The Choice

Despite being a romantic at heart buying a diamond involves some measure of practicality. So among the plethora of information available, from having the “sexiest legs you’ve ever seen” to any amounts of ‘Passion’. I would like to offer some more practical guidance from my many years of experience.

Choosing a diamond for many is a very personal decision. There are many factors to consider that will determine the appearance of the stone and the effect on your budget. Budget is not a very romantic part of the decision I know, however a very necessary one. All the information about the 4 C's eventually comes down to budget.

If you are looking for a diamond then you should have by now been introduced to the 4 C's as they are called. My previous mention was in no way intending to diminish their importance but simply to make it relative. You see there is a big difference between knowing what is good and either wanting it, or being able to afford it. Let me explain this in more everyday practical terms.

You have a budget, do you buy a 50pt (1/2 carat) diamond in a Hearts and Arrows and get a precision cut stone full of light and colour. Or a 100pt (1ct) in a lesser grade cut. In other words do you want a big stone or a ‘perfect’ stone?

Once again:
You have a budget, do you buy a 50pt (1/2 carat) diamond in a VVS1. Or a 100pt (1ct) in an SI1. In other words do you want a big stone or a less flawed stone?
In an SI1 stone there is every chance you won’t see the flaws, depending where they are. Making this for many an acceptable compromise in attaining a larger stone for the price. It is however, up to you if you are happy with this compromise.More..

The same can be done once again with Colour. Although one must be careful as colour quickly becomes more noticeable. A nice white stone looks very nice, but you can save some expense dropping a grade or two with not too much loss. The colour grade “H” is the lowest I would be inclined to go, although in a larger stone I would advise stopping at “G”. ( this is of course in my opinion )More..

All of this being said, these are my opinions, some I am sure would argue.

The 4 C's

Please don’t think of the following subheading as just another 4 C’s, as they likely will not be. Here I will explain their practical application.

Cut

Cut has for many years been much overlooked and has recently come to the fore. Cut refers not to the shape (as in round, square, etc) but to the cut of the stone. How well or poorly it is cut. This will have a large impact on the beauty of the finished stone. How well or proportionately the stone is cut will effect how much light is reflected back when you look into it. If the stone is cut poorly, light will escape the stone and this will be lost as will the ‘fire’.

If I could make the recommendation to anyone who has the budget for it, a Hearts and Arrows stone, no matter the brand, will be worth it. They truly are a most beautiful diamond. More..

Clarity

Clarity is somewhat self explanatory. It describes in essence the absence of impurities. Flaws such as bubbles, Feathers, Naturals and Carbons. How many of these exist and in what location in the stone will determine it’s clarity grade. If you can see the flaw it is a good indication it is a low grade stone. Below is a chart showing the clarity codes and what they mean.

Also to consider is Fluorescence. This effect causes the stone to react to ultra-violet light, e.g. sunlight. In medium to strong presence it will cause the stone to look cloudy or milky and drastically reduce its luster. I do not generally use a diamond with fluorescence unless required to. In the photo below the two diamonds are exposed to ultraviolet light. While this is a concentrated form, you can see the dramatic effect on the stone with fluorescence.

Fluorescence

Clarity Chart

Colour

Colour again is self explanatory. “D” is fantastic again if you have the funds. “G” is still good. “H” ... well once again in smaller stones ok but in larger stones it may start to degrade the overall appearance of the stone. For some, this again is a compromise they may choose to make for a larger stone. Below is a colour chart where you can see the colours in relation to each other although this will not be so accurate on a screen.

Carat

This is simply the measure of weight for stones. Something helpful for you in this area is to know that diamond prices are not linear to size. Or in other words a 1ct diamond is not twice the price of a ½ carat diamond. As the size increases the rarity of a nice clear good coloured stone increases, pushing also the price. Diamonds are often in price brackets also. You may find a 49pt to be a little less than a true 50pt.

Hearts And Arrows

Hearts and Arrows is an effect that is created when a stone is cut very well. When viewing the stone through a H's and A's viewer you can see from the underside of the stone, 'Hearts', and from the top 'Arrows'. This you can see in the picture below. This is an effect that you will not likely notice generally while wearing a piece of jewellery utilizing this cut. However due to the accurate cutting to attain this effect, the brilliance achieved in the stone is remarkable, making for a beautiful stone full of fire and 'scintillation' as it is known. There are various 'brands' on the market today. I use Eternity Hearts and Arrows. They are all the same cut no matter the brand and there will be variations to a very small degree in each stone. See more at the hearts and Arrows webpage here

The Hearts and Arrows effect.

Diamond Simulants

There is much talk recently of diamond simulants. While they have almost always existed in the industry, companies are using different terminologies and different marketing strategies to sell their product. So I would like to briefly open the lid on a couple.

The first is Cubic Zirconia or CZ's. These have been around a long time and in some cases can be an attractive alternative to diamonds. However, they are not a good alternative in the case of quality jewellery that will be kept for a long time and possibly with sentimental attachment. While CZ's are reasonably hard, 8 on the Mohs scale, this scale is not linear and a diamond at 10 on this scale is far harder. CZ's will wear, scratch and chip.

Today some companies are not so up-front in telling people exactly what their buying and so adamantly stick to such phrases as "diamond simulant". I even had this personal experience myself with one large Australia wide store. So once and for all, a CZ (Cubic Zirconia) or zirconium dioxide, is not a diamond, nor is it the same mineral or construction or hardness.

There are several other stones that can be used in place of diamonds such as Moissonite. Moissonite has a hardness of 9 to 9.5 but has significantly different refractory properties, and is not usually such a cheap alternative as it can be quite valuable.

There is also much talk lately of lab produced diamonds. I have yet to lock down any good explanation of the availability of these. The only "man made" diamonds I have heard of, resulting in actual diamonds have been for industrial applications. A couple of phone calls to suppliers resulted in the explanation that any gemstone grade results would be close to the same price as natural diamonds due the technological process required to produce them. However it should be noted I do not have this on any recognizable authority.

I hope this information will be helpfull for you in purchasing the right stone. If i can assist further in helping you with your purchase please call the shop. Thank you.