How to choose a piece of diamond

Every diamond lover should learn how to choose a piece of diamond. Most people have at least heard about the 4Cs in choosing a piece of diamond, although the inner intricacies are only appreciated by a few. In this post, I shall explain how I choose diamonds for my designs, and what advice I can give for anyone interested in buying a piece of carat size diamond.

The problem with every customer is Given a limited budget how should I choose the best piece of diamond available?

The price of diamonds differs in regard to their 4Cs: carat (How large is it?), clarity (How much inclusions are there inside?), color (How white is it?) and cut (How does it compare with the ideal brilliant cut?)

With the same budget, you can buy a larger diamond with many inclusions, with brownish shade in color, and without much shine, or you can buy a much smaller one with no inclusion (we call internal flawless), the whitest D color and the best cut (triple brilliant). In between there lies all decisions. And such decision ultimately depends on your knowledge and your objective.

Take knowledge for example. You have to know where the inclusion lies to see how much it will affect the design of the piece of jewelry. And can the particular design hide the inclusion? The same clarity grading will often times mean quite different things. A discerning eye on beauty is needed here.

Another example. Choosing the right color involves decision not only on the carat stone. If you are thinking of designing a piece with complementary smaller diamonds (which is usually the case!), make sure that your designer or jeweler can support you with small diamonds of similar color grade. You don't want a D color Internal Flawless (IF) carat stone flanked by H color SI stones - all have to go well together.

The cut of diamond is responsible for its brilliant and shine. It is not given by nature but done by human being - a skilled diamond cutter. Nowadays most round diamonds are cut as brilliant cut. It was first developed by Tolkowsky in 1919, but the modern brilliant cut was gradually developed and generally accepted after World War II. The best brilliant cut will give the best shine.

My advice is therefore buy the diamond with the best cut that you can afford. It really doesn't matter if you have chosen a stone with D color and IF clarity, if it is not well proportioned, you will forever have a dull, lifeless looking diamond. Moreover diamond cut appreciation is acquired taste,  You may not be able to differentiate the effects of different cuts if you are new to diamond. A piece of diamond is not a consumable item, when it is set into a beautiful design, you will begin to become its fan and gradually you will learn to appreciate how good (or how not so good) your diamond cut is.

A final word on objective. Is it your first piece of diamond or are you thinking of buying it as part of your legacy? If you have the former objective, a "mass-market" stone of average price can serve your purpose, but you have the latter objective, the most affordable high quality stone should be your best choice.

The proportion of brilliant cut diamonds