Diamond Buyers Guide
Understanding diamond education is essential. It guides you to select a stone that matches your taste and budget, ensuring a wise buy.
Diamond Price that Matches Your Budget
The price of your diamond will depend on your preferred qualities for each of the 5 Cs. If this does not match your actual budget, then you may need to adjust your preferences by listing the qualities by their importance and adjusting them where necessary to match your budget.
Making the Right Choice with Diamond Selection
There is no right or wrong choice with diamond selection, only that you need to learn the choices available and how they relate to your own requirement. Diamonds are a very expensive product and choosing the right diamond for your requirements can save you from either regretting your decision or spending too much money.
Speak to a Professional Dimaond Broker Today!
Once you have decided on the type of diamond you would like, we always recommend discussing your decision with one of our consultants before you buy to ensure that you fully understand the impact of each quality.
Unlock the World of Diamonds: A Buyer’s Guide to Making an Educated and Budget-Friendly Choice
Dive into our Diamond Buyers Guide and transform your buying experience! Understand the intricate details with our comprehensive education, tailored to help you select the perfect diamond that aligns with your taste and budget. Don’t navigate this complex journey alone; make a smart and informed decision to cherish forever. Talk to our professional diamond brokers today and ensure you’re making the best choice for a timeless investment. Don’t just buy a diamond, invest in a masterpiece with confidence!
How to Choose a Diamond – The 4 C’s
Through our diamond education guide you will find all of the information needed to learn how to buy a diamond. All diamonds can be perfectly sorted into value rated categories using the 4 C’s of diamond grading which once understood does make diamonds much easier to compare and decipher than other precious gems. When looking to buy a diamond you need to consider each of the 4 C’s and how they relate to your own diamond preferences as well as what and who the diamond is intended.
The theory of the 4 C’s will give you a greater understanding around diamonds but to really know the difference you must then see the difference. The quality differences between grades in the 4 C’s is very subtle and your opinion my change dramatically once you can actually view different diamond side by side in person. This is why it is so important to make your final choice in partnership with an expert diamond consultant.
Diamond Carat Weight
Of the 4 C’s, diamond carat weight is the simplest and often the first and most important quality consideration for clients looking to purchase a diamond.
Diamonds are very expensive and very lightweight and require a very precise unit of measurement called a carat. A single carat of diamonds is equal to only 0.2 grams. A carat is an ancient measurement made up of the weight of 100 carob seeds. When talking about diamond weight we often refer to the weight in either carats or points. Large diamonds are mentioned in whole carat weights (e.g 1.50 carat) and small diamonds are often spoken about in fractions of weight (e.g 4 points or 0.04ct). As the diamond weight increases, so does the rarity and inevitably the price. Diamonds increase in price exponentially with weight at specific popular carat weights; 0.50ct, 0.75ct, 1.0ct, 1.5ct ect, so selecting your size will have a significant effect on how much your selected diamond will cost.
When selecting a diamond above 0.50ct a few points one way or the other will not change the visual size of the diamond. To step up to a larger stone the visual size will often require an increase of 0.15-0.20ct to make a significant change in the appearance. With the price of diamonds increasing so dramatically with weight, this will often have the greatest impact on the final price of the diamond more than the other 3 C’s combined. Therefore there are two scenarios, either the required weight of the diamond will be the guiding factor that sets your budget or your budget will set the size of the diamond that you can afford.
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Diamond fluorescence
Clarity is about the imperfections contained within the diamond’s crystal seen under 10X magnification. Grading is assessed by the size, type, position and sum total of all the imperfections within the diamond. When a manufacturer looks at a rough diamond they assess it for cutting the largest possible diamond but also as to how they can cut the diamond to avoid or best conceal any inclusions that may be in the diamond. The fewer inclusions contained within the diamond the rarer and more expensive the diamond will become.
How Diamonds Are Graded
- IF – Internally flawless
- VVS1-2 – Very Very Slightly Included
- VS1-2 – Very Slightly Included
- SI1-2 – Slightly Included
- P1-3 – Pique Visibly Included
Although there are many grades within the non-visible range they will all appear the same when viewed without magnification. The importance of clarity is about perfection and rarity for those who see value in the highest grades for those looking for value the lower non-visible grades are perfectly acceptable.
Almost all diamonds with inclusions within the non-visible range will not have any impact on the brilliance or light refractiveness as they are too small to have any significant impact. We often refer to clarity as an on-paper valuation as clarity affects the rarity and value of the diamond but not its appearance. Clarity has a very high impact on the price of the diamond and must be considered carefully when selecting your diamond.
The majority of people wishing to purchase a diamond are looking for the best value to quality ratio and a VS2 – SI1 is often the best grade to choose. The inclusions within this range are few, small and completely non-visible except when viewed under magnification.
Diamonds of a clarity grade above a VS1 have very minor inclusions that are difficult to see even under magnification. These are rare and expensive diamonds that only need to be purchased when perfection is the highest priority, the price is not a concern and all other quality requirements have been achieved.
SI2 clarity diamonds must be chosen with a hint of caution as although technically eye-clean by standard grading practices, the inclusion can still often be seen by the naked eye when moved at different angles. For a totally clean diamond it is suggested to avoid the SI2 grading but as the size of the diamond increases it can become necessary when the budget becomes stretched.
The shape and size of the diamond can have an effect on the clarity of the diamond. The round brilliant was designed to hide inclusions but many of the fancy shape diamonds have larger open facets where it is easier to see into the diamond. This makes it harder to hide inclusions and they have to be smaller and in a better position to achieve the same grade as the round brilliant. The size of a diamond will also affect the visibility of inclusions, as a diamond increases in size the number of facets does not increase so they become larger opening them up to become more transparent at certain angles.
A P1 clarity will have very lightly visible inclusions but allows for a much larger diamond for your budget if the clarity is not a major concern.
P2-3 clarity diamonds are very visibly flawed with inclusions and will have major light disruption and are really not worth buying.
Of all the diamond qualities, clarity for the general buyers should be of the least importance for perfection. For a value purchase for any size diamond we would recommend choosing an SI1 clarity grade for round brilliant pear, oval, marquise, heart and cushion cut diamonds and VS2 for any of the fancy open faceted cut diamonds princess, emerald, radiant, asscher and baguette.
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Diamond Colour Grade
The colour of a diamond is probably the most noticeable of all the diamond quality grades and can make the greatest impression on how people perceive the quality of your diamond.
A white diamond is any diamond that falls within the gem quality grade of diamonds and is not considered to be of the fancy colour range. White diamonds are graded for colour on a descending scale from D-Z with those that fall between “D” to “J” being considered of actual white appearance.
Diamonds are assessed under controlled lighting conditions by looking through the side profile of the diamond using a comparison set of master grading stones to determine the colour. Apart from the very few rare diamonds that are completely colourless “D” most white diamonds contain trace elements of nitrogen that cause a tint of colouration. In the top colours, the tint is only very subtle and as the colour increases we tend to refer to the diamond as having a “warm” appearance until they reach the top of the scale where the diamond is visibly yellow or brown.
The “D to E” coloured diamonds are the rarest most colourless diamonds displaying superior brightness and transparency and is the best choice if you have sufficient room in your budget.
A “G-F’ colour is widely regarded as the standard grade for a high quality white diamond, it shows no yellow or brown tint and is the best choice for quality and value. It is very near colourless and will never look coloured next to a higher grade diamond.
A “H” is very near to the quality of a “G”, still very good but just moving into the lower area of the standard white range to provide better value.
Diamonds graded “I” are visibly white but have a very slight tint or “warmth” of colour, alone they provide very good value buying and will only look tinted when compared next to a superior colour.
Although technically considered in the white range a “J” colour I feel is not within the white range as it will always show a clearly off-white appearance but set in yellow or rose gold will help it blend the colour.
Colour I believe is the most important and diverse choice when selecting your diamond. It is the best quality to spend any extra money that will give you a distinct visible improvement or save you money with a well-selected stone.
Show more +Interested in Buying a Fully Graded Diamond? Visit Our Brisbane Store Today!
Explore our extensive collection of fully graded diamonds at our Brisbane store. Gain expert insights and find the perfect gem with confidence. Your journey to brilliance starts here!
Diamond Cut
The cut grade of a diamond is the most important and complex component of the 4 C’s, it does have to do with the shape of the diamond but most importantly how well the diamond has been proportioned by the cutter to produce brilliance and sparkle.
Rough diamond crystals are rarely discovered undamaged and each must be assessed and modelled to determine the biggest and best diamond it can create while maintaining the correct angles and proportions to make the diamond sparkle.
The purpose of cutting a diamond is to unearth the natural refraction and light dispersive properties to create a gem with scintillating brilliance and fire. The “Cut” grading system measures the ability of a diamond to do this and the more precisely a diamond is cut to it’s ideal scientific proportions the better the light refractive performance of the diamond.
GIA grades a round diamond into three categories;
- Cut
- Finish
- Symmetry
With grades of either;
- Excellent
- Very Good
- Good
- Fair or Poor
The Cut grade by GIA is an evaluation of the overall performance and proportions of the diamond and how accurate it is to scientific standards. The Cut grade is usually reserved to round diamonds and not often assessed with fancy shape diamonds.
The Finish of a diamond is the grading of the surface of the diamond and how well it has been polished to remove graining and scratches.
The Symmetry of a diamond focuses on the relationship between each of the facets, how evenly they are cut and the angular plane that they sit. The more perfect this relationship the more intense and even the light is refracted through the diamond.
A diamond that is cut to perfect proportion will refract close to 100% of the light entering the gem and also exhibit the correct measurements for its weight.
As almost all diamonds exhibit at least a small amount of natural colour it is the scintillation of refracted light and the separation into the colour spectrum that helps to disguise the yellow or brown tint within the diamond. The less light a diamond refracts the more apparent the colour becomes, therefore the better the cut the whiter a diamond will appear.
Another purpose for the way a diamond is faceted is to help hide the inclusions within the volume of the diamond. A precisely cut diamond with its greater display of light will conceal inclusions that would become more obvious in a poorly cut diamond.
Fortunately, with modern certification available on all good diamonds the cut has already been assessed along with the other grades and the certificate essentially will provide the buyer with a blueprint of the diamond to compare the price and quality against other jewellers. Any non-certified diamond can now only be assumed that it must be at a lower standard and must be cheaper than anything that has been certified.
Because there can be such an extension of effect over into the other C’s, Cut can make up to a 50% difference in price between similar graded diamonds. This is why it is important to understand exactly what you are buying, know what questions to ask and to make sure that the diamond has appropriate certification.
Show more +The 5th C – Diamond Certification
Now often considered as the 5th C, diamond Certification is a very important part of buying a diamond. Any diamond with an internationally recognised certification has full assurance that the grading given in the 4 C’s is accurate to the highest possible standards.
The three most globally recognised diamond certifiers are:
- Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
- Hoge Raad voor Diamant (HRD in Antwerp, meaning Diamond High Council)
- International Gemological Institute (IGI)
Diamond certification measures the 4 Cs using precision laboratory equipment to comprehensively grade and compare similar diamonds. The only disadvantage is that each grading organization has different standards, so using the same certification is often recommended when analysing diamonds for purchase.
A diamond certificate is an independent (often non-profit) diamond grading assessment of an individual diamond that is provided by an international industry approved diamond grading laboratory. The laboratory will inspect a diamond up to three times by different individuals using the highest standard diamond grading equipment to test the diamond’s carat weight, colour, clarity and most importantly the cut quality of the diamond. A diamond grading certificate is what gives a diamond its worth, without a certificate you are relying on only the opinion of the seller as to the assumed grade and quality of the diamond. As most people purchasing a diamond do not have the skills or equipment to grade a diamond themselves, the international diamond certificate summarises the diamond’s quality in an easy to understand format. In the current market almost all diamonds above 0.25ct have been certified and the certification number is often engraved into the girdle of the diamond for full security. If a diamond above 0.75ct does not have a genuine international diamond certificate then caution should be taken with its purchase as it can be considered that it is of a lower possible cut and the grading less accurate.
It is important to understand that a diamond certificate is not a valuation, a diamond certificate only provides an assessment on the quality of the diamond and does not provide a price for the diamond.
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Diamond fluorescence
Of all the diamond qualities, fluorescence is probably the most polarised in opinion and the most misunderstood. Fluorescence is generally a fairly minor aspect of diamond grading and occurs in around 35% of diamonds, the majority exhibiting a blue glow but occasionally this can be yellow, green or orange. Fluorescence occurs when a diamond with un-bonded free electrons within the carbon atomic structure is exposed to UV light,causing the free electrons to fluoresce.
Diamonds are graded – Nil or None, Faint or Slight, Medium, Strong and Very Strong.
A faint or medium fluorescence will never negatively impact the appearance of a diamond in any circumstance and in colour grades of “G” and under can often help improve the appearance.
Of diamonds with a strong or very strong grade only 1% will show a visible haziness or milkiness when viewed in sunlight and usually with a D-F colour. It is generally suggested to avoid a diamond with a strong grade but as long as the stone has been inspected it is not a bad choice when it is needed to reduce the cost of the diamond.
Fluorescence should always be part of your consideration but is a minor grading trait that has little impact on a diamond’s appearance and is more to do with the conceived value and perfection of a diamond. It is also an effective way of helping to identify a gem as a diamond. In natural light there is UV light, which will cause the diamond to fluoresce but is masked by the presence of the other wavelengths of light.
Although fluorescence has very little impact on the appearance it does play a significant part in the price of a diamond and the general acceptability of the diamond for sale. A perfect diamond is considered to have a nil fluorescence grade and with around 65% of diamonds having a negligible grading this is generally the standard. However, for buyers who are a little less concerned about the paper value of a diamond having a diamond with some fluorescence can provide better value, while having the least impact on the appearance.
Show more +What is a conflict or blood diamond?
Conflict or blood diamonds is the term given to diamonds that were mined in war-torn African nations using inhumane mining practices and then sold into the market to acquire cash to finance civil war actions. During these periods when certain nations were in conflict, diamonds were not supposed to be traded. However, as diamonds are untraceable to their original origin once removed from the earth these blood diamonds were smuggled over country borders and sold outside of the conflict zone. This prompted the introduction of the Kimberly process for rough diamonds to remove the risk of this practice ever happening again.
The Kimberly Process for rough diamonds
To ensure rough diamonds that are being traded are conflict-free and accountable for sale an accredited Kimberly certificate must be supplied by the mine and transported with each individual diamond. As the blood diamond problem only extends to the transportation and sale of rough diamonds the Kimberly certificates do not often extend through to the loose polished diamond market.
However, there are a few companies that provide a certificate of origin for each diamond that comes out of their mine. The main suppliers of these diamonds are the Canadian Mark and the Australian Argyle mine branded diamonds. There are a few others but most of the responsibility is laid on the diamond cutting manufacturers who purchase the loose diamonds and almost every manufacturer of polished diamonds advertises that they abide by the Kimberly process and are committed to selling only conflict free diamonds. This process has been in place since the practice was identified and will remain in place with all abiding nations to ensure that this problem will never exist again.
The awareness of conflict diamonds is now very prominent and with the measures put in place by the diamond authorities there is very little need to be concerned about a repeat of this practice. These measures will always remain in place to prevent any re-occurrence of the practice. Conflict diamonds only occurred because no one was aware of the problem when it first developed which is why they gained access into the market initially.
Diamonds are mined in plentiful numbers and there is no need for anyone to need to purchase any questionable diamonds and all participants in the diamond industry are working to keep the industry free from conflict diamonds.
Show more +Synthetic Diamonds
A synthetic diamond is a man-made diamond produced in a lab under controlled conditions, identical in physical and chemical structure making them almost indistinguishable to a natural even with expert assessment.
Having been produced for around 30 years, originally they could only produce non-jewellery grade qualities but gradually improved the technology to tinted white and fancy colours. In recent years technology has finally improved to produce larger and better quality jewellery grade white, pink and blue man-made diamonds allowing them to take a place in the market.
Synthetic diamonds have been produced to provide an alternative choice in the market with a big push on the environmental and ethical benefits and most importantly a big value incentive.
Originally, the marketability of synthetic diamonds was quite poor, with very few consumers willing to buy or even knowing about man-made diamonds. However, in recent times, synthetic diamonds have become a more accessible and acceptable option through greater production and advertising.
Although synthetic diamonds will add some pressure to the market share, the perception of a natural product over the man-made option will not change and natural diamonds will always hold top place in the luxury market. In 2015, synthetic diamonds accounted for about 1% of the overall market but that figure has now started to climb significantly through affordable pricing and great marketing. It is also interesting to know that the world’s largest current producer of synthetic diamonds for the jewellery market place is, DeBeers, who are also the worlds largest natural diamond distributer.
Synthetic diamonds have been marketed predominantly as 100% conflict free diamonds that are also ethically produced and clean for the environment.
Synthetic diamonds like naturals, should be purchased with internationally recognised diamond grading certification like Gcal, IGI or GIA, which clearly indicates the diamond to be a synthetic product on the certificate. For both the natural and synthetic markets to hold credibility, the industry must diligently work to ensure that synthetic diamond engagement rings and synthetic diamond jewellery is never passed off as natural.
Show more +Diamond Simulants
It is easy to get the two terms, diamond simulant and synthetic diamond mistaken but the two products are vastly different in both price and product. A diamond simulant is a diamond like product that mimics the appearance of a diamond at a fraction of the cost and does not have the same physical properties as a diamond. The most common and effective diamond simulants are cubic zirconia and moissanite, which can be cut to very closely resemble a natural diamond when new but are flawed by the fact that they will damage easier with wear.
A synthetic diamond although slightly cheaper than a natural diamond is actually a physical diamond. To almost all testing and observations a synthetic diamond is undetectable against a real diamond and is only different because it was created in a laboratory rather than in the earth by nature.
There are currently no diamond simulants that actually match as a long lasting replacement for a diamond and no matter how good the simulant proclaims to be they are not a diamond and are generally very inexpensive.
Show more +Contact Us
Once you feel you are well educated in diamond grading, please let us know. Contact us. Give us a call or send us an email message. Our jewellery consultants will get back to you within the next 24 hours to discuss your purchase.