When you want to buy a diamond, and you don’t know anything about them, you may end up with a fake one. The diamond business is a very specialized one, and unless you know an insider, you’ll have to trust the person or company that is going to sell you a diamond.
Like I mentioned in an earlier article (Diamond Clarity Guide) I have an uncle who used to work for a diamond company in Antwerp. My uncle already gave us some valuable tips about the clarity of the diamond you want to purchase, but here are some more pointers on how to decide which diamond you buy.
The diamond industry works with the big C’s: cut, clarity, color, carat, certificate and conflict free.
Cut of the diamond
The manner in which a diamond is cut determines part of the value of the stone. A well-cut diamond shows maximum brilliance and has fire. The cut can compensate for low color and even for poor clarity.
An expert diamond cutter follows the shape of the stone and sculpts it to perfection.
Clarity of the diamond
Please read my article on diamond clarity. In short, clarity describes the purity of the stone. The more flaws and inclusions (objects found back in the stone) the less expensive the diamond becomes. The highest grade is IF (Internally Flawless) which is very rare and consequently such diamond will be very expensive.
Color of the diamond
The color of a diamond is graded alphabetically. It begins with ‘D’ and grades down to ‘K’, ‘L’ or even ‘M’. This goes from pure white to a light yellow color of the stone. Absence of color rates highest, of course. However, differences in color grade are very minute and the eye of a common buyer won’t see much variation.
The experts name color as the number one criterion they consider when deciding on the price of a diamond. The stone’s ability to refract light is dependant on its degree of whiteness, which makes the whitest of white diamonds considerably more valuable than a lesser-white stone.
Carat weight of the diamond
The weight of a diamond is expressed in carat. One carat is the equivalent of 200 milligrams. One carat can further be divided into 100 points, meaning .80 carat is the same as 80 points. The more weight – or carat – a diamond has, the more expensive it will become.
Nevertheless, carat is not always equivalent to beauty! A diamond with less carat can have, for instance, a better cut and more clarity, making it all the more valuable.
Certificate of the diamond
A respected dealer in diamonds will offer you a diamond with a certificate of origin. It proves the authenticity and the quality of the diamond that you are purchasing.
Conflict free diamonds
We all know the term ‘blood diamonds’. These are diamonds sold by companies or governments that don’t respect human rights. Best buy your diamonds from a source that guarantees that the mining and sale ensures the profit of local communities.
