Unless you are royalty, for most people, diamonds are something that you only buy occasionally. After all, this sparkling and stunning natural jewel comes along at some sky-high prices. But along with high prices comes confusion and concerns about what you’re really getting.
You’ve found a ring you love, but then the paranoia sets in: is the stone real, or is it fake? Unfortunately, occasionally some people are tricked into buying a fake. The usual reason for this is because they have a lack of knowledge about diamonds. Therefore, if you’re on the hunt for diamond jewellery or engagement rings Australia, equip yourself with the right knowledge beforehand so you can make a safe and informed purchasing decision.
Keep reading for everything you need to know about buying diamond engagement rings!
How are diamonds measured?
Although the GIA (Gemmological Institute of America) was established in 1931, it wasn’t until 1953 that GIA made a strong scale of measuring the quality of a diamond. This scale was abbreviated as 4Cs, which is now regarded as a standard form of quality measurement around the world. But what are these 4Cs and what should we know about them?
4Cs are a set of four basic quality measurement areas:
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Colour Scale
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Clarity Scale
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Cut Scale and
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Carat Weight.
Below we explain them one by one to help you get clarity for buying any type of diamond jewellery, but particularly engagement rings in Australia.
Colour Scale for Diamonds
Colour measures if the diamond is colourless (i.e. crystal clear) or slightly cloudy yellowish or brownish. The grade decreases as we go from colourless to colour.
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Colourless – D, E, F
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Nearly Colourless – G, H, I, J
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Faint – K, L, M
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Very Light – N, O, P, Q, R
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Light – S to Z
Clarity in Diamonds
Clarity takes into account whether there are any inclusions or blemishes within the diamond. Inclusions are any types of elements other than diamond crystals that have formed inside the diamond itself. Blemishes are deformities over the surface. These inclusions range from flawless, i.e. having no inclusions to included.
Flawless means there are no inclusions at 10 times the magnification and I3 means that inclusions are visible to the naked eye. Many people opt to buy diamonds with very small inclusions because they stay invisible when the stone sparkles under the light and is viewed with the eye.
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Flawless
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Internally Flawless
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VVS (Very Very Slight) – VVS1, VVS2, VVS3
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VS (Very Slight) – VS1, VS2
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SI (Slightly Included) – S1, S2
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I (Included) – I1, I2, I3
Cut in Diamonds
This scale determines the quality of cuts in the diamond. It ranges from Excellent to Poor. ie, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor.
This scale also determines the precision of cuts because it’s precision which affects the amount and quality of the sparkle that a diamond radiates. If you buy Engagement Rings Brisbane with diamonds, make sure you ask for information about the type of the cut and the quality of it.
Carat in Diamonds
You might have heard it many times when the discussion is around buying engagement rings. Whilst the ‘all important’ Carat does not resemble the size of a diamond exactly, it has a major impact on its appearance. How is this?
Basically, 1 Carat = 200 milligrams. A 5-carat diamond will equal a gram of weight. For example, a low-carat diamond may be cut in a way that makes it appear larger. This all depends on expertise and precision. This is why we say that carat does not directly correlate to the perceived size of the diamond.
How to buy Diamonds with peace of mind?
If you are in Australia and buy Engagement Rings Australia, then you should get an ADGL certificate for the quality of the diamond. ADGL is Australian Diamond Grading Laboratory that grades the quality of diamond based on GIA and provides the certificate for it. The GIA grading can even be microscopically inscribed on the diamond for ultimate peace of mind.
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