The diamond is still considered the king of precious stones, which is often given to loved ones on special occasions such as engagements, weddings or milestone birthdays.
Anyone who is about to buy a piece of diamond jewelery will ask themselves how you can recognize a high-quality diamond and what characteristics you should pay particular attention to. After all, such a stone costs a considerable amount.
In order to protect yourself from bad purchases, you will find the most important tips and information here that will help you to distinguish between perfect and not so perfect diamonds.
The first step is to know the four C quality criteria by which processed diamonds are rated:
1) Cut = diamond cut
The right diamond cut has the highest priority within the four C quality criteria. It is the only factor that is influenced by human hands.
Quite often, the cut or cut is confused with the diamond cut shapes and types. The cut shapes and types refer to the visual appearance of a diamond, e.g. B. the half cut, round cut, emerald cut, pear cut or oval cut, to name just a few cuts.
The actual diamond cut consists of the triad of correct proportions, symmetry and refinement (polishing of the surface). When a diamond is perfectly cut, the light that hits the diamond’s surface is optimally refracted and reflected to the viewer. As a result, the stone looks whiter and possible inclusions are not noticeable.
On the other hand, with a bad cut, the light escapes into the lower part of the diamond, the stone appears dark and lacks any brilliance.
Therefore, when buying a diamond, pay particular attention to the considerable refraction of light.
2) Carat Weight = carat weight
The carat is the weight of the diamond. One carat equals the weight of 0.2 grams.
The higher the weight of a diamond, the more valuable it is in most cases, its social status (and thus that of the wearer) increases with the carat size.
Jewelers themselves like to put weight at the heart of their selection criteria because they can charge more for diamonds of certain sizes.
Nevertheless, you should not focus on this value, because a diamond with a higher number of carats can definitely show a bad cut.
3) Color = color
Diamonds come in many shades, although most people only associate white with a diamond. Nature provides diamond hues such as grey, red, pink, orange, brown, yellow and green. Colorless stones, on the other hand, are quite rare.
Because a colorless diamond reflects light better than a dark one, white diamonds are clearly more valuable than colored ones and are used in jewelry. Exceptions such as the coveted pink, blue or red diamonds prove the rule.
In the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Diamond Color Chart, diamond color gradations are defined from D (colorless) to Z (bright yellow). The lighter the stone looks, the more valuable and expensive it is.
Nevertheless, a light yellow diamond can have a high quality and corresponding brilliance, so that the purchase decision should not necessarily be made in favor of a colorless diamond.
4) Clarity = diamond clarity
Diamond clarity refers to the imperfections inside and outside the stone such as inclusions or scratches and indentations on the cut surface. A diamond with no external flaws or inclusions in the stone is called “flawless”.
On the GIA purity scale, there are gradations from “flawless” to “I3” – “Included”, the lowest level of the scale. I3 means inclusions are visible under a magnifying glass and sometimes with the naked eye. Larger inclusions can significantly affect the durability and transparency of a diamond.
A high-quality diamond does not necessarily have to be at the top of the clarity scale. Even diamonds with smaller inclusions or minor external blemishes can still be of very high quality and impressive brilliance. Also, you don’t have to pay as much for these stones as you would for a flawless diamond.
What else is important when buying diamonds?
The Diamond Certificate
From a weight of 0.5 carats, the diamond must have a certificate of authenticity from a trusted gemological laboratory (such as the GIA – Gemological Institute of America or the HRD – Hoge Raad voor Diamant). The document lists essential characteristics of the diamond such as cut, weight, clarity, color grade, polish, symmetry and dimensions.
View diamond in daylight
In order to be able to appraise a diamond optimally before buying it, you should examine it not only under artificial light in a jewelry store, but also in daylight. Ideally, the sky should be clear and the sun should shine. If the stone still sparkles in the light outside as it does in the shop, then it can be said to be of high quality.
Please no blood diamonds
Blood diamonds are diamonds that are usually mined and sold illegally in conflict zones. Rebel troops use the proceeds to finance violent conflicts.
Reputable diamond sellers (such as the online shop Diamondas ) will always provide you with a confirmation that the diamond or diamonds in question are conflict-free diamonds.
Conclusion
The purchase of a diamond – whether as a piece of jewelery or as an investment or asset protection – is a special event for many.
By considering the information presented here, you can feel more confident in choosing your dream diamond.
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