Choosing a Diamond
How do you know what diamond to choose? What do you really need to know to make an informed decision? How big? How much? All of these are common questions, which travel through everyone's head at one time or another.
Choosing your own budget is crucial when searching for an engagement ring. This should be considered well in advance. As with all high-ticket items, the sky is the limit. So stay close to your affordability index. Don't spend more than you can afford. We think this advice can be stated with clarity: If you need more than three months payments to have the diamond paid off, then it is likely too expensive for you. This is pretty simple, accurate advice.
We feel, the more one knows about diamonds, the better. This is not to say one needs to be a gemologist, but some basic info should be plenty enough reassurance. Let's discuss the quality of the diamond, or as it is referred to internationally, the Four C's. We hope you appreciate our relaxed tone in the way we go about explaining diamonds. It's our goal to educate you on what you need to know without the jargon often used in the trade today. Come in and we'll demonstrate for you.
Carat
Unlike the carrot one eats, the term carat used in gemstones refers to a unit of weight. Just like grams, kilograms and pounds are common units of weights, the units of weight for diamonds are points. One hundred points equals one carat. (100=1.00ct). Logically, half a carat is 50 points (.50ct), twenty-five points is a quarter carat (.25ct) and so on.
Clarity
Remember, diamonds were formed billions of years ago with heat, pressure and carbon deposits being combined over time. Some of these carbon deposits and minerals did not crystallize and as such, remained entrapped inside the diamond crystal.
We value the diamond's clarity by how easy or difficult it is to actually see these left over deposits. Can we see them with our naked eye, with a jeweller's 10X magnified eyepeice (called a loupe) or a professional scope? Where it falls in this scale, puts it in a clarity grade.
IF = Internally Flawless An internally flawless diamond refers to diamonds whereby you would need a "Hubble" telescope to see anything. As a reminder, all diamonds have inclusions of some sort. How easy it is to see is what determines its clarity.
VVS1/VVS2 = Very Very Slight Inclusions This is a pretty high expectation to look for in diamonds. It's rare and they are very expensive. It's that simple. The problem is, you still can't see anything with a 10X loupe. So one could argue, why pay for it? Why pay for something you can't see?
VS1/VS2 = Very Slight Inclusions refers to a similar characteristic of a VVS diamond except in this case, it is easier to see by a trained eye. Trained eye is the key here. Again, an untrained eye will see nothing with or without a 10X loupe. Consider this important point when choosing your diamond.
SI1/SI2 = Slight Inclusions The SI1 refers to the highest clarity one needs to consider. Again, the naked eye is still seeing nothing and even with a 10x loupe, most would not know where to look. An SI2 diamond allows you to see the inclusion sometimes with the naked eye and most often with a 10X loupe.
I1/I2/I3 = Inclusions There are three ratings in the Included category. An I1 diamond refers to the fact that the inclusion should be easy to see with the naked eye. For most, they will first need to use a 10X loupe to locate the inclusion and then after they remove the loupe, the inclusion will make itself known. Therefore, a SI2 or a I1 is arguably, the perfect choice. Some like to know there is something they can see, similar to a birth mark of a diamond. This way, when ever they bring their ring in to be serviced, all they have to do is look at the diamond, notice the small inclusion and say to themselves, "Yes, that's my diamond".
Cut
The cut refers to how well light travels through the diamond and back to your eye. In effect, this is often called the true brilliance of the diamond. The many facets or windows all along the outside of the diamond are measured in such a way as to direct this light back to you. When a diamond is cut too deep, much of the light falls out the sides of the diamond. When the diamond is cut too shallow, the light passes right through the bottom of the diamond, giving it a dull appearance.
We grade the diamond cut with the following terms; Ideal, Very Good, Good, Medium, Fair and Poor. Even an untrained eye can tell the difference between a Medium-Fair to a Very Good. But somewhere in between takes the eye of an expert to really see the difference. So for the most part, buying a diamond of at least a Medium-Good cut and up should be perfectly suitable to the naked eye.
Colour
Colour works on an alphabetical scale, starting with the letter D, right through to Z. The closer to D you get, the brighter and some say, whiter you get. The further up the alphabet one goes, the more colour you see, beginning with just a hint and then a yellowish tinge throughout the stone.
Most diamonds in jewellery stores fall in the I-J-K category. This is most likely caused by the minerals as the diamond crystal was being formed. The yellow tinge we refer to is clearly seen once you get to a J-K color range. Therefore, we recommend you stay within the G-H range. This is most appealing by the majority of us and still, quite affordable. We say this because, higher than a G, most cannot detect color change at all.
There are also fancy color ranges, such as Canary Yellow, Blue or Red. They require a whole lesson in and of itself, but that's for another day.
