When looking for that breathtaking diamond, it's essential to educate yourself to ensure you receive the best value for your purchase. Although buying a diamond is not complicated, it is important to have a clear understanding of what determines the quality and value of a diamond. This knowledge will help you get the most beautiful diamond for the money. While planning your purchase, it is beneficial to learn about five key elements-carat, color, cut, color, clarity, and rarely discussed in public literature, cost savings.
CARAT WEIGHT: When looking for a diamond, most people want a high carat weight, and believe that this is the most important feature of a diamond. For many, larger diamonds are perceived as a status symbol and a reflection of how a fiance values the relationship. As they say in Texas, the heavier the diamond, the deeper the love.
The word carat is derived from the Greek word "keration" meaning fruit of the Carob. The weight of one Carob is precisely 200 milligrams-one carat or 100 points. Trade members usually refer to diamonds weighing under one carat in points (Ex:.97). To confirm the quality of the diamond, it is advisable that every purchase is accompanied by an independent laboratory grading analysis ( grading must be penned by a GIA graduate gemologist)
Typically, diamonds that are purchased for engagement rings are one carat or higher. However, smaller diamonds can also be desirable. You may find a smaller diamond that appears prettier than a larger diamond which may be more suitable for your budget. This leads to the discussion of our next key element, color grade.
COLOR GRADE:Every certified diamond is given a color grade starting at D. D -F grades indicate the absence of color. Absence of color usually increases the price of a diamond, as colorless diamonds are rare in nature. Higher letters of the alphabet, for example, J-K, indicate faint tints of color. Because these diamonds are much more common than their colorless counterparts, they are priced less. As with anything, there are exceptions to the rule. There are colored diamonds that are very expensive, even priceless. An example would be a blue diamond, or, the most valuable, red diamond. People in the trade refer to these stones as "fancy colored diamonds." The savvy shopper looking for an engagement or "everyday" diamond will browse stones anywhere from D to I in color, as these colors usually provide the most value for the price. Although color is vital to the diamond's beauty, keep in mind that a very well cut D-I graded diamond will appear similar when mounted in platinum or white gold.
CUT: The exuberance of a particular diamond depends more on cut than anything else. Though highly difficult to dissect, the cut of any diamond has three properties:
1. Brilliance (light reflecting from the diamond)
2. Fire (the distribution of light into the colors of the spectrum)
3. Scintillation (a flash of light, seen when a diamond is moving slowly.)
To understand diamond cut, we must understand the diamond's shape. The traditional round brilliant is the most popular cut. For this reason round brilliants are priced more than other cuts. The other cuts are identified as "fancy shapes" also known as princess, cushion, asscher, radiant, pear, oval, marquise, emerald and trillion cuts. Although round diamonds are most popular, all fancy shapes can be just as stunning.
CLARITY: Diamonds are assigned a clarity grade that ranges from "lawless" to "included." Inclusions are like birthmarks or fingerprints that give each stone its own unique personality. In deciding which clarity grade suits your persona and budget, we recommend ideally cut diamonds that will face up white and be clean when viewed with the naked eye. In reality, no gem is perfect and one can fall in love with any diamond that suits his or her personal taste, regardless of the grading. If a larger carat size with a flawless appearance is important to your individual taste, you may want to consider a clarity enhanced (CE) natural diamond as the option choice.
Clarity enhanced diamonds are genuine, naturally mined diamonds. As we discussed earlier, flawless diamonds are rare-meaning the majority of natural diamonds have blemishes. With recent ground-breaking discoveries in technology, scientists have been able to carefully remove certain flaws from a select few diamonds. With this process, diamonds become more brilliant, with many appearing flawless. Additionally, the material that is used to enhance a suitable stone consists of a diamond-like substance that adds no carat weight, thus keeping the weight true. This exciting, scientific development gives diamond buyers more choices in regards to size and clarity. With over twenty years on the market, the CE process has been found to be stable. CE diamonds are enhanced to last a lifetime and are proven to stand up to every day wear and tear like any other diamond.
Furthermore, purchasing a CE diamond with the same "4 C's" of a traditional diamond will cost 30%-50% less-allowing the buyer to purchase a stone up to 2x the size. Given the new economy, diamond dealers all over the country are experiencing an increased demand for CE diamonds. As a result, sophisticated industry leaders are now embracing the CE process.
COST SAVINGS: By considering our discussion, you will be well-suited to identify the best value and cost when making a final decision. You will now know how to buy right by understanding the 5 key elements and you will be able to tell the seller what you want, rather than the seller making this lifetime decision for you.
If the diamond of choice is outside of your price range, you may want to consider a CE diamond. Whether you want a higher carat weight, a better cut, a more beautiful color or higher clarity than a traditional diamond can offer within your budget, you will be able to get the visual qualities you have your heart set on with a CE diamond. All of this while still knowing that you have a genuine, natural diamond.
CARAT WEIGHT: When looking for a diamond, most people want a high carat weight, and believe that this is the most important feature of a diamond. For many, larger diamonds are perceived as a status symbol and a reflection of how a fiance values the relationship. As they say in Texas, the heavier the diamond, the deeper the love.
The word carat is derived from the Greek word "keration" meaning fruit of the Carob. The weight of one Carob is precisely 200 milligrams-one carat or 100 points. Trade members usually refer to diamonds weighing under one carat in points (Ex:.97). To confirm the quality of the diamond, it is advisable that every purchase is accompanied by an independent laboratory grading analysis ( grading must be penned by a GIA graduate gemologist)
Typically, diamonds that are purchased for engagement rings are one carat or higher. However, smaller diamonds can also be desirable. You may find a smaller diamond that appears prettier than a larger diamond which may be more suitable for your budget. This leads to the discussion of our next key element, color grade.
COLOR GRADE:Every certified diamond is given a color grade starting at D. D -F grades indicate the absence of color. Absence of color usually increases the price of a diamond, as colorless diamonds are rare in nature. Higher letters of the alphabet, for example, J-K, indicate faint tints of color. Because these diamonds are much more common than their colorless counterparts, they are priced less. As with anything, there are exceptions to the rule. There are colored diamonds that are very expensive, even priceless. An example would be a blue diamond, or, the most valuable, red diamond. People in the trade refer to these stones as "fancy colored diamonds." The savvy shopper looking for an engagement or "everyday" diamond will browse stones anywhere from D to I in color, as these colors usually provide the most value for the price. Although color is vital to the diamond's beauty, keep in mind that a very well cut D-I graded diamond will appear similar when mounted in platinum or white gold.
CUT: The exuberance of a particular diamond depends more on cut than anything else. Though highly difficult to dissect, the cut of any diamond has three properties:
1. Brilliance (light reflecting from the diamond)
2. Fire (the distribution of light into the colors of the spectrum)
3. Scintillation (a flash of light, seen when a diamond is moving slowly.)
To understand diamond cut, we must understand the diamond's shape. The traditional round brilliant is the most popular cut. For this reason round brilliants are priced more than other cuts. The other cuts are identified as "fancy shapes" also known as princess, cushion, asscher, radiant, pear, oval, marquise, emerald and trillion cuts. Although round diamonds are most popular, all fancy shapes can be just as stunning.
CLARITY: Diamonds are assigned a clarity grade that ranges from "lawless" to "included." Inclusions are like birthmarks or fingerprints that give each stone its own unique personality. In deciding which clarity grade suits your persona and budget, we recommend ideally cut diamonds that will face up white and be clean when viewed with the naked eye. In reality, no gem is perfect and one can fall in love with any diamond that suits his or her personal taste, regardless of the grading. If a larger carat size with a flawless appearance is important to your individual taste, you may want to consider a clarity enhanced (CE) natural diamond as the option choice.
Clarity enhanced diamonds are genuine, naturally mined diamonds. As we discussed earlier, flawless diamonds are rare-meaning the majority of natural diamonds have blemishes. With recent ground-breaking discoveries in technology, scientists have been able to carefully remove certain flaws from a select few diamonds. With this process, diamonds become more brilliant, with many appearing flawless. Additionally, the material that is used to enhance a suitable stone consists of a diamond-like substance that adds no carat weight, thus keeping the weight true. This exciting, scientific development gives diamond buyers more choices in regards to size and clarity. With over twenty years on the market, the CE process has been found to be stable. CE diamonds are enhanced to last a lifetime and are proven to stand up to every day wear and tear like any other diamond.
Furthermore, purchasing a CE diamond with the same "4 C's" of a traditional diamond will cost 30%-50% less-allowing the buyer to purchase a stone up to 2x the size. Given the new economy, diamond dealers all over the country are experiencing an increased demand for CE diamonds. As a result, sophisticated industry leaders are now embracing the CE process.
COST SAVINGS: By considering our discussion, you will be well-suited to identify the best value and cost when making a final decision. You will now know how to buy right by understanding the 5 key elements and you will be able to tell the seller what you want, rather than the seller making this lifetime decision for you.
If the diamond of choice is outside of your price range, you may want to consider a CE diamond. Whether you want a higher carat weight, a better cut, a more beautiful color or higher clarity than a traditional diamond can offer within your budget, you will be able to get the visual qualities you have your heart set on with a CE diamond. All of this while still knowing that you have a genuine, natural diamond.
And finally, if you want to learn more about clarity enhanced diamonds, you should visit Hadar Diamonds, Inc.
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