While shopping for a
diamond online is safe, it can only be a sound idea if you fully know what you
are doing. The good news is that the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has
made our life easy by introducing a standard method for assessing the quality
of a diamond. It can help us determine the prices of diamonds because they have
become a commodity.
The industry's
standard is called the 4Cs: Carat weight, Cut, Color, and Clarity. In addition,
we also use three other vital factors in determining the price of a diamond.
These are the shape of a diamond, the presence of fluorescence, and how it is
graded or certified by a third party.
The shape of the
diamond affects the price simply because certain shapes require bigger rough
diamonds than others and look visibly larger. For example, a well-cut
round-shaped diamond is usually 6.5 millimeters in overall diameter when cut
and polished, whereas a square princess cut would be 5.5.mm. We have developed
comprehensive guidelines for each shape of a diamond. Please refer to them for
reference.
The carat weight of a
diamond is straightforward; the larger the stone, the more expensive it is.
However, the prices of diamonds jump significantly as they get more prominent
because of the scarcity element. For example, a 2-carat stone is much scarcer
than a 1-carat stone, implying that the former will be two times the price of
the latter.
The cut of a diamond
is significant because it determines the level of brilliance and fire.
Unfortunately, stones are often badly cut due to the poor skills of the cutter,
but in other instances, dealers will purposefully cut stones deep to save rough
diamonds and sell you a 1-carat stone that should be 0.8 carats if cut well.
White Diamonds with no color are
preferred over ones with a yellow tint. Therefore, the absence of color gives a
diamond a higher value. D-F color range diamonds are considered colorless,
while G-J is near-colorless, followed by other color ranges until Z. D is the
highest color grade. G is an excellent color grade for maximizing quality and
size. Colors up to I or J are still good for maximizing the budget.
Clarity is also
essential in a diamond as it examines the level of inclusions, such as black
carbons or crystals. Clarity ranges from Flawless and Internally Flawless
(FL/IF) to Very Very Slightly Included 1/2 (VVS1/VVS2), Very Slightly Included
1/2 (VS1/VS2), Slightly Included 1/2 (SI1/SI2), and Included 1-3 (I1-3). FL and
VVS ranges are considered extremely high quality. VS ranges are also eye-clean
and beautiful diamonds. SI1/2 are excellent budget options and can often be
eye-clean, depending on the type and location of inclusions.
Fluorescence in a
diamond can rarely affect its appearance (making it hazy or oily) but is not
often a negative factor. Fluorescence can make yellowish diamonds (H and above
color) appear whiter because of its blue color, which is complementary to
white. However, it is generally considered a negative factor, especially in the
D-G color range, and can affect the price of a diamond. Please refer to
our guidelines on fluorescence for
reference.
Now you must be
wondering how grading/certification affects a diamond's price. Firstly, it
costs money, and a dealer must wait for a month or two for a lab like GIA to
grade a diamond. The cost for grading is naturally added to the final value of
the stone. Secondly, since some labs are not as consistent/strict as GIA,
dealers will sometimes grade their diamonds by them to get better results and
offer higher prices. However, you are not getting better prices, but inferior
diamonds graded higher than their actual quality. We recommend always going
with GIA, though the American Gem Society Labs (AGSL) can also be a decent lab
if you find a good deal.
