- Written by Aiman Ibrash
- July 22nd, 2017
- About General
How to Choose a Diamond
Diamonds are the glittering gems which every woman desires. These sophisticated stones hold a particular place in every woman’s heart and make for some of the most appreciated gifts that you can gift your loved ones. However, with so much variety, different guts and retailers out there, choosing a diamond for yourself can be difficult. How do you tell a good and bad stone apart? Which style should you go for? They really look the same at first glance. You don’t need to worry because there are certain aspects of a stone that indicate the quality of the diamond and the piece. Here is a step by step guide which will help you choose the ideal diamond for yourself.
Choose the cut
The first thing that you need to do is understand that there are different cuts of the stone. These cuts influence how a diamond looks. Would you like a bigger piece or do you need a glittering star? Every cut is unique, but the one that will suit best depends on the quality you prefer. For instance, if it’s the size that matters, go for the oval or the square cut diamonds. However, if its sparkle that you are more into the princess cut and the classic cut diamonds are the diamonds that you should go for. Many people are unsure of what they need their stone to look like. For them, going for a round or princess cut is a safe choice. The diamond is relatively big and has an enormous amount of shine, making it the most desired shape of stones.
Carats matter
Remember, the cut can only do so much for the ultimate size. The final look of the diamond will depend on its karats. If you are looking for a larger diamond, you will need to increase the number of karats you are looking for. A half karat diamond will never be the same as a 1 karat one. The size is much bigger and the ultimate look and cut are more prominent in a 1 karat diamond. To set things into perspective, always make up your mind and budget beforehand. Take some time out to make side by side comparisons, if you must. Once you have decided the weight of diamond that you are going for, the rest is much easier.
Concise and compress
Of course, diamonds vary in quality and the perfect stone can cost you a large sum of money. However, many aspects of a diamond are not important for everyone and can be compromised. It’s always a good idea to select a stone with no flaws as standard to give you an idea about the cost of the stone. You can then work your way down the cost as you, eliminating factors which are not as important to you. Here are certain aspects that you can modify to decrease the price of the diamond without significantly affecting its quality.
Clarity
This is the first factor that you can modify considerably without any major negative effects. Many people cannot tell super clear diamonds from not so clear ones. Plus, the frame that the diamond is set in matters a lot also. A yellow gold or rose gold frame will influence the color of the diamond and infuse a slight yellow tinge into the stone, compromising its clarity. Therefore, you can decrease the clarity of the stone safely up to VS2 before you consider modifying other factors. The clarity decline will not affect the look of the diamond significantly but will reduce the cost of the piece by a lot.
Color
Once you are done with clarity, the color of the diamond is also something that you can influence. Yes, diamonds do have colors, however, just like clarity, its significance is less in yellow and rose gold pieces. In white gold pieces, the color can stand out due to the contrast between a silvery background and the diamond itself. Hence, if you are going for a silver or a white gold frame, consider lowering the color to an H before attempting to change other aspects. This again can have a significant impact on the total cost of the stone.
Cut
So, you can also lower the cut of the diamond you choose. It may seem odd at first, but lowering the cut means the fineness of the cut. You can safely go down to the Good quality in fancy shapes and the very good quality in round shape diamonds without influencing the ultimate look of the diamond significantly. However, this small compromise can help you save quite a sum of money when you combine it with other aspects.
Carats
After the modifications suggested above, chances are that a diamond can come close to your budget. However, sometimes the final step to seal the deal is to shave off some karats to bring the stone completely within your reach. Shaving off a few karats will lower the weight, but will not influence the ultimate size of the diamond by a lot. You need to realize that in order to make the best deal you must know which aspects of the stone you want unchanged and which aspects you can modify.
The frame
Finally, the frame of the stone plays an important role in influencing the many aspects of buying a diamond. We at Antwerp offer 3 different hues ranging from white gold to the romantic shades of rose gold and the beautifully ethnic yellow gold. Each frame and shade influence the stone in its own manner. The frame you go for is influenced by your own choice, but can also be influenced by your budget. Choose the frame wisely, as it can influence all the different aspects of diamond selection that we discussed earlier.
Clearly, the diamond selection is not as hard as you think. There are just different steps to it that need to be considered. If you follow the steps given above, you can decide which diamond to buy and have it in your budget as well. Every woman loves a glittering gift, but there are steps to buy that stone. You need to consider a systematic way of getting the perfect stone with the perfect deal. Keep an eye out for the steps above the next time you go out diamond shopping. You are sure to get your hands on the most brilliant stone at a much more reasonable price than you think.
Are you perhaps interested to buy diamonds online? Then click here to shop for GIA certified loose diamonds directly from Antwerp Or!
Aimanibbi is a fashion enthusiast drawn by her love for stones and jewelry. She also loves to read and has a passion for diamonds which she explores in her free time. You can contact Aiman Ibrash at [email protected]