It’s true, due to both lack of knowledge and unnecessary layers of middle-men, most people can end up paying much more than they need to for their diamond. Just like your relationship, a diamond should be truly unique. But that doesn’t mean it needs to break the bank.
In this guide, we’re going to show you exactly how to buy a premium quality diamond that is both beautiful and rare at a price that is fair.
When you buy a diamond from a faceless high-street retailer chain the price can be up to 40% more expensive. Not to mention, most of the diamonds are often of a lower quality and sold by people with very limited diamond knowledge. Do you really want to make one of life’s most important purchases from someone that is trained in sales and not in stones?.
Oftentimes a family jeweller that has their own trained gemologist and buys direct from the diamond cutters is your best bet. Not only does this cut out the layers of middlemen that greatly drive up a diamond's price but you know that what you are getting has been properly examined by a trained eye.
Family jewellers don’t have the huge overheads of mainstream retailers and usually offer a more personal service and have more quality control on which diamonds make it to the shop window.
Believe it or not, many jewellers do not make it clear exactly what quality of diamond you are buying. This can be very costly. To avoid this, check that the diamonds used are ethically sourced and certified by one of the leading international diamond grading organisations. We recommend the GIA. If a stone can also be chosen by a GIA qualified gemologist, even better.
These 4 things greatly impact the price of any engagement ring. Carat, Colour, Clarity, Cut. By getting the right combination of all four, you can achieve the perfect engagement ring without paying more than you need to.
Diamonds are usually cut to standard carat weights, for example 0.50ct or 1.00 carat. If you go just under the standard number, for example choose a 0.90ct instead of a 1.00ct stone you can often make huge savings without hardly any noticeable difference in appearance.
Rated from D-Z, diamonds vary in how they are graded. You want the highest colour grade you can get. Making up less than 1% of the world’s supply of diamonds, the colour ‘D’ diamond is the highest colour grade a white diamond can attain. So you know what you are getting is not only of the highest quality but is also extremely rare and unique in nature.
The clarity of a diamond is determined by how clean it is or how many inclusions it has. A diamond that is too included can affect its sparkle whilst a diamond that is totally flawless you end up paying tuns more without a noticeable difference to the naked eye. A VS2 grade is the sweet spot. It gives you a beautiful clean stone to the eye without breaking the bank.
If a diamond is properly cut, it should capture and throw back as much light as possible giving it that beautiful sparkle. If the proportions of a diamond are too deep or too shallow, light can be lost. Don’t lose that dazzle.
There’s so many options out there and so much to choose from.
As a starting point you’ll need to consider the stone shape you want, do you go for a bigger stone and sacrifice the quality or smaller with more or how your engagement ring will sit alongside your wedding ring.
Why not take the effort and guesswork out of it?
Imagine if you had an expert walk you step-by-step through the whole process and together, create the perfect ring for you.