Guide On Buying Diamonds
At Appleby Jewellers we're very passionate about diamonds and we want our customers to be confident knowing they are buying the best quality stones. Here’s our guide to understanding the basics behind diamond grading.
What Is A Natural Diamond?
A natural diamond is a rare and finite mineral formed by nature, consisting of a crystalline structure of pure carbon atoms. Known for being the hardest naturally occurring substance on Earth, natural diamonds are celebrated for their incredible durability, brilliance, and exceptional rarity. Most natural diamonds range in age from one to three billion years, with some rare specimens being over 3.5 billion years old, making them older than humans and dinosaurs.Their unique formation process makes each natural diamond distinct and irreplaceable.
Stringent Selection Process
GIA Diamonds
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) created the first grading system and it’s still the most relied upon standard for assessing the diamond’s quality. The 4C’s of a diamond refer to the universally accepted method for the quality assessment of any diamond. The 4 C’s ensure that the diamond quality can be communicated universally and the customers know if their purchase is worth it. Let’s read about the 4C’s of the diamonds(i.e. cut, clarity, color, and carat) in detail
Diamond Cut: The First of the 'C's
Diamonds get their amazing sparkle from their ability to transmit light. A diamond’s cut is based on how well it can interact with light. A high level of precision is required in the artistry and workmanship to design a stone whose proportions, polish and symmetry transmit the light as required. Achieving the finest cut in the diamond is a precondition for the gem’s ultimate beauty and value. Of all the C’s of a diamond, this one is the most difficult and complex. The main purpose is to observe how well the diamond transmits the light wavelengths to create the desired visual effects like the reflection of white light from the stone, its scattering into the rainbow colors, and scintillation (amount of sparkle and patterns of light and dark areas created by reflection inside the stone). The GIA scales the diamond cut on four categories: excellent, good, very good, fair, and poor. The cut having an even pattern of bright and dark areas is rated as excellent.
Appleby Jewellers use the most skilled and experienced diamond cutters in the world to bring out the diamonds's brilliance and fire - that is what makes the sparkle.
Cut is perhaps the most crucial of the 4Cs. Cut does not refer to a diamond’s shape, but rather to the quality of workmanship (proportion and arrangement of facets). The quality of a diamond’s cut determines the amount of brilliance, sparkle and fire that a diamond shows. Grades range from ‘Excellent’ to ‘Poor.’ Many of the Appleby diamonds have received triple excellent cuts', the top grade in the world!
Diamond Colour
At Appleby Jewellers we stock and design jewellery using diamonds graded D-G. The colour of a diamond is graded on a scale from D-Z with D being the highest, whitest grade. Diamonds graded D to F are colourless and more valuable, with D grade being generally sought after by investors. G to H Diamonds are nearly colourless with diamonds colour graded I and J you’ll be able to detect a slight yellow or brown tint. As you descend the scale the diamonds become more tinted.
Diamond Clarity
Diamonds are created underground through enormous heat and pressure so each diamond is unique and natural inclusions and blemishes are inevitable. Diamond clarity assesses the small imperfections on the surface and within the stone. Most inclusions cannot be seen by the naked eye so they don’t affect the diamonds beauty. Notably, no diamond is completely pure, but the closer it is to being pure, the higher it will be in value and quality. The GIA scale includes FL (flawless), IF (Internally flawless), VVS1 (Very, Very Slightly Included), VVS2 (Very, Very Slightly Included), VS1 (Very Slightly Included), VS2 (Very Slightly Included), SI1 (Slightly Included), SI2 (Slightly Included), I1 (Included), I2 (Included), and I3 (Included).
We want our customers to get the very best quality and value for their money, so we recommend to focus on "Eye-Clean" diamonds. It's always wise to focus on diamonds that look flawless to the naked eye. You’re not walking around with a microscope, so don’t pay for quality you can’t see. Generally speaking, VS2-SI2 will offer the best value for money.
Diamond Shape
As well as the classic round diamond there are a number of other popular shapes, each adding unique style to different pieces of jewellery. Different shapes reflect light differently giving each shape its own fire and brilliance.
Popular diamond shapes include Brilliant Round, Emerald, Radiant and Oval.
Diamond Carat
Last but not least. It's always down to budget but take time to consider what is important for you - remember that brilliance and beauty will outshine the weight each and every time. Consider lowering your carat weight to ensure you purchase a stunning glittering diamond. The weight of a diamond is expressed in carats. 1Ct = 0.2grams. Therefore the larger the diamond the higher the carat weight. Larger diamonds are rare and high in-demand. That does not mean that diamonds weighing the same would have similar prices, as the other three factors also determine the stone’s cost.
Balance the 4Cs
Clarity does not mean brilliance. Invest in well-cut diamonds as well as carat and color when clarity is in the eye-clean range.Also called the 5th C of diamond, certification is very important for an authentic diamond purchase. A diamond certification includes all the details and intricacies about the 4C’s of diamond. Even if you understand the diamond’s properties completely, you would not be able to assess the gem’s quality yourself. Only a professional gemologist can tell you whether the quality of a diamond is compatible with its price. The certificate can serve the same purpose.
We hope that you find this information about diamond grading useful when choosing your next piece of diamond jewellery. At Appleby Jewellers we have a great selection of diamonds available for custom made jewellery so pop in and see us if you have something sparkly in mind.