Diamonds
Diamonds have been chosen by romantics for centuries and gifted to their loved ones as symbol of a prosperous and long-lasting relationship. It’s not hard to see why when compared to other precious gems, diamonds outrank them all in their unsurpassable strength and brilliance.
A quality diamond will be viewed with high regard for years to come, so take some time to select the right one.
Diamonds deserve their place as the number one choice of gemstones for engagement and wedding rings as they are the hardest substance known to a man.
In this world that has become a throwaway society and buying things that cannot be repaired it is great knowing that your purchase of a diamond can be handed down the family for many generations to come.
THE 4C’s – COLOUR, CUT, CLARITY, CARAT
Colour
We love diamonds because they are white and shiny, so colour is paramount when purchasing the ring for your symbol of love. The closer to colourless the rarer the diamond. At Rowe Design we ONLY STOCK and SELL diamonds from grade D to G which means that there is no hint of brown or yellow colour within the stone. GIA (The Gemological Institute of America) has set the International standards for diamond grades. The colour is set on a scale from D-Z. D being colourless with increasing colour towards letter Z.
The best quality diamonds are always between G and D which is considered to be in the fine white range. A lot of commercially available jellwery contains diamonds Jand lower and when compared to a fine white diamond the colour tint is unmistakable.
Cut
Followed closely to colour is cut of the diamond when considering purchasing your diamond. Cut is often overlooked and thought as of the shape of the stone (princess, round, emerald, oval, baguette, pear, trilliant etc.)
Whilst colour and clarity are important it is the quality of the cut that makes the difference between a dull and lifeless diamond and one that is alive with fire and brilliance. The more precise the cutting, the more sparkle in the stone. An ideally cut diamond will bounce the light back out the top of the diamond, whilst a diamond cut either too shallow or deep will refract their light out the sides or bottom. Keep the cut in mind when choosing your diamond.
At Rowe Design we stock a large range of Ideal cut diamonds that are Triple Excellent meaning they are of excellent cut, excellent symmetry and excellent polish. All diamonds are provided with GIA Certificate and are laser inscribed to prove their authenticity.
Clarity
Very few diamonds are internally flawless. It is natural part of its crystalising process for the diamond to pick up impurities as the carbon turns into diamonds. These small impurities within the diamond are called inclusions. The light cannot pass through the inclusions and impedes its ability to shine hence at Rowe Design we only sell diamonds with minimal inclusions that can only be discovered under a 10x eye loupe or microscope.
Clarity ranges from flawless ‘Fl’ to visibly included ‘I’ and everything in between. If you can imagine the colour covers the whole stone whereas the inclusions are generally a minuscule part of the diamond. For this reason, it is allowable to compromise on clarity but not colour. Many stones graded Si are still acceptable as long as the inclusions are hidden in the outer perimeter and not in the central table of the diamond.
Most importantly when it comes to choosing diamonds, use your eyes! If the stone seems dull or dirty it generally is. And remember that a good quality diamond does not age, it will remain the same for generations to come, so make sure it’s a good one.
Carat
Carat is the weight of the diamond not the size as often thought. 1 carat (ct) = 0,02 grams = 100 points. 0.50ct (½ a Carat) = 0,01 grams = 50 pointer as the jeweller would call it. Diamond price increases with carat weight, because larger diamonds are rarer and more desirable. As previously mentioned, colour, cut and clarity also affects the price of the diamond so two different diamonds both weighting 1 carat will be valued at different price.
