A Brief Guide to Buying Diamonds

When looking for a diamond, it’s important to educate yourself on the 5 C’s—carat, color, cut, color, clarity, and rarely discussed in public literature, cost savings. Knowing how to identify these 5 key elements will ensure you receive the best value for your purchase. Although buying a diamond is not complicated, it is important to have a clear understanding of what determines the quality and value of a diamond. This knowledge will help you get the most beautiful diamond for the money.

CARAT WEIGHT: To understand what a “carat” means, we will briefly discuss the origin of the term. The word carat is derived from the Greek word “keration” meaning fruit of the Carob. The weight of one Carob is precisely 200 milligrams—one carat or 100 points. Trade members usually refer to diamonds weighing under one carat in points (Ex: 1/2 carat = 50 points, 3/4 carat = 75 points, 1 carat = 100 points). To confirm the quality of the diamond, it is advisable that every purchase is accompanied by an independent laboratory grading analysis (grading must be penned by a GIA graduate gemologist).
When looking for a diamond, most people want higher carat weights, and believe that it is the most important feature of a diamond. In general, larger diamonds are perceived as a status symbol and a reflection of how a fiancé values the relationship.
Diamonds that are purchased for engagement rings are usually one carat or higher. However, smaller diamonds can also be desirable. Smaller diamonds can be just as beautiful as larger diamonds, and may be more suitable for your budget.

COLOR GRADE: Certified diamonds are given a color grade starting at D. D –F grades indicate the absence of color. Diamonds with less color, such as a D grade, will be more expensive than, for example, a G grade. The reason for the price difference is that diamonds that are colorless occur rarely in nature. Higher letters of the alphabet, for example, J-K, indicate faint tints of color. These diamonds are much more common than their colorless counterparts, therefore, they are priced less. As with anything, there are exceptions to the rule. There are colored diamonds that are very expensive, even priceless. Blue diamonds, or the most valuable, red diamonds, are example of colored diamonds that bring high prices. The proper term for these types of colored stones is “fancy colored diamonds.” In most cases, the informed shopper looking for an engagement or “everyday” diamond will select stones anywhere from D to I in color, as these colors usually provide the most value at a reasonable price. Although color is vital to the diamond’s beauty, it’s important to note that a very well cut D-I graded diamond will appear similar when mounted in platinum or white gold.

CUT: Cut, more than anything else, displays the exuberance of a particular diamond. Though highly difficult to dissect, the cut of any diamond has three properties:
1. Brilliance (light reflecting from the diamond)
2. Fire (the distribution of light into the colors of the spectrum)
3. Scintillation (a flash of light, seen when a diamond is moving slowly.)
To understand diamond cut, we must understand the diamond’s shape. Traditional round brilliant cuts are the most popular, and for this reason, are priced more than other cuts. The other cuts are identified as “fancy shapes” also known as princess, cushion, asscher, radiant, pear, oval, marquise, emerald and trillion cuts. Although round diamonds are most popular, all fancy shapes can be just as stunning and desirable.

CLARITY: Diamond clarity refers to how “clear” a diamond is. Naturally occurring diamonds will have inclusions, which are like birthmarks or fingerprints that give each stone its own unique personality. To determine the value, a diamond is assigned a clarity grade that ranges from “flawless” to “included.” Flawless diamonds are very rare and bring higher prices than one that may have slight inclusions. In deciding which clarity grade suits your persona and budget, we recommend ideally cut diamonds that will face up white and be clean when viewed with the naked eye. While in reality no gem is perfect, one can fall in love with any diamond that suits his or her personal taste, regardless of the grading. If a larger carat size with a flawless appearance is important to your individual taste, you may want to consider a Clarity enhanced (CE) natural diamond as the option choice.

Clarity enhanced diamonds are genuine, naturally mined diamonds. As we discussed earlier, flawless diamonds are rare and difficult to obtain for most buyers as they bring very high prices. Now, with recent ground-breaking discoveries in technology, scientists have been able to carefully remove certain flaws from a select few diamonds. With this process, diamonds become more brilliant, with many appearing flawless. Additionally, the material that is used to enhance a suitable stone consists of a diamond-like substance that adds no carat weight, thus keeping the weight true. This exciting, scientific development gives shoppers the ability to buy genuine, larger diamonds with a flawless appearance. CE diamonds have been on the market for over twenty years, are found to be stable, and are enhanced to last a lifetime. CE diamonds are proven to stand up to every day wear and tear like any other diamond.
Furthermore, the cost savings of purchasing a CE diamond with the same “4 C’s” of a traditional diamond are much greater. It will cost 30%-50% less to purchase a CE diamond—allowing the buyer to purchase a stone up to 2x the size. Given the new economy, diamond dealers all over the country are experiencing an increased demand for CE diamonds. As a result, sophisticated industry leaders are now embracing the CE process.


COST SAVINGS: By understanding the information presented to you in this discussion, you will be well-suited to identify the best value and cost when making your final selection. You will now know how to buy right and you will be able to tell the seller what you want, rather than the seller making this lifetime decision for you.
If the diamond of choice is outside your price range, you may want to consider a CE diamond. Whether you want a higher carat weight, a better cut, a more beautiful color or higher clarity than a traditional diamond can offer within your budget, you will be able to get the visual qualities you have your heart set on with a CE diamond. All of this while still knowing that you have a genuine, natural diamond.

For more information regarding the contents of this article or Clarity Enhanced Diamonds contacting Gerry Hauser at Hadar Diamonds, Inc.