Key points to be kept in mind while
buying the right diamond jewellery
Earlier, when a daughter was born, the family would start
saving for the gold they would give in her wedding. However, since a few years,
the scales have been tipped. Now, they prefer giving diamond jewellery in the
wedding to their daughter or daughter in law.
Having said that, most of the India’s diamond jewellery
market is unorganized and unbranded. Many women still prefer to buy diamond
jewellery from their old ‘diamondwala’ in Surat or their trusted diamond merchant
in Zhaveri Bazaar, with total disregard to the quality of diamonds and the
purity of gold used. It’s really sad because when they are paying hefty prices,
they should get their money’s worth.
If you are buying diamond jewellery and don’t want to be
cheated, keep in mind these points.
Know the quality of diamonds
For those who are unaware of the fact, there is a universal
grading system to find out the quality of diamonds. It’s commonly called the
“Four Cs”, consisting of Carat, Clarity, Color and Cut, which determine the
quality of diamonds.
Carat: Carat is nothing, but the unit in which diamonds and other
gemstones are weighed. 1 carat = 0.2 gms. However, this Carat is different from
Karat, which refers to the purity of gold. Also, the diamonds of the same
weight do not necessarily mean that they will be of the same size or value.
Most jewelleries use diamonds that weigh 1 carat or less.
Clarity: Diamonds are formed naturally under tremendous heat and
pressure, and can develop inclusions and blemishes. The fewer these inclusions
and blemishes, the more the diamond clarity and rarer the stone. This rarity of
clarity determines a diamond’s value. Every diamond has some traits or the
other. A flawless diamond is a rarity and hence, extremely valuable. Experts
and experienced gemologists can determine the clarity of a diamond using a
microscope and a 10x loupe.
Diamond Clarity
Chart
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Flawless : FL
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Free of blemishes and inclusions
when examined under 10x magnification
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Internally Flawless : IF
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Free of inclusions. Only
insignificant blemishes visible under 10x magnification.
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Very Very Slightly Included :
VVS1-2
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Minute inclusions that is very
difficult to locate under 10 x magnifications.
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Very Slightly Included : VS1-2
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Minute inclusions that are
difficult to somewhat easy to see under 10x magnifications.
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Slightly Included : SI1-2
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Noticeable inclusions those are
easy to see under 10x magnification.
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Included : I1, I2, I3
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Inclusions are obvious under 10×
magnification and may affect transparency and brilliance
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Color: The color in diamond parlance means the lack of color in a
diamond. A colorless diamond allows more light to pass through it than a
colored diamond, hence it is of a greater value. However, this color is
different from the fancy color diamonds like pink, blue, etc.
The scale begins with the letter D which represents 100%
colorless, and hence extremely rare and valuable. The scale continues till the
letter Z where the color of the diamond is light yellow or brown. The color of
a diamond is graded by comparing it to a master color set in controlled
lighting and precise viewing conditions.
*A master color set is a standardized set of stones of
various color grades. By holding your diamond up against the master set, one
can determine the where it fits on the color spectrum.
We recommend you to choose a whiter
diamond over clarity. Because color is visible, while blemishes are not so
visible, as far as small diamonds are concerned.
Cut: Cut gives a diamond it’s sparkle and brilliance. Whereas all
the above factors are determined by the nature, cut is something that is
dependant on the human intervention. Also, a cut is more difficult to determine
than the color or clarity, and can be often ignored or misrepresented.
A well cut diamond will direct more light
through the crown, and is more expensive than a fair or good cut one. There are 3 types of diamond cuts: Shallow,
Ideal and Deep.
Diamond Cut Guide
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Shallow Cut
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A shallow cut diamond will usually
have a larger diameter and so a larger look for each given carat weight,
however the more shallow the stone, the more light is lost out of the base
and can cause it to look fireless and transparent.
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Ideal Cut
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An ideal cut diamond has the
correct proportions to reflect all of the light that enters the stone cut
through the centre creating maximum fire and sparkle.
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Deep Cut
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A deep cut diamond will tend to
have a smaller diameter and so a smaller look per carat weight. A very deeply
cut diamond will lose light out of the sides of the stone causing the
brilliance to be compromised.
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The cut of a diamond has three characteristics:
- Brilliance – the total light reflected from a diamond.
- Fire – the dispersion of light into the colors of the spectrum
- Scintillation – the sparkle when a diamond is moved
Most diamond jewellery uses round brilliant shaped diamonds,
however, cuts like marquise, pear, oval and emerald are used often too. Other
shapes like hearts, princess and triangles are gradually gaining popularity.
You can learn more about cuts by referring to the following
GIA determined scale –
Diamond Cut Chart
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Excellent
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Maximum fire and brilliance. Reflects nearly all of the light that enters the diamond, creating
exceptional sparkle and life.
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Very Good
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Properly reflects most of the light
that enters the diamond, producing superior fire and brilliance. Under normal
lighting conditions, appears very similar to Excellent Cut, but for a lower
price.
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Good
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Reflects a majority of the light
that enters the diamond, for an above average appearance. An excellent value
compared to higher cut grades.
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Fair
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Allows much of the light entering
the diamond to escape from the sides or bottom, reducing perceived fire and
brilliance. More acceptable in diamonds of less than .75 carats, where
differences in sparkle are more difficult to perceive.
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Poor
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Allows most of the light entering
the diamond to escape from the sides or bottom. The diamond may appear
noticeably dull and lifeless, even to an untrained eye.
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Synthetic Diamonds
Now, that you know how to ascertain the quality of diamonds, it’s
important that you know about synthetic diamonds as well, especially Cubic
Zirconia.
Synthetic diamonds are produced in a laboratory
through an artificial process. And, they have the same hardness and brilliance
of a naturally formed diamond. Cubic Zirconia, the biggest competitor of
natural diamonds is optically flawless and usually colorless, and can be
produced in various colors like blue, pink, yellow, green etc. It’s low cost,
durability and close appearance to natural diamonds has made it very popular
with the masses.
Ask
for diamond jewellery certification
While buying diamond jewellery, make sure you
ask for a diamond jewellery certificate (even if you trust your jeweller). This
certificate is provided by a registered and recognized laboratory like IGI,
DGLA, etc. It is a report that provides you a complete breakdown of all
diamonds and gemstones used in the jewellery piece.
- You will know the quantity and total carat weight, measurements, shape, cut, proportions, clarity and color.
- Not only this, the identification, content and weight of precious metals used in the making of the jewellery are also stated.
However, if you are purchasing SOLITAIRES, insist on a copy of the GIA
diamond grading report for the diamonds used. GIA is the world’s most trusted
agency in diamond grading and gemstone identification.
Make sure the diamonds used in your jewellery are
certified, which means the diamonds are graded in an independent GIA / IGI and
other such laboratory by their trained technicians in accordance with theirstrict
set standards and measures. Sometimes, your local jeweller might give you a
certificate which would show that his GIA or IGI-trained store employee has
graded the stones. Such diamonds have no certification as it’s highly unlikely
they were graded following the global quality standards.
Why you must insist on buying certified diamond
jewellery?
Certified diamond jewellery are verified for quality by recognized gemologists. Hence, they -
- Provide an assurance of the quality purchased.
- Hold better value vis-Ã -vis non certified jewellery when it comes to resale and upgrades.
Insist on hallmark for gold
Always insist on a hallmark when buying your diamond
jewellery. Because, during jewellery making process, gold is often
glued/soldered with alloys that are impure and can reduce the purity of the
precious metal. A hallmark helps you ascertain the purity of gold used in
accordance with the Indian Standard specifications.
The hallmark for gold specifies on 5 components
given by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). These components are:
- BIS mark (it is triangular) to tell you whether the hallmarking is done by third party assessor and bears the mark of authenticity
- the purity grade which ranges from 23 carat to 9 carat
- the mark of the third party assayer approved by the BIS
- the year of marking as decided by BIS. A indicates it was marked in the year 2000, and so on.
- the identification mark of the jewellery selling the jewellery.
Check
for services and policies:
Most jewellers offer a set of services and policies
with the purchase of jewellery. Review the jeweller’s policies for the
following:
- Ask the jeweller for a policy in writing.
- Confirm whether the services actually cover free inspection and cleanings, etc.
- Also, confirm the Return, Exchange and Buyback policy with your jeweller.
In Summary, while buying diamond jewellery, always
insist on hallmarked gold and diamond jewellery certificate from reputed
laboratories. Also, check for the Jeweller’s post sales services and policies
like repair, exchange and buyback.
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