Diamonds are one of the most preferred jewellery and more people are buying diamonds than before. Regardless of whether it is an indulgence or a commitment, diamond speaks more words than any other kind of jewellery. Buying a diamond, however, is not an easy task and you need to take a careful look at a lot of parameters before indulging. Here are some aspects that you need to keep in mind while buying diamond jewellery.
4 C’s of Buying Diamonds
Top of the list is the 4C’s which every diamond buyer should look at.
- Carat: This is one of the most basic and popular aspects of the diamond. Carat indicates the weight of the diamond. 1 Carat = 0.2 grams. Keep in mind that the price of diamond increases as the carat increases.
- Colour: Diamonds have a colour scale ranging from D-Z. While D is completely colourless, Z indicates having a slightly yellowish tone. There are also many fancy coloured diamonds which have varying scales from faint to deep. Another point to keep in mind is that different shapes of diamonds reflect light differently. Therefore, the colour also depends on the shape of the diamond.
- Cut: A cut does not indicate the shape of the diamond but rather it indicates the thickest and the thinnest points in the scale. Although not all jewellery vendors have similar cut types, excellent or ideal cut diamonds look the best.
- Clarity: Clarity as the name sounds indicates how clean the diamond looks to the naked eye. The stone should not have any blemishes or any other inclusions when seen.
Apart from the 4C’s which you need to keep in mind regardless of whether you are buying the latest designs of diamond rings or pendant set, there are few more aspects you need to keep in mind. Read on to understand them:
Certification
This is almost the fifth “C” that you need to look for. Most of the diamond sellers issue certificates to indicate the authenticity, consistency and reliability of the diamond. One of the most reputed certificates which provide strict grading levels is the Gemological Institute of America. Even though the price might be slightly higher than the regular ones, the certificate indicates that the diamonds are genuine. American gem society is also a reputed certification institute.
Inscription
With everyone relying on lab reports, an inscription has become an essential part of buying diamonds. The inscription has the grading report of the diamond etched in it. This is to give assurance to jewellers as well as resellers that the stone is of good quality and it has not been changed during the process. If a diamond is lost, we can identify it with the help of inscriptions even though the stones look similar. Plotting and laser are two ways using which the inscriptions are made now. Plotting is the most common method however it does affect the quality of the stone. The laser is the new standard now without making an adverse impact on the stones.
Cut Grade
Diamonds cut grades were not considered as a part of the diamond certification before. An excellent diamond cut can increase the value of the diamond by 12%. There are two grades namely Polish and symmetry. Polish refers to the surface of the diamond and symmetry refers to how the facets of the diamond are arranged.
Fluorescence
Fluorescence is how the diamond is reacting to traces of minerals under UV light. If the fluorescence is more, the diamond instead of looking shiny looks a bit oily which can lead to a lesser value.
Regardless of all the points, we have discussed, it is an individual’s choice to choose the type of diamond they want. There are many styles and jewellery types with diamonds in them. With the help of this article, you can make the right choice when it comes to choosing the diamond and indulge yourself without any worries.