Choosing a diamond: how not to make a mistake when buying jewelry. Criteria and rules for choosing diamonds How to choose products with diamonds
It’s not for nothing that diamonds are considered a girl’s best friend. Among jewelry, they are the ones that stand in first place on the pedestal in terms of cost and beauty. Many scammers, due to the cost of the stone, are ready to deceive anyone and sell low-quality goods. Therefore, those who are planning to make such a purchase should know how to choose a diamond. In ancient times, it was believed that diamonds were endowed with magical properties. They gave courage to the owner, and also reconciled the family, bringing love there.
Diamonds
The path of a diamond to a buyer
First you need to know that diamonds exist in nature. It is the hardest material on Earth. Diamonds come in both colorless shades and blue or yellow tints. Diamonds are cut diamonds. Therefore, before reaching a jewelry store, the stone goes a long way.
The main companies on this path:
- Diamond miners, for example, DeBeers and ALROSA. These corporations are searching for diamond deposits and developing stone mining. Next, the goods are sent either directly to the exchange in uncut form, or to cutting factories.
- Workshops and companies that sell cut stones. These are the companies that are represented on the Israel Stock Exchange. Since they are second intermediaries, the price of stones will be higher accordingly. But the problem is that an ordinary person cannot get on these exchanges. Therefore, the only option left is retail.
- Jewelry shops workshops. This is the next link in the diamond sales chain. This is where you can look suitable stone and purchase it. But the cost, of course, will differ from the original price of the diamond.
What to look for when choosing a diamond?
Stone selection criteria
If you decide to make a purchase, you should find out the following points for yourself:
- Why are you purchasing the stone? Diamonds are sold separately; you can buy a stone in one workshop and order a product from it in another. Or you can immediately purchase ready product, encrusted with diamonds.
- Next you need to find out which stone criteria are most important to you. Depending on this, select a price range and decide which property of the diamond you will sacrifice in case of lack of money. Also, go around several workshops and jewelry stores, since there is no clearly fixed price for diamonds.
Diamond marking
Main criteria appearance stone:
- Diamond clarity. This point implies the transparency of the stone, the absence or presence of defects on the outside or inside. A stone is considered clean if light penetrates it unhindered and the rays are refracted. Such a diamond shimmers in the sun. This criterion is most often formed by nature itself. Clarity varies due to the diamonds being in different conditions temperature, humidity, pressure. But sometimes defects appear due to improper cutting of the diamond. Of course, the cost of a stone with defects is cheaper, but it is less beautiful and durable. The average clarity ratings used for diamonds range from three to eight. Already in the sixth and seventh groups, it will be very difficult to see the defect with the naked eye. And in the eighth group, only dark defects will be visible. Therefore, by choosing lower groups, you can save on the cost of the stone. The international clarity standard is established by grading the diamond under ten times magnification. Possible defects include: point, stripe, inclusion, crack, cloud.
- Diamonds are divided according to color scheme. The classification usually distinguishes nine groups of stones. The first of them has a transparent color with a slight bluish tint, and as the group number increases, the stone becomes yellow and accordingly becomes cheaper. There are also black diamonds, the so-called Carbonado, which are also used to make jewelry.
- Weight and size of the stone. The diameter of the stone is indicated as the diamond size. The weight of jewelry is measured in carats. One carat corresponds to two hundred milligrams. A one-carat diamond has a diameter of 6.4 millimeters, and a three-carat diamond has a diameter of 9.4 millimeters.
- The cut of the stone greatly affects the price. There are several common types of diamond cuts. Type “A” is considered the ideal option. Such a stone will be brighter and shimmering. But the disadvantage of this technique is the large losses during the process (up to 65% of the weight of the diamond). Therefore, mass producers neglect beauty and cut stones according to the “B” type. In this case, symmetry, brightness, and strict lines suffer, but weight loss is minimal. Details of the cut can be found in the diamond certificate. There they indicate the height of the stone relative to the diameter, the size of the platform relative to the diameter, and the angle of inclination of the edges of the bottom and top. The mark “Excellent” is considered the highest and most worthwhile abroad. But according to the standards of the Russian Federation, such a cut can correspond to type “B”.
- The shape of the diamond depends on the cut and taste of the buyers. The round shape is the most popular, but also expensive in terms of diamond consumption. But the following forms are also considered well-known: “Princess”, shuttle-shaped “Marquis”, “Pear”, “Oval”, “Emerald”, “Heart”. Asymmetrical stones are easy to use in pendants, earrings and other jewelry.
- Authenticity of the stone. Most often it is determined by institutions. The most famous among them is the Gemological Institute of America. An unmounted diamond is placed in a special closed container along with a document - a certificate. But after opening the certificate loses its significance. But set stones are more difficult to check. The jewelry store must have certificates for them, or the buyer can insist on a gemological examination. Please note that sometimes a certification fee is added to the cost of the stone, which is not indicated at the beginning of the purchase.
The difference between a diamond and other precious stones
So, on the tag next to the product there is the following inscription: 2 Kr 57 - 0.20 3/3. The first number “2” means that there are 2 diamonds in the product. “Kr” indicates the shape of the cut, in this case it is round. “57” is the number of facets in the stone, “0.2” is the weight of both diamonds in carats. But in the value “3/3” - the first digit means the color group, and the second - defectiveness. The value “3/3” is the average cost option for a diamond.
It is also worth remembering that the cost of diamonds in jewelry is always more expensive than metal. And several small stones in a product are cheaper than one large diamond. The metal used in the jewelry may vary. For example, a white stone is in harmony with yellow gold and silver. But black diamonds will look beautiful with silver or white gold.
Also, do not believe sellers who claim that they sell diamonds as an affiliate of the Israel Exchange. You can ask the seller to weigh the stone in front of you, or take a magnifying glass to take a closer look at the diamond. Remember that the round cut is the most expensive. And also ask for a discount on the stone - most sellers will agree to give it.
As you can see, buying a diamond is not an easy task, requiring analysis before carrying out a monetary transaction. If you are planning to give a gift in the form of a precious stone, you should not take risks and present a surprise. It is better to consult with the person to whom you are going to give a gift, and together choose the appropriate option.
Source: VIBIRAEM.COM How to choose a diamond. Carat, color, clarity, diamond cut
When choosing a diamond, jewelers recommend the rule of four “Cs”, from the English carat (carat, i.e. weight), color (color), clarity (purity) and cut (cut).
The main indicator, of course, is weight. The more, the more expensive.
A good diamond should be colorless. If a perfectly colored stone is placed in water, it becomes invisible. This is where the concept of a “pure water” diamond arose.
The highest color class is first. Russian diamonds of medium size usually reach the first or second class.
The purity of a stone is determined by the absence of internal defects - cracks, inclusions. According to the accepted classification, first class is also the most expensive. In stones with low purity, defects can be seen through a regular magnifying glass. And according to this indicator, average diamonds correspond to class 3-4.
Cutting is a decorative element, but often determines the buyer’s choice. There is no competition here - the classic “round” shape. The number of edges must be indicated. It is an impossible task for a buyer to independently distinguish a fake diamond from a real one. If the stone regular sizes, the guarantee of its authenticity is the reputation of the store. You can order an independent gemological examination.
Price issue. If the price tag says 1Kr57-0.24 1/5A, this means: one round stone, 57 facets, weighing 0.24 carats. Its color corresponds to class 1, and its purity corresponds to class 5A. Such a ring costs about 20 thousand rubles.
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Russian diamond grading system.
The Russian diamond grading system is based on technical conditions(TU 117-4.2099-2002), in force since April 2002.
Cutting grade. A round cut with 57 facets (Kr-57) is accepted as the standard; there is also a round 17-sided cut (Kr-17), which is used for small stones. The specifications establish ranges of geometric cutting parameters according to which Kr-57 round diamonds can be divided into groups (in descending order of geometric parameters, symmetry, polishing quality) “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, and Kr- 17 - into two groups - “A” and “B”. Diamonds of famous fancy cut shapes are divided into two groups - “A” and “B”. Fancy cut diamonds with an unconventional number and arrangement of facets belong to the “B” cut group.
The weight of a diamond is measured in carats to the second decimal place. To calculate the mass of a stone fixed in a piece of jewelry, special calculation formulas are used.
There are three weight groups of diamonds: small (weighing up to 0.29 carats), medium (from 0.30 to 0.99 carats) and large - 1 carat and above.
Color assessment. Diamonds are classified into color groups from colorless with a gradual increase in the saturation of yellow, brown, and gray shades. The number of color groups depends on the weight. Small Kr-17 diamonds are classified into 4 color groups (1 - colorless stones). Small Kr-57 diamonds are classified into 7 color groups (1 - colorless stones). Medium and large diamonds are classified into 9 main color groups (1 - colorless stones) (see table), while several subgroups are distinguished in 6, 8 and 9: 6 and 6-1, from 8-1 to 8-5, from 9-1 to 9-4 (for example, 8-2 - lightly colored yellow, or 8-5 - yellow). Fancy colored diamonds belong to the first color group. I would like to note that there are practically no diamonds weighing 1 carat or more with characteristics of 1/1 on sale. Stones with such characteristics are several times more expensive than diamonds with 4/4 characteristics and may not be affordable even for very wealthy people. At the same time, in appearance, 1/1 and 4/4 diamonds are absolutely no different from each other.
Cleanliness assessment. Diamonds are classified into clarity groups depending on the presence of internal characteristics (inclusions, cracks, surface defects, the elimination of which will lead to significant weight loss), their quantity, location and color (characteristics visible through a 10x magnifying glass are taken into account). The number of purity groups depends on weight. Thus, small Kr-17 diamonds are classified into 6 purity groups, and small Kr-57 diamonds into 9 groups. For medium and large stones there are 12 purity groups (see table). The table shows that a diamond with a clarity of 5 on diamonds weighing up to 0.29 carats corresponds to a clarity of 7 for medium and large stones. Those. Defects and coloration that are difficult to see with the naked eye are detected only with characteristics of 7/7 (for medium and large stones). A trained eye, without the help of instruments, notices defects and color with characteristics of 6/6. Therefore, when buying large stones, it would be more correct to pay attention to the color and size that catch your eye.
The final grade of the diamond is recorded in the following form: for example, Kr-57 0.35 3/4A. This means: a round cut diamond with 57 facets, weighing 0.35 carats, has a color group of 3, a clarity group of 4, and a cut group of A.
GIA system for grading diamonds.
Cut - cut of a stone.
The quality of a diamond's cut is perhaps the most important component of all four in influencing a diamond's value, as a properly cut stone will look very beautiful and will have a lot of sparkle and play to it. When a diamond is cut correctly, light passes through the crown area, plays between the pavilion facets and returns back through the area, completely or almost completely reflected from the inner edges. If the cut is unsuccessful, then the light passing through the platform quickly reaches the edges of the pavilion and “leaks through” one of them, or leaves through the opposite lower edge of the diamond without having time to be reflected. The less light that refracts inside the stone and comes back out, the less sparkle your diamond will have.
Most specialists in precious stones They agree that the best diamond cut is based on a formula that gives the stone maximum brilliance. These formulas can be understood by studying the proportions of diamonds, but what is more important is how depth relates to the diameter of the diamond and how the diameter of the table relates to the diameter of the diamond.
Experts in the field of diamond cut classification have developed a table to help jewelers use it to give a diamond its perfect proportions. According to this table, diamond cuts (according to GIA) can be divided into the following categories: Ideal, Premium, Very Good, Good and Poor.
The ideal cut aims to give the diamond maximum brilliance and usually has a smaller platform, which has the added benefit of having a greater ability to diffuse light. This cut category only applies to round diamonds. Premium cut round diamonds are cut equivalent to a Perfect Cut with a wider table and slightly modified crown and pavilion angles. Very Fine cut diamonds reflect most of the light that passes through them, creating an adequate level of brilliance. Diamonds with this cut are obtained as a result of the fact that cutters deviate slightly from the intended proportions of the diamond in order to obtain a diamond that is quite large in weight. As a result, such diamonds have deviations in the size of the table or the width of the girdle, although in other parameters they coincide with the parameters of diamonds in the “Ideal” or “Premium” category. A “Good” cut means that the stone reflects a lot of light passing through it. The proportions are deviated from ideal because the choice is made in favor of bigger size diamond when cutting, and not cutting off all the excess to get a small stone of the “Premium” category.
Clarity - the purity of the stone.
When we talk about a diamond's clarity, we are talking about having distinctive characteristics on the outside and inside of the stone. While most of these characteristics are an integral part of a rough diamond, occurring in the earliest stages of crystal formation underground, some are a result of the intense pressure the diamond is subjected to during the cutting process. If you imagine the incredible pressure with which a diamond is born, it is not at all surprising that many diamonds have inclusion cracks, defects, air bubbles and particles of foreign mineral rocks, both on the surface and inside the stone. Clarity is assessed using a 10x magnification lens, taking into account the size, number, location and color of internal characteristics, as well as, in some cases, surface defects that cannot be removed by repolishing without significant loss of weight of the stone. All other things being equal, diamonds without intrinsic characteristics are considered more valuable. The GIA grading system distinguishes 11 clarity groups: from “Intrinsically Flawless,” a diamond that has absolutely no defects or inclusions even under 10x magnification, to “Imperfect,” a diamond that has serious flaws and inclusions visible even to the naked eye. glance.
F and IF (Flawless and Internally Flawless) - Pure and Internally Pure. These diamonds have no internal inclusions or are undetectable under 10x magnification. Very rare.
VVS1 and VVS2 (Very Very Small Inclusions) - Barely noticeable inclusions. Very difficult to detect at 10x magnification.
VS1 and VS2 (Very Small Inclusions) - Barely noticeable inclusions. The smallest inclusions are invisible to the naked eye and are difficult to detect at 10x magnification.
SI1 and SI2 (Small Inclusions) - Small inclusions. Tiny inclusions that can be detected at 10x magnification and in some cases (SI2) inclusions are visible to the naked eye.
I1 and I2 and I3 (Imperfect) - Noticeable Inclusions. Inclusions are visible both at 10x magnification and with the naked eye.
Color - color of the stone.
When jewelers talk about diamond color, they usually mean the presence or absence of color in a “white” diamond. The color directly depends on the chemical composition of the diamond and does not change over time.
Due to the fact that a diamond is colorless, like transparent glass, it transmits more light through itself than a colored stone, colorless diamonds sparkle more and play with light reflections. Due to the peculiarities of the diamond formation process, only a few specimens are truly colorless stones. The more colorless a “white” diamond is, the higher its value. These rules do not apply to fancy colored diamonds. Such diamonds have a bright fancy color - blue, pink, red, yellow, green. They are very rare and their cost is several times, or even orders of magnitude, higher than the cost of “white” diamonds.
When assessing the colorlessness of diamonds, many jewelers use the GIA professional color chart, which is divided into groups, starting with completely colorless diamonds and then increasing in intensity of the yellow hue until the last group for diamonds with yellow coloring. Each group is designated by a letter of the Latin alphabet from D - colorless diamonds to Z - yellow diamonds. Using the same scale, the color of stones is assessed from brown tint, taking into account saturation Brown. Assessing the color of a diamond comes down to determining the color group. The coloring of yellow and brown stones with a color characteristic below Z is considered fancy. Diamonds with fancy colors have their own color groups; when describing such stones, the word fancy is used, then the color and its intensity are described. A set of standards is used to evaluate the color of diamonds.
Carat weight - weight of the stone in carats.
Carat is a unit of measurement used to determine the weight of diamonds. One carat is equivalent to 0.2 grams (200 milligrams). The word "carat" comes from the name of the seed of ceratonia, with which people in ancient times checked scales. Ceratonia seeds are so small and indistinguishable from each other that even the most modern technology is not able to measure the difference in weight of two seeds exceeding 0.003.
The process of diamond formation occurs only in special conditions, and usually the natural components necessary for the formation of a crystal can only be found in the mountains. Which means that large diamonds are found much less often than small ones. For this reason, the price of a diamond increases in direct proportion to its size.
Today, especially for those who are planning to go on a diamond shopping tour to Israel, we will raise the “diamond” topic - about purchasing diamonds in Israel and jewelry with them. You need to be well prepared for a trip to a jewelry salon so that at least you don’t fall victim to your own incompetence. Based on my 10 years of experience in this business, I want to give some tips on how to choose and buy diamonds correctly.
Main players
Before reaching the counter of a private jeweler, a stone will be in the hands of several owners. And at each stage of resale of the stone, its value naturally increases. We are unlikely to ever encounter brokers, buyers, intermediaries and others like them, so we will take a closer look at the key players represented on the diamond market.
Diamond mining companies Like DeBeers and ALROSA. These companies mine rough diamonds from various types of deposits and then sell the mined diamonds at special auctions in which smaller diamond traders and diamond cutting companies participate. They send the purchased diamonds to their cutting factories, and then put the already cut stones up for auction.
Cutting shops and companies engaged in the sale of finished diamonds, O neither are diamond dealers. These are companies that purchase raw materials from mining companies. Here you will buy a stone at the lowest price, but it is extremely difficult to get here, since such companies are located inside the diamond exchange and work with regular and long-trusted clients - private jewelers and companies producing jewelry products. , just like all exchanges in the world, 99% consist of precisely such companies.
Diamond retailers. These are all kinds of private jewelers and shops. Here, at the last link in the chain, you will buy the stone at the maximum price.
Diamond Characteristics
In enjoy international system estimates of cut diamonds. Here are the parameters that affect the price of the stone and which you should definitely pay attention to:
Weight.
Color. The color is designated by letters from D to Z. Starting with color H, the stone has a yellowish tint, clearly visible to the naked eye. D-color diamonds are also called “Pure Water Diamond” - if you place the stone in a glass of water, it becomes invisible.
Purity. The categories are: FI, IF, VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2, I1, I2, I3. Starting from SI1, you can see inclusions in the stone with the naked eye (black dots, stripes, clouds, cracks).
Cut. The cut is characterized in terms of “cut”, “polish” and “symmetry” (only for round stones). The cut grade ranges from “poor” to “excellent”, depending on the quality. These parameters determine how your diamond will play in the light. In Russia, for example, it is very difficult to obtain a cut quality higher than “good” or “very good”. In addition, there are 12 different cut shapes: Round, Princess, Marquise, Heart, Pear, Emerald, Oval, Cushion, Asscher, Baguette, Triangle.
Fluorescence. Stones with a high level of fluorescence glow in ultraviolet light. With strong fluorescence, the stone loses up to 30% of its value.
Certification of stones
When choosing a stone, it is important to understand that without a certificate assessed by a professional appraiser, the characteristics of a diamond from a jeweler or a seller in a store, who may even give you a passport for the stone, may be completely different from the real ones, and far from being in your favor. Show a stone to several appraisers and you will never get the same characteristics.
The only certificate that can guarantee you an accurate assessment is from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) - the only organization that gives the lowest characteristics, as close as possible to real ones. You can also note HRD, but this certificate is not as popular as GIA. No other certificates - neither EGI, nor IGI, much less certificates of Israeli origin, guarantee that the stone you purchased meets the characteristics stated in the certificate.
I can remember dozens of cases when a broker brings me a stone, for example, with the characteristics stated in the certificate: 1 carat, color F, clarity SI1, 3EX, and even through an ordinary magnifying glass I see that the clarity is too high, and the color is in question. Moreover, the price for such a stone is about $6000–6500. I suggest sending the stone to GIA and the results are: G/I1 VG VG EX. The price of such a stone is $2500–2900. An untrained person (and this is 99.9% of buyers) will not notice any catch and will not distinguish two different stones, no matter how much he looks at them. And for a businessman, this is a reason to earn an extra three thousand. This is what most jewelry sellers build their business on. Inflating the characteristics by just one color gives a profit of up to 40–50% of the real cost of the stone.
Conclusion: If you want a stone that lives up to the specifications you paid for without being under-graded, buy only GIA-certified diamonds.
Cost estimate from Rapaport
Another way to find out the real cost of a product is to check it against Rapaport’s international price list, which is generated every two weeks and takes into account all market changes during this period. There are two price lists, for round and fancy cut stones.
Diamonds almost never sell for Rappoport's price. You can get a discount from 5 to 50% from a dealer or cutter, depending on the characteristics of the stone and the certificate issued. In a store, you will always overpay and, once you decide to sell the stone, you will lose a very large percentage, since they will buy the stone from you in accordance with Rappoport.
Just yesterday, out of curiosity, I visited several jewelry stores in Tel Aviv and near the exchange in Ramat Gan. Everywhere they asked for a stone with the same characteristics. The minimum price that I, a prepared person, managed to get was $1800 for a stone with GIA. When I checked in the office the real price of the stone for which it can be purchased on the exchange, it turned out to be only $1000. A tourist would have paid at least $2500 for the same stone in a store. And the starting price was $4200. Draw your conclusions!
Investing in Diamonds
Ideal stone for investment, which will then be easier to sell with a minimal discount, I would characterize as follows:
Purity: IF-VS2
Cut: Round
Weight: from 0.5 carats
No fluorescence!
You can buy diamonds at the lowest price only on international electronic platforms, where companies from all over the world offer their stones for sale. There are only a few of them. You won't find lower prices than here. But to gain access to such a system, you need to have a certain set of licenses and recommendations from participants in this market. For example, in Russia no more than a dozen companies have access to such systems. This is where large wholesalers and serious world-famous jewelers buy stones. But you won’t be able to reach here (unless, of course, you know someone at the stock exchange).
When a diamond goes on sale, the earnings of all intermediate links and VAT are added to it. Therefore, prices in stores are very high, and such a purchase cannot be considered a successful investment.
Common mistakes when buying diamonds
A ring with one stone weighing 1 carat is much more expensive than a ring with a scattering of diamonds of the same weight. All these scatterings of stones, where each stone is 0.01–0.09 carats, cost a penny. One carat of such placer can cost $200–300. It will be presented to you as a large number of diamonds.
It is not true that a 0.3-0.5 carat stone is too small to be GIA certified. There are a huge variety of stones of this size with the necessary certificates.
If you are told that the ring is an exclusive work and therefore the cost of the jewelry exceeds the cost of the stone, do not listen. If we are talking about stones from 0.3 carats, it should be a ring with exclusive work from the world's leading designers. The average cost of making a ring does not exceed $100, including setting the stone of your choice per gram of gold. The only exception is if the decoration is made according to your sketches and will be made in a single copy. In this case, the price of the designer’s work and the production of the mold are added to the cost.
Do not believe if you are assured that a company or store is a branch. The Diamond Exchange has no branches! The Diamond Exchange is four multi-storey buildings in which diamond market professionals work. The exchange itself does not sell anything and certainly does not have any branches. And stores that use such inscriptions (by the way, only in Russian) are just trying to cash in on this by misleading people.
To buy a diamond in Israel at the lowest possible price, some advise going on a free excursion to the diamond exchange. As a rule, you again will not go inside, but visit the Openheimer Museum and the nearest store, which will be presented to you as an exhibition hall. If you bought a diamond there, consider that you paid not only the cost of the stone, VAT and the store’s earnings, but also the commission to the travel agency or agent who brought you, as well as the cost of the excursion for all the people who came with you, but certainly nothing did not purchase.
There are also so-called “factories” for processing diamonds. Huge store with a small area where several jewelers sit and a couple of stone processing machines, intended more for show, cannot be called a factory. The prices there are exorbitant! Avoid such “factories”. It will be extremely difficult for you to get into real production. As a rule, these are well-guarded premises where no one is allowed.
The Internet is flooded with offers supposedly from diamond dealers working directly on the diamond exchange. As a rule, the path leads to the same shops. If you are lucky enough to get inside the real exchange after going through the fingerprinting procedure, and you are in one of the many offices, you can be sure that the stone corresponds to the certificate. They are unlikely to deceive you here. Each of the exchange members values their reputation very much, and tarnishing it just once means losing business (or rather, access to the exchange) forever. Here you can get an adequate price, but again, it all depends on your bargaining ability.
How to choose the right diamond
1. Before going to the store, study the information about diamonds so that you understand the difference and know the basic terms. If you show your complete incompetence, this will be a good signal for the seller to sell you the stone at the highest possible price.
2. When, for example, you are offered to pay Rappoport’s price for a stone, simply tell the seller: “You understand that this is stupidity! I saw a similar stone with a GIA on Rapnet minus 20%.”
3. To avoid being deceived and being placed with a stone that does not correspond to the certificate, ask the seller to weigh the stone in front of you, and also - Attention! – ask for an electronic caliper (in Israel it is called “Gage”) and measure the stone in three dimensions. If the weight and dimensions match the data specified in the certificate, the stone corresponds 99.9% to it, since it is very difficult to select a stone identical in weight and size.
4. Even during the initial inspection of the stone, ask the seller for a ten-fold magnifying glass and, even if you don’t know anything about diamonds, study the stone thoroughly. When examining a stone through a tenfold magnifying glass, it should not be cloudy (milky), the price of such stones is pennies.
5. Keep in mind that fancy cut stones are slightly less expensive than round stones.
6. Listen carefully to what discount they will immediately offer you, and it will usually be about 20–40% right away. Subtract another 30 percent and stay there until the last. In about 10 minutes you will hear the lower purchase price.
7. It is better to negotiate with the manager, usually this is a guy who does not speak Russian.
Branded jewelry
Separately, I would like to express my opinion regarding diamonds in expensive branded items. When buying a product in a jewelry boutique of a well-known brand, you overpay the cost of the stone by at least 5–10 times. It would be much more logical to spend your budget on purchasing a separate diamond, which for the same amount will be much superior to a stone from a branded piece of jewelry, and order your own design from a good jeweler (or, alternatively, an absolute replica of the brand). So, instead of a ring from a fashion catalog with a 0.5 carat stone, you will get a beautiful ring of truly exclusive work, but with a stone of 1 carat, or maybe more, which will have a much greater effect on others.
But even with all the markups that I mentioned, if you chose the right stone, the price will still be lower than the cost of a similar diamond in the countries of the former USSR. In any case, it is profitable to purchase diamonds, you just need to do it thoughtfully and wisely. If you have any questions or doubts, write in the comments, I will be happy to answer.
Serge Hanven
Executive Director of the diamond mining group Afrcian Mining Company. Diamond mining in Sierra Leone and cutting and stone sales in Israel.
How to choose the right diamond jewelry? How to read the tag on diamond jewelry? What should you pay attention to first? We will now answer these questions.
Why diamonds?
As they say, best friends girls are diamonds. They are bright, beautiful, attract attention and are very popular with the female half of humanity. Every woman probably wants to receive a diamond ring as a gift. It will sparkle very beautifully on your finger, uplifting your mood. When choosing diamond jewelryYou always need to pay attention to many details.
Checking the tag on the decoration
Let's start with the fact that when purchasing diamond jewelry, you need to carefully read the tag on the product. The main document certifying the authenticity of a diamond (as, indeed, the declared characteristics of any other stone) is the tag accompanying the jewelry from the manufacturer.
The tag is a certificate for the set stones, containing all the necessary information. The list of details on the jewelry label is regulated by the Industry Standard (OST 117-3-002-95).
Basic information provided on the tag:
- company manufacturer;
- name of the product (bracelet, earrings, necklace, etc.) and its article number;
- a test indicating the purity of the metal;
insert description; - product size (for rings, bracelets, chains);
- product weight;
- product length (for chains and bracelets);
- cost of decoration.
We look at the characteristics of diamonds
For example, on the tag you can see the following:1Br Kr57 - 0.31 1/3A. Let's figure out what these numbers and letters on the tag mean:
- 1Br- This 1 round cut diamond;
- Kr57- this is a round cut 57 faces;
- 0,31 is the weight in carats: 0,31 karat of the highest purity;
- 1/3 - the first digit indicates the color group, the second - the purity group;
- [A]- cutting quality group.
What is carat value?
The weight of a diamond is measured in carats. The higher the carat weight, the larger the stone and, accordingly, more expensive. The Rossyuvelirtorg network presents all types of stones: from small (up to 0.29 carats), medium (from 0.30 to 0.99 carats) to large (from 1.00 carats and more).
What is diamond cutting?
Round cut with 57 facets provides maximum play of light. When the sun's rays passing through the top surface of a diamond are reflected on the bottom edges of the diamond. It is this type of cut that is considered the world standard throughout the world. For small diamonds it is considered ideal round form with 17 edges (Kr17). This cut allows you to maintain the most optimal ratio of the quality characteristics of the stone with its price.
The cut is divided into 4 categories from A to G. The highest quality cut is designated by the letter “A”.
What is the color of a diamond?
There are several shades of diamond. Some of them have differences that are so insignificant, in the eyes of the average person, that only an experienced gemologist can differentiate between them. Shades of the stone vary from bluish-white to cognac and are designated by numbers from 1 to 9. The highest rating is 1.
Among 17-sided stones, the most optimal in terms of price and quality are considered to be group 2 diamonds (“with a subtle tint” or “with a slight yellow tint”). And for larger crystals with 57 faces, this is color class 3.
Diamond Clarity
The purity scale ranges from 1 to 12. For those used in jewelry For Kr17 diamonds, the optimal clarity groups are 2 and 3. For Kr-57 up to 0.29 carats these are groups 4 and 5, and for larger diamonds with 57 facets - 4-6.
It is important to consider that the groups have a fairly wide range. Therefore, do not rush to conclusions if you see a cleanliness class that is too “low,” in your opinion.
Now you are ready!
These are all the main nuances that you need to pay attention to when choosing gold or silver jewelry with diamonds. Our sales consultants will always be happy to tell you about the manufacturer of diamond jewelry, and also describe in detail the characteristics of each stone. And commodity experts in the Rossyuvelirtorg network always carefully select the best suppliers of diamond jewelry.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with the presented assortment of diamond jewelry in the catalog of the Rossyuvelirtorg online store. Choose diamond jewelry wisely and delight yourself and your loved ones with precious gifts for many years to come!