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Diamonds are FOREVER
What is it about these precious rocks that captures our hearts, and how do you find your perfect stone? Katie Bletcher asks those in the know “Diamonds are forever,” “diamonds are a girl’s best friend” or, to quote Nicole Richie, “true friends are like diamonds – bright, beautiful, valuable, and always in style.” We’ve been lauding the benefits of these beauties for centuries, often imbuing them with certain characteristics, so is it any wonder, they’re the go-to precious stone for engagement rings? After all, as Emily Wan of jewellers Laings says, “Diamonds are one of the earth’s most precious creations and today are used as symbols of love, commitment and triumph.” Traditionally a groom would prepare to spend three months’ salary on an engagement ring. That expectation may have changed but the sentiment still stands. This is the most important piece of jewellery you’re ever likely to wear, (apart from your wedding band of course). So just how do you find the perfect sparkler? One starting point to help is the “4Cs” – cut, colour, clarity and carat weight. “These are the globally accepted standards for assessing the quality of a diamond and have great influence in creating the fire and sparkle that makes us fall in love with these enchanting stones,” explains Emily. Price therefore will be largely determined by how a particular diamond is measured by jewellers and diamond graders. However, remember they act purely as a guide. As Lesley Elder of jeweller John McKay says, “It is important to the client only if they are looking for a specific colour, clarity, carat or cut of diamond.” Using them simply as a guide, let’s take a quick look at how the 4Cs are determined…
Cut Platinum 0.50ct G SI2 brilliant cut diamond halo ring (£3,200), Laings
The cut of a diamond has five grades; excellent, very good, good, fair and poor. “When buying diamonds, I always look for excellent or ideal as the cut is the most overlooked of the 4Cs but the one which determines the beauty and lustre,” says Lesley. “When you opt for very good you are sacrificing some brilliance.” Emily agrees. “The sparkle of a diamond is determined by its proportions, symmetry and polish,” she says. “Differences in cut greatly impact the beauty, aesthetic appeal, and value of a diamond.”
Colour 18ct white gold 0.47ct cushion cut yellow diamond ring (£2,435), Laings
Platinum 0.70ct round brilliant cut diamond ring (£2,800), John McKay
Colour actually refers to the absence of colour in a diamond. “The perfect diamond will have no hue and will resemble a drop of clear water,” says Emily. “The colour grade measures the degree of colourlessness in a diamond, beginning at D (colourless) and ending at Z (light colour). The most desirable diamond colour is D, with no yellowish hue present, and complementing the brilliance of a well-cut diamond.” Laings typically work with diamonds that are near colourless to colourless. However, Lesley warns that diamond grading is not a science. “In a typical diamond lab the stone can be passed to as many as 20 graders before it’s certified,” she says. “There is a scale and most jewellers like us will have a set of master stones which is used for determining the colour the same as a diamond lab.”
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