Diamonds are something which are very precious and expensive. You should not buy the wrong stuff in a hurry with higher costs and low quality. In this diamond guide you will understand how a diamond jewellery needs to be purchased.
Diamond Cut
The way in which a diamond of natural origin responds to illumination is determined by its cut. The three characteristics that make up a diamond’s brilliance, fire, and scintillation through which light is reflected and dispersed into colour and sparkles are evaluated using the Cut Grading System.
Natural diamonds, which require a combination of artistic skill and scientific precision to cut for maximum beauty. Therefore, the diamond’s proportions, polish, and final symmetry are also taken into account when determining its cut grade.
Different kinds of cuts
The most popular diamond cut is the round brilliant. You can classify most of them as modified brilliants, step cuts, mixed cuts, or rose cuts.
Whether you refer to it as round or brilliant, the traditional round cut is the most popular style for diamonds. This spherical shape is mathematically optimised, with 57 or 58 facets.
Because the basic round can be easily manipulated into other shapes, the modified brilliant category of fancy cuts offers the widest range of possible stone configurations. This cut has a lot of sparkle and fire because its number of facets and arrangement are similar to those of the round brilliant. The marquise, heart, trillion, oval, and pear shapes are among the most desired.
Stones that have been cut in the step-cut style resemble miniature stairwells because their square or rectangular shape is accentuated by facets that run perpendicular to the girdle.
The lack of sparkle in these varieties is more than made up for by the increased focus on the stone’s lustre, colour (or lack thereof), and clarity. The emerald and triangle (also called the trillion cut) are two common variations on this shape (a type of rectangular cut).
The mixed cut is one of the newest styles, having emerged in the 1960s. Mixed cuts, which combine elements of the step cut with those of the modified-brilliant cut, are becoming more and more popular because they benefit from the advantages of both. Most often, the top will be a brilliant cut while the bottom will be step cut in a version with both cuts
It’s a way to get the most sparkle out of your gemstones with the least amount of waste. The most well-liked style in this region is a square or princess cut. Combining step and brilliant cuts in this way reduces bulk without sacrificing shine.
The rose cut, which originated in the 16th century, is rarely used in modern jewellery. It has a flat base and is pointed at the top by a series of symmetrical triangles. There was a time when round, oval, and hexagonal were all the rage.
Diamond Weight in Carats
When referring to a diamond, the carat refers to the diamond’s weight. The carob seed, a small, uniform seed with a commonly equal weight, is where the carat gets its name. In the days before the metric carat was adopted as the standard unit of measurement for gems, these seeds were used to calibrate scales.
Diamonds of one carat or more are becoming increasingly scarce as demand outstrips supply and only a single significant deposit has been discovered in decades.
Diamond Clarity
Inclusions or blemishes are natural features of diamonds that occurred during their formation deep within the Earth. These common inclusions are the result of non-carbon elements or interruptions in the diamond’s formation under intense heat and pressure deep within the Earth, and they can be thought of as miniature time capsules that detail the history of the diamond’s creation.
Clarity in diamonds is measured by how well they are free of these flaws. Most grading systems designate diamonds that form without inclusions as flawless, as this is an extremely unusual occurrence. In terms of monetary value, these rare diamonds rank among the top in the world.
Colour of a Diamond
The clarity of a natural diamond is typically quantified by its colour grade. A majority of natural diamonds have faint yellow or brown undertones, making them appear slightly less colourless to the untrained eye. The closer a stone is to being completely colourless, the more rare and valuable it is. For the most part, natural diamonds are graded on a scale from D (colourless) to Z (very light yellow) (heavily tinted brown or yellow).
Due to factors present in the earth at the time of formation, diamonds can also form naturally in nearly any colour imaginable. They are graded on a scale that more accurately describes the visible colour because most of these natural fancy colours are so rare that their value can be infinite.
A little forethought is required when shopping for a diamond. If you follow these simple directions, you’ll have no trouble locating the gem of your dreams.
First, decide how much money you want to spend on a diamond, and stick to that number. Diamonds are more of a symbol of devotion than a financial status symbol. Keep that in mind, and under no circumstances should you force yourself to spend more money than you feel is reasonable.
You don’t want your engagement to be remembered as the one where you both felt regret, either now or in the future. Do some high-level, preliminary research into how much the typical diamond engagement ring costs in order to establish a spending limit. Check to see if you’re ahead of or behind where you want to be. Find out the results of changing the carat. In order to set a realistic budget, you should first establish a preliminary baseline.
If you don’t, you’ll have to constantly adjust your budget, which can be a hassle. We suggest that those of you with more modest financial means investigate laboratory-grown diamonds. The chemical, physical, and optical properties of lab-grown diamonds are identical to those of natural diamonds.
Allow yourself 1 month, give or take a few weeks. Since diamonds are something you buy frequently, there’s no need for you to become an expert on them. Don’t spend months researching every detail because that will drive you crazy.
Moreover, if you take too long, you may begin to second-guess your decision and put off making your proposal for too long. Rather than learning a little bit about diamonds every week, it’s best to make a diamond purchase when everything you’ve learned is still fresh in your mind.
There’s a good chance you’ll forget some of the most crucial aspects of diamond research that you learned at the beginning. As an additional aid, be patient with yourself. Unless you buy a ready-made ring, you should expect a two-week turnaround time for a custom-made ring. Do not put yourself under unnecessary strain by waiting until the last minute.
Consider the diamond’s shape first and foremost because of its visual impact. The round brilliant cut is the most common shape. If, on the other hand, you have solid evidence that she or he has a preference for a different form, then by all means, follow that lead. Because of the wide variety in shapes’ styles, prices, and other factors, it’s never a good idea to have to choose between several at once.
The cut of the diamond is crucial to its overall appearance. It’s important to double check, as some rings will only fit certain finger shapes.
Cut, colour, clarity, and carat weight are the four facets of a diamond that are most valued. The 4 C’s: As soon as you settle on a form, it’s time to start studying the 4 C’s and beyond. These four Cs carat, cut, colour, and clarity are the most eye-catching aspects of any diamond. Hence, they receive the most crucial information. They are the same factors that determine the diamond’s selling price.
You won’t ever be grading diamonds, so you don’t need to become an expert. You need only familiarise yourself with them to the point where you can choose the diamond that is right for you. To fully grasp how the 4 Cs affect the final price of a diamond, consider the following: The Cs are like a set of levers. When it comes to diamonds, you have to choose.
It’s common practice to have the carat slider on the left and the cut, colour, and clarity sliders on the right. To make the diamond fit your budget, you may need to adjust the other C levers (colour, cut, clarity, and carat) based on which C lever you move.
You’ll be able to choose a diamond once you’ve juggled the levers to the right equilibrium. But tread carefully; these are highly sensitive levers, and even slight modifications to a diamond’s characteristics can have a significant impact on its market price.
After settling on the ideal combination of diamond characteristics, you may find that there are still several possibilities from which to choose. And so, what’s next? Do not automatically choose the option with the lowest price. Dealers in diamonds are experts at managing stock.
Diamonds are priced the way they are for a reason. There is probably some sort of catch if the price seems too good to be true. The 4 C’s are important, but don’t forget to also evaluate things like fluorescence, measurements (length to width ratio), table, depth, polish, and symmetry. You can use these factors to your advantage.
Generally speaking, the prices in a physical store will be higher than those offered by the vendor’s online store. Depending on the diamond’s size and quality, the offline jeweller’s profit margin could be anywhere from 20% to 50%.
There are costs associated with running a brick-and-mortar jewellery store, such as rent and staff salaries, as well as the cost of keeping inventory on hand. In that case, it’s probably best to buy it locally. It’s possible that you’ll have to pay more, but in exchange, you’ll get the assurance you needed while shopping for a diamond.
The online diamond industry is the fastest growing sector of the jewellery industry today, as is the case with many other industries. Certifications for the quality of diamonds sold online have helped ease shoppers’ minds.
In the past, buying diamonds was more of an art than a science. The advantages of shopping online are numerous, including a plethora of options, significant cost savings (markups of 5-15 percent), easy access, and the absence of sales pressure.
Overall, we think a combined strategy is the best bet. You shouldn’t be shy about visiting a jewellery store to look at diamonds, but you also shouldn’t let yourself be pressured or bullied into making a hasty purchase. In a similar vein, utilise online resources to learn more, shop around, and settle on a sound choice.
