it is necessary to examine how transparent the stone appears when viewed from within. It is rare to see a flawless diamond because most diamonds have imperfections and defects. However, blemishes are rarely detectable without the use of magnification. When shopping for a diamond, one of the things you should look for is the presence of dark spots within the stone.
How To Purchase A Diamond According To Its Carat Weight
The weight of the diamond is measured in carats. The larger the diamond, the higher the cost, assuming equivalent quality. However, things are a little more complicated. Because large diamonds are rarer than small ones, the price per carat of a larger diamond will be higher than that of a smaller stone. This means that the price of a single diamond weighing one carat will be higher than that of a ring with three smaller diamonds totalling one carat. This is because larger diamonds are far less common than their smaller counterparts.
Further complicating the issue of price and weight is that this is impacted by the fact that diamonds lose around half of their size when they are cut. So, a round-cut diamond per carat will tend to cost more than a princess-cut diamond because a princess-cut diamond loses less of the diamond material as it is shaped and cut.
If you want the most sparkle for your money, choose a central diamond surrounded by a halo of smaller ones. This gives the visual effect of a larger stone at a significantly lower cost than a single diamond with the same diameter as a smaller stone with a halo. If your goal is to buy the largest stone for your money, then look at emerald cuts, princesses or other more economical diamonds. You may lose a little sparkle, but you will get a larger diamond.
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How to Choose A Diamond Based On Its Colour
Your choice of diamond colour and grade will be determined only by your personal preferences. However, because colourless diamonds are so uncommon, their price is significantly higher than other types of diamonds. White diamonds are the common name given to diamonds in the colourless range. Diamonds can also be found in many different colours, such as yellow, green, blue, and even pink. Even so-called "black diamonds" can be found in the diamond industry.
As long as you buy a diamond graded with G or a better colour grade, then you will not notice any discolouration. A G colour grade diamond is a value/quality sweet spot. You get the visual appearance of colourlessness without paying extra for an imperceptible colour improvement.
Grading Reports And Valuation Certificates
In addition to becoming familiar with the "4 Cs," which are necessary for selecting how to purchase a diamond, you should educate yourself on how to interpret diamond certificates. These certifications provide a comprehensive account of the diamond’s cut and polished state, describing its characteristics in minute detail.
You might have a specific diamond in mind that you'd like to have evaluated by an expert at a company that's not affiliated with the jeweller.
It is not in your best interest to have this done by the jeweller from whom you are purchasing the diamond because jewellers are often biased and may appraise the diamond at a slightly higher value than what it is actually worth to receive more income from the sale of the diamond. Look for a grading report from a reputable diamond grading laboratory such as GIA or EDR. When a retailer offers diamond jewellery with an independent report from a reputable laboratory, you can rely on the grading to be trustworthy.
Remember that most jewellers will not provide an independent grading report on diamonds smaller than one carat in size. It is not economically viable to do so. At All Diamond, we provide reports on some of our smaller diamonds, marked as ‘Certified’ on our product pages.
These are our tips for choosing diamonds. Of course, this is just a brief outline of some essential points. Becoming an expert gemmologist takes years of training and experience, but now you probably know more than most diamond jewellery buyers! You can delve into more details about diamonds and diamond quality by checking out the pages in the education section of our website.
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Buying Diamond Jewellery
Buying diamond jewellery makes the process of diamond selection much easier. For example, when you buy a piece of diamond jewellery, the craftsman who made the piece will already have selected the diamond and should have chosen stones that work well in your preferred setting. A well-chosen setting will hide internal flaws, and the grade of the diamond will be selected to fit a price point while offering good value for money. You still need to know something about the 4Cs to make a good choice.
At All Diamond, we carefully select the quality of diamonds that go into our jewellery. You can rely on the cut of the diamond being of good quality. We use G colour-grade diamonds for their combination of good colour and price. We use SI clarity diamonds to ensure that you will not have diamonds with visible internal or external flaws, and our artisans are skilled at setting the gemstones to show off their beauty to the best effect.
Please browse our UK-designed and handcrafted fine jewellery collections for a few moments. We are confident that what you will see will excite and inspire you!
