Selecting a Diamond
Our fascination with diamonds is quite clearly due to their extreme beauty. As we know, this is reflected in their cost. Many people who are new to buying diamonds will be concerned about paying too much for their gems, and with this in mind Karina has made it her philosophy to instil complete confidence within her clients. Unlike other jewellery makers, she performs a much greater role than simply acting as a diamond supplier. To make her clients feel more comfortable with their purchase, Karina teaches them about the elements that can affect a diamond’s beauty, cost and desirability.
To enlighten you with specifics about the kind of terms you might come across, read the following glossary of diamond-related terms:
Glossary of Diamond Terms
The Four Cs: This famous term refers to four important elements in a diamond’s quality, its cut, colour, clarity and carat.
Cut: The proportions of a polished diamond affect the way it refracts light, therefore the cut deals with how the light enters the diamond and returns to the eye.
Colour: Diamond colour is a measure of the ‘whiteness’ of the diamond. A diamond graded a ‘D’ is considered the whitest, progressing all the way through the alphabet as the diamonds decrease in whiteness.
Clarity: Quite simply, fewer imperfections make for a cleared diamond. Greater clarity naturally equates to a higher price.
Carat: Carat refers to the weight of the diamond, or collection of diamonds in an individual piece. For example, a diamond ring might contain 20 diamonds yet be said to have 1 Carat.
Brightness: This term relates to the amount of white light that is reflected from a cut diamond.
Fire: Relates to the flares of colour that emanate from within the diamond.
Scintillation: Relates to the light flashes seen as the stone is moved in light.
Inclusions: These are tiny fractures or minerals that affect the clarity. Fewer inclusions equates to greater clarity. (A good tip is to avoid stones with inclusions on the top or the middle, as they can affect the dispersion of light in the same way as a bad cut.)
Clarity Rating: The following ratings inform the buyer of how many ‘inclusions’ a diamond has.
IF: Internally Flawless. This refers to a very rare diamond with no internal flaws.
VVS2 – VVS2 Very, Very Slightly Included. The diamond contains minute inclusions, which are very difficult to detect under ten times magnification by a trained gemmologist. VVS1 is slightly cleaner than VVS2.
VSI – VS2 Very Slightly Included. Minor inclusions only visible under ten times magnification. VS1 is slightly cleaner than VS2.
SI1 – SI2 Slightly Included. Inclusions easy to see under ten times magnification but usually not visible with the naked eye. SI1 is slightly cleaner than SI2.
I1 – I2 – I3 Included. Inclusions visible to the naked eye.
If you would like to find out, please visit Karina for a free consultation at her Bond Street Workshop.
Ethical Diamonds
Conflict Diamonds first came to our attention in the ‘90s. The world became aware of rebel armies in certain parts of Africa that were illegally using the trade of rough diamonds to fund their wars against democratically recognised governments. These so-called Blood Diamonds were once the scourge of the continent and it is only through refusing to buy them that we can make them obsolete.
Karina only buys ethical diamonds, therefore she never uses conflict diamonds in her work. She also insists that her suppliers provide her with verifiable evidence that they come from a non-conflict source.
