DIAMOND BUYING GUIDE
Don’t rush into your Diamond purchase.Value:
K-M Colour SI1-SI2-SI3 Clarity
Standard: I-J Colour SI1-SI2 Clarity
Premium: G-H Colour VS1-VS2 Clarity
Investment: E-F Colour VVS1-VVS2 Clarity
Colour Range varies from E to J Clarity varies from VVS to SI. All the Diamonds from 0,30 cts have a South African Certification: GIA. EGL.
CUT
When we speak of cut we are more interested in the proportions of the Diamond as opposed to its shape (Round Brilliant, Marquise, Pear Princess, etc.)
Every Diamond regardless of its shape gets it brilliancy and scintillation by cutting and polishing the Diamond facets to allow the maximum amount of light that enters through its top to be reflected and dispersed back through its top.
Diamond cut is perhaps the most important of the four Cs, so it is important to understand how this quality affects the properties and values of a Diamond.
A good cut gives a Diamond its brilliance, which is that brightness that seems to come from the very heart of a Diamond.
The angles and finish of any Diamond are what determine its ability to handle light which leads to brilliance.
CLARITY
The clarity of a Diamond is determined by the amount and location of flaws, or blemishes in the diamond when viewed under 10 power (10x) magnification.
GIA rates clarity grades in Diamonds from Flawless to Imperfect 3 (see chart below).
The Diamond Shopping Network offers you Diamonds from the Imperfect 1 grade through Flawless.
Most Diamonds contain very tiny birthmarks known as “inclusions.” An inclusion can interfere with the light passing through the Diamond.
The fewer the inclusions, the more beautiful the Diamond will be.
COLOUR
Diamonds come naturally in every colour of the rainbow.
However most people are concerned with Diamonds in the white range.
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) rates the body colour in white Diamonds from D (colourless) to Z (light yellow).
The best colour for a Diamond is no colour at all.
A totally colourless Diamond allows light to pass through it easily, resulting in the light being dispersed as the colour of the rainbow.
Colours are graded totally colourless to light yellow.
The differences from one grade to the other are very subtle and it takes a trained eye and years of experience to colour grade a Diamond.
CARAT
A carat is a unit of measurement and it’s the unit used to weigh a Diamond.
One carat is equal to 200 milligrams, or 0.2 grams.
This is the weight of a Diamond measured in carats.
As the carat weight of a Diamond increases so does its rarity and therefore its price.
One carat is divided into 100 “points,” so that a Diamond of 75 points weights .75 carats.
The carat-weight of a Diamond is the easiest measurement to determine.
Most importantly, two Diamonds can be of equal carat-weight, but their value can differ greatly due to their cut, colour and clarity.
WHAT SIZE SHOULD I BUY?
Determine your budget. Deciding on carat size is really about striking a balance between size, quality, affordability, and personal preference. If she prefers larger Jewellery items, and you are working within a budget, you can still find a larger Diamond of excellent quality gem by selecting one which is graded slightly lower in terms of colour and clarity.
Remember that slender fingers make small Diamonds look bigger. If she has small fingers 1-carat diamond will look proportionately large — and an even larger stone may appear stunningly big.
THE FIFTH C:CERTIFICATES
The Diamond certificate, which is sometimes called a grading report, is a complete evaluation of your Diamond that has been performed by a qualified professional with the help of special gemological instruments. Each stone bears its own recognizable, individual characteristics, which is listed on the certificate.
Shopping for certified Diamonds allows you to make an informed choice about your Diamond selections and to comparison shop among various Diamond Merchants.
You can compare one Diamond with a particular weight and quality with other Diamonds of similar weight and quality to determine which Diamond is the better value — or which merchant has the best prices.