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What Quality Of Diamonds Should I Buy?

What Quality Of Diamonds Should I Buy?

Andrew Wilson Andrew Wilson
8 minute read

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Buying Diamond Jewellery Is About Making The Perfect Compromise Between Price and Quality

If you have been looking to buy diamond jewellery but have struggled to find the right piece, then this article is for you. I will show you some essential tips on how to find the perfect diamond jewellery for you.

Read this article if you want to wear a beautiful diamond necklace or ring that reflects your personality but don't know where to start. You will find out plenty about the quality of diamonds.

A diamond ring or any other item of diamond jewellery should reflect your personality. It should not be too small, too big, too big, too small - it should fit, and not just in terms of its size, but also it should fit your personality and style.

The quality of a diamond is assessed using the Four Cs. This is a system devised by the Gemological Insitute of America many years ago and has become the standard used across the industry. 

The 4 Cs are Clarity, Colour, Cut and Carat (weight). Below we will go into a little more detail about each of these attributes. In general terms, the higher the grade of each attribute, the higher the price will be.  

Look At The Diamond

This is the most important thing to consider when buying diamond jewellery. This is because the bigger the diamond, the more expensive the diamond jewellery will be. You should avoid buying diamond jewellery if you are looking for something cheap and small.

Choose A Diamond Shape

While it's true that any shape will do, certain shapes are considered classic. Suppose you are looking to buy diamond jewellery that is more of a classic shape. In that case, you can avoid buying some diamond shapes – unless you fall head over heels in love with the piece!

The ultimate in classic diamond shapes is the round brilliant-cut shapes, often referred to simply as 'round'. This shape accounts for around 70% of all diamonds used in jewellery. It is popular because it looks pretty large in relation to its weight. This shape enables the diamond to sparkle more than any other.

If you prefer a vintage style, then consider baguette or emerald shapes. They do not have the same degree of sparkle because they do not have many facets to catch and reflect light. However, they do look exquisite and have a beautiful glow and shimmer to them. Often, modern jewellery combines brilliant-cut shapes to give a compromise of shimmering elegance and brilliant sparkle.

The Diamond's Cut

This is another important consideration when buying diamond jewellery. The stone's cut is about the quality of the craftsmanship that goes into creating the diamonds' proportions, facets, and edges. A perfect diamond that is badly cut will look dull compared to a perfectly cut but lower quality diamond. That is because getting the proportions and facets right means that light transmission and reflections are optimised.

The Colour Of A Diamond

Most of us choose to buy clear or 'white' diamonds for our jewellery, it is the classic colour. Many people think that all diamonds are white. But if you are looking for a truly white diamond, you will be disappointed.

Most diamonds are not entirely colourless and have a slight trace of yellow. Usually, this slight tint is not visible. Still, it might become visible in lower quality diamonds, especially when seen next to a higher grade stone. 

In some cases, buyers might prefer the slightly warmer tone of a diamond. They may often choose a yellow or rose gold setting to enhance this effect. On the other hand, choosing a white gold or platinum setting can make a slightly yellow diamond look whiter.

Diamonds can be found in a range of colours, including blue, red, or black. These are called fancy diamonds, and they are rarer than clear gemstones and can have much higher prices.

The Diamond's Clarity

This is another factor that you should consider when buying diamond jewellery. While this is something that you cannot actually see when you are purchasing the ring, you should choose a stone that has as much clarity as possible. This is because the stone's clarity will determine how well you can see the diamond within the ring.

The clarity of the diamond is about the quality of the internal structure of the diamond. Suppose a diamond has visible flaws or inclusions - minor internal cracks or impurities. In that case, light cannot travel through the diamond as well. This means the gem will not sparkle as brightly, no matter who well it is cut and polished by the craftsmen working on it.

In modern jewellery, there are techniques available that can artificially improve the clarity of the diamond. This gives a better-looking gemstone at a relatively lower cost.

The Carat Weight Of A Diamond

Carat weight is a measurement of the size of a diamond and is used to determine the price. The Carat weight of a diamond is one of the most important factors when determining the price of a diamond.

One carat is equivalent to 200 milligrams or 0.2 grams, and a carat can be subdivided into 100 points. However, we usually use decimal places to describe the overall carat weight at the retail level. 

Although the number of carats of a diamond determines its weight, the apparent size is affected b the shape of the diamond and its proportions. For that reason, square-shaped diamonds tend to look larger than round ones. 

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The Price Of The Diamond

While this is obviously among the most crucial considerations when buying diamond jewellery, you should still avoid purchasing a too expensive stone. Suppose you are looking to buy diamond jewellery that is not so expensive. In that case, you should avoid buying something that is more than your budget allows.

For example, if you plan to spend less than £500 on a piece of jewellery, you should avoid purchasing anything that costs more than, for instance, £750. Most of us have a small amount of flexibility on price, but exceeding one's comfort zone too far is not a good idea!

Getting The Best Deal In A Diamond

Getting the right quality of diamonds in a piece of jewellery is always a set of compromises. For the non-expert assessing those compromises is a tough job. At All Diamond, we work hard to reach a balance where you get the best deal possible for your money. When you look at our diamond jewellery, most of our diamonds are graded as G/SI quality. This means that the colour will appear white.

G graded diamonds represent just 2-3% of all jewellery quality diamonds. Paying more for a higher grade will not give a better visual appearance unless you are a diamond expert examining the stone with perfect lighting. 

The SI grade means that there are no internal flaws in the diamond visible at less than 10X magnification. It will look perfect to the naked eye and even under standard magnification. An SI graded diamond costs 10-20% less than the next higher VS grade, but buyers will not see a difference in normal circumstances. 

At this level of quality, the cut of the diamond will also be excellent because the other attributes are high enough to make quality cutting worthwhile.

All Diamond Quality Diamond Jewellery

We believe that it is not worth paying for something that nobody will ever be able to see. At the same time, you want to make sure that you are getting the right quality of diamonds in your jewellery. That is why we offer so many pieces using G/SI graded gemstones. G/SI graded diamonds fall in a sweet spot of quality and price that makes them great value for money. If you buy higher graded diamonds you will be unlikely to see the difference. On the other hand, if you spend less you are likely to buy diamond jewellery where you can see the compromises in quality.

Please take a look at our collections of diamond jewellery. All our jewellery is designed and handcrafted in the UK. We offer a 30-day return and exchange option and a lifetime guarantee of our craftsmen's workmanship.

We are sure that you will find jewellery that will inspire you for gift ideas or as a treat for yourself.

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