Whether you’re planning to gift your loved ones diamond jewellery, celebrate your new journey with a wedding ring or engagement ring, or simply want to make yourself feel special by gifting yourself, it’s essential to make sure that you can tell the quality of a diamond and whether what you’re paying is worth it.
This diamond buying guide will help you understand the 4 Cs of buying diamonds, which are four qualities to look out for that can help you assess a diamond’s value. This way, you can differentiate between real diamonds, lab-grown diamonds that possess natural diamonds’ properties while costing you less, and fake diamonds. This way, you’ll only buy gemstones that are worth what they’re priced at.
The 4 Cs Of Buying Diamonds
It is essential to have a clear idea about the 4 Cs of diamonds when you’re shopping for them, as these are the fundamentals that will ensure that you are paying the right price. The 4 Cs are as follows:
Carat
Diamond carats are the measurement of how much a diamond weighs. Diamond carat weight can be divided down to two decimal places to allow for very precise measurements of the stone's size.
Cut
Different diamond cuts can have a notable difference in the price of a diamond and the way it sparkles and reflects light. Differentiating between a low-grade and high-grade diamond cut can be a bit challenging. The preference should be a certified cut rather than a vendor’s individual cut.
Although 'cut' is normally referred to and thought of as its shape (such as oval, marquise, or pear), 'cut' actually refers to how well the diamond's facets interact with light. This is the most difficult of the 4 Cs to judge. The proportions of the diamond are judged on how well they create desirable properties such as its brightness, fire and scintillation.
'Brightness' refers to the amount of white light being reflected from the stone. 'Fire' refers to the scattering of white light into its different colours. ‘Scintillation’ refers to its sparkle, or the pattern of light and dark areas produced by its reflections and facets.
Diamond Cut vs Diamond Shape
Although shape is a different aspect to consider in comparison to the different diamond cuts, it also has a notable price difference. Square diamonds are usually the least expensive compared to round, princess, and oval shapes. So, select your diamond shape wisely, especially if you are trying to save money.
Clarity
Diamond clarity is subjective. If you see it with your naked eye, you might not be able to tell the difference between a less clear and a clearer diamond. However, under the jeweller’s magnifying glass known as a loupe, you will be able to see a clear difference. So, it is up to you whether you want to purchase a clearer diamond or you pay less and buy a less clear one that seems clear to the naked eye.
Diamonds occur from carbon being exposed to immense amounts of heat and pressure within the earth. Due to this process, diamonds can be left with internal characteristics, which are called 'inclusions', and external characteristics called 'blemishes'.
What Is the Best Clarity for a Diamond
The diamond clarity scale has 11 different grades, as shown above. Like colour, it can be very hard to distinguish between grades with the naked eye. But be assured, they have been expertly judged. The higher up the scale towards flawless a diamond is, the more expensive it will likely be; again, this also depends on the other 3 Cs.
Colour
So, what colours are diamonds, and how can this affect their pricing? The colour of a diamond is divided into two categories. A diamond with a yellowish colour is usually less expensive than a pure, transparent diamond colour. On the other hand, coloured diamonds, including all the colours of the rainbow, black, grey, and white, are rare. Hence, they are more expensive and less commonly available than transparent diamonds.
The rating of colour is based on the absence of colour. The ratings go from a colourless diamond with a rating of D to a yellow diamond with a rating of Z. The colour distinctions between each rating can be incredibly subtle and unnoticeable to the untrained eye. However, these small differences can create large differences in both the quality and price of the stone.
How to Tell the Difference Between Fake and Real Diamonds
Diamonds are immensely popular, so buying them involves risk. Over the years, convincing imitations known as diamond simulants, such as cubic zirconia and moissanite, have become common, and they're easy to mistake for the real thing.
If you are wondering how to check fake diamond jewellery, the following tips will help you distinguish between real and fake diamonds:
Scratch Test: This is the most common test to identify a real diamond. Scratching the diamond against glass should scratch its surface if it is real because diamonds are the most durable substances on Earth.
Reading Test: A decent quality diamond is usually dense enough that you cannot read through it. Place the diamond on any newspaper or book; if you can easily read through it, there is a high chance that the diamond is fake.
Water Test: Diamonds are dense. So, if you add diamonds to a glass of water, real diamonds should sink to the bottom, whereas the fake ones will most probably float.
Fog Test: Fog a diamond with your mouth. If the fog doesn’t last more than a second or two, the diamond is highly likely a real one.
Sparkle Test: A real diamond will reflect grey colour tones when the light is reflected inside the stone and will reflect rainbow colours on the outside or the surface.
Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Worth Buying?
Lab-grown diamonds possess all of the same properties as real diamonds. These are made from pure carbon, just like a mined stone, and they share the same hardness and fire.
The only difference between them is where they form. A mined diamond takes shape deep within the earth over millions of years, whereas a lab-grown diamond forms in a controlled setting that recreates that same heat and pressure in a matter of weeks.
Because these two are physically identical, the tests above won't separate them, and even an experienced jeweller needs specialist equipment to tell them apart.
Lab-grown diamonds are graded on the same 4 Cs, so all of the advice above still applies to lab-grown choices too. Most of them come with a certificate from an independent grading laboratory, which gives you the same reassurance when you buy.
Lab-grown diamonds are assessed on cut and carat in a similar way as mined diamonds, so our advice on those two Cs still applies. However, colour and clarity are a little different. Most lab-grown diamonds fall within a very narrow range of colour and clarity, so some grading laboratories no longer use the same detailed scales they use for mined stones.
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), for example, now gives lab-grown diamonds an overall ‘Premium’ or ‘Standard’ description based on their colour, clarity, and cut, rather than individual grades such as a D colour or VS1 clarity. Coloured lab-grown diamonds sit outside this system and are assessed differently.
Other laboratories still grade lab-grown diamonds using the traditional 4 Cs scales, so how colour and clarity appear on a certificate can depend on which lab assessed the stone. There’s currently no single industry standard, and it’s an area that’s still changing. Whichever diamond you choose, look for a certificate from an independent grading laboratory, and our team will be happy to talk you through what it means.
They’re a popular choice thanks to their great value, as lab-grown diamonds usually cost considerably less than mined stones of a similar grade. This means that you can stretch your budget to a larger carat weight or unique colour, which is handy if you've got your heart set on a statement engagement ring.
Why Consider the 4 Cs of Diamonds?
It doesn’t matter if you buy designer diamond rings, diamond necklaces, diamond earrings, or if you want to invest in some bespoke diamond designs. You have to pay attention to the 4 Cs of diamonds to ensure that you pay the right price for the right diamond.
Discussing the 4 Cs of diamonds with your seller will show that you know what you want, and they’ll be more vigilant while dealing with you. All in all, it is always advised to purchase diamonds from trusted, certified diamond sellers because not only do you have a better chance of finding a better diamond deal, but you can also trust their professional advice without having any concerns.
High-Quality Diamond Jewellery at Allum and Sidaway
At Allum and Sidaway, we have a wide variety of certified diamond jewellery to choose from, coming in all different shapes, colours, and sizes to suit your unique wants and needs. With over 80 years in the business, you can trust all of our diamonds to be of the best quality and at the best possible prices.
In our collection, you can also find a wide selection of lab-grown diamond jewellery, as we touched on above. Here, you’ll find diamond jewellery with all of the same properties as natural diamonds, but with the options of greater carat weights and distinctive colours at more affordable price points.
If you would like to have more information on our jewellery pieces, then please email or phone one of our Allum and Sidaway stores; alternatively, you can contact us through our online form.
If you’re not sure about anything to do with the diamond jewellery you’re considering, ask one of our talented team members in store about an item. They'll be happy to talk you through the details of the diamond.