Q: Dear Diamond Buying Advice, Can you help me find an eco friendly solution to buying a diamond? First off though, great blog! thanks for providing some interesting articles about diamonds and I have been reading through your advice to other people. I want to very soon buy a diamond but don't want to support the mining and digging up of the ground soil everywhere. What is the best way to go about buying a diamond without ruining the earth? I wish to propose with a diamond but am wondering if fabricated diamonds are all that good. What is your opinion about this? I know I could just not bother with a diamond ring but that doesn't sit right with me. I hope I am making sense. Is there any point in me looking at made diamonds that are not dug from the ground? I don't mind buying over the internet, I just don't want to be sold a dud. What are the things I need to consider when buying a made diamond? Thanks in advance for your help with this. I look forward to hearing back from you when you get a chance. Hopefully soon as I want to get this sorted and will hopefully have come to a decision within the next couple of months. (Christmas at the very latest, lol!) But yeah, whenever it's convenient. By the way my budget is $5000. that has to include the ring setting too. So I guess like $3500 to $4500 for the diamond and the rest for the diamond ring setting. I am in the US so don't have to worry about any additional import duties I guess if I buy from US companies. (I'm cool if you stretch it a bit, but I will try to keep it to $5000 total.) I am hoping for a 1 ct diamond, but I don't know if that is going to work. I heard from a friend that one carat is usually more than $5000. Ok, I hope I didn't ramble on too long. Anyway, I hope you can help me find something nice.
HH
A: Hi HH, thanks for your message. I totally get where you're coming from. I have heard of some people buying second hand diamonds in order to solve this problem. As a matter of fact I read an article yesterday about a couple who found a vintage store that sells good quality vintage diamonds (this was in Sydney Australia). They went there and had a look at the diamond rings on offer. They tried on a few and found a perfect fit which the woman decided was in the style that she really liked. A second option is to look at laboratory grown diamonds. The diamonds that are being produced now are identical to mined diamonds and some companies even source their electricity from renewable sources. I know of one diamond creation company that is even 100% carbon neutral. If you are wondering where to buy laboratory grown diamonds I maintain a page on one of my websites that lists the places I consider to provide excellent value and believe you will be very happy with the service they give.
see https://mytop10diamondwebsites.com/lab-created-diamonds/ Something that very few people realize is that laboratory grown diamonds are identical to diamonds that are dug up from the ground. Just yesterday the FTC in the United States ruled that lab grown diamonds are diamonds. It said that created diamonds should not be referred in to marketing as synthetics, but rather as lab made diamonds, man made diamonds, or even foundry diamonds. Now just because diamonds can be grown in a lab does not mean that you can find 10 carat lab grown diamonds. The big diamonds are very difficult to make in the lab just as they rarely form in the earth. Big diamonds are rare and will continue to be rare. Most of the diamonds that are made, luckily enough, are just the right size for engagement rings. Oh and if you have a look at the prices of the companies I listed you will find that you will easily be able to afford a 1 carat diamond with a very nice ring setting. Now you may not have as much variety among lab grown diamonds, but fortunately there are less unlovely ones among the available range. It's quite a bit easier to hunt for a good stone as they usually don't have a lot of visible inclusions as you would find in the more included mined diamonds. Most of the inclusions I have seen in laboratory made diamonds did not severely affect the beauty of the diamond. Though to be honest I have not looked at nearly as many lab grown diamonds as I have natural mined diamonds. Anyway, all the best with your diamonds hunting. Let me know how it goes.
-Thomas Stevens
Diamond Buying Advice
Friday, July 27, 2018
Thursday, May 10, 2018
Are these 2ct+ diamonds eye clean and good value?
Q: Are these 2ct+ diamonds eye clean and good value?
I think I have narrowed my search down to the below two:
2.06 H SI2
2.08 H SI1
Would
both of those appear eye clean? How about the twinning wisps - is that
something to worry about? They seem to be white and fairly small, even
though they go through the table.
In terms of setting, would putting this in platinum cause any issue?
thanks!!
A:Yes, they're eye clean IMO.
Twinning
wisps only become a major concern if they encompass more than a few %
points of the diamond. As long as they aren't too close to the girdle
it's usually fine.
Will look good in platinum.
Q: Thank you!! What do you mean "more than a few % points of the diamond" ? Do you mean specific locations (e.g. girdle) ?
A: Twinning wisps and feathers are breaks in the diamond. If they are too
big they threaten the integrity of the stone. If they are near the
girdle they risk getting larger if they are subjected to shock.
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email your questions to:
Tuesday, May 8, 2018
Could you please provide me with your opinion about this oval cut diamond?
Q: Could you please provide me with your opinion about this diamond?
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/1.01-carat-h-color-si2-clarity-sku-4796184
Thank you so much in advance!
A: I like it.
The inclusion on the table that is evident in the magnified image seems to be a clear crystal so it's not likely to be noticeable. Remember James Allen has a generous no questions asked return policy, but make sure to read the terms and conditions especially the last clause: https://www.jamesallen.com/guarantee/hassle-free-returns/. the cut quality seems to generate a decent amount of fire, which is real nice for an oval. I'd go for it.Q: Thank you SO MUCH for your reply! It makes me feel a lot better about what I picked!
One last questions if you don't mind...I see that the depth is 66.90%. I think I read online on a guide that for an oval shaped diamond it's recommended a depth of 58-62% and a table of 53-63%. Would the depth of 66.90% make this less sparkly?
A: It depends on other variables such as its length to width ratio. This is one of the reasons grading labs don't want to give fancy cuts a grade of excellent or any other level because there are tiny variables that are very complex to calculate. Generally speaking a deeper cut or a shallower cut will return less light to the eye of the beholder. Since this diamond has no noticeable bowtie effect it appears to be returning light quite efficiently.
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Wednesday, April 25, 2018
The jeweler says that the stone is a natural carbonado
Q: my girlfriend and I have been shopping for
engagement rings, and found one that we're quite a fan of. The ring
features a non-traditional center stone from a small husband-wife
jeweler.
The
jeweler says that the stone is a natural carbonado, and seems
reputable; that said, I'd like some degree of confirmation that this IS
indeed a carbonado. I asked about getting a certification for the
stone, and the jeweler was fine with it, but said that it would require
them to extract the stone and then re-make the ring.
As
it's a one-of-a-kind piece, I'm a bit hesitant to do that in case it
alters what we love about the design. Are there any ways, working with
the jeweler or an outside party before purchase, to confirm the
authenticity of the diamond without removing it from the ring?
A: It
may very well be a Carbonado, but what gives the jeweler the confidence
that it is one? When they bought it they would have to have been
reassured that they were getting the real deal.
The
International Gem Society tells us that while most black diamonds on
the market today are either superheated or irradiated to an almost black
color, natural black diamonds do exist, though they are extremely
rare.
Black diamonds are as a rule not more expensive than colorless diamonds.
For reference see this 3 carat oval from one of the world's foremost experts on fancy color diamonds. https://www.leibish.com/black-diamonds/fancy-black-oval-31234
As you can see the above site provides a GIA certificate with their diamonds.
Without
one it is better to assume that it is a treated stone. Just check
amazon.com and see how much black (irradiated) diamonds go for.
Some tests can not be done , such as specific
gravity comparison of the weight of the isolated stone to the same
volume of water. This test only proves it is a diamond, not whether it
is a natural Carbonado,
However it's up
to you. What is the significance of knowing that the diamond is what
it's purported to be? Satisfaction, yes. But insurance and resale value
could be factors for you. Will the in-house certification cut it for
those? Maybe. But GIA holds a lot more authority.
Q: This
is really helpful, thanks for the feedback. This particular ring is
only about $2.2k, and the center stone is 1 carat, so that's less than
the cost of most colorless diamonds I've seen. As far as I can tell,
they have confidence in the authenticity on the word of a sourcer that
they trust.
In your opinion, it sounds like I should go with the certification?
A: Without certification you may as well buy an irradiated stone. This is what certification is for. So you can be certain.
Q: Thanks so much, that makes complete sense.
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Sunday, April 22, 2018
Help Choosing a Cushion Cut Diamond
Q: I've been
looking at 8 faceted cushions (as opposed to 4) and narrowed it down to
these three. I've looked at them so much that they look pretty much the
same...
any opinions?? This will be on a white gold pave band. Each diamond is around 3.7k
A: That first one looks pretty amazing for an SI1. If that's correctly
labeled then you have found yourself a nice stone. The grading report
usually has a bit more information on the type of inclusions than can be
made out from the photo. Did you get a chance to look at the lab
reports?
Q: Yeah, I have the GIA reports. Once it points out the inclusion, I can't unsee it!
and here
is the side and bottom views. I figure my girlfriend will never see it from
the bottom, so those inclusions aren't that big of a deal.
A: Yep. But at least you know it's legit. Seems like you found a sweet deal. All the best.
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Friday, April 20, 2018
Cushion Cut Purchase Recommendations
Q: Hi, I was wondering if you could help me. I'm looking for a cushion cut diamond in the 9-10k range. Obviously if I can find something
exceptional for less, I may want to put that difference into a possible
three stone setting. Do you have any tips for finding good value? Can you explain diamond fluorescence?
A: The cut quality of Cushion cut diamonds is not as easy to determine from a grading report as round brilliant or princess cuts.
Browsing online jewelers that have high resolution images is a must. However if they don't display an image many jewelers will be able to send you an image upon request.
Like this one:
Diamond fluorescence basics:
When under ultraviolet light, fluorescent diamonds glow.
This effect looks pretty awesome in a nightclub.
In
daylight, though, the glow sometimes interacts with the light that
would make up the diamond's fire and brilliance, essentially reducing
its sparkle.
The result is a reduced brilliance in daylight.
This does not occur in every single fluorescent diamond.
But it is not possible to be certain unless it has been previously checked.
One jeweler that screens fluorescent diamonds is Brian Gavin Diamonds. https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/brian-gavin-blue-diamonds-with-fluorescence/
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Q: I've been looking at 8 faceted cushions (as opposed to 4) and narrowed it down to these three. I've looked at them so much th... -
Question: Hi Diamond Buying Advice, I am keen on investing in diamonds. Where can I find wholoesale diamonds at good prices? I want to in...