How to choose the right diamond?

Precious stones are purchased not only to please self-esteem and demonstrate status and wealth. This is one of the ways to invest, which allows you, if not to greatly increase it, then to preserve your capital from inflation and other financial shocks. Adamants do not reach the sales counter immediately from the quarry; only companies that have received a “jewelry license,” that is, registered with the state assay inspection inspection, can trade and mine. Miners of natural diamonds wholesale stones at international auctions, from where the stones go to dealers. In the process, resellers make markups at their own discretion to increase their own profits. What to do if you want to buy a stone as profitably as possible? In this case, you need not only to find an agent who is ready to make such a deal, but also to be sure that you are purchasing a diamond that really corresponds to its value.

Who issues certificates: is there a guarantee that the expert assessment report is not fake?

The quality of precious stones is confirmed by an expert opinion from a gemological laboratory. The certificate of conformity is also called the “Gemological Examination Report”. In our country, enterprises engaged in the mining and processing of rough diamonds are required to issue an accompanying certificate with the conclusion of an expert gemologist for each stone weighing more than 1 carat. In our country, government non-profit research is a priority. Their results are highly trusted, since commercial laboratories can inflate performance indicators to please the client. The procedure carried out by the GIA is recognized as the standard of gemological examination – this is a guarantee of high standards of research, which will not be questioned anywhere in the world. The laboratory of the Gemological Institute of America provides the most accurate assessment of precious stones, particularly diamonds. The number of the awarded certificate is engraved on the girdle and can be read using a magnifying glass. The certificate issued by the GIA for a diamond is recognized throughout the world. You can freely confirm the value of the stone, or set an adequate price based on the characteristics. In our country, only the Gemological Center at Moscow State University enjoys a similar reputation. For small diamonds, the manufacturer makes its own certificate, which indicates the characteristics of each specimen. This is also where trouble may lie – data on the diamonds offered may be deliberately overstated. A non-specialist will not be able to recognize inconsistencies. Reputable jewelry companies offer only natural stones and have an in-house jeweler who will carry out appraisals at the client’s request. You need to be careful when contacting private laboratories. Some specialists tend to exaggerate the value of the sample so that the client does not get upset and comes back again. World practice shows that an objective assessment is really possible only in non-state companies.

Characteristics of diamonds, what does the inscription on the tag mean?

1. the number of stones in the jewelry;
2. cut type;
3. number of stone faces;
4. the total weight of all stones used in the product;
5. the next indicator is written as a fraction – this is the shade and purity of the stone;
6. The latter evaluates the quality of the cutting performed.

Knowing the marking rules for each scale, you can easily understand what quality the stone or jewelry offered to you will be.

Do not hesitate to ask questions to the seller, ask to see certificates for the products. A responsible manufacturer will never hide information. As a rule, all identification documents are available to the client.

Weight of stones in carats

The cost of adamant directly depends on the size of the diamond and its weight. All stones whose weight is 1 carat or more are considered large. A good example: a stone weighing 0,990 carats is visually indistinguishable from its counterpart weighing 1 carat, but in terms of cost the difference will be very noticeable.

The most in demand are stones in the medium size range from 0,300 carats to 0,991 carats. Those that are close to a carat in size are inserted into rings and rings. And smaller stones are used to inlay earrings.

Diamonds up to 0,291 carats in size are considered small. Such miniature pebbles can be used in the decoration of crumb-type jewelry.

It is important to understand that 2 stones weighing 0,5 carats and 1 adamantium weighing 1 carat will differ significantly in cost. Belonging to different groups will also play a role – large stones are more valuable and unique, so their price will be several times higher.

Cutting

In the case of a diamond, this is the fundamental process. After all, a diamond is the result of a diamond cut. High-quality edges beautifully refract light and the stone sparkles even in daylight.

• On small-sized samples, the number of faces is 17.
• The classic version is 57 faces. This option is used for medium-sized stones.
• A large diamond allows a jeweler to make from 74, 86, 102 facets.

The craftsman can also give the stone the most preferred shape. This will also affect the selected diamond cut relief. Different cut levels are marked with the letters A, B, C, D, where the first letter of the alphabet means the highest grade.

Large diamonds are given an exquisite and beautiful shape, which is also marked on the tag with the corresponding letter:

• P – “Princess – square shape;
• And – “Emerald” – rectangle;
• G – “Pear” – teardrop-shaped cut;
• T – “Trillion” – has a triangular shape;
• R – “Radiant” – an elongated octagon;
• O – “Oval” – classic oval cut, neat and elegant;
• M – “Marquis” – the shape of an elongated sheet;
• Kp – “Circle” – round in the projection of the girdle section;
• C – “Heart” – the most romantic of the shapes;
• A – “Asher” – a square octagon.

A well-chosen cut can turn a stone into a work of art. Jewelry with a large diamond always attracts attention and becomes a meaningful gift.

Diamond color

This is another criterion that qualitatively affects the cost of the stone. A perfectly transparent, colorless version is very rare. Its cost is very high. Also, adamants are characterized by different degrees of yellowness – from barely perceptible to yellowness with a brown tint. The lighter the stone, the more attractive it is. Diamonds are classified into 9 groups. It’s interesting, but in Europe, stones with an index of 4-5 are more popular, while in Russia people pay attention to a diamond starting with 3. At the same time, the difference is not noticeable visually, but this is reflected in the cost. This is why it is customary to talk about conscious selection of diamonds.

• Fancy is judged by the depth and uniqueness of its shade.

• Also, don’t forget about the Fancy group – these are diamonds that have received color due to admixtures of other minerals.
• Some colored stones, due to their unique shade, leave even crystal clear samples far behind in cost.

Purity of the stone

Here the main criterion is the presence of artifacts and inclusions in the crystal body. A flawless diamond, crystal clear, without a single speck or crack, is a unique find. This criterion is based on the size of the inclusions, their shade, and location. If the imperfection is not visible to the naked eye, the value of such a diamond will be higher. Samples with a large number of noticeable artifacts greatly reduce the value of the stones, even to the point of being rejected for jewelry.

It is recommended to give preference to stones of groups 1-7. Moreover, a high transparency rate is good for investing in diamonds, while lower ones are good for jewelry – their flaws are hidden behind the setting and the change in shade when surrounded by precious metal. Representatives of groups 8-12 are a low-quality option that may contain inclusions and cracks visible to the naked eye.

Fluorescence

Another important indicator. Fluorescence in diamonds is observed when exposed to ultraviolet rays. Place the stone under a UV lamp. If there is no glow, the characteristic is marked “none”. This means that it is transparent and its “inside” remains dark. Non-fluorescent stones are considered an ideal investment.

Faint, Slight, Medium – these terms mean that under UV rays the diamond barely glows blue. Such samples also have a high price on the market. If the shade is different – for example, emerald or reddish, red – the price correspondingly creeps down by about 1-2%.

The more intense the glow, the lower the cost of the diamond. But this effect is not observed in natural light. Moreover, it does not in any way affect the brightness of the shine or the play of colors on the edges. If a stone sparkles beautifully even during the day, its price on the market also rises.

How to choose diamond jewelry

If you ask a woman what should be the selection criterion, you can in most cases hear about the importance of design, maintaining proportions, so that the decoration emphasizes feminine features.

Now let’s go from the other side. The cost of diamonds is formed from several factors that can influence the price of the stone exponentially. It seems wild, but practice shows that it is so. A lot of buyers, without knowledge of gemology or jewelry appraisal, become owners of jewelry whose price was extremely inflated. For example, through the use of synthetic diamonds instead of natural stones. A fake can only be distinguished through laboratory analysis.

An uninitiated buyer may not realize that the difference in price between visually almost identical jewelry due to differences invisible to the naked eye can be 50% or more. Experts recommend not chasing flawless diamonds when choosing jewelry. Defects inside the frame may not be noticeable, but a high-quality cut and interesting design will make the jewelry truly winning.

• If you still set yourself the task of purchasing a stone with impeccable characteristics, then you should arm yourself with at least a magnifying glass with 10x magnification or a microscope.
• Be prepared to meticulously compare several samples, because often differences can only be noticed upon closer comparison.
• It will be good if there is a person next to you who is not interested in buying. In this case, the chance that you will make a purchase under the influence of emotions will objectively decrease.
• If your companion carefully examines the products with you, the chance of noticing defects increases.
• Do not hesitate to ask the seller to evaluate the selected samples in front of you. All characteristics indicated on the tag must match. An honest specialist will point out the existing artifacts that affect the cost of the jewelry.

If you approach the selection process hastily, there is a risk of purchasing a product not with diamonds, but a cheaper fake, which, although it will shine, will cost you many times more than the original.

Where is the best place to buy diamonds?

Diamond miners sell stones wholesale at auctions, from where they go to representatives of jewelry companies and resellers with a jewelry license. At the same time, the price of diamonds can ultimately increase exponentially. The desire to purchase precious stones at an affordable price is understandable, but for a person who has no idea about the valuation of diamonds, this may end in the purchase of a “glass” or synthetic diamond, which is 2 times cheaper than its natural counterpart.

It is impossible for someone on the street to get to specialized auctions. At the same time, many understand: the fewer intermediaries between the stone and the buyer, the lower the cost of the diamond. This justifies the popularity of diamond shopping tours to countries that mine precious stones. It sounds tempting: jewelry workshops are not far from the quarry, craftsmen process stones in front of tourists, you can choose a frame on the spot.

But the greater the tourist rush, the more opportunities there are to hand over to the buyer a cheap fake.

Therefore, you should only attend jewelry tours or buy jewelry second-hand through the mediation of an experienced appraiser.

Purchasing antique and rare jewelry also requires an understanding of the subject matter. Whatever history is attached to the family value, it can easily turn out to be a skillful fake with a real value significantly lower than indicated. Often even the heirs are not aware of the true state of affairs. When they inherit their grandmother’s diamond set, they have no idea that the original was sold or lost long ago, and that what was inherited is a clever replica to deflect attention.

Purchasing diamonds from private individuals can generally turn out to be a “dark matter” and have unpleasant consequences with criminal overtones.

To trade, transport or carry out other activities with precious stones and metals, a “jewelry license” is required. Diamond mining companies, jewelry chains and workshops all undergo appropriate registration. If such documents are not on hand, the activity of selling precious stones and jewelry is illegal.

Finally, a little more about choosing diamonds. Buying gemstones is mostly a conscious choice. Stones are not cheap, they a priori require a responsible approach. There are many stories among women about how a ring with a diamond, given by a man, turned out to be fionite, well, in the best case it turned out to be sapphire. How many tears were shed over unjustified hopes! Did the men know what they were buying? Not a fact – there are things that require a trained eye and experience. But the woman didn’t know what she was accepting as a gift. Therefore, the conclusion will be the same for everyone: no matter where and what you buy to bring into your life, you need to both know whether the shine corresponds to the real value of the acquisition.

Diamond jewelry is incredibly attractive and desirable. But don’t rush to trust your feelings if you fall in love with a luxurious gem at first sight. An expensive purchase should be taken responsibly. In this article we will tell you how to choose a diamond “on a cool head”, according to the characteristics of the stone and your preferences.

Where to buy jewelry

Unfortunately, among the so-called “diamonds” there are often fakes. Most often, scammers pass off cubic zirconia, quartz, zircon, crystal and even glass as a precious stone. Therefore, it is recommended to buy diamonds from reliable jewelry stores. They value their reputation and do not sell fakes.

What characteristics to pay attention to

The easiest way to select a quality diamond is to use the 4 C’s rule. These are the four characteristics of a diamond: Carat (weight), Clarity (clarity), Color (color) and Cut (cut quality).

• The weight of a diamond is measured in carats (1 carat = 0,2 g). The more carats a stone has, the more valuable the product. At the same time, the weight of the miner does not affect its appearance at all. By the way, knowing this subtlety, you can save money. Just choose a diamond of lighter weight – even a difference of 0,01 carats can significantly affect the cost, but will not be noticeable from the outside.
• Real diamonds contain microcracks, air bubbles and foreign inclusions. The lower the value of this index, the cleaner the diamond.
• Minerals of various shades are found in nature’s storehouses: traditional (colorless and yellowish) and fancy colors (red, pink, green, etc.). The most valuable of them are transparent diamonds. Therefore, ideally, the color index should not exceed 5 points.
• A cut diamond is a piece of jewelry that shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow under the rays of the sun. Everything is simple here: more edges – more shine. One of the most popular is the round cut, which in the classic version consists of 57 facets.

In the photo: gold bracelet with diamonds 000-368902, gold ring with diamonds 000-368904, gold earrings with diamonds 000-368903

What metals and stones do diamonds go with?

Metals

Gold jewelry with diamonds looks the most advantageous. Moreover, different shades of gold reveal the beauty of the stone in different ways:

• White gold perfectly sets off the cold shine of diamonds of different shapes and cuts. Such jewelry is universal: they can complement both everyday and evening outfits.
• Yellow and red gold are for those who like more spectacular combinations. A dazzling white diamond against a background of bright metal looks very contrasting and attractive.
• Gold and diamond jewelry is not the only option. Increasingly, brands are offering a combination of diamonds and silver. Like white gold, it fades into the background and emphasizes the brilliance of the mineral.

Stones

Diamonds are so self-sufficient that they can easily steal the show on their own. Still, sometimes, to make a transparent stone more expressive, designers add brighter gems to it. Fiery ruby, royal sapphire, juicy tourmaline, delicate pearls and other stones “illuminate” the diamond with their colored tints.

Gemologists approach the issue of combining stones more seriously. Stone experts believe that each stone has its own energy and unique properties, which should be mixed carefully. Therefore, it is recommended to mix diamonds with white pearls, turquoise, beryl, agate, emerald, lapis lazuli, sapphire, coral, carnelian and amethyst.

How to choose diamond earrings

The choice of earrings must be approached with special attention – after all, they are in close contact with our delicate skin. Choose earrings made of hypoallergenic precious metal (gold or silver) and with a comfortable, reliable clasp.

In addition, remember that with the help of earrings you can visually correct your appearance:

• For those with large facial features, massive earrings and multi-tiered models with luxurious gems are suitable.
• The elegance of chiseled noses, thin eyebrows and neat lips will be emphasized by models in the minimalist style with small diamonds.
• Rare black diamond jewelry will add special elegance to your look and reveal a subtle sense of style.

How to choose a diamond ring

If you want to visually lengthen your fingers and make your hand more graceful, choose an elongated diamond cut. It can be a soft oval shape, marquise or pear cut. For girls with thin fingers, round or square cut diamonds, such as “princess”, “cushion” or “radiant”, are suitable.

To find your dream ring, also pay attention to the setting of the stone:

• The most popular is the prong frame. It maximizes the precious brilliance of the gem and at the same time is considered durable, so the risk of losing an expensive diamond piece is minimal.
• For lovers of creativity, there are more interesting options. For example, blind setting – when the frame tightly grips the stone on all sides. Or a pavé setting – a spectacular scattering of stones set together.

General tips when choosing diamond jewelry

Finally, let’s share some general recommendations. Stick to them, and beautiful diamond jewelry will become your reality:

• Decide on a budget. Luxurious jewelry can be found at almost any price – you just need to decide how much you are willing to spend. The best option for an average budget is diamonds with an average value on the clarity and color scale (ranging from 3 to 5).
• Seek help from specialists. Feel free to ask questions if you are lost in deciphering jewelry “wisdom”, such as the purity and weight of diamonds. On the store hotline, in the salon, on social media. networks – jewelry experts will share their experience and help you choose the perfect piece of jewelry.
• If you choose diamond jewelry as a gift, find out the tastes and preferences of the lucky recipient. You can even connect a stylist. Based on several photos, he will determine which diamond jewelry the girl will be delighted with.