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Diamonds are a fascinating gemstone. We specialize in well cut certified diamonds at very competitive prices. |
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Frequent
Questions & Recommendations |
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grading system is the right one?
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A great trend in the last ten years is for most jewelers to accept the GIA grading system as a universal standard and drop their own private grading systems. It used to be very difficult for people to comparison shop diamonds, because my "AAA" diamonds may or may not be as good as the next jeweler's "Empress Collection" or whatever he offers. Today you should expect a no-nonsense written certificate stating the exact GIA grade of the diamond. | ||
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What is a certificate |
A certificate is a
statement of the grade of a diamond by a third party, not the seller or
buyer. Unfortunately anyone can create a certificate, so it's
important to have one from the most credible source. The
certificate does not appraise the dollar value of the diamond. It only
describes the grade usually based on the GIA grading system you see below.
It also notes other diamond features such as it's proportions, fluorescence,
or treatments. Based on our experience, the G.I.A. or A.G.S. produce the most accurate and widely respected certificates. Other certificates tend to be more liberal. For example a diamond graded SI2 by the G.I.A. might be graded as an SI1 on an E.G.L. or other certificate. It's good to seek out a jeweler that you feel you can trust, but a certificate is the best way to avoid having to make your decision solely based on that trust. It also comes in handy for insurance purposes and is the best evidence you can have if you ever have concerns about your diamond being switched during ring sizings, etc. We love the certificates for our own reasons. The subtle differences between diamonds can make consistent grading difficult, especially between jewelers. In other words, I may say this is a "D" color diamond, but my competitor may claim it is only an "E" color. We like having undisputable evidence that confirms we are accurately describing our diamonds. |
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| What shape should I choose? |
By far the round brilliant cut is the most popular, but not just for it's shape. A round cut is the only shape that allows the cutter to maintain perfect angles all the way around the stone. If you look at any fancy shape diamond from the side and rotate it, you will see that the angles on the bottom part (the pavilion) of the diamond change. If you hold up a round stone and view it from the side as you rotate it you see that the angles remain the same. So the round shapes are generally the most brilliant. Many people, however, simply enjoy other shapes such as princess and marquise. Go with whatever makes your heart sing.
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| Which clarity should I choose?  |
As you look at the clarity chart below, you may notice that all the grades from SI2 up to Internally Flawless have no inclusions visible to the naked eye. There is no way to see the difference between any of these 8 grades without a microscope, and yet there is a big difference, sometimes thousands of dollars, between these grades in price. Not surprisingly, this makes the SI2, SI1, and VS1 grades very popular. It is a personal decision regarding these "flaws" in diamonds. Occasionally we work with clients that really don't want to see any imperfections, even under the microscope in their diamond. Most people however, accept these inclusions as subtle evidence of the diamond's natural origins. Everyone has a budget of course, and regardless of what that budget is they always have the same question before them. Should I buy a larger diamond of lesser grade or a smaller diamond of better grade? The price is the same. We don't recommend purchasing diamonds in the "I" grade. These eye-visible imperfections do distract from the beauty of the gem, and speaking of beauty which is really the important thing, read about the color of the diamond and the cut. These two aspects often affect the beauty more than the clarity. |
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| Which color should I choose? |
Even though we don't necessarily recommend the highest clarity grade, we do recommend choosing a high color grade because this is something you can really see all the time. Color affects the price of a diamond, but not as much as the clarity, and yet it often affects the beauty even more. An off color diamond is obvious to everyone, although the differences between the individual color grades are very subtle. Even jewelers have trouble seeing the slight differences between similar colors. Most of our customers have trouble seeing any color at all in stones from D to G. We recommend a diamond with a minimum G or H color. |
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| How is cut Important? |
Cut refers not just to the shape of the diamond, but to how well it has been proportioned and polished. Perfect color and clarity will help make a diamond beautiful, but without good cutting the beauty is lost. Unfortunately, it seems more cost effective to cut diamonds to be heavy rather than well proportioned and brilliant, so most diamonds are not as beautiful as they could be. A few diamond cutters specialize in more ideally proportioned diamonds, and we recommend that you consider choosing one. They cost a little more than the typical commercial cut you see everywhere, but they can capture light, even in a dimly lit room and radiate beautifully. This is the kind of diamond we like to sell. If a diamond isn't beautiful, why not choose a colored gemstone that is? The diagrams below indicate how light behaves when it enters the top of the diamond. If all angles are correct, the light entering the diamond finds it's way back to your eye. It really works. You can see the difference. |
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| How much should I spend? |
We don't subscribe to any of the pretentious rules regarding spending so many months salary on a diamond. You are the best judge of your priorities. One consideration is the cost of the setting. A simple tiffany setting may be only $150, while an elaborate multi-diamond platinum setting can be well over $1000. If you would enjoy a larger diamond, you might consider placing more of your initial investment in the diamond in the beginning and less on the setting. Upgrading the setting would be a nice anniversary gift down the road. People often upgrade settings over the course of years, but tend to keep the same engagement diamond forever, so the diamond itself might be a better priority for you now, if your budget is tight.
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| Must my
engagement ring hold a diamond? |
Absolutely not. Although diamonds are certainly the most popular, many of our customers have used colored gemstones in engagement rings. Sapphires have some history in Europe as engagement gems, and with good reason. They are second only to diamond in hardness, and come in many beautiful shades of blue and other colors. Choose any gem that you really enjoy, but it would be wise to avoid fragile gems in engagement rings, since we do want this ring to last. Avoid opals, emeralds, turquoise, pearls or tanzanites. |
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| How do we sell diamonds? |
Contact us and let us know what you are interested in. We have access to many of the best diamond suppliers in the country, especially those that produce well cut gems. We will be happy to check anytime to see what exceptional stones may be available for you. | ||
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G.I.A. Clarity Grades |
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G.I.A. Color Grades |
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