JEWELLERY

styles that captivate and dazzle with their transcendent beauty and sparkle. Shade refers to a diamond's colour, which can range from rare pure white to fancy coloured vivid shades like yellow, pink and green although most tend to yellow/brown. The lack of colour in a diamond determines its grading, with higher colour grades assigned to diamonds with less colour. This is because colourless diamonds exhibit greater sparkle than yellowish/ brownish tinted diamonds. Clarity refers to inclusions, which are small marks, fissures or foreign crystals in the diamond. Every diamond has billions of inclusions. However many inclusions are not visible to the naked eye, so the diamond is “eye clean. Flawless diamonds are “Loupe Clean”, meaning that inclusions are invisible even when using a 10x magnification lens. Carat weight measures a diamond’s weight, not size. The weight of a diamond is expressed in “points” up to 99 points (for example, 25 points refers to a 0.25 weight), with 100 points equal to 1 carat. Many people mistakenly believe that a larger carat weight is preferable to a smaller carat weight however carat weight does not affect sparkle. For example a well-cut .98 carat diamond may appear larger and more sparkly than a poorly cut 1-carat weight diamond with great colour and clarity. Remember this is a guide only – the best way to select your perfect diamond is to consult with the skilled jewellers at Charles Rose. Their expert team are always available to help you learn more about the diamond 4Cs before choosing your ideal diamond cut, colour, clarity and carat, which the artisans lovingly handcraft into a show-stopping jewellery design.

Marquise Radiant Trilliant Baguette Heart Princess Round Brilliant Asscher Cushion Tapered Baguette Oval Emerald

SET IN STONE

Charles Rose’s Geelong store and engagement rings have one quality that distinguishes it from the rest – longevity. The company has been in Geelong for more than a decade – and will be for longer, says Director Marcus Rose. “It will never go because fine jewellers last a very long time.” Jewellery has been in Marcus’s family for four generations.His grandfather and great uncle, Charles Rose, started as jewellers and master watchmakers in France, near the German border in the 1920s. They died during World War II, so his father Frederick, also a jeweller, migrated to Australia as a 26-year-old in 1948. Marcus developed a passion for his father’s business selling jewellery at Monash University in the early ‘70s. With Marcus’ son, Asher, taking a more prominent role in the business in recent years. Now the specialist diamond house has a team of dedicated artisans producing work from the highest grade stones. “Higher than any other brand in Australia, I would say,” Marcus adds. “The better grades are much brighter and that’s the most important aspect of diamonds.” The beautiful designs allow Charles Rose Geelong customers to customise the cut and size of the principle stones in their engagement rings, and wedding bands.

Feel like a princess with a pear-shaped style like this, featuring Argyle pink diamonds.

SHINE LIKE A DIAMOND

Starting out in 1927 in St Arnaud before moving to Geelong in 1950, The Duffs family business has been operating for more than 90 years and been a part of the local community for more than 70. Duffs Jewellers is still operated by the Duffs family. The people who own the stores, run the stores and are part of the local community. Duffs have three stores in Geelong - at Westfield, Market Square and Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre. Duffs Jewellers is large enough to provide incredible quality, service and range of products and yet small enough to offer a high level of personal service. Duffs is more than just a retailer. They source, design and create beautiful jewellery as well as providing a repair service. Using in-house designers, jewellers and gemologists, Duffs are able to create handmade jewellery in their workshop and they have a long business history and have become a trusted name. Jewellery styles are influenced by current trends, but Duffs believes it is worth remembering that an engagement ring is meant to be for a lifetime and beyond. Rather than just following trends, a ring that reflects personality and individual style should be chosen. The diamond solitaire engagement ring is as popular today as ever. Or for something truly luxurious, think Argyle pink diamonds. Coloured gems such as morganite, aquamarine, ruby or sapphire can be a more affordable option and offer lots of design options. Duffs understands that every ring should reflect its owner. Your love story is individual and special and having your rings custom-made means that any changes can be accommodated. If you have a particular design in mind they will help bring your ideas to life. Also available is an easy-to-follow system called Duffs Selects which makes it easier to understand and choose the right quality of diamond to suit your style and budget. Duffs also offers the option of lab-grown diamonds - a more affordable alternative for anyone wanting a larger diamond at a more affordable price. They are still ‘real diamonds’ - the main difference being they are created by humans in highly-controlled laboratories rather than mined from the earth. Duff's advice to couples is do your research and speak with your jeweller about the choices on offer so you know what you are buying and get the best ring for your budget.